The Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency after cases of avian influenza (H5N1) were detected in dairy cows on farms in Southern California. This is a measure to expedite and expand coordinated monitoring, which seeks to contain and mitigate the spread of the virus.
The avian influenza virus (H5N1), better known as "bird flu," has spread across 16 states within the dairy cattle industry, so the emergency proclamation gives state and local agencies the opportunity to prepare in terms of staffing, hiring and other measures to respond in a timely manner.
"This proclamation is an action aimed at ensuring that government agencies have the resources and flexibility they need to respond quickly to this outbreak," Newsom said in a statement.