ATLANTA — ATLANTA – Every week seems to add to the emergency declarations that have now come from the national, state, and local level.
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp has declared a Public Health Emergency. Fulton County and the city of Atlanta are among the areas that have also issued a state of emergency.
Why so many declarations on multiple levels?
The emergency declaration from the White House not only frees massive amounts of money but also frees resources to help deal with the virus.
“This includes building upsurge capacity for treatment and testing, as well as financial support for workers and business suffering economically,” says Dr. Fazal Khan, Associate Professor of Law at the University of Georgia Law School. “It allows for the release of supplies from the National Stockpile, which includes additional ventilators and protective gear.”
Dr. Khan says the national declaration allows for the relaxation or waiver of federal and state laws that might otherwise impede a rapid response.
Governor Kemp’s issued Public Health Emergency for Georgia is different from a standard emergency declaration. It places the Georgia Department of Public Health in charge of the state’s effort.
“It empowers the Department of Public Health to take specific actions such as declaring mandatory quarantine and testing orders and deputizing state and local agents to enforce and carry out these orders,” says Khan.
“A state might want to take possession of property to set up a quarantine or disaster response center,” says UGA Law Professor Elizabeth Weeks. “They can prohibit gatherings of more than 10 people, or allow medical providers who are licensed in other states to practice here in an emergency.”
Emergency declarations from the city of Atlanta and other local towns help fit the response to that city’s needs.
“This includes setting local curfews and restricting the operations of licensed businesses,” says Khan. “At the local level, a one-size-fits-all approach might not be appropriate. One can see densely populated cities like New York and San Francisco taking more aggressive measures.”
Recently, President Bill Clinton declared a national emergency to deal with the West Nile outbreak in 2000. President Obama did the same to help combat the spread of swine flu in 2005.
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