‘COVID All Over Again’: Newsom Faces Backlash for Declaring Health Emergency

by Luis Cornelio, 'So he can just declare state of emergency over a single case of bird flu? Seems like an overreach...' California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, was ridiculed on Wednesday after signing an emergency declaration aimed at preemptively combating potential future cases of Avian Influenza, commonly known as Bird Flu or H5N1.  The backlash arises from Newsom’s decision to revive language reminiscent of the COVID-19 pandemic era, during which governments implemented draconian, so-called health mandates in a failed bid to stop the spread of the virus.  Newsom announced the declaration in a press release that also admitted no single case of person-to-person transmission has been detected.  California Department of Public Health: The current risk to the public remains low Gavin Newsom: I’m declaring a State Of Emergency pic.twitter.com/rLUEVCZIz9 — Kevin Dalton (@TheKevinDalton) December 18, 2024 “This proclamation is a targeted action to ensure government agencies have the resources and flexibility they need to respond quickly to this outbreak,” Newsom claimed. “While the risk to the public remains low, we will continue to take all necessary steps to prevent the spread of this virus,” the governor added.  The emergency declaration followed reports of Bird Flu cases detected in dairy cows on some farms in Southern California. The virus was first identified in Texas and Kansas in March but has since spread to 16 states among dairy cattle.  On X, Newsom received criticism from users who viewed the announcement as cynical and overly alarming.  “We are not going this again,” the X page EndWokenes wrote, seemingly referencing the COVID-19 pandemic.  California Gov. Gavin Newsom just signed a bird flu emergency declaration. We are not doing this again. pic.twitter.com/OLegXSgUyZ — End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) December 18, 2024 The page Libs of TikTok added, “It’s COVID all over again.”  One user remarked, “So he can just declare state of emergency over a single case of bird flu? Seems like an overreach…”  Another user joked about Newsom possibly retreating to the “French Laundry,” alluding to the upscale restaurant where Newsom held a lavish gathering while enforcing lockdowns on Californians.  Newsom will be hiding at the French laundry https://t.co/WZiPEd1Z4a pic.twitter.com/Bswl3LvV0s —