Title
Ratifying the Mayor's Declaration of Emergency Related to the COVID-19 health emergency.
Body
WHEREAS, COVID-19, a novel coronavirus disease, began infecting humans no later than December 2019, and has since spread to numerous countries, including to the United States and specifically to the City of Philadelphia and elsewhere in the region; and
WHEREAS, COVID-19 is easily transmitted, including by people with no symptoms or mild symptoms who may unknowingly spread the disease to others; and
WHEREAS, COVID-19 can cause severe disease and death, particularly in older adult and other vulnerable populations; and
WHEREAS, COVID-19 is a rapidly moving infectious disease that the World Health Organization has declared a "pandemic" and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has declared a nationwide "public health emergency"; and
WHEREAS, the Governor of Pennsylvania issued a Proclamation of Disaster Emergency on March 6, 2020 in response to the imminent and emerging threat of COVID-19 that directed the activation of emergency response and recovery plans of the Commonwealth and political subdivisions, including the City, with the implementation of such plans to be coordinated by the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency; and "urge[d] the governing bodies and executive officers of all political subdivisions affected by this emergency to act as necessary to meet the current exigencies as legally authorized under [such] Proclamation . . . all without regard to those time-consuming procedures and formalities normally prescribed by law"; and
WHEREAS, The City's Department of Public Health has activated its Incident Command System and the City has mobilized its emergency preparedness personnel and plans; and
WHEREAS, On March 13, 2020, pursuant to the authorization in 35 Pa.C.S. ? 7501(b) authorizing Council to delegate initial authority for a declaration of disaster emergency to the Mayor, and Section 10-819 of The Philadelphia Code, providing t...
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