On the same day that the first severe case of the avian virus in the U.S. was disclosed in Louisiana, halfway across the country, California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a State of Emergency designed to expedite the state’s response to further outbreaks of H5N1, commonly known as bird flu.

As the CDC confirmed a severe case in Louisiana of a patient hospitalized with H5N1 bird flu, Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in California related to the virus.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an emergency proclamation on Wednesday in response to growing concerns over bird flu cases in the state and across the country.