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H1N1 special meeting scheduled for Thursday

“Proactive” step announced by New Port Richey Mayor Scott McPherson

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By Eric Horchy | The Suncoast News

Published: October 26, 2009

NEW PORT RICHEY - The New Port Richey City Council will be convening Thursday evening for a special meeting to address planning implementation in the event of an H1N1 outbreak in the area.

Mayor Scott McPherson said in an email that he does not "want to give the impression that there is reason to panic," but that "the meeting is merely an attempt to be proactive" in case an H1N1 outbreak does occur in New Port Richey.

Spawning the special meeting decision was a conference call McPherson sat in on last Tuesday. The call was coordinated between the White House, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. It was scheduled through the U.S. Conference of Mayors, of which New Port Richey is a member, McPherson said.

Shortly after that conference call, President Barack Obama on Friday signed a declaration of national emergency because of the H1N1 outbreak. According to an Associated Press article on Saturday, health officials have put the number of affected people about 1,000 nationwide.

Thursday's special meeting will be held at the New Port Richey City Hall at 5:30 p.m.

Eric Horchy can be reached at 727-815-1071 or ehorchy@suncoastnews.com.

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