Statement Attributable to:

Patrice A. Harris M.D., M.A.

President, American Medical Association 

“The AMA commends the Administration for declaring the COVID-19 outbreak a national emergency under the Stafford Act. This emergency declaration is necessary to help ensure America’s health care system has sufficient resources to properly respond to the ongoing outbreak, prevent further spread of illness, and keep our communities safe.

“The emergency declaration is needed so that certain regulatory barriers can be removed to allow physicians, hospitals and other health care providers more flexibility in coordinating care for patients. Physicians, nurses, first responders, and other health care professionals across the country are on the front lines in this effort, and streamlining critical processes is vitally important to prevent the further spread of COVID-19.”

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, the AMA has been providing physicians with the latest clinical guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to help them evaluate, test and care for patients under investigation for COVID-19, as well as guidance to help protect physicians and other health care workers from illness. The AMA developed a COVID-19 online resource center as well as a new Physicians Guide to COVID-19 to provide physicians with a comprehensive place to find the latest resources and updates from the CDC and World Health Organization to help prepare their practices, address patient concerns, and provide answers to physicians’ most pressing questions.

Additionally, the AMA’s JAMA Network™ has a comprehensive overview of the coronavirus – including epidemiology, infection control and prevention recommendations – available for free on its JN Learning website.