▁raised ▁to ▁ 4 ▁on ▁April ▁ 2 7 , ▁which ▁is ▁con gru ent ▁with ▁US ▁Pan demic ▁Stage ▁ 2 . ▁On ▁April ▁ 2 9 , ▁the ▁W HO ▁raised ▁the ▁pan demic ▁alert ▁level ▁to ▁phase ▁ 5 . ▁ ▁The ▁United ▁States ▁federal ▁government ▁declared ▁a ▁public ▁health ▁emer gency , ▁and ▁several ▁U . S . ▁states ▁then ▁indicated ▁that ▁they ▁may ▁follow ▁suit . ▁Secretary ▁of ▁Hom eland ▁Security ▁Jan et ▁Nap olit ano ▁noted ▁that ▁this ▁declaration ▁was ▁standard ▁operating ▁procedure , ▁which ▁was ▁also ▁done ▁for ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁president ial ▁inaug uration ▁and ▁for ▁flo oding . ▁ ▁After ▁many ▁days ▁of ▁deliber ation ▁the ▁W HO ▁declared ▁that ▁the ▁current ▁influen za ▁had ▁become ▁a ▁true ▁pan demic , ▁raising ▁the ▁Pan demic ▁Alert ▁level ▁to ▁Ph ase ▁ 6 , ▁the ▁highest ▁on ▁the ▁W HO ▁scale ▁and ▁con gru ent ▁with ▁U . S . ▁Federal ▁Government ▁Response ▁St ages ▁ 3 – 6 . ▁ ▁White ▁House ▁ ▁An ▁official ▁for ▁the ▁White ▁House ▁said ▁on ▁April ▁ 2 4 ▁that ▁" the ▁White ▁House ▁is ▁taking ▁the ▁situation ▁seriously ▁and ▁monitoring ▁for ▁any ▁new ▁develop ments . ▁The ▁president ▁has ▁been ▁fully ▁brief ed ." ▁President ▁Bar ack ▁Ob ama ▁stated ▁that ▁" We ▁are ▁closely ▁monitoring ▁the ▁emer ging ▁cases ▁of ▁sw ine ▁flu ". ▁He ▁also ▁noted , ▁" This ▁is ▁obviously ▁a ▁cause ▁for ▁concern   ... ▁but ▁it ▁is ▁not ▁a