Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency and the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors proclaimed a local health emergency Tuesday in response to the growing concern about the spread of swine flu, which has been confirmed in 11 people across California.

County supervisors were expected to get a more detailed report on swine flu at 1 p.m. Tuesday. No cases of the disease of been confirmed in Los Angeles County, although a school in Claremont was closed Tuesday because a student became sick and her mother developed flu symptoms after returning from a trip to Mexico.

The Los Angeles County coroner's office also confirmed that it is investigating the deaths of two men who apparently exhibited flu-like symptoms before they died.

In issuing the statewide emergency declaration, Schwarzenegger stressed
that there was no need for general alarm. The declaration "cuts government red tape'' and frees up resources to combat the spread of the disease, according to the governor's office.

The declaration orders all state agencies and departments to make personnel, equipment and facilities available to assist the Department of Public Health and requires the DPH and state Emergency Medical Services Authority to enter into any contracts needed to supplement preventative measures across the state.

It also waives certain certification requirements for public health laboratories to help the state expand its testing capabilities.

California also today became the first in the nation with the ability to conduct its own swine flu testing without having to send samples to the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta.

As of midday Tuesday, there were 11 confirmed cases in California -- including five in San Diego County, five in Imperial County and one in Sacramento County.

A total of 64 cases have been confirmed across the country. In Mexico, more than 150 people are believed to have died from the disease, and nearly
2,000 people have become ill.