SACRAMENTO -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency Tuesday to help California agencies coordinate efforts in response to the outbreak of swine flu.

Schwarzenegger's proclamation sets in motion a series of administrative actions, including ordering all agencies to coordinate with public health officials as needed, the suspension of competitive bidding for contracts needed to respond to the outbreak and waiving certification requirements for laboratories involved in the testing.

He cautioned against panic, saying, "There is no need for alarm."

"We are taking strong and swift action to limit the spread of the virus and to minimize its effects," Schwarzenegger said during a news conference after issuing the emergency proclamation.

California has 11 confirmed cases of swine flu, said Dr. Mark Horton, director of the California Department of Public Health. It is evaluating nine probable cases but is awaiting official lab results before confirming they are swine flu, he said.

The state will begin testing and confirming its own cases Tuesday, Horton said, after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control approved a lab in Richmond as the only state lab in the nation authorized to do its own analysis.

The CDC also authorized that more than 1 million Tamiflu treatments be released in California so the state can quickly respond to more cases.

"California's share is already arriving here in our state," Schwarzenegger said. He said the state's shipments are going to San Diego, Imperial, Merced and Ventura counties.