Texas to reopen next week. WTF

[Cattledog]

The governor’s second executive order focuses on Texas’ medical staff affected by limitations placed on surgical procedures. The order eases restrictions on surgeries starting April 22. The goal of this order is to allow doctors to diagnose patients without an exception. The governor specifically used diagnostic tests for cancer as an example.

Additionally, while some restrictions are loosened, others will be enhanced such as standards for seniors in assisted living facilities and nursing homes. The order requires additional infection control policies and restricts the movement of staff between facilities.

The governor’s next executive order focuses on the retail sector in Texas.

“Retailers are such an important part of our economy,” said Abbott. “They provide you with products you need and want, and create so many jobs.”

Abbott says all stores in Texas should be able to operate “retail to go” starting April 24.

https://www.kxan.com/news/coronavirus/gov-abbott-reveals-plan-to-reopen-texas-economy/?fbclid=IwAR2fWlPLHqaILQTfpDDO2HeJRQOLvVDMBYJFsmrpAj-KpFIpFk_RITJ4ZQU

[smirkymonkey]

1. Great. Let's see how that works out for them.

Fucking idiots.

[jimfields33]

14. Doesn't sound like opening up

More like how restaurants are doing curb pick up. I could have read it wrong but curb to go sounds like what restaurants have.

[Igel]

21. That's what it is.

Some stores that are "essential" already offer that. Buy online. Text when you're arriving and somebody, presumably, will place it in your trunk.

Schools closed to the end of the year.

As for the medical side of it, it's what some groups argued for, to be honest. The ban that limited abortions is ending as part of the general order.

[LovingA2andMI]

2. This will be interesting....

At this point, we have to watch and see how many die.

[OhioChick]

3. April 24th?

Texas will be a sea of blood.

[Duppers]

17. And body bags, if...

They can find any left.

[uponit7771]

4. No wonder Birx wouldn't answer questions about testing amounts or rates so Red States can open with

... out having a sentinel infrastructure in place

[2naSalit]

5. Well, maybe let the stupid be stupid and

see what's left come September. Could end up being a blue state by default.

[TheBlackAdder]

6. TX and Florida grossly under-report the amount of deaths per infected.

.

https://infection2020.com/

.

[vercetti2021]

7. Meaning I'm staying home

Hard no let the state be stupid

[efhmc]

8. Niece in Dallas area is scheduled for a C Section on that date.

Maybe she will get to have her husband at least with her. But the rest of us are staying home.

[Igel]

23. The rest of you probably wouldn't be allowed.

It's not "all restrictions removed."

Schools to be closed for rest of school year.

Elective procedures allowed as of a certain date--10 days from now, I think.

State parks open, but no more than groups of 5 and social-distancing enforced. (Which means state parks are like Houston city parks.)

Stores stay closed if they were closed--except that you can order to have stuff delivered curbside. Can't go inside if you couldn't before. It makes stores that were closed more like restaurants. If it's good for restaurants, why not stores?

Restaurants, public gatherings, etc. ... No change.

Those hoping for a lot of deaths so they can say, "Sea, their stupid, teh morans!" probably will be disappointed. It won't be the case that lots of Texans die, so proud New-York-area exceptionalism will remain unchallenged.

As for Abbott's idea that the worst is maybe past, IMHE says peak is late April. Now, that's a screwball prediction. The death toll is increasing, but the numbers fluctuate so much that I'd expect any best fit to the data to have a lot of uncertainty built in.

[efhmc]

31. I did not mean at the hospital, I meant we will continue to

abide by the good sense rule of staying in place. I would not dare expose a new born and her mother to any chance of infecting her or any one else.

[Aristus]

9. That's a rather radical way to turn Texas blue.

n/t

[BGBD]

10. I wouldnt want to be

living in Dallas or Houston right now.

[spanone]

11. Yes, let's ignore the experts and rely on the guy who has a hunch

[Baclava]

12. It's on, blue states vs red states, ayep

[sarcasmo]

13. Stupid is as stupid does.

[NoMoreRepugs]

15. If it turns out to be a disastrous policy you know

it will somehow be Democrats fault that it didn’t work.

[nature-lover]

16. I'm staying home and calling Abbott's office to protest this idiotic opening.

Cornyn is getting a call (again) about his reprehensible support of the president*.

[jimfields33]

28. It's hardly a reopening

I’d make sure you read the EO. Because the office will probably say, “we opened?” “I don’t think so.”

[nature-lover]

32. Thanks. Read the article and the one in the Texas Tribune. "Opening " is a stretch.

I hate that this may make people take the precautions less seriously though. The lack of testing is the most urgent problem. Don't see a light at the end of the tunnel on testing.

[jimfields33]

33. I totally agree with you!

[LeftInTX]

36. I think much of it was a PR stunt to please Trump

He started lavishing praise on Trump at the beginning of the presser. (My stomach was in knots)
I was expecting the worse. Then he switched gears and it was pretty much normal.

He was vague on testing and that is worrisome.

I was worried about the State Parks thing, but I found out you need reservations in advance, paid online, no gate admissions allowed, no camping. (Hence there will be quotas)

But he mentioned theaters and that worried me too.... He didn't give any details, but it didn't seem like a good idea. Studios are not screening anyway.

[rownesheck]

18. Abbott sends to be sending mixed signals.

Today, he announced that all schools will remain closed for the rest of the school year. Confused.

[Igel]

25. Consider it tweaking.

Houston parks are already open. The new state-park guidelines sound like Houston's.

Stores will continue to fall in two classes. One set open out of necessity or presumed "essential" status. The other, now completely closed, will instead be closed like restaurants are closed--can't go inside, but take-out or to-go orders are fine.

Medical procedures are to be allowed. But that's what was argued for abortions, anyway. I doubt families will be allowed there because all the other orders stay in place.

As an aside, in NYC stores are closed if not essential. I just ordered something from a store in Brooklyn, NY. It'll be here in a few days, coming by USPS. So while I couldn't walk in and buy anything because the store was closed, I could and did click online and buy things. That's very much "to go", and the difference between putting it in the mail and putting it in my car trunk isn't so great. (And I wasn't the only one. One thing I added to my cart was sold out by the time I actually went to check out. I can whine about their online inventory control, but it means at least one other person was busy stocking up on a bit o' Tolstoy-by-the-pound at the time. If I'm going to be home, I'm going to read something interesting. Eh, bien, mon prince?)

[LeftInTX]

37. Some of the rhetoric was to appease Trump

But the actual details are pretty normal.

[Blue Owl]

20. Who was the DU'er who coined the term "Branch Covidians"?

Looks like the whack-jobs from Waco are back at it...

[tblue37]

35. It's been making the rounds on the internet for some time now. nt

[cayugafalls]

22. On watching the speech, he is not opening up Texas fully.

It will be a staged opening so they can pull back if they see a spike.

Loosening restriction for Dr's and procedures needed to diagnose and treat.

Enhancing nursing home restrictions to enforce less movement of staff between homes. No loosening of in place restrictions.

All stores in Texas will be able to offer "retail to go" or online order, pickup and delivery. Starting next Friday.

Schools will remain closed.

State parks will open, but you have to wear masks, not gather in groups larger than 5 and maintain social distancing.

The state park deal will be interesting to watch.

I will stay home and continue doing what I do...

[LeftInTX]

30. The state park one was weird....

He could have chosen a few select wilderness parks, are families going to be wearing masks while tubing at Garner?

[UTUSN]

24. The ahole parroted SHITLER's rallies/"pressers" - buzzwords, prop stooges, tuff tawk

Since mine is sinking like a stone, as usual, I'll piggyback your thread here: https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=edit&forum=1002&thread=13303356

The governor of Texas was featured in breaking news about his profound plan to get over this COVID nuisance for the future of his denizens. This would be one Greg ABBOTT, whose wheelchair is a reminder that one of his few accomplishments (before becoming governor?) was to spearhead putting a cap on what other victims could recover in lawsuit compensation, AFTER he got something like $15 millions suing after a rotted tree fell on him putting him in a wheelchair. The cap for others who might sue is far less ($250 grand?).

The rest of what he does as a Repuke is to refuse to expand Medicaid for the most needy, persecute Choice clinics, oppose OBAMAcare, aim for voter suppression, blah blah the usual.

So, if W. Bush could squat in the Texas Weak Governor job, *anybody* can! Like if SHITLER is “presidunce” *ANYBODY* can be!

So his deep plan consists of parroting any catch-phrase from SHITLER’s writers that he could: “Executive order… open it up … invisible enemy … (naming endless list of rich business owners)“ plus playing gracious EmCee introducing his prop stooges and on and on, delivered with that charming Tough Guy tone and dazzling smile. It would never occur to him to expand Medicaid and delete other cuts he has made all these years.

Oh, and his Select committee for making up more plans for the future consists of all of the Repukes squatting in statewide offices, almost all of whom have personal court cases against them. Maybe they’ll take another clue from SHITLER’s KARDASHIAN reality policy of getting their selected cases out of prisons – could come in handy later!

Surprisingly, he forgot to mention China, or “Gee-eye-nah,” which the wingnut yakkers in media are chirruping gleefully about so as to take a break from having to dig for something to defend SHITLER with – Gee-eye-nah Gee-eye-nah Gee-eye-nah! SOMEBODY ELSE TO BLAME, breaking momentarily from “divisiveness” in blaming Dems, so as that way they don’t have to talk about all the empty wingnut policies like Deficits, no-cash-for-programs-or-prevention-or-research. Their next step will be for the sea levels to cover coastal cities before they get serious about climate change.

But then, when the result of wingnut policies will be WAR brought on by starvation, dirty air and water, and economic disparity – the wingnuts will be in their Heaven, consisting of WAR spending, throwing bundles of cash like Shrub’s Iraq footballs and SHITLER’s Puerto Rico paper towels.

The two-bit politicians (as opposed to the true public servants) are having what drew them to politics - bloviating, captive audiences, posing as square-jawed "leaders" and being able to yell direct orders at people. Here's a plan for them: Shut up, get out of public offices, go into preaching or entertainment jobs, realize the True-YOU!

[Gothmog]

26. Greg Abbott is an idiot who wants to help trump

[jmg257]

27. Doesn't read like hes opening all that much - whats the scoop?

[LeftInTX]

34. I got the impression....that it was a bit of PR to appease Trump

He started off the press conference by really praising Trump. (My stomach was in total knots)
Then when he got into details, it sounded pretty normal.

I really think much of it had to do with Trump, so he figured he would lavish praise on him and Trump wouldn't notice the details of the plan.

He didn't give specifics about testing though, so that part is worrisome.

[7wo7rees]

29. So we are in North Dallas suburb and here we go!!

Yesterday the Covidiots gathered to protest at the Governor's Mansion.

Then this morning they were out protesting in front of Dallas City Hall while County Commissioners were holding a meeting to argue with County Judge Clay Jenkins ordering everyone to wear face masks starting tomorrow. There is one commissioner that is always a pain and that would be John Wiley Price. Jenkins won with 1 concession. Craft stores have to be allowed to open so people can get "supplies" to make masks...
You know, Hobby Lobby's and Michael's.

We've been stocking in supplies and will be limiting going out even more. The stupid is going to kill a lot of people. Can't wait to see what happens as the shortages in the meat depts happen......

Lucky for us we get all our meats from the actual ranchers and farmers and we are sharing.