Texas to begin softening COVID-19 restrictions next week

[TomCADem]

Source: The Hill

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) said Friday that he plans to begin reopening different Texas businesses through a series of executive orders starting next week, making Texas the first state to lay out a defined rollback of COVID-19 restrictions.

As part of his plan, Abbott also announced the creation of the Strike Force to Open Texas — a task force comprised of doctors, business leaders and lawmakers focused on creating an effective reopening strategy.

"The Strike Force to Open Texas brings together nationally recognized medical experts with public and private sector leaders to achieve this mission," Abbott said in a statement. "By coming together, we can get Texans back to work, practice safe standards that will prevent the spread of COVID-19, and we can overcome this pandemic."

* * *

Despite having a population of about 29 million people, Texas has only conducted 169,536 coronavirus tests. The state has more than 17,000 confirmed cases of the virus with more than 400 deaths, according to the state's health department.

Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/493377-texas-to-begin-softening-covid-19-restrictions-next-week

---

This is interesting because Texas does not even look like it has hit its peak, but then again by keeping testing numbers low, perhaps they can pretend that the increase in deaths is due to some other reason. Or, if the deaths hit minorities and the poor, Texas will not even care.

[imavoter]

1. it'll explode here

there's no smart way to open without testing.

Do they care. I don't know?
Their actions speak louder than their words of concern.

I don't know about Travis or Harris county judges, but I'm assuming they are democrats.
Dallas County's Democrat Clay Jenkins has been working hard for the people.
Not all of us live in Dallas county. And the rest of them are following the governors lead.

We're screwed.

[DENVERPOPS]

13. His actions come as no surprise,

I fully expect a whole big bunch of the Southeastern U.S. states, and the Farm Belt states to follow......

They are not content with how fucked up this is already, they really really really want to make it worse......

It just goes to show everyone how truly demented and ignorant they truly are................

[Texaswitchy]

24. Harris County went blue.in the last election.

The county judge is a democrat.

[sandensea]

2. "What about a possible outbreak, governor?"

"Shit. We'll just hide'em!"

That's how Abbott would sound if someone ever managed to get some truth serum into him.

[TwilightZone]

8. No, he believes that collateral damage is worth it to protect the economy.

That's always his first priority. He doesn't even hide it. He doesn't care about the people who are dying or those who will as a result as long as he can keep bragging about the Texas economy.

[sandensea]

23. True - especially if said victims were of certain 'undesirable' ethnicities

"That's one thing we've got plenty of in Texas: undesirables."

"You're right about that, governor."

[ananda]

3. Well Texas will be a red state all right ..

.. in more ways than one.

I really hate the Reep Death Cult !!!

[modrepub]

4. More Likely to Be Nursing Home Folks

Half of the deaths in PA are people in nursing homes. Not to minimize this at all since folks with poor health are going to be more susceptible to complications from COVID-19. I think when this is all reviewed many years from now there are going to be some really sad patterns that emerge.

[DBoon]

10. Someone's parents or grandparents are going to die

So Abbot can brag about how Texas is "open for business"

[modrepub]

30. He's Not Alone

In trying to do a bum-rush to force things to open back up. I can see it coming now in my state (PA). There are similar things afoot in MN, MI and VA. All I can do is hope there are enough reasonable folks to hold back the idiots (but I'm not holding out much hope).

[bluestarone]

5. I get their(EVERY RETHUGLICON STATE) plan. open Texas numbers will stay low because

NO FUCKING TESTING!!!

[Dem2theMax]

6. "The Strike Force to Open Texas brings together nationally recognized medical experts

with public and private sector leaders to achieve this mission."

Let me guess. Dr. Oz and Dr. Phil.

[DENVERPOPS]

14. Perfect D2Max

made me lol

[Botany]

7. US coronavirus deaths hits record one-day total of 4,591

one post down on the home page ... posted by TomCADEM

US coronavirus deaths hits record one-day total of 4,591

Source: The Hill

Thursday marked a new record for coronavirus deaths in the U.S., with 4,591 people dying from the virus in just 24 hours.

The prior record was 2,569 deaths in the U.S. on Wednesday, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis of data from Johns Hopkins University.

The number of new coronavirus cases on Thursday was approximately the same as Wednesday, with 31,451 new confirmed infections across the country, according to the outlet.

There have been more than 671,000 confirmed coronavirus cases in the U.S. since the outbreak began in China late last year. There have been more than 33,000 deaths. Around the world, there have been more than 2.15 million cases.

Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/news/493287-reported-us-coronavirus-deaths-hits-record-one-day-total-of-more-than-4500


This really is madness. Does Trump and company want us all to die so they can let Vlad take over America?

[Dopers_Greed]

9. The numbers here are low for several reasons

1. Almost no testing. I know several people that think they may have gotten it, but the only one to actually get a test works in home health care.

2. The state is very sprawl-ey. Even big cities are mostly suburban. No one rides public transit, and it's rare to see giant crowds together in public, other than at events.

3. The governments actually issued stay-at-home orders fairly quickly (all things considered).

[TomCADem]

22. The Spanish Flu originated in Kansas ...

...so the mere fact that Texas may not be as densely populated as New York does not mean it can't get hit like Kansas did.

https://www.kcur.org/health/2020-02-26/what-the-1918-flu-pandemic-taught-kansas-city-about-dealing-with-outbreaks-like-the-coronavirus

As the widening coronavirus outbreak stokes fears of a worldwide pandemic, it’s worth remembering that the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic may have started in Kansas. And it hit Kansas City particularly hard.

Lessons from that time still resonate today.

“It’s always a good idea to remember your history so you don’t repeat those mistakes,” says Susan Sykes-Berry, a retired nurse and librarian with the UMKC Health Sciences Library who wrote a graduate thesis about the 1918 pandemic flu in Kansas City.

Some researchers say the 1918 flu outbreak, the deadliest pandemic in history, may have started in Kansas. A Haskell County doctor is believed to have first documented the deadly flu strain and it was believed that soldiers from Haskell County transported the disease to Fort Riley. Camp Funston at Fort Riley was particularly hard hit. And then U.S. troops sent from Fort Riley to fight in World War I in Europe may have carried the virus with them and it spread from there.

[Bengus81]

27. Getting hit again in Kansas. Largest number of cases in a single day reported today.....

Small (117) compared to many States but usually in the more populated Counties. It's been going upward steadily since March 12th with a few lower counts here and there. Luckily with our DEM Governor we've had a stay at home now for weeks--and a State Supreme Court win to keep the Houses of the holy closed down, and I don't see her lifting it any time soon.

Off course the Republican goons in the State House and Senate I'm sure they will watch Texas and want to pull the same stunt. Fuck it,they can open but you sure as hell don't have to go. I'm not. Lucky too even here in Sedgwick County with Republican lead Commission even they support keeping things closed.

[Dopers_Greed]

28. Did I say that Texas couldn't get hit?

Nope.

I gave reasons why it's getting hit later, and why the numbers are artificially lower.

[noneof_theabove]

25. You forgot

4. we are [yes I live 126 miles from Mexico] some 2 1/2 to 3 months behind the rest of the country.

The wave is not on the horizon yet.

[Freethinker65]

11. Yep. Low income no benefit retail chain workers need to put themselves at risk first

They can be the guinea pigs making money for their corporate offices and venture capital holding companies while being sacrificed to determine when it is safe for others higher on the wealth ladder.

Canaries in the coal mine.

[TeamPooka]

12. It's going to blow up again big time because of trump and Republicans

[dem4decades]

15. Sadly it won't just be Republicans paying the piper.

[SergeStorms]

16. For Texas Democrats....

I'm sincerely sorry. Sacrificing lives at the altar of Trumpian Capitalism is going to cause many deaths in your state. Vote. Get rid of all these red assholes so we can LIVE together, peacefully, without the worry of what these morons will do to your fellow Texans.

[TexasTowelie]

17. Will someone please meet with Gov. Abbott

and cough in his face? He is an idiot.

[Miguelito Loveless]

18. They are keeping testing non-existent

and under-reporting deaths.

[agingdem]

19. El Paso has over 300 reported cases

and 6 deaths...but I think that's too low...we're an hispanic community..it's not unusual for the elderly to be taken care of by their children...and if those grandmothers/grandfathers die it won't be recorded bc of the virus if that's the case and if their children/caregivers get sick no one is going to the doctor...also...El Paso is isolated from the rest of Texas..a part of but apart from...consequently we tend to have a "nothing can touch us" mentality until it does Aug 3. 2019...I wan't surprised when very few people bought into social distancing...

[Igel]

20. On average there are about 500 deaths a day in Texas.

If there are additional 800 it'll be noticed.

Most of the rest is just suspicion based on ill will. When there's a fact, maybe the belief will be based on something.


IMHE's projections are screwball. The numbers fluctuate too much for such low numbers. They're increasing, but getting anything reasonable out of that is difficult. It's why their uncertainty limits say, essentially, "we had 40 die today, but tomorrow while we predict 43 we're only 95% sure that the actual number will be between 5 and 300." I look at them, smirk, and wait for an update because the first few seconds sometimes elicits either a laugh or curiosity (or both). Note that the projected peak went from 5/5 to 5/15 to around 5/25 as of the 4/12 update. Three updates, and wildly shifting peak death tolls? Smirk.

[yaesu]

21. so, red state governors are trying to outdo each other for the stupid award. nt

[pstokely]

26. can they keep local stay at home orders longer?

?

[KatyMan]

29. Yes

The governor of Texas is designed have little real power. The county judges (not judicial judges) have much more local authority. And Texas schools, restaurants, bars and gyms are not opening. Many people will still be working from home. Mayors in Houston. Dallas, San Antonio, Austin, El Paso, Fort Worth will be in charge of their cities. We are not panicking and will continue to use social distancing.

[dalton99a]

33. +1. Austin, Dallas, San Antonio, Laredo, etc. have imposed a $1000 fine for not wearing a mask

[Steelrolled]

31. Texas would be a good place for a trial and they have relatively low rates

I generate lots of trend charts to compare states and countries. The charts are always per-capita, and I align them to start at the same rate. For example, the chart below shows several states, including Texas, starting on the day they first reached 5 deaths per million. I did not include New York, or otherwise Texas and Calif would appear to be at 0.

Hopefully things will go well with Texas and we will learn from it. However, New York is so much different in many ways, that the Texas experiment might not be that useful.

[Bengus81]

32. 7,100 new cases in 9 days,open'r back up boys..........

I live 300 miles north,that's as close as I want to get.