Texas governor says state facing 'massive' COVID-19 outbreak

[left-of-center2012]

Source: Galveston County Daily News

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Wednesday that the state is facing a “massive outbreak” in the coronavirus pandemic and that some new local restrictions may be needed to protect hospital space for new patients. “There is a massive outbreak of COVID-19 across the state of Texas," Abbott said in an interview with KFDA-TV in Amarillo.

With new cases and the number of COVID-19 patients rising rapidly, "We are looking at greater restrictions and some could be localized,” Abbott said Wednesday without detailing what those would be or where. “There are some regions in the state of Texas that are running tight on hospital capacity that may necessitate a localized strategy to make sure that hospital beds will be available," he said.

Abbott, who aggressively pushed to reopen the state in May, acknowledged state officials are closely watching hospital space.

Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston, the largest pediatric hospital in the U.S. said Tuesday that it was admitting adult patients across its campuses to free up more hospital bed space in the Houston area. The number of COVID-19-positive hospital patients in Harris County, which encompasses Houston, has nearly tripled since May 31.

Read more: https://www.galvnews.com/news_ap/texas/article_e0d06075-cc98-598a-9899-3ddb557d90a7.html?block_id=531919

[left-of-center2012]

1. US shifts virus testing support, raising concern in Texas

The Trump administration is shifting support for COVID-19 testing centers to private pharmacies and health centers, causing concern in Texas where the bulk of government-backed sites remain and where virus cases are skyrocketing.

There are 13 federally supported testing sites in five states, seven of which are in Texas, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. Federal backing for the 13 sites ends June 30, when it will be refocused on 600 pharmacy sites and 1,300 health centers, Brett Giroir, the assistant U.S. health secretary, said in an email.

The shift comes as Texas is among several states now seeing a surge in COVID-19 cases after reopening. On Tuesday, Texas recorded more than 5,000 new cases, a record for the state.

https://www.stripes.com/news/us/us-shifts-virus-testing-support-raising-concern-in-texas-1.635071

[Baclava]

2. Rise in sunbelt state cases because, everyone inside now huddled in A/C buildings? I think so, maybe

Its the 3rd day of summer!

Officially

[Dustlawyer]

18. The main reason is we have a lot of RW idiots who, once the state was re-opened,

went back to their normal lives. No masks, sanitizer, nothing. They packed the beaches, bars and restaurants like Covid never happened.

Since Abbott did not want to be the one to require masks and face their wrath, he now allows mayors to institute changes so they will take the heat. Our county judge instituted masks in all public buildings today at noon. While typing this I can see across the parking lot a dance studio holding a recital. None of the parents or girls are wearing masks. They are sanitizing their hands at the door only.

The real problem with these people is like we always say, until it actually affects them they don’t believe in it.

We are going to implode before the election. My 83 year old mom is scared to death and so am I.

[Baclava]

19. and to those saying wearing masks doesn't help....data

“In countries with cultural norms or government policies supporting public mask-wearing, per-capita coronavirus mortality increased on average by just 8.0% each week, as compared with 54% each week in remaining countries. “

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/342198360_Association_of_country-wide_coronavirus_mortality_with_demographics_testing_lockdowns_and_public_wearing_of_masks_Update_June_15_2020

[dem4evah]

24. Nice post Dustlawyer...

Abbott is the same kind of gutless PIN WORM that his orange idol is. Deny, shift blame, lie and in the end? Place responsibility in someone else's lap. They are friggin' disgusting cowards and I hate their guts.

[greenjar_01]

27. Correct

We're seeing the results of ideological foolishness across these spiking states.

People in the US make fun of Lysenkoism in the USSR - scientific theory developed along the lines of Stalinist dogma. We're not that different. We had some minor protections in place, but we're really not that different.

What a catastrophe.

[Hugin]

31. As I've said many times before, willful ignorance is a very slow acting poison.

Sadly, there's nothing much we can do, except protect ourselves and those we care about.

Please, take care of yourself and that 83 yo Mom. She's earned better than she's getting.

[Hugin]

30. I've been entertaining the idea AC is a factor in the summer.

Look at where the hot spots are so far, all areas where AC is a fact of life in the summer.

AZ, FL, TX, GA (IMHO, but, not yet acknowledged), AL, Southern CA... etc.

In looking at the national COVID spread maps it's almost like a (if you'll please pardon the expression) a 'heat' map.

It's very troubling.

[regnaD kciN]

14. Trump is getting his wish...fewer cases by cutting testing!

[EarlG]

3. Really, Governor?

How could that have happened?

[Buckeye_Democrat]

6. LOL!

I might have to use that image someday.

[dalton99a]

4. Same piece of shit governor who was against local measures and let the virus spread

[denem]

5. Abbott is still blocking Texas cities from mandating masks.

[Dios Mio]

7. Oh really? What an observant idiot.

[CountAllVotes]

8. and they still do not wear masks in TX

What idiots!

[BrightKnight]

25. because he blocked Counties from requiring them

He keep trying to spin a stinking pile of poo!

[bucolic_frolic]

9. I really have to ask

do they refuse to embrace sound public health measures based on science to promote religion? To teach people there is nothing they can do but pray and go to church and accept God's will as the explanation for their plight? Because it just doesn't seem to me like they are actually doing anything to help fight the pandemic other than throwing up their hands and surrendering.

And don't you think Trump will travel this path as a campaign message the closer it gets to November? And announce a universal vaccine cure 6 days before the election to try to save himself (even though no vaccine will exist at that time)? Governance by bogus lies does feed my inner cynic.

[DFW]

10. Our dumbass governor

I guess after the last two, it was to be expected.

Hey, everybody, go out and get sick!!
What? They DID?
Hey, we gotta take action, there's people getting sick out there!


In my office, we've had four infections (out of about 450 that work there), and if you don't wear a mask to work, not only will you be escorted out of the building, but you could lose your job, too. With my outfit, that's not an easy thing to do, as they won't hire you to begin with if they don't think you can do the job.

[keithbvadu2]

11. Not long ago, Abbot said Texas has plenty of hospital beds for Trumpvirus patients/victims.

Not long ago, Abbot said Texas has plenty of hospital beds for Trumpvirus patients/victims.

https://www.google.com/search?q=abbott+enough+hospital+beds&sxsrf=ALeKk03ncU_SWJpefnwaAISu1mDND1-Atw:1592871680252&ei=AEvxXuPlDvKyggfmxKugBw&start=0&sa=N&ved=2ahUKEwjj5bG11ZbqAhVymeAKHWbiCnQ4ChDx0wN6BAgLECs&biw=885&bih=404

[BrightKnight]

26. ICU beds are still available. Get yours before they are gone. nt

[Hugin]

32. It's not a crisis until it's a crisis is a dumb policy.

Beware of those who subscribe to it.

[AllaN01Bear]

12. opened way too early . told ya so.

[Dave Starsky]

13. Love his attitude: Hey, whuh happened?

Gee, I don't know, dumbass.

[fleur-de-lisa]

15. No shit. What did he think was gonna' happen?

[Dopers_Greed]

16. Opening too early wasn't the problem

It was too little mask wearing and testing.

We could have stayed closed for another 6 months, and cases still would have ballooned after re-opening, due to poor planning.

[marble falls]

17. I thought the part of his statement where he admitted how wrong he was opening the state ...

was purely his fault and how terrible he felt for bring responsible for so much suffering and death was almost more than he could bear was especially touching.

[Lonestarblue]

20. As someone who lives in Texas, I am tired of our Republican stupidity.

A mask is not a political statement. The virus doesn’t give a shit who you vote for. We have a great mayor in Austin, but Abbott has used his position to quash local requirements for things like wearing a mask. He was far more concerned with getting businesses open and sales tax revenue coming than he was about the impact of the virus on people’s desire to go to restaurants and other businesses. The latest spikes here are mostly young people who flocked to bars and restaurants the minute they were open.

[Initech]

21. I really don't think there's going to be a second wave.

I think it's going to be one long continuous first wave that's going to keep going up and up and up, and when it finally comes down, it's going to come down for good. But we may be in a long ride before that happens.

[muriel_volestrangler]

22. Apr 27: Abbott announces Phase 1 of lifting restrictions

In making his decision, Abbott cited a COVID-19 infection rate on the decline

https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/texas/2020/04/27/368104/texas-covid-19-restrictions-to-be-lifted-in-phases-starting-friday-abbott-says/

That was a lie; by Apr 27, the 7 day moving average of new cases had increased to 813 from 745 on Apr 16.

On May 18, with daily infections at 1,262, he announced Phase 2, starting May 22: https://www.austinchronicle.com/news/2020-05-22/climbing-infections-be-damned-phase-2-of-the-open-texas-plan-begins/

Phase 3 (the final one) started June 3: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/coronavirus-texas-young-people-case-surge/ , when daily new cases were 1,474. Now they're at 4,174. Up from 2,400 in a week; that's the 7 day average, so in such a fast rising situation, the smoothed daily case rate is probably over 5,000.

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/usa/texas/

This is like World War One generals. Feeding the masses into a meat grinder, with a pig-headed belief that he knows what he's doing.

[rockfordfile]

23. That's his fault

[tclambert]

28. More than 5,000 new cases per day.

[BrightKnight]

29. The growth rate will continue to increase.

He has blocked common sense measures to control it. I get the impression that the powerful interests that he represents have not really thought this through.

[Paladin]

33. Fuck you, Abbott. You have blood on your hands.

The only way you look good is by comparison to that brain-dead turd Lt. Gov. Dan "There are more important things than living" Patrick.