Virus Cases Are Soaring in Texas. But Closing Down Again Is a ‘Last Option.’

Virus Cases Are Soaring in Texas. But Closing Down Again Is a ‘Last Option.’

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/24/us/coronavirus-texas-abbott-masks.html

"He imposed restrictions on outdoor gatherings of more than 100 people and has cleared the way for local authorities to require face masks in businesses — after earlier opposing attempts by local officials to require everyone in their cities to wear masks in public.

These were the latest in a series of contradictory moves by the governor that have proved confusing and frustrating to many Texans.

For weeks, Mr. Abbott had reassured Texans that the virus was largely under control. “Covid-19, while dangerous, while still growing in the state of Texas, is not as severe as it is in some other states,” he told reporters in April."

My opinion: it looks like Abbott is finally getting a dose of reality. He is taking first steps to get the second wave under control, after the GOP has proclaimed that we would not shut down again. The question is, how bad does it have to get before he goes back to quarantine orders?

It is interesting to see mostly GOP-led states, who opened up recklessly, experiencing rapid increases in covid cases. It's not like health experts didn't tell them this would happen. However, they threw caution to the wind.

 

Other states are going through a low-grade rise in hospitalizations and deaths now, not like NY did as the mother of all corona virus hotbeds, but a gentle rise.

Other states have right to have coronavirus just like NY did, but fortunately, not nearly so bad as NY.

To put this in perspective, NY once had 1,025 coronavirus deaths in a single day.

Yesterday the entire USA had only 808 coronavirus deaths.

The Mainstream Mediocres are blowing this all out of proportion.

 

To put a super fine point on it, perhaps folks, like you who don't live in TX should worry about where you live. You have literally no idea about the landscape here, the areas of worry, and areas that aren't a worry. And creating a one size fits all kind of narrative as an overarching policy here is stupid. Your assertion isn't based on a desire to do a good thing here, your assertion is a criticism of a place you literally no nothing about. it sure sounds superficial at best, and your "orange man bad" is painting folks in states that aren't super population dense in the same way you'd treat large dense cities like NYC or others. My town, for example, has 0 cases. And yet, you'd still shut us down? Why? We have no real risk, and haven't, for the duration so far. Why would you force folks who have low risk to adopt the same measures that you might need in high density high risk communities?

What the gov of TX is saying is that localities have a right to determine the level of reaction they require. My county is starting full mask requirement out of the house. It might be a psychological panacea, but it isn't a good prophylactic one.

Last, as places like NY or IL, or other liberal states, esp CA reopen, and as they may find their own ability to test also improve and cases spike there, then what? Will you criticize them? I doubt it.

 

Ah, "Cuomo bad", an expected deflection. Unfortunately, that doesn't absolve Abbott from his responsibility for the health of his citizens. And, unlike Cuomo, he has the benefit of 5 months of data on the pandemic, as well as widely-available testing. Now, what is he going to do? Keep it open and let her rip? Or eat crow and shut down again? The next two weeks will be interesting.

 

Well, there won't be as much testing since Trump is cutting funding for testing at the end of the month.

It must be his way of ending the pandemic and lowering the numbers

 

Texas is on track for things to get worse than NY.

It takes time to crank up to speed, and Texas isn't doing so good in that department.

 

Such a BS answer. I have included a link below of Gov. Greg Abbott on the Dallas news saying it's positivity rate, and hospitalization rate have doubled in the past few week and "Covid is expanding far faster and far wider than any time in this pandemic." His reaction is because the spread in Texas is unacceptable and the steps are to slow the spread. It's clear when you give people the choice most will act irresponsible and careless. So Texas is taking steps to take those choices away.

https://dfw.cbslocal.com/2020/06/24/gov-greg-abbott-says-texas-massive-covid-19-outbreak/

 

Gov. Abbott said they plan to expand the testing to far more locations after funding runs out. He is not happy about Texans behavior and the rate of the spread. He has been on the news showing his concern. We have went from "closing down is not an option" to "Closing down is the last resort". If thing don't start slowing down by the end of summer I suspect the state will regress back in quarantine status.

 

It was a pandemic virus. It was not Cuomo's fault or anybody's fault except the Chinese Communist Party. Now a portion of that virus fire has to burn itself out in other states. And I support Cuomo's travel quarantines.

Nobody is going to do any more shutdowns no matter what happens.

 

I disagree, I think it can get bad enough they will pull the plug. Having 3 New York size Covid events at the same time during an election cycle will give this nation pause.

 

So, you realize that you don't understand the data set here, do you? And thanks for that most elitist of answers, the herd must be managed, as you said... Because, they aren't able to do it themselves, according to you. Put a fine point on it. Where did TX get the virus from? It didn't originate here. Why did it even ever get to tx if not for the failures of others who are now lecturing tx on how it should respond. That's laughable. Yes, there are cases here in TX. But, as mentioned, the circumstances of the large cities in TX don't represent the rest of the state, or the spread therein. The county next to mine still has 0 cases. We have 12, none of which have resulted in either hospitalization, and no deaths. Would it simply be better to quarantine the areas effected? Why doesn't say Dallas close and let the rest of the state do its thing? Why not stop all cars from out of state at the border and require them to self quarantine outside of the state before driving or using our airports?

But more, why not allow the herd you are so worried about to actually gain the immunity that it needs? Medical science hasn't delivered either a treatment or a vaccine yet, and frankly we won't know if those will ever actually be effective. And frankly, if so many already have the built up immunity already, what difference would a vaccine make?

I can think of much better methods than shutting down everyone.

 

Thank you President Trump for bad-mouthing mask wearing - Covid thanks you for giving it better breeding grounds.

 

All you did was complain that Texas didn't cause this issue and try to justify why Texans shouldn't act responsible and protect the members of their state and others since they didn't create Covid. This is childlike rationalizing.

Herd mentality was dumb at the begging and dumb now. We have 5 - 7% (23 Million) of the US population infected and over 130k deaths. If the US tried Herd immunity our deaths are only in the infancy stage. That is also excluding the fact you hope the virus don't mutate.

 

This just happened about 30 minutes ago.


https://www.cnbc.com/2020/06/25/tex...-coronavirus-cases-hospitalizations-rise.html

 

You literally ignored the post, and instead continued on lecturing how we should respond. You literally haven't got a clue about what you're writing about, and yet, here you are, lecturing the rest of us based on your at best superficial knowledge of the issues at hand. Frankly there is no doubt as to why you cannot address these issues. You don't know enough to write about them. You insist, however, that we take your opinion on its face, lacking any substance, and in turn resort to destroying the local economies just so you'll feel better about yourself. Got it. The fact, for example that you didn't cite the actual capacity of TX hospitals, for example, is just an example of your shoddy argumentation. Did it ever even occur to you to ask what the total capacity was? no?

 

Folks like you who continue to spread the false science that a mask will protect the wearer continue to make this problem worse, not better. You know this, right? A mask protects, at best, others from me. if I am not infected who am I protecting?

 

Anyone who thinks the mask is to protect the wearer of the mask has not been paying attention. Since nobody knows if they are infected, they don't KNOW if they are going to infect others. If only there was a way to slow the droplets of moisture that come out of all of our mouths when talking. Something that could provide resistance to the water, so it doesn't go so far.....

I wonder what they could be......

Ponderous.

 

Duh. The idea was slow the spread from people displaying little or no symptoms, if they cough or speak, the mask reduces the radius of mucus droplets.

You seem to be another one of those people that lets the perfect be the enemy of the good.

 

unless hospitals are projected to be over capacity and cause a health crisis, not much can be done but ride it out imo

normal social distancing, no shut down I mean

 

Hmm.. The medical community have a standard. IF, while wearing a mask, you can still smell things, it isn't doing anything to protect you. Nothing. So all those folks who are out there wearing non medical masks, are literally not being protected from ANYONE. Those who continue to believe in this are deluded. how about this, it you're that scared to venture out? Don't. Self determine your own risk here. But the minute you leave the house wearing a mask, all you're really doing is participating in a massive psychological exercise.

 

ok, who are those people? Do you have a list? If not, your response then is everyone must? Laughable. The level of your argument here is, Because I said so. and nothing more. Paternalism at its finest.

 

The best analogy I've heard is that wearing a mask to prevent the movement of microscopic virus particles is akin to putting up a chain link fence to keep mosquitoes out of your yard.

 

Spray water into the air. See how far it goes.
Now spray that same water into a paper towel. See how far it goes.
Period.

 

Abbott has said he has a laser focus on hospital capacity. That was the initial objective of slowing the spread. It's the current objective and the future objective. There isn't anything that will stop the virus, so we have to have a hospital bed for anyone who may need one (Covid or not).

We do have ample hospital capacity in Texas, though the increase in rates the last week have alarmed the governor.

Today, in order to increase hospital capacity, Abbott banned elective surgeries in four counties: Harris (city of Houston), Dallas (city of Dallas), Travis (city of Austin), and Bexar (city of San Antonio).

He has allowed city mayors and county health departments to make masks mandatory, including punishment with fines for non-compliance. He also allowed them to decrease outdoor gatherings from 500 to 100 (with 4th of July coming up).

Most of the latest spike in cases are in the 20-30 years old group (since bars reopened), so those new cases should result in relatively few deaths. Abbott has sent TABC (Texas Alcoholic Beverage Control) out in full force. They are giving citations and shutting down bars which are not following the state Coronavirus guidelines for bars/restaurants.

 

Unless you happen to be black and live in a part of OR.
Oregon County Issues Face Mask Order That Exempts Non-White People
https://www.dailywire.com/news/oregon-county-issues-face-mask-order-that-exempts-non-white-people