Play it safe
With Texas reopening further, we still must follow precautions to prevent spread of virus.
In the battle against the pandemic, there’s no question Texas is headed in the right direction. Finally.
The number of new cases, deaths and hospitalizations all show improvement from where we were in July, when infections were skyrocketing, ICU beds ran scarce and some counties were storing bodies in refrigerated trucks.
“The biggest reason for these improvements is because Texans are taking COVID seriously,” Gov. Greg Abbott said Thursday at a news conference to announce loosened restrictions on the state’s coronavirus response.
That it took thousands of Texans dying — more than 15,000 so far — for some to realize the danger of the pandemic is a shame we will have to live with, and leaders, including Abbott, will eventually have to account for their part in Texas’ careless rush to reopen back in May.
We’ve always agreed with the governor when he says there is no need to choose between the economy and public safety.
The May reopening, which included restaurants, stores and child care centers, did not have to result in disaster if we all had followed the guidelines set by medical experts: wear a mask, social distance and avoid large crowds.
Where it fell apart was when that crucial guidance was left as a suggestion, not a requirement, over Abbott’s capitulation to a vocal minority within his own party — to a group that cares more about a misguided view of personal liberty than safeguarding public health.
To his credit, as cases began to spike in June, the governor acted more forcefully. He closed bars, which have been proven to add to the spread of the coronavirus, and ordered statewide mask use in most public spaces.
Of concern is that the numbers of hospitalizations and new cases are higher today, as we prepare to reopen further, than they were back in the spring, even if the downward trend is encouraging. Still, as we regain some measure of control over the pandemic, we have to address the economic, physical and emotional toll of the restrictions.
Almost 2 million Texans are out of a job, half of Texas restaurants say they will not survive six months and the state is looking at a $4.6 billion budget shortfall.
The latest reopening plans will not turn that around overnight, but they will help. Restaurants, gyms, retailers, museums, libraries, manufacturers and offices may increase capacity to 75 percent starting Monday.
Hospitals can start offering elective procedures and surgeries immediately. Texas nursing homes and other longterm care facilities can reopen to essential caregivers, with proper safety precautions and training, starting this Thursday.
There are questions that still need to be answered, especially on the flawed data that have led to miscounts of cases and mistaken metrics, including on the much-touted positivity rate that was originally supposed to guide the reopening. Still, we are cautiously optimistic that Abbott has learned his lesson.
Hospitalizations will be relied on more heavily as a metric to determine reopening, with three out of the state’s 22 hospital regions excluded from loosening restrictions over COVID-19 presence. Abbott also kept the statewide face mask requirement, said bars will remain closed (even as he promised a way to help struggling owners) and pushed back against those who want the state to fully reopen.
“If we fully reopen Texas without limits, without safe practices, it could lead to an unsustainable increase in COVID that would require the possibility of being forced to ratchet back down,”Abbott said. “The better approach is to safely take strategic steps to help Texans return to jobs while also protecting them from COVID.”
His words were echoed by House Speaker Dennis Bonnen and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who had previously done his share of playing politics and downplaying the threat.
That the state is now approaching this crisis soberly is heartening as the federal government continues to struggle with a coherent response months into the pandemic. Last month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advised that only people who felt sick should be tested, a reversal of long established guidance. On Friday, they “clarified” and returned to their original position that anyone who has been in close contact with an infected person should get tested.
The confusion is spurred by President Donald Trump, who even as the number of cases in the United States nears 7 million and deaths pass 200,000, is holding crowded indoor rallies and contradicting the head of the CDC on the importance of mask use and how soon a vaccine will be widely available. The president has said weeks; experts say not until next year.
We’ll trust the experts.
We know the virus isn’t going away anytime soon, but we also know how to prevent its spread. Wearing a mask and being careful around others is the only way we can stay safe and begin to get our economy back on track. The question isn’t whether we can reopen safely, it’s whether we can get it right this time.