We haven’t done enough
All over Texas, nursing homes are reporting their residents and employees are testing positive for coronavirus. Aside from the Masonic Lodge in Arlington, which we wrote about recently, other clusters are popping up all over Texas. This includes:
- 83 residents and employees in a Texas City nursing home. Texas City is in Galveston County, they didn’t order a shelter-in-place until March 24. Only 4 days after they ordered a shelter in place when the first resident at that nursing home tested positive. As we all now know, the incubation period can be two weeks. This is a repercussion of our federal and state governments as well as Galveston County not calling a shelter-in-place sooner. This is what community spread looks like. At this particular nursing home, they tested 143 people and are still waiting on many of the results.
- The Park Manor Quail Valley nursing home in Missouri City has 4 positives. Although 2 are residents, and 2 are employees, reports are stating that over 15 other people were in contact with them. Those people are isolated, but not showing symptoms. Does that mean they haven’t been tested? Do people still not know that you can be positive and contagious, but still not show symptoms? Or is it that there aren’t any available test kits?
- 75 residents and employees have tested positive for COVID-19 in a San Antonio and have already had one death. Reports are stating that several of the staff members at that facility had also worked at multiple other of the Southeast Nursing & Rehabilitation Center locations. San Antonio didn’t order a shelter-in-place until March 25, 7 days before the first positive case. Once again, another failure in early action. This particular care center had dozens of health inspection violations.
It hasn’t been just nursing homes
- In Denton County, over 30 positive COVID-19 cases have shown up in a state-run home for people with severe disabilities. Denton County did not call a shelter-in-place until March 26, 4 days before this report came out.
- In Tyler, 2 employees of a nursing facility have tested positive for coronavirus. There hasn’t yet been word of other employees or residents with positive coronavirus infections. Both the city of Tyler and Smith County have not ordered any shelter-in-place yet.
- On March 27, 6 residents at a Lubbock nursing home tested positive. These positives came 3 days BEFORE Lubbock issued a shelter-in-place.
People have been putting warnings out there
Just two days ago, we wrote about this social media post making the rounds in some DFW Facebook group:
In that same post, we said ‘We may start seeing clusters in retirement homes in Tarrant Count or a huge spike with that age group in a short amount of time.’ Unfortunately, we should have said the entire state of Texas. These clusters will continue to pop up in areas in which they waited too late to issue a shelter-in-place. As well as in areas where there still are no shelter-in-place orders in effect.
The Texas Government has failed us all.
It was January 21 when the first case of coronavirus was reported in the US. On February 12 the CDC warned us to expect a major disruption in everyday life. (Of course, Trump responded by telling America that this virus was going to just go away.) Both New York and California issued a shelter-in-place on March 20.
[mepr-hide] https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); [/mepr-hide]To date, neither the federal government or the State of Texas has ordered a shelter-in-place.
The Texas HHS coronavirus map as of 9 pm on 4/3/2020 is currently listing 55,764 tests that have been done and 5,330 positive cases have been reported. Since Abbott and Patrick were bragging about Texas’ positive VS tests given earlier this week being 8.4%, they must feel stupid, since that number is now 9.5%.
(Side note, the John Hopkins coronavirus map is currently showing Texas has 6,023 positive cases.)
In that same April 1 press conference, Abbott also informed us that church services were also considered an essential service. Between that and the state deciding that gun stores were also an essential service, the Texas government is as deep red as they always have been.
GREG ABBOTT NEEDS TO ACT NOW
Sadly, it’s too late for those who have been infected. These numbers will continue to grow for weeks. But we must do something to flatten the curve, to stop the spread, Abbott must order a shelter-in-place. Millions of Texan lives are at risk.
We implore all Texans to contact Abbott’s office and voice your concerns.
[mepr-hide] https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); [/mepr-hide]Today, Abbott said there are still 19,625 hospital beds available and additionally there are still 2,107 ICU beds, as well as 8,741 ventilators. Yet, there are still no shelter-in-place orders. Nearly every business in Texas is considered essential. We are gaining 500+ new cases a day, and that number will continue to grow. Since Texas may not even hit its peak until May 2, we could be one of the next hot spots. Medical experts ARE warning that’s exactly what is in Texas’ future. But at least we’ll be armed, drunk, and able to pray at church.
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