The governor (Greg Abbott) announced today he is going to make an announcement regarding the restrictions next week. My guess is he could ease up a few restrictions next week on a few businesses (hair and nail salons maybe?) that could be allowed to re-open. Or he may announce the list of what will re-open on May 4th, but just announce it earlier to get people a bit more optimistic. He could also say schools will re-open although I honestly feel that's not needed since you're only talking about a few weeks in May at that point.

I also suspect other states will follow (but not the northeast, Michigan, California - even though they could, and Louisiana). A couple cities need to stay shut down too, like Chicago, Indianapolis and some parts close to DC.

https://www.kvue.com/article/news/health...c62ffcb39b

(04-10-2020 03:52 PM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  The governor (Greg Abbott) announced today he is going to make an announcement regarding the restrictions next week. My guess is he could ease up a few restrictions next week on a few businesses (hair and nail salons maybe?) that could be allowed to re-open. Or he may announce the list of what will re-open on May 4th, but just announce it earlier to get people a bit more optimistic. He could also say schools will re-open although I honestly feel that's not needed since you're only talking about a few weeks in May at that point.

I also suspect other states will follow (but not the northeast, Michigan, California - even though they could, and Louisiana). A couple cities need to stay shut down too, like Chicago, Indianapolis and some parts close to DC.

https://www.kvue.com/article/news/health...c62ffcb39b

I see areas of Mississippi opening up by the end of next week. This has been a disaster. Wouldn't be surprised if the schools open up before the end of the month, although I doubt that one. Don't want to hear anymore about the teachers not getting paid enough anymore. Their PAID summer vacation will be about 5 months this year.

IL (D controlled) is talking about "cancelling summer" events.

Look, I definitely suspect Abbott is fudging the numbers somehow (I find it hard if not impossible to believe that Texas has a little more than half as many cases as Louisiana, and about 1/3 the numbers of deaths). And there are some pockets where this thing is bad (including a nursing home in my town where there are 28 positive cases among residents and staff members). But I don't think this thing is going to explode at this point in Texas like it has elsewhere.

As I said in my other post, even if things are open back to where they were, the economy is going to be hurting. Folks will not be going out to sit-down restaurants like they used to (and you may as well keep the cafeterias and buffet places closed). I'm also guessing mall traffic will continue to suck, although outdoor shopping areas should be okay. And sporting events and gatherings where there are tons of people are going to look drastically different. And personally, I'm going to continue to wear my cloth mask and gloves at work and outdoors at certain spots.

But I'm okay with re-opening some stuff in the places where the numbers are stagnant or trending downwards. Sorry NYC (where I have three siblings), Detroit, New Orleans, etc., - you're just not ready to re-open quite yet.

(04-10-2020 03:55 PM)Eagleaidaholic Wrote:  

(04-10-2020 03:52 PM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  The governor (Greg Abbott) announced today he is going to make an announcement regarding the restrictions next week. My guess is he could ease up a few restrictions next week on a few businesses (hair and nail salons maybe?) that could be allowed to re-open. Or he may announce the list of what will re-open on May 4th, but just announce it earlier to get people a bit more optimistic. He could also say schools will re-open although I honestly feel that's not needed since you're only talking about a few weeks in May at that point.

I also suspect other states will follow (but not the northeast, Michigan, California - even though they could, and Louisiana). A couple cities need to stay shut down too, like Chicago, Indianapolis and some parts close to DC.

https://www.kvue.com/article/news/health...c62ffcb39b

I see areas of Mississippi opening up by the end of next week. This has been a disaster. Wouldn't be surprised if the schools open up before the end of the month, although I doubt that one. Don't want to hear anymore about the teachers not getting paid enough anymore. Their PAID summer vacation will be about 5 months this year.

School year is shot. Reopening the schools is just creating a vector for infections with very little benefit (except that parents have kids out of their hair.)

(04-10-2020 04:12 PM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  Look, I definitely suspect Abbott is fudging the numbers somehow (I find it hard if not impossible to believe that Texas has a little more than half as many cases as Louisiana, and about 1/3 the numbers of deaths). And there are some pockets where this thing is bad (including a nursing home in my town where there are 28 positive cases among residents and staff members). But I don't think this thing is going to explode at this point in Texas like it has elsewhere.

As I said in my other post, even if things are open back to where they were, the economy is going to be hurting. Folks will not be going out to sit-down restaurants like they used to (and you may as well keep the cafeterias and buffet places closed). I'm also guessing mall traffic will continue to suck, although outdoor shopping areas should be okay. And sporting events and gatherings where there are tons of people are going to look drastically different. And personally, I'm going to continue to wear my cloth mask and gloves at work and outdoors at certain spots.

But I'm okay with re-opening some stuff in the places where the numbers are stagnant or trending downwards. Sorry NYC (where I have three siblings), Detroit, New Orleans, etc., - you're just not ready to re-open quite yet.

ADS-Abbott Derangement Syndrome? Why would he lie?
Last I checked Albany, Georgia had more deaths than anywhere else in Georgia.
New Orleans had a similar spread and logically a much worse result.
New York City area has half the cases in the US with 1/16th the population.
Its not logical to expect Texas to have as many as Louisiana given the spread of the disease there.

If somebody has the balls to be first, I’m not surprised it is Texas. Well done, Governor!

I hope Abbott slow rolls this.

(04-10-2020 08:20 PM)Fo Shizzle Wrote:  I hope Abbott slow rolls this.

Why? If it flares up somewhere, he can just tighten it back down. Texas is a giant place. I know. I drove across it and back last summer. Lots of open spaces.

(04-10-2020 08:13 PM)bullet Wrote:  ADS-Abbott Derangement Syndrome? Why would he lie?
Last I checked Albany, Georgia had more deaths than anywhere else in Georgia.
New Orleans had a similar spread and logically a much worse result.
New York City area has half the cases in the US with 1/16th the population.
Its not logical to expect Texas to have as many as Louisiana given the spread of the disease there.

Texas has 2nd fewest number of tests per million (behind Kansas), the 2nd fewest number of positive cases among the 15 most populous states (behind North Carolina), and same for the death rate per million (again behind North Carolina). I could see that being the case if we were a completely isolated, rural state, but we have plenty of massive cities with large minority populations and plenty of unhealthy people. California is another massive state whose numbers don't seem to jive with the rest of the country, but they keep saying they have thousands and thousands of tests whose results aren't back yet.

Plus we have tons of people who go to Louisiana for Mardi Gras. You'd think that some of them would have gotten sick and infected others back in Texas when they returned? Also, we had 1 week or so of the rodeo before that was shut down.

Look, I'm happy as can be it hasn't gotten out of control. And while I think the numbers are being fudged with a bit (the Houston mayor said just a week ago he could only test 250 people a day due to the lack of protective equipment, and in a more recent example, the director of a nursing home in my hometown where 28 people have tested positive complained he couldn't test anyone until he was able to obtain tests from a private company), I've talked to enough workers in the medical center to know that our hospitals are not being maxed out right now.

Getting back to the subject at hand, the Lt. Gov (Dan Patrick) also has been telling people he thinks companies will get back to work on May 4th when the shelter-in-place ends. That's assuming nothing changes between now and then to halt those plans.