Photo by Roschetzky Photography
Governor Greg Abbott says the state is ready if there is a surge COVID-19 cases caused by the reopening of business. Hair and nail salons will be allowed to reopen Friday and some manufacturers and gyms can open May 18th. The governor acknowledges there is a risk.
“As society does begin to open up again, it could lead to increased infections,” the governor says.
That’s why the state has rapid response teams that will focus on areas where a surge in cases might happen. The state and counties have test and trace plans to slow the spread if there is an outbreak.
Austin’s mayor continues to worry that the governor is moving too fast. Mayor Steve Adler says if Governor Greg Abbott wants to go by the data, he should wait longer before letting more businesses reopen.
“The governor should be waiting at least the necessary 3 to 4 weeks after a policy change,” says Abbot, “so that we can all count the increased number of confirmed cases and the increased number of hospitalizations.”
He says if the governor would wait for the data, he could then make a more informed decision.
The announcement that barbers and salons can reopen by Friday has come as a surprise to many in the industry. Birds Barbershop co-founder Jayson Rapaport tells CBS Austin it will take a while before they fully adapt to the new CDC and OSHA regulations.
“We actually consulted with an infectious disease doctor here in Austin who recommended we don’t use hair dryers,” Rapaport says.
The governor’s recommendation is that customers be allowed only on an appointment basis. Masks are also strongly recommended for both the barber and customer and only one customer at a time should be handled.
Three nursing home and senior care facilities have clusters of COVID-19 in Williamson County. That includes Round Rock’s Trinity Care Center which says 70 residents and staff members are infected. County Judge Bill Gravell says that facility tried to isolate the infected residents, but it continued to spread. The other clusters are in a facility in Georgetown and Cedar Park but the exact locations and number of cases are not being made public.
Williamson County has reported another death from coronavirus. That total now stands at 11. Since the outbreak began, 333 cases have been found and 196 have recovered. In Travis County, 58 people have now died. 579 of the 1,876 total cases are now recoveries.
Travis County wants to revise the local stay-at-home order in ways that could help limit the transmission of coronavirus as more businesses open. County Judge Sarah Eckhardt says she’s working with other judges around the state to press Governor Abbott about giving them more flexibility. Based on each county’s individual situation, a one-size-fits-all approach just won’t work.
Austin Public Health has been honing in on clusters of coronavirus around Travis County. Interim Health Authority Dr. Mark Escott says they are seeing more among people who are having to leave the house for work.
“That includes healthcare workers; that includes construction workers; that includes people working in grocery stores,” Escott says.
Construction sites are a big focus because they are growing hot spots so they will be doing targeted testing on workers.
Seven people are hospitalized in Hays County with coronavirus. In the county, 1 person has died and 115 of the 183 cases there have recovered.
Texas unemployment figures are at staggering levels. 2.2 million Texans have filed in the past two months. Cisco Gamez, with the Texas Workforce Commission, says more and more people are choosing to remain on unemployment and not return to work.
“If your child is not at school now or your daycare is closed and there’s no other alternative then that’s good cause that you cannot return back to work,” Gamez says.
The number of claims filed since March is equivalent to what the workforce commission sees in a typical three year period.
This news and more at News Radio KLBJ:
https://omny.fm/shows/klbjam-flash-briefing-1/am-newscast-5-6-20
