Thread by @ErinForYall

Okay y’all, some #covid19 updates for the day from the call with @GovAbbott and other state leaders.

As of 2pm, there are 23 confirmed cases in Texas, clustered in the DFW and Houston areas. 1, in Montgomery County, is currently classified as community spread.

Another 104 individuals are being investigated as possible Covid-19 patients.

Testing through @TexasDSHS is free but does follow a strict protocol. Basically, they are *not* testing for community spread right now. I have concerns about this.

My concerns about testing are most acute with health care and elder care workers who have the potential to spread it to some of our most vulnerable community members. I am asking more questions about why the testing protocol is so narrow, but I don’t have good answers yet.

The good news is that private labs are now beginning to offer testing, so it should continue to become more accessible. To be tested through a private lab, your doctor just needs to believe your case merits it. However, these tests are *not* free.

So if you suddenly spike a fever, the best recommendation is still to stay home and call your doctor. If you don’t have a primary care doctor, call your local health department. They will guide you from there. There are differences in how Covid-19 and other viruses present.

But please *DON’T* overwhelm these offices with questions if you’re not sick. Basic info about reducing your risk of catching or transmitting Covid-19 is available online. Please leave the phones open for sick people and people with complex mitigation cases.

Here’s some of that basic info! @TexasDSHS is your best source for Covid-19 info and has the contact info for your county health office. dshs.texas.gov/coronavirus/

Best advice is still to practice good hygiene (wash your hands and disinfect surfaces), stay home if you’re sick, and minimize contact with others. Experts believe that keeping a distance of 6 feet between folks mostly eliminates the risk of spread between individuals.

Because let’s be clear, community spread is coming. And we will hear about more cases as testing increases. @TexasDSHS Commissioner Dr. Hellerstadt today: “Major goal is to slow this down as much as possible so that critical needs, like hospital beds, are not overwhelmed.”

We need our case curve to look like the second one, not the first, so that our hospitals can give the best possible care to everyone with a severe case. To #FlattenTheCurve there will be interruptions of regular life. We all need to make adjustments.

“Social distancing”, us all jointly minimizing our close contact with other humans is our best tool to slow the spread and #FlattenTheCurve. It’s also disruptive. The call with @GovAbbott addressed some of the ways Texas will help blunt the impact of this disruption.

Whether or not schools close is a local decision for your superintendent. Normally schools get revenue from the states based on attendance. @teainfo is working with schools to ensure their revenue is steady even if they if they provide some sort of remote instruction.

Also, federal dollars for school lunch programs will be available for closed school districts to use to feed children in their homes. This is critical, because too many Texas children depend on schools for reliable meals.

Note: Children are the least impacted by Covid-19, but they do get the infection and can carry it to others even if they’re not very sick. That’s why so many school districts in impacted areas are extending spring break.

.@TDEM chief Nim Kidd was also on the call talking about local response efforts. He asked local govts to inventory their personal protective equipment, like masks. There are real concerns about health care and emergency personnel not having enough masks. DON’T HOARD MASKS.

The federal govt has a stockpile of personal protective equipment. Texas is requesting their share of that to ensure that emergency and health personnel have the materials they need to protect the public and themselves.

Chief Kidd also emphasized that local govts need to develop continuity of operation plans for their core services. Basically making sure that if their employees get sick, there are folks to make sure water keeps running and the lights stay on.

.@GovAbbott started the call by says that his goal is “steady and calm leadership that enhances public safety and reduces panic.” I share that goal.

Panic doesn’t help us, and it’s true that most of us will be fine. But people will die from Covid-19. We need to minimize deathes.

To minimize deaths, every one of us must start taking measures to minimize community spread so that our hospitals don’t become overwhelmed.

It’s the responsibility of all of us. Folks who are financially precarious are not going to have as many choices as others.

Which reminds me, this disruption is impacting our economy and a lot of our service industry workers. If you can, support your local food banks. Their needs are increasing. They can use your extra nonperishables or your dollars to help folks in your community.

My office and my campaign are taking social distancing steps. For the moment, my office is suspending walk-in and roving office hours, but we are available via phone, email, and small meetings. My campaign is suspending fieldwork. I am avoiding large events. It’s hard, but right.

Last thing I’ll say is #covid19 has laid bare the vulnerabilities in our communities and our healthcare system. Texans deserve better. I’m going to keep fighting for Medicaid expansion and better wages, so that folks can go to the doctor and stay home from work. #FlattenTheCurve

A conversation with my neighbor brought up another point. Yes, “presumptive positive” cases are confirmed cases. All presumptive means in this instance is that it was a test done by a state or local laboratory and not the CDC. #covid19