Texas Gov. Abbott Announces Schools Closed for Rest of School Year, Eases Other Restrictions
Abbott stated that due to “the efforts by everyone to slow the spread, we’re now beginning to see glimmers that the worst of Covid-19 may soon be behind us.”
Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced plans to loosen restrictions in place due to the Wuhan coronavirus, but schools will remain closed until next school year.
Here's a look at Gov. Abbott's plan for reopening Texas. More details: https://t.co/tvcWdLrRWi pic.twitter.com/8WVvAYLbZm
— WFAA (@wfaa) April 17, 2020
Abbott stated that due to “the efforts by everyone to slow the spread, we’re now beginning to see glimmers that the worst of Covid-19 may soon be behind us.”
State parks will reopen on April 20. People must wear masks and practice social distancing.
The government will lift the current surgery restrictions on April 22 only if it does not interrupt the hospital’s ability to treat coronavirus patients. Hospitals must keep 25% of the building available for those patients. It does NOT include abortions.
Another “order allows for product pickup at retail stores – what Abbott described as ‘retail-to-go’ – that will begin on April 24.” This means stores may bring out orders to a customer’s car.
Abbott said that the state might expand the openings on April 27 after officials speak with those in the medical field:
“Even more openings will be announced in May when it is determined that the infection rate continues to decline and when testing capabilities are sufficient to test and contain” outbreaks of the virus,” he said.
Abbott didn’t detail what those later opening would entail. He did announce, however, that schools — public schools, private schools and universities — will remain closed for the rest of the school year.
The governor stressed that the process of reopening will be “guided by data and doctors.” The task force will feature multiple leaders in the medical field and more than 30 business executives. Huffines, the chair, is Central and South Texas chairman of PlainsCapital Bank in Austin. From 2003-10, he served on the University of Texas System Board of Regents, including two stints as chair.
The stay-at-home order expires on April 30. These orders only provide exceptions to the order. Depending on what he hears on April 27 will determine if he eliminates the stay-at-home order.
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Comments
They should reopen schools in early may and run to the end of june.
This is screwing parents who have to mess around with an extra month of daycare.
I can’t begin to imagine the huge difficulties this is going to cause for students and parents alike, not to mention the school systems.
The schools would have to supply masks they do not have to all the students, including those that claim they lost those masks before the end of the forecast of the masks service life.
This is all Kabuki, they’ve all had it.
Mask the at-risk and get on with life.
Kabuki Kabuki Kabuki
IS RIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you for concentrating on the most trivial aspect of this whole sham.
Here’s a cool “new” idea:
High school students are in the same situation. It’d be crazy if parents were to hire the teenager next door to babysit/supervise/tutor kids at home, be in charge of play and rec time.
Sorry that’s a crazy idea, it’d would probably never work.
It would work 60 years ago. Not today, when “the aw-thoh-rah-tees” know what is best for us all.
I just emailed the Governor of Texas your comment
People need to rise up and demand opening the Country
Texas being Texas, Governor Abbott better get busy opening Texas before Texas opens itself. Big city demorats might act right, but Texans have a way of solving problems….especially Texas women. And ladies who are accustomed to visiting their hairdresser regularly are not going to sit home much longer. Don’t Mess with Texas was only part of what Grandpa told me.
I hope this doesn’t mean you think of schools as day care while parents are doing something.
My suggestion is open GED to 16-year-olds. Once they pass, give them excused absences until their class graduates, and stop giving districts state aid for them.
Give the students certificates in lue of a diploma, let them attend community college.
Given we cover more material at home, in an hour, than the school does all day… bet your ass I don’t think highly of public ed. I went every third day in HS and got As. 90% of the day is institutional overhead, so cut the theatre and get back to it.
I pay big money for those schools to be open (an extra $600 bucks/ year thanks to retard liberal voters in Wa who now wonder WTF happened to their money)— so get them doors open.
A small glimmer of hope as Texas once again leads the way out of the darkness.
Here in EL Paso the district shifted to on line/virtual textbooks a few years ago. Instead of buying textbooks they bought laptops. So we were very well positioned to roll out on line school. My daughter has classes Monday-Friday just as she did prior. Same teachers, same material, same credit.
I can’t speak to other areas in Texas but EL Paso is doing a very good job of maximizing personal liberty in terms of no outright draconian measures and in that the school system was positioned for remote vs physical options.
It is very difficult for me to acknowledge those accomplishments by a very left/progressive municipal government and school board, but fair is fair. They way outperformed expectations.
You’ve got my sincerest sympathies… we jumped ship in 2014 and haven’t looked back. Last time I looked our old zip code has the highest number of positives.
I appreciate your intent. It isn’t so bad on the very west side, in fact it’s really good, still it is EL Paso…..so that means wind storms, dust and dry heat as I am sure you recall.
Worse is that when uncle Sam sent me here in 2011, on base housing had a two year wait so we bought a house way under value with a 15 year mortgage, then my wife went to UTEP, got her MA and a very good job that she loves, so even though my daughter will be a SR next year and graduates in 2021….it looks like this Bama boy is not leaving anytime soon…
It’s actually very beautiful in El Paso and then you have the ski resorts next door in New Mexico
gonzotx,
Yes the high desert has a certain charm. Less so for many of us who spent several years in other deserts far away doing…not so tourist things…..
Yes Ruidoso, NM is gorgeous. I liked it so much I bought two cabins for short term rental…which was great until NM locked down and had all lodging companies remove rental availability from March 18 now extended to at least April 30th. The Ruidoso government went so far as to actively switch their advertising campaign to telling people to stay out. As you can imagine, that isn’t sitting very well with a village that derives it’s existence from tourism/hospitality.
You may also be happy to hear that the County and Village at least discussed extension of property tax due date in April, but of course that was not possible as the County and Village ‘have contracts and payrolls to meet’, as if the rest of us don’t. I am just a bit ticked off about that explanation.
So if anyone is looking for a fun filled mountain vacation in New Mexico later in the year I happen to know of a place….
looks like Texas will set the precedent for the other states to follow if they really want to restart the economy
from here under the lone star, a little music for our fellow countrymen
https://youtu.be/wTw1RTrwITs
good luck to us all