Additionally, as the regional case count has reached 17, Hidalgo said visitation to senior centers and nursing homes should be limited; people at higher risk of contracting the virus should stay home; and employers should maximize telecommuting.
“There continues to be anxiety and concern, and understandably so,” Hidalgo said during a March 12 press conference hosted at Houston TranStar. “Know and remember: We’ve gotten through floods and hurricanes and a water main break recently. We will get through this as long as we work together.”
At this time, regional county officials are not recommending closing schools unless a case is identified. One concern is if children are sent home from school, medical professionals and emergency workers will be affected, Hidalgo said.
Guidance for regional school districts is being discussed now, and there will be a meeting with school district officials March 13.
These recommendations are being put forth as a way to remain proactive and prevent the spread of the coronavirus and see a the curve of new cases flatten rather than see a spike, Hidalgo said.
A major goal is to ensure the economy is not affected more than it already has been, Hidalgo said. After watching other countries and U.S. cities "play catch up" after the virus hit a community, officials in the Greater Houston area are banding together to prevent the virus from being widespread.
“The crux of these recommendations is we cannot do this alone, we must use our best judgement, and we hope the community will partner with us,” Hidalgo said.
With the first case in Texas having appeared in Fort Bend County, Judge KP George said the county will be releasing the same recommendations that Harris County has put out. The county has also signed a disaster declaration for public health, following suit with Harris County.
“We cannot live in fear,” George said. “We need to be cautious. We need to treat this as a severe flu season. We will go through this all together. This is evolving every second as we speak.”
Umair Shah, executive director of Harris County Public Health, said the best way to move forward is to use common sense.
“We are doing the best we can in a methodical manner to provide information as quickly as we can and make sure that information is reliable,” Shah said.
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner added that the city is not shutting down, and residents in the region should continue to go about their days responsibly.
“We also recognize that one of the primary objectives is to contain and mitigate the coronavirus so that our whole health care delivery system is not overwhelmed,” Turner said. “As we put in place the canceling or rescheduling of events though the end of March, the city is still moving forward.”
Turner also said in the midst of encouraging all resident to wash their hands often as a precaution, the city of Houston will not be cutting off water to individual dwellings or businesses through the end of April. Bills will still be due at a later date, but residents and business owners will not be penalized in the interim.
David Persse, city of Houston EMS director, provided an update on the presumptive positive case identified March 12 and explained that the female patient, who had traveled to New York City, was at the Houston Rodeo on Sunday but was still asymptomatic at that time.
Persse said the city of Houston is working with area hospitals regarding capacity and potential need for overflow space. Some hospitals will be able to use areas and buildings that are not typically used for patient care to take on any overflow; however, Persse emphasized that this is a point city and county officials hope the region does not reach.
“We don’t [want to] unduly frighten the community and have people come to us who don’t need it,” Persse said.
Jacquelyn Minter, Fort Bend County Health and Human Services director, said the first patient identified with coronavirus in Fort Bend County is still hospitalized. One patient has been released and is home and the remaining four have seen their symptoms go away completely.
There have been no deaths reported.
“This is an evolving situation, and this virus is going to act how viruses act,” Persse said. “We just need to be smarter than the virus ... This is not the time to panic. This is the time to have a plan.”
