Use it or lose it disaster fund... can't skim off the top if you don't use it

Expand the 69 to 45 ramp!!

That's where it would be best used!!

IrishTxAggie said:

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Expand the 69 to 45 ramp!!

That's where it would be best used!!

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I am going to miss my 30 minute commute when people start driving again.

Bondag said:

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TarponChaser said:

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That's ridiculous. There's a grand total of like 140 people hospitalized for CV19 in Houston. The peak is projected for like 8 days from now (down from a month just 4 days ago).

Yes, Noah built the Ark before it started raining but this smacks of panicked "do something'ism" because it's looking to be on the decline here.

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So spend $5,000,000 for temp hospital or shut down the economy? Which one will cost more?

And any money we spend goes to paychecks that will be out back into economy.

No problem addressing the situation, but we have to be smart about it. Spend money where it counts.

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What point are you trying to make?

My point was that the construction of this makeshift hospital was a stupid, unnecessary expenditure that is nothing more than officials trying to look like they're doing something, regardless of whether or not it's a smart or necessary action.

Ag_07 said:

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I'd like to know why in the world are we building a temporary med facility at NRG if our hospitals are doing just fine and there are no indications they're gonna be overrun?

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Exponential

Bondag said:

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IrishTxAggie said:

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Expand the 69 to 45 ramp!!

That's where it would be best used!!

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I am going to miss my 30 minute commute when people start driving again.

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For once, the old joke about everywhere in Houston only being a 30 min drive away is true.

I drove the West Loop thru the Galleria at 5pm on Monday and never touched my brakes.

Scary ass ****, man.

Houston politicians' wet dream ...

cone said:

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This thing isn't over. There's going to be multiple waves.

Hell, it might even turn into a centralized quarantine/FEMA camp.

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Multiple waves that will be easier to contain/deal with than this current one, don't forget that point Mr. Alarmist

Here ya go

Quote:

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"This is to be used as a last resort That would mean that our hospitals used up their surge capacity and now will have to use the capacity we are building at NRG," Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said.

Officials said the project could cost $60 million and the federal government will reimburse the county up to 75%.
"And that $60 million anticipates two full months of operation at full capacity for a 250-bed hospital, essentially a worst-case scenario at 250 beds for two months," Harris County Commissioner R. Jack Cagle said.

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Also in another story posted 2 hours later there's this

Quote:

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April 19 is the new projected peak of coronavirus in Texas, according to data from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington's School of Medicine. The peak was originally slated for May 2.

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I just don't see the situation here going from where we are now to needing a temporary facility in 11 days.

Ag_07 said:

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Here ya go

Quote:

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"This is to be used as a last resort That would mean that our hospitals used up their surge capacity and now will have to use the capacity we are building at NRG," Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said.

Officials said the project could cost $60 million and the federal government will reimburse the county up to 75%.
"And that $60 million anticipates two full months of operation at full capacity for a 250-bed hospital, essentially a worst-case scenario at 250 beds for two months," Harris County Commissioner R. Jack Cagle said.

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Also in another story posted 2 hours later there's this

Quote:

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April 19 is the new projected peak of coronavirus in Texas, according to data from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington's School of Medicine. The peak was originally slated for May 2.

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I just don't see the situation here going from where we are now to needing a temporary facility in 11 days.

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I think this is the definition of better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.

Imagine the outcry if things do go south and we don't have enough hospital beds - after the feds offered to foot 75% of the bill for a temporary hospital. No politician wants to answer to that.

TXTransplant said:

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No politician wants to answer to that.

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well you've at least answered the question of why we are taking all of the insane one-size-fits all approach to this in the first place.

blindey said:

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TXTransplant said:

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No politician wants to answer to that.

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well you've at least answered the question of why we are taking all of the insane one-size-fits all approach to this in the first place.

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I'm genuinely curious about what people think could have been done differently here in the Houston area and what should be done going forward. What is our "new normal" going to look like?

I was one of those who initially thought cancelling the rodeo and schools when we did was premature. I was one of those who thought, it's just the flu and we need all just to be exposed to get immunity.

Once I heard there was community spread in a building I go to almost every day, I knew telling everyone to stay home was really the only/best option. One single infected person in NJ was determined to have made at least 50 other people sick.

This spreads too easily and too many people get very sick for the majority of us to be sticking to our "normal" routine right now. Strangely, I feel better about going to the grocery than I would about going to work and sending my kid to school. If only because, I can control when I go to the grocery, how long I'm in there, and whether or not I get close to/interact with anyone else. You can't do that at work and school.

I'd love to think that there are less drastic measures we could take besides telling everyone to stay home, but let's face it, people aren't even adhering to that like we should be. Everyone is a special snowflake. Everyone wants an exception.

No one wants coronavirus but no one wants to be inconvenienced to prevent the spread, either.

To me, human behavior dictates that, at least for now, this is an all or nothing situation.

In another two weeks, if our hospitals are still in good shape, I think we can talk about people going back to work at office buildings. But I am certain that when I do go back, it will be on an alternating schedule, and I will still be working from home (I previously NEVER worked from home). And I would not be surprised if we are expected to wear masks when we are back in the office.

Stores that are closed can maybe reopen, but only if they limit the number of people who can be in the store at any one time. But, honestly, there is VERY little that I need outside of groceries that I can't get online. Most of us don't HAVE to go to the mall or stores to get what we need. I was doing most of my purchasing online before all of this happened. Usually only went to a store if I was bored or if I needed to return something and didn't want to pay return shipping fees.

Same with restaurants - which is still going to be very challenging for that industry because they simply won't be serving as many people.

Churches may have to also limit how many people are allowed inside - maybe one person/family per pew, alternating every other pew. No hand shaking or Holy Communion offered. No singing because it's thought that projects particles that carry the virus (there is a story about a choir practice where a bunch of people got sick). Just sit there and listen to the service and file out one pew at a time when it's over.

Given my son is doing fine with schooling from home, I don't see any point in sending them back. Might as well finish out the year at home.

I'm curious what they say about salons. My son is going to start looking like Chewbacca here pretty soon, and I don't like to go more than about 7 weeks without a haircut. I know my stylist is scared - she wants to work but she also has a newborn at home. And I'm not sure she entirely trusts her clients to do the right thing and help keep her and her family safe.

The only other thing I'm most concerned/disappointed about is our June vacation. But I don't expect travel to be anywhere back to "normal" for months, if not the end of the year. So, I've just accepted it's not happening, and travel going forward is going to be different/more difficult for a while.

You mean pushed up right? It was early May.

cone said:

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easier to contain?

curious how? masks will certainly help. but there's no surveillance whatsoever at the scale required.

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Increased testing and faster testing results will allow much more localized quarantine. Faster testing results will also allow doctors to treat the virus before it gets too far gone. Along those same lines, increased understanding of which medicines work best to fight the virus as more studies come out. Large public gatherings will still be put on hold for some time, which should help limit massive outbreaks. Herd immunity will increase over time. And like you said, as masks become more available, hopefully people will be more inclined to wear them when out in public.

I agree that there are going to be more waves of this thing as we release back into the public, but I really don't think those waves are going to cause massive shutdowns like we have now.