Transcripts For CSPAN Texas Gov. Abbott Holds Coronavirus Br

Closed until may 4. Gov. Hogan thank you all for abbott thank you all for joining with us here today. Let me start out by expressing my gratitude to all of our fellow texans for your tremendous efforts that you made over the past few weeks to slow the spread of the coronavirus. By staying at home, by reducing personal interactions. You are saving lives and you are improving the health of people across our entire state. Let me give you some updated information and then go into more deto determine whether or not someone has covid19. As of noon today, 42,923 texans have been tested for covid19. Of those tested, 3266 have confirmed positive for covid19. Now, there are 122 counties in the state of texas that have at least one reported case of covid19. Very importantly, if you look at the number of people who are hospitalize, we still have only 2. 4 of the hospital beds available in the state of texas for covid19 patients are occupied. Meaning that 97. 6 of those available beds still remain vacant available for anything who may contract covid19. With heavy heart, i share with you that we have now lost 41 texans to fatality connected with covid19. Importantly, as you look at the numbers we are talking about, it still remains true that less than 10 of the people who were tested test positive for covid19. Just over 11 of those who test positive need to go to the hospital. Most of these numbers, very importantly, were the result of personal interactions of people in the state of texas before the distancing practices that have gone into place the last couple of weeks. It is one thing thats clear, when you look around your community, like i have here in austin or as i have seen either videos or photographs from so many different regions across the entire state of texas, one thing thats clear, that is distancing practices that you all are doing, they are working. There are fewer people who can transmit the disease from one person to another. But, as President Trump said just two days ago, now is not the time for us to let up in these distancing efforts. Now is the time instead to redouble our efforts to make sure that we do more to rid ourselves of the coronavirus. Two days ago, the president extended the nations effort to stop the spread. He extended the deadline until april 30 and he reiterated the need for social distancing strategies that have proven to be effective. Consistent with the guidelines offered by the president , by the cdc and based upon advice by the doctor of the Texas State Health Services Department here in texas and dr. Birx and dr. Fauci who advise the president , im also modifying my previous executive order about social distancing protocols in texas. To further reduce the spread of covid19, to maximize the number of lives that we can save, im issuing executive order ga14 that establishes maximizes the number of lives we can save. Im establishing essential services and activities protocols. In short, what this provides, texans are expected to limit personal interactions that can lead to spread of covid19. Also still having the freedom to conduct tailly activity such going to the grocery store, so long as youre following the president ial standard of good distance practices. This decision that im announcing today is based upon data and based upon recommendations by state and federal healthcare authorities. The essential services and activities guidelines essential Services Guidelines are taken from the u. S. Department of Homeland Security guidance on the essential Critical Infrastructure workforce. The essential Activity Guide guidelines are connected to the essential Services Guidelines. The list of allowed services to be found at www. Tvem. Texas. Gov essential services. You can find it at www. Tvem. Texas. Gov essentialserv www. Tvem. Texas. Gov essentialserv as i mentioned, essential activities are activities that everyday texans will be involved in. The essential activities are kind of obvious based upon the essential services that are provided. I want to give you some examples. Essential activities include any activity to access essential Services Like going to a grocery store, going to a bank, going to a gas station, getting supplies from a hardware store, importantly, it includes maintaining physical activity which is so important at this particular time. Activities like jogging or biking and hunting and fishing are permissible. So long as precautions are maintained to reduce the transmission of covid19 and to minimize inperson contact with others. Also importantly, religious activities may continue, but should either be conducted by Remote Services or conducted in person should be consistent with the guidelines for the president and the cdc that describe appropriate social distancing to prevent the spread of covid19. An example of type of service i heard about some churches are interested having, especially time of easter, call the driveup services where a family unit would contained in a car and not expose themselves to others. That seems like it would satisfy the criteria we are talking about. Importantly, all Critical Infrastructure will remain operational. Domestic travel is still allowed as long as it minimizes personal interaction. Governmental entities and businesses will continue providing essential services. Businesses not categorized as essential can continue to operate from home through the use of technology. This order will remain in place through april 30, 2020. The order provides that schools will continue to remain closed until monday, may 4 unless otherwise extended. As the coronavirus has spread across the land, at a time when lives are literally at risk, texans continue to rise to the occasion. The efforts of texans across the entire state have slowed the spread of the coronavirus, but as the president has made clear, we are not yet done with our response. We cannot forfeit the gains that have already been made by cutting short our tasks. Weve come too far to falter now. Weve made tremendous drives but strives, the we have not yet reached our destination. We have more to do for texas to reach its determined destiny. Together, we will persevere through this for another month. Together, were going to heal our state. Together, we will ensure that the Lone Star State continues to shine. I will pass it over to Lieutenant Governor dan patrick. Lieutenant governor patrick thank you, governor. If you weeks ago a few weeks ago when we were in this room, i talked about 29 million texans being on the front line with our healthcare workers, First Responders, folks that work in the Grocery Stores. Youre on the front line, 29 million texans because you follow the governors orders and these guidelines over the last several weeks per capita, if you look at the death rate in texas, 29 Million People are one of the lowest in the country. We need to continue that for the rest of april and be even be better at that. We prayerfully and hopefully keep the numbers low as all of us want. As the governor said, follow these guidelines, be smart in all your travels when you leave home. If you do not have to leave home, do not do so. This balance we have struck in texas and the governor has led on has worked to date because 29 million texans have taken it to heart and we are standing and working together. Please continue to do that. Thank you. Now, speaker. Thank you. Ill begin with a quote from winston churchill. It is not enough that we do our best. Sometimes, we have to do what is requested. Were requesting texans to continue to social distance. To continue to stay at home if youre not essential to the infrastructure of texas. Were asking you to stick together, like all of us and continue this process for 30 more days so that texans can continue to be the leader in defeating covid19. Social distance, stay home if youre not essential. Go out and enjoy a walk, enjoy a jog. But be conscious of your friends and your neighbors. We are all in this together in and the better we do this together, the sooner we will be out of this together. I appreciate the governors leadership in this executive order and we support him in getting texas to the other side of this effort. Thank you. Thank you, speaker. Now, doctor. Thank you, governor. The executive order the governor announced is based on very sound Public Health policies and principles. This will only increase our ability to slow down the spread of covid19 throughout texas. That is absolutely the goal. When we look around, we see people are responding. We should have great confidence in that. We should feel a great sense of our own community pride. Because we are doing the things that we know are going to work. We should have confidence in that. I believe that over time, well be able to measure that weve had an impact on the rate of spread of covid19 in our state. Thats what everybody wants. We want to stay safe and the measures that are outlined in the executive order are absolutely intended to make that happen. Thank you. Gov. Abbott thank you, dr. Now the chief. I would like to reiterate the directions youve given to us. One is to maintain the health and safety of texans at the priority. The second is to make sure our healthcare workers and First Responders have the first necessary materials and supplies they need. The third is to ensure that our Critical Infrastructure safely stays up and running. The order today and the tools that we have give us that capability. Gov. Abbott thank you. Now, the commissioner for the texas education agency. Thank you, governor. Our system of Public Education in texas serves 5. 5 million souls. Little bundles of er best versif themselves and like many parents in texas, im a parent with two young children. We are wrestling with a new reality. For the parents listening at home, we will work through this. Well get through this together. For a little bit more time, we all must remain apart so we can come back together. Our educators all over the state of texas working with love and diligence are doing everything in their power to support parents all over the state of texas and we will continue to do that for the extent of this and beyond. Gov. Abbott thank you. Let me close with this, i want to Say Something to each one of you. Every single one of our fellow texans is important to our state. We care about your health. We want you to stay healthy. Please do everything you can over the next days, throughout the remainder of april, to make sure that you stay healthy. That when we come out of this cloud of uncertainty, time period when we are minimizing our contact, youll be healthy, your family will be in tact and we will be reinvigorated once again as the premier state in the United States. For that, well take some questions. Reporter [inaudible] gov. Abbott would you repeat the last part of the question. Restrictions on business nonessential, would you classify [inaudible] gov. Abbott candidate, when whene talk candidly, people talk in terms of shelterinplace, what shelterinplace really means is a term of art. Wherever you may be at a particular time, you need tot he other location or roadside. Wherever you are, you are supposed to take shelter because Something Like a tornado would be coming. Shelterinplace is not a good term to use for any of these strategies that have been articulated by anybody. Similarly, this is not a stayathome strategy. A stayathome strategy would mean you have to stay at home. You cannot leave home under any circumstances. That obviously is not what we articulated here. This is a standard thats based upon essential services and essential activities. Those who are involved in essential services is defined by as defined by the United States Homeland Security will be able to continue to provide those essential services. Similarly, those who want to access those essential Services Like Grocery Stores or Hardware Stores or financial facilities, have the ability to access them. In order to access them, on occasion, that may mean leaving your house, going to wherever it is you need to go. Similarly as i indicated, personal health and physical activity are important always, but particularly at this point in time. Going for a job, going biking, other forms of outdoor exercise are very important. However, doing so in groups would be potentially hazardous to your health. We encourage people to continue to maintain active lifestyles, but do so in ways that maintain the distancing practices that have been articulated by the president , by cdc, and make sure that you are not exposing yourself to anybody who may have covid19. Reporter how can you enforce an order like this . Gov. Abbott it is enforced what the executive order does, it empowers any Law Enforcement officer in the state of texas to enforce it. Its enforceable by either a fine or jail up to 180 days. Once again, any Law Enforcement officer in the state of texas can impose it. I can say this. If this executive order is violated, commissioner hellerstatd issued his own executive order. It exists such that anybody who violates this can be subject to a quarantine order. Mentioned that right now, we have enough hospital bedsp. Ppe it comes about equipment . Gov. Abbott first, i will do how you, were so proud of our fellow texans for stepping up and offering things such as ppe, masks or gloves, gowns or whatever the case maybe. Also, im proud that a team thats working has been doing a terrific job to access all channels to increase our supply of ppe and other items. Ill let the chief explain more. Thank you, governor and were hearing the same thing. Its a very valid question. Theres no secret that the supply chain has taken quite a shock. But what the governor is talking about when it comes to hospital ceos, theyre on a rationing program now so they dont completely run out. Were in normal days it where it might be one mask for each patient. Cdc guidelines and things were asking healthcare workers to do is to best if possible, try to use one mask per one provider per one shift. If mask is compromised or gets wet, we want to change that. We can tell you on the frontend, how we use it will help determine how much we have. On the backend, our team is working very hard at an International Level to find the right personal protective equipment that will come in and be distributed in a very rational and bed count and populationdriven manner. We want the most need going to where the resource is needed so we dont have any waste and we at this critical point in time and make sure we dont have any shortages, either. Were working hard around the clock to make that happen. Also, the governors have once or twice Conference Calls with the president and Vice President , dr. Birx, sometimes dr. Fauci on the phone call yesterday, and the point was made by both the president and Vice President , about the additional investments made for additional supplies that are coming. They are constantly, they at the federal level are working on increasing supplies. We are anticipating far greater supplies coming forward just by like what weve seen with regard to the massive percentage increase in the number of tests that have been administered. Reporter [inaudible] gov. Abbott this executive order has some specific paragraphs. Im talking about what it does and does not do to override local ordinances or county rules. To the extent that any county or local jurisdiction has any rule thats inconsistent with this executive order, it is overridden and in this executive order. To the extent, for example, that religious services are permitted as specified in this executive order, they cannot be denied by a local ordinance or local order. However, to the extent that there are things that are not mentioned in the executive order, it still gives local jurisdictions the latitude to establish their own rules. Reporter [inaudible] gov. Abbott to the extent that its not overridden by this executive order, local jurisdictions do still have the flexibility to impose standards that they may consider to be more strict. Reporter [inaudible] gov. Abbott repeat the first part again. Reporter the cdc is considering [inaudible] what i will consider is any order or any type of item that is offered up by the cdc as a possible standard to consider, will be something we will consider. My prior executive order was based upon cdcbased standards. This current executive order is largely based upon cdc standards as well as other federal standards. We want to stay connected to the standards that are established by the federal government. We will look into any standards that are established by the cdc for consideration. Reporter have been reports that some local officials have not [inaudible] gov. Abbott we want to achieve the highest level possible of collaboration and sharing of information and we know that its a twoway street. We have been mandated or required by the federal government to impose information gathering standards for the local governments to provide certain information to the state and Health Services to be able to provide to the cdc. On top of that, i can understand what im hearing from you. There may be needs or desires from local governments to get access to certain information that we have. To the extent thats possible. To the extent we can create information channels to establish that goal. I think we should do it. One thick that all of us do, it could be dr. Hellerstatd, or it could be any of us. We are constantly visiting with local officials to try to provide the need of the resources they need or the information they need. We want to maximize that to the extent possible. Reporter [inaudible] absolutely. So contained in this order is the extension of the prohibition of certain types of businesses from operating altogether. Bars and restaurants, however, i want to clarify, we strongly encourage people to utiliz