Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo begins a press conference announcing that the county will adopt a "Stay Home, Work Safe" strategy until April 3, Tuesday, March 24, 2020, at TranStar in Houston.
Mark Mulligan, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographerFinally, some leadership. We’ve been short on that lately.
It was reassuring to hear Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo announce a stay-at-home order this morning in a bold, but necessary, attempt to save lives and stem the spread of the novel coronavirus. Every county in the region should follow suit — including Montgomery where County Judge Mark Keough refuses in the name of freedom.
It’s a painful decision for any elected official, issuing an order that will temporarily cripple the economy, cost jobs and inconvenience millions. This isn’t a lock down, though. It’s not martial law. People will be able to get groceries, visit the doctor, walk the dog and go for a run.
What they won’t be able to do is blatantly disregard the social distancing guidance public health officials have been giving for weeks. They won’t be able to cluster in public places for the fun of it, potentially exposing themselves to a highly contagious virus that they can pass along to others before even realizing they’re infected.
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Will it help flatten the curve of the virus before our health care system is overwhelmed by a surge of patients needing respirators and intensive-care beds?
No guarantees. But we know what won’t help. We know what won’t save lives.
Inaction. Political calculations. And denial.
We’ve seen all three from politicians who refuse to heed the warnings of health experts who point out that only severe limits on social interaction have contained the virus in other countries.
An exponential increase in cases is a “mathematical reality,” Gov. Greg Abbott acknowledged.
But he refuses to face another reality: proactive measures, such as a statewide stay-at-home order, are our only hope of reducing cases and reducing deaths. Yes, there are some 200 counties in Texas that have not reported a case of the virus. Abbott can increase their chances of staying that way with a statewide order.
Instead, the governor is prioritizing short-term economic interests over lives. He isn’t the only one.
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On Monday, President Trump signaled what could be a dangerous departure from the advice of health experts in his own administration. He said he favored easing federal guidance on social distancing much sooner than experts recommend and getting the country back to work: “I’m not looking at months, I can tell you right now.”
In Texas, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick went on Fox News late Monday and suggested he’d rather die from COVID-19 than “sacrifice” the U.S. economy. Apparently, he doesn’t mind taking his septuagenarian cohort with him: “Those of us who are 70-plus, we’ll take care of ourselves.”
With leaders like these, who needs a potentially life-threatening virus? The answer is not to let people die. The economy will recover. People — both old and young — who succumb to this disease will not.
Leaders should consider the climbing death toll and our woefully under-staffed, under-equipped, under-prepared hospitals. If this virus isn’t slowed, it’s going to upend and in many cases threaten the lives of everyone, not just senior citizens.
Leaders should consider their oaths of office and if it spurs their own self interests, their legacies. In the words of one brave Harris County judge:
“This moment in history will define our future. History will say we prioritized human life."
