Tag Archives: face masks

Can we make it past July?

Posted on June 24, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

That’s when it looks like we’ll hit the peak of the pandemic here. And it could be ugly. A surge in COVID-19 cases since Memorial Day could set the Houston area on track for a peak of 2,000 daily hospitalizations … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

How bad is it going to get in Houston?

Posted on June 23, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

I’m worried, y’all. The number of COVID-19 hospitalizations in Texas continued to reach record highs over the weekend while new cases also climbed in the Houston area. The new figures come as County Judge Lina Hidalgo and leaders in other … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Maybe we should have had this election in May

Posted on June 23, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Oh, the irony. When the coronavirus threat was newer and seemed more immediate, Texas postponed its May elections to pick winners in several party primary runoffs, fearing the health risks of exposing voters and poll workers. With those statewide elections … Continue reading →

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Masks for Metro

Posted on June 23, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Yes, please. Metro riders soon may need more than their Q card or $1.25 to board buses and trains as transit officials weigh making face coverings mandatory for all bus and rail users in a new set of safety procedures. … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Our wishy-washy Governor

Posted on June 21, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

It’s all about evading responsibility. At least now it’s starting to become clear to people. Counties and cities across Texas swiftly followed Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff’s lead this week after he ordered businesses — without opposition from Gov. Greg … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Hidalgo issues new mask order

Posted on June 20, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Greg Abbott said we could, so there. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo issued an order Friday mandating that businesses require customers to wear masks, her latest effort to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus. She and other county leaders … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 20 Comments

From the “Live by the leaked audio, die by the leaked audio” department

Posted on June 20, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Oh, the irony. Two staffers for the hardline conservative group Empower Texans have been caught on an audio recording disparaging Gov. Greg Abbott with profanity and joking about his wheelchair use. Upon the comments surfacing Friday morning, Abbott’s office and … Continue reading →

Posted in General snarkiness, Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

It’s really hard out there on the restaurants

Posted on June 20, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

I feel for them, but none of this is unsurprising. Celebrating her birthday in Galveston, Melinda Prince walked out of Yaga’s Cafe on Thursday full of coconut shrimp. What she didn’t realize was one of the employees at the restaurant … Continue reading →

Posted in Food, glorious food | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Masks up

Posted on June 19, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

We solved Greg Abbott’s riddle, so all is well now, right? With Gov. Greg Abbott’s apparent blessing, Bexar and Hidalgo counties have imposed a new mask rule for local businesses, saying they must require employees and customers to wear masks … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Riddle me this, Governor

Posted on June 18, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Parody is dead. Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff issued a new executive order Wednesday that mandates face coverings for the general public and directs businesses to require employees and customers to wear them in situations where social distancing is not … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Whistling past the ICU

Posted on June 17, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Clap louder! Gov. Greg Abbott and top Texas health officials on Tuesday responded to growing alarm over hospitals now swelling with coronavirus patients, assuring there is still plenty of space available even as some facilities have neared or surpassed capacity. … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Rating summertime risks

Posted on June 13, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

You want to get outside and do things this summer? Here’s how to think about various activities in terms of risk, so you can do things that are safer and avoid things that are not. It has been around two … Continue reading →

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The local view of COVID hospitalizations

Posted on June 10, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

More numbers. Three weeks after it stood out as the urban exception to the state’s spiking COVID-19 crisis, the Houston region has begun seeing a significant increase in cases and hospitalizations. The upturn, which began two weeks ago and accelerated … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

So how’s that reopening going?

Posted on June 7, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Well, there’s more of it. Gov. Greg Abbott announced his third phase Wednesday of reopening Texas businesses during the coronavirus pandemic, allowing virtually all of them to operate at 50% capacity. That is effective immediately, and there are “very limited … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Hotze and pals still crying to the Supreme Court

Posted on May 31, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

It’s hard to keep track of it all. Houston GOP activist Steve Hotze and a coalition of business owners and conservatives have launched a legal challenge claiming Gov. Greg Abbott’s emergency orders related to the coronavirus violate the Texas Constitution. … Continue reading →

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Please wear a mask

Posted on May 31, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Don’t be that person. Seriously. Kara McIntyre remembers the day she likely contracted COVID-19 — she wasn’t wearing a face mask. She was at Target and began to feel dizzy. Later she checked her temperature and had a fever. So … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , | 20 Comments

Reopening 3.0

Posted on May 30, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Who wants to go to a water park? Gov. Greg Abbott issued a proclamation Tuesday announcing additional services and activities that can resume under his second wave of reopenings, allowing food courts in shopping malls to reopen immediately and giving … Continue reading →

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Voter, sanitize thyself

Posted on May 27, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

WTF? With voting in the primary runoff election starting next month in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic, the Texas secretary of state on Tuesday issued “minimum recommended health protocols” for elections, including a suggestion that voters bring their own … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2020 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

The COVID models remain pessimistic about Texas

Posted on May 27, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Make of this what you will. The coronavirus may still be spreading at epidemic rates in 24 states, particularly in the South and Midwest, according to new research that highlights the risk of a second wave of infections in places … Continue reading →

Posted in National news | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Hidalgo extends stay-at-home order

Posted on May 23, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Well, sort of. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo on Thursday issued new guidelines urging residents to stay home when possible, even as Gov. Greg Abbott reopens most businesses. The extended Stay Home, Work Safe order is in effect through June … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Are we headed towards a coronavirus spike?

Posted on May 23, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

One set of researchers thinks we may be. Houston is one of several cities in the South that could see spikes in COVID-19 cases over the next four weeks as restrictions are eased, according to new research that uses cellphone … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Another profile of Judge Hidalgo

Posted on May 22, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

It’s good, and she deserves the attention she’s getting, but there’s something about this that bugs me a little, and I’m trying to put my finger on it. On March 1, before Harris County reported its first confirmed case of … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 22 Comments

CM Plummer tests positive for COVID-19

Posted on May 12, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Get well soon. Houston City Councilmember Letitia Plummer has tested positive for COVID-19, becoming the first elected official in the city to have a confirmed infection of the disease caused by the new coronavirus. Plummer, a first-term council member and … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

What if it were Ed?

Posted on May 7, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

The question to ask yourself in reading this story about Republicans bitching and moaning about Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo is “How different would things actually be if Ed Emmett were still County Judge?” By the time Harris County Judge … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 21 Comments

More reopening

Posted on May 6, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

It’s going great so far, right? Gov. Greg Abbott will allow hair salons in Texas to reopen Friday and gyms on May 18, moving more quickly than expected to further restart the Texas economy during the coronavirus pandemic. The businesses … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 34 Comments

How to become a coronavirus hotspot

Posted on May 4, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

It can happen to you, wherever you are. Barely a week ago, rural Lamar County in Texas could make a pretty good argument for reopening on Friday. Less than a dozen of the 50,000 residents of the area, which is … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

More on coronavirus and meat processing

Posted on May 3, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

From the Trib: To understand powerlessness in a pandemic, trace a northbound path from Amarillo up State Highway 87. Not too far shy of the border where Texas meets Oklahoma lies Moore County. There are few easy ways to make … Continue reading →

Posted in Food, glorious food | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Day One of reopening

Posted on May 2, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Just a reminder, this is where we started. Texas reported 50 more COVID-19 deaths on Thursday, the most in any one day since the state reported its first deaths in mid-March. The state also reported it had added more than … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Ready or not, here we reopen

Posted on May 1, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Who cares what the data says? As he moves to reopen the state Friday amid the coronavirus pandemic, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has cited data and science as his guiding lights. But Texas has yet to meet most of the … Continue reading →

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Reopening roundup

Posted on April 29, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Judge Hidalgo adjusts to the new status that has ben imposed on us from Austin. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo on Tuesday announced plans to significantly expand novel coronavirus case tracing, and maintain reserve hospital capacity, to prepare for a … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 28 Comments

And so reopening begins

Posted on April 28, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

I have questions. Gov. Greg Abbott said Monday that he will let the state’s stay-at-home order expire Thursday as scheduled and allow businesses to begin reopening in phases the next day, the latest ramp-up in his push to restart the … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Hotze goes crying to the Supreme Court

Posted on April 28, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

This effing guy, I swear. Houston conservative activist Steve Hotze on Monday filed a petition with the Texas Supreme Court seeking an emergency ruling on Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo’s mask order, which took effect this morning. Hotze originally filed … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Coronavirus and meat processing

Posted on April 27, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

In the Panhandle: State health officials confirmed Tuesday that they are investigating an outbreak of the new coronavirus at the JBS Beef packing plant in the Texas Panhandle, part of ongoing efforts to monitor major meat processing plants as the … Continue reading →

Posted in Food, glorious food | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Hotze sues Harris County again

Posted on April 24, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

This is just what he does now, I suppose. Houston conservative power broker Steve Hotze filed a lawsuit against Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo Thursday, alleging that her order requiring people to cover their faces in public violates the Texas … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 29 Comments