Texas Responds to COVID-19
On March 31, Texas Governor Gregg Abbott announced that Texans must limit their contact with people outside their homes to essential services only. Shortly thereafter, the total number of confirmed cased in Texas rose to 6,812 with 127 Coronavirus-related deaths. The governor’s public health directives have looked slightly different than other states. Gov. Abbott has designated gun stores and places of worship as essential services.
Instructors, click the link below to download this week’s lecture for use in your classroom. The deck contains a writing prompt and a debate question as well as other assessment questions.
Download the PowerPoint Lecture Spark for Texas Responds to COVID-19
Links
“Texans ‘retain right’ to purchase firearms during COVID-19 outbreak, AG Paxton says“
https://www.kxan.com/news/coronavirus/texans-retain-right-to-purchase-firearms-during-covid-19-outbreak-ag-paxton-says/
“Texas Governor, Attorney General issue guidance for religious services during COVID-19 pandemic”
https://www.kltv.com/2020/04/02/texas-governor-attorney-general-issue-guidance-religious-services-during-covid-pandemic/
“Abbott issues statewide restrictions, Abortion Ban Can Continue’”
https://www.kut.org/post/covid-19-march-31-updates-abbott-issues-statewide-restrictions-abortion-ban-can-continue
“Older people would rather die than let COVID-19 harm US economy – Texas official?”
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/24/older-people-would-rather-die-than-let-covid-19-lockdown-harm-us-economy-texas-official-dan-patrick
“Why Texas is so far behind other states on virus response”
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/19/texas-coronavirus-response-136061
“Greg Abbott’s ‘Wait-and-See’ Approach to Coronavirus Could Be Disastrous for the State”
https://www.texasmonthly.com/politics/abbott-coronavirus-response-leaves-texas-behind/
“Texas is behind the curve on releasing timely information on the coronavirus. Here’s why”
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Texas-is-behind-the-curve-on-releasing-timely-15179104.php
“Texas ‘fully prepared’ for coronavirus, does not see New York situation: governor”
https://news.yahoo.com/texas-fully-prepared-covid-19-212016975.html
Assessment
- Writing: Describe how the political culture in Texas has influenced the state’s response to the Coronavirus. What values do Texans and their political leaders hold that might dictate their response? In your view, is Texas’ response to the crisis adequate? Does Texas have a higher risk of seeing a rise in cases and deaths?
- Debate: Texas will not be impacted by the Coronavirus in the same way as states like New York or Washington. Therefore, Texas is prepared for the coming months and has acted appropriately.
- Poll: Are Texas officials taking the appropriate steps to ensure public safety during this pandemic?
- Short Answer: What is the benefit of declaring a state of emergency during a public health crisis or pandemic?
Current events quiz:
1) As of April 5, 2020, Texas has reported how many cases of COVID-19?
a. 8,552
b. 6,812
c. 9,870
d. 10,007
2) According to the Texas governor, which of the following are considered essential services in Texas?
a. Grocery stores
b. Gun shops
c. Churches
d. All of the above
3) Who has the authority to declare a state of emergency at the state-level?
a. The public
b. The Attorney General
c. The Governor
d. The Comptroller
4) As of April 4, 42 states and the District of Columbia have issued stay-at-home orders due to the coronavirus (T/F)
5) Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has suggested that Texans should return to work despite the ongoing crisis (T/F)
6) The Texas Hospital Assoc. predicts that 200,000 Texans could require hospitalization by mid-May (T/F)
Answers:
1) B
2) D
3) C
4) True
5) True
6) True
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