Timeline of LISD’s response to COVID-19
Texas coronavirus cases peaked on April 22 — April 26, with zero shortages in hospital beds, according to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. Additionally, the state is projected to have 957 COVID-19 deaths by Aug. 4.
In consideration of these projections, Gov. Greg Abbott plans to slowly reopen businesses. Abbott allowed retail businesses to offer pickup and delivery services for customers starting April 24. This plan has been met with mixed feelings by students.
Freshman Emma Wildwing considers reopening retail businesses to be both good and bad.
“On one side of things, the nonessential businesses will be able to receive the money that they haven’t in the past month. On the other side, these businesses are nonessential,” Wildwing said.
However, senior Sanskriti Dwivedi finds the plan concerning.
“If businesses reopen, it will signal to people that it is ok to go out again. If that happens, coronavirus cases will increase even more and everything we’ve done so far will be for nothing,” Dwivedi said.
Abbott plans to announce what other types of businesses can reopen and under what conditions on April 27.
Denton County currently has a stay-at-home order issued until April 30. The county is currently seventh in the state for coronavirus cases.
Dwivedi believes this was caused by residents not properly following social distancing guidelines.
“Nothing is really enforced and people seem to still be going out and meeting friends or partying,” Dwivedi said. “People, especially at our age, are not really taking it as a serious threat.”
