Mandating Houstonians Return to Work – Safely and Gradually
With cases of the coronavirus mounting, so is the harm to our society by people not working. Without a plan to get back to work, our economy will shrink into oblivion at a pace that only a few can remember. City and county officials must look forward and find a way to safely integrate all businesses back into our society by ramping up testing to protect and direct its citizens. The elephant in the room is inadequate testing for the virus, and there is plenty of blame to go around. Now extensive testing needs to be the primary objective of all local city, state, and county officials. Get adequate testing so we can determine a safe and the most realistic path forward.
In the meantime, while still maintaining the standard protections of social distancing, disinfecting, and using the protective gear, we need to look toward the middle of May as a target date only. That is when it appears cases in Harris County will have declined or leveled off enough to reopen our doors for business safely. Only then and after adequate testing is in place can we implement this Back To Work Mandate. By having extensive testing in the area, we can determine that when and if numbers spike, further restrictions must go back in place. Here are the Intown guidelines for moving our city forward and avoiding catastrophic unemployment and hardship to all workers.
Most Basic and Largest Expenses
Buying or Leasing a Home and Buying or Repairing a Car
These are essential businesses and fundamental for individuals and families. Most car dealers are open despite a ban on showrooms. Both are adapting to the new normal with social distancing guidelines and an attentive and aggressive cleaning to provide safety for customers.
Cars and real estate can be bought safely with test driving and home showings available without a salesman accompanying. Many are offering concierge service and will bring the vehicle to your home. Dealerships can and should work in shifts due to less traffic.
Real estate shopping is encouraged online with virtual video tours. Open Houses are not being done currently but could be once the spread slows with proper social distancing. In the meantime, realtors can still show buyers properties safely with distancing and precautions once a buyer is serious.
Schools and Churches
Some churches allowed smaller crowds with spacing to attend Easter services while most did not and relied on online video participation for their sermons. Schools are hoping to perfect online learning, but getting kids to log on has proven problematic. How much is being done online is up to the student and parents. Hopefully, some schools will have a way to celebrate graduations for their seniors through a rigorous distancing or video ceremony.
Health and Dental
Doctors and Dentists need to be open and seeing patients as the backlog of many surgeries and dental procedures provide health benefits as well. Temperatures and testing results can be mandatory before any visits.
Retail and Grocery Shopping – Amazon is not the only our best way forward
There should be little difference in the way people shop for groceries and go into a retail store. As long as social distancing and protective gear are worn, retail stores can limit the number of people shopping at one time. It is not fair to rely on Amazon only for many basic needs at the cost of so many of Houston’s retail jobs. Retail closures have decimated many Houston jobs while putting undue pressures and overcrowding in Amazon facilities causing huge spikes among their employees. Eliminating thousands of Houston retail jobs while allowing Amazon to operate in unsafe facilities is wrong.
Construction and Home Repair
Many city projects are going on with roads and utilities and should with a regular screening of employees. All home repairs, including yard work, roofing, painting, and remodeling, should proceed with the standard precautions of distancing, protective gear, and testing. If it’s ok for the city workers, it should be ok for the small and private firms and individuals that do yard maintenance to proceed – once the amount of new cases has flattened or decreased.
Restaurants and Entertainment
Dining-in and entertainment such as movies, theater, sporting events, and even concerts may be one of the last areas to phase-in, but the process needs to begin. Safely distancing within a venue is possible. Regular cleaning and testing of employees will be fundamental in the process of opening carefully. Playing events and serving meals at 30- 40 % capacity for a while is better than zero. Sports may have to go on with only television and radio audiences for a while, but can you imagine the ratings!