The President unveiled his plan to re-open the country's economy on Thursday. Texas Governor Greg Abbott takes center stage on Friday afternoon.
Abbott will outline his plan at a Noon news conference. The Texas economy is expected to re-open in phases. So will things change around Houston? Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo says there are conversations about it.
"We're having them. But I want to caution against thinking that means that we are ready to re-open. We are not," she said.
Hidalgo announced that two area Walgreens will start offering rapid tests beginning today; the one 14531 Westheimer Road in Houston and in Pasadena on Southmore Avenue. Testing will be available for symptomatic first responders, healthcare workers, or people over the age of 65.
Elsewhere:
- A group of small business owners, the Houston Coronavirus Business Group, have started a petition that looks to open Houston small businesses by May 1st. The petition already has hundreds of signatures.
- Officials say the curve is beginning to flatten in the Greater Houston area, which reported 286 new cases yesterday. There were nine new deaths to bring the total to 123.
- The state of Texas reported 946 new cases and 36 new deaths yesterday. The number of deaths in Texas is 427.
- Dallas County and the city of San Antonio are requiring residents to wear cloth mask when they go to essential businesses and use mass transit.
- ExxonMobil is giving meals and medical face masks to area health care workers, police officers and firefighters responding to the pandemic.