Abbott: Texas has enough PPE to support school districts across state at no cost

The governor delivered his remarks from the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) Warehouse in San Antonio and was joined by TDEM Chief Nim Kidd.

SAN ANTONIO, Texas - A large warehouse in San Antonio is one of 40 sites the state has set up to distribute personal protection equipment.

Gov. Greg Abbott toured the site Tuesday. The location is undisclosed because of security reasons but Abbott was eager to show what’s being delivered

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At the briefing, Gov. Abbott said that there are two upcoming events expected to put a strain on the PPE supply in the state: the opening of schools and flu season.

“We have abundant supplies to make sure that we will be able to continue to provide PPE to schools to hospitals to nursing homes to testing sites to do any operation in the state of Texas that’s going to need PPE in response to the pandemic,” said Abbott.

The governor added that schools have been supplied with the following for the school year:

59,410,640 masks
567,948 gallons of hand sanitizer
24,017 thermometers
511,294 face shields

So far the TDEM Warehouse has distributed the following PPE since the pandemic began:

794,370 coveralls
4,095,892 face shields
32,972,340 gloves
7,409,424 gowns
132,850,406 masks

The governor also tried to address the ongoing confusion over how and when schools should reopen. TEA last month issued directives that allow only remote learning for the first eight weeks of the school year but requires the option for in-person classes after that.

At the warehouse, Gov. Abbott said districts could still try a blended approach.

“What may apply to one school district in one region in the state of Texas could be completely different for what may apply to a different school district in a different region of the state of Texas,” said Abbott.

The final call regarding how classes are taught, according to the governor, remains the job of elected school boards. The job of appointed health authorities, Abbott reiterated, is only to make recommendations. With that chain of command, the governor pointed out there’s nothing to stop school boards from buying time and pushing back the start of the school year.

“The first day of class can be September 7 if that is what schools and school boards decide, that is when the first day of class should be, and then after that, they have eight more weeks where they can provide education solely by remote education, that puts the first day of classroom education not on September 7, which is what’s allowed by the local public health authority here in Bexar County, but it would actually put it in the November time frame,” said Gov. Abbott.

The governor indicated he expects some school districts will have outbreaks that will close schools after they reopen. As a result, TEA will have to issue waivers for expanded remote learning.

There’s a possibility all the supplies coming into the warehouse may outpace the virus. State officials said there’s a contingency plan for that.

TEA releases new guideline, gives schools more flexibility

The Texas Education Association is now giving school districts more flexibility when it comes to remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The national and world supply chain is actually coming back up so we’re seeing are our normal partners using their normal distribution methods in receiving of PPE, this will turn into a stockpile for any future events,” said Nim Kidd, Chief of the Texas Department of Emergency Management.

Abbott also activated the Texas National Guard to be prepared to assist with response efforts for COVID-19. The governor says the preparative measure will ensure that the Texas National Guard can assist in various forms throughout the state when needed.

Healthcare workers and first responders who are members of the Texas National Guard are excluded from this activation so that they can continue serving the people of Texas in their respective fields.

New federal funding will keep the Texas National Guard In the distribution centers, deployment to a front line unlike any other according to Arm Guard Sergeant Aaron Castle.

“Here you literally cannot see the enemy and your biggest enemy is not COVID, your biggest enemy is fear, it’s fear that’s festering on the American people because we don’t know, we don’t know what we’re up against, our leaders don’t know, and as quickly as we’re trying to find out the answers to these questions everything changes, and uncertainty always brings fear,” said Sgt Castle.

That fear also came with confidence. Castle believes they will help win the fight against COVID-19. “Absolutely we are the National Guard we can do anything," he said.

The fight could eventually be on two fronts. There is growing concern about the upcoming flu season.

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