HELP US SPREAD THE FACTS – SHARE! To provide necessary context for reporting on COVID-19, TPPF has created The Snapshot in our Daily Cannon. Here are the facts you need to fully understand COVID reporting:
Health Data:
- Texas has the most estimated COVID recoveries in the U.S. at 642,169.
- There have been 5,860,833 molecular COVID tests administered in Texas as of 9/23/20.
- Texas is 17th in the U.S. for COVID fatality rate.
- Texas is 11th in the U.S. in COVID case rate.
- Estimated active COVID-19 cases in Texas are 66,483.
- Texas statewide COVID hospitalization rate is at 5.5%.
- ICU and general hospital bed levels remain stable.
- 20% of Texas’ hospital beds are available.
- 50% of Texas’ ventilators are available.
- Statewide COIVD-19 active case rate is 0.24%
- Travis County COVID-19 active case rate is 0.06%.
- Harris County COVID-19 active case rate is 0.36%.
- Dallas County COVID-19 active case rate is 0.22%.
- Bexar County COVID-19 active case rate is 0.28%.
- Tarrant County COVID-19 active case rate is .1%.
- 13% of beds and 50% of ventilators are available in Houston TSA region.
- 14% of beds and 50% of ventilators are available in the Dallas/Fort Worth TSA region.
- 19% of beds and 50% of ventilators are available in Austin TSA region.
- 20% of beds and 50% of ventilators are available in San Antonio TSA region.
Economic Data:
- U.S. initial jobless claims filed during week ended September 19, 2020 were 870,000 – up 4,000 from the previous week.
- U.S. seasonally adjusted insured unemployment for week ended September 12, 2020 was 12,580,00 – down 167,000 from previous week.
- Texas has the highest rate of Ch. 11 bankruptcies in the nation.
- Texas initial jobless claims filed during week ended September 19, 2020 were 47,497 – down 1,889 from the prior week.
- Texas insured unemployment claims paid for week ended September 12, 2020 were 945,693 – down 30,895 from the previous week.
- Texas’ economy shrank by 2.5% annualized in the first quarter of 2020.
- Nearly 1 in 5 Texans is facing financial ruin from COVID and the economic shutdown.
- 22% of Texans say it will take them a year or more to recover financially.
- Texas unemployment rate in August 2020 was 6.8% – down from 13.5% in April 2020 but above 3.5% in February 2020.
While many seem to suggest that Texas is in bad shape, they aren’t telling the whole story. The fact is Texas is one of the safest places to be during the pandemic. We should all be cautious, but we are not in the desperate crisis and overburdening hospital beds like many in the media and officials claim.
Sources:
Coronavirus in the U.S.: Latest Map and Cast Count, New York Times
Texas Covid-19 Data Resource, Texas 2036
Texas Case Counts COVID-19, Texas Health and Human Services
Texas COVID-19 Testing Data, Texas Health and Human Services
U.S. Department of Labor Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims Report