Texas Medical Center leaders change tone, say COVID surge manageable

[Elderberry]

Houston Chronicle by  Zach Despart and Jeremy Wallace June 25, 2020

Leaders of Texas Medical Center hospitals said they’re ready to handle a COVID-19 surge as Gov. Greg Abbott banned elective procedures in four counties, including Harris.

The hospitals’ message, delivered at a virtual news conference, was a change in tone from a letter the executives published 18 hours earlier, warning an alarming increase in hospitalizations could soon overwhelm the system.

“I think the Texas Medical Center’s purpose was to really urge people to do the right things in the community, and do so by talking about capacity, but really ended up unintentionally sounding an alarm bell too loudly,” said Houston Methodist CEO Dr. Marc Boom. “We clearly do have capacity.”

More: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Texas-Medical-Center-leaders-change-tone-15366386.php

[catfish1957]

Wonder if someone reminded them of NY and their desparate pleas of impending doom and disaster.  How many patients were treated on that ship deployed for that matter?

[PeteS in CA]

Whatever proportion of Houston's surge is due to the "protests" has probably peaked. And maybe the admins got their ears pinned back by staff informing them that available resources were sufficient.