Tarrant County Public Heath’s (TCPH) report of COVID-19 activity in Tarrant County, updated Sunday, March 22, 2020 at 11:15 a.m.Find more COVID-19 information from TCPH here.
The new restrictions, which go into effect today at 6 p.m., will close in-person worship services but will allow worship support staff to facilitate online services.
The new rules will also close malls and other non-essential retail establishments, such as barber shops, hair salons, nail salons as well spas and massage parlors.
Essential services such as grocery stores, pharmacies and other establishments that sell household goods will remain open.
In-house dining at restaurants remains closed but drive-in, drive-through, takeout and delivery are still permitted.
There should be no gatherings of more than 10 people regardless of the situation. There is no distinction between the types of gatherings in the amended declaration.
“We cannot stress enough that Tarrant County residents practice social distancing where you stay at least 6 feet away from other individuals,” Whitley said. “You need to have sufficient space to have people be at least 6 feet apart. To whatever degree possible, we would encourage you to have sign-in logs to keep track of everyone you have come in contact with.”
COVID-19 causes respiratory illness with cough, fever, and shortness of breath, and may lead to bronchitis and severe pneumonia.
Tarrant County Public Health encourages everyone to continue to follow basic preventive measures to protect from COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses, including:
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer as a supplement.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Stay home when you are sick. If you have trouble breathing, or a persistent fever, call your primary care provider.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue or your sleeve.
• Frequently clean and disinfect touched objects and surfaces.
Mayor Betsy Price signed an amended order to the emergency declaration in place within the City of Fort Worth due to a local public health emergency and in a continued effort to further mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
The following went into effect today, Saturday, March 21, 2020 at 6:00 pm:
All in-person worship services are no longer permitted, with the exception of worship support staff to facilitate online services.
All malls and non-essential retail establishments including barber shops, hair salons, nail salons, spas, massage parlors, estheticians and related personal care businesses are closed and no occupancy is permitted.
Also closed: bars, lounges, taverns, commercial amusement and entertainment establishments, bingo halls, theaters, gyms, fitness classes, yoga and personal training facilities, similar facilities and classes, private clubs, tattoo and piercing parlors and tanning salons, residential meeting spaces, event centers, hotel meeting spaces and ballrooms, outdoor plazas and markets Essential services such as grocery stores, pharmacies and other establishments that sell household goods will remain open but must enforce social separation. This includes:
Convenience and package stores, pharmacies and drug stores, day care facilities, medical facilities, veterinary facilities, non-profit service providers of essential services, homeless and emergency shelters, office buildings, jails, essential government buildings, airports and transit facilities, transportation systems, residential buildings and hotels, manufacturing and distribution facilities. In-house dining at restaurants remains closed, but drive-in, drive-through, takeout and delivery are still permitted. There is no distinction between the types of gatherings in the amended declaration. There should be no gatherings of more than 10 people.
Additionally, temperature screenings at public-facing city facilities began Wednesday, March 18. Those entering city facilities during normal business hours will have their temperature checked using a forehead thermometer, and people with a temperature of 100 degrees or more will be asked to leave, and to contact their healthcare provider. This includes city employees.
The following is a message from American Medical Association EVP/CEO James L. Madara, MD.
The COVID-19 pandemic represents an enormous threat to public health and an extreme challenge to physicians. Now, more than ever, physicians need a powerful ally in patient care. The AMA’s COVID-19 response strategy, attached, provides a road map for our initiatives in an unprecedented pandemic scenario. The strategy frames the AMA’s response in three key areas:
Providing clear, evidence-based guidance from trusted resources, including JAMA Network, the CDC, WHO, state and local agencies and AMA subject matter experts.
Building an interface with physicians on the front line, allowing them to share their experience with other physicians, the government and key health agencies.
Removing obstacles to diagnosis and treatment through our Advocacy, CPT, PS2 and other initiatives.
We are acquiring many ideas and we filter them through the above three strategic channels (keeping in mind the overarching view of what it is the AMA does well). Since early January, we have closely monitored the global outbreak of COVID-19 and compiled up-to-the-moment information for physicians. Here are some examples of what we’ve done recently viewed through the lens of our COVID-19 response strategy:
Providing clear, evidence-based guidance
AMA COVID-19 online resource center, Physicians Guide to COVID-19, and a COVID-19 FAQ provides evidence-based perspectives from AMA’s physician leaders and subject matter experts to help physicians prepare their practices, address patient concerns, and provide answers to physicians’ top questions.
Comprehensive overview of the coronavirus by the JAMA Network – including epidemiology, infection control and prevention recommendations – available for free on its JN Learning website.
Conversations and updates with our Federation partners and AMA Ambassadors
Learning from and sharing first-hand accounts of physicians on the front lines. Listen to JAMA Editor Howard Bauchner, MD interview Maurizio Cecconi, MD in Italy and NIAID’s Anthony Fauci, MD; read how the Permanente Medical Group developed new approaches to preserve PPE.
Listening to and answering questions from physicians on twitter, leveraging ambassadors to engage and spread the word, and will be conducting Twitter chats to answer physician questions and share experiences.
Called on the Administration for $100 billion dollars to support front line health care personnel and providers.
AMA Calls on Administration to Use Every Lever to Address Protective Equipment Needs, Lack of Tests in COVID-19 Fight
Mobilizing a dramatic increase in the nation’s telemedicine capacity through its advocacy and publication of the Quick Guide to Telemedicine in Practice, a new resource to help physicians implement remote care.
Eased restrictions on the use of laboratory developed tests for COVID-19 testing to expand local access.
Administration exercising flexibility in reducing regulatory burdens by allowing physicians to care for Medicare beneficiaries in States other than where they are licensed, waiving enrollment requirements and expediting enrollment, and waiving the requirement for Medicare patients for a 3-day hospitalization prior to covering skilled nursing facility care.
Worked with HHS on the development of new recommendations for deferring non-urgent elective procedures that are consistent with recommendations of the American College of Surgeons.
The AMA’s COVID-19 news and video coverage is promoted across the AMA website, email, Morning Rounds, all social platforms and Apple News. Since COVID-19 coverage began through March 18, nearly 390,000 users have consumed COVID-19 content from the AMA website, including nearly 17,000 clicks/referrals to JAMA and EdHub resources.
Resources
AMA Letters:
March 19–Letter to Congressional Leaders re: urgent steps to help preserve viability of physician practices due to the demands of COVID-19.
March 18–Letter to Seema Verma re: CPT code clarification in light of COVID-19 with remote physiologic monitoring and telephone evaluation and management.
March 16–Letter to Michael Pence re: Request for assistance with shortage of personal protective equipment for health care professionals.
March 13–Letter to Alex Azar re: Medicare assistance for solutions facing the nation with the COVID-19 outbreak.
Sign-On Letters:
March 19– Letter with AHA and ANA to Michael Pence re: assistance in a declaration of COVID-19 outbreak disaster or emergency under the Stafford Act or the National Emergencies Act.
March 18-Letter to Mike Pence and Congressional Leaders re: joint industry letter that asks for help with expanding public health capacity and access to and the availability of testing and to take action to mitigate the economic and societal impact of COVID-19.
March 16-Letter with AHA and ANA to Mitch McConnell and Nancy Pelosi, re: assistance in providing front line health care providers with financial support.
Tarrant County Public Heath’s (TCPH) report of COVID-19 activity in Tarrant County, updated Saturday, March 21, 2020 at 9:30 a.m.Find more COVID-19 information from TCPH here.
As the number of COVID-19 cases in Texas and around the country grows, what steps should your clinic take to ensure the safety of your staff and patients?
The Texas Medical Association COVID-19 Task Force has updated its “Frequently Asked Questions” that answer many of the questions you might have about caring for people who have been exposed to the virus.
Among the questions answered:
How to minimize exposure to COVID-19 in your clinic;
Types of infection prevention control measures to implement in your clinic;
How to best prepare staff;
Infection prevention and control precautions to take if a patient with possible COVID-19 requires evaluation at an emergency department (ED); and
Infection prevention and control recommendations to give to patients with suspected COVID-19 who are well enough to go home.
The FAQ is based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Department of State Health Services (DSHS), and other health organizations.
You can find the latest news, resources, and government guidance on the coronavirus outbreak by visiting TMA’s COVID-19 Resource Center regularly.
Watch Psychiatrist Dr. Brian Dixon discuss how to cope with anxiety and stress during the COVID-19 pandemic in his interview with NBC5. This originally aired on 3/19/20.
TexMed 2020 will not take place in Fort Worth on May 1-2, Texas Medical Association President David C. Fleeger, MD, announced Tuesday. The TMA House of Delegates, however, will convene in a virtual format on those same dates, using a focused agenda to address the key issues before the house.
“After careful consideration of the evolving COVID-19 situation in Texas, with input from local and state health officials and TMA’s Coronavirus Task Force, the TMA Board of Trustees has determined that TexMed 2020 will not take place in Fort Worth on May 1-2,” Dr. Fleeger said. “The health and safety of our members is paramount as you are on the front lines of the fight to control the spread of the virus and treat infected patients.”
Dr. Fleeger asked House of Delegates members to keep May 1 and May 2 open on their calendars and told them to expect additional information on the virtual house meeting over the coming weeks.
“While we regret that our members will not gather in Fort Worth, TMA leadership and staff are working to keep the association moving forward, and to provide alternate solutions where possible,” he said. These include:
Chairs of TMA boards, councils, committees, and sections will determine if and when those bodies will convene virtually. Members of TMA’s boards, councils, committees, and sections can expect additional communications from TMA staff.
Where possible, the CME education planned for TexMed 2020 will be made available to members via TMA’s online Education Center.
Information from exhibitors at the TexMed 2020 Expo Hall will be hosted online through the end of the year for members to explore the latest practice solutions and services.
The TMA Foundation Gala will transition to a different format. Ticketholders will receive additional information in the coming weeks.
Doctors Launch Nationwide Initiative to Improve Care DuringCOVID-19 Pandemic
The Texas Medical Association (TMA) joined The Physicians Foundation, American Medical Association, Florida Medical Association, and Massachusetts Medical Society in launching The Telehealth Initiative to help physicians start telehealth care. With the current health crisis, the organizations sped the initiative’s launch to help physicians shift to telehealth to meet patients’ needs from their homes where they cannot transmit COVID-19 or other diseases to other people.
The COVID-19 pandemic reinforces the need for physicians’ access to practical resources that will enable them to operate telehealth services to care for their patients efficiently. Through The Telehealth Initiative, physicians are able to diagnose and direct patients efficiently and safely, while improving patient outcomes.
“Physicians know how important it is for us to give our patients the option of obtaining safe, high-quality medical care digitally,” said David C. Fleeger, MD, president of TMA. “TMA wants to provide tools and pragmatic guidance for physicians, so that we can embrace telemedicine and appropriately offer it to our existing patients and maintain continuity of care.”
The program helps participating physicians redesign their practices to successfully provide telehealth services to their patients. Additionally, the initiative is providing free, online access to resources to encourage all physicians to consider and launch telehealth services. The Telehealth Initiative’s resources for physicians include:
“The generous grant from The Physicians Foundation allows TMA to accelerate our work and get this information to physicians quickly, which is vital as we see COVID-19 take its grip on the public’s daily routine,” Dr. Fleeger added.
TMA is the largest state medical society in the nation, representing more than 53,000 physician and medical student members. It is located in Austin and has 110 component county medical societies around the state. TMA’s key objective since 1853 is to improve the health of all Texans.
About The Physicians Foundation
The Physicians Foundation is a nonprofit seeking to advance the work of practicing physicians and help them facilitate the delivery of high-quality health care to patients. As the health care system in America continues to evolve, The Physicians Foundation is steadfast in its determination to strengthen the physician-patient relationship and assist physicians in sustaining their medical practices in today’s practice environment. It pursues its mission through a variety of activities including grant-making, research, white papers and policy studies. Since 2005, the Foundation has awarded numerous multi-year grants totaling more than $50 million. In addition, the Foundation focuses on the following core areas: physician leadership, physician wellness, physician practice trends, social determinants of health and the impact of health care reform on physicians and patients. For more information, visitwww.physiciansfoundation.org.
Watch WFAA’s coronavirus town hall from 3/19/20, where a number of North Texas leaders, including EMS Director Veer Vithalani, MD, gathered together to discuss the most recent developments in the COVID-19 pandemic and what is being done in response to the outbreak.
Tarrant County Physician Online 