It has been six days since the Harris county officials placed strict rules on certain business activities, but life has substantially changed.
While Houston is not in a formal lock-down, many restaurants, bars, and gyms been restricted from operating normally. Restaurants must provide drive-thru, take out, or delivery services only. This may seem like a slight inconvenience but it is having a big impact on small business. In addition to dining restrictions, business and events across the county have been cancelled and postponed.
Drive through the suburbs of Houston and its clear that life has changed. People are still out on the roads, but many strip centers are comparatively empty, unless there is a supermarket within walking distance. The grocery stores are packed everyday, and many stores in Houston, such as HEB, have changed store hours to better cope with increased traffic.
Fortunately the mood is not dire. People are able to move around, though many are not working. The mood online has been changed from curiosity to anxiety. Some are not only concerned with the duration of an imminent economic shut down, but also the possibility of people they know getting sick and dying. Luckily the Houston area has not been extremely hard.
As of yesterday there were about 105 confirmed CCP Coronavirus infections, and at least 1 death, but many are nervous about what the future holds. For now, Houstonians are showing their resilience in the face of this virus, I pray we continue to do so.
