thirty-third covid-nineteen testing site and let me thank spring Independent school district. Doctor Watson uh doctor Rodney Watson for his leadership as a superintendent of Spring ISD and uh we're very glad to welcome Doctor Jensen, who is spring ISD trustee uh and position one, but we're more happy more importantly uh to welcome all of the students I've been looking for students for the whole semester. I've been going to school, but I haven't been able to find students and I am so. To spring for all of the students that are represented first of all the outstanding cheerleaders. And I think that is Westfield Spring and detaining. alright. did I get it right? Westfield Spring in Decatur. Let's do it again. Westfield. Left field. The brain. I need anybody out. no no alright. Alright we're delighted to have them here. Just uh early Friday morning, it was announced to the world that the president. And first lady tested positive for covid-nineteen in my remarks yesterday I offered our prayers and concern as all of America, I know is doing. This is a moment in history for America, but as I've been saying for a long period of time, it is time for the country to come together and it's also time for healing although we're in the midst of a presidential election of significant historical proportions, I have described it as life or death election we as Americans have always come together in time of trouble. But as we have done so we've also been a country of self help. and that's why I have without ceasing work with our school districts and our communities to ensure that we can test and I share with you a number of reasons for doing so someone will say well. What's the purpose of a test? President is positive and he was tested. Well testing has put us in a position to not be worse than where we are today to stop the community's spread to protect our seniors. Our elders not seniors in high school, but our elders to protect our children The younger children protect our teachers to help our first responders because Covid-nineteen is so unpredictable this. Spread it could be worse than what it is and today, I'm saying that I'm testing now as evidence by the president's status needs to be ramped up even more and what we have to say to the community that testing should not be a fearful thing. The law we passed in the spring allows those who have tested and who are positive to be given the 2 weeks that they can self quarantine. You cannot be afraid of testing you must get tested because it helps to save lives and it continues to stop the community spread We know that the Midwest is now surging Utah is a hot spot. Texas has not gone down to where we would like it to go. It's still either third or fourth on the national list of covid-nineteen positive cases. Want the economy to be revived but it will will not be revived if we don't put a stop sign in front of covid-nineteen. so where your mask is extremely important. One thing we've learned that the mass can be the kind of protector of that most scientists and doctors have said We're not used to this so many years ago as a member of the United States Congress, we travel on behalf of the United States and I had an active international portfolio because of the committees that I was on so I went. In the early in the 1990s when you arrive in China, you saw a mass partly I assume because because of the knowledge potential pandemics, but it was probably mostly because of pollution. But I've never seen that before and they were wearing it with seeming ease, but it was their part of their style We've never done this before. we're not people used to being restrained. But why don't you think of this as we teach our young people as they live in a life that none of us have ever experienced what it is to be responsible for our country. We used to think when a man or woman puts on a uniform and we do it today that they are being responsible for their nation, But now we're asking just ordinary citizens to do extraordinary things and that is to feel restrained with a mass when you talk when you're around. Because it is crucial in order to save lives. Morning, The Texas Department of Health Services is currently reporting 750. 752000. 752501 cases in the state of Texas and these are now recently almost 70000 active cases as of October 1st, There are 7000002. 7000213 and 409 uh cases confirmed in the United States and to my sadness, 200. 206000. 206402 dead and Well, the US accounts for a quarter of the world's nineteen cases and fifth of all Corona virus. That's we did not start out wearing mask, which is what should have happened and we didn't start out as Harvard University said the test 5000000 people a day so I call this a pandemic crisis even when you start hearing infection rates going down that loves people into a sense of it's over. Count this as a a battle has the unpredictability of slowing down and then surging up what that means is you must stay vigilant and when you have a school district where children are eager to learn and to understand teaching in a way that is not frightening, It's what we need to do and so I'm encouraging our school districts as they have to make decisions about children returning. Uh to be creative and a lesson plans uh to weave covet nineteen in such a way that children understand it children and are fearful of it and they leave the classroom or the lesson by saying we're gonna beat this mommy daddy. We're gonna beat this. How do you know I'm wearing a mask? That's what we have to do uh with those who are now in a period of life that they should be having all the fun uh that they deserve our middle schoolers. High schoolers who are heading off to college. That's what they should be doing but right now are not only are we looking for every laptop and computer we can find uh which we never had to do, but you know what this has done it is exposed the lack of connectivity of our children and we now know that we have another challenge and we have seen our corporate uh tech community realize that they have not done enough and they need to do more. For the very child, they provide a laptop a computer to is a very child that will provide the genius of tomorrow So today I wanted to thank uh the school district again and emphasize uh the importance of focusing on education and testing children Um we are still trying to work uh against the fear of bringing your child to be tested and against the. Of you being tested parents, you're getting free, no charge testing. I'm gonna continue to test around this community. Don't miss the opportunity to do so um it is uh to the Kaiser Family Foundation announces estimates that 1.5000000 teachers nearly one in four have health conditions that put them in high risk of serious illness if they contacted contracted uh Cobra nineteen and so it is crucial that we take advantage of what. Now let me also say that we voted on heroes to a $2.2000000000000 budget that provides sizable amount of money for our teachers our school districts uh to be able to educate in the climate of covid-nineteen uh somewhere around $500000000000. Uh we have also provided $120000000000 for independent restaurants so they won't close. We provide more money for small nonprofit and faith institutions businesses to stay alive seventy. 75000000000 for testing and contact tracing uh and as well. uh we have provided money so that our airlines don't have to shut down by laying off 32000 employees, which they begun to do it is crucial that the Senate um works uh with the White House even in the midst of this crisis to get this bill passed and we will fly back to Washington. At any moment, uh to make sure that they do so in Harris County 17000. 17500 children have tested positive That is a number that you remind us that nothing will happen negative to these children, but what will happen good is that they can be safely taken care of their teachers and schools can be safe They're home their families can be safe and if. We can continue to give them the medical care Many of them are asymptomatic. That is a danger of covid-nineteen and that was our mistake when we first started, which I ignored remember, they told you if you got a cough if you got a fever uh if you can't read come get tested, you've already infected by 25 people because you infect them uh when uh they uh when you are a symptomatic. so let me um again emphasize. Let me conclude my remarks as I introduce uh doctor Rodney Watson is that a vaccine uh we are now with a number of vaccine clinical trials. We do not expect that vaccine to be ready in October or before November 3rd, It is possible that it will be able to be distributed post November 3rd. This is my meeting with doctors and the head of the NIH this week uh it will be possible to distribute uh to medical. Professionals between November late November and December for distribution uh it will not be ready for distribution until 21, and there will be a gradual distribution based upon uh the medical um counseling of how uh that is distributed for public use. children will likely be the very last because they expect to be doing clinical trials in the third level of clinical trials before children are able to receive. Because of the smallness and the fragility smallest of their sizes and the fragility of their particular uh growth in life uh so for those who are saying, I'll get my vaccine in 2 weeks, I don't have to be um responsible. I can be reckless, I can be out in different places. I can draw a big crowd um as you all know we're approaching Halloween uh we can do a lot of things on Halloween community spread. Thanksgiving will be different this year, but we will be thankful but we are still fighting Colt nineteen and that is why we're out here today to test no scientists has denied that testing is not a valuable part of fighting covid-nineteen. Let's bring ISD uh has uh received any number of accolades for excellence in teaching excellence in academic performance under the leadership of Doctor. Rodney Watson I was pleased to participate in the opening of very unique high school uh dealing with young people uh who are particularly at risk they try to reach all levels of the the student body and be responsive uh and I appreciate the work we've done even on having uh a prom program working with young people and getting them some of the pretty gowns uh that made their night very special. Thank you for caring about children. Doctor Rodney Watson. I wanna say a very special, thank you to Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee for all of your support for continued support for our community for our students and for our district on behalf of our entire board of education, we say thank you to our community. We do all of this for our students and you hear me say all the time that we're only as strong as our community and our community is only as strong as our school district and together working together, we can accomplish anything at this time. I'd like to welcome our one of our board members. Dr Debra Jensen on behalf of the school board that. Ha. Good morning I'm Debbie Jensen. I'm honored to be the vice president of the board of Trustees of Spring ISD and we want to thank uh Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee for offering this partnership to spring ISD to help us uh help our community be healthier and safer. Thank you. Thank you Doctor what a pleasure. And the administrators um let me just call your names out. I know you're very important. This is beyond the impulse from spring high school beyond the Molt Spring High school beyond the In-house Spring High school. Alright, give her a hand. All Carl You Senior high school awesome Alfred James Carl went high school uh Alfred James Winfrey High School High School. Alright, Wendy High School almost Alright Denise Charise Spring Early College Academy Denise Tanisha Tanisha during early college Tanisha Lee sounds very familiar Spring early college. Thank you. Yes, sir Bobby Bobby Scott, the high school. It's the way to yes sir. Westfield High School David Mason Westfield High School, Alright, Bring uh HPD No bring the police department. It's one Wendell. give them a very big hand. Okay there there are guys over there shout out. Alright shout out your name out. Put your name with general general manager. Alright Okay. and I know we've got the band leader back there. We're very grateful to them. Um I have worked with uh uh this next uh speaker on health matters. um I introduced her as a breast cancer survivor only because of her strong commitment to health care uh and children as. And so I'm delighted that she took the time to be out here with us today. uh please thank you so much for being here and please be happy to say a word. Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you so much Congresswoman. I am your one of my biggest heroes and I cannot wait to serve in Congress alongside you for the protecting this community and it's so wonderful to be here to see all these young people being messed up being ready to start off their life again as it has been so difficult during this times that we've had with the. And our prayers are with the president and the first lady, but it has made it very clear that this virus is still very present very dangerous and as the Congresswoman said testing it is so important that we can open up our communities that we can open up our economy and our schools, but we cannot do that if everybody doesn't take this seriously continues testing and more than anything, please wear your mask. We are all representatives and we are all whatever we do. People follow us along for our young people to know what matters so it's very important to be safe to test and wear your mask everywhere We go and I know we can defeat this white virus. I know we can open this up altogether and we will fight together to make sure we get proper funding so our schools are back on their feet very soon. Thank you so much for having me. Thank you. Let me be clear to reiterate again that some of the hardest hit communities are in the Latin and African-American community, which is why we try to reach out today. We're also in the northeast part of town testing uh because we don't deny reality if you deny reality uh you wound up uh with a very bad result and so we have been trying to encourage parents from those communities with children uh and others uh to make sure they tested. We are encouraging our first responders so I want uh spring. Police to know that they are welcome and all administrators. they're welcome to get tested today. Don't be shy. It's out here um and uh I would advise you that uh it is better to know than to not know for a symptomatic persons and I have no doubt that uh you'll be treated with a great respect. uh if you choose to get tested so it's open to everyone uh my final word before I ask if there are any questions uh is uh we are in a civic process right now. What is that something? Voting uh and I just heard uh this morning of the contentious election between President Adams and then uh the candidate uh Thomas Jefferson. look up the history books. so you know how long that was uh it was a contentious race uh and yet in those early years of our nation when we have been used to fighting, we did a lot of fighting back. then we had the revolutionary War we had the Boston Tea Party where people just through into the uh into the Harvard cuz they. Gonna pay any taxes to the British uh we were getting ourselves together and even in the midst of that embryonic early stages of our history and a bitter fight for the presidency, there was a peaceful transfer of power based on the votes of the American people. so I am trying to encourage everyone uh plug your ears up with if you have to turn off your social media and get whatever ballot legal ballot that you. That you have made a choice to do and cast your ballot for those of us who are just a smidge over twenty-one. we have cast ballots and we have not had in the presidential elections a question uh that our ballots have not been counted or had not been received in 2000 when we had a challenge, it was a question of whether or not you can read the chance they were there. The ballots were there, but we were questioning whether or not you had read the Chad's correctly so it wasn't like we were going to find the balance. They had all been received and we were challenging whether or not you counted the little hole punched out so we have no history of your balances not being counted or being secured by your own state, no matter who politically is in charge it is untenable to have removed uh these uh ballot ballot um receptacles ballot boxes in the midst of an election, it just can't be done. And so I'd ask the governor on his own account to replace them back uh obviously we filed the lawsuit, the state officials have and they haven't filed it for themselves. They filed it for the people of this community if you want to do a mail ballot, do it if you want to do it early voting do it if you wanna be on election day socially distance and do it wear your mask but do not have your vote, crushed or denied because you are feeling fearful or you're saying they're not. My vote anyhow, that is not America that is not Texas. It is not Harris County. It is not Houston cast your vote. It's crucial that we do so and I will be asking if necessary, the attorney General of the United States in spite of the present status to do what is right to determine whether or not the civil rights of Houstonians and people in Harris County have been interfered with undermined because those ballot boxes have been taken away, leaving and making a. Are more difficult for you to get your mail ballot somewhere where you want to get it uh but I'm hoping that we'll get a good court order or that it was too late to start changing rules for voting and that everybody will vote so my message is get out and vote by the way of your mail ballot If you have it in your possession and as well, make sure that you vote in three options. can you believe it You have three options that those of us who remember we won't count that we had 1 day. 1 day and if anybody back here is eighteen and registered, I need you to say you're voting alright voting and never stop voting. Never stop voting so I wanted to make sure we did that uh and I want to make sure that our students are leaders of today and leaders of tomorrow understand the civic responsibility of being an American uh it is a country that is run by you who then give us our assignment and so we need to get our assignment. We need to get it right and we won't get it right. If you don't vote am, I clear let me see. Cheering to say they understand. Alright and so I am very pleased as well uh to uh work uh to help uh those um who are now in a digital era of learning uh and we always when we come to a school district. We wanna make sure that we say thank you to the students. That's why I wanted you to have a drummers look like they've been quite so I'm gonna let them start up again um but uh we wanted to make sure that we are provided for them so uh this is almost. On down come on down, Anthony Holmes everybody. use your use your use it here We go come on down come on down Anthony home. Alright. Thank He plays the same game that I do just stand here. Brother. Alright. What what position do you play tackle? Yeah. I'm a quarterback. Alright. Thank you uh do you don't have to move you don't don't have to move you're socially distant come on down getting a computer one computer. alright. Alright. My homes come on down. What grade Are you sir? Uh it's eleven grade. We have a great come around what grade what school I can see what school nine in high school. Alright. Thank you. Alright. Yeah. just hang out just hangout uh esperanza to up close to it. come on down. All around. Yup. What Grade what grade? Ten okay, turn right around here. This is good. Can you stand here? Okay. Thank you. Alright. Logan Benjamin Hamilton come on down. Alright on this side, sir good what grade uh and what you do when you alright. Alright Damian Anthony Tavares. Getting computers, Where are you? Alright I never right cuz they're moving too slowly. Alright Isis is that what is it? Oh, okay, Isis ringer Alright Spring Early college. right here. Oh, I got it right, Isis Alright Spring early college right What Grade fifth Grade Fifth Grade Christopher Walker Delaney Come on down. Alright. Thank you what grade twelve grade give me a hand. Joshua Chapman Spring Early college Academy. Thank you. Alright, you're still right here. I'll step out a little bit. Bethany Johnson the high school. Wow. Thank you so much what great fourth grade twelfth grade. Alright. Alright, you can stand here there. You go a little just give yourself a little spread. uh is it Nicole Ari. Alright. Thank you so very much and you can go right here right here. Okay. Can you bump it up like that there you go. Alright. Alright. Thank you. Thank you. thank. Better than that give him a big hand. Thank you Doctor Watson. Do you have any questions? Yes sir. Excuse me. What are your concerns with the? It's the very point that I've made is that um we're not out of covid-nineteen and we at any moment can get a community spread uh because people have not not been tested and they're not self quarantine that is obvious by the uh acts or the uh surge that we're seeing in Utah. uh it is also based upon the ongoing cases we've got 7000000 cases. uh we are 25% of the cases of the world. Uh we have 2000. Dead and the number is growing, we're expecting to have 317000 people have died by November, so the concern of testing going down is people listening to the wrong messages uh and also people thinking that we won the battle. Uh we haven't won the battle. We haven't won the war uh and a lot of people have an expectancy of the vaccine. That's why I wanted to give them an upstate of the vaccine. It will not be tomorrow will not be in October and it is likely certainly likely not to be by the election nor uh post. Because if we have a form of vaccine, it will go to medical professionals first uh and the clinical trials are still continuing the best diagnostic tool we have today to save lives is to be tested and the only way that we knew that members of the White House uh in the commander in chief who are positive is because they were tested if they had not had a testing protocol that would have been it would have it continues to spread as it is we just had a senator. Uh announced this morning that he is positive and that's three and we don't know how many others please to the community when you can get no charge no pre-registration testing. it's not time to let up now because covet nineteen uh if it was a person if it was a bank robber, it would say this is great They have opened the door of the bank uh they have left the vault open and they've all gone. And look what I've got and that's what we're saying the cot nineteen we have let you in because we're not gonna wear a mask. We're not gonna get tested and we're gonna be as close together and events and there's facilities, bars and others that we can that is not going to be the solution. uh to community spread and cot nineteen going away one of the things that scientists scientists all with it is unpredictable and it takes. Unexpectedly and it infects impacts people and affects people differently and some people go right through it, but other people now there's a phenomenal of longevity Cove at nineteen and so the kinds of thing fog uh your body not acting correct. uh the idea of your fever delusions at night um. These things at the inability to read, which is why there was a rage of ventilators and all the allies ask the question. Are you having trouble breathing because it impacts your lungs and when you get uh an examination um and you see your lungs are white that is covid-nineteen. It's taken over your lungs. It is not a pleasant experience. It's not the flu with people have said. That was the worst people would get. Oh, I'm so I'm down and out because my body aches you get body aches. But your lungs are completely taken over in many instances where you have to be hospitalized and put in the ICU uh so you my concern is to save lives and mixed messages have been harmful and that's why I come home every weekend to give the message that I get from Doctor Fay uh doctor Redfield the head of the NIH uh that that says that Covid-nineteen is unpredictable or that it's not going away and the only way that we're going to move it uh is to. To have community responsibility, secondarily, we have to pass heroes too We have to pass heroes too. uh because we have to ensure in passing heroes to that we get the moneys down to the local communities, including our school districts and as well we have to get it down to the local community in terms of our counties and cities they're running out of money to pay our first responders uh essential workers people who pick up the trash in the community who in health clinics uh who are. Dealing with uh day to day needs of the city uh citizens of the city or county or area that you're in uh this last week in the city of Houston, I was able to partner with them to open up a hotline and mental health stress a hotline for stress uh and uh that number is published. It's open to everyone uh and I would encourage that number to be utilized uh for all of the people who are in need, but I my fear of testing going down uh is that I wanted to go. Because I want a safeguard this community so no charge and the idea of uh no Preregistration is crucial to getting people tested and testing. Uh I just wanna say this testing going down is Kobe nineteen going up testing going down is community spread going up uh and I'm not going to let it happen on my watch as much as I can say testing, I wanna make sure that someone. And someone comes out and I've said to all of these folks back here. Use your Instagram and Twitter account to make sure that you test so everybody here. I don't see their phones in their hands telling somebody to come out uh to plan for a stadium until 5 o'clock uh and I'm gonna go around and checking phones and make sure uh that they are giving someone a word that they can come out free and get tested for it on Cypress Wood is. We are alright, Alright, yes sir. Good evening with what's happening in the White House and the president and the first lady. Cobi And will be taken more seriously well as I started out my best wishes for the speedy recovery of the first lady and president of the United States uh but clearly when the office holder um that is the highest in the land that is a commander in chief. it's covid-nineteen and hospitalized I hope that the message that we have been sending all along becomes loud. And clearer uh that it is not a respect of title or region um age now that we know children can become positive uh and that uh it will not frighten you but it will create an urgency of now and it will propel you to do what is right? Yes, I hope uh that the knowledge of that people are getting infected in every day someone else's announcing who's been affiliated or associated with the White House that the covid-nineteen positive. Uh I hope a combination. So now become reality, what's Sheila Jackson Lee was saying and all the local elected officials are saying and what we did earlier in Texas, where a a mass, it's not frivolous. It's not irrelevant at the same time wash your hands somewhere gloves at the same time I'll provide um yourself with the option and the opportunity of getting tested again. No charge all around the community and no preregistration. It should be taken seriously uh and I think we're in a moment where we're either gonna tip over the flat earth, meaning people believe it's not true. It doesn't exist. It's a hoax um or we're going to be able to come together as a nation and pray for our president and first lady, but then take seriously what we're supposed to do and all others who become covid-nineteen positive who are in uh the executive branch and the congressional legislative branch. For all of them at this at this time. And now III will take this moment as I said, um there are 207. 207000 dead. Americans loved ones are missing them Mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, aunts and uncles grandparents neighbors um public workers medical professionals good people, artists uh and many others children. And we will now take a moment of silence to recognize and honor those who have lost their lives. Amen. Thank you all so very much cheerleaders. Let me see you again. Please let me see you again. Alright and uh I guess I can't hear me cuz this is not a mic. Let me hear the band. Let me hear the band. Let me hear the band. Wow. Alright, Imma get out of the way so you can be seen. Thank you all. Thank you guys. Thank you guys. you can go. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. congratulations. I can't take it. I got a phone call at eleven. Twenty I don't know if you remember me. It's fine. You. If you want.