Meet the County’s Top Doc. Dr. Philip Huang, the man guiding the public health response for Dallas County, is a Lake Highlands High School grad who literally built a home in Austin and planned to settle there. And then the city where he grew up came calling. Morning News columnist Sharon Grigsby has this profile of him, which includes a revelatory trip to the Himalayas, a frequent Megabus to Austin after the new job to keep his jazz piano lessons going, and a whole lot of education about who is trusting you to stay home—and why you should trust that advice.
Another Piece to the Almost-Gone COVID-19 Hospital. The News‘ editorial board talked to Nim Kidd, the state’s chief of the Texas Department of Emergency Management. He’s who got the voicemail from the Army official who reported being alarmed that County Judge Clay Jenkins didn’t plan to immediately move patients into the pop-up hospital at the convention center. Kidd says he spoke to Jenkins the next morning but was still alarmed “as late as Wednesday afternoon” that the hospital was at risk “if Dallas County did not act quickly.” (The dustup happened Sunday, the Commissioners Court approved the contract to pay for the services it would need to provide on Thursday.) Here’s the thing that goes unmentioned: if there was a concern about the future of that hospital, everyone should have known sooner. From when it was announced, on March 29, the county publicly declared its intentions for it as a step-down unit that wouldn’t immediately take patients. Why did it take everyone a 24-hour notice in the form of a letter to get the people in charge to pay attention?
Dallas Officer Who Recovered from COVID-19 Returns to Duty. Ofc. Johnny Walker is back after 16 days of quarantine. He tells WFAA he had a mild case that never involved respiratory issues, but he’s taking it seriously and sharing his story to raise awareness for others.
Frisco ISD Considering a Drive-Thru Graduation. Curbside diplomas, I guess. I would rather you mail it.
Rain Saturday. It’s an 80 percent chance. And a nice high of 69. On Easter Sunday, you’re looking at a 75 degree day with the sun cutting through the clouds. Stay out of the parks.
