May 18, 2020
To Our Customers, Past, Present and Future,
Three weeks ago, I wrote a letter announcing that we would begin hosting open houses again with a comprehensive set of measures to protect our employees and the general public against the continuing threat of COVID-19. Our decision was based on the best available scientific and medical information we had at the time.
Since then, we have continued to monitor the data published by Harris County. What has become apparent, is that the picture that was being painted on April 29 was incomplete and overly optimistic. It has become obvious that there is a significant lag in reporting that causes the most recent data to be significantly understated. For example, the graph on April 29 showed that the daily new cases in the City of Houston were averaging about 5-6 per day between 4/23 and 4/27. Looking at the same data source today, we see that the case count was significantly understated. It now reflects 110 new cases on 4/23, 176 on 4/24, 54 on 4/25, 30 on 4/26 and then spiking to 107 on 4/27.
First of all, I want to apologize for publishing what I now see was misleading information. The information was deemed to be from a reliable source and was shared in good faith. It has always and will always be our intent to make decisions based on science and not on political or economic pressures.
While the faulty data was influential in our decision to reopen, we never felt or behaved like this battle was won. Our open house protocol includes sanitizing doorknobs, handrails and other surfaces after each visitor leaves. Our Sales Assistants continue to wear masks, even though the Harris County mandate is no longer in effect. We have a hand sanitizer station at each home. And we strictly observe the minimum 6’ distance.
As Texas re-opens, we are especially concerned about safety. While it is now apparent that we won’t fully understand the consequences of the loosening of state-wide restrictions for a few of more weeks, we are concerned as we see state-wide cases and fatalities continue to rise. This is not the time to let our guard down, but rather to double down on our precautions.
While we do not plan to cease holding open houses at this time, we will continue our current protocol, we will institute additional safeguards. These include limiting the total number of guests in a home to 8 at a time and requiring that all guests wear facemasks, which we will have on hand to share. And please be assured that we will continue monitoring the situation and we will not hesitate to take further action if it becomes necessary. The safety of our employees and customers is paramount.
Sincerely,
Mike Salomon, P.E., President
Sandcastle Homes, Inc.
