County courts respond to risk of Covid-19 exposure
Williamson County Courts have developed plans, along with the county health district, to conduct jury trials with minimal risk of Covid-19 exposure.
Plans include ways to reduce Covid risk for jury trials and additional health measures throughout court and trial locations.
These plans would remain in effect until the Covid crisis subsides, officials said.
For a prospective juror, the process begins with a summons in the mail. The new summons cards, in use since December, look different, District Clerk Lisa David said. The summons cards will be mailed from out of state, she added.
“This is not a scam,” Ms. David said. Prospective jurors will be screened with online questionnaires.
The website for the questionnaire is listed on the jury summons card.
Read more in the January 17 Sun.
Global Covid deaths reach 2 million
The Williamson County and Cities Health District reported that 1,221 new Covid cases were confirmed since Tuesday, Jan. 12, bringing the county’s total to 25,670 confirmed cases. The death count due to Covid now sits at 244.
WCCHD estimates 1,821 active cases and 23,605 recovered cases countywide. Recovery rates are estimated from the date of the Covid-19 test plus 10 days.
As of late Friday, Jan. 15, the health district listed 173 county residents hospitalized because of coronavirus, with 62 in ICU and 35 on ventilators.
In addition to the 25,670 confirmed cases, the health district reports 3,428 probable cases countywide.
Seven-day rates for new infections and positive tests continue their up and down fluctuations.
The seven-day average of new infections per 100,000 population is 5.93, higher than last week. WCCHD’s goal is to get that number down to 1.1
The seven-day positive test rate is 15.66%. The health district’s goal is to have a positive test rate of no more than 5%.
As always, the health district advises residents to wear masks and maintain physical distancing.
Georgetown accounts for 4,783 of the total Williamson County cases.
Residents ages 18 – 30 continue to make up the largest single age group of those contracting coronavirus in Wilco, 6,347 with 2,500 cases.
Williamson County reported its first Covid-19 cases March 18 and its first COVID-related death March 28.
Across Texas, through the morning of Friday, Jan. 15, 2.07 million Covid-19 cases had been reported, including 31,819 deaths.
Throughout the U.S., there have been approximately 23.4 million cases and about 389,000 deaths.
Globally the case count is 93.2 million and the death count has reached 2 million.
The WCCHD updates its information daily at 10 p.m.
County sends Covid vaccine plan to state
By CHRISTOPHER DE LOS SANTOS
The Williamson County government sent a Covid-19 vaccination plan to the state health department last Monday so that the county would be considered for designation as a vaccination hub.
This Monday, the Department of State Health Services will announce another set of vaccination hubs.
The state health department will send thousands of doses of Covid vaccine to each hub on a weekly basis, according to the state plan. The state health department has already designated hubs in the larger metro areas and outlying regions of the state.
The county government and private vaccinating partners have plans to vaccinate 10,000 residents or more – by appointment – each week, officials said. The plans will go into effect when the vaccine becomes available in large quantities.
Partners already participating in the planning include Family Hospital Systems, Curative, Sun City Emergency Management Committee, the county emergency management office, as well as Williamson County and Cities Health District.
The vaccine itself is paid for with federal funds. Vaccination partners will still incur costs for storing and administering the vaccine.
Vaccination partners will accept insurance coverage to pay for storage and inoculation, officials said. The county health district will use public and grant funds to pay for inoculation of uninsured or underinsured residents.
Family Hospital System contracted with the county government to inoculate county EMS paramedics and other county employees. Family Hospital Systems can scale up from county employees to vaccinate 9,800 residents per week, by appointment, a spokesperson said.
These appointments would be available at each of Family Hospital’s free-standing facilities and drive-thru, large-scale clinics.
The county government can already arrange a drive-thru vaccination clinic at the Expo Center in Taylor. The county government and its vaccinating partners are in process this week coordinating with several other possible locations having large parking areas in Georgetown, Round Rock and near Cedar Park.
One such location would be Kelly Reeves Athletic Complex, a Round Rock Independent School District property near Cedar Park.
Sheriff Mike Gleason said deputies in his traffic division are trained to administer traffic control at such outdoor vaccination events.
Curative, a company the county government has contracted to operate a Covid testing location near the Georgetown Public Library, will assist with homebound residents. County officials said Curative will contract to provide vans and staff to take the vaccine to the residences of those who are homebound.
Sun City has a plan to use its ballroom to inoculate residents and others in Phase 1b, by appointment, officials said. Phase 1b covers those 65 and over as well as people over 16 who have an underlying health condition.
The county health district will continue to provide for the uninsured, officials said.
