Williamson County, Texas

Williamson County and Family Emergency Room are once again accepting applications for people to be tested for COVID-19. Priority will be given to people who currently are exhibiting symptoms. Asymptomatic individuals, who are not displaying symptoms but have been exposed to COVID-19, also can request a test; however, they may be asked to wait until a testing time is available. All Williamson County residents wanting a COVID-19 test must first fill out the online assessment tool at https://forms.wilco.org/forms/COVID19Testing.   

The Williamson County Commissioners Court approved an additional $10 million of CARES Act funds, federally issued money for the COVID-19 response, to be allocated to the Wilco Forward Small Business Grant Program. The additional funds are needed to continue providing financial assistance to Williamson County small businesses impacted by COVID-19. In less than a month, the Williamson County Auditor’s office, responsible for reviewing the applications for the grant program, has approved 2,328 applications of the 3,280 that have been submitted up until Tuesday, June 2. Of the $25 million designated to fund the program, nearly $24 million in grants have been approved for business owners. Click here to apply before June 30, 2020.  

The Williamson County Commissioners Court will begin to hold in-person meetings starting Tuesday, June 2, at the Williamson County Historic Courthouse, 710 S. Main Street, Georgetown. The move comes after months of holding virtual meetings online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While the Historic Courthouse will remain closed to the public until further notice, residents will be allowed to access the building when a Commissioners Court meeting is being held. Access is available through the south doors off 8th Street. On the days that Commissioners Court meetings are held, the Courthouse will be open one hour prior to the posted start time of the meeting to one hour after the posted start time. Typically, this will be from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Entry to the courthouse will be subject to a temperature check. Residents interested in taking part should be advised that there will be limited seating for the public in the courtroom with overflow seating available in the District Courtroom. The meeting will be streamed live online at https://www.wilco.org/livemeetings.　

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today announced that the Department is making available up to $1 billion in loan guarantees to help rural businesses meet their working capital needs during the coronavirus pandemic. Additionally, agricultural producers that are not eligible for USDA Farm Service Agency loans may receive funding under USDA Business & Industry (B&I) CARES Act Program provisions included in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

The Williamson County Wilco Forward grant program, which was started to provide financial assistance to local businesses impacted by COVID-19, has issued more than $15 million in grants as of May 21. A total of 1287 checks have been mailed to business owners who needed support to get back on their feet.