January 12, 2021, the Williamson County Commissioners Court heard a presentation on a County coordinated COVID-19 vaccination plan which was submitted to the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) for approval. DSHS is the entity that receives and distributes the COVID-19 vaccines in Texas. Williamson County’s plan would go into effect if the state allocates vaccines to the County for this plan. To read the Executive Summary of the plan, click here. To view the presentation, click here. 

Williamson County, which falls under Trauma Service Area (TSA) Region O, received notification today from the Texas Department of State Health Services via electronic mail that our area has hit a high hospitalization rate for seven consecutive days. Per Governor Abbott’s Executive Order GA-32, Region O now falls under reduced capacity limits for certain businesses. For more information on Governor Greg Abbott’s Executive Order GA-32 and reductions in capacity, please click here. The notification letter from Dr. Hellerstadt can be viewed here.   

Texas Trauma Service Area (TSA) Region O, which includes Williamson County, has experienced a steady increase in people hospitalized due to the COVID-19 virus. Per Governor Abbott’s Executive Order GA-32, certain businesses may be required to decrease their occupancy limit if the trend continues. Governor Abbott’s Executive Order GA-32, which went into effect on October 14, 2020, states that when the TSA has a high hospitalization rate, any business establishment that was allowed to operate at 75 percent occupancy limit must rollback to a 50 percent occupancy limit. A high hospitalization rate is defined in the Order as any TSA that has had seven consecutive days in which the number of COVID-19 hospitalized patients as a percentage of the total hospital capacity exceeds 15 percent. Region O’s hospitalization rate surpassed 15 percent on Sunday, January 3, 2021, and has increased since then. A rollback has not been mandated yet, but is anticipated due to the increase in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. Williamson County will further notify residents in the event that the Texas Department of State Health Services issues a determination letter stating the region has become an area of high hospitalizations. This notice could be issued as early as Sunday, January 10, based upon current hospitalization data.  

Williamson County has been working diligently with state and private sector partners to get more doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to the most vulnerable populations and those eligible to receive the vaccine, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services distribution phases.  

Front line paramedics with Williamson County Emergency Medical Services (EMS) are receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. Williamson County EMS field staff, who are among the first to respond to emergency calls in our community, have two different entities they can count on to get vaccinated. Williamson County partnered with Family Hospital Systems to vaccinate the County’s EMS personnel in order to protect them from getting infected with the virus while providing essential life-saving services for county residents. In addition, the Williamson County and Cities Health District also is conducting vaccinations for people currently eligible to receive it.