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Above, a Hays County resident receives a COVID-19 vaccine administered by a member of the San Marcos Fire Department at a vaccine clinic in January. Photos courtesy of Hays County

County to open broad COVID-19 vaccine pre-registration list

Sunday, March 7, 2021

Hays County will soon start a new COVID-19 vaccine pre-registration list for those who do not fall into the 1A or 1B category soon.

Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra shared the news in a press release alongside an update of another Circuit of the Americas (COTA) Vaccine Clinic this weekend where 3,000 more Hays County residents will be vaccinated.

The vaccine clinic at COTA is a result of a regional engagement effort with neighboring bi-partisan county judges.

Residents in the 1A and 1B category that have pre-registered have been pulled for the second COTA vaccine clinic that will be held Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The Texas Department of State Health Services considers those in group 1A as front-line healthcare workers and residents at long-term care facilities, and those in 1B as individuals 65 or older, or 16 or older with a health condition that increases risk of severe COVID‑19 illness.

According to Hays County Office of Emergency Services Director Mike Jones, approximately 8,000 people who fall under group 1A have signed up through the county’s pre-registration list, while 43,000 have signed up under the 1B list. The DSHS states that 28,820 county residents have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine as of Friday, while 15,081 have been fully vaccinated. The DSHS estimates that Hays County has a population of 183,380 who are 16 years or older. The county said 6,965 people have been fully vaccinated through its vaccination clinics.

Educators, school staff and childcare providers are now eligible to pre-register for the county vaccine clinics after recent expanded eligibility by the DSHS.

Those that fall into that new category can pre-register as 1B at haysinformed.com. Those already registered will not lose their place in line with new enrollments.

Anyone who does not have access to a computer can pre-register by phone Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays between 12 p.m. and 4 p.m. at 833-521-2766.

County officials remind the public that vaccine distribution in Hays County is by appointment only.

“We are using phone, text and email messaging to notify people of their appointments,” Jones said. “We want to remind people to check their email spam folder and voicemail to make sure they don’t miss the information.”

The county is asking those who have received a vaccine elsewhere but are called up for an appointment with Hays County, to please respond to the email and let them know so another Hays County resident can take the vaccination appointment.

Following Gov. Greg Abbott’s announcement Tuesday ending the mask mandate and opening businesses to 100% capacity, Becerra urged residents to continue wearing masks to support business and ensure they stay open 100%.

“Our Hays County businesses have suffered revenue loss and have had to change the way they do business this past year,” Becerra said. “The best way we can support businesses, and make sure they stay open 100% is to wear your mask.”

Becerra highlighted in Abbott’s newest Executive Order that states, “individuals are strongly encouraged to wear face coverings over the nose and mouth wherever it is not feasible to maintain six feet of social distancing from another person not in the same household.”

All public county facilities will be open, and Becerra will require visitors to follow CDC guidelines, by wearing a mask and maintaining six feet of distance from others.

“We need to remain vigilant,” Becerra said. “We must continue to follow the science. This pandemic is not behind us.”

San Marcos Record

(512) 392-2458
P.O. Box 1109, San Marcos, TX 78666