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Regional hospitalization rate exceeds 15%

County Emergency Management Coordinator warns continued rate could trigger business, hospital restrictions
Tuesday, January 5, 2021

Trauma Service Area O, which includes Hays and Travis counties, broke a 15% COVID-19 hospitalization-to-capacity rate for the third consecutive day Tuesday, according to Hays County Emergency Management Coordinator Alex Villalobos. 

Villalobos reported the news in Tuesday’s Commissioners Court meeting to alert the commissioners that should the 15% rate continue for seven consecutive days, certain restrictions on places of business, occupations and hospitals will be triggered due to Gov. Greg Abbott’s Executive Order No. 32. 

Counties with high hospitalizations are excluded from the reopenings that occurred on Oct. 14, per GA-32. "Areas with high hospitalizations" means any Trauma Service Area that has had seven consecutive days in which the number of COVID‑19 hospitalized patients as a percentage of total hospital capacity exceeds 15 percent.

Villalobos also reported that local public health, EMS and Texas State University have not yet received COVID-19 vaccines, although they are working with State Rep. Erin Zwiener to secure doses. They are also working with the school districts to create partnerships to ensure they have resources in place for staff to get vaccines in a timely manner. 

In other business, Hays County newly elected and re-elected officials as well as members of the Hays County Historical Commission (HCHC) were sworn in to Hays County Offices in the Tuesday Commissioners Court meeting. 

Kate Johnson was reappointed as the Chair of HCHC and the bonds for each office were approved.

There were a number of public commenters asking for a delay on the approval of the Hays County Historical Commission members due to concerns about a lack of diversity and equity in the selection process after members comprising the Tejano Committee’s applications were not accepted. 

Johnson said the selection process took six and a half hours for a committee of five to review the applications. They considered past attendance records, number of volunteer hours, level of participation in meetings and events, level of interest and knowledge of Hays County and historic preservation. 

The Tejano Committee continues to be one of the most important committees they have, said Johnson, and they are working on creating an African American History Committee as well. 

Still concerned residents including indigenous people of the Miakan-Garza Band asked the commissioners to postpone the vote until after they received the responsive material from a public information request to Hays County for the specific details of the process. 

The slated members were approved with a 3-2 vote, Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra and Commissioner Debbie Ingalsbe voting no. 

The burn ban was lifted per recommendation of Hays County Fire Marshal Nathan Mendenhall.

The commissioners also voted to call a public hearing on Jan. 26 to establish a "No Dumping" zone on Plum Creek Road South between Grist Mill Road and the low-water crossing.

The need for a “No Dumping” zone comes in response to multiple instances of household trash dumping on the west side of Plum Creek Road South. There would also need to be signage adjacent to a wooded area within the ROW between Grist Mill Road and the low-water crossing. 

San Marcos Record

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