Williamson County has passed a milestone of COVID-19 cases as the pandemic potentially enters a local flux likely for the better.
On Tuesday, Jan. 25, the Williamson County and Cities Health District (WCCHD) passed six digits in the number of COVID-19 cases from throughout the pandemic. At press time, Williamson Counnty had a total of 100,743 confirmed cases, which include past and active cases.
There’s been a sharp rise in cases countywide within the last two months. Although holiday gatherings have been a factor, the more contagious Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus has been the leading cause. Taylor has been no stranger to the effects.
“The city of Taylor is coping with the pandemic as many agencies that serve the public are: we are erring on the side of caution, following the guidance of the CDC and doing everything we can to be proactive about the health and safety of our employees and the residents who interact with those employees,” said City Manager Brian LaBorde, “while still maintaining the level of service that our residents deserve and expect.”
Some offices experience brief closures or reduced hours recently. Taylor’s municipal government has also taken other steps to combat the virus.
“We have enacted policies that allow our employees to work from home if they test positive for COVID-19 or feel that they might be contagious and encouraged them to stay home if they are sick,” said LaBorde. “We have also put backup systems into place in the event that we are understaffed.”
The city also operated under a phased reopening plan during critical levels of the pandemic. The system guided city staff in determining how city operations functioned.
“As of July 6, 2021, the City of Taylor is operating without any restrictions or COVID-19 requirements,” said LaBorde. “We do recommend that residents follow the guidance of the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and local health officials.”
The city’s phased reopening plan was largely based on WCCHD’s similar colorcoded plan meant to guide local activities and municipal governments on recommended courses of action. As of this past November, the health district shifted to using the CDC’s Data Tracker for determining gating phases in Williamson County.
The tracker focuses on simply assigning a local risk of transmission in a community. Local information on the CDC Data Tracker is imported by the WCCHD.
In the span of two weeks, Jan. 13-26, Williamson County’s confirmed cases rose by 15,633. That said, confirmed cases are added to the WCCHD’s tally as reports of cases are submitted to the health district and do not all reflect immediately recent infections.
Although the overall tally of cases continues to rise indefinitely, the recent rate increase might begin to decline. Superintendents of local school districts, which have been dramatically hit by staff shortages and student absences, have been told by health authorities that the rate should peak in January before making a downward trend.
“With districts all over across the state closing on random days, for us to stay open was a monumental effort,” said Superintendent Devin Padavil during the Jan. 24 school board meeting.
Hutto ISD was one of those school districts forced to close and have pauses in transportation services. Granger ISD shut down for two days as they regrouped amidst similar issues. Both school districts have resumed operations.
Taylor ISD school officials, including Padavil, had to pull duty as substitutes.
“For our transportation to continue running without a hitch, that’s nothing short of a miracle,” said Padvail, who also credited the school board and principals as well. “Just waking up every morning and seeing what puzzle I have to figure out this morning and then figuring out coverage and keeping a positive attitude and keeping people focused on the work is a testament to your leadership.”
At the city, LaBorde thanked the mayor, City Council, staff and the community for their patience and understanding in the pandemic.
“This has been a challenging time for us all,” he said, “and I am grateful that this community is and has been largely supportive and willing to protect the health and safety of the most vulnerable among us by getting vaccinated, using good health practices, and doing what they can to keep themselves and their families healthy.”
