COVID-19 update
Hospitalizations have climbed back above 600 in Travis County. Austin Public Health says 602 people with coronavirus are hospitalized today, including 176 in the ICU. However, that ICU number has fallen a bit since late last week, and it remains unchanged from a day ago. The number of active cases has also fallen for consecutive days right now, just over 6,000 of them active. That’s a drop of about 275 in the past day. In total, 61,468 cases were confirmed with nearly 55,000 recoveries.
Two more vaccine hubs have been added to central Texas by the state this week and Austin Mayor Steve Adler is hopeful the governor will do something soon to speed up the rollout. He tells CBS Austin getting more distribution hubs is a start, but it’s far from enough.
“We’re vaccinating as many people in our community as the state will give us supply of vaccines,” Adler says.
It’s a problem cities across Texas really are dealing with. Family Emergency Room in Cedar Park and UT Dell Medical School are the two new hubs. They join Austin Public Health, which has been a hub since the rollout began.
Pfizer vaccine shipment arrives
On that note, the Texas Department of State Health Services says the Pfizer vaccine shipment that was expected to arrive yesterday has been delayed. A snag on the federal level is being blamed for this. Instead, the shipment should be arriving today. Officials say 55 of the state’s providers have been affected by the delay.
Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra is echoing the frustration expressed by other city and county leaders over the vaccine roll out. Hays County is getting its first shipment this week but Becerra says the state really hasn’t provided very much information, including the specific number of doses being allocated.
“And we don’t know if and when we’ll get more. We are truly in the dark like the rest of the community,” says Becerra.
It is believed Hays County will get just under 3,000 doses, but Becerra says until the vaccines are officially in the county’s possession, the online registration portal will not be turned on.
Manor ISD 100% virtual
As of today, two campuses in the Manor school district have shifted to 100% virtual. Presidential Meadows Elementary and Manor Senior High will make the move temporarily, according to district officials. This is because of a high number of staff needing to quarantine at the moment, so on campus classes will not resume until February 1
School funding
The 2021 Texas Legislature has 19 weeks left to get a lot of stuff done. Even amid the pandemic, school funding remains a constant issue.
“Whether or not they could make good on promises they made through HB3 in the last session, which was the school funding bill. This is a bill which is gonna be effectively a $13-14 billion dollar price tag,” says political scientists Brandon Rottinghaus.
What makes it difficult is that the pandemic has led to a lot less sales tax money. The state also has to pay for health related items because of COVID-19.
Protester gun control measure
Former Travis County judge and current State Senator Sarah Eckhardt is pushing a gun control measure aimed at protesters. Under Senate Bill 311, carrying a gun within 500 feet of a demonstration would become a criminal offense. If passed, it would take effect on September 1 of this year. However, it is very unlikely that such a proposal would pass muster in the state legislature.
Abbott in Houston
Governor Greg Abbott will be in Houston today for a discussion with healthcare workers on the ongoing fight against coronavirus. He’ll also be providing updates on the state efforts to get more vaccines out. Abbott will also lay out his main priorities for the legislative session, including dealing with the pandemic.
As we have been reporting this week, Travis County Health Authority Mark Escott has been trying to get all lawmakers vaccinated. Health Authority Doctor Mark Escott tells the Dallas Morning News he’s been offering the shots to legislators and staffers as they work the current session. In previous statements, Doctor Escott explained that mass gatherings should be addressed.
“We do have to recognize that the number of people, the duration of the contact and the nature of the contact is going to lead to increased risk of transmission,” says Escott.
He says up to 10 lawmakers have accepted his offer and defends the decision, saying he doesn’t believe this breaks any rules.
South Pleasant Valley plan
A plan is in the works to overhaul South Pleasant Valley Road by adding new divided lanes, sidewalks and bike paths. Mobility Authority Engineer Mike Sexton tells KXAN the plan would realign the road and connect with SH-45 to improve safety.
“The road today needs an improvement already just because there is already a significant amount of traffic demand in that area,” says Sexton.
It’s a $12 million project that still needs full approval. Construction could begin sometime next year.
This news and more on News Radio KLBJ:
https://omny.fm/shows/klbjam-flash-briefing-1/am-newscast-1-19-21
