Corridor Staff

EDITORIAL NOTE

According to the CDC, State of Texas and Hays County Public Health give the same disclaimer on all current counts and totals. “The Coronavirus (COVID-19) is a very fluid situation and it will continue to be. All case numbers and totals are subject to change. As new information becomes available, we will publish those updates.”

Hays County Reopening of County Offices

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Offices, lobbies, and courts within the Hays County system are in varying stages of reopening to the public as they navigate this new world with COVID-19.

While many offices were closed during April and May, staff continued working to help you take care of your business with the County.

Visit the individual office web page on the county website at https://hayscountytx.com.

At the bottom of this story is a quick status of office/lobbies/courts as of June 24. Please contact the office or court directly if you have any questions.

All members of the public entering county buildings should wear face coverings and maintain a distance of six feet between
themselves and others who are not in their
own family.

*For specific county offices, testing locations, and additional information on COVID-19 in Hays County see below.

Helpful Links:

• • TX COVID-19 Test Collection Sites
  • Community-Based Testing Sites for COVID-19

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READ THE COVID-19 FACT SHEET

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• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then wash your hands.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

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LATEST HAYS COUNTY COVID-19

*UPDATE ON WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 5, AT 4:28 PM
* Disclaimer: As this is a fast-moving situation, the information included below is provisional and subject to change.
*If listed as NR, the latest information has not been released by Hays County; the table will be updated when the data is available.

SPECIAL NOTE: Hays County’s Coronavirus case and demographic stats are only reported Monday – Friday.

HAYS COUNTY	AUG. 4, 2020	AUG. 5, 2020
TOTAL TESTS (includes pending cases)	26,776	26,920
NEW DAILY TESTS (*estimated)	144*	144*
TOTAL LAB CONFIRMED (*estimated)	4,931*	4,969*
ACTIVE (*estimated)	2,878*	2,848*
NEW DAILY CONFIRMED	38	38
TOTAL RECOVERED	2,022	2,088
DAILY RECOVERED	42	66
FATALITIES	31	34
NEGATIVE (*estimated)	21,802*	21,898*
HOSPITALIZATIONS TOTAL	111	117
HOSPITALIZATIONS CURRENT	21	16

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HAYS COUNTY DAILY CHANGE IN NEW CASES PER CITY

*Hays County Public Health updates the following information Monday – Friday only

CITY	TOTAL CASES	ACTIVE CASES	RECOVERED	FATALITIES
AUSTIN	43	27	15	1
BEAR CREEK	1	0	1	0
BUDA	659	374	282	3
CREEDMOOR	0	0	0	0
DRIFTWOOD	32	30	2	0
DRIPPING SPRINGS	79	65	14	0
HAYS	0	0	0	0
KYLE	1,537	925	603	9
MANCHACA	8	2	6	0
MAXWELL	9	3	6	0
MOUNTAIN CITY	8	5	1	2
NIEDERWALD	29	0	29	0
SAN MARCOS	2,467	1,374	1,075	18
UHLAND	15	10	5	0
WIMBERLEY	81	31	49	1
WOODCREEK	1	1	0	0
TOTAL	4,969	2,847	2,088	34

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HAYS COUNTY POSITIVE TEST BY AGE AND GENDER

*Hays County Public Health updates the following information Monday – Friday only

*NOTE: Hays County has recently received a number of testing data that lacked information such as age, gender and/or ethnicity. Due to the lack of information, the Hays County Age & Ethnicity tables may not add up correctly. Health officials are in the process of contacting patients to fill in the information.

AGE RANGE	FEMALE	MALE	TOTAL
0-9 YEARS	89	80	169
10-19 YEARS	234	177	411
20-29 YEARS	1,002	985	1,987
30-39 YEARS	443	397	840
40-49 YEARS	326	280	606
50-59 YEARS	239	219	458
60-69 YEARS	156	119	275
70-79 YEARS	76	75	151
> 80 YEARS	38	34	72
TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES	2,603	2,366	4,969

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HAYS COUNTY DRILL DOWN OF ETHNICITY & GENDER

*Hays County Public Health updates the following information Monday – Friday only

*NOTE: Hays County has recently received a number of testing data that lacked information such as age, gender and/or ethnicity. Due to the lack of information, the Hays County Age & Ethnicity tables may not add up correctly. Health officials are in the process of contacting patients to fill in the information.

ETHNICITY	FEMALE	MALE	TOTAL	% OF CASES
HISPANIC	1,160	1,030	2,190	44.1%
NON-HISPANIC	450	433	883	17.8%
NOT SPECIFIED	993	903	1,896	38.2%
TOTAL	2,603	2,366	4,969	100%

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HAYS COUNTY DRILL DOWN BY RACE

*Hays County Public Health updates the following information Monday – Friday only

RACE	PERCENTAGE OF CASES
AMERICAN INDIAN	0%
ASIAN	0.50%
BLACK	2.00%
NATIVE HAWAIIAN / PACIFIC ISLANDER	0%
WHITE	60.30%
NOT SPECIFIED / UNKNOWN	37.30%

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LATEST TEXAS COVID-19 CASE TOTALS

*UPDATED ON WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 5, AT 3:30 PM

Disclaimer: COVID-19 is a fast-moving situation, the information included below is provisional and subject to change. All Texas data below is provisional and subject to change.* These numbers are an estimate based on several assumptions related to hospitalization rates and recovery times, which were informed by data available to date. These assumptions are subject to change as we learn more about COVID-19. The estimated number does not include data from any cases reported prior to 3/24/2020.
*If listed as NR, the latest information has not been released/reported by state agencies; the table will be updated when the data is available.

NOTE: Case and fatality information is updated daily at 1 pm and is compiled from information reported publicly by local health departments and through the DSHS public health regions. Counts are current as of that morning.
Because some jurisdictions report cases later in the day, local numbers may be more up to date. County case numbers may occasionally go down if the case investigation determines the person is a resident of another county or state.
Testing numbers show the number of test results for Texas residents reported to DSHS by public health and private labs. They do not include pending tests. Additional testing may be occurring by labs not yet reporting all results to DSHS. Unable to deduplicate total test numbers for private labs.
Demographic data comes from completed case investigations. The majority of cases in Texas are still under investigation.
Hospitalization and hospital capacity numbers are reported daily by hospitals through eight Hospital Preparedness Program providers that coordinate health care system preparedness and response activities in Texas.
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U.S. & WORLDWIDE CORONAVIRUS CASE OVERVIEW

*UPDATED ON WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 5, AT 1:06 PM
*Disclaimer: This data changes rapidly and might not reflect some cases still being reported.

REOPENING OF COUNTY OFFICES

Updated Monday, July 29
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COUNTY CLERK

All Hays County Clerk’s office locations are assisting customers by appointment only for Marriage License issuance and Birth/Death certificate issuance.

The clerk’s office will continue to offer other services by E-Record, E-file, mail, fax, telephone, and email. The county has reported that all offices have been professionally disinfected, staff have been quarantined for the recommended time from the CDC, and have been tested with no additional positive test.

Appointments available with the following guidelines:

• Face masks must be worn the entire time in the office.
• Only applicants are allowed in the lobby; no one else, including children, may enter.
• No same-day appointments.

*COUNTY COURT AT LAW

• Judge, County Court-at-Law, 1, Robert Updegrove
• Judge, County Court-at-Law, 2 Chris Johnson
• Judge, County Court-at-Law, 3, Tacie Zelhart

This office has remained open to serve all litigants and the citizens of Hays County. As Ordered by the Supreme Court of Texas and the state Office of Court Administration, during the pandemic, hearings were held remotely via teleconference.

This Court continues to have hearings via teleconference. In-person hearings will commence on June 1. The lobby is open. They request everyone to call before entering, if possible, at 512.393.7625 or email ccal@co.hays.tx.us to set a court date or receive additional information.

ELECTIONS OFFICE

Currently, the Elections Office is open to the public.

JUSTICE OF THE PEACE OFFICES

• Justice of the Peace 1-1, Judge Prado
  Judge Prado’s office is open.
• Justice of the Peace 1-2, Judge Moreno
  Judge Moreno’s office is open. Visit the JP1-2 website to make payments online or get more information regarding this office.
• Justice of the Peace 2, Judge Smith
  No jury trials are taking place until August 1. Some cases have been held virtually and our office will continue to have virtual hearings until in-person hearings are approved.
• Justice of the Peace 3, Judge Cable
  This office has remained open. The hours are Monday – Thursday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday 8 a.m. to noon.
• Justice of the Peace 4 – Judge Burns
  Effective immediately, and until further notice, all hearings and bench trials in Justice Court 4 will be heard by Zoom conference. By order of the Texas Supreme Court, jury trials may not be held until August 1, 2020, at the earliest.
• Justice of the Peace 5, Judge Cary
• The JP-5 in Buda is open M-F, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Note
Hays County Courts and District Courts recognize the need to ensure the health and safety of litigants, attorneys, visitors, court staff, judges, and other individuals entering the buildings housing the courts.

Therefore, the courts of Hays County have implemented a series of protective measures. The full list can be found on the county’s website.

PRECINCT OFFICES

• County Judge — Staff is available to answer the phones, and the judge is continuing to hold meetings, as much as is feasible, through phone or digital platforms.
• Pct. 1, Commissioner Debbie Ingalsbe — Staff is available to answer the phone but Commissioner Ingalsbe is continuing to hold meetings, through phone or digital platforms as well as in person. Please contact her office to schedule appointments.
• Pct. 2, Commissioner Mark Jones — Staff is available to answer the phone, but Commissioner Jones is continuing to hold meetings, as much as possible, through phone or digital platforms.
• Pct. 3, Commissioner Lon Shell — Staff is available to answer the phone, but Commissioner Shell is continuing to hold meetings, as much as possible, through phone or digital platforms.
• Pct. 4, Commissioner Walt Smith — Staff is available to answer emails and Commissioner Smith is continuing to hold meetings, as much as possible, through phone or digital platforms.

TAX OFFICES

All County tax offices are open to the public*. At the Government Center, individuals will queue in the hallway outside the Tax Office.

If the line extends to the main hallway, deputies will ask those persons to wait outside until they are called back in. A similar approach will be implemented at the precinct offices.

The drive-thru at the Government Center in San Marcos is back to normal operating hours, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday.

NOTE: *As of July 28, Hays County Precinct 4 Tax Assessor’s Office (Dripping Springs) has re-opened. However, the Dripping Springs Tax Office will close daily between the hours of 12 p.m. – 1 p.m. until further notice.

DOING BUSINESS REMOTELY WITH TAX OFFICE

Vehicle Registration Renewals

• Renew online www.texas.gov
• Mail to 712 S. Stagecoach Trl, Ste. 1120, San Marcos, TX 78666
• Dropboxes (located at all Tax Office locations)
• HEB (NOT expired more than 1 month) – must have a renewal notice, valid ID, insurance & inspection
• Drive-Thru in San Marcos

Disability Placards & Timed Permits

• Mail to 712 S. Stagecoach Trl, Ste. 1120, San Marcos, TX 78666
• Dropboxes (located at all Tax Office locations)
• Drive-Thru, San Marcos

Title Transfers & New Texas Residents

• Mail to 712 S. Stagecoach Trl, Ste. 1120, San Marcos, TX 78666
• Dropboxes (located at all Tax Office locations)

Property Tax Payments/Services

• Mail to 712 S. Stagecoach Trl, Ste. 1120, San Marcos, TX 78666
• Dropboxes (located at all Tax Office locations)
• Pay by phone at 1-888-546-4337 (Have your quick Reference ID available – fees apply)
• Online at www.hayscountytax.com (fees apply)
• Drive-Thru, San Marcos

RESOURCES

Resources for Persons Affected by COVID-19. If you need food, funds, mental health support, a job, etc., take a look at this list of area resources. It includes info for small businesses and nonprofits, as well. Additional information from Workforce Solutions Rural Capital Area for Jobseekers and Employers is also available.

LOCAL & STATE ORDERS

• On April 27, Governor Abbott issued an Executive Order and on the phased opening of Texas businesses, effective May 1.
• On April 17 Governor Abbott issued an Executive Order on taking the first steps to reopen Texas businesses
• April 6, 2020, CDC Recommendations on Public Use of Cloth Face Masks
• On April 2, 2020, the Governor’s Statewide Executive Order on COVID-19 went into effect.

COVID-19 HOTLINE — 512.393.5525

Hays County residents can call a hotline for answers to their non-emergency COVID-19 questions. Operators are available in English and Spanish.

This hotline is for answers to health questions about COVID-19 — safety practices, symptoms, quarantining, testing, etc. Operators cannot answer questions about the Stay at Home Order and Curfew, or other general questions.

Fact Sheet in English & Español

SNAP AND MEDICAID INFORMATION

Renewal requirements for SNAP & Medicaid temporarily waived.

Find out more about COVID-19 treatment and prevention in English. Información en español para la prevención y tratamiento de la Enfermedad del Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19)

BEWARE SCAMS AND PRICE-GOUGING

Hays County provided information about possible scams and price gouging during the pandemic.

FRAUDULENT COVID-19 HOME TEST

The FDA is warning citizens about fraudulent COVID-19 Home Test Kits. More on test kits here.

SYMPTOMS OF COVID-19

There is no special treatment for COVID-19, nor is there a vaccine at this time. The virus is not a flu virus, so doctor-prescribed treatments for flu-like Tamiflu are of no use.

The best-known treatment at this time is to take a fever-reducing medication containing acetaminophen or ibuprofen, and to self-isolate, until you have been fever-free for 72 hours (recently increased from 48 hours) WITHOUT the use of fever-reducing medications.

Most people who contract COVID-19 have a reaction similar to a mild to moderate case of Flu and do not necessarily need to see a doctor unless their symptoms worsen.

A fever that spikes to 104 degrees, or shortness of breath, are symptoms that may need medical attention and you should call your healthcare provider or emergency room. The most at-risk populations include the elderly and persons with compromised immune systems.

Most medical offices are requesting that you call before coming in if you believe you might have COVID-19. If you are experiencing significant shortness of breath you may be directed to a hospital emergency room.

The Hays County Local Health Department, which does NOT do testing for COVID-19, works with area hospitals to determine availability at hospitals for those who are sickest.

• Do you think you’ve been exposed to coronavirus?
• Are you experiencing symptoms?

This information might help you determine what you should do, and how you can protect your family and others.

COVID-19 PREVENTION TIPS

1. Wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds several times a day, including between your fingers and underneath your nails. Handwashing is considered the best way to remove germs and dirt, and hand sanitizers should be used only when handwashing is not available. The hand sanitizers should be at least 60 percent alcohol to be effective.
2. Avoid handshaking and high-fives.
3. Avoid touching your face – especially your eyes, nose, and mouth.
4. Stay home when you feel sick.
5. Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue then put the tissue in the trash, or use the crook of your elbow if a tissue isn’t available.
6. Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household disinfectant cleaning spray or wipe. Clean cell and desk phones, computer keyboards, door handles, and work surfaces often.
7. Avoid travel to areas that have been designated high-risk areas because of multiple verified cases of Corona.
8. Wear a mask or face covering when in public places.

HELPFUL LINKS:

• • TX COVID-19 Test Collection Sites
  • Community-Based Testing Sites for COVID-19

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READ THE COVID-19 FACT SHEET