WilCo Gains 521 New Coronavirus Cases In 3-Day Period, 5 Deaths

WILLIAMSON COUNTY, TX — The number of cases of the coronavirus in Williamson County grew by 171 on Monday, bringing the cumulative total to 14,533 cases since the pandemic began. In a three-day period starting on Saturday, 521 new cases emerged along with five deaths — raising the historical fatality count to 174.

The data are found on a statistical dashboard maintained by the Williamson County and Cities Health District. As of Monday, 71 county residents were hospitalized — 33 being treated at intensive care units and another dozen placed on ventilators as shown on the dashboard.

The county is in the highest alert level apprising residents of illness spread — currently at the red level denoting uncontrolled community spread under which the region was placed on Nov. 19. As illness cases rise, the availability of resources continues to dwindle; the dashboard shows 24 percent of hospital beds are available along with 20 percent of intensive care unit beds.

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Despite the rising rates of illness — an "uncontrolled spread" as denoted in the red alert the county finds itself under — Williamson County Judge Bill Gravell has indicated he has no intention of issuing a shelter-in-place order for residents. Shortly after the county reached the highest alert level, Gravell reminded residents the safety tactics outlined in the red-coded advisory were not requirements: "The guidelines are suggested for planning, but are not requirements," he wrote in a prepared statement. "Local guidance may be superseded by an executive order from Governor Abbott."

On Nov. 17, Gravell also took issue with a health professional who was apprising the commissioners court on the regional blood bank's convalescent plasma program. Marshall Cothran, president and CEO of We Are Blood referenced rising hospitalization rates in the county before Gravell cut him off.

"You know, Marshall, let me say this: I don't want you to get into that because I don't agree with you on that. Let's just stick to the convalescent plasma discussion." The exchange can be seen at the 12:25 mark of the archived recording of the Williamson County Commissioners Court meeting.

The data show otherwise. On Sunday, 33 county residents found themselves being treated at intensive care units — up from 30 the previous day. Thirty-eight patients occupied non-ICU beds as of Sunday — up from 27 the previous day as the dashboard data show.

Gravell recently was fined $1,000 for having violated his own shelter-in-place order issued in April. Surreptitiously taken photos showed the judge arriving by sheriff's deputy escort while outfitted in firefighter gear borrowed from an area fire department to attend his grandson's birthday. The trip was taken in the midst of his order compelling residents to stay home or risk a $1,000 fine for not adhering to the directive.

On his official Facebook page, Gravell has posted recently taken photos of him visiting with grandchildren — family members outside his immediate household — despite prevailing advice from health officials for people to gather only among those with whom they live. He's also seen posing side by side with an official at the recently opened Kalahari Resorts and another with a pair of newlyweds outside the county courthouse. In neither photo is anyone masked, nor is physical distancing practiced despite the uncontrolled spread of the potentially deadly virus across Williamson County.

According to the dashboard, the WilCo cities with the greatest number of historical coronavirus cases as of Monday are:

• Round Rock: 4,222
• Georgetown: 2,915
• Cedar Park: 1,428
• Leander: 1,028
• Hutto: 1,002

The data also show the portion of Austin within Williamson County jurisdiction has seen 1,030 cases emerge. An "other" category for communities with less than 20,000 population logs the number of cumulative cases in those areas as 1,894. County officials have explained they are not legally compelled to specify those small "other" communities given their sparse populations.

Since the pandemic began, Round Rock has seen the highest number of deaths, with 79. Following at a distant second place is Georgetown, with 31 cumulative deaths. Cedar Park has seen 23 deaths since the start of the pandemic, another 30 from the unidentified "other" communities and 11 from unspecified areas.

To see the full range of data on coronavirus spread in Williamson County, visit the Williamson County and Cities Health District dashboard.