WilCo Judge Won't Issue Stay-At-Home Order Amid Illness Spikes

WILLIAMSON COUNTY, TX — Despite soaring rates of the coronavirus — and the addition of 1,400 cases to the official count that had previously gone uncounted — the county judge on Thursday said he has no plans to enact another stay-at-home order to help blunt the spread of illness.

The stance comes a day after the county raised its alert level to orange status amid rising illness rates. Also on Wednesday, Williamson County and Cities Health District officials said a recent quality assurance check of data import systems yielded previously unreported cases of the respiratory illness. All told, officials identified about 600 confirmed and 800 probable cases from July and October that were "...unintentionally excluded in reporting" for Williamson County, officials said.

The unreported batch of cases will be dispersed by the actual dates reported to the health district in its statistical dashboard and daily report graphs, officials said. The corrected numbers have changed from 10,011 confirmed cases reported on Nov. 9 to 10,676 confirmed cases reported for Nov. 10 along with 189 probable cases reported on Nov. 9 to 1,023 probable cases reported for Nov. 10, officials noted.

Despite the upward illness trends, Williamson County Judge Bill Gravell suggested the governor's guidance supersedes the county's in explaining his decision not to enact a stay-at-home order for the county.

“The Williamson County and Cities Health District makes recommendations based on the COVID-19 transmission rate to help residents understand the risks," Williamson County Judge Bill Gravell said in a prepared statement. "The guidelines are suggested for planning, but are not requirements. Local guidance may be superseded by an executive order from Governor Abbott."

Related stories:

• WilCo Adds 1,400 Coronavirus Cases After Data Glitch Identified
• WilCo Judge Under Fire For Violating Own Stay-At-Home Order
• Texas Averaging 99 Coronavirus Daily Deaths Amid Illness Spikes
• Texas Coronavirus Cases Grow By 10,087, 141 New Deaths
• Travis County Coronavirus Cases Reach 33,960 With 191 New Cases
  

Explaining that each governing body is responsible for making decisions for their region, "As the county Judge, I have no plans to enact another stay home order," Gravell said. "Williamson County trusts our residents to be smart and prudent. We know that they will take the appropriate measures to stay safe,” said County Judge Bill Gravell."

While Gravell credits residents for being "smart and prudent," he came under fire in April for violating his own stay-at-home order to attend his grandson's birthday party with the use of county resources.

A local government watchdog using the moniker "Buddy Falcon" on social media posted surreptitiously taken photographs of the judge wearing official firefighter gear borrowed from the Jarrell Fire Department to wear at the child's birthday party. The photos show Gravell donned in full fireman's attire, complete with oxygen tank and a full-face protective mask for the social outing — despite his having issued a stay-at-home order the previous March. To further compel compliance, Gravell added punitive measures aimed at violators in the form of a $1,000 fine or up to six months in jail.

WilCo is among the state's counties with the highest rates of illness and deaths. According to a statistical dashboard maintained by the Texas Department of State Health Services, Williamson County has the highest number of historical coronavirus cases, with 10,676. The county also has the 23rd highest number of deaths among the state's 254 counties, with 159 succumbing to the illness since the contagion began.

For information on the color-coded phase under which the county finds itself, visit the Williamson County and Cities Health District website.