3 More Coronavirus Deaths In WilCo Raise Fatality Count To 70

WILLIAMSON COUNTY, TX — Health officials on Saturday said three more Williamson County residents died of the coronavirus over the past 24 hours, raising the historical illness count to 70. In the past three weeks alone, 35 people have succumbed to the respiratory ailment across the county.

The latest to die of the respiratory illness for which no vaccine exists were a man in his 60s, another man in his 80s and a woman in her 80s. Williamson County and Cities Health District officials are precluded from providing further identifying details due to patient privacy laws.

“Sadly, we have three more families that are mourning the loss of a loved one today due to COVID-19," Williamson County Judge Bill Gravell said in a prepared statement. "We must all take preventative measures to protect our families, our neighbors, and our community. One of the most important things you can do is to wear a cloth face covering over your nose and mouth when you are in public and continue to keep about six feet of distance between yourself and others."

Notwithstanding his statement, Gravell has resisted issuing mask-wearing mandates as surrounding communities — and a growing number of retailers — have done. Previously, Gravell was found to have violated his own past stay-at-home order to attend a grandson's birthday party, securing taxpayer-paid fire equipment in the process.

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• WilCo Judge Under Fire For Violating Own Stay-At-Home Order
• Coronavirus: Williamson County Extends 'Stay Home' Order
• Coronavirus: Williamson County Illness Count Grows To 110

For more information on the latest COVID-19 cases count in Williamson County, visit the Williamson County and Cities Health District (WCCHD) dashboard located at www.wcchd.org/COVID-19/dashboard.php. The dashboard information is updated daily by around 4:30 p.m.

Those experiencing respiratory illness symptoms such as cough, fever and shortness of breath are urged to contact their health care providers. However, health officials stress the importance of calling ahead before arriving at a clinic, urgent care or emergency department to avoid potential spread.

For information on the county response to COVID-19, visit www.wilco.org/COVID-19.