COVID-19 Update: Confirmed cases in Williamson County, gatherings limited to 10 or fewer

Mar 18, 2020

Update: For the latest information on the City’s response to Coronavirus, go to the City of Georgetown Coronavirus (COVID-19) site.

Restaurants, bars common areas closed, all Georgetown public facilities closed

This afternoon, Williamson County and Cities Health District confirmed four cases of COVID-19 in Williamson County. The cases are mild in nature, and the patients are recovering. For the most recent number of cases, please check the Health District website at wcchd.org.

In response to the confirmed cases, Williamson County Judge Bill Gravell issued a second emergency order, which goes into effect at 6 p.m. March 18 and lasts through May 11. The order:

Limits gatherings to 10 people or fewer. This includes churches, religious services, weddings, funerals, concerts, fundraisers, and other, similar gatherings, whether indoor or outdoor.
Closes common dining areas at all food establishments. The County is encouraging these businesses to provide take-away and no-contact delivery services.
Closes common indoor and outdoor bar spaces for businesses that sell wine, beer, and mixed-beverages and prohibits these businesses from allowing people to consume alcohol on the premises.
Closes all County facilities to the public.

“These steps are being taken in order to protect the health and welfare of the residents in our community, which is our number one priority,” Georgetown Mayor Dale Ross said. “We’re partnering with Williamson County and other local and state agencies to make sure we’re all working together to have consistency across jurisdictions.”

The order does not apply to:

Government facilities;
Private businesses (i.e. grocery stores, retail stores, and professional offices);
Construction sites;
Schools and institutes of higher learning; and
Hospitals, health clinics, pharmacies, medial offices, and other healthcare facilities.

City facilities closed

In an effort to slow the spread of the virus in our community, the City is taking steps to limit face-to-face interactions with the public.

Effective 8 a.m. March 19, all City facilities will close to the public through May 11. This closure includes the main lobbies of the Public Safety Center, Georgetown Municipal Complex (GMC), and City Hall.

Staff are prepared to continue providing services via telephone, email, and other, digital means. For department contact information, please refer to the City directory.

“Starting Thursday, the Georgetown public will need to call or email non-emergency departments for services and questions, rather than coming to our facilities in person,” Georgetown City Manager David Morgan said. “We urge people to follow best practices from the Williamson County and Cities Health District to prevent the spread of COVID-19.”

Although people are encouraged to pay their utility bills online or over the phone with Customer Care at (512)-930-3640, people still will be able to pay their bills through the drive-through window at the GMC, 300-1 Industrial Ave. Drive-through hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. People experiencing a water or electric outage need to call Customer Care.

Additionally, the Animal Shelter will continue to process adoptions and drop-offs by appointment only. People need to call (512) 930-3592 to schedule an appointment prior to coming to the shelter.

Police Department response changes

The police department is limiting in-person response to certain types of calls for service in order to promote social distancing, while making every effort to continue meeting the needs of the public and ensure the safety of public safety staff.

As a result, the Police Department is implementing the following changes to services until further notice:

All calls for service that can be handled by phone will be.
Officers will continue responding in person to calls of a serious nature that pose a threat to persons or property or require more involved investigations.
Officers will not be responding to non-injury accidents in which both vehicles are drivable and not a traffic hazard. People will be encouraged to exchange information as required by law and contact their respective insurance companies.
Drug take-back services are suspended.

People can contact the non-emergency number at (512) 930-3510 to report non-emergency crimes, obtain police reports, and for assistance with other administrative matters.

The City continues to coordinate daily with local, regional, and state partners and adjust its response in the best interest of the health and safety of our community. All updates can be found on the City of Georgetown’s COVID-19 news page at georgetown.org/coronavirus-information/.