Williamson County Office of Emergency Management in partnership with the Texas Division of?Emergency Management and in coordination with the City of Georgetown?will be hosting free COVID-19 testing September 12-15.

Testing?will be conducted at?the Georgetown Community Center located at 445 E. Morrow Street in San Gabriel Park. It will begin?at 9 a.m.?and?it will close by 1 p.m. or until supplies last.

This is a walk-up site?that will not require an appointment prior to being tested.

People interested in getting tested will be asked to park and line up?for their turn. It is important to note that?this is a?cheek swab test, so?people?cannot?eat,?drink,?or use tobacco products?20 minutes prior to the test.?Please avoid bringing pets, unless it is a service animal.

Residents should bring a cell phone for?on-site registration.?Also, please be aware that due to?demand there may be a wait time. If it is a hot day,  bringing a hat or umbrella for shade is encouraged.

For details about the testing, go here.

Lane closures on I-35 will be in effect just north of Williams Drive in the overnight hours Sept. 7-10, weather permitting. The closure is to allow construction work on the center support structure for the Northwest Boulevard bridge project.

Closure of one northbound main lane and two southbound main lanes on I-35 will be in effect from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. starting each evening from Sept. 7-10.

The Northwest Boulevard bridge will be a new east-west connection over the interstate and an alternative to Williams Drive. The project connects Rivery Boulevard to the west and FM 971 to the east and is scheduled to be complete in early 2021.

City of Georgetown offices and facilities will be closed on Monday, Sept. 7, for the Labor Day holiday. This includes these locations:

• Airport Terminal, 500 Terminal Drive
• Animal Shelter, 110 W.L. Walden Drive
• City Hall, 808 Martin Luther King Jr. St.
• Economic Development, 808 Martin Luther King Jr. St.
• Municipal Complex, 300-1 Industrial Ave.
• Municipal Court, 510 W. Ninth St.
• Parks and Recreation Administration, 1101 N. College St.
• Planning Department, 406 W. Eighth St.
• Public Library, 402 W. Eighth St.
• Public Safety Operations and Training Center lobby,
  3500 D.B. Wood Road
• Recreation Center, 1003 N. Austin Ave.
• Tennis Center, 400 Serenada Drive

The Visitors Center, 103 W. Seventh St., will be open 1-5 p.m.

Garey Park, 6450 RM 2243, will be open 8 a.m.-8 p.m.

Swimming Pools and Aquatics

The Williams Drive pool at 3201 Williams Drive will be open Sat., Sept. 5, through Monday, Sept. 7. The hours will be 1 to 6:30 p.m. each of those days. The pool will be cleared for 30 minutes for cleaning every hour and a half. Find information at parks.georgetown.org/williams-drive-pool. Other outdoor seasonal pools have closed for the summer season.

The splash pads at San Jose Park, 1707 San Jose St., Rabbit Hill Park, 1109 Blue Ridge Drive, and at the Art Center, 816 S. Main St., will remain open through the month of September. The splash pad at Garey Park, 6450 RM 2243, will be open through October, weather permitting.

GoGeo bus service

There will be no service Monday, Sept. 7.

Recycling and solid waste

There will be regular recycling and solid waste collection for City of Georgetown customers on Monday, Sept. 7. Please place carts at the curb by 7 a.m. on your scheduled pickup day. For questions, call Texas Disposal Systems at (512) 930-1715.

The Collection Station at 250 W.L. Walden Drive will be open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 7.

Truck-mounted spraying planned for Aug. 28-30

Three mosquito trap samples collected in Georgetown this week have tested positive for West Nile virus. The trap locations include two in Sun City on Yellow Rose Trail and at Legacy Hills Park and one in Georgetown Village at Creekside Park. This is the third West Nile virus-positive sample for the trap on Yellow Rose Trail and the second positive test for the trap located at Creekside Park.

The positive sample results were received by the Williamson County and Cities Health District yesterday afternoon. No other samples were found to be positive from routine trapping this week as part of the WCCHD Integrated Vector Management program.

West Nile Virus is the most common mosquito-borne disease in the United States. In 2020, there have been 11 mosquito trap pools that returned positive for West Nile Virus in Williamson County.

“The most important way to prevent West Nile Virus is to reduce the number of mosquitoes. WCCHD strongly encourages everyone to remain vigilant about protecting themselves from mosquito bites and preventing mosquito breeding on their property by using an EPA-approved repellent every time they are outdoors, or dressing in long sleeves and pants, draining standing water, even in the smallest amount, treating or changing water in bird feeders or fountains weekly,” said Jason Fritz, WCCHD Integrated Vector Management Program lead.

The City is following the Health District’s best practices for Integrated Mosquito Management which, at this time, calls for truck-mounted spraying, along with enhanced monitoring and testing and increased public outreach and education. Enhanced mosquito control efforts will also continue with the treatment of standing water with larvicide.

The City is implementing insecticide spraying in the vicinity of the positive samples for the next three nights Aug. 28-30. A City vehicle will use a pyrethrin-based insecticide along the street right-of-way and in public parks, weather permitting. Pyrethrin is a chemical that can be found in chrysanthemums.

A map is included showing the areas where application of the insecticide is planned. The use of the insecticide will reduce the adult mosquito population in that area. Spraying will be done if the wind speed is less than 10 mph.

Although the mosquito control product poses no significant health risk, if possible, people and pets may want to stay indoors during spraying.

The City and the Health District are encouraging everyone to be especially vigilant about protecting themselves from mosquito bites when outdoors, and preventing mosquito breeding on their personal property.

While many people who become infected with West Nile Virus have no symptoms, the symptoms of infection may include fever, headache, and body aches, a skin rash on the trunk of the body, and swollen lymph nodes. Those age 50 and older and/or with compromised immune systems are at a higher risk for severe symptoms, which may include stiffness, disorientation, coma, tremors, vision loss, paralysis, and in rare cases, death.

Mosquitoes are present in Central Texas year-round, but the population is largest and most active from May through November. During this period, WCCHD monitors the mosquito population and tests for mosquito-borne viruses.

What you can do

Eliminating places where mosquitoes can breed and reducing the chances of mosquito bites are the most effective lines of defense against exposure to West Nile Virus. As part of its Fight the Bite campaign the Health District recommends the 3 Ds of mosquito safety:

• Drain standing water in flowerpots, pet dishes, or clogged gutters so mosquitoes don’t have a place to breed and treat water that can’t be drained,
• Defend by using an EPA-approved insect repellent, and
• Dress in long sleeves and pants when outdoors.

For more information, go to the WCCHD website at www.wcchd.org or visit the Texas Department of State Health Services West Nile website at txwestnile.org.

City Council approved the first reading of an ordinance during its Aug. 25 meeting to allow for the temporary expansion of outdoor seating and retail service areas within City right of way and parking spaces in downtown.

This program will provide residents and visitors with opportunities to dine and shop outdoors and give a needed economic boost to downtown businesses. While the Governor’s Orders have been necessary to slow the spread of COVID-19, the restrictions on business activity have created economic hardships for many Georgetown small business owners.

Downtown business owners who apply for the program and are approved can use portions of the sidewalks and streets in front of their storefronts during specified days and times for restaurant dining and the display of retail goods. The new initiative is designed to help facilitate the physical distancing of patrons to comply with the current health orders and draw people to downtown to support establishments by shopping and eating locally.

For the upcoming Labor Day weekend, Sept. 4-6, residents and visitors will have an opportunity to shop at sidewalk sales and dine downtown during the kick-off for extended outdoor seating and retail service areas. Traffic barriers will be installed in the parking spaces beginning on Friday, Sept. 4, and will remain up through Sunday, Sept. 6.

Signage indicating alternative parking spaces will be in place and parking areas on one side of each street will remain open. The downtown parking lots are available for all-day free parking as well. Supporting local businesses safely is critical at this time.

“This program will give businesses the opportunity to bring a higher level of comfort for our guests,” Roots owner Jeana Aliani said. “With our current health conditions, patrons feel more at ease dining outdoors versus indoors. Our business has suffered a tremendous loss in sales this year. … We appreciate the approval of the outdoor dining to help with a stronger and much needed recovery.”

The City asks participants to maintain 6 feet physical distancing, use hand sanitizer and/or wash hands, and wear a mask unless seated for food or beverage consumption.