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2020
Volume 33, Issue 19
www.LHIndependent.com
News@LHIndependent.com
April 2, 2020 | 50 Cents
COVID-19 CORONAVIRUS CASES & DEATHS MARCH 18
MARCH 22
MARCH 27
APRIL 1
8 0 194 5 15,219 201
19 0 410 99 44,183 544
37 1 2,052 27 122,263 2,112
55 1 3,997 58 185,101 3,603
Williamson County Cases Williamson County Deaths Texas Cases Texas Deaths U.S. Cases U.S. Deaths
SOURCE: CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION
CASES BY COUNTY
CASES BY LOCATION IN WILLIAMSON COUNTY
HARRIS 680 DALLAS 631 TARRANT 273 TRAVIS 244 BEXAR 207 WILLIAMSON 55
22 CASES
AUSTIN CEDAR PARK GEORGETOWN HUTTO LEANDER ROUND ROCK LIBERTY HILL
33 CASES
TESTED IN TEXAS
CASES BY AGE 0-17 18-40 41-60 Over 60
9 7 10 5 7 17 0
MARCH 18 MARCH 22 MARCH 27 APRIL 1
1 15 25 14
SOURCE: DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES 3/31/20
5,277 11,167 25,260 47,857
SOURCE: WILLIAMSON COUNTY & CITIES HEALTH DISTRICTS 3/31/20
STACY COALE GRAPHIC
Gravell expresses need for testing
By MIKE EDDLEMAN Managing Editor While Williamson County is well stocked with people working hard to control the spread of the COVID-19 virus and treat those infected, what it really needs is test kits. “We believe that our best case scenario is that one out of every 40 people that test positive are going to die,” County Judge Bill Gravell said. “That’s our best case scenario. We believe that we have thousands of tests that need to be performed and we can’t do that. I believe when we do have adequate testing you’re going to see the numbers of cases increase, but percentage-wise it will be proportional to what we’re seeing.” Monday, Gravell spoke with
the media in an afternoon news conference and said his greatest need was test kits, specifically for front-line first responders. “My biggest issue today is I’m trying to get enough test kits for our emergency first responders,” he said. “We’ve got paramedics, we’ve got firefighters and we’ve got individuals out responding on calls and I’ve got to be able to test our first responders.” The County’s first death attributed to the virus was announced Saturday, and came with a sobering reminder of how impactful one case can be on the community. “The gentleman that died was transported to the hospital,” Gravell said. “He died there and was tested. He was not an individual we had test-
ed before, we didn’t know he existed (as a positive case). We didn’t know he had been sick. I can assure you there are more like that.” That case resulted in a ripple effect that temporarily sidelined a number of first responders. “We didn’t know he was a positive test until after he had been transported,” Gravell said. “We immediately pulled that EMS crew out of service and pulled that fire crew out of service and the hospital crew was pulled out of service and put into self quarantine.” Currently three first responders remain in quarantine and Gravell said the others have been cleared. He would not say if any
See GRAVELL, Page 7
Health professionals race ‘the curve’
By MIKE EDDLEMAN Managing Editor New terms such as social distancing, community spread, and the curve are cited at every turn as healthcare officials try and explain how mitigation can be a critical factor in coping with the COVID-19 virus, but the data that illustrates the importance of these concepts isn’t always so easy to understand. A number of tests conducted, with the number of confirmed cases thrown in next to the correlating death toll is important data, but it only tells the story to date based on the aggressiveness of testing efforts. Projections are what become most important in mitigation efforts and that is a much more ©2020 The Liberty Hill Independent
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sticky proposition. “There are different models that take different projections and there’s not one we have said is the Texas state model or that we are going by,” said Chris Van Deusen with the Texas Department of State Health Services. “We’re looking at all of those things as we’re doing our planning. We know we have some time left to continue to flatten this curve and to continue to increase healthcare capacity as much as we can.” In the end, making sure the need for hospital beds, ventilators and healthcare workers doesn’t outpace those resources available today – or those that can be mobilized – is the goal. “We’re looking at those numbers and what those projections look like and we’re continuing to make those preparations. I can’t give you a date where we think it’s go-
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ing to play out because there’s no perfect information,” he said. “All of the models make assumptions and have inputs and as we move along I think we’ll be able to see if one of those models seems to be mirroring the situation more closely than others then maybe that will give us an indication, but we’re not at that point yet.” No one can predict the peak of the COVID-19 outbreak in Texas, but Williamson County Judge Bill Gravell said what he is being told by his healthcare sources is that late April is the most current projection, but he hedged, saying that projection was just the “best guess of really educated people.” “I’m seeing the peak is somewhere between April 26 and May 15,” he said. “But we do not know what
Kassie Smith, Charity Thornton and Jodi McCumber prepare food to be delivered by Community Blessing Outreach on March 25. (Courtesy Photo)
Local nonprofit delivers hot meals to seniors in need
By SCOTT AKANEWICH Sports Editor For a decade, Christine McCarty has delivered meals to seniors as part of the Mealson-Wheels program. However, once the COVID-19 outbreak hit, the organization decided to temporarily suspend service – leaving a void that needed to be filled. As a result, McCarty and others from Community Blessing Outreach – a local nonprofit – sprung into action. On March 25, approximately 50 seniors who had been affected by the decision in Liberty Hill and Leander received meals from CBO. As far as McCarty is concerned, it was only proper, she said. “It just feels so good to help people,” said McCarty, a co-founder. “It’s the right thing
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if they hadn’t helped us. They raised $19,000 in six hours,” said McCumber. “After it was all over, we just sat down and cried thinking about all they had done for us and we said ‘We need to get involved with this and do this for other people.’” McCumber credited local businesses Texas Chrome BBQ and Traeger Grills for helping the program become a reality. “We couldn’t have done it without their support,” she said. “It wouldn’t have been possible.” But, it’s not only food that CBO has been providing homebound seniors with, said McCarty. “I got together with our board of directors and we decided to
See MEALS, Page 4
Socially distant together
By ANTHONY FLORES Staff Writer Every day at noon, the sound of the Panther Fight Song can be heard echoing down the streets of the Rancho Sienna neighborhood. In a show of unity and resistance during the COVID-19 crisis, seventh-grade band student Parker Bolin takes to his driveway every day with his Euphonium and begins playing. Bolin began playing the Euphonium in sixth grade and continued into the seventh grade, loving the experience of being part of the junior high band. The seventh-grader’s passion for the instrument has him regularly practicing over the extended break that students in LHISD are working through. “He’s one of those guys that really enjoys band,” said Bolin’s mother, Colleen Bolin. “Since we’re on this break from school and he’s very diligent at practicing, he’s kept it up.” The extra time at home under the school closure inspires
See CURVE, Page 6
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to do.” But, CBO’s reach goes far beyond the current calamity. The organization began serving Thanksgiving meals to people as part of “Operation Turkey” back in 2013, so getting involved during the current time of need was a natural extension, said Jodi McCumber, who is a volunteer with CBO. “We love what we do,” she said. “So, with everything going on now, we decided to get together and do something.” McCumber got involved with CBO in 2018 when her husband James was seriously injured in a car accident and the group came to the family’s aid when they needed it most, she said. “James missed nine months of work and needed two surgeries and we would’ve lost everything including our business
See BAND, Page 4
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Parker Bolin sets up outside with his Euphonium just before his noon performance of the Liberty Hill Panther Fight Song in the Rancho Sienna neighborhood. (Courtesy Photo)
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