TipSheet: Travis County, 2.23.21

The Travis County Commissioners Court meets every Tuesday at 9 a.m. To help our readers stay informed, each week we offer a selection of interesting items from the voting session agenda. The entire agenda is available at the Travis County website. The meeting will be streamed live on the Travis County website and the archived footage will be available after the session.

Items 3 & 21: COVID-19 Brief & Drive-Thru Vaccination Update

Monitor’s Take: The Commissioners Court returns to a normal schedule today, as the energy and water crisis brought on by unprecedented frigid temperatures comes to a close. As usual, expect the Covid brief from Dr. Mark Escott to occupy a significant portion of the morning. Covid case numbers have been in decline for more than four weeks straight as vaccination infrastructure in the county is ramping up. This week, commissioners will discuss a possible action regarding Travis County mass drive-thru vaccine operations. A press release yesterday detailed a partnership between Travis, Bastrop, Caldwell and Hays counties to distribute 3,000 Covid-19 vaccines this week. The operation was spurred by a group letter signed by multiple public officials including County Judge Andy Brown and the CEOs of Ascension and CommUnityCare Health Centers. The bipartisan letter stated the counties are “ready to deliver 50,000 doses a week using a drive-thru clinic.” Commissioners will discuss the distribution plan for this week’s allotment of 3,000 doses.

Item 4: Winter Weather Updates

Monitor’s Take: County Judge Brown will oversee discussion regarding weather updates and the county’s response. The discussion will include the weather’s impact on county facilities, programs and resources. This item will go into executive session.

Editor’s Note: Andy Brown is on the board of the Capital of Texas Media Foundation, the parent nonprofit of the Austin Monitor.

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