As the City of Granbury works to ensure the safety and well-being of our citizens, we know at times it is difficult to understand why certain steps are being taken; however, we want you to rest assured everything being done is in the best interest of the public. Granbury City Council is taking the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) issue seriously.
Council maintains that the best course of action is to listen to the experts, confer with neighboring local leaders and cities, weigh every option, and, at the end of the day, try to make the best-informed decision to serve the city of Granbury during this crisis and when it comes to an end. This is not a task we take lightly, and we want you to be confident in the fact that your council is doing everything we can to mitigate this situation. We are all committed to working together through this.
City and County officials have created a task force that meets regularly under the guidance of our Emergency Management Coordinator, Jay Webster. Meetings are now being held under recommended social distancing guidelines. Updates occur several times a day and the task force is updated as new information comes in.
This is what you need to know right now:
- As of 3-23-2020 at 1:00 p.m., 39 COVID-19 tests have been administered to Hood County residents in accordance with Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Texas Department of State Health Services (TX DSHS) protocols.
- Out of the 39 tested, 12 negative tests have resulted so far, 27 remain pending.
- There are, as of today, no confirmed COVID-19 cases in Hood County. If any tests eventually return positive, the testing locations have collected information to report to TX DSHS for tracking and follow-up, as required by public health guidelines.
- The city is updating information regularly regarding COVID-19 on the City website at www.granbury.org/covid19
- For those who are homebound with no internet access, the Emergency Management Coordinator has implemented a CODE RED telephone-based alert to inform those how to access 2-1-1 for questions regarding COVID-19. This service is available 24/7.
- If you research the virus, use trusted internet resources. Practices of malware and scams during this crisis have already been identified. Know your source!
- Lab turnaround time is beginning to improve, some COVID-19 tests have resulted in as few as 48 hours but may still take 3-5 days.
- Testing for the virus is still not readily available for those who do not exhibit symptoms, as testing is backlogged and predominantly affected areas will be considered first.
- If you are generally in good health and have mild symptoms, stay home and take care of yourself like you would for a cold or the flu.
- Due to limited testing, we are asking citizens to follow CDC and DSHS guidelines, practice ‘social isolation,’ and call your doctor if you are exhibiting symptoms.
- If you need help finding a doctor or accessing medical care, call 2-1-1 and they can direct you to low- or no-cost providers in your area.
- Utilities through the City will continue. The City will not impose fees for late utility payments and utilities will not be shut off at this time.
We are acutely aware how this is affecting healthcare, business, socialization, and the everyday life of our citizens. We are also mindful this is not simply a Hood County issue. This is a global issue. We are in this together. If there is one thing of which we are certain, Granbury will come together as we always do, persevere and be better for it when this crisis comes to an end. We will come out of this not unscathed, but we will come out united and strong.
Mayor Nin Hulett
Councilmember Eddie Rodriquez, Place 2
Councilmember Bruce Wadley, Place 3
Councilmember Trish Reiner, Place 4
Councilmember Tony Mobly, Place 5
Councilmember Greg Corrigan, Place 6
City Manager, Chris Coffman
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