Coronavirus response has brought Tarrant County together, Judge Glen Whitley says
Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley touched on voting, health care and the county’s coronavirus response on Friday during a virtual State of the County address.
The pandemic has been difficult, Whitley said, but it has allowed residents to come together. People have helped each other with food, money and essentials. Nonprofits also stepped up, he said.
When the coronavirus hit in March, Whitley said, the county worked to keep hospitals under capacity as cases surged nationwide. Decisions to close businesses, establish a mask mandate and limit gatherings were made after deliberation with local officials and weighing how it would help the county slow the spread of the virus.
The county is still distributing money from the CARES Act stimulus to those who need help with rent or assistance with their business. The county has allocated $30 million for small businesses and $30 million for rental assistance and aid for non-governmental organizations. So far, about $17.6 million has been given in business assistance and about $7.8 million to renters and organizations.
The county has until Dec. 30 to use the funds or it goes back to the federal government.
Tarrant County and most of Texas is back open. Restaurants, bars, retailers, universities and school districts have been open in the county.
The positivity rate is 12%, which means the novel coronavirus is rampant, Vinny Taneja, the county’s public health director, told county commissioners on Tuesday.
Taneja attributes the increase to COVID fatigue: People are tired of hearing about the virus, there are more gatherings, schools and businesses are open, and athletic events are happening.
JPS improvements
Whitley announced to the public that the county is moving forward with its voter-funded $1.2 billion John Peter Smith Hospital improvement plan.
The program manager will oversee the addition of a new behavioral and mental health hospital, four regional medical centers, an outpatient surgery center and increased bed space among other improvements. Contract negotiations could take up to six weeks before commissioners consider it for approval.
“We’re going to do a significant emphasis on mental health because that’s what y’all said y’all were looking for,” Whitley said during his address.
Tarrant County voters approved a $800 million bond for the $1.2 billion project in November 2018 with over 80% of the vote. It was the first bond requested for the hospital since 1985.
Voting
Whitley promoted the voting centers, which allow people to vote at any site in the county on Election Day and a new interactive map that shows wait times at voting locations across the county.
Early voting started in the county on Oct. 13. As of Friday afternoon, more than 420,000 people have voted. That represents about 35% of the county’s registered voters. The county is on pace for a record turnout.
After huge crowds and long lines were reported during the first week of early voting, the lines have become more manageable in recent days.
Early voting for the Nov. 3 election continues through Oct. 30. Voters can see locations at the Tarrant County website.
