NEWS
Texas to provide COVID-19 vaccine for large vaccination hubs
Next week, Texas will direct most of the COVID-19 vaccine received from the federal government to large providers who can vaccinate a total of more than 100,000 people. Additional vaccine will be distributed to smaller providers in other parts of the state.
As the vaccination effort continues to expand to people who are at a greater risk of hospitalization and death, in addition to front-line health care workers, these vaccination hubs will provide people in those priority populations with identifiable sites where vaccination is occurring and a simpler way to sign-up for an appointment with each provider.
Providers that receive the larger amounts of vaccine will vaccinate health care workers, people who are 65 and older, and those who have a medical condition that increases their risk of severe disease or death. They also agree to provide a registration phone number and website and focus on areas and populations hardest hit by COVID-19 while vaccinating people from surrounding areas.
The Texas Department of State Health Services surveyed vaccine providers about their capacity to operate large, community vaccination sites the week of Jan. 11 and will publish a list of vaccine hub providers later this week once vaccine allocation is finalized.
Large and small sites around Texas will receive a total of about 200,000 doses of vaccine next week. That will be the last week the state is required to reserve doses to vaccinate residents and staff of long-term care facilities under the federal pharmacy-LTC partnership, freeing up more vaccine for use in other settings in the future.
Vaccine remains limited based on the capacity of the manufacturers to produce it, so it will take time for Texas to receive enough vaccine for the people in the priority populations who want to be vaccinated. The supply is expected to increase in the coming months, and additional vaccines are in clinical trials and may be authorized by the Food and Drug Administration. Providers should use all doses allocated to administer the first dose of vaccine to people. There is no need to reserve shots for a second dose because they will get a matching number of doses for that at the appropriate time.
People can find more information on COVID-19 vaccine and its availability at dshs.texas.gov/coronavirus/immunize/vaccine.aspx.
Bowie fire and police emergency personnel responded to this structure fire call around 10:30 a.m. Friday morning. No details were available at this time on a possible cause, possibly from trash inside the station or inside a vehicle. (News photo by Barbara Green)
Gregory Bell, 58, Saint Jo, was found guilty of the murder of Tia Hutson, 50, also of Saint Jo after less than an hour of jury deliberation Thursday afternoon.
She was found beaten and raped in her home in August 2022 and six days later never regaining consciousness. The jury also deliberated Bell’s sentence giving him the maximum life in prison and a $10,000 find. It took them less than half an hour to make the decision. A deadly finding also determined a large flashlight was used as a deadly weapon.
As the jury left the courtroom some members were seen hugging Trevor Riley, Tia Hutson’s who had given a powerful victim’s statement to the court.
Staff and volunteers at the Bowie Mission continue to be plagued by people who dump their unwanted furniture and other items at their gates and doors. Despite having signs stating this is illegal and that there are surveillance cameras on scene, dumpers don’t seem to be phased.
This past week several large pieces of furniture were dumped right in front of the gate where the trailer used to go pick up food bank items is stored. Cynthia Brewer, director said most of the volunteers are older and it is difficult to get these large items moved out of the way. She is at her wit’s end trying to get people to stop dumping and while she hesitates to file police charges the situation is getting untenable as people continue to violate the policy.
Anyone who observes illegal dumping at the mission is urged to call the police 872-2251.
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