Williamson County expanding COVID-19 testing

WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Texas - Williamson County officials have announced that it is expanding its COVID-19 testing efforts in accordance with Gov. Greg Abbott's request to expand statewide testing. 

On April 27, the Willaimson County Commissions Court agreed to provide a number of COVID-19 tests and personal protection equipment (PPE) to the company Family Emergency Room. The county says the company will be administering the testing services at no cost to the county or the public. 

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“I am pleased that through this public-private partnership, we are able to expand our testing capabilities for Williamson County residents,” said Wiliamson County Judge Bill Gravell. “With several locations around the county offering free tests for people exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms, we will be better able to detect and isolate positive cases, limiting the spread of the disease.”

In order to be tested, residents in the county must access the new online screening tool on the county's website, which was developed by Williamson County and Cities Health Department.

The screening tool can be found here.

The county says the screening tool is designed to ensure that tests are prioritized for those who need them most. Williamson County residents can then be tested at either 3620 E. Whitestone Blvd, Cedar Park; or 1925 A.W. Grimes Blvd, Round Rock. 

The CEO of Family Emergency Room, Dr. Henry Higgins, says he is honored to be part of the county's new initiative, “As a trusted community resource, Family Emergency Room is prepared to do its part to help combat this virus.  Our mission is to treat our patients like our family, and we know we do our best when we serve our patients well.  We are grateful for the opportunity to serve our community during this historic time.”

Dr. Higgins told FOX7 that his facilities are prepared to do 200 test a day and are prepared to hire more staff if the number of authorizations from the County  increase.

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