COVID-19 Update
CHRISTUS St. Michael Health System to host second regional COVID-19 Vaccination Hub Clinic
CHRISTUS St. Michael Health System will host a second COVID-19 Vaccination Hub Clinic during the weekend of Feb. 20 and 21. CHRISTUS St. Michael was designated by the State of Texas to serve the Texarkana area region as a vaccine hub and is working in partnership with Bowie County, the City of Texarkana, TX, the Emergency Operations Center, Texas A&M University-Texarkana and Texarkana College to provide vaccinations.
The second round of Moderna first-dose vaccinations is also occurring by appointment only. Walk-in and wait-list appointments are not available. To schedule an appointment for Feb. 20 or 21, visit vaccinate.christushealth.org. The appointment schedule will open at 12:30 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 15. You will be asked to answer the questions in the yellow chat box on the right of the screen to determine if you meet guidelines for receiving the vaccine. Individuals may also call the following dedicated phone line for information and registration for a vaccination appointment at this hub vaccination clinic: (877) 335-5746.
As directed by state guidelines, the vaccines for the second hub are designated for individuals in the 1A and 1B categories. Criteria includes:
Phase 1A
Focus on health care workers
Phase 1B
--People 65 years of age and older
--People 18 years of age and older with at least one chronic medical condition that puts them at increased risk for several illness from the virus that causes COVID-19 such as but not limited to:
o Cancer
According to Francine Francis, Director of Marketing/ Communications at CHRISTUS St. Michael Health System “People from Cass County are welcome to register to get an appointment for the CHRISTUS St. Michael clinic hub in Texarkana.”
Update from Texas DSHS
Texas to receive more than 400,000 first doses of COVID-19 vaccine next week
More than one million Texans are fully vaccinated
The state of Texas will receive 407,650 first doses of COVID-19 vaccine from the federal government for the week of Feb. 15. The Texas Department of State Health Services has instructed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to ship those doses to 302 providers in 158 counties across Texas. That includes 85 hub providers that will focus on broader community vaccination efforts including the hardest hit populations and areas in exchange for a steady supply of vaccine from week to week. An additional 217 providers will receive doses next week with a focus on those that serve older adults, such as health departments, pharmacies, federally qualified health centers, community and rural clinics, and some medical practices that specialize in care for older adults.
On top of the state allocation, the federal government has shipped 80,000 doses of vaccine to 376 pharmacy locations across the state as part of the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program. Pharmacies participating in Texas include CVS, H-E-B, Walmart and a consortium of independent pharmacies. Details of both allocations are available on the DSHS vaccine allocations page. Cass County residents should check on the website and then call CVS. When the Journal-Sun last checked the Vaccine was not at the Atlanta CVS as of yet. We will call from day to day to check.
In addition to the first doses mentioned above, the state is ordering 333,650 doses intended as the second dose for people first vaccinated a few weeks ago. DSHS is working with providers to make sure that they order the number of second doses they need at the appropriate time. People should be able to return to the same provider to receive their second dose within six weeks of getting the first.
Texas providers have administered more than 3.8 million doses of vaccine. Nearly 2.8 million people have received at least one dose, and over one million have been fully vaccinated. While 72 percent of Texans have been vaccinated in their home county, it is not a requirement, and vaccine has been administered to residents of all 254 counties.
Texas continues to vaccinate health care workers, residents of long-term care facilities, people 65 and older and those with medical conditions that put them at greater risk of hospitalization and death from COVID-19. 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 all the people in the priority populations who want to be vaccinated. Currently, there is not enough vaccine to supply every provider with vaccine every week.
People can find more information on COVID-19 vaccine at https://www.dshs.texas.gov/covidvaccine/.
DPS Issues Official 60-Day Notification that DL Expiration Waiver Ends in April
The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) has officially issued the 60-day notice that the COVID-related waiver on expiration dates for driver licenses (DLs) and identification cards (IDs) ends on April 14, 2021. Therefore, DPS continues to urge customers to make an appointment or renew online today. The department first advised the public that the waiver would end two months ago.
To assist customers with expired licenses who are unable to schedule an appointment prior to the April 14 deadline, DPS has implemented a new procedure. If a customer has a renewal appointment that falls after the deadline, they will be able to request a temporary driving permit that will be valid until their appointment date. For additional details on the new procedure, please visit the DPS website.
The expiration waiver, originally granted by Governor Greg Abbott in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, applied to DLs, commercial DLs, commercial learner permits, ID cards and election identification certificates that expired on or after March 13, 2020.
Vehicle Title & Registration Waiver Ends April 14, 2021
If you’re overdue, it’s time to renew! The temporary waiver of certain vehicle title and registration requirements, announced by Governor Greg Abbott on March 16, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will end at 11:59 p.m. on April 14, 2021. The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) reminds Texans to complete any overdue transactions now.
“It is not necessary to wait until the deadline,” said TxDMV Executive Director Whitney Brewster. “The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles continued to offer registration renewal and other important services throughout the waiver period. Fortunately, many Texans are already in compliance with the requirements.”
Three ways to renew your vehicle registration:
Online: Visit TxDMV.gov or www.Texas.gov. This is the quickest and least expensive way to renew. Save $1 if you renew online. Online renewal is available up to nine months past your registration expiration date.
Mail: Return the bottom portion of your registration renewal form, payment and other required information to your county tax assessor-collector.
In Person: Visit the office of your county tax assessor-collector. In many counties, in-person renewal is also available at other locations, such as certain grocery stores. Contact your county tax office to check hours and locations.
Reminder: Before renewing registration, Texans will need to obtain a passing vehicle inspection at the state vehicle inspection station of their choice, unless their vehicle is exempt from inspection requirements.
The expiring temporary waiver covers the following services:
Initial vehicle registration.
Vehicle registration renewal.
Vehicle titling.
Renewal of permanent disabled parking placards.
30-day temporary permits.