Tyler Reporter

City of Tyler issued the following announcement on May 15

The Smith County Emergency Operations Center continues to be active and meeting to coordinate the best response for the Smith County community.

Re-opening resources available to business owners from the State of Texas: www.TDEM.texas.gov/essentialservices

PLEASE NOTE: JIC updates are sent Mondays through Fridays. Any necessary weekend notifications about COVID-19 case numbers or patients will be made by the Northeast Texas Health District.

 Northeast Texas Public Health District

There are no new confirmed  COVID-19 case for a total of 189 positive cases in Smith County as of Friday, May 15 at 2 p.m.

There are 4 COVID-19 related fatalities within Smith County as of Friday, May 15 at 2 p.m.

There are currently 135 reported recovered cases in Smith County as of Friday, May 15 at 2 p.m. *Please note: recovery numbers will be updated on Tuesdays and Fridays.

Active cases in Smith County: : 50 

The Northeast Texas Public Health District, in partnership with the local government, hospital systems and colleges, has established an additional call center to assist with novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pre-screening for individuals without primary care physicians.

Should you be experiencing or developing COVID-19 symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting, fever, cough or shortness of breath, call (903) 617-6404 to speak with a representative who will make referrals to physicians.

*Northeast Texas Public Health District PIO: Terrence Ates, (903) 343-5451

Mobile Testing Site at Harvey Convention Center for May 12, 13 & 14

The following account is the number of total tests collected in the Smith County site at Harvey Hall: 

Tuesday, May 12: 168

Wednesday, May 13: 142

Thursday, May 14: 104

Total number of tests collected: 414

City of Tyler

The City of Tyler has created a phased re-open plan for our services and facilities. Many departments will continue to serve the community through modified operations during this phased approach. All open facilities will adhere to the capacity limit set forth by the Governor. The City of Tyler will be rigorously adhering to all social distancing and hygiene standards. We encourage our customers to continue utilizing all online resources to limit face-to-face contact with our staff for both the customer’s and our staff’s protection.

See a complete list of closures and facility phone information below. This list is subject to change and will be updated on the City’s website.

https://www.cityoftyler.org/government/departments/communications/coronavirus-updates

City of Tyler PIO: Jenny Wells, (903) 944-9136

Smith County

Most of Smith County’s offices opened back up to the public on Friday, May 1, after the local and state “Stay at Home” Orders expired April 30.

Most county offices that had limited in-person contact with the public will reopen in a manner consistent with the guidelines and directives of the Governor Gregg Abbott’s Office and reflective of the phased reopening of private businesses. Some offices are changing the way they interact with the public while others will keep their doors closed for a bit longer. Even though Smith County officials have revised the way some of their offices offer services to help stop the spread of COVID-19, essential services have never stopped. Jury duty continues to be suspended through at least June 1. For a full list of adjusted Smith County services, please visit https://www.smith-county.com/government/departments/corona-virus-information.

Smith County PIO: Casey Murphy, (903) 590-4607

Tyler Independent School District

Tyler ISD will host in-person outdoor graduation ceremonies June 3 through June 6 at CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Rose Stadium. All candidates for graduation and guests will be required to follow TEA and state mandated health protocols including social distancing guidelines and safety and security measures at each ceremony.  Please visit www.tylerisd.org/graduation for additional information.

For district updates such as grading, GPA, Distance Learning information and other frequently asked questions, go to www.tylerisd.org/covid19.  

TISD PIO: Jennifer Hines, (903) 521-5887

Hospital Updates

Due to CDC recommendation, CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances is asking all patients, visitors and employees to wear a mask while visiting our facilities. Homemade cloth masks are appropriate for visitors. Providers and health care workers will continue to use appropriate medical masks (PPE) when working.

Both CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic and UT Health East Texas have expanded telehealth services and online screening tools to best serve their patients. Telehealth services will be HIPPA-compliant.

If you are experiencing or developing COVID-19 symptoms such as fever, cough or shortness of breath, call to speak with a clinician who will provide telephonic triage and make appropriate referrals in accordance with CDC guidelines. Additionally, you may visit www.coronavirus.gov and take a “Coronavirus Self-Checker” assessment. This will help you communicate symptoms to your doctor when you call their office before making a visit.

To coordinate prescreening and referral directly with UT Health East Texas, patients may call (903) 596- DOCS.

To coordinate prescreening and referral directly with CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances, patients may call (903) 606-DOCS.

 **In the event of an emergency, call 911.

Texas Department of Public Safety

Last week, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) began offering an alternative issuance process for Texas learner license holders, as well as alternatives for individuals seeking a commercial learner permit (CLP) or additional endorsements on their commercial driver license (CDL). These changes come as Texas driver license (DL) offices remain closed due to COVID-19.

The Texas Department of Public Safety has established a webpage to answer frequently asked questions about required quarantine regarding air travel:

https://www.dps.texas.gov/COVIDtravel/

At the direction of Governor Greg Abbott and in light of the governor's State of Disaster Declaration related to the COVID-19, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) has been directed to extend the expiration date of Texas identification cards (ID), driver licenses (DL), commercial DLs (CDL) and election identification certificates (EIC). Additionally, the department has been directed to close DL offices, effective Thursday, March 19, until directed to reopen by the governor. These actions come as the state works to limit the ongoing spread of COVID-19 by increasing social distancing in communities.  

Customers can conduct their transactions online, by phone or by mail. DPS encourages Texans to check the expiration date on their card and call 1-866-DL-RENEW (1-886-357-3639) or visit Texas.gov to see if you're eligible to conduct your transaction online.

If your Texas DL, ID, CLP, CDL card or EIC expires on or after March 13, 2020, you are granted a waiver for the expiration date for 60 days after the Department provides further public notice that normal operations have resumed. You may download a copy of the Verification of Driver License Expiration Extension (PDF) notice. All local and state law enforcement officials have been notified of this expiration waiver. When the Department resumes normal operations, you will be able to renew without any penalty.

The fee is the same for online, in-person and telephone renewals. For additional information about renewing your DL or ID card, visit the DPS website. Address changes and replacement of a lost DL or ID can also be taken care of online (or by mail) in many instances. Find out if you are eligible for online services by visiting Texas.gov.

DPS PIO: Jean Dark, (903) 330-2433

Original source can be found here.

Source: City of Tyler