FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 23, 2021
Contact: pio@victoriatxoem.org

WAITLIST REGISTRATION OPENS FOR THOSE 18 YEARS AND OLDER

Victoria City and County officials announced today that all individuals 18 and older can begin registering online for the COVID-19 vaccination waitlist to be vaccinated as early as Thursday, April 1, per new DSHS guidelines.

Residents can register to be placed on the COVID-19 vaccination waitlist at www.victoriawaitlist.com, or by contacting the hotline at 888-966-5640 between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday - Friday.

Individuals will be selected at random to receive a vaccine and will be called or emailed a single-use link with instructions about how to setup a time to get vaccinated at the Victoria Community Center. Individuals contacted will have 48 hours to complete the clinic appointment registration before the opportunity is offered to someone else. If the selected person doesn’t complete registration, they will be put back on the waitlist.

Prior to the Tuesday clinic, the Victoria mass vaccination hub has performed approximately 16,801 first dose vaccinations and 6,408 2nd doses. Over 6,400 people have now been fully vaccinated through the Victoria hub.

Victoria City/County officials, including the mayor pro-tem and judge, emergency response officials and area hospitals, continue to work together to meet the needs of the community, inform the community about state vaccine allocations and provide logistical support to Victoria’s area health care facilities.

The following organizations have worked to organize the vaccination clinic:
• Victoria County Public Health Department
• Victoria City/County Office of Emergency Management
• City of Victoria
• Victoria County
• Citizens Medical Center
• DeTar Healthcare System
• Post Acute Medical

Detailed information about vaccine eligibility can be found on the DSHS website at https://www.dshs.state.tx.us/coronavirus/immunize/vaccine.aspx. For more information, visit www.vcphd.org, follow the Victoria County Public Health Department on Facebook, follow our other participating partners’ social media pages, or visit www.victoriatxoem.org.

Waitlist opens to those 18 and older.pdf

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 12, 2021
Contact: pio@victoriatxoem.org

WAITLIST REGISTRATION OPENS FOR THOSE 50 YEARS AND OLDER

Victoria City and County officials announced today that people in the 1C vaccination phase can begin registering online for the COVID-19 waitlist this weekend. Texas Phase 1C includes people 50-64 years of age. Vaccination for those in this phase can begin Monday, March 15th per new DSHS guidelines.

Those wanting to register on the waitlist should visit http://victoriawaitlist.com. Registrants can type this link directly or access the site from the vaccine information link at http://vcphd.org. Those without internet access can call to register via the COVID vaccine hotline at 888-966-5640 between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday – Friday. Online and phone registrations will remain open until all waitlist slots are filled. There will be set amount of spots allocated for each method of registration. Future vaccination clinic appointments will be filled from names on the waitlist.

Individual who register on Victoriawaitlist.com will be placed on a “smart waitlist,” which the Victoria County Public Health Department (VCPHD) will use to select (at random) and contact those who are eligible for an appointment as vaccines become available. Once individuals are selected to receive a vaccine, they will be called or emailed a single-use link with instructions on how to select a time to get vaccinated at the Victoria Community Center. Individuals contacted for a vaccine have 48 hours to complete the clinic appointment registration before the opportunity is offered to someone else. If the selected person doesn’t complete registration, they will be put back on the waitlist. This process will help prevent VCPHD from experiencing delays in getting out the vaccine each week. The “smart waitlist” system does not use a first-come, first-served process for allocating vaccine appointments. Phone and online registrants have equal chance of being selected. Individuals in Phases 1A, 1B and educators and childcare workers will be prioritized for vaccination over those in Phase 1C.

To date, the Victoria mass vaccination hub has performed approximately 14,500 first dose vaccinations and 4,500 2nd doses. Over 4,500 people have now been fully vaccinated through the Victoria hub.

Victoria City/County officials, including the mayor pro-tem and judge, emergency response officials and area hospitals, continue to work together to meet the needs of the community, inform the community about state vaccine allocations and provide logistical support to Victoria’s area health care facilities.

The following organizations have worked to organize the vaccination clinic:
• Victoria County Public Health Department
• Victoria City/County Office of Emergency Management
• City of Victoria
• Victoria County
• Citizens Medical Center
• DeTar Healthcare System
• Post Acute Medical

Phase 1A includes health care workers, emergency service providers and others with an increased
risk of coming into contact with the coronavirus, while Phase 1B includes those at an increased
risk for severe illness from COVID-19 and people aged 65 and older. School staff, childcare
personnel and those 50 to 64 years old are the most recent to become eligible. Detailed
information about vaccine eligibility can be found on the DSHS website at
https://www.dshs.state.tx.us/coronavirus/immunize/vaccine.aspx.

For more information, visit www.vcphd.org, follow the Victoria County Public Health
Department on Facebook, follow our other participating partners’ social media pages, or visit
www.victoriatxoem.org.

Waitlist opens to those 50-64.pdf

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 24, 2021
Contact: oem@vctx.org
Phone: 361.580.5770

OFFICIALS CONTINUE CLEANUP OF HAZARDOUS SPILL IN DRY CREEK

Emergency officials continue to monitor cleanup efforts of the red diesel spill into Dry Creek that occurred in the 2700 block of Old Goliad Road on Sunday.

According to Emergency Management Coordinator Rick McBrayer and Victoria County Fire Marshal Richard Castillo the response and recovery is going well.

“Atlas, the responsible party, is being very cooperative in their response and recovery efforts,” McBrayer said. “They have two hazmat contractors on the scene and have vacuumed a little over 75,000 gallons of liquid from Dry Creek so far.”

Chief Castillo said an additional 10 vacuum trucks will be brought in today to assist in cleanup efforts. Additional berms and protective measures will be added to the creek today.

Officials said traffic control measures are in place on roadways in the area of the spill. The public should expect traffic delays on Old Goliad Road and should be aware of heavy equipment activity on the roadway.

Yesterday’s investigation and analysis revealed only 12 residents whose property backs up to Dry Creek were affected by the spill. These residents were contacted and water samples were taken and sent for analysis. Authorities are confident that the water wells are safe.

Authorities do not anticipate any other associated hazards at this time.

Environmental agencies such as Texas Parks and Wildlife will arrive on-scene today to begin assessing recovery needs.

Additional information will be provided as it becomes available.

Media Alert Officials work hazardous spill follow up.pdf

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 23, 2021
Contact: oem@vctx.org
Phone: 361.580.5770

OFFICIALS WORK HAZARDOUS SPILL IN DRY CREEK OFF OF LOOP 463 IN VICTORIA COUNTY

Local, state and federal officials are currently on the scene of a hazardous spill off of Loop 463 in Victoria County. Approximately 15,000 gallons of red diesel from a frack tank has entered the waterway into Dry Creek in the area around Old Goliad Road and Bob White Road. Authorities are on the scene assessing the extent of the damage.

“Preliminary findings are that there will be significant effects on wildlife and drinking water on both sides of Loop 463 in this area,” said Victoria City/County Emergency Management Coordinator Rick McBrayer.

Victoria County Judge Ben Zeller said, “Details are still being determined; however, it appears to be a significant environmental and public safety hazard. Local, state, and federal agencies are onsite at this time. We will update the community at a press briefing onsite at 3 p.m.”

Background: On Sunday afternoon, a concerned citizen alerted the Victoria County Sheriff’s Office that there was diesel in Dry Creek. Texas Department of Emergency Management (TDEM) and Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) were contacted and an investigation was opened into the matter. After authorities gained access to private property along Dry Creek, they confirmed that the spill was much larger than originally indicated. Atlas Oil, the company associated with the spill, is actively working on mitigation efforts with its private contractors.

Additional information will be provided as it becomes available.