COVID-19 cases have begun to creep into city spaces with an outbreak and subsequent closure of the Motor Vehicle Registration office in the Nueces County Courthouse. Courtesy photo
Nueces County vehicle registration still available via mail, online, or at H-E-Bs
An outbreak of COVID-19 cases closed the Motor Vehicle Registration office in the Nueces County Courthouse on Aug. 25 until further notice. Several employees in the office have tested positive for the coronavirus in recent days as the highly contagious delta variant spreads rapidly across the Coastal Bend.
“Be attentive to your own condition,” said Corpus Christi Mayor Paulette Guajardo at the Corpus Christi and Nueces County joint news conference Aug. 25 regarding the local impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Those who get the delta get very sick, very quickly.”
As a precaution, employees who have tested positive and their co-workers must self-isolate to prevent the possible spread of the virus. Other county offices are not impacted at this time. The county is taking necessary disinfecting measures and conducting contact tracing.
“The size of the outbreak requires us to close the courthouse office immediately to prevent further infections and protect the health and safety of our motor vehicle employees and our residents,” said Kevin Kieschnick, Nueces County tax assessor-collector. “We appreciate the patience and understanding of our customers during this unprecedented wave of infection and encourage everyone to see if they can conduct their business using our online, mail, and retail registration options. We will restore in-person service at the courthouse as soon as it is safe to do so.”
Most routine motor vehicle registrations can be renewed without going to the courthouse. Services are available at many H-E-B stores; by mail at P.O. Box 2810, Corpus Christi, TX 78403; or online.
Nueces County Judge Barbara Canales also spoke at the community briefing and encouraged residents to view the Nueces Knows website for answers to questions about the COVID-19 vaccine.
Hospitalized COVID-19 patients on Aug. 25 totaled 526. In the one-week period since Aug. 18, people diagnosed with COVID-19 numbered 3,683, the most since July 2020. Canales said that 37 percent of the beds in all of the hospitals in Nueces County are occupied by COVID-19 patients, the highest percentage since the pandemic began.
Cases and hospitalizations are likely reaching a peak, said Dr. Christopher Bird, an associate professor at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, who also spoke at the news conference.
Vaccination sites have been set up across the city with recent funding approved by the City Council. People can register online for vaccination clinics.
