Starr County Judge Eloy Vera confirmed the Texas National Guard will begin administering COVID-19 vaccines as part of Gov. Greg Abbott's mobile vaccine pilot program on Saturday, Jan. 30.

Only Tier 1A and Tier 1B residents who pre-registered online will be able to get vaccinated at Rio Grande City High School located on 5726 Farm to Market Road on 755.

Vera said the county will call registered residents with the time of their appointment, adding that the Texas National Guard will be back to administer more vaccines in the coming weeks. 

The confirmed event comes hours after Abbott announced the Texas National Guard personnel are being sent to five underserved counties in Texas, including Starr, to administer vaccines to qualified Texans in those communities. 

"The State Mobile Vaccine Pilot Program will help us ramp up vaccination efforts among homebound Texans, Texans 65 years of age or older, and among communities in need," Abbott said in a statement. "I thank TDEM, the Texas National Guard, as well as our participating city and county officials for working together on this important project. We will continue to develop strategies to vaccinate more Texans and keep our communities safe."

Starr County is set to receive two ultra-cold freezers, needed to properly store Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine. 

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Editor's note: This story has been updated with new details from Starr County Judge Eloy Vera. and Starr County Health Authority Dr. Antonio Falcon.