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The Austin area’s head of public health said Friday that if trends continue to improve, the community could revert to level 3 pandemic guidelines by early next week – but not in time for those who wish to expose themselves while watching the Lyrics to hit songs from headliners like Billie Eilish and Duran Duran.
Austin City Limits Festival attendees fully vaccinated against the coronavirus will continue to wear masks in public this weekend after Dr. Austin-Travis County’s health department Desmar Walkes has decided to wait a few more days before easing pandemic restrictions.
More:COVID data from the Austin area for October shows significant improvements in hospital stays and vaccinations
Walkes said four cases of COVID-19 were confirmed among ACL attendees on the first show weekend. The public health director said her hopeful cases will remain low if festival goers follow the rules, wear masks, and stay socially aloof during the event.
“If the trend continues, it is very likely that this will happen,” said Walkes of the move to phase 3. “It all depends on us. It all depends on community action and response to this pandemic; It’s always been like that. We are hopeful. We are confident. We have done it before and will do it again. “
More:ACL Eats: Best Austin City Lunch Bunch ate at ACL Fest
Only 17 patients were newly hospitalized for COVID-19 on Friday, bringing the seven-day moving average to 21. Austin Public Health uses the average to determine how the most medically vulnerable can protect themselves from the coronavirus, according to the agency’s risk-based guidelines.
The 21 Friday average was the lowest since July 15 when he was 22 and was a decrease from September 30.
More:The Austin area has passed level 3, but health officials are not ready to change guidelines yet
Austin Public Health’s risk-based guidelines range from Level 1 to Level 5, which indicates the highest level of threat to the spread of the coronavirus in the community. The Austin area is currently in the Level 3 area when the rolling average is between 15 and 29.
However, the area is still technically in phase 4 until health authorities move down to the relaxed restrictions.
According to the level 3 rules, it would be safe enough for anyone who is fully vaccinated to shop and dine indoors and to congregate outdoors without wearing a mask. Even those at high risk of severe COVID-19 symptoms but who are fully vaccinated can safely shop outdoors and congregate outdoors without a face covering.
More:The Austin Health Officer offers last minute tips for avoiding COVID infection at the ACL Fest
For unvaccinated individuals, Level 3 would allow them to shop, eat, travel, and hang out with others both indoors and outdoors safely when masked. High risk individuals and the unvaccinated should only gather, travel, shop, and dine when absolutely necessary and while masked.
However, Walkes said Friday that moving to Phase 3 early next week could involve some policy adjustments, adding that full details of those changes are still being worked out.
“We are rethinking our risk-based guidelines and taking the current situation into account,” said Walkes. or those who aren’t vaccinated and can develop the flu. ”
More:Austin is returning to Phase 4 after a steady decline in COVID-19 cases, health officials say
Austin Public Health tracked 255 people hospitalized with COVID-19 on Friday, the fourth day fewer than 300 were in the hospital, and a continuous improvement over the pandemic record of 653 patients set six weeks ago on August 25 became.
Up to 105 people were in intensive care units in the Austin area because of COVID-19. That number hit a pandemic record of 237 on August 22nd. The 75 coronavirus patients on ventilators were also a big change in the right direction from the pandemic record of 174 set on August 29th.
As of Friday, 81.36% of Travis County’s residents age 12 and older had received at least one dose of vaccine. Approximately 71.53% of the district residents aged 12 and over are fully vaccinated. (Boys under the age of 12 are not yet eligible to take the vaccine.)
Nationwide, 72.37% of Texans 12 and over have received at least one dose of vaccine. About 62.50% of Texans 12 and over are fully vaccinated.
More:“2 Arms, 2 Shots”: Austin Health Leaders Urge Flu And COVID Vaccines To Relieve Hospitals
Meanwhile, Texas recorded 7,004 people in hospital for COVID-19 on Friday, prolonging a series of declining numbers and improvement after hitting a summer high of 13,932 on August 26.
The pandemic peak in January was 14,218 Texans hospitalized.
The Texas Department of State Health Services also reported 503 available occupied intensive care beds for adult patients, up from the pandemic low of 270 on September 9. Although the state only had 95 pediatric ICU beds occupied, that is still much higher than the pandemic low of 64 beds reported on Aug. 4.
A critical shortage of available occupied ICU beds of 34 adult beds and eight cots remained in the State Health Services trauma service region of 11 counties in central Texas, which includes the greater Austin area. The region hit a pandemic low of zero beds in the adult intensive care unit on September 5 and zero beds in the intensive care unit for children on September 4.
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