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Austin-Travis County announced Thursday that it is returning to Level 3 of its COVID-19 guidelines.
AUSTIN, Texas – The Austin and Travis County’s leaders have updated their risk-based COVID-19 guidelines, and you may be wondering what that means in terms of masking.
If you’re fully vaccinated in Austin, you don’t need to wear a mask to private indoor and outdoor gatherings as per current area’s risk-based guidelines. Fully vaccinated individuals may also go without a mask when eating or shopping, unless the store requires it.
Austin-Travis County announced Thursday that it is returning to Level 3 of its COVID-19 guidelines. However, Austin Public Health guidelines on when vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals should wear a mask remain the same.
Low-risk individuals are advised to wear a mask to private indoor and outdoor gatherings, travel, dining, and shopping if they are not fully vaccinated at Level 3.
Fully vaccinated individuals are still advised to wear a mask when traveling. Unvaccinated or partially vaccinated people are advised to continue to wear a mask.
Those at high risk who are partially vaccinated or unvaccinated should avoid non-essential indoor and outdoor private gatherings, eating, shopping, and travel.
BREAKING: Austin-Travis County announced this morning that it is returning to Level 3 of its risk-based COVID-19 guidelines. pic.twitter.com/ak3pUayuos
– Tori Larned (@ToriLarnedtv) July 15, 2021
“We have to do what we are doing today, which is to encourage people to get vaccinated,” said Dr. Desmar Walkes, APH medical director. “And those who are unprotected because they are either not or only partially vaccinated encourage them and strongly recommend that they wear masks until they are fully protected.”
The guidelines change comes after APH confirmed four cases of the Delta variant in Travis County on Wednesday. The leaders also said there had been a “dramatic increase in COVID cases” at a press conference in Austin over the past few days on Thursday morning.
Low risk people are advised to avoid social gatherings with more than 10 people below level 3.
“It is important to read the room and assess the risk to yourself and your family, especially if you are not vaccinated,” Walkes said in a press release. “Especially since school starts in four weeks, we need to keep working to ensure that everyone 12 or older is vaccinated to protect our community.”
Austin Public Health updated its guidelines for each phase in May to include vaccinated individuals.
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