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At least a dozen cases of the Delta variant, a highly contagious mutation of the coronavirus, have been confirmed in the Austin area in a third wave of COVID-19 cases that weighed on local hospitals and caused federal health professionals to tighten mask guidelines.
Dr. Austin-Travis County’s health department Desmar Walkes on Tuesday urged people to continue wearing masks in public places regardless of their vaccination status – indoors and outdoors when social distancing is not an option – and to get vaccinated if they can haven’t done yet.
“The spread of it puts a strain on our hospital systems,” Walkes said of the Delta variant. “For every 100 cases of COVID-19 we have, there is one person who dies of COVID-19. And that’s one person too many.”
Walkes’ testimony came just hours before the National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday reversed course and urged fully vaccinated people to return to wearing masks indoors, especially in places where the disease could easily spread .
“The Delta variant shows its willingness to trick us and be an opportunist every day,” said CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky on Tuesday. “On rare occasions, some vaccinated people infected with the Delta variant after vaccination can be contagious and transmit the virus to others. … This new science is worrying and unfortunately warrants an update of our recommendations.”
Walkes told Travis County commissioners Tuesday that the Delta variant continued to be responsible for a rapid surge in local hospital admissions and new cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. However, the lack of rigorous testing for the variant at the state and local levels has made it impossible to determine how widespread the Delta variant has become beyond the 12 confirmed cases, she said.
“We are excited to see the CDC recommending what Austin and Travis County’s health leaders recommended to our community last week,” Austin public health officials said in a statement Tuesday. “We will continue to follow all CDC guidelines to help protect our community.”
Higher level of risk
Austin Public Health last week moved Austin and Travis County to Stage 4 of the agency’s risk-based guidelines, which require all residents, regardless of vaccination status, to wear masks in public places.
It also means that partially vaccinated or unvaccinated individuals should no longer shop, eat, or travel unless strictly required by Austin Public Health guidelines.
The guidelines range from the lowest threat of the spread of the coronavirus in phase 1 to the highest in phase 5. They have been used for more than a year to help residents understand the risk to the community while also providing guidelines on how to Avoid transmission or infect the disease.
More:Austin-Travis County recommends masks and is moving to level 4 of the COVID rules
Austin Public Health uses the seven-day moving average of new daily hospital admissions for COVID-19 to determine risk levels. The threshold for triggering level 4 is when the average daily new admissions to the hospital is between 30 and 50.
The weekly average of daily admissions was 42 on Tuesday.
Masks for school children
The CDC on Tuesday also recommended internal masking for all teachers, staff, students and visitors in schools from kindergarten through 12th grade, regardless of vaccination status.USA TODAY reports. These recommendations were in close line with the American Academy of Pediatrics, which this month recommended that everyone over the age of 2 in school must wear a mask.
More:CDC Recommends Vaccinated People Wear Masks Indoors As Cases Rise: Latest COVID-19 Updates
In response to these new guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Texas State Teachers Association on Tuesday called on Governor Greg Abbott to lift his ban on masking requirements and allow individual school districts to request them if recommended by local health officials.
Abbott signed an executive order in May banning schools and local governments from imposing mask requirements. In his orders, Abbott said masks might only be required in government-sponsored residential centers, state or operated hospitals, Texas Department of Criminal Justice facilities, Texas Juvenile Justice Department facilities, and county and community prisons.
“If Governor Abbott really cares about the health and safety of Texas students, educators, and their communities, he will give local school officials and health professionals the ability to require masks in their schools,” a statement from the Texas State Teachers Association said on Tuesday Tuesday .
Both the CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics are still urging children to return to full-time classes in the fall, USA TODAY reported Tuesday.
The Texas Department of State Health Services reported 4,982 people hospitalized for COVID-19 across the country on Tuesday – twice as many patients as two weeks ago and the most since March 4.
But in Travis County, where 292 people were hospitalized for COVID-19, state data showed that about 72.4% of county residents 12 and older received at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine. Of these, around 62.9% are fully vaccinated.
To attract more people to a dose, Austin Public Health is now offering $ 25 HEB grocery store gift cards to anyone who gets a vaccination at any of the agency’s clinics.
The person will be asked to complete a COVID-19 vaccine survey before receiving the gift card, Austin public health director Adrienne Sturrup said Tuesday.
USA TODAY reporters contributed to this article.
Vaccine clinics open this week
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