[ad_1]
AUSTIN (KXAN) – In a joint special session for Austin City Council and Travis County Commissioners, Central Texas Health leaders announced that our community is on the verge of reaching level four risk.
This risk-based phase would suggest masking even for vaccinated people and discourage people who are not or only partially vaccinated from gathering indoors or outdoors.
This graphic from APH shows when people should wear masks based on the current risk level of the area. (APH graphic)
There are 877 active cases of COVID-19 on the Austin-Travis County’s COVID-19 dashboard as of Monday.
WATCH: “If there was a way to order all students in school to wear masks, we would”
This includes 196 hospital stays, including 70 intensive stays. 32 of these patients are ventilated. This is the highest total hospital admissions since March 12th.
The county reported that the number of breakthrough cases has risen to 488 since Jan. 1 this week. “25% of these people were asymptomatic,” said Dr. Desmar Walkes, the local health authority. Last week, Austin-Travis County reported 333 breakthrough cases year-to-date.
In context, however, the 488 breakthrough cases have come from approximately 680,000 people who have been vaccinated in Travis County since January. Dr. Walkes reiterated that getting your vaccine is the first and more powerful line of defense to catching the virus and getting seriously sick or dying from it.
“Almost all of the cases we are currently seeing through case studies are unvaccinated,” said Dr. Walkes.
Dr. Walkes also said hospital stays and rising case numbers are likely due to the Delta variant.
Central Texas hospitals continue to see an increase in RSV cases
Four cases of COVID-19 with Delta variants were identified in Travis County last week, and at least one of those people ended up in the hospital. Dr. Walkes says the variant is more than 60% more transmissible than other COVID-19 strains.
Due to rising cases, hospital admissions and the persistence of the Delta variant, the health authority is urging Austin residents to mask themselves again. Austin Mayor Steve Adler said although he is fully vaccinated, he will do just that.
CARDS: How many people are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in your zip code?
He also addressed concerns about the students’ return to school in the fall: “We do not want to get into a legal matter with the governor and we want to try to avoid it if we can, but if there is a way now to do this, order that all students in school have to wear masks, we would do that, ”said Mayor Adler.
READ MORE: Students won’t have to wear masks in schools after June 4th, says Governor Abbott
Governor Greg Abbott issued an executive order in May banning school districts and other “state institutions in Texas” from requiring or requiring masks.
Abbott said counties, cities, health officials, or government officials cannot require people to wear masks.
“At the moment it’s up to the individual,” said Mayor Adler. Companies and places of worship can require the wearing of masks in their facilities, the mayor encouraged individual organizations to do so.
Williamson County
Williamson County is also reporting an uncontrolled spread of cases.
The county announced on Monday that they are now in the red stage of the broadcast – the highest tier – after cases more than doubled in just a week. The district reported that the number of cases has also increased 6.5 times since the end of June.
“A tailor-made pandemic for the unvaccinated:” Doctors urge more Texans to get vaccinated as the Delta variant spreads
Residents are advised to wear masks, maintain a social distance of at least 6 feet, and avoid crowds. Williamson County also reminds residents that vaccines are currently readily available and effective in fighting serious diseases.
WARNING: Uncontrolled COVID-19 spread reported in Williamson County
This is a developing story and will be updated as we secure more data and information.
[ad_2]
