[ad_1]
AUSTIN (KXAN) – Austin health officials could officially upgrade the area to Level 4 COVID-19 risk-based guidelines on Friday as COVID-19 cases continue to rise.
Health officials will hold a video conference on Friday at 10:30 a.m. to cover the surge in cases and the subsequent change in recommendations to the public to reduce cases again. Level 4 recommendations are to put masks back on regardless of vaccination status and those who are not fully vaccinated to avoid travel and eating / shopping unless clearly necessary.
On Friday morning, the county’s COVID-19 dashboard reported that the seven-day moving average of new hospital admissions is 35, five above the level 4 threshold. The positivity rate for the area is 9.6%, a number posted on July 17 is correct, and 302 new cases were reported with 39 new hospital admissions on Thursday.
Austin-Travis County’s Local Health Authority, Dr. Desmar Walkes, moved the area to phase 3 just a week ago.
Here is a table created by KXAN showing the days Austin-Travis County spent through each phase:
Local hospitals bear the brunt of the surge in cases and hospital stays as intensive care units fill up and staff become tense. Walkes said in a July 15 briefing that she had asked the state for help in providing more staff to hospitals in the area.
We’ll be streaming the video conference in this story and on Facebook.
[ad_2]
