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AUSTIN, Texas – The Delta-COVID-19 variant is raging, a large portion of the Texan population remains unvaccinated and a tipping point was reached in Travis County Thursday.
What you need to know
- Austin-Travis County entered Stage 5 of Austin Public Health’s risk-based COVID-19 guidelines on Thursday
- The seven-day average for new hospital admissions is 67
- The guidelines contain stricter recommendations for people at high and low risk, as well as for vaccinated and unvaccinated people
- Texas reported more than 19,000 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, most of which were of the Delta variant
Citing the increase in hospital stays and the dwindling availability of intensive care beds, Austin Public Health has brought the Austin-Travis County region back to Level 5 of its risk-based guidelines, which include the strictest recommendations to contain the spread of the disease.
The seven-day average of new admissions to hospital was 67 on Wednesday. A total of 390 people are currently hospitalized, according to Austin Public Health.
The hospital admission threshold to reach COVID Level 5 in Travis County is 50 to 90 admissions. There were 91 newcomers on Wednesday.
Travis County just entered its level 4 COVID guidelines on July 23rd.
According to the Level 5 recommendations, indoor private gatherings are not recommended for unvaccinated, partially vaccinated, and those who are vaccinated but are still at high risk of developing complications from the virus.
In addition, private indoor or outdoor gatherings are not recommended for those at high risk. Travel is not recommended unless clearly necessary. Eating should be restricted to outdoor areas with guards and shopping should be restricted to take-out or roadside food.
It is recommended that those with low risk attend indoor or outdoor gatherings with precautionary measures and that outdoor dining should be done with precautions.
The Texas Department of State Health Services reported a staggering 19,003 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, of which 15,558 are confirmed and 3,445 are likely. Sixty new fatalities were reported.
By order of the executive branch, Texas authorities receiving state dollars are not allowed to issue mask or vaccine mandates.
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