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Austin Public Health leaders on Friday warned the public that there are only 16 staffed intensive care beds left in the entire area, the lowest number of such beds since the coronavirus pandemic began, before vaccines became widespread.
These 16 occupied intensive care beds include all of the hospitals in Travis, Williamson, Hays counties, Bastrop, Blanco, Burnet, Caldwell, Fayette, Lee, Llano, and San Saba counties.
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These hospitals, all of which are grouped under the Texas Department of State Health Service’s Trauma Service Region O, serve more than 2.3 million residents.
Austin public health officials made it clear on Friday night that these weren’t just beds for coronavirus patients, but anyone in need of critical care in an emergency, from traffic accidents to heart attacks.
“We are running out of time and our church needs to act now,” said Dr. Desmar Walkes, Austin-Travis County health department, in a statement Friday.
She urged residents not only to prevent widespread deaths and disease from the coronavirus, but also to try to protect those who need care for other health reasons.
“Our ICU capacity is reaching a critical point where the risk has increased significantly for the entire community, and not just for those in need of treatment for COVID,” said Walkes. “If we don’t come together as a community now, we are putting the lives of loved ones at risk who may need intensive care.”
In a joint statement by Ascension Seton, Baylor Scott & White, and St. David’s Healthcare on Friday, the hospitals said the recent surge in COVID-19 cases was putting “extraordinary pressure” on not only hospitals but also emergency rooms and health professionals exercises.
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Hospitals added that a long-standing lack of care in the area was exacerbated by the recent surge in coronavirus, which local health guides said would have been preventable had 70 to 90% of residents received a coronavirus vaccination.
Austin and Travis Counties reached the point on Friday that could bring the area back into Phase 5 of Austin Public Health’s risk-based guidelines this weekend.
In just seven days, the weekly rolling average of daily new admissions to the hospital rose 47%, with the average hitting the level 5 threshold of 50 on Friday.
Intensive care for COVID-19 patients increased 28% in one week, from 91 people on July 23 to 117 people on Friday, according to Austin Public Health.
For July, more than 4,600 new confirmed coronavirus cases have been reported to date, with 19 deaths related to the disease.
The third wave of coronavirus cases in the Austin area, made up mostly of unvaccinated residents, is being driven by the spread of the Delta variant, a mutation in the original strain of coronavirus that has alarmed federal health experts how contagious it is.
Walkes explained last week that when people refuse to be vaccinated, variants occur, which can mutate the original strain of coronavirus into stronger, more deadly diseases.
In response to the surge, Austin public health officials added the Level 4 recommendations on Friday.
Vaccinated individuals are now instructed to use drive-thru and curb options instead of eating or shopping indoors. You should also limit group size in social settings, but wear masks and keep your distance from others when they gather in small groups indoors.
Partially or unvaccinated individuals should avoid gatherings, travel, eating, and shopping. Those who are not fully vaccinated should also use the curb and delivery options and wear a mask during essential activities.
As of Saturday, only 63.1% of Travis County’s residents ages 12 and older are fully vaccinated, making the community vulnerable to new coronavirus variants, according to health officials. The weekly COVID test positivity rate in the county is 13.7%, the highest since early January.
Austin interim director of public health Adrienne Sturrup said Friday the Austin community needs to remain resilient in the battle against the pandemic.
“Everyone is exhausted at this point, but we will continue to lose loved ones if we fail to heed the warnings the data shows us and take appropriate measures to get vaccinated, wear a mask, and stay home when we are sick. “said Sturrup.
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