Austin-Travis County’s health chief on Tuesday is set to update county leaders on the latest local coronavirus trends.
Dr. Mark Escott, interim Austin-Travis County health authority, is scheduled to break down recent data during a Travis County Commissioners Court meeting at 10 a.m. Tuesday.
Escott will likely discuss the effects that last week’s Thanksgiving gatherings could have on the last month of 2020 as cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, continue to increase.
Amid a surge in coronavirus cases across the country, the state and in Central Texas, Austin-Travis County health officials have urged residents to get a flu shot and limit holiday gatherings to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
City and county officials are waiting see if residents listened to those warnings or if hospitals will be at risk of reaching capacity limits in the next few weeks.
On Monday night, Travis County health officials reported that 332 more people in the area tested positive for the coronavirus, bringing the total number of cases in the county to 38,377, according to the county’s online dashboard.
The county’s pandemic death toll remained at 483 as of Monday.
The seven-day moving average for new hospitalizations reached 32, which was down from 35 last week.
Austin Public Health uses the new hospitalization averages for its risk-based guidelines, which establish recommended rules for people at a high risk for severe symptoms of the coronavirus.
Austin-Travis County went into Stage 4 of Austin Public Health’s risk-based guidelines earlier this month.
Under Stage 4 guidelines, all residents are encouraged to avoid social gatherings with people who do not live in their household.
Residents should also avoid all nonessential travel and any other gatherings of more than 10 people.
Higher-risk individuals — those older than 65 and those who have chronic medical conditions — should stay home, unless they are going out to buy groceries or receive medical care.
Business and restaurant owners are asked to voluntarily reduce capacity from 75% percent to 25% or 50%.
And schools are encouraged to limit attendance at sporting events to only players, coaches and parents.
This is a developing story; check back for updates.
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