We’ll be updating this story throughout the day Thursday with the latest local news on the coronavirus pandemic. If you’d like to go through a roundup of COVID-19 news from Wednesday, read it here. If you have a news tip or question, email us at news@KUT.org.
Update at 4:45 a.m.— UT Austin nursing students translate COVID-19 information into Spanish
Two UT Austin students are translating and distributing COVID-19 health information for Spanish-speaking communities.
Daniel Suárez-Baquero is a doctoral student with UT’s School of Nursing. He’s a licensed nurse in Colombia, but without a U.S. license, he can’t interact with patients here. So he found another way to help.
“There is a lot of information out there in English and Chinese to assist health care providers fighting the spread of the virus, but there are very few resources in Spanish,” Suárez-Baquero said in a UT press release.
He found a handbook on COVID-19 prevention and treatment through Zhejiang University in China that had already been translated into English. Suárez-Baquero and his team recruited Oscar Rocha, a research fellow at UT’s nursing school. In 24 hours, they translated the handbook to Spanish. After editing it, they emailed the translation to hospital and clinic nurse coordinators in Colombia and elsewhere, including Spanish-speaking communities in Austin.
Catch up on what happened yesterday
District judge to expand eligibility for mail-in ballots
A Travis County district court judge said Wednesday he will clarify that voters fearful of contracting COVID-19 will be allowed to use mail-in ballots during elections in July and November.
Under Texas law, only people over 65, people who are in jail and not convicted, people who will be out of the county, and people who are sick or disabled can get a mail-in ballot.
The Texas Democratic Party argued that because people could be exposed to the coronavirus while voting in person, they should be allowed to apply for a mail-in ballot under the “disability” category.
Judge Tim Sulak said he was “inclined” to side with plaintiffs in the case because voters were being put in a situation where they had two bad options.
Attorneys representing state officials said they planned to appeal Sulak’s order once it’s submitted.
Other local coronavirus news from Wednesday:
- Central Health says it’s reopening some of the health centers it closed last month and expanding drive-thru testing in East Travis County to ensure people of color aren’t disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.
- UT Austin officials confirmed that 53 students who traveled to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, for spring break now have tested positive for the coronavirus. That number is up from 49 two weeks ago.
- Austin Public Health started accepting applications for a $15 million relief fund set up to provide immediate direct services and assistance to vulnerable residents affected by the coronavirus crisis.
- Unlike Travis County, Williamson County has not extended its stay-at-home order yet. It’s set to expire April 30.
What’s happening statewide? Check out special coverage from KERA for North Texas, Houston Public Media, Texas Public Radio in San Antonio and Marfa Public Radio.
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