AUSTIN (KXAN) — With decreased reported COVID-19 instances and hospital admissions, Austin Public Well being leaders recommended neighborhood efforts however stated Austin-Travis County isn’t totally out of the woods with the pandemic.
As of Oct. 25, APH leaders stated there are 269 instances reported, with a positivity fee — the speed of exams performed that come again constructive for COVID-19 — of 4.6%. The 7-day moving average of hospital admissions averages to 15, leaders stated.
At the moment, there are 145 sufferers hospitalized for COVID-19, with 5 within the intensive care unit and 43 on ventilators.
Dr. Desmar Walkes, the native well being authority, stated APH officers are carefully monitoring developments in rising COVID-19 instances in the UK and all through Europe. Preliminary stories recommend these case upticks correlated with individuals not receiving their booster pictures and relaxed masking and social distancing measures, she stated.
“It’s essential for our neighborhood to proceed to get their major sequence of vaccines in the event that they’ve not been vaccinated and their booster vaccines too,” she stated.
The College of Texas at Austin’s modeling group, who’ve labored with APH on risk-based steerage measures, stated there may very well be a potential surge throughout the November-December time-frame as extra individuals go to with mates and family members indoors throughout the vacation season.
There have been three substantial COVID-19 surges in Texas and Travis County: throughout June-August 2020, November 2020-February 2021 and from July-October 2021.
Through the first surge, an absence of vaccines led to heightened reliance on masking and social distancing; within the second surge, there was an added good thing about vaccines alongside security measures.
Within the newest surge, she stated it was a mix of continued masking, vaccines and monoclonal antibody remedy to guard residents as a lot as potential. Regardless of the emergence of the U.Ok. and delta COVID-19 variants, she stated vaccines have largely held up and prevented extreme sickness, hospitalization and loss of life within the majority of vaccinated individuals.
Many COVID-19 transmissions happen in small, intimate settings, Walkes stated; with that in thoughts, she stated the vacations might be an important time for residents to stay vigilant of their security practices.
She stated residents ought to proceed to get vaccinated and contemplate getting examined in the event that they really feel any cold-like signs or have not too long ago been in a high-exposure setting. If eligible for a booster shot, she stated residents ought to obtain one as quickly as potential to extra safely benefit from the holidays.
If assembly with individuals outdoors one’s family in an indoor setting, Walkes stated residents ought to contemplate masking. Outside gatherings are most very best and efficient in stopping COVID-19 transmissions, she added.
“Let’s keep this stage of calm. Let’s give our hospital staffs and our clinic staffs and our APH employees a break,” she stated. “Let’s be capable to have fun the vacation season collectively safely and in a wholesome method.”
