Austin Moves To Stage 4 Coronavirus Alert Level

Tony Cantu
Updated ·6 min read

AUSTIN, TX — Health officials on Thursday moved Austin to the orange Stage 4 alert level — the penultimate stage of a five-tiered guideline template — amid rising rates of the coronavirus and related hospitalizations.

Under provisions of the orange status under the Austin Public Health Risk-Based Guidelines, residents are strongly urged to avoid gatherings of more than 10 people while businesses are encouraged to reduce capacity to 50 percent or 25 percent rather than the 75 percent occupancy currently allowed under the gubernatorial order.

Also under Stage 4, older residents 65 or older and those with compromised immunities are advised to avoid gatherings exceeding two people. Austin-Travis County first moved into Stage 4 on June 15, but has been in Stage 3 since Aug. 25, officials said.

Related stories:

The move comes as all key metrics related to coronavirus spread — including the seven-day moving average of hospitalizations, number of patients in the ICU, ventilator usage, positivity rate and seven-day moving average of cases — are all trending upward, health officials explained.

In a separate announcement, officials at Ascension Seton, Baylor Scott & White and St. David's HealthCare pointed to dwindling hospital beds at their facilities in light of the recent illness upticks. Currently, a hospital spokesperson said, the 2,473 staffed beds within all three healthcare systems are 79 percent occupied while the 483 intensive care unit beds are 85 percent occupied.

“This is not about shocking people," Dr. Mark Escott, interim health authority with Austin Public Health said in an hour-long virtual news conference. "We want them to be smart."

While hospitals are not at critical levels, "Now is the time to act," Escott said. He noted the city passed the threshold of 30 new hospital admissions on Sunday, helping to prompt the move to Stage 4. "We need to be mindful of the risk coronavirus poses to our community."

The spread of coronavirus levels is rising statewide, with the state recently becoming the first to reach 1 million cases. This week alone, the state surpassed 20,000 deaths and has a positivity rate of 12.7 percent — a level significantly higher than it did in May. Despite the soaring illness rates, Gov. Greg Abbott said he has no plans to issue a shelter-in-place order to help blunt the spread of illness.

Escott urged people to continue adhering to physical distancing guidelines — keeping at least a six-foot distance from others — and wearing protective face masks to help blunt the spread of illness. Escott said the raised alert level comes after 799 new coronavirus cases emerged on Saturday and Sunday — a 90 percent increase from the previous week.

“With COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths increasing across Texas and the United States, it is time to sound the alarm and consider our personal behaviors and their impact on the community,” Escott said. “Austin-Travis County did not keep our COVID-19 numbers comparatively low by accident or luck, but through community engagement and action. Once again, the actions we take in the coming days and weeks can either move us in the right or the wrong direction.”

According to a statistical dashboard maintained by Austin Public Health, there have been a cumulative 35,326 coronavirus cases since the onset of illness, with 2,140 active cases. To date, 469 Travis County residents have died of the respiratory illness as illustrated by the dashboard. The portal also records 204 county residents currently hospitalized — 63 being treated at intensive care units and 36 placed on ventilators.

The figures are as of Wednesday, with updated figures expected to be input by early evening on Thursday.

Escott said the heightened alert level is meant to avert Travis County descending into a situation like that in El Paso, where soaring rates of illness have stressed hospitals to the limit and where makeshift morgues now abound to store victims for later burial.

“We are not immune from a tragedy like El Paso’s and like El Paso, we could be facing a rapidly growing surge between Thanksgiving and Christmas with Stage 5 a few weeks away," Escott said. "We also have the ability, through our protective actions now, to keep our community safe and prevent needless tragedy and loss over the holiday season by flattening the curve again.”

Austin Public Health Director Stephanie Hayden referenced the heightened risk for older people and those with compromised immunity systems: “We know this virus is especially dangerous to older adults and those with underlying medical conditions,” she said. “As you are making holiday plans, remember your parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and other loved ones who could face serious complications. Consider starting new traditions and celebrate only with your household.”

Health officials noted the risk-based guidelines are not changes to local orders and rules or regulations for businesses but guidelines for individual actions and behaviors based on various risk levels. The risk level recommendations are different for those who are at higher risk for severe complications and death from coronavirus, health officials added.

Under Stage 4 guidelines, the following is urged:

  • Higher-risk individuals (those over the age of 65 and those who have chronic medical conditions) should stay home, except for essential trips such as buying groceries or seeking medical care.

  • Lower-risk individuals should avoid social gatherings, any gatherings greater than 10 people, and non-essential travel.

  • Recommend businesses and restaurants voluntarily reduce capacity to 25 percent to 50 percent.

  • Recommend schools limit attendance at sporting events to players, coaches and parents.

Hayden urged residents to think of their families as they alter their behaviors: "This is a call for action. We want you to really think about the older individuals in your life, whether it's your parents, grandparents, godparents — people that you love so dearly. I want you to think of what motivates you as an individual."

Austin Mayor Steve Adler reminded residents of the role they play in mitigating the level of illness. "By our actions, together we get to decide how badly we want to keep schools open," he said, referencing the ultimate red level that would prompt closures of educational facilities. "The bottom line is we have control over the future. The vaccine is almost here; we need to commit just little bit longer. Look at your family, and remember who you're doing this for. We're in this together, and we can get this done."

For more coronavirus holiday safety recommendations, click here. For further information and updates, visit the COVID-19 Information portal of the City of Austin website.

Residents who feel ill in need of free COVID-19 assessment and testing can complete an online form to check their eligibility for a coronavirus test without needing to see a healthcare provider. For more information, visit the City of Austin's COVID-19 Free Assessment and Testing website.

Austin-Travis County residents can also go to a CommUnityCare Drive-Up COVID-19 Testing Site. These sites will only test people with symptoms or who have been in close contact with someone with COVID-19. Testing is free for the uninsured. For those with insurance, CommUnityCare will bill the insurance company. No appointment or doctor’s referral is neede, and walk-up testing is available. Read CommUnityCare's COVID-19 testing site flyer for locations and contact phone number.

This article originally appeared on the Austin Patch