TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas — Austin-Travis County is going back up to Stage 3 Austin Public Health risk-based guidelines, due to an increase in new coronavirus cases and hospitalizations in the area.

What You Need To Know

  • Delta variant of COVID-19 is spreading in the Austin area

  • Austin-Travis County COVID-19 cases and hospital admissions are up

  • Most of the Austin-area residents currently hospitalized for COVID-19 have not been vaccinated

 

Stage 3 means health authorities are urging high-risk people to wear a mask in public, engage in only essential travel, and avoid crowds.

Austin-Travis County health official Dr. Desmar Walkes said the delta variant is present in the community and spreading.

“This has to stop and we know how to make that happen,” said Walkes during a public briefing on Thursday.

 

Austin-Travis County is seeing more pediatric COVID-19 cases. County leaders are encouraging parents to get their children vaccinated if possible.

“This is kind of a gut check time for our community,” said Austin Mayor Steve Adler. “We cannot pretend that we are done with a virus that is not done with us.”

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Adler said most of the Austin-area residents currently hospitalized for COVID-19 have not been vaccinated.

As of July 14, there are 107 people in local hospitals. Forty-one people are in intensive care, and 21 are on ventilators.