AUSTIN, Texas — Austin Public Health on Tuesday morning returned the Austin-Travis County region to Stage 3 of COVID-19 risk-based guidelines. It hasn’t even been two weeks since Austin went from Stage 5 to Stage 4.
The downgrade comes as new cases of the virus continue to decrease and hospitals are treating fewer patients.
If you’re vaccinated, Austin Public Health recommends the following under Stage 3 guidance:
“Participate in indoor private gatherings with precautions, and in outdoor gatherings without precautions. High-risk individuals may dine with precautions, while low-risk individuals may dine without precautions. Shopping may be done without precautions, while travel may be done with precautions.”
It's recommended that people who are not vaccinated or only partially vaccinated continue to take precautions for all activities.
Despite the return to Stage 3 guidelines, APH officials still recommend people wear masks in public spaces through “festival season.” This is likely a reference to the South by Southwest festival, which takes place in Austin March 11-20.