Austin Implements Stage 4 COVID-19 Protocols, Calls For Masks For All

Austin and Travis County public health officials now encourage vaccinated people to wear masks both indoors and outdoors, and for unvaccinated people to stay home, except for basic needs – the first major city in Texas to take such a step.

It comes as the highly contagious delta variant continues to spread across the state, pushing the county’s seven-day average for new hospitalizations to 35 – the stage 4 threshold of guidelines based on COVID-19 risk. the region.

County officials made the announcement at a virtual press conference on Friday morning. As part of step 4, authorities want residents – vaccinated and unvaccinated – to wear masks at all times in public and that unvaccinated people only leave their homes for essential travel.

The city cannot enforce the restrictions, however, as Gov. Greg Abbott banned all local warrants related to the pandemic in May. The recommendations differ from those of the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which say it is safe for fully vaccinated people to “resume the activities you did before the pandemic without wearing a mask or taking a physical distance.” “.

Just eight days ago, city and county officials elevated protocols to Step 3, urging unvaccinated people to avoid non-essential travel and wear masks when leaving their homes.

The last time the county was in Stage 4 was on March 12, after the winter peak in COVID-19 cases and the start of the state’s vaccination effort. That day, the state’s trauma department area that includes Travis and 10 surrounding counties reported that 248 patients with COVID-19 had been hospitalized. The number fell to its lowest point – 190 hospitalizations – on March 29 and has since risen to 244 COVID-19 patients hospitalized on Friday.

COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations have increased statewide: The seven-day average of new cases in Texas fell from 2,410 to 4,087 daily cases compared to the previous seven-day period, while the hospitalizations increased by 47% over the same period.

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