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Austin, Texas – As the 7-day moving average hits the critical point of 50 new admissions, an important threshold for Stage 5, Austin Public Health (APH) is now urging the community to act as the situation becomes dire. The 11-county trauma service region O (TSA-O), which includes Austin and provides services to more than 2.3 million people, faces a similar low capacity in intensive care beds at the start of the pandemic. TSA-O now fluctuates at 16 staffed intensive care beds available. To reiterate, 16 intensive care beds for no less than 11 counties with more than 2.3 million inhabitants.
“We are running out of time and our community must act now”, Dr Desmar Walkes, Austin-the Travis County Health Authority said. “Our critical care capacity is reaching a critical point where the level of risk for the entire community has increased dramatically, and not just for those in need of treatment for COVID. If we fail to come together as a community now, we are endangering the lives of our loved ones who may need intensive care. “
In a joint statement from Ascension Seton, Baylor Scott & White and St. David’s Healthcare, hospitals noted: “The latest peak in COVID-19 is putting extraordinary pressure on our hospitals, emergency departments and professionals. health care, and it put hospital staff to the test again. due to a long-standing nursing shortage.
As the risk to all individuals in the community, regardless of COVID-19, continues to increase significantly with decreasing critical care capacity, APH, Travis County and local hospital partners continue to monitor several key metrics, including the 7-day moving average of new hospital admissions. , positivity rate, doubling time of new cases and current intensive care and ventilated patients.
Over the past week, these indicators have increased:
- The 7-day moving average for one-week hospitalizations increased by more than 47% from 34 to 50 new admissions on July 30.
- COVID patients in local intensive care units rose 28%, from 91 people on July 23 to 117 people on July 30.
- COVID patients on ventilators increased 38%, from 47 on July 23 to 65 people on July 30.
Recommendations that the public should immediately follow include:
- Vaccinated individuals should choose drive-thru and curbside service options, outdoor activities, a return to social interactions with small-sized groups, as well as social distancing and wearing masks indoors.
- Partially or unvaccinated individuals should avoid gatherings, travel, meals and shopping by choosing delivery and delivery options instead. Wear a mask when performing essential activities.
COVID-19 vaccines continue to prove effective in protecting those who have completed the required round of vaccines for Moderna and Pfizer, or the single dose of Johnson and Johnson. Only 63.12% of residents are fully vaccinated, leaving our community vulnerable to new variants of the disease and contributing to a dramatic increase in the positivity rate which has now reached 13.7% – the highest since early January 2021.
“We know our community has been resilient in the fight against this pandemic over the past 18 months, and we again call on everyone to help each other by taking action that can slow this outbreak,” Adrienne said. Sturrup, Acting Director of APH. “Everyone is exhausted at this point, but we will continue to lose loved ones if we ignore the warnings the data is showing us and take the appropriate steps to get vaccinated, wear a mask and stay home though. We are sick. “
As of July, more than 4,600 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 19 deaths related to COVID-19 have been reported to Austin Public Health (APH).
For more information on COVID-19, visit AustinTexas.gov/COVID19.
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