The CDC guidance still calls for wearing masks in crowded indoor settings such as buses, planes, hospitals, prisons and homeless shelters, but it helps clear the way for reopening workplaces, schools, and other venues even removing the need for social distancing for those who are fully vaccinated.
CDC says fully vaccinated people don t need to wear masks
“We have all longed for this moment when we can get back to some sense of normalcy,” said Rochelle Walensky, director of the CDC, said at an earlier White House briefing.
The CDC and the Biden administration have faced pressure to ease restrictions on fully vaccinated people those who are two weeks past their last required COVID-19 vaccine dose in part to highlight the benefits of getting the shot. The country’s aggressive vaccination campaign has paid off: U.S. virus cases are at their lowest rate since September, deaths are at their lowest point since last April and the coronavirus test positivity rate is at the
Austin housing boom has homebuilders struggling to keep pace, prices soaring
Home construction is booming at a rapid pace across the Austin region but it s still not fast enough to keep up with torrid demand, builders and local housing market experts say.
Builders started work on a record number of new homes in the Austin area in the first quarter, according to Zonda, a firm that tracks the housing market. But supply has still not caught up with demand, and that lag coupled with factors including higher costs for lumber and other home-construction materials and a surge of newcomers, many of them affluent continues to drive home prices up.
Serving up a to-go margarita with Maudie s Tex Mex fare has been a lifesaver for the popular restaurant chain over the past year, said Ryan Leugers, director of operations for the Austin-based company.
Mixed beverages for carryout, a temporary option afforded to Texas restaurants as the pandemic ravaged sales, have improved the customer experience of our takeout program, Leugers said. It has really been a lifeline to our customers, our staff and our business.
Leugers said the to-go alcohol option has boosted mixed-beverage sales 10% to 20% across the restaurant s six Austin-area locations.
Now, a bill headed to Gov. Greg Abbott s desk would make alcohol to-go sales at restaurants statewide a permanent option. Abbott last year expressed support for making such sales permanent.
Austin s Stratus Properties plans 475 homes in final section of upscale Barton Creek project
Stratus Properties said the final residential section, called Holden Hills, will have 475 homes on 495 acres abutting the Barton Creek Greenbelt. The project is expected be developed in phases in the coming years.
Holden Hills will have a trail system connecting to the Barton Creek preserve, giving residents access to the greenbelt.
The announcement comes as the residential real estate market in the greater Austin area experiences strong demand and rising home prices. Our timing couldn’t have been better Given the relentless growth in Austin, our timing couldn’t have been better.” Beau Armstrong, chairman, president and CEO of Stratus, said in a written statement.