Page 11 - Mark Escott News Today

As the U.S. Food and Drug Administration prepares to authorize the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine for younger children in the coming days, Austin and Travis County health leaders said they are bracing for an increase in vaccine demand by parents seeking to return their youngsters lives back to normal.  Parents and guardians of children 12 and older will likely be able to schedule vaccine appointments for their kids once the FDA gives the vaccine a thumbs-up for younger people, acco...

Matthew Ruiz gets vaccinated agains COVID-19 at a clinic in March. More than 40% of adults in Travis County are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and nearly 58% have received at least one dose, Austins interim medical director said Tuesday. Still, Dr. Mark Escott told a joint session of Travis County commissioners and the Austin City Council, reaching herd immunity in the area is going to be a difficult task. “Because of the variability in vaccine availability, because of the challenge of hav...

Bastrop County COVID-19 tracker: 1 new death, 24 new confirmed cases reported this week Cameron Drummond, Austin American-Statesman Other COVID-19 trackers: Heres the latest on the coronavirus pandemic in Bastrop County. Updated data will be added to the top of this story each Tuesday evening by 5 p.m. For the fourth straight week, Bastrop County has reported at least one new death from COVID-19. The county has now reported 96 deaths from COVID-19 since the start of the ...

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continues to recommend that children over the age of 2 wear masks in child care settings. Regionally, Austin-Travis Countys interim health authority Mark Escott has consistently said that masks prevent classroom spread of the coronavirus, and that most outbreaks in Austin-area schools have sprung from extracurricular activities where students went unmasked. In a spring survey conducted by DSISDs COVID-19 Preparedness Team, 66.3% of parents said it ...

Austin health officials weigh new CDC mask guidance, moving community to safer Stage 2 Austin Public Health officials on Tuesday said they are trying to figure out how to apply the national Centers for Disease Control and Preventions new mask guidelines, just as they are preparing to loosen coronavirus pandemic restrictions.  The CDCs updated guidelines include new rules that say Americans who are fully vaccinated can unmask while walking, running, hiking or biking outdoors alone or wit...

A patient receives a COVID-19 vaccine on March 27. Almost 900 people received a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine at walk-up clinics held by Austin Public Health on Thursday. APH officials said it’s part of their plan to shift to a hybrid model for vaccine distribution. Starting in May, APH will maintain a few of its large distribution sites but will incorporate more community-based vaccination events. “We are really looking forward to the efforts of providing vaccines that are near indiv...

KUT Workers direct cars through a mass COVID-19 vaccination clinic at the Circuit of the Americas in February. Austin Public Health is hosting a walk-up COVID-19 vaccine clinic at the Delco Activity Center this Thursday and Friday from noon until 7:30 p.m. or until all its vaccines are administered. Vaccines will be available to all residents age 18 and older. No appointment is needed. If supplies run out, Austin Public Health said, staff will help schedule appointments for those who show up...

As the number of coronavirus cases and hospitalizations have begun to inch up in Austin and Travis County, local health officials are urging residents to keep up healthy practices and get the COVID-19 vaccine. On Monday, 143 new coronavirus cases and 144 hospitalizations were reported, marking an increase of the disease in the area, interim Austin-Travis County Health Authority Dr. Mark Escott on Tuesday told Travis County Commissioners Court and Austin City Council members. For the past seve...

Austin and Travis Countys top health officials plan to update the public on the latest coronavirus vaccination efforts and pandemic trends Friday.  Dr. Mark Escott, interim Austin-Travis County Health authority, will be joined by Austin Public Health Director Stephanie Hayden-Howard during the public briefing at 10  a.m. Friday.  Watch the public briefing live here on Friday at 10 a.m.:   Every media outlet in Travis County is allowed to ask Escott and Hayden-Howard two questions about va...

A man receives a COVID-19 vaccine in Austin last month. After another week of leftover COVID-19 vaccine appointments, Austin Public Health is looking to shift its vaccination efforts and adjust its online sign-up system. “We must be flexible,” APH Director Stephanie Hayden-Howard said during a news conference Friday. “Our goal is to provide vaccines to our community and meet them where they are.” To do this, she said, the department plans to partner with more grassroots organizations, ...