Page 21 - Mark Escott News Today

Friday marks one year of APHs COVID-19 operations center Friday marks one year of APH’s COVID-19 operations center Austin Public Health officials are also asking Austinites to stay home for the big game and avoid attending or hosting super spreader events. At the time officials were monitoring travelers who had returned from abroad with a "mysterious respiratory illness," now known as COVID-19.   "It is bittersweet because most of us have folks that we personally know who have suffered from ...

University of Texas officials say they have detected the new coronavirus variant first detected in the United Kingdom among its campus community.

Austins health officials have begun prioritizing some of Travis Countys oldest residents who currently qualify for a coronavirus vaccine with more aggressive outreach efforts. Austin Public Health Director Stephanie Hayden-Howard on Friday said those 80 and older will soon receive a phone call to help them schedule a vaccine appointment once doses become available. Residents in that age group also will receive an email before vaccine appointments are posted to APHs website on Tuesdays and Thu...

COVID-19 testing takes place at a drive-thru clinic in South Austin. The U.K. variant of COVID-19 has been detected in Austin-Travis County, officials announced Wednesday evening. Scientists don’t believe the variant is deadlier, but it is more contagious. Though it hadn’t been confirmed until now, Austin Public Health officials have been saying for weeks that a variant was likely present in the area. “While it is concerning that there is a confirmed COVID-19 variant in Austin-Travis Coun...

Officials said COVID-19 variants have likely been in the Austin-Travis County area for weeks, adding that a man from Harris County tested positive.

The first case of the UK variant of COVID-19 has been confirmed in Austin-Travis County.

First case of UK COVD-19 variant confirmed in Austin-Travis County Daniel Cole/AP Microbiologist Marielle Bedotto-Buffet prepares samples at the University Hospital Institute for Infectious Diseases in Marseille, southern France, Wednesday Jan. 13, 2021, to study the highly contagious COVID-19 variant that has been discovered in the UK. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole) and last updated 2021-02-03 20:03:05-05 AUSTIN, TX — The first case of the UK COVID-19 variant has been confirmed in Austin-Travis C...

To avoid continued frustration over the vaccine rollout, Austin Public Health officials hope a new plan will help the most at-risk residents get vaccinated first and limit the number of days residents need to check for available appointments, local health leaders said Tuesday. Austin Public Health Director Stephanie Hayden-Howard told members of the Travis County Commissioners Court and Austin City Council in a joint meeting that qualifying residents should now only be contacted to schedul...

30,000 COVID-19 doses have been administered in Travis County, but there are over 500,000 eligible to get a vaccine. 

Contact: Austin-Travis County Joint Information System     Businesses, including restaurants and retail, are now permitted to move to 75% occupancy, and hospitals can resume elective surgeries. Austin, Texas – Today, Jan. 30, the Department of State Health Services announced that previous COVID-19 restrictions related to occupancy requirements and restrictions have been cancelled.   Under Governor’s Order GA 32 (PDF), after a state Trauma Service Area has COVID-19 hospitalizatio...