Page 25 - Mark Escott News Today

Texas lawmakers aren’t all eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine. Austin’s top health official is trying to get them vaccinated anyway. Karen Brooks Harper Updated:  Tags:  Legislators greet one another on the floor of the House before the opening of the 2021 legislative session. (Bob Daemmrich/CapitolPressPhoto/Pool) An Austin public health official working to get Texas lawmakers access to the COVID-19 vaccine — regardless of whether they are currently eligible — made a request to a loca...

Over 10K AISD students switch to remote learning at district request Over 10K AISD students switch to remote learning at district request AISD Superintendent Dr. Stephanie Elizalde is asking students to remote learn until January 22 and will continue to evaluate on a weekly basis. AUSTIN, Texas - Over 10,000 Austin ISD in-person learning students switched to remote learning after the district encouraged families to do so to limit the spread of COVID-19 on campus. AISD Superintendent D...

Leaders of more than 15 Central Texas school districts and public charter schools on Thursday sent a letter to Dr. Mark Escott, interim Austin-Travis County health authority, asking him to prioritize teacher vaccinations and urge the state to include all school staff members in the next round of shots.  The signees, representing the Austin, Lake Travis, Pflugerville, Del Valle, Hays and Georgetown school districts, among others, educate more than 275,000 students in Central Texas. The letter ...

KUT Paulette Ladach tries to sign up for the COVID-19 vaccine through a site created by Austin Public Health. Since providers in Central Texas began administering COVID-19 vaccines in December, many residents have been wondering who can get one, where they can get it and whether its safe. Health officials in Austin sought to shed some light on those questions during a virtual town hall Wednesday. They assured those watching that the vaccine is safe and effective, but said it’s not a free pas...

Austin Public Healths state-approved hub for the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines provided nearly 4,000 doses to members of the community during its first three days of operation, local health authorities said Thursday.  Officials said the hubs first week of operation will help make adjustments for future distribution plans as needed.  "Were looking at criticizing everything that is happening out here," Austin Public Health spokeswoman Jen Samp said. "We are looking at how long it takes so...

At least 8,000 of the people who signed up will not be able to receive the vaccine as APH has only received 12,000 doses.

Sky-high COVID-19 positivity rates in Austin schools worry health officials © Bloomberg via Getty Images A custodial worker operates an electrostatic machine to clean a classroom at an elementary school in Leander, Texas, Sept. 18, 2020. Sky-high COVID-19 positivity rates at schools in Austin, Texas, have local health officials on edge. In Travis County, where Austin is located, the COVID-19 testing positivity rate is 20.2% at high schools, 27.1% at middle schools, 19.8% at at elementary ...

Sky-high COVID-19 positivity rates at schools in Austin, Texas, have local health officials on edge.

Austin Public Health officials on Thursday said a total of three people so far have been transferred to the field hospital at the Austin Convention Center to help with reduce rising hospital capacity because of COVID-19.

Dr. Mark Escott, interim Austin-Travis County health authority, warned Travis County commissioners during a weekly meeting Tuesday that hospitals were just 10 people away from reaching the 200 person limit for coronavirus patients in intensive care units. Escott said area hospitals reported a record of 117 new coronavirus hospitalizations on Tuesday, for a total of 601 active hospitalizations. Of those total hospitalizations, 190 patients were in the ICU and 104 were on ventilators, accordi...