Page 44 - Mark Escott News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

Austin remains in stage five, however, health officials said they believe hospitalization rates will soon be less than 15 percent of total capacity. 

Coronavirus restrictions in Austin and Travis County might be eased this weekend as the number of hospital patients with the virus continues to decline, according to the area's top health official. That means businesses would no longer have to operate at 50% capacity and could expand back to 75% under state law. Doctors' offices could also go back to offering elective procedures, he said. Gov. Greg Abbott in an executive order last year said that if more than 15% of total hospitalizations in a particular area for seven consecutive days were made up of coronavirus patients, the state w...

Thursday 28 DONATE BLOOD, GET A FREE THUNDERCLOUD SUB Donate blood or platelets with We Are Blood to get a voucher for a free small ThunderCloud sub, redeemable through February. Appointments are mandatory; schedule online or call 512/206-1266. Through Jan. 31 We Are Blood donor centers & mobile drives, 512/206-1266. CITY UTILITY PAYMENT CENTERS TEMPORARY CLOSURES In response to Stage 5 COVID-19 restrictions, the walk-in utility payment centers located at 8716 Research Blvd. #115 and 1901 W. William Cannon will temporarily close. Customers who pay their utility bill at thes...

A Fall in Virus Cases And what else you need to know today. Good morning. Virus cases are falling more sharply in the U.S. than at any previous point. Image A mass vaccination drive at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.Credit...Ryan Young for The New York Times The United States has never experienced a sharp and sustained decline in new coronavirus cases — until, perhaps, now. Last year, new cases in the U.S. went through cycles of rising rapidly and then leveling off or falling only modestly. That was different from the situation in many other countries, where sharp drops sometimes occurred. L...

Austin Public Health plans to launch an updated website so residents can more easily pre-register and eventually receive a coronavirus vaccine ahead of the next likely shipment from the state of 12,000 doses next week. Health officials planned to release another round of vaccine appointments to residents Wednesday, but the website would not be updated in time to ease frustrations regarding the process, Austin Public Health Director Stephanie Hayden-Howard told Austin city and Travis County leaders Tuesday. The appointments released Wednesday will be for the remaining 12,000 doses given...