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Austin Public Health Lowers COVID Risk Level To Stage 3 As Hospital Admissions Decline

A test run of the planned mass vaccination site at the Circuit of the Americas on Feb. 27.
Julia Reihs
/
KUT
A test run of the planned mass vaccination site at the Circuit of the Americas on Feb. 27.

Austin Public Health is lowering its COVID-19 risk-based guidelines from stage 4 to stage 3. The changes comes after 12 consecutive days of average daily hospital admissions for COVID in the metro area remaining below 30. On Friday, the seven-day moving average of daily admissions was 23.71.

Under stage 3, businesses are asked to keep capacity between 50% and 75% voluntarily instead of 25% to 50%. A recommendation for healthy people under 65 to avoid nonessential travel has been lifted.

Austin is moving from Stage 4 of its voluntary risk-based guidelines to Stage 3 as daily COVID hospitalizations decline.
Austin Public Health
Austin is moving from Stage 4 of its voluntary risk-based guidelines to Stage 3 as daily COVID hospitalizations decline.

“We are seeing more people getting vaccinated as supply to our area continues to increase,” APH Director Stephanie Hayden-Howard said in a statement. "Our most vulnerable are becoming protected and we are hopeful that because of this our numbers will continue to decline, but it remains important to continue all prevention measures."

The change does not affect city enforcement of mask wearing and social distancing. A state district court judge ruled Friday that Austin can continue enforcing the rules until at least a hearing set for March 26.

Saturday marks one year since the first confirmed case of the coronavirus in Austin.

Nathan Bernier is the transportation reporter at KUT. He covers the big projects that are reshaping how we get around Austin, like the I-35 overhaul, the airport's rapid growth and the multibillion-dollar transit expansion Project Connect. He also focuses on the daily changes that affect how we walk, bike and drive around the city. Got a tip? Email him at nbernier@kut.org. Follow him on X @KUTnathan.
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