South by Southwest is buzzing again in Austin. Two years ago, it was canceled out of concerns over COVID-19. Central Texas was just getting hit with our first cases, and people were worried about what was to come.
Recently, Austin-Travis County dropped down to Stage 2 — the next-to-lowest stage — of Austin Public Health’s COVID-19 risk-based guidelines. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also now says universal masking is no longer needed in some counties — including Bastrop, Burnet, Caldwell, Hays, Travis and Williamson — because the COVID-19 community level is low.
So, as we head into year three of the pandemic, where do things stand? And what might be ahead?
Ashley Lopez, who covers politics and health care for KUT, is here to answer some of these questions. Listen to the audio below to hear her conversation with KUT's Jennifer Stayton.
