Travis County Coronavirus Cases Drop, No New Deaths

AUSTIN, TX — Austin residents seem to be adhering to health officials' guidance on helping blunt spread of the coronavirus, as updated statistics posted Sunday would indicate.

The county reported 79 new cases of the illness — the first time since June 14 that fewer than 100 positive diagnoses had emerged — and no new deaths in leaving that count to 241. The seven-day average of 262 cases daily reported is the lowest level seen since June 26, according to the dashboard data.

The seven-day rolling average of daily hospitalizations has dropped to 49 — still on the high side, but a far cry from the 75 daily hospitalizations seen at the trend's peak in the recent past. Health officials have said the sustained 70 mark could trigger a citywide shutdown in attempts to blunt the spread of illness.

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Still, hospital resources are dwindling to aid those already sick. Officials at Ascension Seton, Baylor Scott & White Health and St. David’s HealthCare said the 2,473 staffed beds within all three healthcare systems are 75 percent occupied. In addition, the 483 ICU beds are 85 percent occupied, officials added.

Austin Mayor Steve Adler attributed the downward trends to residents taking heed of health officials advice. "Your sacrifices — social distancing and wearing masks— are slowing this virus down and saving lives," he wrote in an emailed message. "We have to keep up the good work."

The updated figures found on a statistical dashboard maintained by Austin Public Health are a far cry from the recent past when big jumps in illness were tracked, Adler noted. "Just a few weeks ago we were seeing a scary spike. This was the weekend our hospitals would have been overrun, with our ICUs beyond capacity. Today, we would be making horrible choices about who gets the best care. This is the reality this weekend in South Texas. But not here. Not this weekend. Wearing masks and social distancing worked for us."

Despite the improving outlook, the mayor said this is no time to let up: "We’re not in the clear, yet. We’re now just about to see what we did on the 4th of July weekend reflected in the data that we watch. We will know soon if we did a better job with masking and social distancing than we did on Memorial Day. A big cluster or two, a big spike, and we’ll be right back to where we were a month ago. Hopefully, our trajectory will continue to slow and even continue to move downward."

This means continuing to adhere to health officials' guidance, he added: "This is the hard part. If we're going to lower the virus load in our city, we can't let up. Let's keep wearing masks. Let’s social distance. Let's avoid big groups. As a city, can we do this? When we’re not motivated by fear, but by the hope and promise of living a more normal life? Soon we’ll find out. When the crisis seems to ease, most cities, including Austin in May and June, relax and begin to behave like the virus is gone. And then the spikes return. Can we do differently this time? Let’s hope so."

As always in his missives, the mayor offered some safe entertainment for residents to enjoy:

• Today! We Are Here! Living the Legacy of Dr. Givens is a virtual celebration and community conversation to honor Dr. Everett Givens, a tireless advocate for the Black community.
• Austin Public Library has summer reading options for kids, teens, and adults. Austin Public Library has curbside pick ups or a virtual catalog to help you complete the challenges.
• The mayor also would like kids to submit more artwork and projects to feature on his regular "Got a Minute?" Facebook broadcast during which he apprises the public on city matters, chiefly coronavirus. Kids of all ages can submit their work to Steve.adler@austintexas.gov via to have it potentially featured on the mayor's Facebook feed to which residents can tune in live on Facebook or YouTube.