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Coronavirus updates in Central Texas: Travis County reports another death from COVID-19, 314 new cases

Here are the latest COVID-19 updates, closures and postponements in Central Texas for Friday, July 3.

AUSTIN, Texas — Editor's note: This blog is no longer being updated.

KVUE is keeping you updated with the latest coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, news in the Austin area.

Scroll down for the top headlines and latest updates in KVUE's July 3 live blog.

COVID-19 numbers:

  • Texas: More than 175,000 cases have been reported in the state, and more than 2,500 people in Texas have died, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. More than 90,000 people have recovered.
  • Central Texas counties: 
    • Travis County: Over 11,000 cases have been reported and at least 134 people have died. At least 8,000 people have recovered from the virus.
    • Hays County: Over 3,000 confirmed cases have been reported and at least seven people have died. At least 494 people have recovered from the virus.
    • Williamson County: More than 2,330 cases have been reported in the county and at least 42 people have died. More than 950 people have recovered from the virus.

Top headlines:

Latest updates:

6:15 p.m. – Travis County reported another death from COVID-19 on Friday, bringing the total to 134. The county also reported another 314 cases, bringing the total to 11,009, while at least 8,007 people have recovered from the virus.

As of Friday evening, 418 people were hospitalized in Travis County with COVID-19, with 151 in the ICU and 66 on ventilators.

4:20 p.m. – Williamson County confirmed three more COVID-19 deaths on Friday, bringing the total to 42. The deaths were a man in his 50s, a man in his 60s and a woman in her 90s, the county said.

“Although this is supposed to be a time when we celebrate Independence Day, instead we are entering the holiday weekend mourning the loss of precious lives taken by COVID-19. This is no time to put our guard down. Whether it is July 4 or not, every day we can make a positive impact in our community by following the safety measures that keep the virus from spreading further. Let’s not gamble with our lives or the lives of others around us,” said Williamson County Judge Bill Gravell.

2:45 p.m. – In an order issued Friday, the Texas Supreme Court canceled the two-day in-person July Texas bar examination in response to accelerating COVID-19 cases and hospital admissions in the state and approved an alternative online test in October.

The Court’s 19th emergency order specifies that the Board of Law Examiners should administer an online examination Oct. 5 and Oct. 6 and keep an option for an in-person test to be offered Sept. 9 and Sept. 10, “subject to guidance from public health authorities.”

The order notes the October online examination will include 100 Multistate Bar Examination questions, one Multistate Performance Test question, Procedure and Evidence questions and 12 Texas-essay questions. The Board will determine how the exam will be weighted and scores should be ready by Dec. 4.

2:20 p.m. – All people age 10 and older in Georgetown are required to wear face coverings while in public, with some exceptions, according to updated orders issued Friday, July 3, by Mayor Dale Ross. The orders reflect additional restrictions authorized by Gov. Greg Abbott on July 2. The governor’s orders also prohibit outdoor gatherings of more than 10 people at a time, without mayoral approval. 

Georgetown’s revised order expands upon previous requirements for commercial businesses to adopt and post health and safety policies requiring masks in the premises whenever physical distancing of six feet isn’t possible. Businesses still must adopt and publicly post health and safety policies by July 3. Those policies can include additional restrictions, such as taking temperatures, at the business’s discretion. The Georgetown order will remain in place until Williamson County reports a positive test rate of 7 percent or fewer over a two-week average.

2:15 p.m. – The University of Texas has released its own COVID-19 dashboard on the university website, which details the statistics among UT students and staff. 

The dashboard is broken down into the following sections: "UT Austin Student and Faculty/Staff New COVID-19 Cases per Day," "UT Austin Student, Faculty, and Staff Proactive Community Testing Summary," "UT Austin Student, Faculty, and Staff Proactive Community Testing Results by Week," and "Travis County New COVID-19 Cases per Day."

For the latest COVID-19 numbers at UT, visit the dashboard here.

1 p.m. - Austin and Travis County have activated its alert system in order to inform Austin residents of the new local order that mandates the use of face masks starting July 3.

10 a.m. - Austin Mayor Steve Adler has issued a new order that "takes FULL advantage of new tools in the Governor's latest orders" that make face masks mandatory in public buildings in all Texas counties with 20 or more coronavirus cases.

The new Austin order also prohibits gatherings of more than 10 people.

WATCH: Why do some refuse to wear masks?

MORE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE: 

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