AUSTIN, Texas — Editor's note: This blog is no longer active. For the latest updates, check out our new blog here.
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 Sept. 5 live blog.
COVID-19 numbers:
- Texas: More than 630,800 cases have been reported in the state, and more than 13,000 people in Texas have died, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.
- Central Texas counties:
- Travis County: Over 26,900 cases have been reported and at least 394 people have died. At least 25,720 people have recovered from the virus.
- Hays County: More than 5,400 confirmed cases have been reported and at least 50 people have died. At least 3,434 people have recovered from the virus.
- Williamson County: More than 8,000 cases have been reported in the county and at least 128 people have died. More than 7,700 people have recovered from the virus.
GRAPHS: Coronavirus data Sept. 4
Updates:
6:10 p.m. – Travis County reported another death from COVID-19 on Saturday along with 77 new confirmed cases, bringing the total to 26,931 cases and 394 deaths. At least 25,720 people have recovered from the virus.
Travis County currently has 129 people hospitalized from COVID-19, with 43 in ICU and 28 on ventilators.
12:50 p.m. – Austin ISD says all students participating in remote, off-campus or in-person learning will receive free school meals through December. For students participating in remote learning, both breakfast and lunch will be offered Monday through Friday from 10:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. at more than 40 curbside locations. AISD will serve free breakfast and lunch in the classroom to on-campus learners.
Meals for students may be provided to a parent or caregiver at curbside locations even if the student is not present as long as they have one of the following forms of documentation:
- Official letter/email from school that shows children as enrolled
- Individual student report cards
- Attendance record from Parent Portal of school website
- Birth certificate for children not in school
- Student ID cards
The documentation can come from a non-AISD school as well. If the parent or caregiver does not have documentation, the student must be present to receive a meal.
AISD will continue to provide free meals to the adults accompanying students or with documentation of the student they are picking up meals for through Sept. 11.
12:15 p.m. – Arkansas Bend Park has reached capacity and will not allow entry to any additional visitors for the rest of the day. The park will reopen Sunday under the same capacity limits.
10:40 a.m. – Austin-Bergstrom International Airport reports busiest travel days in months. The airport reported 9,632 outbound passengers on Thursday and 10,879 on Friday – the first day with more than 10,000 since March.
10 a.m. – Austin ISD has launched new webpages to support Community Learning Spaces and caregivers. The district defines a Community Learning Space as a location outside of school where a legal guardian takes their student to receive in-person supervision, access to digital resources and other support.
Community Learning Services are facilitated by community organizations, faith-based organizations, groups of parents or other public entities and are not monitored or managed by AISD staff.
The new webpages will include training to support remote learning, FAQs for caregivers, video and step-by-step tutorials for navigating AISD technology devices and learning platforms and resources to support students in Community Learning Spaces, including how to participate in Austin ISD Food Services.
9 a.m. – The U.S. Hispanic Contractors Association de Austin – in partnership with the Texas Divison of Emergency Management, Sacred Heart Catholic Church, the Austin Latino Coalition and Tito's Handmade Vodka – is hosting a free COVID-19 testing and personal protective equipment (PPE) distribution event for frontline construction workers.
The event will be held from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church at 5909 Reicher Road. Tests will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.
8 a.m. – The Central Texas Food Bank is hosting a food distribution event at Nelson Field at 7105 Berkman Drive. The event runs from 8 a.m. until 11 a.m. Remember to stay in your car and pop your trunk so the food can be placed inside.
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