Coronavirus updates in Central Texas: Monday stat tracker

AUSTIN, Texas — Editor's note: This blog is no longer being updated.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

KVUE is keeping you updated with the latest coronavirus and COVID-19 news in the Austin area. 

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

COVID-19 numbers:

• Texas: 
  • More than 4.6 million cases have been reported in the state, and around 76,000 people in Texas have died, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.
• Central Texas counties: 
  • Austin-Travis County: The seven-day moving average for new hospital admissions is 118, and an average of 520 people are hospitalized. The community transmission rate is 1,350 and the positivity rate is 32.9%. Since the beginning of the pandemic, 143,911 cases have been reported and at least 1,225 people have died.
  • Hays County: There are currently 8,021 active cases, and 22 people are currently hospitalized. Since the beginning of the pandemic, at least 39,649 confirmed cases have been reported and at least 426 people have died. 
  • Williamson County: There are 1,088 new cases of coronavirus in Williamson County. Fifteen percent of hospital beds are available, and 6% of ICU beds are available. Since the beginning of the pandemic, at least 87,710 cases have been reported and at least 764 people have died.

For a look at COVID-19 data across all of the state's counties, click here.

Updates:

3:40 p.m. – Texas reported 54,407 new confirmed COVID-19 cases on Monday, bringing the seven-day average to 52,709 per day, a new pandemic high and up 30% from a week ago and up 1,194% from a month ago. The state reported four new COVID-19 deaths on Monday, bringing the total to 76,000 deaths in Texas since the start of the pandemic.

There are 12,286 COVID-19 patients currently in hospitals statewide, up 18% from a week ago and up 294% from a month ago. The state's positivity rate is at 34.52%.

The four-county Austin metro area reported 4,646 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, bringing the seven-day average to 3,642 cases per day, up 2% from a week ago and up 1,110% from a month ago (12x). There have been 3,557 COVID-19 deaths in the 12-county KVUE viewing area since the start of the pandemic.

There are 652 COVID-19 patients in Austin-area (TSA O) hospitals, with 14% bed availability. It is the second day with COVID-19 patients taking up more than 15% of total hospital capacity in the region. There are 155 COVID-19 patients in Austin-area ICUs, with 8% bed availability (28 adult and nine pediatric ICU beds). COVID-19 patients currently make up 33% of total ICU capacity.

Texas is at 57% of the total population full vaccinated.

2 p.m. – Lago Vista ISD announces that Lago Vista High School and Lago Vista Middle School will be closed Tuesday through Wednesday. Staff will be reporting in-person as normal. Students in grades 6-12 will return on Thursday.

Johnson City ISD also announced school closures for Monday and Tuesday this week. Read more here.

10 a.m. – Here are the latest COVID-19 statistics from the Texas Department of State Health Services: 

TEXAS

• 7-day case avg. is over 50,000 per day for the first time (50,932 per day)
  • None of the previous peaks ever got over 20,000
• Statewide pediatric patients is at a new high: 490

LOCAL

• Case average has been falling day-to-day three straight days and is down week-over-week for three straight days … 7-day average = 3,550 per day
• COVID/capacity percentage is over 15% for the Austin area

7:15 a.m. – Austin Public Health's COVID-19 testing site at the Travis County Expo Center, located at 7311 Decker Lane, will remain open today from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. All other APH facilities will be closed in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. 

7 a.m. – This week, the City of Austin will host drive-thru mask distributions for local small businesses. On Wednesday, 96,000 masks will be given out for free to business owners and their staff.

The distributions will be held at the City's African-American Cultural and Heritage Facility, located at 912 East Eleventh St., and the Economic Development Department offices, located at 5202 E. Ben White Blvd. Both distributions will run from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m. Wednesday.

Crews will place boxes with masks in the truck of each vehicle. Participants are asked to say in their cars and pop their trunks.

OTHER COVID-19 HEADLINES:

• New Austin COVID-19 orders go into effect Monday
• Obesity increases the risk of COVID-19 complications in children, report shows
• Insurers must now reimburse for at-home COVID tests. But there's a catch.
• Your COVID-19 antigen test result shows a faint line. Here's what it could mean
• Central Texas teachers filling in as substitutes amid COVID-19 absences