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Coronavirus updates in Central Texas: APH opens up appointments to 18+ starting Monday

Here are the latest COVID-19 updates, closures and postponements in Central Texas for Thursday, April 8.

AUSTIN, Texas — Editor's note: This blog is no longer being updated. Click here for Friday'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 April 8 live blog.

COVID-19 numbers:

  • Texas: More than 2.4 million cases have been reported in the state, and more than 47,900 people in Texas have died, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.
  • Central Texas counties: 
    • Travis County: At least 80,031 cases have been reported and at least 823 people have died. At least 78,187 people have recovered from the virus.
    • Hays County: At least 17,358 confirmed cases have been reported and at least 239 people have died. At least 16,704 people have recovered from the virus.
    • Williamson County: At least 37,588 cases have been reported in the county and at least 457 people have died.

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

Updates: 

10:40 p.m. – Austin Public Health said it will be opening COVID-19 vaccine appointments to the general public, including anyone 18+, beginning on Monday, April 12.

9 p.m. – Round Rock City Council has voted to end the city's mask mandate on April 22 at 11:59 p.m.

At a city council meeting April 8, council members decided an ordinance that required the wearing of face coverings in certain situations will be lifted starting April 23. The Round Rock City Council first approved the emergency mask ordinance on June 29, 2020, and extended the order on March 10 through April 29. The ordinance will now end one week earlier.

RELATED: Round Rock City Council decides to lift mask mandate, starting April 23

6:50 p.m. – Travis County reported another two deaths from COVID-19 on Thursday along with 109 new confirmed cases, bringing the total to 80,031 cases and 823 deaths since the start of the pandemic. At least 78,187 people have recovered from the virus.

Travis County currently has 139 people hospitalized with COVID-19, with 47 in the ICU and 21 on ventilators.

4:50 p.m. – On Thursday, 40 homebound seniors in Williamson County received the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine thanks to the efforts of the VaxMob, made up of Williamson County Emergency Medical Services Community Health paramedics and the Williamson County Mobile Outreach Team, in collaboration with Texas Department of Emergency Management, the National Guard, the Texas Infrastructure Fire Mutual Aid System and Round Rock Fire Department.

The VaxMob program was launched in support of the Save Our Seniors initiative to reach seniors across Texas and get them vaccinated against COVID-19.

Credit: Williamson County
Williamson County Judge Gravell and National Guard members at an elder home on Thursday

4:10 p.m. – A mix-up first reported last week at a Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine facility in Baltimore is decreasing the supply Texas will be receiving next week.

According to Imelda Garcia with the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) Expert Vaccine Allocation Panel, Texas will go from about 500,000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine this week to about 130,000 next week. That amounts to a decrease of about 74%.

RELATED: Texas supply of Johnson & Johnson vaccine next week cut 74% due to factory error

2:20 p.m.  A state appeals court on Thursday voted to dismiss Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's challenge to Austin and Travis County's COVID-related orders earlier this year that placed a curfew on businesses operating during the New Year's weekend, according to a report from KVUE's news partners at the Austin American-Statesman.

1 p.m. – More than 1,000 Del Valle ISD family members and students will receive their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine this weekend at Del Valle High School. The effort is a unique all-school district organized and staffed event in collaboration with Travis County Fire Rescue (TCFR) ESD No. 11. School district nursing staff is administering the shots with school and district administrators assisting with check in and other logistics. The Fire Department is providing EMS support. Vaccines are provided from the TCFR vaccination site at Circuit of the Americas. Dozens of students enrolled in the district’s Health Sciences program through training and supervision are assisting the pharmacy operations at COTA. This includes providing support in preparing vaccines for use, while receiving real world, hands-on experience to complement their classroom learning. Students in the Law Enforcement program are assisting with traffic control with the DVISD Safety and Security Department for the onsite vaccinations. 

“We continually advocate for our community and offering vaccines using our staff is a tremendous opportunity,” said Superintendent Dr. Annette Tielle, “Part of our district’s mission is to provide students real-world opportunities, and I can’t think of a better opportunity for our Health Sciences program than to participate in the national response to a pandemic.”

Appointments opened to DVISD families Monday and filled rapidly within hours. The clinic is not open to the general public without an appointment.

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