AUSTIN, Texas — Editor's note: This blog is no longer being updated.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 Aug. 19 live blog.
COVID-19 numbers:
- Texas: More than 2.8 million cases have been reported in the state, and more than 53,300 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 of new admissions is 76, and an average of 618 people are hospitalized. The seven-day moving average for new cases is 513. Since the beginning of the pandemic, over 98,256 cases have been reported and at least 924 people have died.
- Hays County: There are currently 2,243 active cases and 57 people are currently hospitalized (45 unvaccinated, 12 vaccinated). Since the beginning of the pandemic, at least 23,630 confirmed cases have been reported and at least 296 people have died. At least 21,091 people have recovered from the virus.
- Williamson County: There are 360 new cases, and 11% of hospital beds are available and 1% of ICU beds are available. Since the beginning of the pandemic, at least 48,979 cases have been reported in the county and at least 510 people have died.
- Central Texas school districts:
- Austin ISD: As of 5 p.m. on Aug. 18, there are a total of 48 new COVID-19 cases (23 students, 22 employees, three other) and a total of 162 new exposures (156 students and six employees). At its mass testing clinics on Monday, AISD said 188 people were tested with 25 coming back positive.
- Round Rock ISD: As of Aug. 19, there are zero new positive cases and zero new "close contact" cases. **Data will be updated starting 08/20/2021**
- Leander ISD: For the week of Aug. 20 (Saturday through Friday), there are 165 new positive cases.
- Pflugerville ISD: For the week of Aug. 20, there are 87 new positive cases.
- Hays CISD: Hays CISD's data posts on Monday, Aug. 23.
For a look at COVID-19 data across all of the state's counties, click here. KVUE is tracking COVID-19 data from five school districts in Central Texas. Many school districts have their own COVID-19 dashboard.
GRAPHS: Coronavirus data Aug. 19, 2021
Updates:
4:25 p.m. – Gov. Greg Abbott announced that the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) and the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) will deploy additional medical personnel and launch more COVID-19 antibody infusion centers across the state over the next week.
About 2,700 medical personnel will be called up by the end of this week to help hospitals care for the increasing number of COVID-19 patients across Texas. DSHS will increase that to at least 5,500 by the end of next week.
TDEM will launch two new regional infusion centers in Beaumont and Odessa by next week. Odessa will launch tomorrow and Beaumont will launch on Monday. DSHS will open COVID-19 antibody infusion centers in Fort Worth and Laredo tomorrow morning. These infusion centers are in addition to others that launched across the state last week including Austin, Corpus Christi, Conroe, Harlingen and Lubbock.
These infusion centers, equipped with Regeneron's monoclonal antibodies, will treat COVID-19 patients at no cost with therapeutic drugs that can prevent their condition from worsening and requiring hospital care. Patients must have a referral from a doctor.
4:07 p.m. – Hays County reported three new COVID-19 fatalities, 152 new lab-confirmed cases along with three new hospitalizations and eight new hospital discharges. Hays County has 2,243 active cases. In the past 21 days there have been 3,265 active cases.
10:30 a.m. – The Austin City Limits Music Festival announced that proof of vaccination or a printed copy of a negative COVID-19 test will be required to attend.
7 a.m. – If you want to see Willie Nelson perform at the Outlaw Music Festival on Sunday, you'll need proof of a COVID-19 vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test, according to officials with the Germania Insurance Amphitheater. If you opt for the test, it will need to be taken within 72 hours of the event.
6:30 a.m. – Travis County is hosting COVID-19 vaccine clinics across the area today. The clinics will be held at:
- Huston-Tillotson University (900 Chicon Street) from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
- J.D.'s Supermarket (8807 Cameron Road) from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
- Travis County Community Center (15822 Foothill Farms Loop in Pflugerville) from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Anyone 12 years old or older can get a Pfizer shot and anyone 18 years old or older can get a Johnson & Johnson shot.
6 a.m. – Austin ISD will provide free meals for all students throughout the school year. AISD's meal program is federally funded so the district gets reimbursed for each meal served. Because of that, each student can get breakfast, lunch and after-school meals. The program lasts through June of next year.
WATCH: Texas rejects Austin's request for alternate care site, focusing on hospital staffing instead
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