AUSTIN, Texas — Editor's note: This blog is no longer being updated. Click here for Thursday'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. 4 live blog.
COVID-19 numbers:
- Texas: More than 2.6 million cases have been reported in the state, and more than 52,100 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 67, and an average of 390 people are hospitalized. The seven-day moving average for new cases is 403. Since the beginning of the pandemic, at least 91,254 cases have been reported and at least 901 people have died.
- Hays County: There are currently 1,670 active cases and 45 people are currently hospitalized. Since the beginning of the pandemic, at least 21,342 confirmed cases have been reported and at least 275 people have died. At least 19,397 people have recovered from the virus.
- Williamson County: There are 385 new cases, and 11% of hospital beds are available. Since the beginning of the pandemic, at least 44,497 cases have been reported in the county and at least 495 people have died.
For a look at COVID-19 data across all of the state's counties, click here.
GRAPHS: Coronavirus data Aug. 4, 2021
Updates:
10 p.m. – Austin ISD conducted a virtual town hall on Wednesday night for parents to ask questions about the upcoming school year. Superintendent Dr. Stephanie Elizalde announced students will have to wear masks on school buses.
AISD plans to host another town hall in Spanish on Thursday night at 6 p.m.
9:45 p.m. – Lago Vista ISD said a student attending Kinder Camp tested positive for COVID-19. Parents have been notified and health protocols are being followed in response to the case. The school district released the following statement:
We are aware of this positive case and have notified those who are at risk of potential exposure. As we have throughout this pandemic, we will continue to prioritize the health and safety of our students and staff to the best of our ability. Our District protocols are governed by, and align with, the requirements set forth by Governor Abbott, the Texas Education Agency, and the Texas Department of Health and Human Services. We will continue to monitor the guidance from our governing agencies and will adjust our District protocols accordingly.
5:45 p.m. – Travis County reported 527 new confirmed COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, bringing the total to 91,254 cases and 901 deaths since the start of the pandemic. At least 87,119 people have recovered from the virus.
Travis County currently has 477 people hospitalized with COVID-19, with 161 in the ICU and 100 on ventilators.
4:30 p.m. – Hays County reported 167 new confirmed COVID-19 cases on Wednesday along with no new hospitalizations and one new hospital discharge. There are 89 additional people considered recovered.
4:15 p.m. – The seven-day average for daily COVID-19 hospital admissions in Austin-Travis County is at 67 per day – up 47% from a week ago and up 636% from one month ago. There were 1,210 new COVID-19 cases confirmed in the Austin metro area on Wednesday (Bastrop, Hays, Williamson and Travis counties). The seven-day average of new cases for the metro area is at 876 per day over the past week – up 81% from one week ago and more than 10 times as high as one month ago.
There are currently 506 COVID-19 patients hospitalized in the Austin trauma service area, taking up 11% of hospital beds. ICUs in the area have 19 staffed beds available, with 184 COVID-19 patients in local ICUs.
Texas reported more than 15,000 new cases on Wednesday, bringing the seven-day average to 9,187 new COVID-19 cases per day over the past week – the highest since Feb. 11, up 74% from one week ago and up 983% from one month ago. There are 7,685 COVID-19 patients in Texas hospitals currently, the highest level since Feb. 19, up 45% from a week ago and up 355% from one month ago.
Texas reported 60 more COVID-19 deaths on Wednesday, bringing the total to 52,221 since the start of the pandemic.
Around 53% of eligible Texans are fully vaccinated, while 62.5% have had at least one dose.
6:45 a.m. – Austin ISD will answer families' questions about the upcoming school year, including virtual learning, during a Facebook Live and Zoom session at 6 p.m. A Spanish version of the session will be held Thursday at 6 p.m. Register for tonight's Zoom here.
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