AUSTIN, Texas — Editor's note: The attached video was published on March 13.
On Saturday, Travis County and the City of Austin issued new advice for those who are aware that they have come into contact with a person with the coronavirus.
The new advice was issued following Gov. Greg Abbott's declaration of a statewide public health disaster on Friday.
Dr. Mark Escott, the interim local health director, provided guidance the County and City said is aimed at reducing the spread of the disease while investigations take place.
The newly issued advice includes the following:
- Any individual who is aware of close unprotected contact (within 6 feet) of an individual with COVID-19 should stay home and monitor their temperature and symptoms for 14 days.
- Individuals aware they have been in the same room, but not within six feet, of an individual with COVID-19 should self-monitor their temperature and symptoms for 14 days, avoid close gatherings where they cannot maintain 6 feet of separation from others, including mass transit and air travel.
- Individuals exposed to a case who become symptomatic, including with a cough and/or fever, should stay home and contact their primary care provider or telemedicine provider for advice and assessment of testing priority with Austin Public Health.
- Anyone who is feeling ill - even if they are not aware of any contact with a COVID-19 case - should also stay at home.
Austin Public Health is conducting contact tracing on hundreds of people based on the first three "presumptively positive" cases.
Additionally, Escott issued a new control order instructing healthcare facilities in the Austin-Travis County area to implement sanitation and screening measures, including the following:
- “Help Prevent Disease” signs provided by Austin Public Health must be displayed prominently in all healthcare facilities.
- Hand sanitizer must be available and supplied to employees, patients, visitors, and volunteers.
- The facility must symptom check all employees, patients, visitors, and volunteers prior to entry and may not allow any persons into the facility who exhibit symptoms of COVID-19 unless they are patients.
- The facility will develop a plan to screen, identify and, when required, isolate individuals and patients presenting to healthcare facilities using CDC recommendations to assess and further direct the care of patients and individuals presenting to the facility.
- The facility will apply the same approach of screening, identifying and, when required, isolating healthcare workers employed by or affiliated with the facility.
- All healthcare workers should self-monitor their temperature prior to and at least once during their shift.
- Any suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19 should be reported to Austin Public Health in the usual manner for notification of reportable disease.
According to the County and City, these measures impact hospitals, doctors' offices, clinics and other healthcare facilities.
“Preserving healthcare system functioning is paramount during the spread of COVID-19,” said Escott. “I believe this order is an appropriate control measure to ensure healthcare facilities can continue to provide care for all patients at the appropriate level while reducing the transmission of disease.”
For up-to-date information on COVID-19, visit the CDC's website.
More coronavirus coverage can be found on KVUE's website.
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