AUSTIN, Texas — For nearly two months, Austin-Travis County was at the highest level of the area's COVID-19 risk-based guidelines as omicron cases surged.
This week, Austin Public Health announced the return to Stage 4 of those guidelines.
The area hit an all-time high for average hospital admissions caused by the COVID-19 omicron variant on Jan. 19, when the average was 129. The average has been dropping consistently since then.
Some health experts said they're cautiously optimistic.
"If our projections hold, we will see cities, counties, locales progressively ideally decreases risk levels back to a true semblance of what will still be defined as new normal," Dr. Mark Casanova said, a member of the Texas Medical Association COVID-19 Task Force.
Casanova said despite case numbers dropping in the state, they are still high. As of Friday, there were more than 4,000 new cases in Texas.
However, Casanova said we are headed in the right direction.
"The omicron, what we noticed about it across the world was its rapid rate of increase, but it's also had an equally rapid rate of decrease," Casanova said.
Testing sites are noticing that decrease.
NOMI Health set up a COVID-19 testing site in the area back in January. During the peak of the most recent surge, they administered up to a few thousand tests per day.
"The numbers were just astronomical, obviously, compared to like 200 to 300 that we're seeing now per day. So it's significantly improved," Dr. Harold Delasalas with NOMI Health said.
APH leaders said the area is past the omicron surge, but it's important to keep our guards up.
"Let's not delay the improvement and, also, the quicker that these numbers do get down, and generally speaking, viral transmission slows significantly, the less likely we're going to have another problematic variant come our way. So it still remains a group effort," Casanova said.
That group effort, according to Casanova, includes getting the COVID-19 vaccine and booster shot, as it remains the best protection against serious illness and death.
Now that the area is officially back in Stage 4, APH officials recommend the following:
- Fully vaccinated and/or boosted individuals should wear masks when gathering with people outside of their household, traveling, dining and shopping.
- Partially or unvaccinated individuals and those who need their booster dose should wear masks, avoid gatherings with people outside of their household, only travel and shop if essential and choose takeaway/curbside options for dining. Get fully vaccinated and boosted as soon as possible.
APH clinics offer COVID-19 vaccinations and testing without an appointment, although creating an account online in advance saves time. COVID-19 vaccinations are free and require neither identification nor insurance. For more information and to schedule an appointment, call 3-1-1 or 512-974-2000 or visit www.AustinTexas.gov/COVID19.
For more information on NOMI Health or for COVID-19 testing information, click here.
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