Two Central Texas counties return to high level of COVID-19 spread

Two area counties returned to a high level of COVID-19 spread on Thursday, days before school is about to begin.

Hays and Caldwell counties spent a week at the medium level, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, before returning to the high level. Travis, Williamson and Bastrop counties continue to stay in the medium level.

For areas at a high level of community spread, the CDC recommends that everyone, even if they are up to date on vaccinations and boosters, take precautions such as social distancing and wearing masks when gathering, shopping or dining.

More: Monkeypox cases continue to rise in Austin as COVID-19 cases dip slightly

At the medium level of community spread, CDC guidelines say that precautions are optional for people who are up to date with their vaccines, including boosters, but recommend that they wear a mask when social distancing is not possible. Under the medium level, people who are at higher risk or who are not vaccinated or not up to date in their vaccine doses are advised to use precautions while gathering, dining and shopping.

The difference between the five Austin-area counties is the number of people admitted to hospitals with COVID-19 and the percentage of staffed hospital beds taken by people with COVID-19.

In Hays and Caldwell counties, those numbers rose to 11.3 new admissions per 100,000 residents, up from 9.5 last week. An average of more than 10 new admissions per 100,000 residents brings a county into the high level. The counties' percentage of staffed beds taken by COVID-19 patients fell to 8.2%, down from 9.7%. Because it was less than 10%, that would have kept those counties in the medium range, if the new admissions level had not risen.

Travis, Williamson and Bastrop counties' hospital levels were 7.5 new COVID-19 admissions per 100,000, down from 9.4 last week, and their percentage of beds taken up by COVID-19 patients was 3.7%, down from 4.6% last week.

Understanding the level:COVID-19 spread worsens to medium level for Travis, Hays counties. Here's what that means

Transmission rates — the number of cases per 100,000 people — fell across the area this week. In Travis County, the rate was 212.49, down from 249.62 last week. If the rate dips below 200, hospitalization rates remain below 10 and beds taken up by COVID-19 patients remain below 10%, Travis County could return to the low level of COVID-19 spread for the first time since June.

A low level of spread would mean that people up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines and boosters who are not at risk for severe disease would not have to take precautions such as masking. Those at higher risk or the unvaccinated also could decide not to take precautions.

Williamson County's transmission rate fell to 238.42, down from 297.69 last week. Bastrop County's rate is now 284.03, down from 344.89. Hays County's rate is now 349.71, down from 379.68, and Caldwell fell to 393.92, down from 480.95.

Fighting two viruses at once

As COVID-19 spread is falling, the numbers of monkeypox cases in the Austin area continue to rise. On Aug. 9, there were nine confirmed cases and 59 presumed cases. A confirmed case is one that has been verified by the CDC, while a presumed case involves a person who has tested positive but not had their case confirmed by the CDC.

This week, Travis County, the city of Austin and Austin Public Health declared monkeypox a public health emergency. On Thursday, the Austin City Council approved a motion to make it a public health emergency, allowing the order to be extended past seven days and last until it is revoked.

The declaration was done primarily to raise awareness, but also with the intent that when more resources such as vaccines and treatments become available from the federal government, Austin and Travis County will be prioritized for receiving these resources.

Austin Public Health has been testing, treating and vaccinating people for monkeypox, Austin-Travis County Health Authority Dr. Desmar Walkes said, but "those resources have become increasingly more scarce as we've had spread of the disease in our community."

The vaccine being used is actually a smallpox vaccine given an extended use for this purpose, Walkes said. It is made in Denmark, Walkes said, and there were not enough vaccine doses in the U.S. when this outbreak began. Bigger shipments are not expected to reach the U.S. until September, Austin Public Health Director Adrienne Sturrup said last week.

Austin Public Health, the city and county are asking the community to help control the spread by washing their hands, avoiding skin-to-skin contact and covering their skin when they can, Walkes said. People who are sick or have a rash should stay home until they recover, which can take three to four weeks, Walkes said.