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On April 3, a map showed the city's COVID-19 cases clustered around UT and West Austin, as well as part of South Austin. (Travis County COVID-19 Public Dashboard)
Last week, county data showed positive COVID-19 test results were more concentrated in the ZIP codes 78703 (Tarrytown), 78704 (Central-South Austin), 78705 (West Campus), 78731 (Northwest Hills) and 78746 (West Lake Hills and Rollingwood) than in other areas of Austin.
The latest data shows cases remain concentrated in those areas, but other ZIP codes—particularly in Southeast Austin—now shade darker on the accompanying heat map.
What's going on here?
The April 6 map, above, shows the distribution starting to shift. (Travis County COVID-19 Public Dashboard)Travis County COVID-19 Public Dashboard
"We don't know for sure," Dell Medical School Dean Clay Johnston wrote in an April 3 email. "It is definitely true that travelers and big wigs (who shake a lot of hands and attend many events) were at higher risk. We expect this to change because those now with the most contacts are in lower-paying positions."
The 78705 ZIP code has the highest number of cases: 50. Last week, The University of Texas at Austin announced a large cluster of COVID-19 instances stemming from a group of students who traveled to Cabo San Lucas in March. As of Friday, 49 UT students had tested positive for the virus, and the university said it was aware of 211 students who traveled to Cabo San Lucas March 14-19.
The median household income in the city of Austin is $67,462, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. In comparison, the median household income in 78703 is $105,207; in 78704, it's $70,511; in 78731, it's $94,048; and in 78746, it's $139,951.
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Popular
(Sergio Flores/The Texas Tribune)
By Patrick Svitek
Beto O'Rourke caused a dramatic scene on Wednesday when he angrily confronted Gov. Greg Abbott at his news conference about the Uvalde school shooting, yelling, "This is on you."
After Abbott was done giving his initial remarks, O'Rourke approached the stage and told Abbott he was "doing nothing" to combat gun violence. He said the Uvalde massacre, in which a gunman killed 19 children and two adults, was "totally predictable."
Some of the Republican officials onstage with Abbott quickly denounced O'Rourke, telling him to go away. Another man onstage used expletives to criticize O'Rourke for interrupting the event.O'Rourke was eventually escorted away amid the unruly scene.
“I can’t believe that you’re a sick son of a bitch that would come to a deal like this to make a political issue,” Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin told O'Rourke at one point.
.@BetoORourke just showed up and shook things up. @statesmanpic.twitter.com/Z1FtBwUEdJ
— Luz Moreno-Lozano 🦇 (@LuzMorenoLozano) May 25, 2022
(Uvalde ISD)
Nineteen kids and two adults are dead after a shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas—a small town an hour and a half west of San Antonio—on Tuesday afternoon.
Gov. Greg Abbott said the suspect, 18-year-old Salvador Ramos, is believed to have been killed by the police. The Uvalde Police Department said the shooting began at 11:43 a.m. Tuesday.
“What happened in Uvalde is a horrific tragedy that cannot be tolerated in the state of Texas,” Abbott said. “He shot and killed—horrifically, incomprehensibly.”
Texans are grieving for the victims of this senseless crime & for the community of Uvalde.
Cecilia & I mourn this horrific loss & urge all Texans to come together.
I've instructed @TxDPS & Texas Rangers to work with local law enforcement to fully investigate this crime. pic.twitter.com/Yjwi8tDT1v
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) May 24, 2022
According to University Health Hospital officials, a 66-year-old woman and 10-year-old girl arrived in critical condition. Uvalde Memorial Hospital reportedly received 13 children for treatment and two individuals who were already deceased. At the time, it was believed 14 had died in this shooting.
The shooter prompted a lockdown at the elementary school of just under 550 students, with San Antonio Police sending SWAT, and Eagle chopper and Crime Scene Investigators.
According to White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, President Joe Biden has been briefed on the tragedy and “His prayers are with the families impacted by this awful event, and he will speak this evening when he arrives back at the White House.”
At 21 deaths, it is the deadliest school shooting in Texas and one of the deadliest in the U.S. since 26 at Sandy Hook Elementary lost their lives. This is the U.S.'s 213th mass shooting of 2022.