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Austin's top doctor reports 'positive notes' on COVID hospitalizations as ICU occupancy falls

The seven-day moving average for new daily COVID-related hospital admissions in the Austin metro appears to be plateauing, and the doubling time—or the number of days it takes for current caseload to double—is now at a record high of 45.4 days.
ICU occupancy—which local officials have described as a "pinch point"—has fallen from 89% to 83% since last Thursday.
"These are both positive notes and undoubtedly a result of the community's engagement in this mission to decrease the transmission through the protective actions of masking, the personal hygiene and the social distancing," Austin-Travis County Interim Health Authority Dr. Mark Escott told county commissioners during his weekly update on Tuesday.
New confirmed cases
The number of new confirmed cases is also declining. The current seven-day moving average of new confirmed cases is 335, down from 503 a week ago.
Dr. David Rubin directs the PolicyLab at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, which has modeled the spread of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic. He looks for at least two weeks of declining daily new confirmed cases before assuming there is any evidence of a flattening curve.
As of Monday evening, Travis County reports three consecutive days of decline.
Dr. Escott said Austin residents need to adhere to precautions for at least the next month to keep transmission down and increase the likelihood that students can return to school.
"Our focus now is really getting us in a better situation to open schools that is not going to lead to immediate outbreaks as we saw with the opening of businesses," he said.
Hospital capacity concerns
While hospitals in the Austin metro are seeing a plateau in the number of daily new admissions—which has held steady for the last two weeks—Dr. Escott said there are still concerns about capacity.
"[Admission rates are] not going in an upward direction anymore, but the hospitals are impacted right now," he told commissioners. "Our health care workers, our nurses, our physicians, our allied health professionals in the hospitals are busy, and they're tired."
Austin's three hospital systems—Ascension Seton, Baylor Scott & White and St. David's HealthCare—reported an overall occupancy rate of 75% on Tuesday, up from 74% last week, and an ICU occupancy rate of 83%, down from 89%, among their 483 collective beds.
In addition to capacity, staffing is another concern. Most hospitals in the region are dealing with staff absenteeism related to COVID-19, either because their own employees are sick or because they are caring for family members who are, Dr. Escott said.
As a result, hospitals and local officials are requesting state and federal support to find additional personnel to care for COVID patients in hospitals before staffing the convention center, which is outfitted as a field hospital for non-ICU patients but remains empty.
Dr. Escott said the opening has been delayed to ensure that hospitals are adequately staffed before attempting to staff the convention center.
Because of more severe outbreaks in southern Texas, Austin will likely need to recruit workers from outside of the state. "I think the funds are available," he said. "The challenge is finding the people."
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Popular
Austin FC kept rival FC Dallas to a draw Saturday night as it pulled off a 2-2 comeback. (Austin FC/Twitter)
Despite a 2-0 deficit, there was a pot of gold for Austin FC after all as it celebrated its annual Pride Night with rainbows and a 2-2 comeback draw to FC Dallas Saturday night.
After three FC Dallas losses last season, the Dallas derby draw marks the first time Austin FC has tied against its Copa Texas rival. Austin continues to edge over FC Dallas as it sits at 3rd in the MLS West.
Here are the biggest takeaways from the match:
A somber start
¡Ya Basta! Enough! End Gun Violence. #uvaldestrong
— Los Verdes (@LosVerdesATX) June 26, 2022
📷 @arubiophotospic.twitter.com/3PiVdTPtik
Decked out in colorful hues for LBGTQ+ Pride, Verde fans started the match on a somber note as they held up banners to take a stand against gun violence before the match.
As the national anthem began, fans held up banners with the names of each child that was killed in the Uvalde school shooting and a plea to "end gun violence."
The supporters' section was also dotted with Pride flags and a "Bans off Our Bodies" banner in protest of the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
(Claire Partain/Austonia)
(Claire Partain/Austonia)
FC Dallas earns a 2-0 lead
Paul Arriola is there to put it away and put @FCDallas ahead! pic.twitter.com/Z4AMmM6lp3
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) June 26, 2022
That sober tone continued onto the pitch. With midfielder Daniel Pereira's absence due to a red card, the Verde and Black lost two goals to FC Dallas by the 70th minute of play.
FC Dallas played it sneaky for the first half of the match, giving Austin FC plenty of room to hold possession as it waited to strike on a Verde error. That mentality proved dangerous for Austin as Dallas' Paul Arriola took advantage of Brad Stuver's deflection to score the first goal of the night in the 57th minute of play.
Dallas struck once more as Brandon Servant pushed past the Verde line to score the second goal of the match.
#DTID double their lead!
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) June 26, 2022
The substitute Brandon Servania with a fine finish within five minutes of coming on. 💥 pic.twitter.com/IZm0YsPxG5
Austin FC strikes back
Sebastián Driussi pulls one back!#AustinFC are still in this one. 👀 pic.twitter.com/Yoi0x768jb
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) June 26, 2022
But energy quickly returned to Austin's favor thanks to Designated Player Sebastian Driussi, who scooted past several FC Dallas defenders alongside Moussa Djitte to snag an unlikely first goal for Austin.
A full Verde comeback
Late drama in this Texas Derby!@AustinFC ties it up, Danny Hoesen with the diving header. 😱 pic.twitter.com/Jk2f4fIEXG
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) June 26, 2022
Austin's subs proved deadly as momentum returned to the home team toward the end of the match. A well-placed cross from Nick Lima—and a diving header from a fresh-legged Danny Hoesen—helped the team secure the draw with a second Verde goal in the 84th minute of play.
Hoesen, who was Austin's first starting striker last season, has now scored two goals with the team after a yearlong injury stuck him on the bench.
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(Bob Daemmrich)
Hours following the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark ruling that guaranteed a constitutional right to an abortion, on Friday, about 1,000 people gathered in Republic Square with signs calling for change.
The rally, organized by the group Rise Up 4 Abortion Rights Texas, started at the federal courthouse on Republic Square on Friday at 5 p.m. before the crowd marched to the Texas Capitol. More protests are expected to ensue over the weekend.
People showed up with all types of signs like Mindy Moffa holding up, "Keep your filthy laws off my silky drawers."
Austin joined cities across the country that saw protests for a women's right to an abortion after the ruling.
According to a recent UT poll, 78% of Texas voters support abortion access in most cases.
Sabrina Talghade and Sofia Pellegrini held up signs directed at Texas laws. A Texas trigger law will ban all abortions from the moment of fertilization, starting 30 days after the ruling. When state legislators passed the trigger law last summer, it also passed laws for more protection of firearms, including the right to open carry without a permit.
Lili Enthal of Austin yells as around 1,000 Texans marched to the Texas Capitol.
From the Texas Capitol, Zoe Webb lets her voice be heard against the Supreme Court ruling.
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