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Austin-area hospitals have seen an increase in admissions. (Travis County COVID-19 dashboard)
Amid what he called a "massive outbreak" of new COVID-19 cases. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued an executive order suspending elective surgeries at hospitals in Bexar, Dallas, Harris and Travis counties.
"These four counties have experienced significant increases in people being hospitalized due to COVID-19 and today's action is a precautionary step to ensure that the hospitals in these counties continue to have ample supply of available beds to treat COVID-19 patients," Abbott said in a statement issued this morning.
All hospitals in these areas are directed to postpone surgeries and procedures that are not immediately medically necessary.
Abbott implemented the same order earlier in the pandemic, which freed up hospital capacity but also led to a sharp drop in revenue for providers and 1,200 layoffs at Baylor Scott & White Health.
Austin's hospital capacity
Austin-Travis County Interim Health Authority Dr. Mark Escott said Travis County could see its caseload double in the next 18 days and area hospital capacity overwhelmed by mid-July at a virtual press conference yesterday.
Unless the rising curve of COVID cases is not flattened soon, Dr. Escott said he would have to recommend a second shutdown to local elected officials.
Austin's three major hospital systems—Ascension Seton, Baylor Scott & White Health and St. David's HealthCare—issued a joint statement Wednesday, before the governor's order.
The three hospital systems have 2,470 staffed beds, 71% of which were occupied as of Wednesday night; together they also have 483 ICU beds, 70% of which were occupied.
The surge plan
The systems can increase their total bed capacity to 3,250 beds, but "it would require staffing that exceeds what we typically have available for daily operations," per the statement.
The city released a three-stage surge plan in early April, which includes establishing additional hospital beds.
Although the city has not identified where field hospitals may be, local physicians said that hospitals have been planning for such a contingency for months.
"We do not want to provide care for you at the Austin Convention Center," Dr. Kirsten Nieto, an internal medicine and pediatric hospitalist at Dell Children's and Dell Seton, said at yesterday's press conference. "We want you to stay home."
Reopening
Abbott also announced Thursday that he is temporarily pausing the state's reopening.
"The last thing we want to do as a state is go backwards and close down businesses," he said in a separate statement. "This temporary pause will help our state corral the spread until we can safely enter the next phase of opening our state for business."
This pause does not change any previous developments, which include allowing restaurants to increase capacity to 75% and amusement parks to reopen.
This article has been updated with the announcement about pausing the reopening process.
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(Vic Hinterlang/Shutterstock)
Protesters blocked I-35 in weeks of summer protests.
A majority of the charges related to the Black Lives Matter protests over the summer will be dropped.
<p>County Attorney David Escamilla, set to retire at the end of this year, told the <a href="https://www.austinchronicle.com/news/2020-11-27/county-drops-most-charges-against-protesters/?utm_source=DAILY+NEWS&utm_campaign=4b0a25d0e7-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_11_30_06_29&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_ae90959245-4b0a25d0e7-61378296&mc_cid=4b0a25d0e7&mc_eid=d6e66324f2" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Austin Chronicle</a> that none of the dropped cases were violent.</p><p>"Unless there's any aggravating factors, we just reject, and so that's what we've done," he said. </p><p>The decision affects 104 protestors out of the 178 arrested during the demonstrations this summer, most of who were arrested for low-level offenses like obstructing a highway, Escamilla said. That charge is normally a class B misdemeanor punishable by six months in jail and a $2,000 fine.</p><p>Escamilla does not have authority over all arrests. Some 51 protestors arrested over the summer were charged with both felony and misdemeanor offenses, putting them in the hands of District Attorney-elect Jose Garza, who will decide what happens to them when he takes office in January.</p><p>Four protestors charged with misdemeanors had already pleaded guilty and took time served to get out of jail. </p><p>Escamilla is still deciding on 19 cases, the Chronicle reported, some of which involve property damage. "Anything could happen with those," he said. "They're just more complicated."</p><p>Charges will also be dropped in arrests stemming from the International Working Women's Day protest on March 8, as well as the May Day March on May 1. <br/></p><p>Escamilla has held the office of county attorney for the past 17 years. He will be succeeded by former council member Delia Garza. <br/></p>
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(Dion Hinchcliffe/Flickr)
Sunday was the busiest day Austin-Bergstrom International Airport has seen since the pandemic began in March, with 12,127 outbound passengers.
<p>The passengers this year still represent a drop in air traffic, however. Last year, the airport had 29,697 outbound passengers the Sunday after Thanksgiving, an airport spokeswoman told Austonia.</p><p>But even as a second COVID surge is expected to take flight, ticket sales shot up dramatically. The whole Thanksgiving week brought almost 63,000 total travelers through the airport.</p><p>The previous record for the Austin-Bergstrom's busiest day under the pandemic was set earlier in November, when 11,006 people traveled through the airport on Nov. 8. And on Nov. 25, 10,843 people traveled.</p><p>Earlier this month, Austin <a href="https://austonia.com/austin-covid-stage-4-thanksgiving" target="_self">returned to Stage 4 of COVID</a> precautions. </p><p><a href="http://www.austintexas.gov/department/health" target="_blank">Austin Public Health</a> is urging anyone who flew to get tested for COVID-19 following travel. Even those who test negative should stay home for a week. Those who don't get tested at all should isolate themselves for two weeks. Sign up for free testing <a href="http://www.austintexas.gov/COVID19" target="_blank">here</a>.</p><p>The department issued <a href="https://austonia.com/austin-thanksgiving-covid" target="_self">post-Thanksgiving guidelines</a> late last week.</p><p><span></span>The Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention says COVID symptoms can start as early as two days after exposure, or as long as two weeks. </p>
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COVID-19 dashboard
After weeks of warnings, advisories and even an emergency text alert from local health officials, Austin's COVID-19 caseload appears to be on a post-Thanksgiving decline.
<p>However, as was the case with past holidays, it will likely take two weeks before the full impact of Thanksgiving gatherings is revealed in local data.</p><p>The average number of new confirmed cases reported each day in Travis County is 230, down from 300 a week ago, according to Austin Public Health data. The average number of new COVID-related hospital admissions reported each day in the Austin metro is also falling; it is now 32, down from 38 a week ago.</p><p>The COVID-19 Modeling Consortium at the University of Texas at Austin projects a declining number of hospital admissions, on average, in the coming weeks and reports a 4% decline in the number of cases reported in the metro over the last two weeks. The consortium's model uses hospitalization data as well as anonymized cell phone mobility data to make its projections. </p><p>Although not the same data source used by the consortium, Google publishes regular COVID-19 community mobility reports. The latest one for Travis County, <a href="https://www.gstatic.com/covid19/mobility/2020-11-24_US_Texas_Mobility_Report_en.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">published on Nov. 24</a>, shows a mixed bag when it comes to residents' behavior in the lead-up to the Thanksgiving holiday. Trips to retail and recreation locations, parks, transit stations and workplaces were all down compared to the baseline. But trips to the grocery store, pharmacy and residences were up. </p><p>As with past holidays, such as Memorial Day and the Fourth of July, it's still too early to tell whether Thanksgiving gatherings will contribute to a spike in cases—or mark a turning point in Austin's current surge. Experts <a href="https://austonia.com/Coronavirus/austin-texas-coronavirus" target="_blank">have said</a> it typically takes two weeks between transmission and the time that cases are confirmed by test results. </p><p>Local health officials issued repeated warnings ahead of Thanksgiving, warning Austinites of the growing surge of new COVID cases and pointing to other jurisdictions, where hospital capacity has already been overwhelmed.</p><p>"We are not immune from a tragedy like El Paso's," Austin-Travis County Interim Health Authority Dr. Mark Escott said in a statement earlier this month. "And like El Paso, we could be facing a rapidly growing surge between Thanksgiving and Christmas <a href="https://austonia.com/austin-covid-stage-4-thanksgiving" target="_blank">with Stage 5 a few weeks away</a>."</p><p>After a months-long hiatus, Austin's three hospital systems—Ascension Seton, Baylor Scott & White Health and St. David's HealthCare—recently began offering hospital capacity updates on a regular basis. As of the last update, which was provided on Wednesday, the metro's overall hospital occupancy rate is 74% and its ICUs are 82% occupied.</p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="fcb82b5c2399ee2e2a5f3ab5942f7fc6" id="a8377"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1333243278167257090"><div style="margin:1em 0">Just dropped my wife Clarissa off at the airport, on her way to El Paso, where they desperately need help from hosp… https://t.co/Kpkt2QIuKf</div> — Clay Johnston (@Clay Johnston)<a href="https://twitter.com/ClayDellMed/statuses/1333243278167257090">1606704942.0</a></blockquote></div><p>APH issued <a href="https://austonia.com/austin-thanksgiving-covid" target="_self">post-Thanksgiving guidelines</a> on Friday, recommending that residents continue to avoid higher-risk activities, such as indoor gatherings with people outside of their households and travel.<br/></p><p>For those who did gather over Thanksgiving, APH recommends getting tested on Monday or Tuesday and staying home for at least a week as a precaution, even if the test results are negative.</p><p>The department also recommended that area school districts temporarily return to remote learning for the week following Thanksgiving. Austin ISD heeded the advice; some campuses in the Del Valle, Manor and Round Rock school districts temporarily closed <a href="https://www.statesman.com/news/20201125/austin-schools-to-go-100-virtual-for-week-after-thanksgiving-break" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">in recent weeks</a> due to outbreaks. UT Austin students will not return to campus until the spring semester. </p><p>The COVID-19 Modeling Consortium estimated last week, in its latest update, that there was <a href="https://covid-19.tacc.utexas.edu/dashboards/school-risk/" target="_blank">a 54% chance</a> that at least one person would arrive with a COVID infection for a school or pod of 100 people in Travis County. The larger the school or pod size, the greater the chance of spread.<br/></p>
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Friday, 5:55 a.m.: Man ripped earring out of woman's ear. 2302 Durwood St.
Friday, 10:31 a.m.: Report of attempted vehicular assault. A 911 caller reported a woman attempting to hit a man with her vehicle. 300 Ferguson Dr.
Friday, 1 p.m.: Two rescued from vehicle collision. 23926 TX-71
Friday: Travis County senior Deputy Robert "Drew" Small died after his motorcycle collided with another vehicle. Milam County
Saturday, 10:52 a.m.: Man and woman fight outside Target. 8601 Research Blvd.
Saturday, 3:06 p.m.: Person gets stuck in elevator at Hyatt Place Austin Report. 3601 Presidential Blvd.
Sunday, 7:09 a.m.: Two men armed with tasers and knives at church. Redd St & Manchaca Rd.
Sunday, 7:56 a.m.: Vehicle crashed into the fence of Austin Veterinary Surgical Center. The driver left the scene on foot. One dog, a long-haired Dachshund named Sadie, escaped. 12419 Metric Blvd.
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(Nan Palmero/CC)
Thanksgiving is over and the most wonderful time of year has officially begun. Christmas light shows have been a Texas tradition for years—so beloved that not even a pandemic could stop them from shining this year.
<p>Here are some of the best light shows to check out this holiday season.</p>
<p class="">So get out there and make some holiday memories!</p>
Domain Northside Holiday Walk-thru Photo Experience
<div id="32db7" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="d2c689db7e9eb18dfa04b6e85d71f5ca"><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-version="4" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"> <div style="padding:8px;"> <div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"> <div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAAGFBMVEUiIiI9PT0eHh4gIB4hIBkcHBwcHBwcHBydr+JQAAAACHRSTlMABA4YHyQsM5jtaMwAAADfSURBVDjL7ZVBEgMhCAQBAf//42xcNbpAqakcM0ftUmFAAIBE81IqBJdS3lS6zs3bIpB9WED3YYXFPmHRfT8sgyrCP1x8uEUxLMzNWElFOYCV6mHWWwMzdPEKHlhLw7NWJqkHc4uIZphavDzA2JPzUDsBZziNae2S6owH8xPmX8G7zzgKEOPUoYHvGz1TBCxMkd3kwNVbU0gKHkx+iZILf77IofhrY1nYFnB/lQPb79drWOyJVa/DAvg9B/rLB4cC+Nqgdz/TvBbBnr6GBReqn/nRmDgaQEej7WhonozjF+Y2I/fZou/qAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"> </div></div><p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CHiY2Xulfzl/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_top"></a></p> </div></blockquote></div><p>While not a light show, <a href="https://do512.com/events/2020/11/18/holiday-walk-thru-photo-experience-tickets" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">the Domain</a> is working to make your Instagram as festive as the rest of your holidays. From Nov. 13 until Dec. 26, the shopping center will be decked out with all kinds of festive decorations, perfect for a holiday 'gram. Plus, when you tag the Domain and use its hashtags, you'll be entered to win some free Starbucks.</p>Marble Falls Walkway of Lights
<div id="a7bf5" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="636abaa7646d39afd09f25f9889c1ee0"><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-version="4" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"> <div style="padding:8px;"> <div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"> <div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAAGFBMVEUiIiI9PT0eHh4gIB4hIBkcHBwcHBwcHBydr+JQAAAACHRSTlMABA4YHyQsM5jtaMwAAADfSURBVDjL7ZVBEgMhCAQBAf//42xcNbpAqakcM0ftUmFAAIBE81IqBJdS3lS6zs3bIpB9WED3YYXFPmHRfT8sgyrCP1x8uEUxLMzNWElFOYCV6mHWWwMzdPEKHlhLw7NWJqkHc4uIZphavDzA2JPzUDsBZziNae2S6owH8xPmX8G7zzgKEOPUoYHvGz1TBCxMkd3kwNVbU0gKHkx+iZILf77IofhrY1nYFnB/lQPb79drWOyJVa/DAvg9B/rLB4cC+Nqgdz/TvBbBnr6GBReqn/nRmDgaQEej7WhonozjF+Y2I/fZou/qAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"> </div></div><p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CH6mqoalosy/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_top"></a></p> </div></blockquote></div><p>If you're looking for something reminiscent of Christmases past, the <a href="https://www.101highlandlakes.com/marble-falls-walkway-of-lights" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Marble Falls Walkway of Lights</a> is still hosting its annual trail event this year. On weekends and holidays, children can even visit with Santa and his elves. With a three-block extension to allow for social distancing, the trail runs from 6 to 10 p.m. from Nov. 20 through Jan. 2. Tickets are $10 for kids and $12 for adults. And be careful to watch for inclement weather, as this event is weather permitting.</p>Mozart's COVID Cautious Christmas Light Show
<div id="95ef5" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="29361124ec9ba91247e2740712a47d85"><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-version="4" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"> <div style="padding:8px;"> <div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"> <div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAAGFBMVEUiIiI9PT0eHh4gIB4hIBkcHBwcHBwcHBydr+JQAAAACHRSTlMABA4YHyQsM5jtaMwAAADfSURBVDjL7ZVBEgMhCAQBAf//42xcNbpAqakcM0ftUmFAAIBE81IqBJdS3lS6zs3bIpB9WED3YYXFPmHRfT8sgyrCP1x8uEUxLMzNWElFOYCV6mHWWwMzdPEKHlhLw7NWJqkHc4uIZphavDzA2JPzUDsBZziNae2S6owH8xPmX8G7zzgKEOPUoYHvGz1TBCxMkd3kwNVbU0gKHkx+iZILf77IofhrY1nYFnB/lQPb79drWOyJVa/DAvg9B/rLB4cC+Nqgdz/TvBbBnr6GBReqn/nRmDgaQEej7WhonozjF+Y2I/fZou/qAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"> </div></div><p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CH-yinyhRNF/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_top"></a></p> </div></blockquote></div><p>Mozart's is taking a different perspective on safe festivities this year, holding an outdoor light show with tables instead of a drive-thru. During the show, guests can enjoy bottomless hot chocolate, coffee and an assortment of holiday treats. The show has been running since Nov. 11 and will continue until Jan. 6, open from 6-11 p.m. nightly. <a href="https://mozartscoffee.com/pages/christmas-light-show" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Table reservations</a> start at $10.</p>Peppermint Parkway
<div id="b290c" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="f35ce695731532d9c03fc82176703700"><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-version="4" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"> <div style="padding:8px;"> <div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"> <div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAAGFBMVEUiIiI9PT0eHh4gIB4hIBkcHBwcHBwcHBydr+JQAAAACHRSTlMABA4YHyQsM5jtaMwAAADfSURBVDjL7ZVBEgMhCAQBAf//42xcNbpAqakcM0ftUmFAAIBE81IqBJdS3lS6zs3bIpB9WED3YYXFPmHRfT8sgyrCP1x8uEUxLMzNWElFOYCV6mHWWwMzdPEKHlhLw7NWJqkHc4uIZphavDzA2JPzUDsBZziNae2S6owH8xPmX8G7zzgKEOPUoYHvGz1TBCxMkd3kwNVbU0gKHkx+iZILf77IofhrY1nYFnB/lQPb79drWOyJVa/DAvg9B/rLB4cC+Nqgdz/TvBbBnr6GBReqn/nRmDgaQEej7WhonozjF+Y2I/fZou/qAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"> </div></div><p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CICAvHUFp-k/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_top"></a></p> </div></blockquote></div><p>The Circuit of the Americas is turning its <a href="https://austonia.com/peppermint-parkway" target="_self">racetrack into a festive light show</a>, also drive-thru, with millions of lights, a 60-foot Christmas tree and drive-up concessions. This will be the debut of <a href="https://peppermintparkway.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Peppermint Parkway</a>, running from 6-10:30 p.m., from Nov. 27 through Jan.3. <a href="https://offer.fevo.com/2020-peppermint-parkway-3fb88ab?fevoUri=2020-peppermint-parkway-3fb88ab%2F" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tickets</a> start at $35 per car.</p>Trail of Lights
<div id="a2221" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="3fcb15267f04f046fd6bb58014210e4d"><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-version="4" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"> <div style="padding:8px;"> <div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"> <div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAAGFBMVEUiIiI9PT0eHh4gIB4hIBkcHBwcHBwcHBydr+JQAAAACHRSTlMABA4YHyQsM5jtaMwAAADfSURBVDjL7ZVBEgMhCAQBAf//42xcNbpAqakcM0ftUmFAAIBE81IqBJdS3lS6zs3bIpB9WED3YYXFPmHRfT8sgyrCP1x8uEUxLMzNWElFOYCV6mHWWwMzdPEKHlhLw7NWJqkHc4uIZphavDzA2JPzUDsBZziNae2S6owH8xPmX8G7zzgKEOPUoYHvGz1TBCxMkd3kwNVbU0gKHkx+iZILf77IofhrY1nYFnB/lQPb79drWOyJVa/DAvg9B/rLB4cC+Nqgdz/TvBbBnr6GBReqn/nRmDgaQEej7WhonozjF+Y2I/fZou/qAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"> </div></div><p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CIDyGHSFkmQ/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_top"></a></p> </div></blockquote></div><p>This year, the 56th annual <a href="https://austintrailoflights.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Trail of Lights</a> is making the event as safe as possible for everyone by hosting <a href="https://austonia.com/trail-of-lights-austin" target="_self">a drive-thru only</a> show. With lights as far as the eye can see and miniatures of our fair city, the Trail of Lights is something every Austinite must see. The show is running from Nov. 28 through Jan. 3, and <a href="https://austintrailoflights.org/calendar" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">tickets</a> start at $25 per car.</p>From Your Site Articles
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(MangoNic/Shutterstock)
Before the pandemic started, Adult Care of Austin on Menchaca Road didn't offer telemedicine appointments.
Now, the private practice conducts almost all of its visits virtually, either over the phone or on HIPAA-compliant video platforms.
Dr. Steven Dobberfuhl, an internal medicine physician, said telemedicine saved his practice—and has been a boon to his patients, around 75% of whom are 65 years or older and at high risk of contracting COVID-19.
"I didn't believe it would work as well as it has," he said.
<p>Dobberfuhl is not alone. </p><p>With policy changes enacted at the state and federal level earlier this year, including requirements that insurance companies <a href="https://austonia.com/telemedicine-offers-health-care-at-a-social-distance" target="_self">reimburse doctors</a> for telemedicine appointments, the technology finally made financial sense for many local physicians.</p><p>"Sadly, if it's not getting paid for, it's not getting done," Dobberfuhl said.</p><p><a href="https://www.healthit.gov/topic/health-it-health-care-settings/%20-and-telehealth" target="_blank">Telemedicine</a>—which includes live videoconferencing, recorded videos, remote patient monitoring and mobile health, such as texts—offers convenience and limits doctors and patients' exposure to the coronavirus. </p><p>But there were kinks to work out.</p><p>"Everything was sort of bottlenecked through telemedicine," said Dr. Terry Rascoe, medical director of telemedicine virtual urgent care for Baylor Scott & White Health, which expanded its telemedicine services <a href="https://austonia.com/telemedicine-offers-health-care-at-a-social-distance" target="_blank">early on in the pandemic</a>. </p><p>Over the last eight months, however, physicians and patients alike have discovered the benefits of telemedicine—and been able to return to in-person visits where they make sense now that the state has allowed elective procedures to resume. </p><p>"It was a crisis period (in March and April)," said Dr. Ashis Barad, medical director of virtual specialty care services for BSW Health. "We were replicating in-person care back then out of necessity. Really the hope now is to enhance care."</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<a href="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMjkxMDE2MC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzMzgwNjUzMX0.8ik0qBqJZBPaJtnL_2RcENC7KxniTAGcfCJJERBEHU8/img.jpg?width=980" target="_blank"><img class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="4fc65ae2446d4f9e44adfb1edffe29ed" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="15c35" type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMjkxMDE2MC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzMzgwNjUzMX0.8ik0qBqJZBPaJtnL_2RcENC7KxniTAGcfCJJERBEHU8/img.jpg?width=980"/></a>
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">
(Steven Dobberfuhl)</small>
</p><p><strong>The telemedicine revolution</strong><br/></p><p>For Barad, who is also a pediatric gastroenterologist, this means using telemedicine for follow-up visits and for those families who may live far from his Temple clinic, which serves dozens of counties in Central Texas. </p><p>"Patients are going to drive this," he said of telemedicine's continued use. "And I think in general, our patients love telemedicine." </p><p>Other physicians echoed this assessment.</p><p>Although no longer a necessity, telemedicine continues to save patients time. Instead of spending hours commuting to a doctor's office and possibly losing out on pay, they can instead pop into a video or phone call for 30 minutes. </p><p>"The patients are really seeing the benefit of not having to take a half day off of work," Dobberfuhl said.</p><p>There are also benefits to the doctors themselves. </p><p>Dobberfuhl likes getting a glimpse into his patients' homes—a kind of 2020 house call. </p><p>"For better or for worse, I kind of like having a little bit of that insight," he said. (Although there are some occupational hazards that crop up: "I've had patients not put on shirts.")</p><p>Overall the change has been a positive one.</p><p>"It's a good revolution," Dobberfuhl said. "We all really hope that parts of it stay (beyond the pandemic)." </p><p><strong>A tool in the toolbox</strong> </p><p>But telemedicine is not a panacea.</p><p>Many physicians and private practices are still reporting depressed patient volume as a result of the pandemic and haggling with insurance companies over reimbursement rates. </p><p>"They're still struggling," said Tom Banning, CEO of the Austin-based Texas Academy of Family Physicians. "There's no question about that."</p><p>Although telemedicine is useful in many instances, it doesn't address every problem caused by the pandemic. Banning estimates that patient volume has rebounded to about 85% of pre-pandemic levels, but that still leaves a 15% gap, which he attributed in part to patients losing their jobs—and with them their health insurance.</p><p>"I think telemedicine is just going to be one bullet in the gun," he said of the challenges facing doctors today. </p><p>Another reason for the drop in patient volume may be the success of COVID prevention measures.</p><p>"This time of year we're typically slammed," said Dr. Brian Temple, a co-owner and partner at Beansprout Pediatrics, which has locations in Bee Cave, Dripping Springs and Spicewood.</p><p>With kids wearing masks and social distancing, however, the common flu and cold cases are much less common. </p><p>Still, telemedicine is a useful tool for Temple's practice, especially for screening patients with COVID symptoms without having to bring them into the office, where they might infect staff. </p><p>With cases surging, this is a critical safeguard. </p><p>"If we didn't have that, I don't know what we would do," he said. </p>
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Austin Public Health issues post-Thanksgiving COVID guidelines: avoid crowds (and get tested if you don't)
27 November
(Pexels)
Austin Public Health issued post-Thanksgiving guidelines on Friday, recommending that residents avoid higher-risk activities such as attending crowded, indoor gatherings; going on hayrides with people outside of one's household; traditional caroling and other door-to-door activities; and traveling for events.
<p>"COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are rising locally, across Texas and the United States," APH Director Stephanie Hayden said in a statement. "It is critically important that everyone do their part to combat COVID-19 by avoiding gatherings and travel this holiday season." </p><p>As of this morning, it appeared the traditional Black Friday crowds would not materialize at local big box stores. </p>
<div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="ef8ce74258da52bf4d29a9f69e1a003f" id="fec41"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1332294833029984258"><div style="margin:1em 0">Bed Bath & Beyond opened at 6 a.m. and there are no lines in sight at the Brodie Lane location! https://t.co/MUF2v8iAAb</div> — Austonia (@Austonia)<a href="https://twitter.com/austonianews/statuses/1332294833029984258">1606478815.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>APH also issued recommendations for people who did gather over Thanksgiving or otherwise engaged in higher-risk activities. The department recommends getting testing three to five days after gathering and staying home for a week as a precaution, even if the test results are negative. Those who test positive should isolate themselves, and those who don't get tested should quarantine for 14 days. <span></span></p><p>As of Wednesday, the latest day for which data is available, Travis County reported an average of 273 new COVID cases each day, up from 222 a week ago. The average number of new COVID-related hospitalizations each day is now 37, up from 32 a week ago, according to APH. </p><p>Austin-area hospital systems—Ascension Seton, Baylor Scott & white Health and St. David's HealthCare—report 74% overall occupancy and 82% ICU occupancy. </p>
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