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An Austin ISD elementary reading teacher gets a COVID-19 vaccine through a partnership with Ascension Seton.
This story has been updated as of Jan. 27 with the latest information.
The Texas Department of State Health Services will allocate 14,750 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to seven providers in Travis County this week. As of Sunday, 7.4% of Travis County residents have received at least one dose, up from just over 6% a week ago.
If you're in the remaining 92.6% and looking for an appointment, nine regional providers are offering updates or waitlist spots for future allotments.
- 38th Street Pharmacy, 711 W. 38th St., Ste. C3
This local pharmacy will contact those who sign up for its COVID-19 Vaccine Contact List as its supply is replenished. It last received an allocation in late December. - Austin Public Health, multiple locations
APH is a designated hub provider and will receive a third batch of 12,000 doses from the state this week, bringing its total supply to 49,300 so far. It has an online pre-registration system, where individuals will be asked to create an account and complete an assessment. If they meet the criteria and appointments are still available, they will be able to schedule an appointment; if not, they will be put on a waitlist. APH is prioritizing people who are 65 years of age and older—or more than 129,000 Travis County residents, Director Stephanie Hayden-Howard said Friday. - Bastrop County, 804 Pecan St., Bastrop
Bastrop County offers a vaccine waiting list here; interested residents may also call 866-268-2289 to access the same service. - Baylor Scott & White Health, multiple locations
Sign up for COVID-19 vaccine updates from BSWHealth, one of the three hospital systems operating in the Austin metro, here. The system last received an allocation in late December. - H-E-B Pharmacy, multiple locations
H-E-B Pharmacy allows eligible members of groups 1A and 1B to check vaccine appointment availability here. - Lamar Plaza Drug Store, 1509 S. Lamar Blvd., Ste. 550
This local pharmacy will contact those who sign up for its COVID-19 Vaccine Interest Form with more information as it becomes available. It received an allocation of 200 doses in early January. - Randalls Pharmacy, multiple locations
Residents interested in scheduling an appointment through the grocery store chain can do so here. Six area locations received a total 700 doses last month. - Tarrytown Pharmacy, 2727 Exposition Blvd., Ste. 105
This local pharmacy has compiled a communication list so it can alert members when its vaccine supply is refilled. However, the provider last received an allocation of 500 doses in late December and has around 40,000 people on its waitlist. - UT Health Austin, 1601 Trinity Ave., Bldg. A
UT Austin students, faculty and staff who qualify as members of groups 1A or 1B can sign up for a vaccine waitlist here. The clinical arm of Dell Medical School received 1,950 doses of the vaccine as part of the latest weekly allocation and is one of two designated hub providers in Travis County. - Williamson County & Cities Health District, 355 Texas Ave., Round Rock
WCCHD is not a provider of vaccines but instead serves as an information hub and safety net. Residents can sign up for the district's vaccine news and updates here.
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Popular
(Pexels)
Some of your favorite Instagram filters can’t be used in Texas anymore and Austinites are sounding off on social media.
Meta, Facebook and Instagram’s parent company, announced on Wednesday that certain filters would no longer be available in Texas.
The change is a result of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s lawsuit against Meta, alleging the company uses facial recognition technology that violates laws in Texas. A release from Meta says it stopped using facial recognition tech in November 2021 and denies Paxton’s allegations.
Some Austinites bemoaned the shift, saying some of their favorite filters were now unavailable.
This was my FAVORITE filter on @instagram and they done removed it cause I’m in Texas ! Like wowwwwww pic.twitter.com/uX60hdIC0Q
— Pinkyy Montana (@inkstar_pinkyy) May 11, 2022
i heard that instagram filters got banned in texas? what the actual fuck y’all better give me my favorite filter back
— lia 🤍 (@liatootrill) May 11, 2022
loved this stupid filter sm i hate texas pic.twitter.com/DXr9mmUc64
— birthday boy jeno 🎂 (@beabtox) May 12, 2022
But more often than not, locals joked about the ban.
Texas women seeing the filter ban on IG pic.twitter.com/yDMcP3Qtsr
— Christian (Anabolic) Flores (@christian_flo24) May 11, 2022
So, the state of Texas has banned filter use on IG? THE END IS NEAR. 😂
— THE FRANCHISE! Франшиза (@NYCFranchise718) May 12, 2022
And some in-between chose to show off some natural beauty.
I live in Texas, but no filter needed. 😉 pic.twitter.com/A6teRgYMKn
— bad and bruja (@starseedmami) May 11, 2022
filter, no filter..texas women still reign supreme.
— 🎍 (@_sixile) May 11, 2022
Finally, some are trying to cash in on the opportunity.
Texas IG users- if you want to filter your picture cashapp me $1.50 $ErvnYng
— Gemini (@ervn_y) May 11, 2022
Meta said it plans to create an opt-in system for both Texas and Illinois residents, who are facing the same issues.
(Austin Energy)
Power demand is forecast to push within 600 megawatts of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas' capacity Friday afternoon as a record month of heat continues.
Demand for the statewide power grid hit over 65,000 Mw at 5 p.m., just under the capacity the grid can handle. ERCOT announced approximately 2,900 Mw of power was lost on Friday due to six power generation facilities tripping offline. At 5 p.m. it said all reserve generation resources available are operating. Texans have been asked to conserve energy.
Inbox: ERCOT says "six power generation facilities tripped offline resulting in the loss of approximately 2,900 MW of electricity. At this time, all reserve generation resources available are operating." Asks Texans to conserve power... pic.twitter.com/g6LxJlHlop
— Forrest Wilder (@Forrest4Trees) May 13, 2022
As the power grid threatens to buckle under the weight of consumers, record-breaking heat continues to push up demand. Austin is currently in the hottest May on record, with temperatures averaging at 82 degrees—eight degrees higher than average—at Austin's Camp Mabry.
And Austin is expected to have another triple-digit onslaught next week, with temperatures peaking at highs of 100 degrees Friday and Saturday. As a result, demand could peak Monday, with forecast demand expected to reach a May record of 70,758 Mw. The previous record was 67,265 in 2018, while ERCOT's all-time high was 74,820 Mw in August 2019.
While ERCOT has not yet seen a heat surge reminiscent of 2021's Winter Storm Uri, power outage woes became all too real for around 3,600 southeast Austinites Saturday as Austin Energy put on a last-resort power pause from around 3:30 to 7:30 p.m.
The outage was a culmination of many factors—from near-100 degree heat to unfortunately-timed maintenance checks and growth in the Bluff Springs area. The result was an overheating circuit that needed relief fast.
"It was related to high usage overloading one circuit at a time when some of our infrastructure was still undergoing maintenance in preparation for the months to come," Austin Energy spokesperson Matt Mitchell told Austonia. "So it was a very unique set of circumstances that we do not see repeating itself."
Mitchell said that all seasonal maintenance is complete and that Austin Energy will open a new power substation in Bluff Springs this June. The organization also said the issue had nothing to do with ERCOT, which released a statement assuring consumers that power was not threatened during that time.
NEW: ERCOT projects there will be sufficient supply of power to meet demand for this week. pic.twitter.com/fPZWHbWyoc
— Lindsey Ragas (@LindseyRagas) May 10, 2022
ERCOT also told Austonia before 5 p.m. that it "projects there will be sufficient generation to meet demand for electricity" on Friday. It then informed the public about the energy loss due to a power trip.
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