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Austin residents who have been participating in protests and other gatherings, or have been unable to socially distance during the pandemic, will be allowed to sign up for a free COVID-19 test starting Friday at the city's drive-thru testing site, according to a notice by Austin Public Health.
People will not have to show symptoms for the test to be performed—a departure from the city's previous guidelines.
The new rule comes at the end of a week of protests that have seen hundreds of people crowded in downtown Austin—some with face coverings, some without—to demonstrate against the police killings of Michael Ramos of Austin and former Houston resident George Floyd in Minneapolis.
As of Thursday, nearly 14,600 people have been assessed for testing through the testing enrollment form since it was launched in early April. Some 8,500 individuals have been scheduled for and/or completed a test.
Sign up with the Public Enrollment Testing Form here.
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(Pexels)
Some voters who applied to vote by mail in Travis County have received ballots with only the July 14 special state senate contest on them, not any of the primary races.
<p>
Travis County Clerk Dana DeBeauvoir said on Twitter that the problem stems from the fact that a number of applicants did not select a party when applying for a mail-in ballot, which means that the primary runoff races—the entire ballot except the race to fill former state Sen. Kirk Watson's seat—are not on the forms that were mailed out.
</p><p>
DeBeauvoir <a href="https://www.statesman.com/news/20200701/voters-who-received-mail-in-ballots-without-runoff-races-now-told-to-vote-in-" target="_blank">told the Austin American-Statesman t</a>hat voting by mail is not a "voter-friendly system" in Texas.
</p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="dce21de0aa41f9eee84e351d5c87ed0d" id="3c017"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1278328881745977344"><div style="margin:1em 0">Our office must receive ballot by mail applications by July 2 for the July 14 election. If you forgot to select a p… https://t.co/3AsYIno0nl</div> — Travis County Clerk (@Travis County Clerk)<a href="https://twitter.com/TravisCoClerk/statuses/1278328881745977344">1593612330.0</a></blockquote></div><p>
Those voters are now being told to cast a ballot curbside or in person.
</p><p>
Travis County received <a href="https://austonia.com/politics/mail-in-voting-texas" target="_self">nearly as many vote-by-mail applications </a>for the rescheduled primary runoff as it did for the 2016 presidential election, which experts told Austonia is <a href="https://austonia.com/july-election-texas" target="_self">due to a combination of high turnout </a>and resistance to voting in person from people who are concerned about coronavirus.
</p>
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Sponsored by Tito's Handmade Vodka
Tito's Handmade Vodka will provide 21,000 bottles of hand sanitizer to Austinites (Austonians?) for free on July 2 via contactless pickup.
"Due to the recent spike in cases of COVID-19 in Texas, we wanted to make our hand sanitizer more widely available to the local community," said Taylor Berry, VP of Brand Marketing at Tito's Handmade Vodka. "We're starting in our hometown of Austin, with plans to expand to additional Texas cities in need."
- Where: Krieg Softball Complex parking lot, 222 S. Pleasant Valley Road.
- When: Thursday, July 2, 12-6 p.m. or while supplies last.
- Details: All passengers must wear masks; limit three bottles per car.
- More: Tito's For Austin
Since beginning production in late March, Tito's has donated hand sanitizer to critical frontline workers at over 500 organizations in Central Texas, and to 25 states and counting across the United States. Due to the recent spike in COVID-19 cases in Austin, Tito's Handmade Vodka is shifting its hand sanitizer distribution strategy to make it available to the public for free.
(Donald Tong/Pexels)
Alamo Drafthouse took the "devastating step" of moving employees from furloughs to layoffs, a company spokesperson told the Austin Chronicle and IndieWire.
<p>While the Austin-based movie theater chain declined to confirm the number of jobs impacted, both outlets reported more than 80 positions were eliminated.</p><p>There are seven Alamo locations in the Austin area. Austonia has reached out to the company for comment. </p><p>Former employees from around the country took to social media to share the news.</p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="33a3f5f630d32c01e911fc3d42bb60c7" id="3d062"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1278443578268749828"><div style="margin:1em 0">Yesterday, I was forced to quit my job at Alamo Drafthouse. Other team members are sharing positive memories and st… https://t.co/Gv0iwViGeR</div> — Tanner Agle (@Tanner Agle)<a href="https://twitter.com/TannerAgle/statuses/1278443578268749828">1593639676.0</a></blockquote></div><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="ac02fdae4d2429605b6358e6eb3d90b6" id="23d03"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1278350762872094723"><div style="margin:1em 0">Yesterday I, along with many others who were originally furloughed, was officially laid off from Alamo Drafthouse.… https://t.co/9YKF8rQOZU</div> — Mike Sampson (@Mike Sampson)<a href="https://twitter.com/mjsamps/statuses/1278350762872094723">1593617547.0</a></blockquote></div><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="a8199b0c19084617d607df5f80d857a5" id="4aaa8"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1278498672674824192"><div style="margin:1em 0">As a server who was furloughed back in March and doesn't plan on going back, please don't support the Alamo Draftho… https://t.co/jAJm6HIhTf</div> — Sarah Lord (@Sarah Lord)<a href="https://twitter.com/Sarah_Star_Lord/statuses/1278498672674824192">1593652811.0</a></blockquote></div><p>The Drafthouse closed most of its 41 locations on March 16 because of the pandemic.<br/></p><p>Founder Tim League <a href="https://www.austinchronicle.com/daily/screens/2020-04-30/tim-league-stepping-down-as-drafthouse-ceo/?utm_source=DAILY+NEWS&utm_campaign=f74278e41c-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_04_30_10_45&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_ae90959245-f74278e41c-61360827&mc_cid=f74278e41c&mc_eid=00b08beb5e" target="_blank"><u>stepped down as CEO</u></a> on April 30; his replacement is former Disney and Starbucks executive Shelli Taylor. </p><p>League, who remains executive chairman, announced <a href="https://austonia.com/Coronavirus/alamo-drafthouse-austin/particle-1" target="_self"><u>June 24</u></a> that select locations would reopen in July, but no date was set. Since then, Austin's COVID-19 crisis has worsened, a trend that is mirrored in cities and states across the country. </p>
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(Charlie L. Harper III)
Austin police officers, experts and local leaders will speak with City Council members on Thursday about how to institute sweeping changes to policies at the Austin Police Department in response to public outcry about racism and violence that led to weeks of protest in May and June.
<p>"The objective is to bring to the forefront an open and public conversation about the challenges we will face implementing these big structural changes," said Austin City Council Member Jimmy Flannigan, chairman of the council's Public Safety Committee, which is hosting the discussion on Thursday.<br/></p><p>Neither Police Chief Brian Manley nor City Manager Spencer Cronk will be at the workshop, Flannigan said.</p><p><span></span>The meeting will be livestreamed on<a href="https://www.austintexas.gov/page/watch-atxn-live" target="_blank"> ATXN1</a>. Public comment will not be allowed—invited participants only—but the public may watch the proceedings.</p><p>The meeting is billed as "a conversation between front line officers and community experts to discuss General Orders and Tactics."</p>The invited speakers are:<ul class="ee-ul"><li>Sergeant Mike Crumrine, a founding member and current president of the Lesbian and Gay Peace Officers Association</li><li>Officer Anna Jackson, an officer at the APD North substation</li><li>Corporal Marcos Johnson</li><li>Officer Thomas Villareal, vice president of the Austin Police Association</li></ul><ul class="ee-ul"><li>Rahki Agrawal, <a href="https://www.measureaustin.org/about-us" target="_blank">MEASURE</a>, which uses data to identify racial injustice </li><li>Jennifer Laurin, <a href="https://law.utexas.edu/faculty/jennifer-e-laurin" target="_blank">Wright C. Morrow Professor of Law</a> at the UT School of Law</li><li>Adriana Pinon, <a href="https://www.aclutx.org/" target="_blank">ACLU of Texas</a></li><li>Carl Webb, Community Member, Military Veteran</li></ul><p>Last month, in the wake of <a href="https://austonia.com/weekend-protest-austin-police-killings" target="_self">clashes between police </a>and anti-brutality demonstrators, and after the testimony of<a href="https://austonia.com/city/watch-live-as-hundreds-speak-to-austin-city-council-on-police-violence" target="_self"> hundreds of people </a>calling for change at the police department, the City Council <a href="https://austonia.com/austin-police-department-city-council" target="_self">unanimously</a> passed a <a href="https://austonia.com/austin-city-council-police-policy" target="_self">series of resolutions</a> calling for an overhaul of the APD's budget, practices and leadership.</p><p>Austin Police Chief Brian Manley, whose job was on the line after several council members and hundreds of residents called for his removal, <a href="https://austonia.com/city/police-manley" target="_blank">ultimately hung onto his position</a>. Two weeks ago, Cronk—who has the power to fire Manley—told the members of the council's Public Safety Committee that the chief is "committed" to overhauling practices.</p><p>That committee, which is charged with overseeing these changes, will host a series of workshops to work out what changes should be made, and how they should be put into effect, Flannigan said.</p><p>Agendas for those meetings will be posted on the <a href="https://www.austintexas.gov/department/city-council/council/council_committee_info_center.htm" target="_blank">City Council website here</a>.</p>
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There is at least one holiday weekend event that hasn't yet been canceled: the Emerald Point Bar & Grill on Lake Travis still plans to have the 90s rapper Vanilla Ice perform on Friday night.
<p>The lakeside establishment is considered a restaurant under <a href="https://austonia.com/Coronavirus/abbott-closes-bars-shuts-down-tubing-reduces-restaurant-capacity-as-covid-19-cases-surge" target="_blank">Gov. Greg Abbott's executive order</a> that required bars to close, because it makes more than 51% of gross receipts from food, <a href="https://www.austinchronicle.com/daily/music/2020-07-01/in-austin-where-nearly-all-concerts-are-canceled-vanilla-ice-set-to-perform-friday/" target="_blank">according to the Austin Chronicle</a>, which first reported the event.</p><p>The venue organizer told the Texas Tribune Wednesday night that<a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2020/07/01/vanilla-ice-austin-concert/" target="_blank"> only 84 tickets had been sold</a>, and that concert would be capped at 450 people.</p>
<div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="7c59ff5b5662a34c013a0f1d458571c1" id="7fe94"><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="4" style=" background:#FFF; border:0;
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<p><br/></p><p><br/></p><p>Another 90s favorite, Color Me Badd, is still set to perform Saturday at Emerald Point.</p>
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Austin health officials ask residents to stay home for July 4th as field hospital prep gets underway
22h
(Tricia Daniel/Shutterstock)
Heading into the Fourth of July weekend, Austin health officials begged residents to stay away from each other to help slow the spread of COVID-19.
"You really must stay home right now," Austin-Travis County Interim Health Authority Dr. Mark Escott said during a media call Wednesday.
<p>Since the state began reopening in early May, the rate of new cases and related hospitalizations has grown exponentially, threatening testing and hospital capacity.</p><p>Officials expect Travis County's confirmed caseload to surpass 10,000 later today. </p>
A second shutdown
<p>Dr. Escott provided a threshold for when he will recommend that Austin Mayor Steve Adler and Travis County Judge Sam Biscoe issue new stay-home orders.</p><p>"If [the seven-day moving average for new hospital admissions] surpasses 70, then I will make that recommendation," he said.</p><p>Right now, the moving average is 55, according to the county's COVID-19 dashboard. Yesterday, 67 patients were admitted to area hospitals with COVID-19. Dr. Escott said that he may make the recommendation sooner, especially if surrounding jurisdictions seem poised to exceed their hospital capacity—which would likely cause spillover into Travis County facilities.</p><p>"I'm concerned about our neighbors in San Antonio and Bexar County, who are reporting more than 1,000 cases a day right now," he said.</p>Flattening the curve
<p>As of yesterday, Austin's three hospital systems—Ascension Seton, Baylor Scott & White Health and St. David's HealthCare—reported that 72% of their collective 2,470 staffed hospital beds are occupied and 80% of their 483 ICU beds are.<br></p><p>Dr. Escott is less concerned about hospital capacity—which he said is normally within the 85% to 95% range—than he is with the increasing rate at which new cases are being reported in Austin and elsewhere.</p><p>"We cannot afford to have major fires burning in all of our major cities [in Texas] and expect to be able to provide hospital beds to everyone who gets sick if we don't make serious changes right now," he said.</p><p>To this end, Dr. Escott asked Austinites to stay home when possible and to be vigilant about masking, social distancing and hygiene when not. </p><p>"We cannot afford missteps right now," he said. "Not this weekend." </p>Convention center prep
<p>In response, Dr. Escott has issued a request for federal funding to build out an alternate care site. Although the city has not officially announced its location, local officials have said it will be hosted at the Austin Convention Center.</p><p>"It will take several weeks for us to build it up in such a way to start taking patients," Dr. Escott said, adding that it will be outfitted in installments to match the demand for care. </p><p>The total capacity of the site, as detailed in the city's surge plan, is around 1,500 low-acuity patients.</p><p>If staffing the alternative care site, or area hospitals, becomes an issue, Dr. Escott said he has received confirmation from the White House that it will provide additional medical personnel through the U.S. military.</p>From Your Site Articles
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(1000Photography/Shutterstock)
Google told employees this week that the company will hold off on reopening its offices until Sept. 7, according to a memo obtained by Bloomberg News.
<p>The company employs more than 1,000 people in Austin and took steps last year to expand its office space both downtown and on the East Side. <a href="https://www.statesman.com/news/20190614/google-says-it-plans-significant-expansion-in-austin" target="_blank">As of last June</a>, Austin was Google's seventh-largest office outside of the San Francisco Bay Area.</p><p>The decision came as both Texas and California, the state where most of the tech giant's employees work, have seen spikes in coronavirus cases. Texas saw nearly 7,000 new cases Tuesday.</p><p>"While conditions do vary from state to state, we need to see that the U.S. outlook as a whole is stable before we move forward," Chris Rackow, vice president of global security, wrote in the memo. "As the recent resurgence of cases demonstrates, Covid-19 is still very much alive in our communities."</p><p>Previously, the company's CEO Sundar Pichai <a href="https://www.blog.google/inside-google/working-google/working-from-home-and-office/" target="_blank">told employees in May</a> that the company would begin slowly returning some workers to the office on July 6. Those plans now appear to be scrapped based on the company memo.</p><p>Google's parent company, Alphabet, sent employees home during the second week of March, weeks ahead of some of the other big tech companies. Indeed, another tech giant with offices in Austin, sent its employees home barely a week earlier, one of the first companies in Austin to do so.</p><p>Even without the recent spikes in coronavirus cases in the U.S., the company planned for most Google employees to work from home through the end of the year. The work from home extension this week also comes on the heels of a host of other tech companies announcing that they would allow some employees to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/22/tech/work-from-home-companies/index.html" target="_blank">work from home "forever" if their job allows.</a></p>
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