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New Tesla Gigafactory site in Austin, Texas
(Video by Steven Joyner/Austonia)
Arrive at the site in Southeast Travis County where Tesla just announced it will be building a $1.1 billion Gigafactory, and you'll find 18-wheeler trucks running in and out of the property. See the area from above, and it's a flurry of activity.
Though the news is less than a week old, CEO Elon Musk said during the call where he confirmed that the company had chosen Austin that work was already underway.
The $1.1 billion factory is expected to be producing the Tesla Cybertruck and Model Y by late 2021.
There are still a few more steps for the company—Tesla will need city and county approvals as further development gets underway—but a city staffer said July 16 that the company is allowed under existing permits to begin reclamation work, which "would be the first step in preparing the site for future development."
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(Roschetzky Photography/Adobe)
To help make sense of all the information emerging about COVID-19 in Austin, we're answering a few big questions:
Is the COVID situation improving?
<p>Not quite.</p> <p>Local health officials have identified hospital admissions as a key metric because it is not affected by reporting delays or testing shortages.</p> <p>"It's a good predictor of actual case burden in the community," Austin-Travis County Interim Health Authority Dr. Mark Escott said Tuesday.</p> <p>The number of COVID-related hospitalizations in the Austin metro has held steady for the last 10 days. </p> <p>"The trend has been relatively flat," Escott said. </p><p><br>Since the start of the month, the average number of hospitalized COVID patients has declined 44%, from 146.8 on Sept. 1 to 82 on Sept. 29. </p> <p>But the average number of new cases reported each day has increased 42%—from 78 to 111.1—over that same time period. </p> <p>Escott has attributed these diverging trend lines to the increasing number of cases among young people, who are much less likely to require hospitalization than older patients. </p><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDQ1MTI3Ni9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxMTk4MDI4NH0.XxvY7wkBOfT-BtHF8JhtIGX0Dv8apitlsV-JZMb53pA/img.png?width=980" id="f2149" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="e69fc96d61833754a62b5ea7a5e9cb3e" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />What is a "twindemic"?
<p>It's time to add another word to your pandemic vocabulary.</p><p>Health experts have raised concerns of a "twindemic," when the COVID pandemic inevitably overlaps with the annual flu season, which begins in October.</p><p>Last year's flu season was particularly bad, Escott said last week, and local ICUs hit capacity from flu patients alone.</p><p>"Our hospitals cannot handle surges of both," he said. "We're going to have to ration care."</p><p>Escott has encouraged Austinites to <a href="https://austonia.com/flu-season-austin" target="_self"><u>get vaccinated</u></a> before the flu season intensifies this winter. </p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="187ed35bc13596eb1d0e6e1e0ba084ea"><div class="fb-post" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/austinpublichealth/posts/3992955670717819"></div></div>What is going on with schools?
<p>Austin ISD is preparing to reopen <a href="https://austonia.com/austin-school-reopening" target="_self"><u>for in-person learning</u></a> next week, following in the footsteps of other area districts, including Eanes ISD and Round Rock ISD.</p><p>Escott is supportive of AISD's reopening plan, which follows Austin Public Health guidelines to start capacity limits at 25%. He said there is no evidence that disease transmission is occurring in classrooms or <a href="https://twitter.com/AustinISD/status/1310716756374237186" target="_blank">while students are passing in hallways</a>.</p><p>"For those who are concerned about putting teachers at risk, I'm married to an educator, and she went into school today," Escott told the AISD board of trustees on Monday. </p><p>He added that the risk of transmission appears to be limited to extracurricular and social activities, where students may not be wearing masks or adhering to social distancing guidelines. </p><p>In total, local primary and secondary schools that have already reopened have reported 24 COVID cases among students and 21 among staff since mid-August, according to APH data shared Tuesday. An additional 116 people have been identified as "close contacts" of impacted students and staff. </p><p>The University of Texas at Austin <a href="https://austonia.com/ut-austin-spring-semester" target="_self"><u>announced this week</u></a> that it is planning on a spring semester structured "in much the same way" as the current term. </p><p>In a community-wide email sent on Monday, President Jay Hartzell commended students for making adjustments, which he wrote have helped keep the university's COVID numbers "as low as possible."</p><p>Since the current semester began on Aug. 26, the university has reported more than 700 cases among students and fallen short of its stated goal to test 5,000 asymptomatic community members a week. </p><p>Hartzell said the university is working out "some kinks" in its proactive testing program, including not requiring a second confirmatory test for students' whose rapid tests return positive results, allowing for walk-up testing without an appointment and debuting a new incentive program, details of which are forthcoming.</p>What metrics would help determine a drop to a Stage 2 level of risk?
<p>The number of new COVID hospitalizations each day would need to fall below 10, on average, and the local positivity rate would need to drop to 3% or lower for local health officials to recommend a move to Stage 2 of <a href="https://austonia.com/austin-covid-stage-3" target="_blank">their risk-based guidelines</a>, Escott said.</p><p>At this lower level, recommended restrictions would loosen. Social gatherings would be allowed to increase from 10 people to 25, and residents would be allowed to resume non-essential trips and return to work at reopened businesses.</p><p>Travis County is currently reporting 12 new COVID-related hospital admissions each day, on average.</p><p>The overall positivity rate was 4.4% last week, but disparities remain across demographic groups, with Latino residents returning a positivity rate of 8%. </p>What about testing?
<p>Demand for testing has declined post-surge. </p> <p>Escott said last week that testing sites administered by APH are testing about 2,000 people a week despite having the capacity to test more than a thousand people a day.</p> <p>It is important to note, however, that the testing numbers reported by APH do not include the positive results from <a href="https://austonia.com/rapid-covid-test" target="_self"><u>rapid antigen tests</u></a> because of CDC guidance that they be considered "probable" and not "confirmed." </p> <p>Like the genetic, or polymerase chain reaction tests, administered at APH testing sites, rapid antigen tests detect positive infections. They also provide results in about 15 minutes, which is central to their appeal.</p> <p>While they are marginally less accurate, rapid antigen tests are in fairly wide use. Some private testing sites in the Austin area report that <a href="https://austonia.com/coronavirus-test" target="_self"><u>the majority of the tests</u></a> they conduct are rapid due to patient demand. </p> <p>Between Aug. 6 and Sept. 24, a total of 2,174 positive rapid antigen test results were reported in Travis County, according to APH. The department would not release information pertaining to the number of positive antigen tests performed overall. </p> <p>During that same time period, 6,648 COVID cases were confirmed by positive genetic test results in Travis County. </p> <p>If the cases detected by rapid antigen testing were considered "confirmed" rather than "probable," the local caseload between Aug. 6 and Sept. 24 would have increased by about a third. </p>What is post-COVID syndrome?
<p>Nine months into the COVID pandemic, doctors across the world are reporting that the virus has become a chronic condition—post-COVID syndrome—for some patients, known as long-haulers.</p> <p>"As people recover from the initial infection, studies are starting to show that in some patients, it might actually take weeks or even months to return to baseline health," Dr. Esther Melamed, an assistant professor of neurology at Dell Medical School, said in a press release issued Tuesday. </p> <p>Long-hauler symptoms may include difficulty breathing, headaches, memory problems, overwhelming fatigue and persistent loss of taste and smell, as well as worsening of pre-COVID conditions, such as diabetes and mood disorders. </p><video controls id="8e12e" width="100%" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="ccc522351e8e55862283aed7dc73050d" expand="1" feedbacks="true" mime_type="video/mp4" shortcode_id="1601497346135" url="https://roar-assets-auto.rbl.ms/runner%2F19818-Melamed-Post-COVID-Syndrome---Media.mp4" videoControls="true"> <source src="https://roar-assets-auto.rbl.ms/runner%2F19818-Melamed-Post-COVID-Syndrome---Media.mp4" type="video/mp4"> Your browser does not support the video tag. </video><p><em>Dr. Esther Melamed, an assistant professor at Dell Medical School, speaks about post-COVID syndrome. </em></p>
What is the status of federal coronavirus relief funding?
<p>Local and state governments must spend all of the federal coronavirus relief dollars they received through the CARES Act by the end of the calendar year, despite the ongoing nature of the pandemic and <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/09/29/pelosi-mnuchin-set-to-talk-as-.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><u>the absence of additional relief packages</u></a> passed by Congress. </p> <p>"We must continue to provide testing and contact tracing," APH Director Stephanie Hayden told Austin City Council on Tuesday. "Those efforts have really helped us as a city and a county… We have to just flag it for you all that federal funding is slated to end this December."</p> <p>Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced on Friday that the state will allocate $171 million of CARES Act funding to help renters <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2020/09/25/texas-rent-help-evictions/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><u>avoid eviction</u></a>.</p> <p>The Travis County Commissioners Court discussed last week how best to meet the December deadline. As of mid-September, the county has spent less than one-fifth of the federal relief dollars it received through the CARES Act, although the remainder has been allocated.</p><h5>Want to read more stories like this one? Start every day with a quick look at what's happening in Austin. Sign up for Austonia.com's free daily morning email.</h5>
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Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune
Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate MJ Hegar raised $13.5 million in the third quarter.
By Patrick Svitek
MJ Hegar, the Democratic challenger to U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, announced Wednesday that she raised over $13.5 million in the third quarter, a massive improvement over her previous hauls.
<p>The $13.5 million is nearly eight times more than what she raised during her previous best quarter. That was $1.7 million in the second quarter of this year.</p><p>The fundraising bonanza left Hegar with over $8 million cash on hand at the end of this month, her campaign said. Cornyn, who has had a decisive financial advantage from the start, had $14.5 million in the bank at the end of June.</p><p>Still, Hegar's latest fundraising puts her into financial competition with Cornyn in a way she never was before. For over a year, as she fought for her party's nomination to challenge Cornyn, Hegar's cash on hand remained a small fraction of his.</p><p>The third quarter saw Hegar win the nomination in a July 14 primary runoff against state Sen. <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/directory/royce-west/" target="_blank">Royce West</a> of Dallas. She raised over $1 million in the week after the runoff victory, according to her campaign.</p><p>Cornyn has not released any fundraising numbers for the third quarter, which ends Wednesday. They face an Oct. 15 deadline to disclose their full third-quarter finances to the Federal Election Commission.</p><p>While Cornyn has not shared his third-quarter haul yet, Hegar's $13.5 million easily eclipses his <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2020/07/13/john-cornyn-senate-race-texas/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">previous best quarter</a> this election cycle, which was $3.5 million in the second quarter of this year.</p><p>Hegar's third-quarter fundraising also tops the $12 million that U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz raised during the same period in 2018 during his blockbuster race against Democrat Beto O'Rourke. O'Rourke raked in a record-breaking $38.1 million that quarter.</p><p>Hegar has already been putting the new money to use with a statewide TV ad blitz. Her campaign noted she is airing ads on broadcast in nine of the state's top markets: Dallas, Houston, Austin, San Antonio, El Paso, Harlingen, Waco, Tyler and Corpus Christi.</p><p><br/></p><p><strong>More on the election:</strong></p>
<h2><a href="https://austonia.com/austin-propositions" target="_self">Voting guide: local mobility propositions on the November ballot</a></h2>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzI4ODE4MC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzMjc5NzM5M30.4jNJp9rcUfuP6eJkTlCeBwO04E1wMrFsbD2LvCrJqsA/img.jpg?width=980" id="ec6e4" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="ffffd7190df8e4552a73ef4bb93c346e" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />Voting guide: local mobility propositions on the November ballot
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A model walks during the fall 2019 Nefrfreshr show at Austin Fashion Week.
Austin Fashion Week is taking a page out New York Fashion Week's book and going online this year. After all, if New York Fashion Week can survive online showcases, why can't Austin's?
<p>After repeated postponements from April to May and yet again to August, Austin Fashion Week has decided on a three-day <a href="https://fashionbyevents.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>"series of live virtual events to support the global fashion community</u></a>" in October.</p><p>Fashion by Texas founder Matt Swinney said Austin Fashion Week will be put on by Fashion by Events this year, with a Fashion by Texas show on Oct. 15, a Fashion by Black Designers show on Oct. 16 and a 24-hour Fashion by Global event on Oct. 17.</p><p>Though the Fashion by Texas segment has already reached capacity, applications for Fashion by Black Designers and Fashion by Global are <a href="https://fashionbyevents.com/participate/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>still being accepted</u></a>.</p><p>While many individual designers will film their virtual showcases from their own spaces, Swinney said there will be an in-person show filmed in advance without an audience at the Domain. The setup will allow for interviews and backstage segments. </p><p>There are risks associated with putting on a virtual event. Each showcase is likely to look very different from the next because they are being filmed independently, and organizers aren't sure how much people will be willing to pay for tickets.</p><p>For that reason, ticket prices are set on a "pay what you can" donation basis. Each ticket admits you into all three days of events. </p><p>Despite the risks, an online showcase allows for an infinite number of viewers and loosens time restrictions. Swinney said if the virtual fashion week is successful, it could open up new possibilities for content in the future of Austin Fashion Week.</p><p>The full schedule has yet to be announced but <a href="https://fashionbyevents.com/schedule/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>the current schedule can be viewed here</u></a> and <a href="https://fashionbyevents.com/tickets/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>tickets can be purchased here</u></a>.</p>
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Pumpkin carving is considered a low risk Halloween activity by the CDC.
As temperatures drop below 100 degrees, fall and winter holidays are on the mind. However, with COVID-19 still rearing its head, the question remains: is it safe to gather for the holidays this year?
<p><strong>Planning the event</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/holidays.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a> released a statement that <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/faith-based.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Yom Kippur, Halloween, Día de Los Muertos, Navratri, Diwali and Thanksgiving</a> "will likely need to be different this fall to prevent the spread of the virus." The CDC stated considerations on its website are meant to supplement, not replace, local laws.</p><p>According to the CDC, there are a variety of factors that come into play when planning for a holiday event, such as location and duration of the event, number of guests, where the guests are coming from and behaviors of guests prior to and during the event. </p><p>It is recommended to host events in an open, well-ventilated area, preferably outdoors. Guests must be <a href="https://www.austintexas.gov/page/special-event-updates-covid-19" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">limited to 10 people in Austin</a> and masks must be worn anytime people are indoors, though it is recommended to wear them anytime you are in contact with people.</p><p>If you have been diagnosed with or exposed to COVID-19, you should not participate in any in-person events or gatherings, per the CDC. </p><p><strong>Halloween</strong></p><p>Traditional Halloween activities like trick-or-treating, attending indoor costume parties and haunted houses, where people are typically crowded and screaming, are considered "high risk" activities, per the CDC. However, there are still safe ways to enjoy spooky season.</p><p>To enjoy a low-risk Halloween, the CDC recommends virtual costume party events, carving pumpkins with family or a small group of friends, or a Halloween movie marathon with the people you live with.</p><p>If you feel safe enough to do so, visiting an outdoor costume party or haunted house is considered "moderate risk" as long as social distancing and mask guidelines are enforced.</p><p><strong>Dìa de los Muertos</strong></p><p>Celebrating the Day of the Dead this year may look a bit different, but there are plenty of safe ways to celebrate your loved ones on Nov. 1.</p><p>For low-risk activities, the CDC recommends creating an altar for your deceased loved ones in your home, playing music they enjoyed and celebrating the way you normally would but from home. </p><p>If you can't imagine celebrating without people around you, it is safest to be around others in an outdoor space with a limited number of people. The CDC recommends a small, socially-distanced parade outdoors, visiting gravesites or hosting a small dinner for close friends and family.</p><p><strong>Thanksgiving</strong></p><p>To avoid the most risk, it is best to refrain from shopping on Thanksgiving or Black Friday (hey, there's always Cyber Monday). The same goes for parades or sporting events—they are best to avoid.</p><p>If you normally celebrate Thanksgiving dinner with just immediate family members, feel free to continue as planned. It is also safe to hold a virtual Thanksgiving or to carefully celebrate with a small number of people you feel safe and acquainted with.</p><p><strong>After the celebration</strong></p><p>In order to minimize the spread of COVID-19 as much as possible, it is important to stay home as much as possible for two weeks; limit interactions with people, especially those who are of increased risk; and consider getting tested for the virus.</p><p><a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html" target="_blank">Symptoms</a> can appear within two days to two weeks of coming into contact with the virus.</p><p>However you choose to celebrate, enjoy a safe, thoughtful and happy holiday season.</p>
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Make Me Feel by Jackie Venson (Live Performance and Lyric Video)
Austin native and musician Jackie Venson broke 1.5 million live streams during her summer concert series, ranking ninth on Pollstar's Top 50 Livestreamers list for Q3.
<p>With COVID-19 sending the live music industry to a screeching halt, many musicians have elected to postpone or cancel performances in favor of live streaming their tunes. Venson, like others, spent the summer live streaming from <a href="https://www.facebook.com/jackievenson" target="_blank">Facebook</a> with a total of 22 shows between May 5 to Aug. 19, Pollstar reports.</p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="1ef449dbedf8198963c8b078c1c1c7a4" id="3ee50"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1310788108967989248"><div style="margin:1em 0">So y’all know how I went live all summer well... I made the @Pollstar top 50 Livestreamers AT NUMBER 9! 1.5 million… https://t.co/6iog1taYUZ</div> — Jackie Venson (@Jackie Venson)<a href="https://twitter.com/jackievenson/statuses/1310788108967989248">1601351213.0</a></blockquote></div><p>Venson is an Austin native, singer, songwriter, guitarist, classical pianist and the youngest of nine siblings. Her father, Andrew Venson, is also a professional musician and she credits him as her inspiration throughout her childhood.<br/></p><p>Venson told <a href="https://australianmusician.com.au/jackie-venson/" target="_blank">Australian Musician</a> having a musician in the family can make the goal of becoming a musician yourself feel more attainable.</p><p>"A lot of people like music and they think they have an affinity for it but if nobody else in the family does, then they sometimes don't see it as a possibility," Venson said. "Having my dad as a professional musician, it's like ... you can do this, it's hard but you can do this."</p><p>Venson attended Berklee College of Music without ever having picked up a guitar until her last year at school. From there, she devoted her time to the guitar and in 2019, Venson became the first Black woman to win "Best Guitarist" at the Austin Music Awards, as well as the first Black woman to co-host the awards in 2020.</p><p>An Austin enthusiast, she said Austin is the best place in the world to become a musician.</p>Though she made her mark live streaming, Venson will return to the stage for an intimate in-person show at <a href="https://acl-live.com/calendar/jackie-venson-2?utm_source=social" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ACL Live on Oct. 3</a> for The Lounge Series.<p><strong>More on live streaming:</strong></p>
<h2><a href="https://austonia.com/11-austin-online-live-music-performances" target="_self">11 ways to get your Austin live music fix online</a></h2>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzU0MTkwNi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2MTc3NjAwNn0.0v_7lMZDyTyWjqIupbJUKd-IzyGG7l83qnL6TAjKfC4/img.jpg?width=980" id="ec6b7" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="bc18c4f6b825f9c5254d44cd418290ef" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />11 ways to get your Austin live music fix online
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UT Austin announces plans for a spring semester structured 'in much the same way,' amid criticism
29 September
(jiawangkun/Adobe)
UT Austin announced this week that it is planning for a spring semester structured "in much the same way" as the current term.
Just over a month into the fall semester, the University of Texas at Austin announced that it plans to structure the spring semester "in much the same way," according to a community-wide email sent by President Jay Hartzell.
<p>Hartzell commended students for the adjustments they've made, which he said have helped to keep the university's COVID-19 numbers "as low as possible" and have been "largely effective" at containing the disease.<br/></p><p>Since the current semester began on Aug. 26, the university has reported 754 cases among students and 11 among faculty and staff. Hartzell said this falls "within the range of what we had expected given UT's size" in his email. </p><p>UT Austin has a total enrollment of more than 50,000 students. Researchers at the university's COVID-19 Modeling Consortium <a href="https://sites.cns.utexas.edu/sites/default/files/cid/files/ut_reopening.pdf?m=1598027935" target="_blank">have assumed</a> that around around 22,000 of them either live in Austin or have returned to the city for the fall semester. </p><p>The administration announced plans in August to test 5,000 asymptomatic community members a week. But it has fallen short of that goal, testing fewer than 2,000 a week since classes began.</p><p>The university's faculty council said in a recent update that it had not been able to meet the 5,000-mark because of federal and state health information laws that prevent mandatory testing.</p><p>"The answer, in part, is that we have fewer than 5,000 people a week who have been willing to take the tests," the council wrote. </p><p>Hartzell said the university is working out "some kinks" in its proactive community testing program to try to expand its scope, including not requiring a second confirmatory test for students' whose rapid tests returned positive results, <a href="https://news.utexas.edu/2020/09/28/getting-a-covid-19-test-is-now-easier-at-ut-austin/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>allowing for walk-up testing that does not require an appointment</u></a> and debuting a new incentive program, details for which are forthcoming. </p><p>UT Austin has faced criticism from students, staff, <a href="https://thedailytexan.com/author/the-daily-texan-editorial-board" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>the campus newspaper</u></a> and others for its reopening plans. </p><p>Before the fall semester began, members of the Texas State Employees Union presented <a href="https://austonia.com/ut-students-employees-call-for-no-in-person-class-tuition-cut" target="_self"><u>a petition</u></a> to the UT System calling for the cancelation of in-person classes, tuition cuts and hazard pay for essential workers. </p><p>Two days before classes resumed, a photo of sorority pledges gathering—unmasked and in dense groups—in West Campus <a href="https://austonia.com/ut-austin-social-media-backlash" target="_self"><u>prompted blowback</u></a> on social media. Reports of off-campus parties led Austin-Travis County Interim Health Authority Dr. Mark Escott to warn Greek life organizations that such behavior could lead <a href="https://www.fox7austin.com/news/austin-public-health-warns-ut-greek-life-to-follow-covid-19-orders" target="_blank">to criminal charges</a>. </p><p>Earlier this month, Austinites raised concerns about the risk of transmission at football games. </p><p>At the Texas Longhorns' first home game of the season, the university required student attendees—but not others—to be tested for COVID prior to entering the stadium. Of the 1,198 students tested, <a href="https://austonia.com/ut-austin-football-covid" target="_self"><u>95 received positive results</u></a>. This positivity rate, of nearly 8%, exceeded the local positivity rate reported by Austin Public Health and other testing sites, which was less than 5% at the time. </p><p>But Hartzell pointed to other metrics in his assessment of the university's response.</p><p>"[T]here has been a relatively small number of infections among faculty and staff members," he wrote, "and the return of our student population has not resulted in wider spread through Austin and Travis County or increased hospitalizations." </p><p>Since the fall semester began, the moving average number of new confirmed cases reported each day in Travis County has fallen from more than 150 to 107 and the moving average number of COVID-related hospital admissions has dropped from 19.6 to 13.</p><p>However, local health officials have raised concerns about the potential spread from teenagers and young adults <a href="https://austonia.com/ut-covid" target="_self"><u>to the broader community.</u></a> </p><p>"I want to remind our young people … to please engage in protective behaviors not only in the classroom but outside the classroom," Escott said Tuesday. </p><p><strong>More on UT:</strong></p>
<h2><a href="https://austonia.com/ut-covid" target="_self">743 UT Austin students have already tested positive for COVID-19</a></h2>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDQ0MzkyMS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0ODk5OTgyMX0.Epy36CE27CW6InlE1ONuhKHUbq_IsN72Z5QiXiDRYZg/img.png?width=980" id="cd91b" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="5ef08a085f80a24835b3b55caabff277" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />743 UT Austin students have already tested positive for COVID-19(The University of Texas at Austin COVID-19 Modeling Consortium)
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As Austin area schools reopen, COVID transmission is mostly limited to extracurriculars
29 September
(Pexels)
Austin ISD will return to in-person learning on Monday, Oct. 5.
As Austin ISD prepares to join other area school districts in reopening for in-person learning, local health authorities said data shows transmission in school settings is mostly limited to extracurricular activities, such as football, cheerleading and band.
<p>"We don't have any evidence right now of transmission between students and staff," Austin-Travis County Interim Health Authority Dr. Mark Escott told the Austin City Council during his weekly update on Tuesday. </p><p>The Austin school districts that have reopened for in-person learning have done a good job so far, Escott said, and capacity limits have allowed faculty time to make modifications as needed.</p><p>"Our goal is to avoid substantial, sustained outbreaks in school," he said. </p><p>In total, local primary and secondary schools have reported 24 COVID cases among students and 21 among staff since mid-August. An additional 116 people have been identified as "close contacts" of impacted students and staff, according to Austin Public Health data. </p><p>As more schools prepare to reopen to students, Escott urged Austinites to continue taking precautions, such as wearing masks, social distancing and screening themselves for symptoms on a regular basis. </p><p>"Ultimately success depends on people being engaged and doing that self-screening before leaving their house every day," he said.</p><p>AISD plans to return to in-person learning next week, later than other area school districts, including Eanes ISD, Lake Travis ISD and Round Rock ISD. It will start at 25% capacity and increase the number of students on campus as it is safe to do so. </p><p>Escott expressed support for AISD's reopening plan during a school board meeting on Monday.</p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="89868c849a63d03416919e469fccda92" id="41df1"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1310717924467003394"><div style="margin:1em 0">Escott says he has confidence in the AISD reopen plan. "Yes I support the reopen plan." "The situation in the sprin… https://t.co/oJ7wAwEjMQ</div> — Austin ISD (@Austin ISD)<a href="https://twitter.com/AustinISD/statuses/1310717924467003394">1601334479.0</a></blockquote></div><p>But Education Austin, a union representing AISD employees, has pushed back against the plan. The organization hosted a caravan protest on Saturday and has called on the district to reopen only when <a href="https://www.kxan.com/news/education/austin-isd-staff-resign-pledge-to-stay-home-when-classes-begin-oct-5/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>certain metrics are met</u></a>.<br/></p><p>"The district should be focused on data and common sense, not artificial dates," Education Austin posted on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/EdAustinTX/posts/3340575426024334" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>its Facebook page on Monday</u></a>. "Safety first, and reopening second." </p><p>The Austin area is currently "solidly in Stage 3," according to APH's <a href="https://austonia.com/austin-covid-stage-3" target="_self"><u>risk-based guidelines</u></a>, Escott said Tuesday. Hospital admission rates have been "relatively flat" for the last 10 days, he added.</p><p>At this level, APH <a href="http://austintexas.gov/sites/default/files/files/Austin%20Public%20Health%20School%20Guidance%20V15%20(hyperlinks).pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>recommends schools</u></a> reopen at no more than 25% and phase in to up to 50% capacity. Escott said he is hopeful that the area can meet the threshold for a Stage 2 level of risk this fall, at which point APH recommends on-campus learning for <a href="https://austonia.com/austin-schools-reopening-2646988352" target="_self"><u>up to 75% of a school's population</u></a>.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="300f3d48b3c55a8c408913f180ce79c9" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="32dce" type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDQ0NzIwNS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1MjM0MDI3OX0.M4rXF6Z7-nP50uxJXyesToolXKcNS9y9U8eowV_JZgg/img.png?width=980"/>
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="Add Photo Caption...">Austin Public Health issued guidance for a phased-in approach to school reopening in mid-August.</small><small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">(Austin Public Health)</small></p>
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