City urges high-risk people to avoid gatherings as Austin moves to Stage 5 COVID precautions
https://www.kut.org/covid-19/2022-01-06/...id-19-situation
KUT 90.5 | By Andy Jechow
Published January 6, 2022 at 10:04 AM CST
Updated January 6, 2022 at 7:03 PM CST



Austin and Travis County are back at the highest stage of Austin Public Health’s COVID-19 community risk guidance as the omicron variant of the coronavirus has caused a surge of new infections and hospitalizations.

The health agency reports the area’s community transmission rate — the number of new cases per 100,000 people in the past seven days — is at 1,067 as of Wednesday and nearly 30% of COVID-19 tests administered in the area are coming back positive.

City and county officials announced the move to Stage 5 at a press conference Thursday, saying they’re concerned that increasing infection rates could cause schools, businesses and other services to close because too many people are out sick or in quarantine.

“There will come a point when schools and businesses and community centers will not be able to open their doors if we don’t do something.”

Dr. Desmar Walkes, Austin-Travis County health authority

“We haven’t witnessed the behavior changes necessary to curtail the current spike," Austin-Travis County Health Authority Dr. Desmar Walkes said. “There will come a point when schools and businesses and community centers will not be able to open their doors if we don’t do something.”-- excerpt, rest at link above --