Austin Public Health is issuing the following statement regarding the reduction of hospital admissions and how they are linked to the risk stages: 

Including the data for today, Thursday, July 30, the 7-day moving average of new hospital admissions is now below 40. Austin-Travis County will, however, be remaining in Stage 4 of the Austin Public Health (APH) Risk-Based Guidelines.

Even though Austin-Travis County has crossed into Stage 3 based on the primary indicator (7-day moving average of hospital admissions), there are many other indicators we monitor in order to determine staging. Some of the other indicators include doubling time, 7-day moving average of new cases, ICU and ventilator capacity.

At this time, ICU capacity is still very limited, and APH needs to ensure that we do not reach capacity in the ICUs. This capacity continues to limit the availability of surgeries to manage serious medical conditions. It is essential that the public maintains the level of social distancing, staying at home, and mask-wearing that they have been for the past few weeks. Before the health authority can consider additional reopenings or increased gatherings, we need to have more ICU capacity, and continued reductions in new cases and new admissions to the hospital.

We will continue to evaluate the data in coordination with our local hospital systems should we later make a determination to move into Stage 3.

Austin-Travis County Interim Health Authority Dr. Mark Escott said: “Our priority has to be safety, and maintaining the highest level of public health. We've seen over and over again that when we rush to open things, if we don't have the appropriate protections in place, it leads to cases surging and shutting the City down again and we do not want to be in that situation moving into the fall.” 

For more information and updates about COVID-19, visit AustinTexas.gov/COVID19.