Coronavirus: Austin Illness Count Grows By 24 To 484

AUSTIN, TX — The number of coronavirus cases in Travis County rose by 24 from the previous day on Sunday, bringing the total to 484.

Over the weekend, two more people died of the COVID-19 virus that causes respiratory illness, bringing the total number of fatalities in the county to six.

In neighboring Williamson County over the weekend, health officials reported the second fatality from the virus that has afflicted 77 residents.

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The Austin area has seen an exponential increase of positive cases, a spike that was partially attributed to an outbreak among a large group of University of Texas at Austin students who defied health officials' advice and went ahead on spring break vacation in coastal Mexico.

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At last check, 48 of the 211 students participating in the trip by chartered plane have been diagnosed with COVID-19.

Over the weekend, there were several key developments in the fight against the scourge of illness:

• On Sunday, city and county officials urged all residents to start wearing protective face coverings to help blunt the spread of the virues. Before, only those already sick were advised to wear the coverings to avoid spreading the virus through respiratory droplets when sneezing or coughing.
• Also over the weekend, the governor waived licensing requirements in certain medical fields to jump-start jobs for health care workers as the illness continues to spread. To that end, licensing requirements for physician assistants, medical physicists, perfusionists and respiratory care candidates were temporarily waived to get their ranks at hospitals where they're most needed amid a rising rate of illness.
• The Parks and Recreation Department added municipal golf courses to its list of closed venues in efforts to promote the tactic of physical distancing. In a press advisory on Sunday, parks officials said gates to each facility will be closed. As a result, walking onto courses will be prohibited, putting an end to golfing, walking, running, bicycling or any other use for the time being.
• Amid another rough week of illness spread, the Central Texas Food Bank this weekend distributed more than 1,500 meals to residents in need of emergency food. COVID-19-caused work stoppages to promote physical distancing has left many out of work — either temporarily or permanently — while grappling with household finances. Serving 21 counties across Central Texas, the food bank delivered two boxes of food per household to help those with the greatest need amid pandemic.
• Mayor Steve Adler rallied residents, lauding their efforts in adhering to physical distancing guildelines while urging people to continue staying home to mitigate the spread of illness. Adler also shared links of groups standing out for their contributions in an age of pandemic along with links to some of his favorite activities for familes to partake of while sheltered in place. Among those links is livestreamed music from SXSW — the first big gathering that was canceled inearly March as the pandemic grew.