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Coronavirus: Austin Illness Count Reaches 137 Patients

In the single biggest jump in COVID-19 cases, the number of patients emerging in Travis County grew by 18 on Thursday from the day before.

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AUSTIN, TX — The number of positive cases of new coronavirus in Travis County rose to 137 on Thursday — up from 119 the previous day in the biggest single jump in incidences of illness since Austin Public Health officials began to compile totals.

The 18-case increase came on the same day Gov. Greg Abbott issued a new executive order mandating that air travelers arriving from the East Coast to Texas be subject to a 14-day period of self-quarantine.

New York has emerged as ground zero of the outbreak domestically, with thousands afflicted and hundreds dead. The self-quarantine order also applies to visitors from New Jersey and Connecticut. Given the high concentration of the respiratory ailment in Louisiana, Abbott also included travelers from New Orleans to the quarantine order.

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Originally named new coronavirus, COVID-19 is caused by a member of the coronavirus family that’s a close cousin to the SARS and MERS viruses that have sparked outbreaks in the past. Lacking a vaccine, health officials have pointed out the importance of so-called social distancing and self-isolation in curbing the spread of illness.

Find out what's happening in Austinfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Statewide, health officials at the Texas Department of State Health Servicesreported 1,396 positive COVID-19 coronavirus, with 18 deaths and 100 hospitalizations.

In tandem with the release of their latest figures on county-wide illness, Austin Public Health officials also unveiled a dashboard on their portal breaking down the numbers to a more granular level — at least as it relates to age groups of those afflicted. During Thursday's meeting of the Austin City Council — a modified version of the municipal gathering with most of its members joining remotely and citizens wishing to be heard calling in their questions and concerns — officials suggested they were preparing to also provide data related to the location of illness clusters.

Related stories:

For now, the data break down demographic information of those afflicted solely based on their age group. According to the figures, the split is nearly even between men and women, with 69 and 68 cases, respectively, between them. The hardest-hit age group is between the ages of 30-39, with 37 people afflicted, followed by those 20-29 with an illness count of 36.:

AGE GROUPS

0-9 years of age

  • Female: 0
  • Male: 0
  • Total: 0

10-19 years of age:

  • Female: 1
  • Male: 0
  • Total: 1

20-29 years of age

  • Female: 21
  • Male: 15
  • Total: 36

30-39 years of age

  • Female: 20
  • Male: 19
  • Total: 37

40-49 years old:

  • Female: 5
  • Male: 17
  • Total: 22

50-59 years of age

  • Female: 9
  • Male: 11
  • Total: 20

60-69 years of age

  • Female: 7
  • Male: 5
  • Total: 12

70-79 years of age

  • Female: 1
  • Male: 3
  • Total: 4

80-plus years of age

  • Female: 2
  • Male: 1
  • Total: 3

Grand total: 137

"To keep the public better informed with up-to-date information, Austin Public Health has launched a new online COVID-19 dashboard to reflect COVID-19 case data," officials said in a prepared statement.

The dashboard features the total number of COVID-19 cases in Austin-Travis County and Texas, demographics for cases including age and sex, a chart that separates cases by date of symptom onset and the number of COVID-19 related deaths, which at this time is zero. As of today, March 26, 2020 Austin Public Health has reported 137 cases of COVID-19.

Image courtesy of Austin Public Health.

Austin Public Health officials said the dashboard will be updated daily. Data reflected in the dashboard is subject to change as information becomes available, officials acknowledged. Virew the dashboard at AustinTexas.gov/COVID19. For more COVID-19 information, visit AustinTexas.gov/COVID19.

From March 25:

AUSTIN, TX — The number of positive cases of new coronavirus in Travis County reached the triple digits in Travis County to 119, Austin Public Health officials reported Wednesday.

The number of respiratory illness is an increase from the 98 positive cases reported on Tuesday.

Originally named new coronavirus, COVID-19 is caused by a member of the coronavirus family that’s a close cousin to the SARS and MERS viruses that have sparked outbreaks in the past. Lacking a vaccine, health officials have pointed out the importance of so-called social distancing and self-isolation in curbing the spread of illness.

Don't miss the latest coronavirus updates from health and government officials in the Austin area. Sign up for Patch news alerts and newsletters for what you need to know daily.

To that end, officials from Travis and Williamson counties on Tuesday displayed a united front during a press briefing announcing shelter-in-place orders for both regions. The decree mandates that residents stay home rather than congregating with others outside except for the most urgent of needs — buying groceries, picking up medicine, going to the bank and the like.

Related stories:

Given recently uncovered evidence of community spread of the respiratory illness, Austin Public Health is in Phase 5 of its preparedness and response.

"Austin Public Health is closely monitoring the rapidly evolving situation in coordination with the Texas Department of State Health Services, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and local and regional public health and healthcare agencies," health officials explained.

Health officials outlined the particulars of each level of response:

  • Phase 1: Persons Under Monitoring
  • Phase 2: Persons Under Investigation (testing in progress)
  • Phase 3: Confirmed Case(s) (no person-to-person spread)
  • Phase 4: Limited Person-to-Person Spread (close/household contacts)
  • Phase 5: Sustained Person-to-Person Spread in the Community

From March 24:

AUSTIN, TX— The number of positive cases of new coronavirus in Travis County rose to 98 patients on Tuesday, according to Austin Public Health.

That's an increase from the 86 positive cases reported the previous day — and an exponential increase from the six cases reported on March 15.

The increase came on the same day officials from Travis and Williamson counties announced dual shelter-in-place orders for their regions. The aim of such measures is to flatten the upward curve of illness by mitigating its potential spread via respiratory droplets from afflicted residents.

Don't miss the latest coronavirus updates from health and government officials in the Austin area. Sign up for Patch news alerts and newsletters for what you need to know daily.

Originally named new coronavirus, COVID-19 is caused by a member of the coronavirus family that’s a close cousin to the SARS and MERS viruses that have triggered outbreaks in the past. Lacking a vaccine, health officials have pointed out the importance of so-called social distancing and self-isolation in curbing the spread of illness.

Related stories:

To be sure, the dual shelter-in-place orders are a drastic step. But residents are still allowed to step outside their homes, as long as it's for essential errands such as getting food, retrieving medicines, going to the bank and the like.

From March 23:

AUSTIN, TX — The total number of positive cases of new coronavirus in Travis County on Monday grew by six over the past 24 hours to 86, according to health officials.

Austin Public Health updates the number of cases nightly as officials confirm positive tests for the respiratory ailment now known as COVID-19 — a respiratory ailment caused by a member of the coronavirus family that’s a close cousin to the SARS and MERS viruses that have triggered outbreaks in the past.

On Sunday, the number had grown by 17 patients compared to Saturday — from 62 to 79. The growing numbers mark and exponential increase from March 15, when Austin Public Health officials logged the number of confirmed cases as six.

Don't miss the latest coronavirus updates from health and government officials in the Austin area. Sign up for Patch news alerts and newsletters for what you need to know daily.

The growing numbers prompted Austin Mayor Steve Adler to implement a new municipal order over the weekend designed to compel retailers — particularly grocery stores to which scores are flocking to stock up on rations amid the illness scourge — to ensure customers to maintain a distance of at least six feet of each other to avert potential spread of COVID-19, which is transmitted by respiratory droplets from afflicted people.

Related stories:

On Friday, Interim Austin-Travis County Health Authority Dr. Mark Escott categorized the current threat level as "critical," joining in a growing chorus of officials pleading with the public to practice social distancing and stay at home unless absolutely necessary. The suggestions are rooted on epidemiological data illustrating the effectiveness of such behavior in flattening the curve of growing illness.

Given the upward tick in COVID-19 cases, a source confirmed to Patch the mayor now plans to issue a "shelter-in-place" order to further buttress the previous orders. Dallas County, Waco and other cities already have implemented the order as they cope with the growing number of COVID-19 cases.

From March 22:

AUSTIN, TX —As of Sunday, the number of cases of new coronavirus in Travis County is 79 — an increase of 17 patients in a 24-hour period, according to updated figures posted by Austin Public Health.

Statewide, there have been 334 positive cases for the virus and including five fatalities, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. Now called COVID-19, the respiratory ailment is caused by a member of the coronavirus family that’s a close cousin to the SARS and MERS viruses that have caused outbreaks in the past.

The mayor took note of the increase, reminding residents to take the often-repeated precautions of maintaining a six-foot distance from each other and not congregating in groups containing more than 10 people.

The increase was logged amid another dizzying 24-hour period of multiple developments as the state combats the scourge of respiratory illness:

  • On Sunday, Gov. Greg Abbott issued a pair of executive orders. One halts all elective or unnecessary surgeries as the state braces for an uptick in cases. The other order waives certain hospital regulations to enable clinics to essentially double up on beds-per-room to increase areas for medical treatment.
  • Pflugerville stopped short of closing parks, but issued an order that prohibits all elements within the recreational areas — pavilions, playscapes, tennis courts, skating areas and other facilities.
  • The increase comes one day after an order issued by Austin Mayor Steve Adler seeking to compel retail stores — all but exempt from existing restrictions given their critical role in food delivery — to practice social distancing techniques involving shoppers.
  • Late Saturday, three prominent Austin hospitals — Ascension Seton, Baylor Scott & White, and St. David's HealthCare — implemented a "no visitors" policy to protect patients, physicians, staff and other against potential illness spread.
  • The illness spike also comes the day after Austin health officials installed the first now-operational testing site to detect the spreading virus — one of 11 test collection points in a public-private partnership putting priority on the most vulnerable with medical referrals.

Austin Public Health has past orders at the city, county and state levels posted on its website. The past orders dating to March 11 have been implemented in an effort to mitigate the potential spread of illness:

From March 21:

AUSTIN, TX — The number of cases testing positive for new coronavirus in Travis County grew to 62 — up from 58 the previous day and an increase from the 23 patients identified as afflicted three days before — as reported by Austin Public Health officials.

Now called COVID-19, the respiratory ailment is caused by a member of the coronavirus family that’s a close cousin to the SARS and MERS viruses that have caused outbreaks in the past. The upgraded count of locally confirmed cases came on a day of key developments as the city and county scramble to mitigate the spread of the illness:

  • A new order by Mayor Steve Adler seeking to compel retail stores — all but exempt from existing restrictions given their critical role in food delivery — to practice social distancing techniques involving shoppers. Issued on Saturday, the new order also instructs store managers to monitor employees for COVID-19 symptoms, and to send them home if they exhibit signs of potential illness.
  • The new order also comes hours after Austin installed its first now-operational testing site to detect the spreading virus — one of 11 test collection points in a public-private partnership putting priority on the most vulnerable with medical referrals.

Don't miss the latest coronavirus updates from health and government officials in the Austin area. Sign up for Patch news alerts and newsletters for what you need to know daily.

The order also follows revamped orders by the city and counter to more precisely align with the governor's statewide restrictions ordered on Friday effectively closing all bars, restaurants, schools, gyms and other functions down to mitigate illness spread.

Related stories:

On Friday, the head of Austin Public Health confirmed evidence of community spread of illness rather than solely rooted in exposure from foreign travel. Given such evidence, Interim Austin-Travis County Health Authority Dr. Mark Escott on Friday said the community had reached a "critical" stage in the growing threat, reiterating his call for people to practice social distancing and avoid congregating in groups of ten or more people.

From March 20:

AUSTIN, TX — The illness count related to the spread of new coronavirus in Austin increased to 58 on Friday — 17 more cases than had been recorded the previous day when 41 positive cases had been identified — according to Austin Public Health officials on Friday.

The jump in positive cases is an exponential increase from just two days ago, when the count stood at 23 cases. The updated count comes one day after Gov. Greg Abbott ordered the closing of all bars, restaurants, schools and gyms in an effort to curb potential spread of the respiratory ailment that originated in China before growing into a global pandemic.

The gubernatorial order in Texas lagged behind that of his counterparts elsewhere in the country who issued such bans last week. Lacking such a statewide order, Austin Mayor Steve Adler and Travis County Judge earlier ordered the closing of bars and restaurants and a prohibition of crowds with 10 or more people to avert potential contagion.

Don't miss the latest coronavirus updates from health and government officials in the Austin area. Sign up for Patch news alerts and newsletters for what you need to know daily.

Statewide, 194 people have tested positive for the virus, with five fatalities. Those figures are continually being updated by the Texas Department of State Health Services.

Related story: Coronavirus: Texas Governor Orders Bars, Eateries, Schools Closed

From March 18:

AUSTIN, TX — Austin Public Health officials on Wednesday upped the recorded cases of new coronavirus cases in Travis County to 23 — six more than had been recorded just the previous day — on the heels of the governor saying the state was braced for an "exponential" rise in respiratory illness outbreak.

The jump came on the same day a physician at St. David's HealthCare tested positive for the illness that originated in China before becoming a global pandemic. The news also emerged as officials in North Texas confirmed the third death in the state blamed on the ailment.

According to the Texas Tribune, Collin County health officials confirmed a 64-year-old man died Tuesday after testing positive for COVID-19 as referenced in a tweet posted by Collin County Judge Chris Hill on Wednesday. The judge said the test came back positive after the death of the man who already was hospitalized for an underlying condition, Hill said.

Collin County is part of the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington statistical area.

Earlier, Austin Public Health officials announced the receipt of 1,000 testing kits from federal officials to detect the illness. Health officials said emergency and health workers — those on the front lines in dealing with patients — would have priority in terms of being tested. Despite the testing kits' arrival, the health authority said more are needed given the growing illness tide.

Don't miss the latest coronavirus updates from health and government officials in the Austin area. Sign up for Patch news alerts and newsletters for what you need to know daily.

Given the growing and looming threat, Austin Public Health officials are now advising residents to act as if the city were under a Phase 5 level of preparedness, even as they assure the area is currently far from that alert level at the second level.

Related stories:

"While Austin-Travis County DOES NOT have confirmation that we are in Phase 5 due to community spread, we should act as if we have knowledge that we are in Phase 5," normally staid public health officials not given to hyperbole previously advised on their website.

From March 17:

AUSTIN, TX — The number of new coronavirus patients in Travis County is now 17 after Austin Public Health officials on Tuesday added seven more positive cases to the tally from the previous day.

Reflecting prognostications predicted by health officials and reiterated by Gov. Greg Abbott during a Monday press conference in San Antonio, the region has begun to see an "exponential" spike in cases. This past weekend, the number of positive cases was still in the single digits before the latest jump.

The numbers are expected to go up even more as the respiratory ailment now known as COVID-19 broadens in reach across the world. COVID-19, a member a member of the coronavirus family that’s a close cousin to the SARS and MERS viruses that have sparked outbreaks in the past.

Don't miss the latest coronavirus updates from health and government officials in the Austin area. Sign up for Patch news alerts and newsletters for what you need to know daily.

Actions taken by government officials in the last 24 hours foreshadowed the increase. On Monday, Austin Mayor Steve Adler and Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt issued dual orders forcing the temporary shutdown of restaurants and bars across the area as a tactic meant to dissuade assemblies of people in proximity to each other — an ideal scenario for the spread of illness via respiratory droplets.

Also on Monday, Gov. Greg Abbott activated the Texas State Guard to be at the ready should emergency officials across the state need a helping hand in fighting the scourge. The day before that, he gave Texans a heads up to expect what he termed as an "exponential" increase in COVID-19 cases across the state.

And yet, for all the local warnings and machinations of preparedness, the most urgent indicator pointing to the need for "social distancing — a now ubiquitous term drawn from nomenclature of health workers alluding to the tactics of self-isolation — came from Matagorda County some 170 miles from the capital city. There, a man in his 90s succumbed to the ailment on Sunday with the news made official the next day — yielding the first fatality in Texas attributed to the ongoing pandemic.

Statewide, the number of cases identified in the Lone Star State now totals 64, according to Texas Department of State Health Services officials.

Related stories:

Given the growing and looming threat, Austin Public Health officials are now advising residents to act as if the city were under a Phase 5 level of preparedness, even as they assure the area is currently far from that alert level at the second level. "While Austin-Travis County DOES NOT have confirmation that we are in Phase 5 due to community spread, we should act as if we have knowledge that we are in Phase 5," normally staid public health officials not given to hyperbole advised on their website.

As a refresher, officials offered descriptors for each of the preparedness alert levels from most benign to heightened urgency:

  • Phase 1: Persons Under Monitoring
  • Phase 2: Persons Under Investigation (Testing in Progress)
  • Phase 3: Confirmed Case(s) (No Person-to-Person spread)
  • Phase 4: Limited Person-to-Person Spread (Close/Household Contacts)
  • Phase 5: Sustained Person-to-Person Spread in the Community

From March 16:

AUSTIN, TX — The number of new coronavirus cases identified in Travis County jumped to double digits on Monday, with 10 positive tests emerging in Austin — up from six reported over the weekend — according to updated figures posted Monday by health officials.

Austin Public Health officials originally staged press briefings after the emergence of the first handful of positive cases of the respiratory ailment now called COVID-19, a member a member of the coronavirus family that’s a close cousin to the SARS and MERS viruses that have sparked outbreaks in the past.

Over the weekend, local health officials suggested they would abandon the practice in favor of apprising the public of new cases by updating a tally found on the Austin Public Health portal modified as needed by 7 p.m. each day. No further press conferences are planned after each positive identification of new afflicted patients, local health officials said in a separate notice.

Don't miss the latest coronavirus updates from health and government officials in the Austin area. Sign up for Patch news alerts and newsletters for what you need to know daily.

With clockwork precision, the tally was updated to reflect 10 cases in Travis County — four more than the level recorded on Sunday. According to information found on the website, the numbers were modified on Sunday March 15. But Patch checked the tally periodically the following day on Monday, and the tally still reflected the half-dozen cases.

The jump recorded by Monday evening was revealed on the same day that Gov. Greg Abbott advised in a San Antonio press briefing that Texas will see an "exponential" increase in the number of positive diagnoses locally along with up to 10,000 tests for the virus by week's end.

Related stories:

Austin Public Health officials on March 13 confirmed the first two cases of novel coronavirus — manifested in a man in his 60s and a woman in her 30s — had been identified in Travis County. Hours later, University of Texas at Austin President Gregory L. Fenves revealed his wife had tested positive for the scourge. Over the weekend, Austin Public Health officials upped the number to five without disclosing the genders or ages of the two other patients.

Across Texas, the number of new coronavirus cases stands at 57 as tallied by the Texas Department of State Health Services. Of those, Harris County has the most patients so far with 10, followed by the Fort Bend with nine and Dallas with eight. Other counties with a handful of cases each include Bexar; Bell; Brazoria; Collin; El Paso; Galveston; Gregg; Hays; Lavaca; Matagorda; Montgomery; Smith; and Tarrant.

From March 15:

AUSTIN, TX — The number of cases of new coronavirus in Austin has grown to six, health officials confirmed on Sunday.

Two more people tested positive for the respiratory ailment now known as COVID-19 that was declared a pandemic last week by the World Health Organization. Austin Public Health officials did not specify the ages and gender of the two new patients, nor did they provide specifics related to their travel.

In a separate notice, city officials said they would no longer make individual announcements on new cases as they emerge. Instead, health officials said, they will post updated COVID-19 numbers on a city website by 7 p.m. each day. The new disclosure protocol took effect on Sunday, officials added. True to form, another case was added sometime on Sunday evening — bringing the total number of local cases to six.

Don't miss the latest coronavirus updates from health and government officials in the Austin area. Sign up for Patch news alerts and newsletters for what you need to know daily.

The first two confirmed cases of COVID-19 were revealed on Friday after a man in his 60s and a woman in her 30s tested positive for the virus. Hours after the early morning announcement of the two cases, University of Texas at Austin President Gregory L. Fenves revealed his wife also had contracted the ailment. Fenves noted another family member who works at the university also may have contracted the disease.

Health officials noted all five cases detected thus far are not believed to have been caused by community spread. In disclosing news of the new cases, Austin Public Health said they would continually provide updates as developments warrant. To view the case count for Texas, visit Texas DSHS.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a respiratory illness that is spreading from person to person in parts of the U.S., health officials explained. Officials added the risk of infection with COVID-19 is higher for people who are close contacts of someone known to have COVID-19 —health care workers, for example — and those who live in or have recently been in an area with an ongoing spread of COVID-19.

The virus spreads mainly between people who are in close contact with one another (within about six feet) through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes, officials noted. It also may be possible that a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes, but this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads, according to Austin Public Health.

Austin Public Health Response

Austin Public Health is closely monitoring the rapidly evolving situation in coordination with the Texas Department of State Health Services, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and local and regional public health and healthcare agencies. APH has developed a five-phase plan to coordinate COVID-19 response activities. We are currently in Phase 3:

  • Phase 1: Persons Under Monitoring
  • Phase 2: Persons Under Investigation (Testing in Progress)
  • Phase 3: Confirmed Case(s) (No Person-to-Person spread)
  • Phase 4: Limited Person-to-Person Spread (Close/Household Contacts)
  • Phase 5: Sustained Person-to-Person Spread in the Community

In response to the illness threat, Austin Public Health has activated its Department Operations Center to allow for enhanced response coordination, provided symptom monitoring for residents returning to Austin/Travis County from China, and provided prevention messaging to health care professionals, businesses, schools, and the general public. Additionally, the Austin-Travis County Emergency Operations Center (ATCEOC) has been partially activated. Under the partial activation, the ATCEOC has established a planning team and Joint Information System (JIS) that meets daily to discuss any changes and impacts of COVID-19.

Expert Advisory Panel

An Expert Advisory Panel has been formed consisting of more than a dozen physicians from around the community. They include experts in infectious diseases, pediatrics, emergency medicine and internal medicine, as well as physicians from higher education and public schools. The panel is working on recommendations and guidance regarding mitigation and prevention strategies for mass gatherings.

Control Orders and Emergency Rules

A number of control orders and emergency rules have been introduced mandating specified actions aimed at slowing the spread and reducing the impact of COVID-19:

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