Coronavirus: Travis County Illness Count Exceeds 500

AUSTIN, TX — Austin Public Health officials on Monday said the number of positive cases of coronavirus exceeded 500, an increase of 18 from Sunday.

To date, there have been six fatalities in Travis County. In neighboring Williamson County, the illness count grew to 81 over the weekend. Health officials there also reported a third death for the county, a woman in her 60s, over the weekend.

The upgraded illness counts come amid bolstered efforts to protect the populace from the growing spread of illness. On Sunday, Austin officials urged the use of protective fabric face coverings to help blunt the spread of illness. The next day, on Monday, Williamson County officials followed suit in urging residents to start wearing protective face coverings.

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The suggestion is a departure from earlier Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines limiting the use of protective face masks to those already afflicted with the COVID-19 virus.

But growing evidence of community spread of illness — as opposed to the virus being spread by people returning from foreign travel — helped spur the bolstered call for face coverings. For those making protective face coverings at home, cotton with a high thread count is the preferred fabric.

Related stories:

• 1st Coronavirus Death Reported In Williamson County
• Coronavirus: 2nd Death Reported In Williamson County
• Coronavirus: Austin Officials Offer Face Coverings Guidance
• Coronavirus: WilCo Urges Residents To Wear Face Cover Coverings

Despite the new advice, residents are still dissuaded from securing medical-grade protective masks to ensure a healthy supply for medical workers.