Coronavirus: Triple Digit Illness Spikes in Austin Spark Concern

AUSTIN, TX — The number of cases of the coronavirus grew by 133 in Travis County on Wednesday, bringing the total count to 4,109. The number of fatalities remained the same from the previous day, remaining at 99 after a new death reported on Tuesday.

While Austin Public Health officials note on a statistical dashboard the number of recoveries has reached 3,248, the triple-digit growth in respiratory illness has sparked concern. As a result, health officials have scheduled a briefing on Thursday in light of the recent spikes.

"Over the past few days, the number of new COVID-19 cases reported per day in Austin-Travis County has jumped into the triple digits," health officials wrote in an emailed invitation for Patch to participate in the press briefing. "As more businesses reopen, Austin-Travis County leaders want to remind the public to continue to be vigilant and practice proper hygiene to prevent the disease from spreading."

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Members of the public are able to view the briefing via livestream. Scheduled to be in attendance are Mayor Steve Adler; Sarah Eckhardt, the former Travis County judge who is now special assistant to Travis County Judge Sam Biscoe; and Dr. Mark Escott, the interim Austin-Travis County Health Authority.

Related story: Coronavirus: Texas Hospitalization Rates Reach Record Highs

The briefing is schedule at 9 a.m. on Thursday (June 11). Given a 10 a.m. Austin City Council meeting the same day, the abbreviated briefing is set to end by 9:45 a.m., officials said. Here are the ways to access the video feed:

• LiveU signal
• Livestream feed ATXN 1
• Livestream feed ATXN3 (Spanish simulcast)
• Facebook Live: www.facebook.com/austintexasgov

Note: The news conference will not be streamed on ATXN 2

The triple-digit increase in new cases comes one day after 161 additional cases were reported on Tuesday — the highest level on record, supplanting a record achieved the previous day — as the illness count grew to 3,976. On Monday, the 118 new cases reported had represented the biggest increase to date.

Such increases prompted Austin Steve Adler to hop in his car as he drove to a testing site in encouraging others to have themselves screened for illness. "It's important that anyone in our community feeling symptoms, or has been recently exposed to a positive case or in a large crowd, like protests, get tested," Adler wrote on Twitter as he approached a drive-through testing site.

The scourge of illness continues to impact the Hispanic population at disproportionate rates. According to the statistics-laden dashboard, Hispanics represent 59 percent of all cases despite comprising 34 percent of the population per the U.S. Census Bureau. Such disproportionate impact prompted Travis County officials and Gov. Greg Abbott to expand testing sites in recent days.

Growing rates of illness come as Gov. Greg Abbott directs further expansion of the state economy, including allowing restaurants to operate at near full capacity this week. Citing advice from "doctors and data," Abbott first started to reopen the state economy on May 1 by allowing operators of restaurants, malls and movie theaters to reopen at limited occupancy levels. In subsequent phases of economic re-ignition, he allowed myriad more businesses — from bars and bowling alleys to tanning salons and water parks — to also open their doors to business again.

At the height of the pandemic, Abbott also declared worship services and construction activities as "essential services," making them all but immune to safety protocol meant to help blunt the spread of illness. He also made the wearing of protective face coverings as optional, warning local officials not to implement punitive measures on those choosing not to wear masks given his superseding executive order.

Resulting spikes in illness have made Texas something of a cautionary tale against premature economic expansion. In adherence to physical distancing guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease and Prevention, an untold number of businesses have closed their doors until the spread of illness subsides. The governor-led reopening that began May 1 is now being viewed by many as having occurred too early.

In New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo has taken to using Texas as an example of what could happen by jump-starting an economy too early as he prepares to reignite commerce there amid flattening illness curves. Media outlets such as Newsweek and CNN have reported on the Texas spikes as they assess the reckoning of early reopening.

Meanwhile, some residents in Austin seem to sense a second wave of illness is imminent as illustrated by empty shelves at some stores devoid of antiseptic gel and other provisions. Retailers were beset by such shortages in the initial onset of illness, prompting some businesses to limit the number of items each customer could buy to dissuade hoarding.

The Hancock Center HEB store had emptied of disinfectant wipes on Wednesday afternoon amid spikes in coronavirus illness. Photo by Tony Cantú/Patch staff.

The photo above shows what the household cleaner aisle at the Hancock Center HEB store, 1000 E 41st St., looked like late Wednesday afternoon. And, in a literal sign of the times, it appears purchase limits are back on.