Well, we had a good run.
For the first time since May, Austin-Travis County has returned to Stage 3 of its COVID-19 Risk-Based Guidelines. Austin Public Health reports that confirmed COVID cases have doubled over the past week and new hospital admissions have neared 20 on the 7-day moving average – well past the threshold of 15 required to move into Stage 3.
What does Stage 3 mean? For fully vaccinated residents, APH doesn’t recommend any behavioral changes. Not so for partially vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals:
• Fully vaccinated individuals can participate in indoor and outdoor private gatherings and dine and shop without masking if allowed by the business. They can also travel with masking.
• Partially vaccinated or unvaccinated individuals, who are low-risk, can participate in indoor and outdoor private gatherings, dine, shop, and travel with masking.
• Partially vaccinated or unvaccinated individuals, who are high-risk, should avoid non-essential indoor and outdoor private gatherings, dining, shopping, and travel.
At a Thursday morning press conference, APH officials stressed the seriousness of the rising case numbers and how effective the vaccine is in prevention, including the highly transmissible Delta variant. There are now four confirmed cases of the Delta variant in Travis County.
“While the Delta variant has likely been circulating in our area for a while, we now have confirmation through sequencing that it is here,” said Dr. Desmar Walkes, Austin-Travis County Health Authority. “We know that the COVID-19 vaccine is safe and continues to be effective against the virus and its variants. It is now more important than ever to get vaccinated – do not gamble your health and that of your family and your community.”
The upgrade to Stage 3 was enough for Waterloo Records to announce the store would again require masks for customers and employees. Waterloo spokesperson Cory Reinisch explained in an afternoon press release, “Unfortunately, with Covid infections rising in Austin – instances of the fully vaccinated becoming infected, the prevalence of the delta variant, and with Austin now in stage 3 on a collision course with stage 4 restrictions – Waterloo Records is reluctantly going back to requiring masks at all times for staff and customer safety.”
There are a number of pop-up COVID-19 vaccination clinics happening all around the Travis County this week. These clinics are available to all eligible individuals without registration or appointments, and are free of charge. Find out more at austintexas.gov/covid19.
Thursday, July 15
Southeast Library (APH)
• Time: 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.
• Address: 5803 Nuckols Crossing Rd, Austin, TX 78744
• Vaccine: Moderna (18+ years only)
Little Walnut Creek Library (APH)
• Time: 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.
• Address: 835 W Rundberg Ln, Austin, TX 78758
• Vaccine: Moderna (18+ years only)
Lamar Middle School (AISD, UTHealth)
• Time: 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
• Address: 6201 Wynona Ave, Austin, TX 78757
• Vaccine: Pfizer (12 years and up)
Elgin High School (APH)
• Time: 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
• Address: 14000 County Line Road, Elgin, TX 78621
• Vaccine: Moderna (18+ years only), Pfizer (12 years and up)
LBJ Early College High School (APH)
• Time: 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
• Address: 7309 Lazy Creek Dr, Austin, TX 78724
• Vaccine: Pfizer (12 years and up)
JD’s Supermarket (Travis County)
• Time: 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
• Address: 8807 Cameron Rd. Austin, TX 78754
• Vaccine: Pfizer (12 years and up), Johnson and Johnson (18+ years only)
JD’s Supermarket (Travis County)
• Time: 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
• Address: 6506 Decker Ln. Austin, TX 78724
• Vaccine: Pfizer (12 years and up), Johnson and Johnson (18+ years only)
JD’s Supermarket (Travis County)
• Time: 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
• Address: 9111 FM 812 Austin, TX 78719
• Vaccine: Pfizer (12 years and up), Johnson and Johnson (18+ years only)
JD’s Supermarket (Travis County)
• Time: 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
• Address: 6759 FM 535 Cedar Creek, TX 78612
• Vaccine: Pfizer (12 years and up), Johnson and Johnson (18+ years only)
Virginia Brown Recreation Center (APH)
• Time: 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
• Address: 7500 Blessing Ave, Austin, TX 78752
• Vaccine: Pfizer (12 years and up)
Turner Roberts Recreation Center (APH)
• Time: 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
• Address: 7201 Colony Loop, Austin, TX 78724
• Vaccine: Pfizer (12 years and up)
Friday, July 16
Southeast Library (APH)
• Time: 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.
• Address: 5803 Nuckols Crossing Rd, Austin, TX 78744
• Vaccine: Moderna (18+ years only)
Little Walnut Creek Library (APH)
• Time: 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.
• Address: 835 W Rundberg Ln, Austin, TX 78758
• Vaccine: Moderna (18+ years only)
El Rancho Supermercado – Research (Travis County)
• Time: 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
• Address: 8752 Research Blvd. Austin, TX 78757
• Vaccine: Pfizer (12 years and up), Johnson and Johnson (18+ years only)
El Rancho Supermercado – Berkman (Travis County)
• Time: 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
• Address: 6800 Berkman Dr. Austin, TX 78723
• Vaccine: Pfizer (12 years and up), Johnson and Johnson (18+ years only)
Saturday, July 17
Travis County Expo (Travis County)
• Time: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Address: 7311 Decker Ln. Austin, TX 78724
• Vaccine: Pfizer (12 years and up), Johnson and Johnson (18+ years only)
Del Valle High School – Opportunity Center (Travis County/APH)
• Time: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Address: 5301 B Ross Rd. Del Valle, TX 78617
• Vaccine: Pfizer (12 years and up)
Daily Middle School (Travis County)
• Time: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Address: 14000 Westall St. Austin, TX 78725
• Vaccine: Pfizer (12 years and up)
Rising Star MBC (APH)
• Time: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• Address: 1710 E 20th St, Austin, TX 78722
• Vaccine: Moderna (18+ years only)
La Moreliana Market (Travis County)
• Time: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• Address: 5405 S. Pleasant Valley Rd. Austin, TX 78744
• Vaccine: Pfizer (12 years and up)
San Francisco Javier Church (APH)
• Time: 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
• Address: 9110 US-183, Austin, TX 78747
• Vaccine: Johnson and Johnson (18+ years only), Moderna (18+ years only)
Mendez Middle School (Travis County)
• Time: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Address: 5106 Village Square Dr. Austin, TX 78744
• Vaccine: Pfizer (12 years and up)
Clinica Hispana – Oltorf (Travis County)
• Time: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• Address: 2121 E. Oltorf St. Austin, TX 78741
• Vaccine: Pfizer (12 years and up)
Clinica Hispana – Stassney (Travis County)
• Time: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• Address: 5510 S. I-35 Austin, TX 78745
• Vaccine: Pfizer (12 years and up)
Virginia Brown Recreation Center (APH)
• Time: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Address: 7500 Blessing Ave, Austin, TX 78752
• Vaccine: Pfizer (12 years and up)
Turner Roberts Recreation Center (APH)
• Time: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Address: 7201 Colony Loop, Austin, TX 78724
• Vaccine: Pfizer (12 years and up)
Little Walnut Creek Library (APH)
• Time: 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.
• Address: 835 W Rundberg Ln, Austin, TX 78758
• Vaccine: Moderna (18+ years only)
Woodview Mobile Home (APH)
• Time: 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
• Address: 1314 W Oltorf, Austin, TX 78704
• Vaccine: Pfizer (12 years and up), Moderna/Johnson and Johnson (18+ years only)
Sunday, July 18
Travis County Expo (Travis County)
• Time: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Address: 7311 Decker Ln. Austin, TX 78724
• Vaccine: Pfizer (12 years and up), Johnson and Johnson (18+ years only)