Austin-Travis County Health Authority today announced that Austin and Travis County are moving into Stage 3 of the Risk-Based Guidelines. This news, less than two weeks after our move to Stage 4, comes as hospitalization numbers continue to improve across the Travis County area.
The decision to move to Stage 3 of the Risk-Based Guidelines is informed by officials monitoring several key indicators collected during the Delta variant surge, roughly between July and September, and include the seven-day moving average of new hospital admissions, the positivity rate, the “doubling time of new cases”, and the number of ICU and ventilator patients. It is important to note that the data continues to show that almost all cases, hospitalizations, and deaths occur among those who are not fully vaccinated.
As it relates to business operations in Austin, Stage 3 recommendations include the following:
- Fully vaccinated individuals can participate in outdoor private gatherings and dine and shop without masking if allowed by the business. They can also participate in indoor private gatherings and travel with masking. Fully vaccinated high risk individuals should wear a mask when dining indoors.
- Partially vaccinated or unvaccinated individuals, can participate in indoor and outdoor private gatherings, dine, shop, and travel with masking. High risk individuals should avoid these activities if they are non-essential.
As a reminder, these Risk-Based Guidelines describe five distinct stages of risk for Austin and Travis County and DO NOT signal changes to local rules or regulations for businesses. As always, these are “guidelines and recommendations for individual actions and behaviors based on levels of risk of exposure in the community.” APH is sure to remind the public that “everyone should continue to follow any additional requirements put in place by local businesses, venues, and schools regardless of their vaccination status or stage.”
The City is still maintaining www.ATXrecovers.com For additional business guidance and recommendations to help prioritize the well-being of employees and customers.