COVID-19 Risk-Based Guidelines Updated to Factor in Vaccination – AustinTexas.gov

Austin, Texas Austin Public Health (APH) updatedthe COVID-19 Risk-Based Guidelinestoday, May 4, to clarify personal behavior recommendations for those who are fully vaccinated versus those who are partially or not vaccinated.

Individuals who are vaccinated may:

Individuals who are partially or not vaccinated may:

Regardless of vaccination status or stage, individuals need to continue to follow the additional requirements of local businesses, venues and schools, as theHealth Authority Rulesremain in place through May 18.

We want people to getvaccinated, said Dr. Mark Escott, Interim Austin-Travis County Health Authority. Now andcertainly in the future asthe vaccination rate improves,there will be improved freedom associated withvaccination. In other words, the need to continue masking and the other necessary precautionswill continue to decrease for those who are vaccinated.

Additionally, the threshold to enter Stage 2 has been updated to 5-14 new hospital admissions on the 7-day moving average. The threshold to enter Stage 1 has also been updated to less than 5 new hospital admissions on the 7-day moving average or 70%-90% herd immunity is achieved through vaccination.

While APH monitors the 7-day moving average of COVID-19 new hospital admissions as the primary key indicator for the Risk-Based Guidelines, additional key indicators, including positivity rate, the doubling time of new cases and current ICU and ventilator patients, are monitored to determine the current staging.

As a result of both declining length of hospital stays and declining mortality rates, we feel comfortable reassessing the transition of stages, added Dr. Escott. We expect that there isgoing to be a long tail interms of achieving vaccine herdimmunity or completely getting COVID-19 out of our community. So, we expect that we may seea slow decliningplateau of cases, and as thevaccination rate improves inthe community, and we hit70% to 90% vaccinated we could lookat transitioning to Stage 1 safely.

Austin-Travis County remains in Stage 3 of the Risk-Based Guidelines, with acurrent 7-day moving average of new hospital admissions of 17.

For additional COVID-19 information and updates, visitwww.AustinTexas.gov/COVID19.

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COVID-19 Risk-Based Guidelines Updated to Factor in Vaccination - AustinTexas.gov