Austin health authority warns hospitals could be overwhelmed around holidays
AUSTIN, Texas - Interim health authority Dr. Mark Escott is concerned about the COVID-19 hospital numbers he is seeing, prompting thoughts of further restrictions.
“Overall a significant jump in the individuals hospitalized last week as compared to the previous week 202 to 278. This is the Thanksgiving effect. We are close to the stage where if we had the ability to do a lockdown we would start those discussions,” said Escott.
He warned that hospitals could be overrun in just a few weeks from now if the trend continues.
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“We are moving in the wrong direction. I really don't know how to make the message any more clear. What we are doing now as a community is not working. We thought Thanksgiving was bad. This is going to be a memorable Christmas for folks for the wrong reasons. We are going to see unprecedented levels of cases and deaths between now and the end of January if we do not take action now,” said Escott.
The seven-day moving average of hospitalizations sits at 47. Austin is currently in stage four of risk-based guidelines. To move to stage five, we would need to hit 50 and stay at that average for a few days.
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“People aren't sensing right now that things are bad and hospitals are overwhelmed because they are not. What we are talking about is two or three weeks from now,” said Escott.
Escott warned of Austin becoming another El Paso if people do not listen to the warnings. “A surge like El Paso would mean another 1,500 Travis County residents dead in the next 60 days,” said Escott.
He talked about the issues El Paso is facing dealing with those who pass away. “We are talking about people sitting in refrigerated trucks because the deaths happened so quickly. We are not immune from that,” he said.
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Commissioner Gerald Daugherty even offered to contact media outlets to get the word out.
“I do not think the majority of people in this community understand how dire this thing may get in the next 30 days where you just needn't come to the hospital because we cannot put you in the hospital and you just have to go home and you hopefully weather it and keep from dying,” said Daugherty.
Under stage five guidelines, officials could recommend a curfew, urge essential only travel and more.