Austin Public Health releases new COVID-19 risk-based guidelines

Austin Public Health has released new guidelines to align with the CDC’s recently announced "Community Levels." According to these new risk-based guidelines, Austin-Travis County falls in the "low" level.

AUSTIN, Texas - Austin Public Health has released new guidelines to align with the CDC’s recently announced "Community Levels." According to these new risk-based guidelines, Austin-Travis County currently falls in the "low" level.

A new COVID-19 risk based guideline chart announced by Austin Public Health ranges from three levels: low, medium, and high. Each community level has recommendations for people up to date with their vaccines and for people at risk when gathering, dining, and shopping.

According to APH, recommendations for people who are up-to-date with their COVID-19 vaccines are as follows:

Low: Precautions optional when gathering, dining, and shopping.
Medium: Precautions optional when gathering, dining, and shopping. Mask when social distancing is not possible.
High: Use precautions when gathering, dining, and shopping.

For those at risk:

Low: Precautions optional when gathering, dining, and shopping.
Medium: Use precautions when gathering, dining, and shopping.
High: Use precautions when gathering, dining, and shopping.

Precautions include wearing a well-fitting mask, washing hands, and practicing social distancing.

This new chart will replace Austin Public Health's original 5 stage guideline chart that was used for a majority of the pandemic.

"Low [COVID-19 Community Level] would be equated to our stage two, Medium COVID-19 Community Level would equate to our stage three, and High COVID-19 Community Level equates to our stage five," said Dr. Desmar Walkes with APH.

Dr. Walkes says community levels are dependent on several indicators such as new COVID-19 hospital admissions per 100,000 and the percent of staffed inpatient beds occupied by a COVID-19 patient during a 7-day period.

"We're in a lower stage, but we still need to be mindful of what has worked in the past to keep our case numbers down: social distancing handwashing, cleaning of surfaces that are regularly touched, and masking especially with individuals we don't live with," said Dr. Walkes.

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