Number of Texans in hospital for COVID rises to 5,523, the most since mid-October

Heather Osbourne and Roberto Villalpando, Austin American-Statesman

January 3, 2022 at 2:13 PM

Dec. 30, 2021

Texas: Health officials on Thursday recorded 5,523 people in the hospital for COVID-19 statewide, the most since Oct. 15, when the total was 5,606.

The summer surge peaked at 13,932 patients on Aug. 26. The pandemic high was in January, when 14,218 Texans were hospitalized.

The Texas Department of State Health Services reported 486 available staffed ICU beds for adult patients, up from the pandemic low of 270 on Sept. 9. Although the state only had 104 staffed pediatric ICU beds, that is still more than the pandemic low of 64 beds reported on Aug. 4.

DSHS' 11-county Central Texas trauma service region that includes the Austin metro area has been seeing a shortage in available staffed ICU beds, with 30 adult beds and 10 pediatric beds available. The region hit a pandemic low of zero adult ICU beds on Sept. 5, and zero pediatric ICU beds on Sept. 4.

Statewide, the Texas Department of State Health Services reported:

• 10,892 new COVID-19 cases.

• 90 new deaths.

• On Nov. 4, state officials began including children ages 5 to 11 in their vaccination reports. As of Thursday, 71.67% of Texans 5 and older have received at least one dose of vaccine. About 61.03% of Texans 5 and older are fully vaccinated.

Travis County: Based on coronavirus data and hospital trends for COVID-19 released Thursday, health officials kept the community threat level at Stage 4 of Austin Public Health's risk-based guidelines.

But the rolling seven-day average of new daily hospital admissions, which helps Austin Public Health determine guidelines for the most medically vulnerable members of the community, was 45 — an increase from 43 a day earlier.

The county's highest average for new daily hospital admissions during the summer surge was 84 on Aug. 11, when the community was in Stage 5, the highest threat level.

The average stayed below 50 for several days near the end of September so Austin Public Health on Sept. 28 moved the region to Stage 4 of its pandemic guidelines, indicating less danger of community spread.

The average then needed to stay below 30 for an extended period before Austin Public Health considered downgrading the threat level to Stage 3 of its guidelines. But health officials made the shift to Stage 3 on Oct. 12.

Although Austin and Travis County's seven-day average for new daily hospital admissions had stayed below 14 — Stage 2 territory — for more than a week, the area remained in Stage 3 through December because health leaders began using another key indicator to better determine the risk-based guidelines: the community transmission rate.

Dr. Desmar Walkes, Austin-Travis County health authority, has said that the transmission rate appeared to be more accurate in determining the threat level than the daily hospital average when it came to the delta variant.

The community transmission rate, which tracks new cases per 100,000 people over seven days, was 452 on Thursday. Stage 3 territory is when the rate is between 10 and 49.

Austin Public Health was tracking 243 people in the hospital with COVID-19, compared to the pandemic record high of 653 patients tallied on Aug. 25.

Only 54 people were in Austin-area ICUs for COVID-19. That number hit a pandemic record high of 237 on Aug. 22. The 23 patients on ventilators remained a significant improvement over the pandemic record high of 174 set on Aug. 29.

Austin Public Health and Travis County health officials reported:

• 4,269 active COVID-19 cases.

• 1,218 total deaths from COVID-19 over the course of the pandemic.

• 868 new cases

• The positivity rate for COVID-19 tests is 18.3%.

According to state data, Travis County vaccination rates continue to improve. As of Thursday, 80.75% of Travis County residents 5 and older have received at least one dose of vaccine. About 69.94% of county residents 5 and older are fully vaccinated.

Dec. 29, 2021

Texas: Health officials on Wednesday recorded 4,917 people in the hospital for COVID-19 statewide, the most since Oct. 19, when the total was 4,953.

The summer peak of 13,932 patients was reached on Aug. 26. The pandemic high was 14,218 Texans hospitalized in January.

The Texas Department of State Health Services reported 475 available staffed ICU beds for adult patients, up from the pandemic low of 270 on Sept. 9. Although the state only had 119 staffed pediatric ICU beds, that is still more than the pandemic low of 64 beds reported on Aug. 4.

DSHS' 11-county Central Texas trauma service region that includes the Austin metro area has been seeing a shortage in available staffed ICU beds, with 26 adult beds and 10 pediatric beds available. The region hit a pandemic low of zero adult ICU beds on Sept. 5, and zero pediatric ICU beds on Sept. 4.

Statewide, the Texas Department of State Health Services reported:

• 11,928 new COVID-19 cases.

• 71 new deaths.

• On Nov. 4, state officials began including children ages 5 to 11 in their vaccination reports. As of Wednesday, 71.53% of Texans 5 and older have received at least one dose of vaccine. About 60.95% of Texans 5 and older are fully vaccinated.

Travis County: Based on coronavirus data and hospital trends for COVID-19 released Wednesday, health officials moved the community threat level to Stage 4 of Austin Public Health's risk-based guidelines.

The county's highest average for new daily hospital admissions during the summer surge was 84 on Aug. 11, when the community was in Stage 5, the highest threat level.

The community transmission rate, which tracks new cases per 100,000 people over seven days, was 405 on Wednesday. Stage 3 territory is when the rate is between 10 and 49.

Austin Public Health was tracking 232 people in the hospital with COVID-19, compared to the pandemic record high of 653 patients tallied on Aug. 25.

Only 62 people were in Austin-area ICUs for COVID-19. That number hit a pandemic record high of 237 on Aug. 22. The 25 patients on ventilators remained a significant improvement over the pandemic record high of 174 set on Aug. 29.

Austin Public Health and Travis County health officials reported:

• 3,788 active COVID-19 cases.

• 1,218 total deaths from COVID-19 over the course of the pandemic.

• 1,084 new cases

• The positivity rate for COVID-19 tests is 15.7%.

According to state data, Travis County vaccination rates continue to improve. As of Wednesday, 80.64% of Travis County residents 5 and older have received at least one dose of vaccine. About 69.87% of county residents 5 and older are fully vaccinated.

Dec. 28, 2021

Texas: Health officials on Tuesday recorded 4,431 people in the hospital for COVID-19 statewide, the most since Oct. 23, when the total was 4,382.

The summer peak of 13,932 patients was reached on Aug. 26. The pandemic high was 14,218 Texans hospitalized in January.

The Texas Department of State Health Services reported 584 available staffed ICU beds for adult patients, up from the pandemic low of 270 on Sept. 9. Although the state only had 129 staffed pediatric ICU beds, that is still more than the pandemic low of 64 beds reported on Aug. 4.

DSHS' 11-county Central Texas trauma service region that includes the Austin metro area has been seeing a shortage in available staffed ICU beds, with 34 adult beds and 10 pediatric beds available. The region hit a pandemic low of zero adult ICU beds on Sept. 5, and zero pediatric ICU beds on Sept. 4.

Statewide, the Texas Department of State Health Services reported:

• 10,880 new COVID-19 cases.

• 68 new deaths.

• On Nov. 4, state officials began including children ages 5 to 11 in their vaccination reports. As of Tuesday, 71.41% of Texans 5 and older have received at least one dose of vaccine. About 60.88% of Texans 5 and older are fully vaccinated.

Travis County: Based on coronavirus data and hospital trends for COVID-19 released Tuesday, health officials are keeping the community threat level at Stage 3 for Austin Public Health's risk-based guidelines for now.

The county's highest average for new daily hospital admissions during the summer surge was 84 on Aug. 11, when the community was in Stage 5, the highest threat level.

Although Austin and Travis County's seven-day average for new daily hospital admissions has stayed below 14 — Stage 2 territory — for more than a week, the area is still in Stage 3 because health leaders are using another key indicator to better determine the risk-based guidelines: the community transmission rate.

The community transmission rate, which tracks new cases per 100,000 people over seven days, was 167.4 on Tuesday. Stage 3 territory is when the rate is between 10 and 49.

Austin Public Health was tracking 203 people in the hospital with COVID-19, compared to the pandemic record high of 653 patients tallied on Aug. 25.

Only 58 people were in Austin-area ICUs for COVID-19. That number hit a pandemic record high of 237 on Aug. 22. The 25 patients on ventilators remained a significant improvement over the pandemic record high of 174 set on Aug. 29.

Austin Public Health and Travis County health officials reported:

• 3,084 active COVID-19 cases.

• 1,216 total deaths from COVID-19 over the course of the pandemic.

• 865 new cases

• The positivity rate for COVID-19 tests is 15%.

According to state data, Travis County vaccination rates continue to improve. As of Tuesday, 80.53% of Travis County residents 5 and older have received at least one dose of vaccine. About 69.81% of county residents 5 and older are fully vaccinated.

Dec. 27, 2021

Texas: Health officials on Monday recorded 3,965 people in the hospital for COVID-19 statewide.

The summer peak of 13,932 patients was reached on Aug. 26. The pandemic high was 14,218 Texans hospitalized in January.

The Texas Department of State Health Services reported 642 available staffed ICU beds for adult patients, up from the pandemic low of 270 on Sept. 9. Although the state only had 129 staffed pediatric ICU beds, that is still more than the pandemic low of 64 beds reported on Aug. 4.

DSHS' 11-county Central Texas trauma service region that includes the Austin metro area has been seeing a shortage in available staffed ICU beds, with 47 adult beds and 10 pediatric beds available. The region hit a pandemic low of zero adult ICU beds on Sept. 5, and zero pediatric ICU beds on Sept. 4.

Statewide, the Texas Department of State Health Services reported:

• 15,093 new COVID-19 cases.

• 43 new deaths.

• On Nov. 4, state officials began including children ages 5 to 11 in their vaccination reports. As of Monday, 71.33% of Texans 5 and older have received at least one dose of vaccine. About 60.82% of Texans 5 and older are fully vaccinated.

Travis County: Based on coronavirus data and hospital trends for COVID-19 released Monday, health officials are keeping the community threat level at Stage 3 for Austin Public Health's risk-based guidelines.

But the rolling seven-day average of new daily hospital admissions, which helps Austin Public Health determine guidelines for the most medically vulnerable members of the community, was 28.

The county's highest average for new daily hospital admissions during the summer surge was 84 on Aug. 11, when the community was in Stage 5, the highest threat level.

The community transmission rate, which tracks new cases per 100,000 people over seven days, was 173.5 on Monday. Stage 3 territory is when the rate is between 10 and 49.

Austin Public Health was tracking 176 people in the hospital with COVID-19, compared to the pandemic record high of 653 patients tallied on Aug. 25.

Only 51 people were in Austin-area ICUs for COVID-19. That number hit a pandemic record high of 237 on Aug. 22. The 23 patients on ventilators remained a significant improvement over the pandemic record high of 174 set on Aug. 29.

Austin Public Health and Travis County health officials reported:

• 2,503 active COVID-19 cases.

• 1,214 total deaths from COVID-19 over the course of the pandemic.

• 469 new cases

• The positivity rate for COVID-19 tests is 8.9%.

According to state data, Travis County vaccination rates also continue to improve. As of Monday, 80.49% of Travis County residents 5 and older have received at least one dose of vaccine. About 69.78% of county residents 5 and older are fully vaccinated.

Dec. 22, 2021

Texas: Health officials on Wednesday recorded 3,304 people in the hospital for COVID-19 statewide.

The summer peak of 13,932 patients was reached on Aug. 26. The pandemic high was 14,218 Texans hospitalized in January.

The Texas Department of State Health Services reported 625 available staffed ICU beds for adult patients, up from the pandemic low of 270 on Sept. 9. Although the state only had 96 staffed pediatric ICU beds, that is still more than the pandemic low of 64 beds reported on Aug. 4.

DSHS' 11-county Central Texas trauma service region that includes the Austin metro area has been seeing a shortage in available staffed ICU beds, with 54 adult beds and 10 pediatric beds available. The region hit a pandemic low of zero adult ICU beds on Sept. 5, and zero pediatric ICU beds on Sept. 4.

Statewide, the Texas Department of State Health Services reported:

• 8,796 new COVID-19 cases.

• 85 new deaths.

• On Nov. 4, state officials began including children ages 5 to 11 in their vaccination reports. As of Wednesday, 70.97% of Texans 5 and older have received at least one dose of vaccine. About 60.6% of Texans 5 and older are fully vaccinated.

Travis County: Based on coronavirus data and hospital trends for COVID-19 released Wednesday, health officials are keeping the community threat level at Stage 3 for Austin Public Health's risk-based guidelines.

The rolling seven-day average of new daily hospital admissions, which helps Austin Public Health determine guidelines for the most medically vulnerable members of the community, was 16.

The county's highest average for new daily hospital admissions during the summer surge was 84 on Aug. 11, when the community was in Stage 5, the highest threat level.

The community transmission rate, which tracks new cases per 100,000 people over seven days, was 173.5 on Wednesday. Stage 3 territory is when the rate is between 10 and 49.

Austin Public Health was tracking 109 people in the hospital with COVID-19, compared to the pandemic record high of 653 patients tallied on Aug. 25.

Only 36 people were in Austin-area ICUs for COVID-19. That number hit a pandemic record high of 237 on Aug. 22. The 16 patients on ventilators remained a significant improvement over the pandemic record high of 174 set on Aug. 29.

Austin Public Health and Travis County health officials reported:

• 2,764 active COVID-19 cases.

• 1,213 total deaths from COVID-19 over the course of the pandemic.

• 663 new cases

• The positivity rate for COVID-19 tests is 8.9%. Anything above 5% is considered too high and qualifies the area as a COVID-19 hot spot.

According to state data, Travis County vaccination rates also continue to improve. As of Wednesday, 80.13% of Travis County residents 5 and older have received at least one dose of vaccine. About 69.56% of county residents 5 and older are fully vaccinated.

Dec. 21, 2021

Texas: Health officials on Tuesday recorded 3,156 people in the hospital for COVID-19 statewide.

The summer peak of 13,932 patients was reached on Aug. 26. The pandemic high was 14,218 Texans hospitalized in January.

The Texas Department of State Health Services reported 705 available staffed ICU beds for adult patients, up from the pandemic low of 270 on Sept. 9. Although the state only had 107 staffed pediatric ICU beds, that is still more than the pandemic low of 64 beds reported on Aug. 4.

DSHS' 11-county Central Texas trauma service region that includes the Austin metro area has been seeing a shortage in available staffed ICU beds, with 43 adult beds and 10 pediatric beds available. The region hit a pandemic low of zero adult ICU beds on Sept. 5, and zero pediatric ICU beds on Sept. 4.

Statewide, the Texas Department of State Health Services reported:

• 8,082 new COVID-19 cases.

• 53 new deaths.

• On Nov. 4, state officials began including children ages 5 to 11 in their vaccination reports. As of Tuesday, 70.84% of Texans 5 and older have received at least one dose of vaccine. About 60.52% of Texans 5 and older are fully vaccinated.

Travis County: Coronavirus data and hospital trends for COVID-19 released Tuesday indicated that health officials would keep the community threat level at Stage 3 of Austin Public Health's risk-based guidelines.

The rolling seven-day average of new daily hospital admissions, which helps Austin Public Health determine guidelines for the most medically vulnerable members of the community, was 15.

The county's highest average for new daily admissions during this most recent surge was 84 on Aug. 11, when the community was in Stage 5, the highest threat level.

The community transmission rate, which tracks new cases per 100,000 people over seven days, was 132.7 on Tuesday. Stage 3 territory is when the rate is between 10 and 49.

Austin Public Health was tracking 104 people in the hospital with COVID-19, compared to the pandemic record high of 653 patients tallied on Aug. 25.

Only 34 people were in Austin-area ICUs for COVID-19. That number hit a pandemic record high of 237 on Aug. 22. The 18 patients on ventilators remained a significant improvement over the pandemic record high of 174 set on Aug. 29.

Austin Public Health and Travis County health officials reported:

• 2,211 active COVID-19 cases.

• 1,213 total deaths from COVID-19 over the course of the pandemic.

• 845 new cases

• The positivity rate for COVID-19 tests is 7.7%. Anything above 5% is considered too high and qualifies the area as a COVID-19 hot spot.

According to state data, Travis County vaccination rates also continue to improve. As of Tuesday, 79.96% of Travis County residents 5 and older have received at least one dose of vaccine. About 69.44% of county residents 5 and older are fully vaccinated.

Dec. 20, 2021

Texas: Health officials on Monday recorded 3,086 people in the hospital for COVID-19 statewide.

The summer peak of 13,932 patients was reached on Aug. 26. The pandemic high was 14,218 Texans hospitalized in January.

The Texas Department of State Health Services reported 635 available staffed ICU beds for adult patients, up from the pandemic low of 270 on Sept. 9. Although the state only had 121 staffed pediatric ICU beds, that is still more than the pandemic low of 64 beds reported on Aug. 4.

DSHS' 11-county Central Texas trauma service region that includes the Austin metro area has been seeing a shortage in available staffed ICU beds, with 50 adult beds and 10 pediatric beds available. The region hit a pandemic low of zero adult ICU beds on Sept. 5, and zero pediatric ICU beds on Sept. 4.

Statewide, the Texas Department of State Health Services reported:

• 8,989 new COVID-19 cases.

• 6 new deaths.

• On Nov. 4, state officials began including children ages 5 to 11 in their vaccination reports. As of Monday, 70.75% of Texans 5 and older have received at least one dose of vaccine. About 60.46% of Texans 5 and older are fully vaccinated.

Travis County: Coronavirus data and hospital trends for COVID-19 released Monday indicated that health officials would keep the community threat level at Stage 3.

The rolling seven-day average of new daily hospital admissions, which helps Austin Public Health determine guidelines for the most medically vulnerable members of the community, was 15.

The county's highest average for new daily admissions during this most recent surge was 84 on Aug. 11, when the community was in Stage 5, the highest threat level.

The community transmission rate, which tracks new cases per 100,000 people over seven days, was 113.6 on Monday. Stage 3 territory is when the rate is between 10 and 49.

Austin Public Health was tracking 103 people in the hospital with COVID-19, compared to the pandemic record high of 653 patients tallied on Aug. 25.

Only 36 people were in Austin-area ICUs for COVID-19. That number hit a pandemic record high of 237 on Aug. 22. The 18 patients on ventilators remained a significant improvement over the pandemic record high of 174 set on Aug. 29.

Austin Public Health and Travis County health officials reported:

• 1,505 active COVID-19 cases.

• 1,212 total deaths from COVID-19 over the course of the pandemic.

• 320 new cases

• The positivity rate for COVID-19 tests is 6.8%. Anything above 5% is considered too high and qualifies the area as a COVID-19 hot spot.

According to state data, Travis County vaccination rates also continue to improve. As of Monday, 79.92% of Travis County residents 5 and older have received at least one dose of vaccine. About 69.41% of county residents 5 and older are fully vaccinated.

Dec. 17, 2021

Texas: Health officials on Friday recorded 3,064 people in the hospital for COVID-19 statewide.

The summer peak of 13,932 was reached on Aug. 26. The pandemic high was 14,218 Texans hospitalized in January.

The Texas Department of State Health Services reported 582 available staffed ICU beds for adult patients, up from the pandemic low of 270 on Sept. 9. Although the state only had 99 staffed pediatric ICU beds, that is still more than the pandemic low of 64 beds reported on Aug. 4.

Statewide, the Texas Department of State Health Services reported:

• 5,011 new COVID-19 cases.

• 98 new deaths.

• On Nov. 4, state officials began including children ages 5 to 11 in their vaccination reports. As of Friday, 70.5% of Texans 5 and older have received at least one dose of vaccine. About 60.29% of Texans 5 and older are fully vaccinated.

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Travis County: Coronavirus data and hospital trends for COVID-19 released Friday indicated that health officials would keep the community threat level at Stage 3.

The rolling seven-day average of new daily hospital admissions, which helps Austin Public Health determine guidelines for the most medically vulnerable members of the community, was 17.

The county's highest average for new daily admissions during this most recent surge was 84 on Aug. 11, when the community was in Stage 5, the highest threat level.

The community transmission rate, which tracks new cases per 100,000 people over seven days, was 73 on Friday. Stage 3 territory is when the rate is between 10 and 49.

Austin Public Health was tracking 118 people in the hospital with COVID-19, compared to the pandemic record high of 653 patients tallied on Aug. 25.

Only 37 people were in Austin-area ICUs for COVID-19. That number hit a pandemic record high of 237 on Aug. 22. The 19 patients on ventilators remained a significant improvement over the pandemic record high of 174 set on Aug. 29.

Austin Public Health and Travis County health officials reported:

• 1552 active COVID-19 cases.

• 1,210 total deaths from COVID-19 over the course of the pandemic.

• 403 new cases

• The positivity rate for COVID-19 tests is 5.2%. Anything above 5% is considered too high and qualifies the area as a COVID-19 hot spot.

According to state data, Travis County vaccination rates also continue to improve. As of Friday, 79.7% of Travis County residents 5 and older have received at least one dose of vaccine. About 69.25% of county residents 5 and older are fully vaccinated.

Dec. 16, 2021

Texas: Health officials on Thursday recorded 3,134 people in the hospital for COVID-19 statewide.

The summer peak of 13,932 was reached on Aug. 26. The pandemic high was 14,218 Texans hospitalized in January.

The Texas Department of State Health Services reported 536 available staffed ICU beds for adult patients, up from the pandemic low of 270 on Sept. 9. Although the state only had 106 staffed pediatric ICU beds, that is still more than the pandemic low of 64 beds reported on Aug. 4.

DSHS' 11-county Central Texas trauma service region that includes the Austin metro area has been seeing a shortage in available staffed ICU beds, with 34 adult beds and 11 pediatric beds available. The region hit a pandemic low of zero adult ICU beds on Sept. 5, and zero pediatric ICU beds on Sept. 4.

Statewide, the Texas Department of State Health Services reported:

• 4,319 new COVID-19 cases.

• 90 new deaths.

Travis County: Coronavirus data and hospital trends for COVID-19 released Thursday indicated that health officials would keep the community threat level at Stage 3.

The rolling seven-day average of new daily hospital admissions, which helps Austin Public Health determine guidelines for the most medically vulnerable members of the community, was 18.

The county's highest average for new daily admissions during this most recent surge was 84 on Aug. 11, when the community was in Stage 5, the highest threat level.

The community transmission rate, which tracks new cases per 100,000 people over seven days, was 76.1 on Thursday. Stage 3 territory is when the rate is between 10 and 49.

Austin Public Health was tracking 116 people in the hospital with COVID-19, compared to the pandemic record high of 653 patients tallied on Aug. 25.

Only 39 people were in Austin-area ICUs for COVID-19. That number hit a pandemic record high of 237 on Aug. 22. The 18 patients on ventilators remained a significant improvement over the pandemic record high of 174 set on Aug. 29.

Austin Public Health and Travis County health officials reported:

• 1,299 active COVID-19 cases.

• 1,210 total deaths from COVID-19 over the course of the pandemic.

• 238 new cases

• The positivity rate for COVID-19 tests is 5%. Anything above 5% is considered too high and qualifies the area as a COVID-19 hot spot.

Dec. 15, 2021

Texas: Health officials on Wednesday recorded 3,182 people in the hospital for COVID-19 statewide.

The summer peak of 13,932 was reached on Aug. 26. The pandemic high was 14,218 Texans hospitalized in January.

The Texas Department of State Health Services reported 545 available staffed ICU beds for adult patients, up from the pandemic low of 270 on Sept. 9. Although the state only had 98 staffed pediatric ICU beds, that is still more than the pandemic low of 64 beds reported on Aug. 4.

DSHS' 11-county Central Texas trauma service region that includes the Austin metro area has been seeing a shortage in available staffed ICU beds, with 39 adult beds and 10 pediatric beds available. The region hit a pandemic low of zero adult ICU beds on Sept. 5, and zero pediatric ICU beds on Sept. 4.

Statewide, the Texas Department of State Health Services reported:

• 3,498 new COVID-19 cases.

• 91 new deaths.

• On Nov. 4, state officials began including children ages 5 to 11 in their vaccination reports. As of Wednesday, 70.3% of Texans 5 and older have received at least one dose of vaccine. About 60.13% of Texans 5 and older are fully vaccinated.

Travis County: Coronavirus data and hospital trends for COVID-19 released Wednesday indicated that health officials would keep the community threat level at Stage 3.

The rolling seven-day average of new daily hospital admissions, which helps Austin Public Health determine guidelines for the most medically vulnerable members of the community, was 18.

The county's highest average for new daily admissions during this most recent surge was 84 on Aug. 11, when the community was in Stage 5, the highest threat level.

The community transmission rate, which tracks new cases per 100,000 people over seven days, was 79.8 on Wednesday. Stage 3 territory is when the rate is between 10 and 49.

Austin Public Health was tracking 113 people in the hospital with COVID-19, compared to the pandemic record high of 653 patients tallied on Aug. 25.

Only 41 people were in Austin-area ICUs for COVID-19. That number hit a pandemic record high of 237 on Aug. 22. The 18 patients on ventilators remained a significant improvement over the pandemic record high of 174 set on Aug. 29.

Austin Public Health and Travis County health officials reported:

• 1,265 active COVID-19 cases.

• 1,208 total deaths from COVID-19 over the course of the pandemic.

• 147 new cases

• The positivity rate for COVID-19 tests is 5%. Anything above 5% is considered too high and qualifies the area as a COVID-19 hot spot.

According to state data, Travis County vaccination rates also continue to improve. As of Wednesday, 79.49% of Travis County residents 5 and older have received at least one dose of vaccine. About 69.07% of county residents 5 and older are fully vaccinated.

Dec. 14, 2021

Texas: Health officials on Tuesday recorded 3,204 people in the hospital for COVID-19 statewide.

The summer peak of 13,932 was reached on Aug. 26. The pandemic high was 14,218 Texans hospitalized in January.

The Texas Department of State Health Services reported 699 available staffed ICU beds for adult patients, up from the pandemic low of 270 on Sept. 9. Although the state only had 102 staffed pediatric ICU beds, that is still more than the pandemic low of 64 beds reported on Aug. 4.

DSHS' 11-county Central Texas trauma service region that includes the Austin metro area has been seeing a shortage in available staffed ICU beds, with 61 adult beds and 11 pediatric beds available. The region hit a pandemic low of zero adult ICU beds on Sept. 5, and zero pediatric ICU beds on Sept. 4.

Statewide, the Texas Department of State Health Services reported:

• 3,434 new COVID-19 cases.

• 68 new deaths.

• On Nov. 4, state officials began including children ages 5 to 11 in their vaccination reports. As of Tuesday, 70.21% of Texans 5 and older have received at least one dose of vaccine. About 60.53% of Texans 5 and older are fully vaccinated.

Travis County: Coronavirus data and hospital trends for COVID-19 released Tuesday indicated that health officials would keep the community threat level at Stage 3.

The rolling seven-day average of new daily hospital admissions, which helps Austin Public Health determine guidelines for the most medically vulnerable members of the community, was 17.

The county's highest average for new daily admissions during this most recent surge was 84 on Aug. 11, when the community was in Stage 5, the highest threat level.

The community transmission rate, which tracks new cases per 100,000 people over seven days, was 82.3 on Tuesday. Stage 3 territory is when the rate is between 10 and 49.

Austin Public Health was tracking 116 people in the hospital with COVID-19, compared to the pandemic record high of 653 patients tallied on Aug. 25.

Only 42 people were in Austin-area ICUs for COVID-19. That number hit a pandemic record high of 237 on Aug. 22. The 18 patients on ventilators remained a significant improvement over the pandemic record high of 174 set on Aug. 29.

Austin Public Health and Travis County health officials reported:

• 1,264 active COVID-19 cases.

• 1,207 total deaths from COVID-19 over the course of the pandemic.

• 342 new cases

• The positivity rate for COVID-19 tests is 4.9%. Anything above 5% is considered too high and qualifies the area as a COVID-19 hot spot.

According to state data, Travis County vaccination rates also continue to improve. As of Tuesday, 79.39% of Travis County residents 5 and older have received at least one dose of vaccine. About 69.79% of county residents 5 and older are fully vaccinated.

Dec. 13, 2021

Texas: Health officials on Monday recorded 3,110 people in the hospital for COVID-19 statewide.

The summer peak of 13,932 was reached on Aug. 26. The pandemic high was 14,218 Texans hospitalized in January.

The Texas Department of State Health Services reported 638 available staffed ICU beds for adult patients, up from the pandemic low of 270 on Sept. 9. Although the state only had 100 staffed pediatric ICU beds, that is still more than the pandemic low of 64 beds reported on Aug. 4.

DSHS' 11-county Central Texas trauma service region that includes the Austin metro area has been seeing a shortage in available staffed ICU beds, with 51 adult beds and 10 pediatric beds available. The region hit a pandemic low of zero adult ICU beds on Sept. 5, and zero pediatric ICU beds on Sept. 4.

Statewide, the Texas Department of State Health Services reported:

• 3,607 new COVID-19 cases.

• 9 new deaths.

• On Nov. 4, state officials began including children ages 5 to 11 in their vaccination reports. As of Monday, 70.12% of Texans 5 and older have received at least one dose of vaccine. About 60.43% of Texans 5 and older are fully vaccinated.

Travis County: Coronavirus data and hospital trends for COVID-19 released Monday indicated that health officials would keep the community threat level at Stage 3.

The rolling seven-day average of new daily hospital admissions, which helps Austin Public Health determine guidelines for the most medically vulnerable members of the community, was 17.

The county's highest average for new daily admissions during this most recent surge was 84 on Aug. 11, when the community was in Stage 5, the highest threat level.

The community transmission rate, which tracks new cases per 100,000 people over seven days, was 74.8 on Monday. Stage 3 territory is when the rate is between 10 and 49.

Austin Public Health was tracking 121 people in the hospital with COVID-19, compared to the pandemic record high of 653 patients tallied on Aug. 25.

Only 43 people were in Austin-area ICUs for COVID-19. That number hit a pandemic record high of 237 on Aug. 22. The 19 patients on ventilators remained a significant improvement over the pandemic record high of 174 set on Aug. 29.

Austin Public Health and Travis County health officials reported:

• 1,094 active COVID-19 cases.

• 1,207 total deaths from COVID-19 over the course of the pandemic.

• 149 new cases

• The positivity rate for COVID-19 tests is 4.8%. Anything above 5% is considered too high and qualifies the area as a COVID-19 hot spot.

According to state data, Travis County vaccination rates also continue to improve. As of Monday, 79.31% of Travis County residents 5 and older have received at least one dose of vaccine. About 69.66% of county residents 5 and older are fully vaccinated.

Dec. 10, 2021

Texas: Health officials on Friday recorded 3,114 people in the hospital for COVID-19 statewide, the most since early November.

The summer peak of 13,932 was reached on Aug. 26. The pandemic high was 14,218 Texans hospitalized in January.

The Texas Department of State Health Services reported 566 available staffed ICU beds for adult patients, up from the pandemic low of 270 on Sept. 9. Although the state only had 83 staffed pediatric ICU beds, that is still more than the pandemic low of 64 beds reported on Aug. 4.

DSHS' 11-county Central Texas trauma service region that includes the Austin metro area has been seeing a shortage in available staffed ICU beds, with 38 adult beds and 11 pediatric beds available. The region hit a pandemic low of zero adult ICU beds on Sept. 5, and zero pediatric ICU beds on Sept. 4.

Statewide, the Texas Department of State Health Services reported:

• 3,535 new COVID-19 cases.

• 110 new deaths.

• On Nov. 4, state officials began including children ages 5 to 11 in their vaccination reports. As of Friday, 69.87% of Texans 5 and older have received at least one dose of vaccine. About 60.15% of Texans 5 and older are fully vaccinated.

Travis County: Coronavirus data and hospital trends for COVID-19 released Friday indicated that health officials would keep the community threat level at Stage 3.

The rolling seven-day average of new daily hospital admissions, which helps Austin Public Health determine guidelines for the most medically vulnerable members of the community, was 15.

The county's highest average for new daily admissions during this most recent surge was 84 on Aug. 11, when the community was in Stage 5, the highest threat level.

The community transmission rate, which tracks new cases per 100,000 people over seven days, was 70 on Friday. Stage 3 territory is when the rate is between 10 and 49.

Austin Public Health was tracking 108 people in the hospital with COVID-19, compared to the pandemic record high of 653 patients tallied on Aug. 25.

Only 35 people were in Austin-area ICUs for COVID-19. That number hit a pandemic record high of 237 on Aug. 22. The 17 patients on ventilators remained a significant improvement over the pandemic record high of 174 set on Aug. 29.

Austin Public Health and Travis County health officials reported:

• 1,275 active COVID-19 cases.

• 1,206 total deaths from COVID-19 over the course of the pandemic.

• 139 new cases

• The positivity rate for COVID-19 tests is 4.9%. Anything above 5% is considered too high and qualifies the area as a COVID-19 hot spot.

According to state data, Travis County vaccination rates also continue to improve. As of Friday, 79.06% of Travis County residents 5 and older have received at least one dose of vaccine. About 69.27% of county residents 5 and older are fully vaccinated.

Dec. 9, 2021

Texas: Health officials on Thursday recorded 3,123 people in the hospital for COVID-19 statewide, the most since early November.

The summer peak of 13,932 was reached on Aug. 26. The pandemic high was 14,218 Texans hospitalized in January.

The Texas Department of State Health Services reported 561 available staffed ICU beds for adult patients, up from the pandemic low of 270 on Sept. 9. Although the state only had 105 staffed pediatric ICU beds, that is still much more than the pandemic low of 64 beds reported on Aug. 4.

DSHS' 11-county Central Texas trauma service region that includes the Austin metro area has been seeing a shortage in available staffed ICU beds, with 29 adult beds and 11 pediatric beds available. The region hit a pandemic low of zero adult ICU beds on Sept. 5, and zero pediatric ICU beds on Sept. 4.

Statewide, the Texas Department of State Health Services reported:

• 1,689 new COVID-19 cases.

• 80 new deaths.

• On Nov. 4, state officials began including children ages 5 to 11 in their vaccination reports. As of Thursday, 69.77% of Texans 5 and older have received at least one dose of vaccine. About 60.04% of Texans 5 and older are fully vaccinated.

Travis County: Coronavirus data and hospital trends for COVID-19 released Thursday indicated that health officials would keep the community threat level at Stage 3.

The rolling seven-day average of new daily hospital admissions, which helps Austin Public Health determine guidelines for the most medically vulnerable members of the community, was 12.

The county's highest average for new daily admissions during this most recent surge was 84 on Aug. 11, when the community was in Stage 5, the highest threat level.

The community transmission rate, which tracks new cases per 100,000 people over seven days, was 69.4 on Thursday. Stage 3 territory is when the rate is between 10 and 49.

Austin Public Health was tracking 106 people in the hospital with COVID-19, compared to the pandemic record high of 653 patients tallied on Aug. 25.

Only 41 people were in Austin-area ICUs for COVID-19. That number hit a pandemic record high of 237 on Aug. 22. The 22 patients on ventilators remained a significant improvement over the pandemic record high of 174 set on Aug. 29.

Austin Public Health and Travis County health officials reported:

• 1,247 active COVID-19 cases.

• 1,203 total deaths from COVID-19 over the course of the pandemic.

• 153 new cases

• The positivity rate for COVID-19 tests is 4.8%. Anything above 5% is considered too high and qualifies the area as a COVID-19 hot spot.

According to state data, Travis County vaccination rates also continue to improve. As of Thursday, 78.97% of Travis County residents 5 and older have received at least one dose of vaccine. About 69.13% of county residents 5 and older are fully vaccinated.

Dec. 8, 2021

Texas: Health officials on Wednesday recorded 3,099 people in the hospital for COVID-19 statewide, the most since early November.

The summer peak of 13,932 was reached on Aug. 26. The pandemic high was 14,218 Texans hospitalized in January.

The Texas Department of State Health Services reported 585 available staffed ICU beds for adult patients, up from the pandemic low of 270 on Sept. 9. Although the state only had 101 staffed pediatric ICU beds, that is still much more than the pandemic low of 64 beds reported on Aug. 4.

DSHS' 11-county Central Texas trauma service region that includes the Austin metro area has been seeing a shortage in available staffed ICU beds, with 36 adult beds and 11 pediatric beds available. The region hit a pandemic low of zero adult ICU beds on Sept. 5, and zero pediatric ICU beds on Sept. 4.

Statewide, the Texas Department of State Health Services reported:

• 1,551 new COVID-19 cases.

• 95 new deaths.

• On Nov. 4, state officials began including children ages 5 to 11 in their vaccination reports. As of Wednesday, 69.66% of Texans 5 and older have received at least one dose of vaccine. About 59.93% of Texans 5 and older are fully vaccinated.

Travis County: Coronavirus data and hospital trends for COVID-19 released Wednesday indicated that health officials would keep the community threat level at Stage 3.

The rolling seven-day average of new daily hospital admissions, which helps Austin Public Health determine guidelines for the most medically vulnerable members of the community, was 14.

The county's highest average for new daily admissions during this most recent surge was 84 on Aug. 11, when the community was in Stage 5, the highest threat level.

The community transmission rate, which tracks new cases per 100,000 people over seven days, was 75.6 on Wednesday. Stage 3 territory is when the rate is between 10 and 49.

Austin Public Health was tracking 110 people in the hospital with COVID-19, compared to the pandemic record high of 653 patients tallied on Aug. 25.

Only 42 people were in Austin-area ICUs for COVID-19. That number hit a pandemic record high of 237 on Aug. 22. The 22 patients on ventilators remained a significant improvement over the pandemic record high of 174 set on Aug. 29.

Austin Public Health and Travis County health officials reported:

• 1,180 active COVID-19 cases.

• 1,201 total deaths from COVID-19 over the course of the pandemic.

• 187 new cases

• The positivity rate for COVID-19 tests is 5%. Anything above 5% is considered too high and qualifies the area as a COVID-19 hot spot.

According to state data, Travis County vaccination rates also continue to improve. As of Wednesday, 78.86% of Travis County residents 5 and older have received at least one dose of vaccine. About 68.95% of county residents 5 and older are fully vaccinated.

Dec. 7, 2021

Texas: Health officials on Tuesday recorded 3,144 people in the hospital for COVID-19 statewide, the most since Nov. 3.

The summer peak of 13,932 was reached on Aug. 26. The pandemic high was 14,218 Texans hospitalized in January.

The Texas Department of State Health Services reported 586 available staffed ICU beds for adult patients, up from the pandemic low of 270 on Sept. 9. Although the state only had 110 staffed pediatric ICU beds, that is still much more than the pandemic low of 64 beds reported on Aug. 4.

DSHS' 11-county Central Texas trauma service region that includes the Austin metro area has been seeing a shortage in available staffed ICU beds, with 53 adult beds and 11 pediatric beds available. The region hit a pandemic low of zero adult ICU beds on Sept. 5, and zero pediatric ICU beds on Sept. 4.

Statewide, the Texas Department of State Health Services reported:

• 2,459 new COVID-19 cases.

• 63 new deaths.

• On Nov. 4, state officials began including children ages 5 to 11 in their vaccination reports, which brought overall vaccination rates down from previous levels because of the addition of the new population. As of Tuesday, 69.54% of Texans 5 and older have received at least one dose of vaccine. About 59.8% of Texans 5 and older are fully vaccinated.

Omicron's early traits: More infectious, less dangerous; US launches new global vaccine access program

Travis County: Coronavirus data and hospital trends for COVID-19 released Tuesday indicated that health officials would keep the community threat level at Stage 3.

The rolling seven-day average of new daily hospital admissions, which helps Austin Public Health determine guidelines for the most medically vulnerable members of the community, was 13.

The county's highest average for new daily admissions during this most recent surge was 84 on Aug. 11, when the community was in Stage 5, the highest threat level.

The community transmission rate, which tracks new cases per 100,000 people over seven days, was 67.8 on Tuesday. Stage 3 territory is when the rate is between 10 and 49.

More: Omicron could be more contagious, less dangerous. That would be 'good news for the human race.'

Austin Public Health was tracking 102 people in the hospital with COVID-19, compared to the pandemic record high of 653 patients tallied on Aug. 25.

Only 39 people were in Austin-area ICUs for COVID-19. That number hit a pandemic record high of 237 on Aug. 22. The 21 patients on ventilators remained a significant improvement over the pandemic record high of 174 set on Aug. 29.

Austin Public Health and Travis County health officials reported:

• 1,073 active COVID-19 cases.

• 274 new cases

• 1,198 total deaths from COVID-19 over the course of the pandemic.

• The positivity rate for COVID-19 tests is 5.5%. Anything above 5% is considered too high and qualifies the area as a COVID-19 hot spot.

According to state data, Travis County vaccination rates also continue to improve. As of Tuesday, 78.75% of Travis County residents 5 and older have received at least one dose of vaccine. About 68.79% of county residents 5 and older are fully vaccinated.

Dec. 6, 2021

Texas: Health officials on Monday recorded 2,971 people in the hospital for COVID-19 statewide, or about a fifth of the summer peak total of 13,932 on Aug. 26.

The pandemic high was 14,218 Texans hospitalized in January.

The Texas Department of State Health Services reported 616 available staffed ICU beds for adult patients, up from the pandemic low of 270 on Sept. 9. Although the state only had 108 staffed pediatric ICU beds, that is still much more than the pandemic low of 64 beds reported on Aug. 4.

DSHS' 11-county Central Texas trauma service region that includes the Austin metro area has been seeing a shortage in available staffed ICU beds, with 45 adult beds and 11 pediatric beds available. The region hit a pandemic low of zero adult ICU beds on Sept. 5, and zero pediatric ICU beds on Sept. 4.

Statewide, the Texas Department of State Health Services reported:

• 1,680 new COVID-19 cases.

• 3 new deaths.

• On Nov. 4, state officials began including children ages 5 to 11 in their vaccination reports, which brought overall vaccination rates down from previous levels because of the addition of the new population. As of Monday, 69.46% of Texans 5 and older have received at least one dose of vaccine. About 59.71% of Texans 5 and older are fully vaccinated.

Travis County: Coronavirus data and hospital trends for COVID-19 released Monday indicated that health officials would keep the community threat level at Stage 3.

The rolling seven-day average of new daily hospital admissions, which helps Austin Public Health determine guidelines for the most medically vulnerable members of the community, was 13.

The county's highest average for new daily admissions during this most recent surge was 84 on Aug. 11, when the community was in Stage 5, the highest threat level.

The community transmission rate, which tracks new cases per 100,000 people over seven days, was 67.8 on Monday. Stage 3 territory is when the rate is between 10 and 49.

Austin Public Health was tracking 106 people in the hospital with COVID-19, compared to the pandemic record high of 653 patients tallied on Aug. 25.

Only 40 people were in Austin-area ICUs for COVID-19. That number hit a pandemic record high of 237 on Aug. 22. The 21 patients on ventilators remained a significant improvement over the pandemic record high of 174 set on Aug. 29.

Austin Public Health and Travis County health officials reported:

• 900 active COVID-19 cases.

• 200 new cases

• 1,195 total deaths from COVID-19 over the course of the pandemic.

• The positivity rate for COVID-19 tests is 5.5%. Anything above 5% is considered too high and qualifies the area as a COVID-19 hot spot.

According to state data, Travis County vaccination rates also continue to improve. As of Monday, 78.67% of Travis County residents 5 and older have received at least one dose of vaccine. About 68.66% of county residents 5 and older are fully vaccinated.

Dec. 3, 2021

Texas: Health officials on Wednesday recorded 2,892 people in the hospital for COVID-19 statewide, or about a fifth of the summer peak total of 13,932 on Aug. 26.

The pandemic high was 14,218 Texans hospitalized in January.

The Texas Department of State Health Services reported 579 available staffed ICU beds for adult patients, up from the pandemic low of 270 on Sept. 9. Although the state only had 100 staffed pediatric ICU beds, that is still much more than the pandemic low of 64 beds reported on Aug. 4.

DSHS' 11-county Central Texas trauma service region that includes the Austin metro area has been seeing a shortage in available staffed ICU beds, with 43 adult beds and 11 pediatric beds available. The region hit a pandemic low of zero adult ICU beds on Sept. 5, and zero pediatric ICU beds on Sept. 4.

Statewide, the Texas Department of State Health Services reported:

• 2,005 new COVID-19 cases.

• 74 new deaths.

• On Nov. 4, state officials began including children ages 5 to 11 in their vaccination reports, which brought overall vaccination rates down from previous levels because of the addition of the new population. As of Friday, 69.17% of Texans 5 and older have received at least one dose of vaccine. About 59.36% of Texans 5 and older are fully vaccinated.

Travis County: Coronavirus data and hospital trends for COVID-19 released Friday indicated that health officials would keep the community threat level at Stage 3.

The rolling seven-day average of new daily hospital admissions, which helps Austin Public Health determine guidelines for the most medically vulnerable members of the community, was 13.

The county's highest average for new daily admissions during this most recent surge was 84 on Aug. 11, when the community was in Stage 5, the highest threat level.

The community transmission rate, which tracks new cases per 100,000 people over seven days, was 49.7 on Friday. Stage 3 territory is when the rate is between 10 and 49.

Austin Public Health was tracking 98 people in the hospital with COVID-19, compared to the pandemic record high of 653 patients tallied on Aug. 25.

Only 46 people were in Austin-area ICUs for COVID-19. That number hit a pandemic record high of 237 on Aug. 22. The 24 patients on ventilators remained a significant improvement over the pandemic record high of 174 set on Aug. 29.

Austin Public Health and Travis County health officials reported:

• 954 active COVID-19 cases.

• 107 new cases

• 1,194 total deaths from COVID-19 over the course of the pandemic.

• The positivity rate for COVID-19 tests is 5.5%. Anything above 5% is considered too high and qualifies the area as a COVID-19 hot spot.

According to state data, Travis County vaccination rates also continue to improve. As of Friday, 78.42% of Travis County residents 5 and older have received at least one dose of vaccine. About 68.16% of county residents 5 and older are fully vaccinated.

Dec. 2, 2021

Texas: Health officials on Wednesday recorded 2,893 people in the hospital for COVID-19 statewide, or about a fifth of the summer peak total of 13,932 on Aug. 26.

The pandemic high was 14,218 Texans hospitalized in January.

The Texas Department of State Health Services reported 633 available staffed ICU beds for adult patients, up from the pandemic low of 270 on Sept. 9. Although the state only had 87 staffed pediatric ICU beds, that is still much more than the pandemic low of 64 beds reported on Aug. 4.

DSHS' 11-county Central Texas trauma service region that includes the Austin metro area has been seeing a shortage in available staffed ICU beds, with 51 adult beds and 11 pediatric beds available. The region hit a pandemic low of zero adult ICU beds on Sept. 5, and zero pediatric ICU beds on Sept. 4.

Statewide, the Texas Department of State Health Services reported:

• 1,466 new COVID-19 cases.

• 101 new deaths.

• On Nov. 4, state officials began including children ages 5 to 11 in their vaccination reports, which brought overall vaccination rates down from previous levels because of the addition of the new population. As of Thursday, 69.04% of Texans 5 and older have received at least one dose of vaccine. About 59.21% of Texans 5 and older are fully vaccinated.

Travis County: Coronavirus data and hospital trends for COVID-19 released Thursday indicated that health officials would keep the community threat level at Stage 3.

The rolling seven-day average of new daily hospital admissions, which helps Austin Public Health determine guidelines for the most medically vulnerable members of the community, was 13.

The county's highest average for new daily admissions during this most recent surge was 84 on Aug. 11, when the community was in Stage 5, the highest threat level.

Although Austin and Travis County's seven-day average for new daily hospital admissions has stayed below 14 — Stage 2 territory — for more than a week, the area is still in Stage 3.

The reason for remaining in Stage 3 is because health leaders last month announced they would switch to a new main key indicator to better determine the risk-based guidelines, known as the community transmission rate.

The community transmission rate, which tracks new cases per 100,000 people over seven days, was 47.2 on Thursday. Stage 3 territory is when the rate is between 10 and 49.

Austin Public Health was tracking 107 people in the hospital with COVID-19, compared to the pandemic record high of 653 patients tallied on Aug. 25.

Only 46 people were in Austin-area ICUs for COVID-19. That number hit a pandemic record high of 237 on Aug. 22. The 25 patients on ventilators remained a significant improvement over the pandemic record high of 174 set on Aug. 29.

Austin Public Health and Travis County health officials reported:

• 966 active COVID-19 cases.

• 179 new cases, pushing the pandemic total to 122,933

• 1,192 total deaths from COVID-19 over the course of the pandemic.

• The positivity rate for COVID-19 tests is 5.8%. Anything above 5% is considered too high and qualifies the area as a COVID-19 hot spot.

According to state data, Travis County vaccination rates also continue to improve. As of Thursday, 78.31% of Travis County residents 5 and older have received at least one dose of vaccine. About 67.9% of county residents 5 and older are fully vaccinated.

Dec. 1, 2021

Texas: Health officials on Wednesday recorded 2,894 people in the hospital for COVID-19 statewide, or about a fifth of the summer peak total of 13,932 on Aug. 26.

The pandemic high was 14,218 Texans hospitalized in January.

The Texas Department of State Health Services reported 663 available staffed ICU beds for adult patients, up from the pandemic low of 270 on Sept. 9. Although the state only had 99 staffed pediatric ICU beds, that is still much more than the pandemic low of 64 beds reported on Aug. 4.

Statewide, the Texas Department of State Health Services reported:

• 1,495 new COVID-19 cases.

• 100 new deaths.

• On Nov. 4, state officials began including children ages 5 to 11 in their vaccination reports, which brought overall vaccination rates down from previous levels because of the addition of the new population. As of Wednesday, 68.96% of Texans 5 and older have received at least one dose of vaccine. About 59.12% of Texans 5 and older are fully vaccinated.

► What is the omicron COVID-19 variant? Should we be worried?

► Recent News: Austin stays on cusp of Stage 2, but plateauing COVID-19 data reflect persistent virus threat

Travis County: Coronavirus data and hospital trends for COVID-19 released Wednesday indicated that health officials would keep the community threat level at Stage 3.

The county recorded 11 new hospital admissions for COVID-19. The rolling seven-day average of new daily hospital admissions, which helps Austin Public Health determine guidelines for the most medically vulnerable members of the community, was 12.

The county's highest average for new daily admissions during this most recent surge was 84 on Aug. 11, when the community was in Stage 5, the highest threat level.

► 'They are so vulnerable': What getting COVID-19 vaccines means for medically complex kids

► Recent News: Health leaders encourage testing, continued masking ahead of post-holiday COVID-19 spikes

Although Austin and Travis County's seven-day average for new daily hospital admissions has stayed below 14 — Stage 2 territory — for more than a week, the area is still in Stage 3.

Dr. Desmar Walkes, Austin-Travis County health authority, explained last month that the transmission rate appeared to be more accurate in determining the threat level than the daily hospital average when it came to the delta variant.

The community transmission rate, which tracks new cases per 100,000 people over seven days, was 36.5 on Wednesday. Stage 3 territory is when the rate is between 10 and 49.

Austin Public Health was tracking 99 people in the hospital with COVID-19, compared to the pandemic record high of 653 patients tallied on Aug. 25.

Only 45 people were in Austin-area ICUs for COVID-19. That number hit a pandemic record high of 237 on Aug. 22. The 24 patients on ventilators remained a significant improvement over the pandemic record high of 174 set on Aug. 29.

Austin Public Health and Travis County health officials reported:

• 966 active COVID-19 cases.

• 179 new cases, pushing the pandemic total to 122,809

• 1,188 total deaths from COVID-19 over the course of the pandemic.

• The positivity rate for COVID-19 tests is 6%. Anything above 5% is considered too high and qualifies the area as a COVID-19 hot spot.

According to state data, Travis County vaccination rates also continue to improve. As of Wednesday, 78.21% of Travis County residents 5 and older have received at least one dose of vaccine. About 67.77% of county residents 5 and older are fully vaccinated.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Number of Texans in hospital for COVID up to 5,523, most since Oct. 15

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