Austin Public Health is working overtime this week to try to administer 37,000 Covid-19 vaccines after the winter storm delayed vaccination efforts for more than a week. That number is much higher than what APH has been able to administer per week so far. The staff is extending hours and days of operation at vaccination […]
Marisa Charpentier, KUT
Posted inAustin
Austin Water has restored service to residents, but broken pipes remain a big issue
Areas of Northwest and Southwest Austin that are still under a boil-water notice could be in the clear by Tuesday afternoon, Austin Water Director Greg Meszaros said at a news conference Monday. “We have collected samples in areas yet to be lifted from the boil-water notice,” he said. If samples come back clear, Austin Water […]
Posted inPublic Health
Austin Public Health resumes Covid testing and vaccinations after winter storm put them on pause
Austin Public Health is resuming Covid-19 vaccinations and testing after the winter storm put operations on hold for more than a week. But the agency, whose staff was also impacted by the weather that left thousands without power and water for days, warns that it will take time to get everything back to normal. “It […]
Posted inWater
Austin Water issues citywide boil-water notice, urges residents to conserve water
Austin Water has issued a citywide boil-water notice as a result of “extreme weather conditions.” In a statement Wednesday night, the utility said there had been power loss at the Ullrich Water Treatment Plant, its largest water-treatment facility, and drops in water pressures below minimum standards. It said it was working with Austin Energy to […]
Posted inPublic Health
Austin Public Health begins setting up appointments for people to get second dose of Covid-19 vaccine
Austin Public Health received its first shipment of second doses of the Covid-19 vaccine on Tuesday and is now reaching out to schedule appointments with people who are due for their next shot. APH began receiving 12,000 doses a week to distribute to the public starting Jan. 11. Many people who got their first doses […]
Posted inPublic Health
Austin Public Health’s vaccine data shows more effort is needed to reach Black and Hispanic residents
Austin Public Health is now publishing demographic data on its Covid-19 vaccine distributions. The data is available in an online dashboard that will be updated weekly. The dashboard shows that as of Jan. 29, APH had distributed 31,251 doses. About 70 percent of the vaccines have gone to people 60 and older. People 65 and older are […]
Posted inPublic Health
Waiting for a vaccine appointment from Austin Public Health? Here’s what we know so far.
Austin Public Health’s vaccine registration process has caused a bit of confusion. People have told KUT they’re experiencing technical difficulties with the signup portal or they’re frustrated because they’ve signed up but haven’t been able to snag an appointment yet. APH officials provided some insight into how this process is working during a briefing with Austin […]
Posted inPublic Health
Thousands of Central Texans are facing hunger because of the pandemic. The need isn’t going away any time soon.
Hundreds of cars trailed out of Navarro Early College High School’s parking lot on Monday morning, as families lined up to receive boxes of food – gallons of milk, bags of potatoes, packs of meat. Like many organizations that operate food pantries, the nonprofit Austin Voices for Education and Youth switched to a drive-thru model […]
Posted inPublic Health
Austin Public Health launches coalition to prepare for future Covid-19 vaccine distribution
Austin Public Health is gearing up for when a Covid-19 vaccine becomes available. The health authority announced Friday the launch of the Covid-19 Vaccine Distribution Coalition, a group of health care and community partners that will help APH develop strategies for distributing the vaccine. “Slowing the spread of Covid-19 in Austin-Travis County has been a […]
Posted inPublic Health
Austin Public Health official says there’s a 96% chance the Covid-19 epidemic is growing in the area
Austin’s top doctor said Wednesday there’s a 96 percent chance the Covid-19 epidemic is growing in the area, up from about 90 percent the day before. “This is not an Election Day gimmick. This is real,” Dr. Mark Escott, interim health authority for Austin-Travis County, said during a news conference. “We spent several weeks over […]
Posted inAustin
Travis County judge won’t let bars reopen at 50 percent capacity
Travis County Judge Sam Biscoe said he’s not going to allow bars to reopen at 50 percent capacity Wednesday, citing a memo from the county’s top doctor saying Covid-19 “continues to be a threat.” “In the past ten days, Travis County has seen an increase in hospitalized individuals, ICU bed utilization and ventilator use,” Biscoe […]
Posted inMusic & Entertainment
SXSW will have online events in 2021. A physical festival in Austin is still a possibility.
South by Southwest will host an online event next year, but plans for a physical one are still in the works, the organization announced Tuesday. The annual series of conferences and festivals, which attracts hundreds of thousands to Austin each spring, was canceled in March because of Covid-19, the first of many festivals to be […]