APH publishes risk-based guidelines

A new chart published by Austin Public Health will help residents of Austin-Travis County understand their risk of contracting Covid-19 and determine how to stay safe. The color-coded chart illustrates five categories of risk, from the lowest level, Stage 1, to the most serious, Stage 5. The chart recommends the behaviors each category of risk should follow in order to stay healthy during the pandemic. For example, “higher-risk individuals are urged to avoid dining and shopping except with precautions, and avoid gatherings of more than 25 people, even at the lowest level, Stage 1. As the stages progress from 1 through 4, higher-risk individuals are advised to limit the size of their gatherings, and their dining and shopping, to a greater extent than lower-risk individuals.” According to APH, “While the new guidelines are primarily designed as a resource to help individuals modify their behavior to protect themselves and others against transmission of Covid-19, they will also be used to inform APH recommendations around when restrictions on gatherings, business operations and events should be loosened or tightened in the months ahead.” Dr. Mark Escott, interim Austin-Travis County health authority, said, “Our risk-based guidelines should help individuals make safe choices as we move to increase our social interactions. … If we do this correctly, we can open up and stay open while also staying safe.” View the full-size chart here and read more about the guidelines here.