The total death toll is now at 380
The Travis County health officials from Austin reported on Saturday that three more coronavirus-related deaths have occured and has now brought the death toll in the county to 380.
They have also reported nine new cases of the virus. The total number of infected people in Travis County is 23,316. The estimated recoveries in the county is set at 25,198. On Friday, the local health officials reported that 163 people with COVID-19 are in Austin-area hospitals. 57 people from this are in intensive care units and 33 are on ventilators.
Need for new restrictions
The health officials have requested on Tuesday to the county and city leaders to change the coronavirus restrictions to Stage 3. Stage 3 is not that different from Stage 4. People still have to follow the norms of wearing masks, practicing social distancing, washing their hands frequently and avoiding travel.
The only notable change from Stage 4 restrictions, which suggest people who are at risk of having severe symptoms limit gatherings to two people, to Stage 3 is that Stage 3 guidelines raise the limit to for safe gatherings to no more than ten people. Stage 3 also lifts the restriction for those at low risk to avoid nonessential travel, shopping and dining.
Travis County has also released data of the total cases where they broke down the infected by race and ethnicity. From the ones who tested positive, 51% are Hispanic, as per the data. Non-Hispanic whites are at 30%, the Blacks are at 7% and Asians take up 3%. The health officials have voiced their concerns about the disproportionate effect that the virus is having on the Hispanic community as well as on residents in nursing homes.
For some of those who have tested positive, the race or ethnicity are still listed as “unknown” or “other.”
(Cover: Getty)