A fan at the Austin FC match in Austin, Texas. Austin has seen a massive COVID-19 outbreak because of the delta variant.
A member of Los Verdes fan club, wearing a fake mullet and lighted glasses, watches the MLS soccer match between the Houston Dynamo and Austin FC in Austin, Texas, on Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2021. Austin has seen a massive COVID-19 outbreak. Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman via Associated Press
Herb Scribner

By Herb Scribner

The city of Austin, Texas, sent out an emergency alert over the weekend to warn residents about the ongoing COVID-19 surge, CBS News reports.

What did the Austin, Texas, COVID-19 alert say?

  • The alert said Austin is suffering from a “severely worsening COVID-19 situation” with rising hospitalizations.
  • “The Covid-19 situation in Austin is dire. Healthcare facilities are open but resources are limited due to a surge in cases,” the alert read.

How bad is the COVID-19 surge in Austin?

Per The Guardian, about 510 COVID-19 patients are hospitalized wiht the virus in Austin. About one-third of recent hospitalizations have been among people younger than 50 years old as well, according to The Guardian.

  • The Texas trauma service that includes Austin has reportedly six available intensive care unit beds for severely sick patients, along with 499 hospital beds and 313 ventilators, per The Guardian.
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Austin-Travis County Health Authority Dr. Desmar Walkes said on Saturday that Austin is facing a “critical”  COVID-19 surge right now.

  • Walkes said in a press release that hospital bed availability is dropping.
  • Critical care is ”extremely limited in our hospital systems, not just for COVID-19 patients, but for anyone who may need treatment,” he said. 
  • “The community has to come together again and stave off disaster.”
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