Only 7 ICU Beds Available For 11 Counties, Including Austin Metro

Austin TX

02 August, 2021

1:58 PM

Description

TRAVIS COUNTY, TX — There are only 7 staffed ICU beds available for 11 counties, including the Austin Metro, as of Monday, according to Austin Homeland Security and Emergency Management. On Friday, 16 beds were available but as of Monday nine of those beds are now in use, Austin HSEM told Patch. The 11 county Trauma Service Region O (TSA-O), which includes Austin and Travis County, announced Friday it had only 16 staffed ICU beds available for the region. The 11 counties have more than 2.3 million residents. The counties that make up Region O are Travis, Williamson, Hays, Caldwell, Burnet, Blanco, Bastrop, San Saba, Llano, Lee and Fayette. The Texas Department of State Health Services reports Monday there are 4,509 staffed hospital beds, 490 available hospital beds, seven available ICU beds and 304 available ventilators in Region O. About 439 lab-confirmed COVID-19 patients are currently in the hospital, the data reports. There have been 3,821 total hospitalizations and 4,311 total staffed inpatient beds. According to Austin Public Health, these availability numbers have not been seen at local hospitals since the beginning of the pandemic. URGENT action needed! The 11 county Trauma Service Region O (TSA-O), which includes Austin and Travis County, now has about 16 staffed ICU beds available. That's 16 ICU beds for 11 counties with over 2.3 million residents pic.twitter.com/COxY3XfgWH— Travis County TX (@TravisCountyTX) July 30, 2021 "We are running out of time and our community must act now," Austin-Travis County Health Authority Dr. Desmar Walkes said in a release Friday evening. "Our ICU capacity is reaching a critical point where the level of risk to the entire community has significantly increased, and not just to those who are needing treatment for COVID. If we fail to come together as a community now, we jeopardize the lives of loved ones who might need critical care." As of Friday, there were 338 hospitalized with 117 patients in intensive care and 65 on ventilators in Travis County. The total cases reached 89,433 with 900 deaths. About 2,657 cases remain active, according to the Austin-Travis County COVID-19 dashboard. MORE: Austin Public Health Reopens 2 COVID-19 Testing Sites DSHS also reports only 63 percent of eligible people 12 years and older are fully vaccinated in Travis County as of Aug. 1. About 800,373 people have received at least one dose of the vaccine. The population with the most vaccines are 16-49 year olds. As COVID-19 cases rise, Austin Public Health is asking residents to do the following: Vaccinated individuals should choose drive-thru and curbside options, outdoor activities, returning to social interactions with limited group sizes, as well as social distancing and wearing masks indoors.Partially or unvaccinated individuals should avoid gatherings, travel, dining and shopping choosing curbside and delivery options instead. Wear a mask when conducting essential activities.People should get the COVID-19 vaccine. Austin and Travis County have free clinics open to the public. To see where you can get a vaccine, visit the city-county website. RELATED COVERAGE: Pflugerville Has Highest COVID-19 Cases In Travis County Austin Moves To Stage 4 Of COVID-19 Risk Guidance WilCo Reaches 'Uncontrolled Community Spread' Of COVID-19 'Immunity Takes Community': WilCo Campaign Encourages Vaccines