LOCAL

Texas now has the fewest ICU beds available it's had during the entire COVID-19 pandemic

Luz Moreno-Lozano
Austin American-Statesman

Texas tallied more than 10,000 patients hospitalized for COVID-19 for the first time since early February as a new summer surge in coronavirus cases continues to strain critical care resources across the state.

The state has only 329 staffed beds for intensive care among 8,283 hospital beds left for about 30 million people, according to state health data released Tuesday. Central Texas hospitals, also struggling against the effects of the highly contagious delta variant of the coronavirus, were down to only two staffed ICU beds and were seeing a tripling of pediatric patients, local health officials said Tuesday.

Despite the urgency of the public health crisis, political and legal wrangling continues to shape any government response:

•  Gov. Greg Abbott, who has prohibited local governments and school districts from mandating masks and imposing other restrictions, is asking hospitals to voluntarily delay some medical procedures to free up hospital resources.

• Officials in Dallas, San Antonio and Bexar County have filed lawsuits challenging Abbott’s ban on local mask mandates, as has a child’s advocacy group in the state.

• Two school districts in Dallas and Austin have voted to adopt mask mandates in defiance of his order and others are considering similar actions.

Hospital admissions have tripled in the last month among children 17 and younger, Dr. Desmar Walkes, Austin-Travis County health authority, told Travis County commissioners on Tuesday. In June, 11 children were hospitalized with COVID-19 and by July that has more than tripled to 34. A majority of cases, Walkes reported, are among children between 10 and 18 years old.  

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As the Austin area prepares for the school year and the fall festival season, local health officials can only encourage masks in public spaces and work with event organizers and businesses to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus.

Austin Public Health and Travis County reported 583 new coronavirus cases and 81 new hospital admissions on Tuesday. Health officials counted 569 people in the hospital with 188 in ICU and 128 on ventilators on Tuesday.

Only a month ago, on July 10, Travis County had 98 coronavirus patients in the hospital, with 39 in ICUs and 21 on ventilators. 

The Texas Department of State Health Services' Region O — made up of 2.3 million people across 11 counties: Travis, Williamson, Hays, Bastrop, Blanco, Burnet, Caldwell, Fayette, Lee, Llano and San Saba — had only two staffed ICU beds unoccupied, according to the state data Tuesday.  

With so few ICU beds left in the region and coronavirus cases on the rise, Austin-Travis County health officials are encouraging masks, social distancing and vaccinations for residents.

"Masking is important, and I stand in support of both masking and contact tracing," Walkes said.

Among the total hospitalized patients in local hospitals, more than 80% are not vaccinated. Fully and partially vaccinated residents have been hospitalized but at far lower rates, she said.  

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Masks highly encouraged

Last week, Austin Public Health officials adopted Stage 5 protocols, reflecting the highest coronavirus threat level for those at high risk of severe symptoms or death from the virus.  

Under Stage 5, all residents are encouraged to wear masks and return to social distancing practices, even those who are fully vaccinated or are partly vaccinated and have underlying health conditions. Residents also should use curbside and contactless delivery options for food and shopping and avoid all travel and gatherings.    

However, masks are not required. 

But without masking, Walkes said, cases are expected to skyrocket as schools reopen for students, and festivals, live music events and other large gatherings ramp up for the fall.  

On Monday night, the Austin school district announced that it will require masks in defiance of Gov. Abbott’s orders banning mask mandates. The mask mandate goes into effect Wednesday, requiring masks on all school district campuses and property. The first day of school is Aug. 17.

During a joint session Tuesday, city and county leaders applauded the district’s move to require masks.  

Large outdoor festivals and gatherings have yet to require masks, although Walkes said health officials are in constant discussions with the various event organizers.  

“We are working under the assumption that transmission is not as high in outdoor settings, but there have been cases of transmissions in large groups where people are unable to social distance,” Walkes said. “We are asking people to mask in outdoor settings that do not allow for adequate social distancing.”  

In addition, she said, large gatherings are being evaluated on a case-by-case basis and with recommendations being made based on daily numbers.  

On Monday, Blues on the Green, the free outdoor concert series at Zilker Park, postponed concerts scheduled for this week, citing the latest wave in coronavirus cases.  

Other concerts and live shows have followed similar protocols with some requiring negative COVID-19 tests to attend.  

The Austin City Limits music festival, slated for the first two weekends of October, has not announced any changes to its attendance protocols.  

Masking is also being encouraged on playgrounds, especially for children who are too young to get vaccinated.  

Walkes said officials are working with local businesses and encouraging mitigation strategies that include capacity restrictions and masking.  

Stepping up vaccinations, testing

Achieving herd immunity — or when enough of a community is vaccinated to make spread of a disease unlikely — is still a priority, Austin Public Health officials said Tuesday. 

About 75% of Travis County residents 12 and older have had at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine. About 64% of those 12 and older are fully vaccinated, according to state data.  

Interim Austin Public Health Director Adrienne Sturrup said it continues testing and vaccination efforts across the area, with a focus on neighborhoods east of Interstate 35, where vaccination rates are lagging.  

She said testing also is being focused at long-term care facilities, such as assisted-living sites, and homeless shelters. For those unable to make it to a testing site, in-home testing is also available throughout the week.  

Vaccination operations continue across the area, with mobile operations also available for residents.  

Officials said about 1,300 doses are being administered weekly, but vaccination rates continue to lag among the Black and Hispanic communities in Austin as well, Sturrup said Tuesday.   

“We are currently targeting these areas as a priority to offer pop-up clinics, mobile vaccination services and educational events,” said Charles Brotherton, county executive for emergency services. “We continue to do good work, and are working to expand our efforts. We want everyone to be aware that these opportunities are easily and readily available every day of the week, and we want our residents to get vaccinated.”  

In Houston, a construction crew works to set up tents that hospital officials plan to use for the overflow of coronavirus patients outside of Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital.

Preparing for the worst 

Hospitals are bursting at the seams and hospital staffing continues to be a struggle statewide, Walkes said.  

She said the health authority is working with state leaders to help fill the staffing shortage gaps and establish an outpatient infusion center. 

Plans to open a field hospital are underway but have not been set up yet. Hospital transfers are also not expected because of the shortage of staff, Walkes said. 

Hospital officials were not ready to make a public comment. 

"We could open another facility, but we are still working on that and trying to figure out a place to set that up," Walkes said. "Right now, we are trying to support hospitals and withstand the surge we are experiencing."