With the seven-day moving average of hospitalizations reaching 103 on Jan. 9, the Austin-Travis County area eclipsed its previous high of 94 hospitalizations set Jan. 9, 2021, according to an Austin Public Health dashboard.
The hospitalization rate has since climbed to a seven-day moving average of 110 as of Jan. 11.
“If we don't take action now to stop the spread, to flatten out the spike, to keep ourselves and each other healthy, then we could see an even greater impact on staffing levels in all industries, especially in our hospitals,” Mayor Steve Adler said during a Jan. 6 news conference announcing the region’s shift into Stage 5 risk-based guidelines.
The hospitalization figure accounts for both those who have been admitted to the hospital for COVID-19 illness and those who tested positive for COVID-19 in the hospital but were admitted for a non-COVID-19 reasons.
