On cusp of new year, omicron prompts Austin to adopt stricter Stage 4 pandemic guidelines

Days ahead of the new year and its planned celebrations, Austin Public Health announced it was shifting back to the stricter Stage 4 pandemic recommendations under its risk-based guidelines for COVID-19.

Austin Public Health in a statement early Wednesday said the move to Stage 4 was necessary because of the omicron variant, the newest highly transmissible strain of the virus currently sweeping the nation.

More: Texas runs out of monoclonal antibody treatment to fight omicron

Austin Public Health's guidelines range from Stage 1 to Stage 5, each coming with varying levels of recommendations based on how severe COVID-19 transmission is at the time.

Stage 5 is the most severe level and was last triggered in early August after the highly contagious delta variant caused a deadly surge in the community. Increased vaccination efforts and mask wearing slowly helped bring the Austin area back to Stage 3 on Oct. 12.

Under Stage 4, Austin Public Health is again urging residents who are not fully vaccinated to avoid gatherings with anyone outside their household. The unvaccinated should avoid all travel and use only curbside shopping or takeout dining.

More: What we now know about the omicron variant as Austin braces for COVID-19 holiday surge

Everyone, regardless of vaccination status, should wear masks when around others who live outside their home.

One key indicator that Austin and Travis County uses to help determine the risk of infection for those most vulnerable to the virus is the community transmission rate. That number on Tuesday was 405, a dramatic rise from 173.5 last week.

Another key indicator, the average number of new hospital admissions over seven days, was 36 — an increase from 28 the previous day. Both key indicators were well within their thresholds for Stage 4.

Walkes first warned of the worsening pandemic conditions during an interview with the American-Statesman on Monday, saying Austin has reached the start of another coronavirus surge.

Omicron, unlike other COVID-19 variants that show symptoms about a week or two after infection, takes just two to three days from exposure to start causing symptoms, Walkes explained.

More: Amid omicron surge, Austin likely to enter Stage 4 and adopt stricter COVID guidelines

As a result, those infected during Christmas should start showing signs of infection, along with a positive COVID-19 test, this week.

To dodge another round of the devastating effects delta caused over the summer, Walkes is now urging all residents, regardless of vaccination status, to skip New Year's Eve gatherings so more people don't get sick.

More: Austin Public Health lowers key threshold for COVID-19 stages amid omicron outlook from UT

"I would recommend that people limit their social interactions and social contact and, if they absolutely have to go and gather, that they (have tested) negative," Walkes said, again encouraging everyone in Austin to wear masks in public.

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