Austin Businesses Will Still Require Masks: Health Officials

AUSTIN, TX — As Texas prepares to reopen on Wednesday, the Austin area's top public health official said businesses must still require customers to wear masks, news outlets report.

Dr. Mark Escott, interim Austin-Travis County health authority, said during a joint Austin City Council and Travis County Commissioners Court meeting on Tuesday that people won't face charges for not wearing a mask but they could if they are unmasked and refuse to leave a business, according to CBS Austin.

Charges could also be heightened if someone were to threaten a business or incite violence, according to CBS Austin.

The TV news outlet reports Austin City Council passed an ordinance in July that allowed Dr. Escott, as the city's health authority, to enact rules such as mask wearing.

After the ruling, City Council District 4 member Gregorio Casar announced on Twitter the city will still legally require masks through Austin Public Health's decision on Tuesday.

"If state officials don’t want to do their jobs in this pandemic, then we’ll do it ourselves. In Austin, we’re committed to saving lives. Period.," Casar said.

During Tuesday's meeting, Escott said he did not feel comfortable recommending that Travis County relax pandemic rules because of a slight increase in hospitalizations over the weekend.

Escott said the area would also remain at Stage 4 based on the city's public health risk-based guidelines until at least the end of the week, according to the Austin-American Statesman.

This stage asks the public to practice good hygiene, stay home if sick, avoid sick people, maintain social distance, wear face coverings, avoid gatherings greater than two people, avoid non-essential travel, avoid dining and shopping except as essential and recommend businesses operate at 25 to 50 percent capacity, according to the county's website.

The agency's guidelines reflect a level of threat to those at risk of experiencing the most severe symptoms of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, ranging from the lowest threat at Stage 1 to the highest threat at Stage 5.

Austin Public Health uses the average number of new hospital admissions for COVID-19 to determine the risk-based guidelines, according to the newspaper.

Read last week's data: Travis County Coronavirus Case Numbers: Week Of March 1-7

As of Monday afternoon, the seven-day moving average of new hospitalizations in Travis County was 29, up from 26 reported on Friday, according to the county's COVID-19 data dashboard.

There were 31 new hospital admissions, 72 patients in intensive care, 55 patients on ventilators and 228 total current hospitalizations on Monday, the data reports.

In addition to increased hospitalizations, Escott said he was also concerned about the effect spring break might have on coronavirus hospitalizations and new cases.

He said those factors, paired with Gov. Greg Abbott lifting the mask mandate and allowing businesses to operate at 100% capacity on Wednesday, could "spark a third coronavirus surge" if local residents change their behaviors away from what's currently in place.

Austin Public Health officials believe if residents continue to socially distance and wear masks in public, Travis County could be in Stage 2 by early April, the news outlet reports.

Read the Austin-American Statesman report.

Read CBS Austin's report.

This is a developing story. Refresh this page for updates.

MORE COVERAGE ON AUSTIN'S RESPONSE:

As Order Lifts, Texans Should Still 'Mask Up': Austin Health

Austin Leaders Not Ready To Declare Victory Over COVID-19

Gov. Abbott Moves 'To Open Texas At 100%,' End Mask Mandate