The Austin Daily Drop

Local new COVID hospitalization average jumps to a level not seen since before Halloween - but remains in upper Stage 2 range - as Austin Public Health renews a press for vaccines and boosters in advance of holiday gatherings. Missing kids in Austin: an Austin High sophomore has been missing since last Monday, and a 14-year-old Del Valle girl has been missing since last Thursday, both runaway situ...

As cedar fever season begins, it's time to distinguish between those symptoms and those of COVID-19 . After a court ruling, UT officials reverse course, and will not enforce federal mandates for employee vaccinations. Another court ruling finds that new limits on abortion are contrary to the state Constitution, but does not block the enforcement of the new law. The City is purchasing a hotel to se...

Local COVID CTR jumps dramatically , ahead of statewide measurement, while early Omicron studies suggest diminished infection prevention by current vaccines, but sustained effect against severe disease. KUT's Joy Diaz announces a run for Governor. Polling shows a wide lead for Greg Casar over Eddie Rodriguez in their race for U.S. House District 25. City officials plan to direct federal funding in...

Texas' statewide COVID CTR or community transmission rate jumps to 74.1 as concerns mount about the Omicron variant - those same concerns drive a recent spike in vaccine demand locally. Austin Water shores up its infrastructure in preparation for winter weather. Lake Travis, Rouse and Bowie High Schools all see school shooting scares . Westlake Chaparrals QB Cade Klubnik is named Gatorade's Texas...

Our community transmission rate or CTR sees a considerable jump into Substantial range and ahead of the statewide metric as new cases continue a 10-day acceleration. Texas' first Omicron COVID case is detected in Harris County - concerns over the new variant depress jet fuel demand and result in a recent gasoline price drop . Austin is on trend to set a new annual record for car vs pedestrian acci...

While local COVID numbers hold steady to start the new week, a new study shows that death rates due to the coronavirus are trending much higher in U.S. counties that voted in favor of former President Donald Trump in 2020 than those that went for current President Joe Biden. Governor Greg Abbott continues reassuring Texans that the lights will stay on this winter, while Democratic challenger Beto...

Doctors in Texas continue watching for our first Omicron COVID case , while an appeals court allows Governor Greg Abbott's ban on mask mandates in schools to stand, reversing a prior ruling. AISD runs the risk of a state takeover of its Board of Trustees if it fails to achieve improvement at Mendez Middle School next year. Austin City Council grants enforcement powers to our new Office of Civil Ri...

Local COVID numbers hold fairly steady , while the statewide community transmission rate or CRT rises to Substantial range. As the first stateside Omicron case is discovered in California, now is the time to get up to speed on vaccines and boosters - the City of Austin provides walkup opportunities if you have trouble finding an appointment. Several new state laws including SB1, bringing a range o...

Local health officials are on the lookout for Omicron COVID cases , though caution is tempered by early indications that it mostly causes only mild disease. Five people die in two separate shooting incidents in Taylor . The Railroad Commission of Texas removes an opt-out option from thousands of natural gas suppliers , requiring more of them to make winterization modifications - but not likely in...

Local COVID numbers remain steady and moderate while the world braces for the impact of the new Omicron variant - local and state health officials call for concern but not panic , believing that the effectiveness of current vaccines will generally hold, and that producing Omicron-specific vaccines will not be difficult if needed. Fears persist that the Texas power grid remains vulnerable to winter...

A lull in local COVID stat reporting over the holiday weekend will end tonight at 6 - concern remains over recent upticks in new cases , and the threat of the new omicron variant . Matthew McConaughey passes on a run for Governor this time. Ranch 616 owner and Ranch Water creator Kevin Williamson dies at 59. A new initiative is planned to improve conditions for visitors to the East 6th Street bar...

COVID hospitalizations remain at a low ebb, but new cases and our local community transmission rate are both rising, indicating a likely winter spike on the way. Holiday travel for a great many Austinites - give yourself as much time as you can, and give your fellow travelers lots and lots of patience. Austin Grammy nominees include Willie Nelson, Black Pumas, Jack Ingram, Conspirare, and Sarah an...

As local COVID numbers continue at a low ebb, interest grows in booster shots. A huge travel week at ABIA - airport officials recommend showing up 3 hours early for flights. Samsung settles on Taylor for the location for their new $17 billion microchip plant. In spite of a recent volume slowdown, Austin's real estate prices continue setting new record highs, while a study finds Austin's cost of li...

COVID stats continue coasting in upper Stage 2 range - almost a quarter-million kids under 12 have gotten their first vaccine shots to present. A new poll finds Matthew McConaughey topping both Governor Greg Abbott and Democratic candidate Beto O'Rourke in head-to-head matchups. Circuit of the Americas blames third-party staffing shortages and a Waze malfunction for Saturday night's traffic jam pr...

Local COVID numbers continue low plateau as widespread adult booster approval arrives. Outside energy experts say the Texas grid is not in good shape for winter weather , despite signals to the contrary from Texas officials. A second shooting in less than a week happens in the East Sixth Street bar district, as illegal gun incidents downtown spike. A suspect in a September Austin murder is caught...

As local new COVID hospitalization numbers continue in upper Stage 2 range , national new case rates are rising, leading to confidence that a winter surge is on the way . A group of Hays CISD parents speaks up in opposition to vaccine clinics being hosted by Hays schools. Austin EMS drops a disqualifier for applicants who have used marijuana in states where it is legal - and we need those medics,...

COVID numbers continue their recent upper Stage 2 plateau, while dozens of Texas hospitals remain under ICU capacity strain , and UT throws a day party for its scientists and researchers who have contributed to the vaccine effort. McCallum High School sees a mass student walkout over AISD's handling of sexual misconduct. Alex Jones loses the remaining defamation cases filed against him by Sandy Ho...

Beto O'Rourke formally announces his candidacy for Governor of Texas. Local COVID numbers continue hovering in upper Stage 2 range as the City seeks feedback on its vaccine operations . Winter infrastructure worries: a review of last winter's death toll offers a sobering reminder as the head of PUC says power providers have two weeks to get ready. The Rally For Kindness marks Austin's resistance t...

Local COVID stats remain in Stage 2 range but not far from Stage 3 - as Governor Abbott's mask mandate ban for schools is blocked by the courts , Eanes ISD relaxes their masking requirements. AISD teachers and staff will not get a hoped-for 2% pay raise this year, as the district misses enrollment goals. A suspect in the firebombing of a central Austin synagogue is arrested, as yet another public...

COVID Key Indicators edge back within a point of Stage 3 - no official reduction to Stage 2 is likely soon - while current COVID hospitalizations across the state drop below 1,000 , and a new map shows vaccination rates by ZIP code . Matthew McConaughey draws criticism for casting doubt upon vaccines for younger kids. Another interactive map shows how the various Austin precincts supported or reje...

COVID numbers continue in upper Stage 2 range (city remains officially at Stage 3) while vaccinations for kids under 12 begin . The first report on real-world vaccine efficacy by an agency of the state of Texas finds huge disparity in outcomes between vaccinated and unvaccinated people, the latter of whom are proven to be at much greater risk of death from the virus. A city auditor report finds th...

As our local COVID hospitalization rate hovers in Stage 2 range, our Community Transmission Rate or CTR remains too high for local health officials to feel comfortable dropping our precaution levels, especially with the holidays on the way. The deadly outcome of this weekend's Travis Scott concert in Houston leads local leaders to reconsider similar events in Austin. Good news: Austin Energy is wo...

Austin's COVID numbers have been in Stage 2 for 11 days now - why is the city still officially at Stage 3 ? Austin parents finding it hard to pin down a vaccine appointment for their kids are set for relief from their schools . Still more anti-Semitic activity , this time in San Marcos and Hays County. Austin City Council Member Greg Casar announces a run for the 35th District seat of the U.S. Hou...

Local COVID numbers continue gradual drop through Stage 2 range as two pandemic-related state constitutional amendments are overwhelmingly approved. Leander ISD leaders consider next steps as two bond elections to fund public schools are voted down. Austin Fire Department arson investigators release photos of a man suspected of firebombing the Congregation Beth Israel synagogue on Halloween night....

Austin sees a string of days with no COVID deaths for the first time since September, as local parents scramble for vaccination appointments for their kids under 12. Election day: Prop A goes down in defeat while sponsor Save Austin Now promises more campaigns, Prop B and all eight state constitutional amendments on yesterday's ballot are approved, and turnout hits expected rates after a slow star...