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Coronavirus updates in Central Texas: 1-5 AISD students missing school

Here are the latest COVID-19 updates in Central Texas for Friday, Jan. 7.

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AUSTIN, Texas — Editor's note: This blog is no longer being updated. Click here for Monday's blog.

KVUE is keeping you updated with the latest coronavirus and COVID-19 news in the Austin area. 

Scroll down for the top headlines and latest updates in KVUE's daily live blog.

COVID-19 numbers:

  • Texas: 
  • Central Texas counties: 
    • Austin-Travis County: The seven-day moving average for new hospital admissions is 87, and an average of 352 people are hospitalized. The community transmission rate is 1,211 and the positivity rate is 30. Since the beginning of the pandemic, 137,126 cases have been reported and at least 1,221 people have died.
    • Hays County: There are currently 5,893 active cases, and 18 people are currently hospitalized. Since the beginning of the pandemic, at least 37,082 confirmed cases have been reported and at least 418 people have died. 
    • Williamson County: There are 1,230 new cases of coronavirus in Williamson County. Fifteen percent of hospital beds are available, and 3% of ICU beds are available. Since the beginning of the pandemic, at least 80,241 cases have been reported and at least 758 people have died.

For a look at COVID-19 data across all of the state's counties, click here.

GRAPHS: COVID-19 data Jan. 7, 2022

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KVUE

Here's a closer look at today's data:

TEXAS

  • 44,857 new cases today
    • 7-day average: 43,915/day (new record)
      • Up 12% from yesterday
      • Up 263% from a week ago
      • Up 1,068% from a month ago
  • 114 new deaths
    • 75,128 total
  • 9,216 COVID-19 patients in Texas hospitals
    • Up 5% from yesterday (+476)
    • Up 55% from a week ago
    • Up 197% from a month ago
  • 36.46% positivity for the state (new record)

LOCAL

  • 4,233 new cases
    • 7-day average: 4,187/day (new record)
      • Up 13% from yesterday
      • Up 276% from a week ago
      • Up 1,662% from a month ago
  • 431 COVID-19 patients in Austin area (TSA O) hospitals
    • +23 from yesterday
    • 14% bed availability
    • 10% COVID/capacity
  • 111 COVID-19 patients in Austin area (TSA O) ICUs
    • +20 from yesterday (91)
    • 5% bed availability (13 adult / 11 pediatric = 24 beds)
    • 23% COVID/capacity
      • Pediatrics holding steady at 17

Updates:

8:50 p.m. – Del Valle ISD said it is offering COVID-19 vaccines at Dailey Middle School, located at 14000 Westall Street, and Del Valle Opportunity Center, at 5301 Ross Road, on Saturday, Jan. 8, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

Vaccines will be available for those ages 5 and older. Appointments are not necessary.

5:15 p.m. – According to data provided by Austin ISD, about 1 in 5 students is missing school today, compared to 1 in 16 on this day last year.

Staff Attendance

  • Thursday
    • Jan. 6, 2022: 521 substitute requests (teacher absences)
    • Jan. 7, 2021: 318 substitute requests (teacher absences)
  • Friday
    • Jan. 7, 2022: 614 substitute requests (teacher absences)
    • Jan. 8, 2021: 354 substitute requests (teacher absences)

Student Attendance

  • Thursday
    • Jan. 6, 2022 = 83.34%
    • Jan. 7, 2021 = 94.63%
  • Friday
    • Jan. 7, 2022 = 80.27%
    • Jan. 8, 2021 = 93.84%

4 p.m. – Austin Public Health and Travis County are partnering with local community organizations to host free COVID-19 vaccination clinics around the county from Jan. 7 to Jan. 10. 

Clinics are open to all eligible individuals without registration or appointment and do not require identification, insurance or proof of citizenship. 

For more information on the clinics, visit the APH website. 

Here are the dates and locations: 

Friday, Jan. 7

La Mexicana Market - Rundberg (Travis County) 

La Mexicana Meat Market - Stassney (Travis County)  

Poco Loco Supermercado (Travis County) 

Saturday, Jan. 8

AISD Performing Arts Center (Travis County)

African American Men & Boys Harvest Foundation (CTAHI/Travis County)

Dailey Middle School (Travis County) 

Del Valle High School Opportunity Center (Travis County) 

Southeast Library (APH) 

Harmony School of Innovation (Travis County)

La Moreliana Meat Market (Travis County) 

JD’s Supermarket (Travis County)

Old Sims Elementary Gymnasium (APH) 

East Austin Succulents (APH)

Video Super (APH)

Travis County Exposition Center (Travis County) 

Sunday, Jan. 9

Travis County Exposition Center (Travis County) 

Monday, Jan. 10

African American Men & Boys Harvest Foundation (CTAHI/Travis County)

Sanchez Elementary School (Travis County)

Bluebonnet Trail Elementary School (CTAHI/Travis County)

La Mexicana Market (Travis County) 

La Mexicana Market (Travis County) 

Poco Loco Supermercado (Travis County) 

3 p.m. – The Travis County Expunction Expo set for Jan. 15 has been canceled.

"Our online portal to apply for the Expunction Expo remains open for individuals with prior arrests that occurred in Travis County. Members of the public may gather more information and apply online here," officials said. "We currently have reviewed over 340 applications, and over 300 have qualified to participate in the Expo. All applicants will be contacted via email when plans are made for a future Expo date."

9:50 a.m. – Ascension Texas, Baylor Scott & White Health and St. David's HealthCare have released the following joining statement regarding the current omicron surge:

"Since the beginning of COVID-19, Ascension Texas, Baylor Scott & White Health and St. David’s HealthCare have implemented the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) recommended guidelines in an effort to keep our healthcare colleagues and patients safe. Each hospital system has plans in place to have the means to safely care for all patients in our community."

7:30 a.m. – Austin ISD will be hosting free COVID-19 vaccine opportunities for children ages five and older, including booster doses for those 12 and older who received their second shot five months ago. 

The vaccine clinics, in partnership with Dell Children's, will be held at the AISD Performing Arts Center at 1500 Barbara Jordan Blvd. on Saturday, Jan. 8, from 8 a.m. until noon and Saturday, Jan. 29, from 8 a.m. until 11 a.m. No appointments are needed.

7 a.m. – Nomi Health plans to have a new COVID-19 testing site up and running by 8 a.m. Saturday at Toney Burger Activity Center and Stadium. Nomi hopes to accommodate more than 1,000 people per day. The company plans to have this testing site set up long-term. It will offer both anti-gen and PCR tests via drive-thru.

“Our testing numbers have recently and rapidly increased, exponentially in some places, across the state, which has required a quick pivot for our team at Nomi Health. We have increased our staff at all of our testing sites and we have also opened new locations with partnerships like this one, with AISD’s support at Toney Burger Athletic Complex,” Boe Hartman, co-founder and CTO at Nomi Health, said. “We hope to meet the demand by offering antigen and PCR tests, six days a week as we continue to grow in Central Texas, meeting the needs of our community.”

Appointments are not necessary but pre-registration can help speed up the process. To pre-register for a test at Toney Burger, patients can text 512-229-9919 with “BACAISD” to fill out a contact form that will provide a QR code testers need to perform the test and deliver results. The form can also be filled out electronically, on site, using a cell phone. 

OTHER COVID-19 HEADLINES:

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