Austin’s Top News – June 25, 2020

Austin's Top News from News Radio KLBJ

Local health leaders warn a second shutdown may be coming

With the area code hospitalization rate continuing to grow, health authority Dr. Mark Escott says folks need to treat the crisis like they did back in April. That means staying home unless absolutely necessary, masking up and socially distancing. 

“If we do not make significant changes right now, then we’re going to be in a situation within the next week to two weeks where I’m gonna have to make the recommendation to the mayor and judge that we shut down. And I do not want to do that,” says Escott.

The current hospitalization rate holds near 40 new cases a week. If trends stay where they are, they will run out of hospital beds by mid July. 

Austin Mayor Steve Adler is not shying away from the possibility of shutting businesses down and getting people back inside for an undetermined period of time. Adler says if you’d like to avoid that, you’ll have to conform to this new reality. 

“It’s really got to be something that we all want to do, something that we’re willing to do in order to keep our businesses open. In order to keep so many employees employed,” Adler says, 

He says you should avoid any business that gives anyone the option not to wear a mask. The governor is now warning of what he is calling a “massive outbreak” of coronavirus in Texas. The state has seen back to back days of more than 5,000 new cases. Meanwhile, as hospitals are starting to fill up, Governor Greg Abbott says he’s still not planning to shut the state back down. 

“There are other areas like bars, for example, that do need different modifications that may be required. And so we will look at what we’re hearing from the people who are testing positive and respond accordingly,” Abbott says.

And he says the state may have to take a localized approach to areas facing the most strain on their hospitals. 

Businesses forced to deal with angry customers over mask mandates

Some businesses are having a tough time handling customers who get angry about having to wear a mask. Anisa Patel worked at Party City in North Austin and tells CBS Austin confrontations over the store’s mask policy happens almost every day.

“Customers have written reviews online, called, or had confrontation with managers and said they refuse to shop at Party City now for us taking a stand like this,” says Patel.

Meanwhile, they have required masks for months. Austin’s new order allows people with medical conditions to go without a mask, and stores cannot ask for proof. Some attorneys say that puts businesses in a tough spot by either having to enforce a mask policy or possibly getting sued under the Americans With Disabilities Act. 

COVID-19 update

Two more COVID-19 deaths have been reported in Travis County. Austin Public Health says 16 people have succumbed to coronavirus. 274 are in the hospital right now. Most of these new cases and hospitalizations do involve younger adults. A total of 6,914 cases have been confirmed, 4,796 of those are now classified as recoveries. 

Williamson County experienced its largest single day jump in new coronavirus cases. There now 831 active cases, 25 of whom are in the hospital. That includes four on a ventilator. In all, 32 people have died, and 737 have recovered.

The number of people in Hays County hospitals this morning is 17. 193 new cases have been found since yesterday. In Hays County, epidemiologist Eric Schneider says a lot of that is being traced back to younger people tubing down the rivers. 1,786 cases are active, five people have died, and 403 have made a full recovery. 

Local teachers push for more funding

A number of local teachers say they’re not happy with the guidance and lack of funding they’re getting from state national leaders. American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten says Texas school districts need help. 

“If we don’t have the resources for instruction, how much more are we gonna ask our teachers to do? They already have built the plane and flew it at the same time by trying to create remote instructions,” Weingarten says. 

The AFT has developed its own five point plan that it’s pitching to school districts on its own.

Dell Diamond to host graduation game 

Dell Diamond will host a game next week for recent Pflugerville graduates who played baseball for all four of the district high schools but never got to finish that season. Known as the final game, Dell Diamond is hosting a full nine inning game to let these new grads get one final experience on the playing field. 31 student athletes will be honored at that event on the evening of June 30.

This news and more on News Radio KLBJ:

https://omny.fm/shows/klbjam-flash-briefing-1/am-newscast-6-25-20

 

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