Health officials in Austin and Travis County announced plans Saturday to open a place in the Austin Convention Center for COVID-19 patients as hospitals in Texas set a high standard for the 13th consecutive day.
State health officials said there were 13,935 patients hospitalized nationwide, 14 more on Friday.
The Other Title Care Site in Austin was first established during the summer outbreak of the coronavirus, but has yet to take patients, according to a report from the Austin-Travis County Health Authority.
“The implementation of the Other Title Care Site means that we believe it is inevitable that the health care system in Central Texas will go beyond capacity and soon , “said Dr Jason Pickett, the health authority ‘s deputy medical director.
The site is for patients who do not require high-grade or intensive care, according to the report. Patients who require advanced or intensive care will remain in hospitals.
On Saturday, there have been more than 1.9 million virus cases in Texas and 29,691 deaths since the outbreak began.
The seven-day follow-up average of new cases in Texas has risen from 14,553.7 per day on Dec. 25 to 20,396.8, according to data from Johns Hopkins University, while the average poster rose from 14.18% to 20.88%.
* Map locations are close to the city center and do not have the right to indicate where infected people live.
** County numbers below include all 32 counties in North Texas, not just Collin, Dallas, Denton and Tarrant.