Health Watch

Austin confirms first 2 cases of coronavirus, extends disaster declaration

The first cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in Austin.

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Just hours after Austin City Council voted to extend its local state of disaster declaration through April 5, Austin Public Health has confirmed the city's first two cases of coronavirus.

During a 6 am news conference on Friday, March 13, Mayor Steve Adler was joined by members of Austin Public Health, including interim Medical Director Dr. Mark E. Escott. Escott confirmed that the two Austin-Travis County cases are a man in his 60s and a woman in her 30s.

"Austin Public Health has received two presumptive positive cases of COVID-19 overnight in our jurisdiction. These represent the first two cases in our area," said Escott, who added that information was limited.

As of now, Austin Public Health believes the two cases are linked to cases outside the city.

The man is currently in isolation at an area hospital. The woman, who is not from Austin, is being quarantined inside a home somewhere in the city. Escott confirmed that there are other people in the home with the woman, and they are currently being monitored and screened for COVID-19. Escott said that they are either having no symptoms or mild symptoms.

Escott also urged calm, despite an unnerving 24 hours that saw the cancellation of Austin schools and drastic protocol changes for local universities — including the University of Texas at Austin.

"The virus is not going to jump and grab you," Escott said in the press conference. (Watch the full conference here.)

Without a treatment for coronavirus, Escott reiterated that the best defense is the same mantra that's been circulating for days: wash your hands, don't touch your face, cough or sneeze into a bent elbow, and stay home if you're sick.

"Regardless if [a person] think[s] they have COVID-19 or the flu, when you are sick, you must stay home. You must get better," he said. "That's the best thing you can do to recover yourself and the best thing you can do to protect the community."

Escott also urged those who are sick to not rush to the ER, but instead use other resources, including calling their doctor and using telehealth options, if available.

At the end of the conference, a reporter asked for clarification on the mixed messaging surrounding coronavirus. Should Austin residents continue to go out and support local business — an increasing concern in the fallout of SXSW's cancellation? Or stay home?

"If you are over the age of 65, if you have significant health conditions, you need to be less tolerant of going out into crowded settings ... where you might have a chance of contacting a sick person. If you are young and healthy, it should be less of a concern for you.

"People are going to get this — children are going to get this, adults are going to get this, VIPs are going to get this," Escott continued. "But if we think about this with level heads, respond appropriately and get better ... then we'll do just fine."

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2 wealthy Austin suburbs top list of biggest holiday spenders in U.S.

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Cedar Park, Round Rock, and Austin loooove to do up the holidays.

It looks like Santa Claus is going to be competing with residents in Cedar Park to see who brings the most lavish holiday gifts this year.

This festive Austin neighbor ranked No. 23 in WalletHub's annual report of U.S. cities with the biggest holiday budgets in 2024.

Residents in this well-to-do suburb are expected to spend $2,930 on their Christmas gifts this year. That's up $576 from the $2,354 they were ready to shell out in the 2023 ranking — and it bumped them up 21 spots from their previous ranking at No. 44.

The U.S. Census Bureau says that Cedar Park's estimated population of 77,516 had a median household income of $118,903 in 2023. No wonder they have the extra cash to spare.

Cedar Park consistently makes the list of the top U.S. cities with the biggest holiday spenders, and now Round Rock is also climbing up the list, landing at No. 39 this year, up significantly from its previous low ranking of No. 283 in 2023.

The average holiday budget in Round Rock skyrocketed from $1,148 last year to $2,538 this year in an eyewatering $1,390 increase. You gotta spend to stay on top.

The No. 1 city in the U.S. for biggest holiday spenders in 2024 is Newton, Massachusetts, a wealthy suburb right outside of Boston, where the median income measured in 2022 was $176,373. Slots 2 through 5 were all cities in California's Silicon Valley: Sunnyvale, Palo Alto, Mountain View, and Milpitas.

Meanwhile, Austin proper landed at No. 87 in 2024 with an average holiday budget of $1,905.

Each year, WalletHub calculates the maximum holiday budget for over 550 U.S. cities "to help consumers avoid post-holiday regret," the website says. The study factors in income, age of the population, and other financial indicators such as debt-to-income ratio, monthly-income-to monthly-expenses ratio, and savings-to-monthly-expenses ratio.

Whether an Austinite's holiday budget is under $200 or more than $1,000, it's better to prioritize remaining within that budget instead of racking up the credit card bill, according to WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo.

"There are plenty of ways to enjoy the holidays and show you care without spending much money, like hosting potlucks or giving handmade gifts," said Lupo.

Other Texas cities that made it into the top 100 are:

No. 7 – Flower Mound ($3,541)
No. 11 – Frisco ($3,412)
No. 13 – The Woodlands ($3,395)
No. 15 – Sugar Land ($3,214)
No. 18 – Allen ($3,070)
No. 25 – League City ($2,897)
No. 32 – Plano ($2,658)
No. 45 – North Richland Hills ($2,484)
No. 52 – McKinney ($2,386)
No. 60 – Pearland ($2,223)
No. 76 – Richardson ($1,980)
No. 81 – Carrollton ($1,932)
No. 92 – Lewisville ($1,848)

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