COVID-19 Watch

Austin's active COVID-19 cases hit highest numbers since summer

Positive COVID-19 cases have hit their highest one-day level since July.

Andriy Onufriyenko/Getty Images

As the country waits to see the results of the presidential election, we've been distracted from 2020's other big story: the novel coronavirus. Election season is winding down (hopefully), but the virus has kicked back up in the Austin region, which is now seeing its highest active case numbers since this summer.

Austin's active COVID-19 cases hit 1,034 as of press time. In a release dated November 5, Austin Public Health notes that this is the highest report of active cases since August 15. Of those cases, more than half who have tested positive through APH have been adults between 20 and 39 years old.

APH also urges anyone who was involved in gatherings over the past few days (Halloween celebrations, election watch parties, etc.) to get tested as soon as possible, to self-isolate, and to refrain from visiting at-risk loved ones.

"APH cannot prevent a spike in cases ahead of the winter holidays without the support and cooperation of our entire community," said APH. "An increase in case numbers will lead to needless hospitalizations and deaths."

According to the COVID-19 dashboard, 132 patients are currently hospitalized in Austin-area hospitals with COVID-19. Of those, 52 are in the ICU and 20 are on ventilators.

Austin's recent COVID-19 caseload mimics the nation, which hit a record-breaking 100,000 positive COVID-19 cases this week — a grim milestone was largely overshadowed by the slow-moving ballot count. As the northern part of the country heads inside for winter, Colorado, Indiana, Maine, Minnesota, and Nebraska set single-day case records on November 4, according to data from the New York Times.

In temperate Texas, coronavirus cases are still rising, though at a slower rate than most of the U.S. According to the NYT, positive cases in the Lone Star State hit 10,631 on November 4. The last time Texas surpassed 10,000 new cases was July 31.

Here in Austin, 32,605 cases of COVID-19 have been reported since March with 456 deaths.

health

keep austin healthy

Austin is the 2nd 'healthiest' city in America, Forbes says

Photo by Max Bender on Unsplash

There are plenty of places for Austinites of varying abilities to be active.

The city's abundance of yoga studios, health-conscious restaurants, and run clubs is paying off: Austin was just named the second healthiest city in the nation in a new study by Forbes Advisor.

The report, "Cities With The Least Healthy (And Healthiest) Populations, Ranked" examined 2021 health data from the City Health Dashboard for 46 of the most populated cities in America. Eight metrics were analyzed for each city, such as the number of heart disease or opioid overdose deaths per 100,000 residents, the percentage of adults with diabetes or high blood pressure, among others.

The study focuses exclusively on physical health, and leans on broad risk factors more than the actual occurrence of specific diseases or conditions.

Austin ranked second to San Jose, California, which was dubbed the No. 1 healthiest city in America.

Forbes found that Austin has the lowest percentage of adult high blood pressure out of all 46 cities in the report, at just 22.5 percent. Only 7.4 percent of Austin residents have diabetes, which is the fourth-lowest rate nationwide. The city also boasts the fifth-lowest percentage of adults who smoke (11.3 percent).

Here's how the report ranked four other metrics for Austin:

Eighth-lowest number of heart disease deaths per 100,000 residents (175.5)
Eighth-lowest number of opioid overdose deaths per 100,000 residents (9.6)
10th-lowest percentage of adults who report having obesity (28.2 percent)
10th-lowest percentage of adults who report being physically inactive (18.5)

Austin has a reputation for being an accommodating city, whether it's through restaurants expanding their culinary offerings for vegans and vegetarians, or through local organizations adding exercise equipment to outdoor trails. And you can't forget about all the new gyms and country clubs opening around the city.

At the opposite end of the study, Detroit, Michigan landed as the most unhealthy city in the country.

Elsewhere in Texas
Though Austin is one of the healthiest cities in the U.S., and the healthiest in the state, several other Texas cities fell far behind. Houston appeared as the No. 12 most unhealthy American city on the list, and unhealthiest in Texas. The report attributes this to a high percentage of adults who report binge drinking (18.2 percent), smoking (17.2 percent), and more.

"Houston has the seventh-highest percentage of adults who report having obesity (37.7 percent) and the eighth-highest percentage of adults with diabetes (12 percent)," the report said.

San Antonio ranked as the 15th unhealthiest U.S. city, followed by Dallas (No. 18), El Paso (No. 22) and Fort Worth (No. 25). Arlington appeared as No. 30, technically making it the No. 18 healthiest city in the U.S.

The top 10 cities with the most healthy populations are:

No. 1 – San Jose, California
No. 2 – Austin, Texas
No. 3 – Seattle, Washington
No. 4 – San Diego, California
No. 5 – Denver, Colorado
No. 6 – San Francisco, California
No. 7 – Boston, Massachusetts
No. 8 – Raleigh, North Carolina
No. 9 – Colorado Springs, Colorado
No. 10 – Minneapolis

The full report can be found on forbes.com.

austin healthy reports rankings