AUSTIN (Talk1370.com) -- Austin health officials said Friday that just four COVID-19 cases have been traced back to the first weekend of the Austin City Limits Music Festival.
Austin Public Health leadership held their weekly media Q&A Friday morning, with ACL a topic of many of the questions asked.
Officials said they're working with festival organizers to make sure that COVID-19 protocols are followed for the second weekend of the festival, increasing both the amount of signage and audio reminders.
“The event organizers have taken on that responsibility of ensuring that the mitigation measures are being enforced,” said Austin-Travis County health authority Dr. Desmar Walkes.
Under the festival's COVID-19 protocols, attendees must either show proof of a COVID-19 vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of attending the festival. Masks are also required in areas of Zilker Park where social distancing is not possible.
Outside of ACL, health leaders say they're looking at more changes to the risk-based guidelines for COVID-19. That new guidance could come as early as next week, with a potential downgrade to Stage 3 also likely.
As of Friday afternoon, the 7-day moving average of new COVID-19 hospitalizations - one of they key metrics that health leaders are tracking in determining the COVID-19 risk stage - is down to just over 21, the lowest it's been since mid-July. The revised guidance is also expected to take into account the upcoming flu season.
"We’re at a place of reevaluating what is going to be our new reality," Walkes said.