On Thursday, Jan. 6, Austin Public Health (APH) increased Austin’s COVID-19 risk-based guidelines, moving the area to Stage 5. The increased caution is due to an influx of Covid-19 cases following holiday travel, and the quickly spreading Omicron variant.

The first case of the Omicron Covid-19 variant in Texas was first reported on Dec. 6, 2021, and first reported in the United States on Dec. 1. 99.1% of Covid-19 cases in the U.S have also been attributed to Omicron since Jan. 10, and the variant contributed to record numbers of Covid-19 hospitalizations, with 129,515 cases recorded in the U.S. on Jan. 10 alone. 

“The fact that there is a new variant at all, and [that] it’s spreading so quickly is so terrifying,” Sofia Siegel ‘23 said. 

APH’s guidelines range from Stage 1 to Stage 5. Stage 1 is reserved for when community transmission is minimal, while Stage 5 is used when community transmission is at its worst. Prior to the increased spread of Covid-19, Austin was a Stage 4 community. Factors determining the guidelines are the seven-day average of Covid-19 hospitalizations, test positivity rate, and community transmission rate.

“It’s scary because a lot of the people I know who are getting [Covid-19] are really safe about it and I never see them taking their masks off,” Aimee Wang ‘24 said.

This isn’t the first time Austin has been placed in Stage 5; this switch took place just 99 days after the city last left stage 5 guidelines on Sept. 28. In October, the community was at Stage 3, before returning to Stage 4 on Dec. 29. 

Stage 5 guidelines recommend that unvaccinated individuals avoid gatherings with others, shopping, dining in restaurants, and only leave their homes when necessary. Additionally, vaccinated individuals are advised to continue wearing masks when leaving their homes, and to avoid travel and indoor seating options at restaurants when possible.

“Since Omicron is rising, I feel like we have to take a step to be more cautious,” Ananya Swaminathan ‘25 said. 

In addition, the CDC has altered its guidelines for patients infected with Covid-19. Patients are now advised to quarantine for five days, less than half the time of the formerly recommended two weeks. More information regarding the new guidelines can be found on the APH website.