As Council took its noon break from the public work session Tuesday, Mayor Steve Adler announced he would be wearing a mask for the afternoon session in response to a memo from acting City Manager Anne Morgan, who is covering the duties while Spencer Cronk is on parental leave with a new baby. Morgan wrote to warn city employees that the risk of Covid-19 is on the rise. Although Travis County is still at the “medium” level, surrounding areas are in a “high” level of danger. She encouraged all city employees to take the necessary steps to keep themselves, their co-workers and loved ones healthy. While urging everyone to stay up-to-date on their Covid vaccinations, her memo emphasized that wearing a mask indoors is important to stay safe. She said, “Much like how we prepare for rain by grabbing umbrellas and putting on raincoats, we need to prepare for this rise in Covid by putting on our masks. Wearing a mask is like putting on your raincoat.” According to the city website, as of Tuesday, 287,606 people in Travis County had tested positive for the virus. Currently, 191 area residents are hospitalized with the virus. One month ago, 97 Austinites were hospitalized with Covid, while on May 27, that number was just 28.

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Jo Clifton is the Politics Editor for the Austin Monitor.

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