North Austin News

In the city of Austin, Texas, the Austin Public Health (APH) COVID-19 Dashboard, a crucial tool in tracking the impact of the pandemic, is being retired after providing valuable insights for the past four years. The dashboard, which received millions of views, played a significant role in shaping individual behaviors, emergency operational decisions, research, and policy making.

Austin–Travis County Health Authority Dr. Desmar Walkes expressed the significance of the dashboard, stating, “This is the end of an era for Austin Public Health and the community we serve. We launched the dashboard at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, and it has been invaluable to our work for the last four years.”

The dashboard not only presented data on COVID-19 cases but also highlighted the effects on different zip codes and populations, guiding outreach efforts and emphasizing the importance of vaccination and prevention campaigns. Chief Epidemiologist Janet Pichette acknowledged the collaborative effort that went into maintaining the dashboard, saying, “From data entry and case investigation to IT and communications, it was all hands on deck working 24/7 to ensure we were providing the best information that reflected the situation in our community in a timely manner.”

As the reporting requirements for individual COVID-19 cases change, with providers no longer mandated to report each case to public health, APH continues its surveillance efforts to monitor outbreaks, provide vaccines, and track new variants. APH Director Adrienne Sturrup emphasized the importance of learning from the pandemic experience to ensure a healthier future, stating, “These aren’t just numbers - the dashboard illustrated tragic loss as COVID-19, followed by its highly transmittable variants, ripped through our community surge after surge. It also shows just how successful prevention methods and getting vaccinated were in curbing the impact of the virus.”

While the APH COVID-19 Dashboard is being archived, the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) has consolidated flu, RSV, and COVID-19 surveillance reports into one comprehensive Texas Respiratory Virus Surveillance Report. Vaccines remain easily accessible through various channels, including doctor’s offices, pharmacies, and APH clinics, as the community continues to combat the spread of respiratory viruses.

Throughout the pandemic, the APH dashboard served as a critical resource, shedding light on the impact of COVID-19 on the Austin community and guiding public health responses. As this chapter comes to a close, the lessons learned from the dashboard will continue to inform and shape future public health initiatives in Austin.