In a move signaling a shift toward more traditional public health operations, Austin Public Health (APH) is putting to bed its dedicated COVID-19 Dashboard, a digital tool that has been pivotal in tracking and transparently sharing the impact of the pandemic on the Austin community. The APH dashboard gained millions of views as it helped steer not only public sentiment but also policy and research during the peak of the crisis. Health officials at Austin-Travis County made the call as part of a broader adaptation to the changes in case reporting by state health authorities.
According to an announcement by the Austin Public Health, the withdrawal comes as individual case reporting requirements by providers have been relaxed by the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS). Now, healthcare practitioners are no longer mandated to inform public health officials of single-case instances, but they must still report suspected or confirmed outbreaks. The move aligns with updated CDC guidelines which now also cover other respiratory illnesses like influenza and RSV, indicating a tapering of severe COVID-19 cases, thanks to vaccination and better treatments.
During its time, the dashboard served an essential role in directing the health authority's response to the pandemic. This was especially evident during the January 2022 surge when over 22,000 cases were reported in a single week. "This is the end of an era for Austin Public Health and the community we serve," Austin–Travis County Health Authority Dr. Desmar Walkes stated. Dr. Walkes detailed the dashboard's significance in aiding community outreach and validating preventive measures.
However, APH has made clear that despite the dashboard's retirement, their vigilance against COVID-19 will continue. Various strategies will be employed to keep tabs on the virus, including wastewater surveillance and tracking COVID-19-related deaths. Chief Epidemiologist Janet Pichette recognized the tireless efforts from various sectors that kept the dashboard, and thereby the public, informed. "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," Pichette mentioned.
While the dashboard's daily updates will cease, the familiar guidelines to combat respiratory viruses remain constant. These include staying updated with COVID-19 vaccinations, practicing proper hygiene, and maintaining social distancing when necessary. APH Director Adrienne Sturrup linked the real-life consequence to the data captured by the dashboard, 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." Sturrup highlighted the easy access to preventive tools and urged the community to apply the lessons learned. APH will work to archive the dashboard data and meanwhile, the DSHS will continue to provide weekly surveillance updates for various respiratory viruses in a single report.
