Austin News

The Austin-Travis County Alternate Care Site (ACS) at the Austin Convention Center is operational and will begin accepting COVID-19 patients from hospitals.

The ACS was established to take in COVID-19 patients in need of low-intensity care and will free up resources for hospitals across Central Texas to care for patients needing higher-level or intensive care.

“Opening the facility is a signal to the community that we have a long way to go in our fight against COVID-19 and we are grateful to the Texas Division of Emergency Management for their support in the rapid opening of this facility,” Dr. Mark Escott, interim Austin-Travis County Health Authority, said. “While we have increased the capacity of our health care system, we have to reduce our risk and flatten the curve immediately. Central Texas must come together and say that we will not accept unnecessary hospitalizations and death due to COVID-19.”

The City of Austin has partnered with the Texas Division of Emergency Management, Travis County, and the Capital Area Trauma Regional Advisory Council to launch this facility.

The ACS is only accepting patients from hospitals and is not a walk-up site. Protocols are in place to transfer patients to hospitals if their conditions worsen. The facility has a capacity of 25 beds and will expand if necessary.