Travis County upgrades COVID status to Stage 4

The move to Stage 4 comes after the area saw an uptick in community transmission rate, hospitalizations and county positivity rate, the metrics used to inform the county's risk-based guidelines.

Texas REALTORS® follows CDC guidelines to determine protocols for prevention of and reaction to cases of COVID-19. On Monday, the CDC made some changes to their recommendations:

• It shortened the recommended times that people should isolate when they've tested positive for Covid-19 from 10 days to five days if they don't have symptoms -- and if they wear a mask around others for at least five more days.

• It shortened the recommended time for people to quarantine if they are exposed to the virus to a similar five days if they are vaccinated. People who are fully vaccinated and boosted may not need to quarantine at all.

These changes will be reflected in our updated Infectious Disease Control Policy, which can be found on our Key Resources page.

The change in status to Stage 4 also alters our rules within the office and as they relate to travel and meetings. Please see the Texas REALTORS® October 2021 COVID-19 Guidance Chart for stage-by-stage guidance, but in short, here's a summary of rules for Stage 4:

• The office remains open - 3/2 hybrid remote policy remains in place for eligible positions.

• Masks are required in all common areas whether you are vaccinated or not.

• Masks are required for all participants in meetings.

• Those that are vaccinated may travel and attend events at your discretion, but masks are required.

• Those that are not vaccinated are not authorized to travel or attend any events or meetings. The department will be responsible for staffing the needs of the meeting or event with staff who are vaccinated.

These rules are critical and will apply to next week's in-person meetings. Please communicate with your Director and departmental Vice President if these requirements impact your availability to participate in upcoming meetings. If you are vaccinated but have not uploaded your proof of vaccination for our Stage 3 mask exemption, you will need to provide your proof of vaccination to be able to participate in meetings.