Austin COVID testing sites shutter

Even as the pandemic persists, Austin health officials are shuttering some COVID-19 testing centers. The big picture: At least three testing sites operated by Austin Public Health have closed since mid-February, including one last week in Pflugerville. Why it matters: Sure, between the return of SXSW showcase parties and the lifting of school mask mandates, it's felt weirdly normal lately. But the spread of an even more transmissible Omicron subvariant is making some experts nervous as states lift restrictions and abandon testing — a key tool in combating the virus.

What they're saying: Austin Public Health officials say the moves are meant "to meet the evolving needs of our communities and in response to declining testing demand." At the peak of the Omicron surge, APH teams administered more than 5,500 tests in just three days (Dec. 27–Dec. 30). But by mid-February, that weekly figure dropped to 410 tests administered. "Moving away from mass testing and vaccination sites allows APH to return to its core mission — serving as a safety net provider," APH officials wrote in an email to Axios. "Demand for testing and vaccines has drastically declined, as have infections." Yes but: European researchers warned last week that emerging variants could be more severe than their predecessors. Europe is seeing a resurgence of COVID cases likely driven by its own relaxation of pandemic rules and the spread of the Omicron subvariant BA.2, which also accounts for an increasing proportion of new U.S. cases.