Austin, Texas – As we close out Halloween and Día de los Muertos, the first of many upcoming holidays, Austin Public Health (APH) wants to remind the community to practice protective behaviors such as washing your hands often, masking and social distancing in public, covering coughs and sneezes, not touching your face, and staying home if you're sick. Last week, APH and local partners made several efforts to remind the community of the ongoing presence of COVID-19 in Austin-Travis County. On Oct. 29, doctors from local hospital systems communicated the importance of continuing to protect our community from COVID-19 as we hit 450 deaths in Austin-Travis County and move into the holiday season. That evening, APH staff set up 450 candles as part of a memorial at the Long Center for Performing Arts to remember the Austin-Travis County residents who have died from COVID-19. On Oct. 30, buildings across downtown Austin turned their lights green to promote the continued health of our community during the pandemic. The Oct. 29 press conference can be viewed in English here and in Spanish here. B-roll of the candle lighting can be viewed here, and additional photos of the memorial can be found here. Photos of the building lights can be found here. Media may use the videos and photos and attribute the City of Austin. For more COVID-19 information and updates, visit AustinTexas.gov/COVID19. | 
