17 of 22 Texas Trauma Service Areas are under COVID-19 'surge' Trauma Service Area O – which includes Austin – just dropped below "surge" stage over the weekend, according to health officials. Author: Paul Livengood Updated: 1:37 PM CST January 26, 2021 AUSTIN, Texas — As Austin's COVID-19 statistics have been flattening in the past week or so, the situation statewide still remains at surge levels. In Tuesday's joint meeting with Austin City Council and Travis County Commissioners Court, Austin Public Health Authority Dr. Mark Escott said Trauma Service Area O – which accounts for Austin and its surrounding areas – had dropped just below the "surge" stage. "The one in the middle, O, has turned yellow. That's us," Escott said. "It has turned yellow because we began to drop below that 15% threshold yesterday at 14.59%."