AISD officials declare masks to be mandatory this school year, in defiance of an Executive Order from Governor Greg Abbott. AISD Superintendent Stephanie Elizalde gives CNN a tour of local school precautions. Local new hospitalizations surpass the peak of the summer 2020 wave and threaten to pass that of the more severe winter spike. Austin remains at 6 ICU beds for the entire metro area. Austin Public Health offers $100 H-E-B gift cards as an incentive to get shots. Blues On The Green's last two shows of the season are postponed, Fantastic Fest requires vaccines for attendance, and Eater Austin runs down a long list of new restrictions at Austin restaurants. Democrats begin trickling back in to the the Texas House of Representatives, to the consternation of some of their colleagues still sequestering in D.C. Former State Senator and Austin Mayor Kirk Watson is considering running for Mayor again. A second Lake Travis drowning victim's body is recovered, while crews continue searching for a third. Two Israeli tech firms announce new facilities in Austin. Culturemap's Tastemaker Awards announce 2021 winners. Tacodeli unveils a new dinner menu and cocktail options. And a lately-rare dangerous heat advisory is issued for most of the area for Tuesday.
