As COVID was being detected across the nation, though not in Austin yet, ACC started to take steps to mitigate the spread and was following the developments. Beginning the week of March 9th, ACC did not anticipate needing to close at any point. By the middle of that week, employees were being identified who could work from home and were in high risk office environments. They were told to prepare to possibly work remotely. On March 12th classes were suspended for the week after spring break, March 23-29, allowing faculty and staff time to finalize preparations to transition to a virtual environment if needed. The expectation still was that most faculty and staff would return to campus on the 30th to resume in person working.
The next morning everything changed within a few hours. The first confirmed case of COVID in Austin was detected early on March 13th, 2020. The University of Texas decided at 6:30 AM to cancel classes for the day and all non-essential personnel should go home. ACC followed suit, telling all students and workers classes are cancelled and to leave campus within an hour if possible. Carmel Fenves, the wife of University of Texas President Greg Fenves, was the first confirmed case in Austin on the 13th. By the end of March 2020, a stay-at-home order had been issued, along with associated social distancing guidelines and operations changes affecting all of Austin and ACC.
