In what ways did Austin not listen to their own scientists? I was there during part of this and they had a fairly early response, I believe SXSW was one of the first major events to be cancelled in the US. They were also pretty quick about limiting the size of gatherings.

Or it just spread on the West Coast much earlier... which is why Gavin Newsom is autopsying bodies of people who died in Dec and Jan, after it turned out there was confirmed community spread in the Bay Area in late January resulting in a Santa Clara county death in Early Feb..