Dec 02, 2020 COVID-19: Press Q & A

[Moderator: Lashaundra Shaw Pool Reporter: Bettie Cross, CBS Austin APH Staff: Dr. Mark Escott, Interim Austin-Travis County Health Authority Stephanie Hayden, APH Director Janet Pichette, APH Chief Epidemiologist Cassandra DeLeon, Interim APH Assistant Director, Disease Prevention Health Promotion Division]

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GOOD MORNING PIO FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN.

AND I AM THE MODERATOR FOR TODAY'S NEWS CONFERENCE.

SPANISH INTERPRETATION OF THIS MEDIA AVAILABILITY IS ON ATX IN THREE TO START AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH DIRECTOR.

STEPHANIE HAYDEN WILL FIRST SAY A FEW WORDS FOLLOWED BY DR.

MARK ASCOT, INTERIM AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY HEALTH AUTHORITY.

THEN JANET PICHETTE AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, CHIEF EPIDEMIOLOGIST FOLLOWED BY CASSANDRA DAILY OWN INTERIM APH ASSISTANT DIRECTOR DISEASE PREVENTION, HEALTH PROMOTION DIVISION.

WE WILL THEN OPEN IT UP TO THE POOL REPORTER WHO WILL ASK QUESTIONS ON BEHALF OF THE MEDIA, STEPHANIE, OVER TO YOU.

IF YOU TRAVELED OUTSIDE OF AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY FOR THE THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY, OR YOU REMAINED IN AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY, AND YOU GATHERED WITH INDIVIDUALS THAT DID NOT LIVE WITH YOU, IT IS GOING TO BE IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO GO ONLINE AND SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT TO DO A TEST.

YOU CAN EITHER CALL THREE, ONE, ONE, AND CONNECT WITH OUR NURSING HOTLINE AND THEY CAN SCHEDULE YOU A TEST, BUT IT IS GOING TO BE IMPORTANT FOR US TO GET YOU TO COME IN AND TO TEST THE TEST CONTINUES TO BE FREE FOR OUR COMMUNITY, AND WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO DO SO.

I'LL TRANSITION OVER TO DR AND SCOTT.

THANK YOU, STEPHANIE.

AND AS A REMINDER, THEY, THE RESOURCES THAT, UH, FOR TESTING FOR THROUGH AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, WE WANT TO RESERVE FOR THOSE, UH, WHO DON'T HAVE HEALTH INSURANCE WHO CAN'T AFFORD TESTING.

THERE ARE ALSO LOTS OF OTHER TESTING SITES AVAILABLE.

IF YOU GOOGLE COVID-19 TESTING, THEN AUSTIN YOU'LL, YOU'LL SAY THERE'S, THERE'S LOTS OF PLACES, BUT ALSO WANT TO MENTION AGAIN, THAT WE ARE IN STAGE FOUR OF OUR COMMUNITY RISK STRATIFICATION.

AND THAT MEANS THAT THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE OVER THE AGE OF 65 AND THOSE WITH MEDICAL CONDITIONS THAT PLACED THEM AT INCREASED RISK FOR SEVERE DISEASE NEED TO BE STAYING HOME.

THEY NEED TO AVOID INDOOR SPACES WITH INDIVIDUALS OUTSIDE OF THEIR HOUSEHOLD.

THEY NEED TO TRANSITION TO TAKE OUT AND DELIVERY FOR GROCERIES, FOR FOOD, UH, OR HAVE SOMEBODY ELSE PICK IT UP FOOD FOR THEM.

IT IS CRITICAL RIGHT NOW IN TEXAS AND ACROSS THE UNITED STATES, THAT THOSE WHO ARE AT THE HIGHEST RISK ARE VERY PROTECTIVE OF THEMSELVES OVER THE COMING WEEKS TO ENSURE THAT WE CAN BUY TIME UNTIL THE VACCINE ARRIVES, THAT WE CAN GET OUT TO THEM, GIVE THEM A NAME.

I JUST WANTED TO THANK EVERYBODY WHO CHECKED, WHO CHOSE TO HAVE A SAFE AND HAPPY THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY AT HOME.

UH, THE NEXT WEEK OR TWO IS GOING TO BE CRUCIAL FOR OUR COMMUNITY.

AS WE BEGAN TO SEE, UH, THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO MAY TURN UP POSITIVE, BECAUSE THEY MAY HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO A PERSON WHO WAS COVID POSITIVE, UH, AS DR ESCADA AND STEPHANIE HAYDEN HAVE MENTIONED, IT'S GOING TO BE VERY IMPORTANT.

IF YOU EXPERIENCED SYMPTOMS THAT YOU GET A TEST, UH, TO DETERMINE WHETHER YOU HAVE COVID AND IF YOU ARE WAITING FOR YOUR TEST RESULTS, IT IS EQUALLY IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO STAY HOME UNTIL YOUR TEST RESULTS ARE POSITIVE.

WE ARE HEARING TIME AND TIME AGAIN ABOUT INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE CONTINUING TO GO TO WORK, KNOWING THAT THEY ARE, UH, COVID POSITIVE BECAUSE THEY THINK THEY HAVE MILD SYMPTOMS AT THAT.

DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU'RE POSITIVE, YOU'RE POSITIVE, YOU NEED TO STAY AT HOME AND REDUCE DISEASE, TRANSMISSION RISKS BY NOT EXPOSING OTHER INDIVIDUALS.

UH, AND WE'RE ALSO HEARING ABOUT BUSINESSES OR, OR MANAGERS IN, UH, IN BUSINESSES WHO ARE TELLING PEOPLE TO COME TO WORK.

UH, EVEN IF THEY HAVE, UH, THEY'RE AWAITING A NEGATIVE WAITING THERE, A NEGATIVE TEST RESULT, OR A POSITIVE TEST RESULT.

IF YOU'VE HAD A TEST AND YOU'RE WAITING YOUR RESULT, YOU NEED TO STAY HOME AND, UH, ISOLATE OR QUARANTINE UNTIL YOUR TEST RESULT COMES BACK, EITHER NEGATIVE OR POSITIVE.

UM, IF YOU'VE BEEN EXPOSED TO AN INDIVIDUAL AND YOU HAVE A NEGATIVE TEST, YOU WILL STILL NEED TO REMAIN IN, IN QUARANTINE UNTIL THAT TEST UNTIL YOU COMPLETE YOUR QUARANTINE PERIOD.

AS WE'VE SAID IN THE PAST, YOU CANNOT TEST YOUR WAY OUT OF A QUARANTINE.

THERE WILL BE SOME CHANGES WE HOPE TO HEAR TODAY FROM THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL ABOUT THE QUARANTINE PERIOD.

AND SO, UH, THAT NEWS SHOULD BE OUT TODAY, UH, AND WE WILL MAKE ADJUSTMENTS ACCORDINGLY, BUT WITHOUT ALTERNATIVE OVER TO

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UM, AND JUST TO KIND OF REITERATE, WE KNOW THAT IT'S IMPORTANT TO STAY THE COURSE AND CONTINUE TO PRACTICE SAFE INFECTION CONTROL MEASURES TO PROTECT US FROM, UM, ADDITIONAL EXPOSURE FROM COVID-19, UH, DISEASE.

UH, PARTICULARLY NOW WE KNOW MORE THAN EVER MORE ABOUT THE VACCINE THAT'S COMING ONLINE.

UM, WE'RE HEARING DAILY THAT THERE'S MORE PROGRESS TOWARDS, UM, GETTING, UM, UH, EMERGENCY USE AUTHORIZATION APPROVAL FROM THE FDA.

AND SO THAT'S REALLY EXCITING NEWS FOR US AS WE PLAN LOCALLY TO ROLL OUT THE VACCINE, UM, THINKING THAT WITHIN THE END OF THIS MONTH, BY THE END OF DECEMBER, WE MAY SEE VACCINE LOCALLY.

UM, HOWEVER, AS VACCINE COMES INTO OUR MARKET AND AS WE SEE MORE AND MORE VACCINE BECAME AVAILABLE FOR PRIORITY POPULATIONS, IT WAS STILL CRITICAL THAT WE PRACTICE THOSE INFECTION CONTROL MEASURES THAT EVERYONE HAS REALLY TALKED ALREADY ON THIS, UM, MEDIA AVAILABILITY SO THAT WE COULD CONTINUE TO PROTECT EACH OTHER UNTIL EVERYONE HAS HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO ACCESS VACCINE.

AND WE'RE ABLE TO REACH, UM, THAT, UM, HERD IMMUNITY THAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACHIEVE SO MUCH.

UM, SO JUST KEEP THOSE EFFORTS GOING.

UM, WE ARE TRYING TO CONTINUE TO MANAGE, UH, THE DISEASE AS, AS WE GRAPPLE WITH THE NEW TOOLS THAT ARE COMING ONLINE AND, UM, ANTICIPATE MORE NEWS ABOUT THE VACCINE AS IT ROLLS INTO, UH, APPROVAL PROCESSES LATER THIS MONTH.

THANK YOU NOW OVER TO OUR POOL REPORTER FROM CBS, AUSTIN, MS. BETTY CROSS, BETTY.

GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE.

AND THANKS FOR MAKING YOURSELVES AVAILABLE TO ALL OF THE MEDIA HERE IN AUSTIN.

MY FIRST QUESTION, WELL, IT'S FROM CBS AUSTIN, AND WE WANT TO KNOW, UM, WITH RAPID TESTING STARTING TODAY FOR AISD STUDENTS AND STAFF, HOW ACCURATE ARE THESE TESTS AND HOW EFFECTIVE DO YOU THINK THEY WILL BE IN SLOWING THE SPREAD OF THE VIRUS IN THE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT? WELL, BETTY, I'LL START OFF BY ANSWERING THAT THEN SAYING THAT THE, THE ANTIGEN TESTS ARE, ARE VERY ACCURATE.

UH, YOU KNOW, IF YOU LOOK AT THE COMPARISON BETWEEN THE ANTIGEN TEST AND PCR TESTS, THE PCR TESTS MAY DETECT SOME ADDITIONAL CASES.

UH, BUT GENERALLY WE BELIEVE THAT ANTIGEN TESTS ARE, ARE DETECTING CASES, WHICH ARE ACTUALLY ABLE TO TRANSMIT DISEASE, WHICH MEANS HIGHER VIRAL LOADS THAN THOSE WHICH MAY BE DETECTED BY PCR TESTS.

UH, SO WE HAVE A LOT OF CONFIDENCE IN THOSE PCR TESTS.

THE TRADE-OFF IS WITH THE ANTIGEN TEST IS THAT WE GET THE ANSWER IN 15 MINUTES.

SO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, THAT JANET SPOKE ABOUT EARLIER, THE WHAT HAPPENS BETWEEN WHEN YOU GET TESTED AND WHEN YOU GET A RESULT, WE DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT IT BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S ALMOST AN INSTANT RESULT.

UH, THERE IS A TRADE-OFF ALSO THOUGH THAT, THAT WE PROCESS THOSE TESTS.

SO WE CAN'T DO AS MANY AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN WITH PCR TESTS THEY'RE BEING SENT OFF, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT HAVING, UH, THE ANTIGEN TEST IN LARGER VOLUMES NOW AND LOOK FORWARD TO UTILIZING THEM AS PART OF OUR MITIGATION STRATEGY.

ANOTHER THING I'D LIKE TO ADD IS SINCE, UM, THE OTHER REASON WE ARE EXCITED ABOUT THE ANTIGEN TEST IS, IS, UM, THIS IS A, UM, A PILOT THAT WE ARE WORKING WITH AISD.

UM, OUR GOAL IS, IS TO DO SOME ADDITIONAL TESTING, UM, NEXT WEEK AS WELL, UM, DOING TESTING FOR TITLE ONE SCHOOLS.

IN ADDITION TO THAT, UM, COLLABORATING WITH OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS WHERE THEY MAY POTENTIALLY NEED US TO ASSIST THEM WITH THE ANTIGEN TEST.

SO THIS IS DEFINITELY A GAME CHANGER FOR US, AND WE ARE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS OPPORTUNITY.

OKAY.

THE NEXT QUESTION IS FROM COMMUNITY IMPACT, WILL TRAVIS COUNTY DISTRIBUTE BOTH THE PFIZER AND MODERNA VACCINES IF THEY BECOME AVAILABLE AROUND THE SAME TIME OR WILL ONE BE SELECTED OVER THE OTHERS? JUMP IN ON THAT.

UM, WE ARE PLANNING TO DISTRIBUTE EITHER ONE OF THOSE VACCINES AS THEY BECOME AVAILABLE.

AND THERE ARE SIX OTHER CANDIDATES THAT ARE IN THE PIPELINE.

UM, AND ALL OF OUR VACCINE PARTNERS THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH HAVE BEEN MAKING PLANS TO DISTRIBUTE WHICHEVER VACCINE BECOMES AVAILABLE, AND WE ARE, UM, PLANNING FOR THAT AS THEY, UM, WOULD ENTER INTO OUR MARKET.

AND BETTY I'LL, I'LL JUMP IN ON THERE AS WELL.

UH, AS YOU MAY BE AWARE, BOTH THE, THE, UH, THE PFIZER AND THE MADRONA VACCINE ARE BOTH MESSENGER RNA VACCINES.

SO THEY WORK IN A VERY SIMILAR WAY.

THE EFFICACY BETWEEN THE TWO IS VERY SIMILAR.

AND I WANT TO POINT OUT THAT, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE MOST REMARKABLE THINGS FROM THE PRELIMINARY DATA THAT THAT HAS BEEN SHARED IS THAT ZERO

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SO NOT ONLY ARE WE TALKING ABOUT PREVENTING A DISEASE SPREAD, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AT LEAST AT THIS STAGE COMPLETELY PREVENTING SEVERE CASES, WHICH IS THE THING THAT WE'RE REALLY WORRIED ABOUT.

UH, OBVIOUSLY THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT MORE DATABASE TO BE SHARED AND, AND COLLECTED.

UH, BUT THESE RESULTS ARE VERY PROMISING FOR BOTH OF THESE, UH, FRONT RUNNER VACCINES.

WE, WE ALSO, UM, WITH THE VACCINE COMING ON BOARD, WE ARE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE VACCINE, BUT WE ALSO WANT TO JUST REMIND PEOPLE THAT WE WANT THEM TO STAY THE COURSE, UM, AND CONTINUE TO LAST THEIR DISTANCE AND WASH THEIR HANDS AND MAKE SURE THEY WEAR THEIR MASK AND STAY HOME IF THEY'RE ILL, UM, AND FOLLOW THE GUIDELINES, UM, THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE.

AND SO THOSE THINGS ARE GOING TO BE IMPORTANT AS WE WAIT FOR THE VACCINE.

AND EVEN AFTER THE VACCINE IS HERE, THAT WE CONTINUE THOSE PRACTICES.

THE NEXT QUESTION IS FROM OSTEOPENIA, WHICH FRONTLINE HEALTHCARE WORKERS WILL BE INCLUDED IN THE FIRST WAVE OF COVID VACCINATIONS HERE IN AUSTIN.

WILL IT BE ICU DOCTORS, ER, NURSES, GENERAL PRACTITIONERS? I THINK THEY'RE JUST TRYING TO GET A SENSE HERE OF EXACTLY WHAT THE, WHAT THE LAYOUT, THE, THE, WHY AM I STRUGGLING WITH THIS NOW, WHAT THE ORDER WOULD BE FOR HEALTHCARE WORKERS? SO I'LL, I'LL START BY SAYING, YOU KNOW, THIS IS THE, UH, A SIMILAR ISSUE THAT WE HAD THAT WE HAD WITH, WITH PPE WHO GETS IT FIRST.

UH, WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO, UH, YOU KNOW, REALLY NEED TO GET THIS VACCINE EARLY, BUT NOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PRIORITIZING WITHIN THE PRIORITY GROUPS OF HEALTHCARE WORKERS AND FIRST RESPONDERS, ET CETERA.

I THINK THE DATA THAT WE HAVE LOCALLY, THE DATA NATIONALLY IS VERY CLEAR.

THE PEOPLE AT THE ABSOLUTE HIGHEST RISK FOR COVID-19 SEVERE ILLNESS AND DEATH ARE THOSE LIVING IN NURSING HOMES.

SO I BELIEVE THAT WE REALLY NEED TO FOCUS OUR EFFORTS EARLY ON THE VERY FIRST VACCINES TO THOSE RESIDENTS AND THOSE HEALTHCARE WORKERS, CARING FOR INDIVIDUALS IN THOSE SETTINGS.

OBVIOUSLY, WE ALSO WANT TO SECURE THE REST OF THE HEALTHCARE INFRASTRUCTURE TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE PERSONNEL AVAILABLE.

WE ARE WELL AWARE OF THE FACT THAT THERE IS LIMITED REDUNDANCIES IN PERSONNEL, IN OUR ICU, IN OUR HOSPITALS EMERGENCY ROOMS AND IN OUR FIRST RESPONDERS.

SO THOSE WILL ALSO BE HIGH PRIORITY GROUPS.

UH, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WE'RE EXPECTING TO HAVE, UH, A SMALL ALLOCATION OF VACCINE AND THE DECEMBER TIMEFRAME WITH MORE COMING IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY.

OUR HOPE IS THAT, YOU KNOW, IN THOSE FIRST THREE MONTHS OF VACCINE DISTRIBUTION, THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO HIT ALL OF THOSE HEALTHCARE WORKERS AND THOSE, UH, INDIVIDUALS LIVING IN, IN LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES.

AND I'D LIKE TO ADD, THIS IS, UM, SOME WORK THAT OUR, UM, AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY VACCINE DISTRIBUTION COALITION IS FOCUSED ON IS WHAT OUR PARTY POPULATIONS AS THAT FINITE RESOURCE OF VACCINE COMES INTO OUR MARKET.

HOW DO WE PRIORITIZE AS VACCINE PROVIDERS ARE THINKING ABOUT WHO THEY WOULD BE NEEDING TO DISTRIBUTE VACCINE TO FIRST, THESE ARE IMPORTANT CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'RE HAVING ACROSS OUR HEALTHCARE SYSTEM TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN WE GET THAT RESOURCE, THAT WE'RE ABLE TO MAXIMIZE THAT AND ENSURE THAT WE EXTEND THOSE PROTECTIONS AS MUCH AS WE CAN WITH THE LIMITED RESOURCES THAT WE ARE PROVIDED.

THE NEXT QUESTION IS FROM KUT, HAS AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH REACHED OUT DIRECTLY TO GOVERNOR ABBOTT'S OFFICE TO ASK FOR MORE FLEXIBILITY, TO CLOSE OR REDUCE CAPACITY AT SOME BUSINESSES.

YOU KNOW, I, I THINK THE GOVERNOR HAS BEEN VERY CLEAR WHEN, WHEN OTHER JURISDICTIONS HAVE APPROACHED THE STATE, UH, TO BLOWER THOSE LIMITS, UH, AND THE RESPONSE HAS BEEN, YOU NEED TO ENFORCE THE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE RULES THAT ARE IN PLACE NOW, AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE DOING.

UH, WE'RE INCREASING ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITIES, INCREASING INSPECTION ACTIVITIES THROUGH AUSTIN, PUBLIC HEALTH, ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SERVICES.

UH, AND YOU KNOW, WE ARE WORKING WITH THOSE BUSINESSES TO ENSURE THAT WE CAN INCREASE COMPLIANCE.

THERE MAY BE A STAGE, PARTICULARLY IF WE ENTER STAGE FIVE WHERE WE MAY WANT THE ABILITY TO DECREASE CAPACITY OCCUPANCY OF, OF BUSINESSES TO HELP MITIGATE THE SPREAD.

UH, IF THAT HAPPENS, THEN WE WILL

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AND SO I WOULD LIKE TO APPLAUD THEM FOR THEIR EFFORTS.

AND SO AS AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY, WE HAVE PULLED TOGETHER, UM, WE ARE, WE HAVE BEEN REALLY STRONG.

AND SO KNOWING THAT WE MAY HAVE SOME LIMITATIONS, UM, IN, IN DIFFERENT EFFORTS THAT WE MAY BE ABLE TO ENFORCE.

IT'S JUST REALLY GREAT AS A CITY THAT ALL OF US HAVE PULLED TOGETHER COLLABORATIVELY TO WORK ON THIS BASED ON THE WARNINGS THAT WE PROVIDE, UM, IN OUR COMMUNICATIONS.

OUR NEXT QUESTION IS FROM THE AUSTIN AMERICAN STATESMAN, THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC FORCED THE CANCELLATIONS OF MANY BIG EVENTS IN AUSTIN THIS YEAR.

NOW LOOKING AHEAD TO 2021, HOW DOES DR.

S SCOTT PLAN TO TACKLE RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING THE POSSIBLE CANCELLATIONS OF UPCOMING EVENTS THIS SPRING? WELL, I, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT, THAT THE LARGE EVENTS OR THE FIRST THING THAT WE TURNED OFF AND WE'LL PROBABLY BE THE LAST THING WE TURNED BACK ON, BUT THE SITUATION, YOU KNOW, AS THE, THE VACCINE BECOMES AVAILABLE, AS PEOPLE GET THE VACCINE, AND AS WE MOVE CLOSER TOWARDS HERD IMMUNITY, THAT RISK FOR LARGE SURGES WILL START TO DIMINISH.

THAT'S WHY IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THAT FOLKS GET THE VACCINE, UH, COMPLETE THEIR SERIES OF VACCINE, BECAUSE WE KNOW RIGHT NOW THAT AT LEAST THESE INITIAL, UH, VACCINES ARE GOING TO REQUIRE TWO DOSES THAT THE BETTER COMPLIANCE WE CAN GET WITH THE VACCINATION, THE MORE LIKELY IT IS THAT, YOU KNOW, AS WE APPROACH APRIL, MAY, JUNE, THAT WE'LL BE MORE INCLINED TO START APPROVING THOSE LARGER EVENTS.

OUR NEXT QUESTION STARTS WITH QUOTE AND IT'S FROM GOVERNOR ABBOTT, AND IT SAYS, TEXAS, AND I'M QUOTING HERE IS ALREADY PREPARED STRUCTURALLY FOR THE QUICK DISTRIBUTION OF THOSE VACCINES ONCE THEY ARE APPROVED.

THAT WAS APPARENTLY A COMMENT GOVERNOR ABBOTT MADE IN NOVEMBER 26TH.

WHAT DETAILS NOW, HERE'S THE QUESTION.

CAN YOU SHARE OF THE STATE PLAN AND THE STRUCTURAL PREPARATIONS ALREADY MADE IN CENTRAL TEXAS? UM, THEY, THE STATE PLAN WAS ACTUALLY ACTUALLY RELEASED OCTOBER 16TH AND, UM, SINCE THAT PLAN, UM, HAS BEEN RELEASED, AND EVEN PRIOR TO THAT PLAN BEING RELEASED, OUR DEPARTMENT, UM, HAS BEEN MEETING WITH, UM, THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES AND WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH THEM ON THE PLAN THAT THEY HAVE.

SO IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US.

UM, AND WE HAVE BEEN SHARING OF THAT INFORMATION PUBLICLY, AS WELL AS, UM, WITH OUR PARTNERS.

WE IMPLEMENTED THE VACCINE, UM, COALITION, WHICH DISTRIBUTION, UM, COALITION, WHICH IS AN ACTUAL REGIONAL COALITION.

AND SO WE HAVE, UM, STATE STAFF THAT WORK FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES THAT ARE A PART OF THAT GROUP.

AND SO, UM, THE PHASES THAT WE ARE AWARE OF IS INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE SHARED PUBLICLY KNOWING THAT NOVEMBER WAS, UM, UH, MORE OF A PLANNING PHASE, UM, DECEMBER, UM, WAS SLATED TO BE, UM, TIME WHERE THERE WOULD BE, UM, THE FIRST AMOUNT OF VACCINE WOULD BE AVAILABLE AND THEN ANTICIPATING, UM, FROM JANUARY TO JULY, UM, THAT THERE WOULD BE A LITTLE BIT MORE VACCINE AVAILABLE.

AND THEN THE REST OF THE YEAR, UM, A LITTLE BIT MORE VACCINE KIND OF BASED UPON WHAT THAT PLAN SAYS.

AND SO FOR US, UM, WE CONTINUE TO HAVE WEEKLY MEETINGS WITH THE, UM, DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES, UM, AND CONTINUED THAT TRAINING WITH THEM.

AND WE WILL IN TURN, UM, THE CITY OF AUSTIN WILL, UM, WE WILL HAVE A PLAN THAT WE ARE GOING TO, UM, PUT THAT WE'RE GOING

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AND I'D LIKE TO JUMP IN JUST TO MENTION, UM, MORE SPECIFICS ABOUT, UM, THE LOCAL LEVEL PLANNING THAT WE HAVE BEEN DOING AS, UM, DIRECTOR HAYDEN MENTIONED THE PARTNERSHIPS THROUGH THE VACCINE COALITION HAVE BEEN CRITICAL.

UM, AND THOSE HAVE BEEN PARTNERSHIPS THAT WE'VE HAD THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE RESPONSE WE'RE BUILDING OFF OF THE LESSONS LEARNED THAT WE HAVE, UH, GAINED FROM THE POINT OF TESTING, UM, THAT MANY OF OUR HEALTHCARE PARTNERS HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH ALONGSIDE WITH AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH.

BUT IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE HAVE BEEN IN PREPARATION FOR, UM, DISTRIBUTING A VACCINE, UM, FOR MULTIPLE YEARS NOW.

AND WE'VE DONE EXERCISES AS RECENT AS LAST MONTH TO PREPARE AND PLAN FOR WHAT ARE THE LOGISTICAL NEEDS WE NEED TO PUT IN PLACE TO ROLL OUT A VACCINE, UM, REGARDLESS OF THE TYPE OF VACCINE THAT WE GET, THAT WE HAVE THE, UM, PIECES IN PLACE TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT, UM, AND, AND BE ABLE TO MANAGE THE MASS QUANTITIES OF FOLKS THAT WE'D HAVE TO BRING IN FOR THOSE, UM, FOR THAT VACCINE DISTRIBUTION.

SO WE'VE GOT A LOT OF PRINTING THAT WE HAVE PUT IN PLACE PLAYBOOKS THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO, UM, DEVELOP, UM, AND HAVING THAT INFORMATION FROM THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES HAS BEEN ESSENTIAL IN INFORMING THOSE, THOSE, UM, PREPARATION PLANS.

AND THEN ALSO THIS ONGOING COMMUNICATION ACROSS ALL OF OUR HEALTHCARE PARTNERS AND THE OTHERS THAT ARE COMING ONLINE, THAT WOULD BE CRITICAL IN HELPING TO INFORM HOW WE ROLL OUT VACCINE OR HAVE BEEN IMPORTANT IN HELPING US TO BE ABLE TO STAND UP THOSE OPERATIONS WHEN WE ACTUALLY GET VACCINE IN OUR MARKET.

SO WE'RE READY TO DISTRIBUTE.

I'D JUST LIKE TO ADD THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A VERY PRESCRIPTIVE PROCESS THAT BOTH THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES, UH, WILL BE ASKING THE LOCALS TO IMPLEMENT.

UM, SO AGAIN, UH, YOU KNOW, IF WE CAN HOLD ON AND STAY THE COURSE UNTIL WE GET THAT VACCINE INTO OUR COMMUNITY, UH, WE WILL MAKE ALL THE NECESSARY ADJUSTMENTS AND MODIFICATIONS TO OUR PLANNING SO THAT WE CAN DELIVER, UH, EFFECTIVELY AND EFFICIENTLY AND SAFELY TO OUR COMMUNITY.

OUR NEXT QUESTION IS FROM KX SANS.

OH, I'M SORRY.

I GOT AHEAD OF MYSELF.

THE DAILY TEXAN IS AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH WORKING WITH UT AUSTIN TO COORDINATE VACCINE DISTRIBUTION FOR THE UT COMMUNITY, OR WILL IT BE HANDLED SEPARATELY? I CAN JUMP IN, UM, UT AUSTIN IS A KEY PART OF OUR VACCINE DISTRIBUTION COALITION.

UM, THEY DEFINITELY ARE LOOKING TO SEE WHAT IS THE BEST APPROACH FOR ENSURING VACCINATING, UH, THEIR, UH, STUDENT POPULATION, AS WELL AS THEIR FACULTY AND STAFF.

UM, AND, UH, BUT THAT'S PART OF ALL OF OUR PARTNERS THAT ARE ONLINE, UH, TO WORK WITH THAT.

I THINK WHAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO NOTE IS WE ALL, AS VACCINE PROVIDERS CONSIDER WHO ARE THE PARTY POPULATIONS TO BE CONSIDERED FOR PHASE ONE, UM, AND NOTING THAT MAJORITY OF THE STUDENT POPULATION ARE HEALTHY YOUNG INDIVIDUALS AND NOT NECESSARILY THOSE MOST VULNERABLE POPULATIONS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO PROTECT WITH THAT INITIAL, UM, ALLOCATION OF VACCINE.

AND SO THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, BUT THEY'RE AN IMPORTANT PARTNER THAT WE'LL BE WORKING THROUGH THROUGHOUT ALL OF THE PHASES OF THE, UM, VACCINE ROLLOUT.

AND AS, UM, VACCINE, UM, BECOMES MORE AND MORE AVAILABLE AND THE STUDENT POPULATION IS SLATED AND THOSE OPPORTUNITIES BECOME, UH, AVAILABLE FOR THEM TO GET THAT POPULATION, UM, VACCINATED.

WE WILL BE WORKING WITH UT TO HELP AND ASSIST MESSAGING TO ENSURE THAT THOSE STUDENTS TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE VACCINE AND THE FACULTY AND STAFF TAKE ADVANTAGE OF VACCINE WHEN IT'S, IT'S MADE AVAILABLE, UH, DURING THE APPROPRIATE PHASE.

OUR NEXT QUESTION IS FROM KX KSAN, LOOKING AHEAD TO CHRISTMAS, DO YOU EXPECT YOUR RECOMMENDATION WILL BE THE SAME AS IT WAS FOR THANKSGIVING, MEANING DON'T TRAVEL AND DON'T GATHER WITH PEOPLE YOU DON'T LIVE WITH.

I IMAGINE OUR RECOMMENDATIONS ARE GOING TO BE VERY SIMILAR TO, UH, TO THANKSGIVING IN, IN RELATION TO CHRISTMAS.

UH, AND UNFORTUNATELY WE'RE SEEING ONGOING INCREASES IN, IN CASES OF HOSPITALIZATIONS AND DEATHS IN THE UNITED STATES AND ACROSS TEXAS.

UH, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT A LITTLE OVER THREE WEEKS BEFORE CHRISTMAS, AND IT'S HARD TO IMAGINE THAT THINGS WILL IMPROVE, UH, SIGNIFICANTLY ENOUGH FOR US TO HAVE DIFFERENT RECOMMENDATIONS.

AS WE SAID BEFORE THIS YEAR, IT'S ABOUT MODIFYING THOSE TRADITIONS INTO NEW TRADITIONS THAT CAN BE DONE SAFELY.

AND THAT IS GOING TO MEAN AGAIN FOR CHRISTMAS THAT WE GATHER WITH PEOPLE WITHIN OUR HOUSEHOLD AND THAT WE STILL INTERACT WITH OTHERS OUTSIDE OF OUR HOUSEHOLD, OUR EXTENDED FAMILY, OUR FRIENDS, BUT WE DO THAT VIRTUALLY AND SAFELY.

[00:25:03]

UH, I'M GONNA SAY PROBABLY STARTING THIS WEEK, WEEK OR INTO THE WEEKEND AND INTO NEXT WEEK.

AND SO IT WILL BE REALLY TELLING FOR US, AND, UH, WE'LL FEED INFORMATION AND DATA TO US ABOUT WHAT WE COULD ANTICIPATE FOR THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS AS WELL.

SO I'D LIKE TO SAY THAT WE FINISH OUT, UH, 2020 WITH A FLATTENED CURVE, AND I HOPE THAT'S THE CASE, UH, RATHER THAN SEEING IT SPIKE OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS.

MY, MY HOPE IS, IS THAT SOME INDIVIDUALS MADE NEW TRADITIONS, UM, FOR THANKSGIVING.

UM, ONE OF, OF MY COLLEAGUES SENT ME ZOOM THANKSGIVING.

AND SO I THOUGHT THAT WAS VERY CREATIVE, WHERE THEY, UM, BASICALLY HAD THEIR THANKSGIVING DINNER AND THEY HAD PARTICIPANTS, UM, YOU KNOW, ALL OVER, YOU KNOW, IN TEXAS, BUT OUTSIDE OF TEXAS AS WELL.

SO I, I HOPE I HOPE IS, IS THAT INDIVIDUALS HAVE CREATED NEW TRADITIONS, THAT THEY ARE GOING TO SHARE THOSE TRADITIONS, UM, YOU KNOW, PUBLICLY, UM, USING SOCIAL MEDIA, OTHER AVENUES.

BUT OUR HOPE IS, IS THAT WE KNOW THAT THIS IS, IS, IS CONTINUING TO WEAR ON FOLKS.

WE UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS FATIGUE, BUT WE REALLY WANT US TO STAY THE COURSE.

UM, WE CAN ALL GET THROUGH THIS TOGETHER.

WE ARE IN THIS TOGETHER AND WE WILL FINISH STRONG TOGETHER.

OUR NEXT QUESTION IS FROM THE AUSTIN CHRONICLE BEAR COUNTY AND SAN ANTONIO INSTITUTED A NIGHTLY CURFEW OVER THANKSGIVING WEEKEND, AND AN EFFORT TO CURB THE SPREAD OF COVID-19.

DO YOU THINK A SIMILAR CURFEW IN AUSTIN WOULD HELP SLOW THE RISE IN CASES HERE IN AUSTIN? I THINK SAN ANTONIO IS IN A DIFFERENT SITUATION THAN, THAN AUSTIN RIGHT NOW.

UH, THEY'RE SAN ANTONIO'S CASES, BARE COUNTIES CASES ARE ROUGHLY DOUBLE THE PER CAPITA RATE OF, OF AUSTIN RIGHT NOW.

UH, WE'RE SEEING LOTS OF VARIATIONS IN DISEASE TREND AND HOSPITALIZATIONS AROUND THE STATE OF TEXAS IN AUSTIN.

WHEN WE LOOK AT THE MAJOR METROPOLITAN COUNTIES ARE IN A BETTER SITUATION THAN ALL OF THEM, AND THAT'S BECAUSE OUR COMMUNITY HAS RESPONDED, OUR COMMUNITY IS ENGAGED IN THOSE PROTECTIVE ACTIONS.

OUR COMMUNITY HAS A MASKING AND DISTANCING AND WASHING THEIR HANDS.

AND IF WE CONTINUE THOSE PRACTICES, WE DON'T NEED TO HAVE A CURFEW.

UM, BUT OUR, AGAIN, OUR HOPE IS THAT THAT, UH, THAT FOLKS WILL CONTINUE TO DO THAT.

IF WE REACH STAGE FIVE, THERE MAY BE A REASON TO CONSIDER A CURFEW AT THAT STAGE.

BUT I DON'T THINK AT THIS STAGE IT'S NECESSARY.

I AGREE WITH DR.

S SCOTT.

UM, WE, WE HAVE REALLY, UM, THE INFORMATION THAT WE SHARE.

UM, I CANNOT TELL YOU THE NUMBER OF FOLKS THAT, YOU KNOW, REACHED OUT TO ME TO SAY, I'VE CHANGED MY, MY TRAVELING PLAN.

I'M NOT GOING TO TRAVEL FOR THANKSGIVING AND I'M NOT GOING TO TRAVEL FOR THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS.

UM, AND THEY ARE, THEY HAVE DONE THINGS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY.

AND SO I AM REALLY EXCITED HOW AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY DOES RESPOND TO US, AND WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE AS MUCH INFORMATION AS WE CAN.

UM, SO OUR, OUR, THE, OUR PARTNERS ACROSS THE COMMUNITY WILL CONTINUE TO RESPOND IN A GREAT WAY.

OUR NEXT QUESTION IS FROM FOX SEVEN, THE WHITE HOUSE IS CALLING ON TEXAS TO INTENSIFY MITIGATION EFFORTS, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO MASKING AND SIGNIFICANTLY LIMITING INDOOR CAPACITY.

IS THERE ANY INDICATION WE MAY MOVE TO TOUGHER GUIDELINES OF THIS RECOMMENDATION AND, YOU KNOW, WITH OUR TRANSITION TO STAGE FOUR, UH, WE RECOMMENDED THAT THAT BUSINESSES ONLY OPEN TO A MAXIMUM OF 50%.

UH, I THINK GIVEN THE, THE TRENDS ACROSS THE STATE, THAT TRANSITION FROM THE STATE BACK TO

[00:30:01]

UH, WE KNOW THAT THAT THE DISEASE IS MORE LIKELY TO SPREAD INDOORS, UH, AND LESS LIKELY OUTDOORS.

SO, UH, YOU KNOW, OUR HOPE IS THAT DESPITE THE FACT THAT WE CAN'T ORDER, UH, RESTAURANTS AND OTHER BUSINESSES TO DECREASE THEIR OCCUPANCY BEYOND THE STATE'S RECOMMENDATIONS THAT THEY WILL DO.

SO IN AN EFFORT TO PROTECT US COMMUNITY AGAIN, WE'VE, WE'VE SEEN UNCONTROLLED AND CATASTROPHIC SURGE IN EL PASO.

LUBBOCK IS SAYING, UH, YOU KNOW, SIGNIFICANT SURGE RIGHT NOW, DALLAS FORT WORTH SAN ANTONIO IS SURGING.

HOUSTON IS SURGING.

UH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE LIST GOES ON AND ON AND ON OF PLACES THAT ARE REALLY STRUGGLING RIGHT NOW.

AND WHAT WE'RE SEEING RIGHT NOW ALSO IS THAT OUR RURAL COMMUNITIES ARE SUFFERING, UH, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IN MANY OF THOSE COMMUNITIES, THE ADVICE FROM LOCAL OFFICIALS WASN'T AS STRONG AS IT WAS HERE IN AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY REGARDING MASSING AND DISTANCING IN SOME OF THOSE MORE RURAL COUNTIES, PLACES LIKE BARS HAVE BEEN OPEN, UH, INCREASING THE RISK.

SO I THINK IT'S TIME THAT AS A STATEWIDE COMMUNITY, WE START TO REASSESS THAT PLAN AND MAKE A DETERMINATION IF, IF WE NEED TO, TO, TO FURTHER REDUCE THE RISK BY REDUCING OUR OCCUPANCY STATEWIDE FOR, FOR A LITTLE WHILE.

WE'VE NOW STARTED SECOND QUESTIONS FOR THE MEDIA.

SO WE'RE ONCE AGAIN, BACK TO CBS, AUSTIN AND DR.

SCOTT, YOU TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS YESTERDAY TO TRAVIS COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, BUT I WANTED TO FOLLOW UP.

WHEN DO YOU THINK THE 15 MINUTE RAPID ANTIGEN TESTING MIGHT BE READILY AVAILABLE FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC, OR DO YOU SEE IT AS BEING AN EASILY ADMINISTERED ALTERNATIVE TO CURRENT TESTING? UH, WELL, MAYBE I CAN SAY THAT RIGHT NOW.

UH, WE HAVE ABOUT 6,000 OF THOSE TESTS.

UH, SO IT'S NOT GOING TO LAST US VERY LONG.

UH, BUT WE DO KNOW THAT THAT, UH, THE STATE IS RECEIVING MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF THESE TESTS RIGHT NOW, THOSE TESTS ARE FOCUSED ON, ON OUR SCHOOLS TO ENSURE THAT WE CAN KEEP OUR SCHOOLS OPEN SAFELY AND PROTECT OUR STUDENTS AND OUR TEACHERS.

BUT OUR HOPE IS THAT AS THE MONTHS CONTINUE, THAT THE AVAILABILITY OF THOSE RAPID TESTS WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE, UH, AND THAT WE CAN START TO TRANSITION MORE OF OUR PUBLIC TESTING TO THE ANTIGEN TESTS BECAUSE OF THAT RAPID RESULT.

UH, AGAIN, IT'S, YOU KNOW, THE BEAUTIFUL THING ABOUT THE, THE ABBOT BINANCE NOW TEST THE ANTIGEN TEST IS THAT IT DOESN'T REQUIRE A MACHINE TO RUN IT.

IT'S, IT'S SORT OF LIKE A PREGNANCY TEST.

UH, YOU SWAP THE DOSE, YOU JUST STICK IT IN THE, THE CARD, YOU PUT SOME SOLUTION ON IT, AND YOU GET A RESULT IN, IN 15 MINUTES, UH, THAT CERTAINLY COULD BE A GAME CHANGER FOR US AS WE MANAGE THIS DISEASE.

AND AGAIN, OUR HOPE IS THAT WE WILL SEE THOSE SUPPLIES CONTINUING TO INCREASE IN THE COMING MONTHS.

THE NEXT QUESTION IS FROM COMMUNITY IMPACT, WILL TRAVIS COUNTY'S COVID-19 VACCINE DISTRIBUTION PLAN LINE UP EXACTLY WITH THE STATES, FOR INSTANCE, WE'LL APH HAVE SOME DISCRETION OVER WHO RECEIVES THE VACCINE NEXT AFTER PEOPLE IN NURSING HOMES AND FRONTLINE HEALTHCARE WORKERS.

WELL, I'LL START BY SAYING IT'S, WE'RE, WE'RE AWAITING THE STATE'S FINAL GUIDANCE ON THAT.

IT'S NOT CLEAR YET HOW PRESCRIPTIVE THE STATE'S GOING TO BE FOR, FOR THE PHASES OF, OF THE DISTRIBUTION.

UM, BUT YOU KNOW, AGAIN, OUR HOPE IS THAT THAT WE CAN COVER THOSE, THOSE HIGH RISK INDIVIDUALS EARLY ON, UH, AND, YOU KNOW, THAT INCLUDES OUR PRIORITY POPULATIONS.

SO OUR COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, UH, WHO ARE, ARE ALSO AT HIGHER RISK DUE TO UNDERLYING CONDITION AND LACK OF, UH, ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE AND OTHER, OTHER, UH, SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH THAT THAT WILL IMPACT THEIR COURSE.

UM, BUT AGAIN, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO WAIT A LITTLE BIT LONGER FOR THOSE FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS FROM CDC, UH, TO, TO GO TO THE STATE AND THEN WORKING WITH OUR COALITION TO MAKE FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS FOR OUR COMMUNITY.

AND, UM, TO ECHO WHAT DR.

S SCOTT SAID, WE DEFINITELY ARE TRYING TO, UM, MAKE SURE THAT WHATEVER PLANNING WE DO AS FAR AS PRIORITIZING POPULATIONS, THAT IT IS, UM, IN STEP WITH WHAT THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL PREVENTION IDENTIFIES, AND WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES, HOWEVER, THE COALITION HAS DEVELOPED OUR OWN LOCALIZED PARTY POPULATION GUIDELINES THAT WE'VE PROVIDED ON OUR WEBSITE, SO THAT IT HELPS GET ADDITIONAL GUIDANCE AS TO

[00:35:01]

HOW DO WE THEN FURTHER DRILL DOWN INTO HOW WE WOULD IDENTIFY WHO WE WOULD ESCALATE TO, UM, BE THE FIRST IN LINE TO GET THOSE VACCINES, UM, ECHOING WITH DR.

SCOTT SAYS, WE'RE FOLLOWING THE DATA WE'RE FOLLOWING WHO HAS THE MOST SEVERE ILLNESS FROM COVID, UH, SO THAT WE CAN BETTER PROTECT EVERYONE INVOLVED, UH, IN OUR COMMUNITY.

SO WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THOSE DIFFERENT PIECES AND OUR VACCINE COALITION PARTNERS, UM, HEALTHCARE PARTNERS, BUT ALSO THOSE THAT ARE PARTICIPATING IN THE VACCINE COALITION THAT ARE REPRESENTING THOSE GROUPS THAT ARE MOST DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTED, ARE KEY TO INFORMING HOW WE CAN BETTER MEET THOSE NEEDS AND MITIGATE THE BARRIERS THAT THEY MAY HAVE TO ACCESS.

OUR NEXT QUESTION IS FROM ASTONIA FEDERAL CARES ACT FUNDING MUST BE SPENT BY THE END OF THE MONTH WITHOUT A NEW RELIEF PACKAGE IN PLACE.

HOW WILL AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH CONTINUE TO FUND ITS PANDEMIC SERVICES LIKE TESTING, VACCINE, DISTRIBUTION EVENTS, AND OTHERS, THE DEPARTMENT, UM, ALERTED, UM, CITY COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR, AS WELL AS, UM, THE CITY MANAGER OF WHAT WE WOULD NEED TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE SERVICES AT THE LEVEL THAT WE ARE PROVIDING WITHIN, UM, THAT INFORMATION THAT WE SHARED WITH THEM.

WE ALSO, UM, TALKED ABOUT WHAT WE WOULD NEED TO PROVIDE THE VACCINE TO OUR COMMUNITY.

WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE IN JANUARY, UM, OUR, OUR BUDGET OFFICE.

UM, WE'RE WORKING WITH OUR BUDGET OFFICE TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THE SERVICES THAT WE HAVE AT THE SAME LEVEL THAT WE HAVE PROVIDED THEM IN THE PAST.

UM, AND SO THAT THOSE, THOSE DOLLARS WILL COME FROM OUR BUDGET OFFICE.

AND I WOULD JUST LIKE TO ADD THAT, YOU KNOW, UH, THE DEPARTMENT HAS ALSO RECEIVED, UH, SOME FUNDING FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES, UH, TO SUPPORT COVID RESPONSE EFFORTS.

AND SOME OF THOSE FUNDING WILL EXTEND ON THROUGH MARCH OF 2021.

AND WE ALSO HAVE ONE CONTRACT THAT'S FOCUSED ON THE EPIDEMIOLOGY RESPONSE, UH, THAT WILL EXTEND ON THROUGH MARCH OF 2022.

OUR NEXT QUESTION IS FROM THE AUSTIN AMERICAN STATESMAN HAVE AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY OFFICIALS ATTEMPTED TO ESTIMATE WHAT PERCENTAGE OF LOCAL RESIDENTS IGNORED GUIDELINES AND TRAVELED FOR THE THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY.

IF SO, CAN YOU PROVIDE THOSE NUMBERS? UH, WE DON'T HAVE THOSE NUMBERS.

UH, I THINK WE'RE GOING TO FIND OUT THOSE NUMBERS THIS WEEK, UH, BASED UPON THE NUMBER OF CASES THAT WE'RE SEEING, UH, AS AN INDICATOR OF, UH, OF HOW MUCH PEOPLE MOVE.

UH, YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE, UH, MOBILITY DATA, WHICH, UH, UT AUSTIN AND OUR MODELING CONSORTIUM, UH, UTILIZES TO, TO DO THE PREDICTIVE MODELING.

UH, SO THAT WILL COME INTO PLAY AS WE LOOK AT THE FORECASTS FOR CASES HERE IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS.

AND I'LL JUST USE THIS TIME TO SET AS A REMINDER.

UM, WE PUT OUT SOME INFORMATION PRIOR TO, UM, THE HOLIDAY, JUST REMINDING INDIVIDUALS TO CHANGE THEIR PLANS.

UM, AND THE LORIS RISKS WE'LL BE ABLE TO, TO BE, TO REMAIN AT HOME WITH INDIVIDUALS IN YOUR HOUSEHOLD.

IF INDIVIDUALS HAVE DECIDED TO TRAVEL, WE HAVE RECOMMENDED THAT WHEN THEY RETURN TO AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY, OR IF THEY CAN'T, UM, UM, THANKSGIVING WITH FOLKS OUTSIDE OF THEIR HOME IN A LARGE CAVALRY, WE RECOMMEND THAT THEY QUARANTINE THIS WEEK.

UM, AND THAT THEY GO AHEAD AND SCHEDULE A TEST, UM, BECAUSE OUR GOAL IS IF THEY'RE ABLE TO TAKE THE TESTS AND THAT THEY REMAIN, UM, QUARANTEE UNTIL THEY RECEIVE THOSE RESULTS BACK FROM, UM, THAT PROVIDER.

AND SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE CONTINUED TO ENCOURAGE INDIVIDUALS TO DO, BECAUSE WE, WE, WE WERE PREPARED IF INDIVIDUALS WERE TO TRAVEL AND, AND SO, UM, WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO TESTING AND WORK WITH OUR PARTNERS IN THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE WE ARE ON TESTING EFFORTS.

OUR NEXT QUESTION IS FROM CO-OP RADIO, AND YOU'VE ANSWERED THIS A LITTLE BIT, BUT I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND ASK IT, BECAUSE I THINK HE'S JUST TRYING THE REPORTER HERE IS JUST TRYING TO KIND OF MAYBE GET JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL ABOUT THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE VACCINE.

AND THE QUESTION IS WHAT DETAILS HAS THE STATE

[00:40:01]

UM, THE STATE HAS RELEASED THEIR CRITERIA FOR THE VARYING PHASES OF VACCINE, UH, NOTING THAT THEY'VE IDENTIFIED HEALTHCARE WORKERS, UM, AND GIVEN SOME SPECIFICITY IN THAT, UM, REALM AS LOOKING AT LONGTERM CARE FACILITY WORKERS, THOSE THAT ARE, UM, UH, TREATING THOSE IN THE HOSPITAL, UM, IN ICU'S, AND THAT WE NEED TO BUILD THOSE REDUNDANCIES AMONG THOSE, UM, UH, CRITICAL WORKFORCE.

UM, AS WE GET INTO ADDITIONAL PHASES THAT WE HAVE, OR VACCINE AVAILABLE, THEY HAVE WITH THAT, HOW DO WE EXPAND FROM THAT LOOKING AT ESSENTIAL WORKERS THAT COULD BE FRONTLINE STAFF, UM, AND THOSE KINDS OF DETAILS ARE IN THEIR CRITERIA THAT THEY HAVE LAUNCHED, AND IT IS AVAILABLE FROM THE DEPARTMENT STATE HEALTH SERVICES.

SO THOSE DETAILS, WE ARE WORKING TO HELP INFORM HOW WE WOULD PLAN FOR DISTRIBUTING VACCINE HERE AT THE LOCAL LEVEL AND IDENTIFYING WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE AS FAR AS OUR LOCAL POPULATION, WHO THOSE PARTY POPULATIONS INCLUDE.

AND I'LL JUST ADD THAT, YOU KNOW, SIMILAR TO THE 2009 H ONE N ONE VACCINE WHEN IT WAS RELEASED, UH, YOU KNOW, WE, THE, THE SITUATION WAS VERY FLUID.

AND SO SIMILAR TO THIS, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SOME INFORMATION, UH, WE UNDERSTAND WHAT OUR PRIORITY POPULATIONS ARE, BUT THERE MAY BE ADJUSTMENTS THAT NEED TO OCCUR ALONG THE WAY.

SO, AS AN EXAMPLE, UH, ALTHOUGH HEALTHCARE WORKERS ARE IDENTIFIED IN THAT FIRST TIER, UH, ONE THING THAT THE COALITION WILL NEED TO MAKE HARD DECISIONS ABOUT BASED ON ALL OF THE PRIORITY POPULATIONS IS IF IT TRICKLES OUT LIKE IT DID IN 2009, UH, THERE MAY BE, UH, WE MAY NEED TO DEFINE WHAT PRIORITIES ARE LIE WITHIN PRIORITY POPULATIONS AS WELL.

AND I THINK THAT THOSE ARE SOME OF THE, UH, TASKS THAT THE VACCINE COALITION IS CURRENTLY WORKING ON.

UM, YOU KNOW, UM, AGAIN, WE NEED TO STAY THE COURSE IN, HOLD ON.

WE NEED TO, UH, BE FLEXIBLE AND ADAPTABLE IN THIS SITUATION BECAUSE, UH, WE, THERE'S STILL A LOT OF UNKNOWNS.

UM, WE HAVE AN IDEA OF WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN, BUT HOW IT TRICKLES OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY, MAYBE ANOTHER, UM, UH, MAYBE ANOTHER, UH, STORY.

SO, SO WE ARE TRYING TO ANTICIPATE AND PLAN SO THAT WE'RE READY FOR ANY TYPE OF SCENARIO THAT MAY COME OUR WAY, AND SO THAT WE CAN DELIVER AND PROVIDE, UH, DOSES OF VACCINE TO OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY APPROPRIATELY WHILE WE'VE BEEN TALKING.

THOSE CDC GUIDELINES THAT JANET, I THINK YOU MENTIONED THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE COMING OUT THE CHANGES IN THE QUARANTINE PERIOD THEY WERE RELEASED, AND THEY K SAN IS ASKING YOU SINCE THE GUIDELINES SAY THAT NOW INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE CLOSE CONTACT WITH AN INFECTED PERSON CAN IN THEIR QUARANTINE AFTER SEVEN DAYS, IF THEY RECEIVE A NEGATIVE TEST OR AFTER 10 DAYS WITH A TEST, WHAT IS THE REACTION OF AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH TO THESE CHANGES? I, I WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN ANTICIPATING THAT THESE GUIDELINES ARE CHANGING, WOULD BE CHANGING, AND WE'VE HEARD ABOUT THEM, UM, FOR QUITE A WHILE NOW, BUT WE JUST HAVEN'T SEEN THAT OUR OFFICIAL RELEASE OF THE INFORMATION.

UM, SO, YOU KNOW, ONE, ONE THING THAT WE'RE, WE'RE, UH, HOPING TO DO, UM, IS TO MAKE SURE OUR CASE INVESTIGATORS ARE ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION TO PEOPLE THAT THEY REACH OUT TO SO THAT THEY HAVE THE INFORMATION AND ARE, IF ANYBODY INQUIRES ABOUT IT, UH, THROUGH OUR HOTLINE OR WHATNOT, UH, THEY CAN GET THE CORRECT INFORMATION.

AGAIN, THIS IS SIMILAR TO WHAT WE SAID IN THE VERY BEGINNING OF THIS DISEASE PANDEMIC IS THAT AS WE GET MORE DATA AND AS WE LEARN MORE, UH, WE WILL NEED TO, WE WILL SEE THAT THIS, UH, PANDEMIC WILL EVOLVE AND, AND THERE WILL BE CHANGES TO GUIDANCE.

THE MORE INFORMATION WE HAVE.

AND SO I THINK THIS IS JUST AN EXAMPLE OF CDC, UM, MAKING THAT ADJUSTMENT AND CHANGE.

AND AGAIN, WE HAVE ANTICIPATED THAT NOW KNOW DR.

SCOTT, IF YOU WANT TO ADD ANYTHING ABOUT THE HEALTHCARE WORKERS PORTION.

YEAH.

UH, YOU KNOW, I, THIS IS ONE OF THE CHANGES THAT WE REALLY EXPECTED WAS GOING TO HAPPEN.

IN FACT, WE ANTICIPATED BACK IN, UH, YOU KNOW, AUGUST, SEPTEMBER THAT WE WOULD SEE THIS RECOMMENDATION COME OUT AT SOME STAGE.

UH, TH THIS PROTOCOL IS BASICALLY WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING FOR HEALTHCARE WORKERS AND FIRST RESPONDERS FOR MONTHS NOW.

UH, AND WE KNOW THAT AS YOU GO PAST

[00:45:01]

UH, SO BY MARRYING A SHORTENED COURSE OF, OF, UH, OF ISOLATION OR QUARANTINE WITH A NEGATIVE TEST, IT REALLY HELPS US IDENTIFY THE VAST MAJORITY OF INDIVIDUALS WHO WILL EVENTUALLY DEVELOP COVID-19.

IS IT POSSIBLE INDIVIDUALS COULD DEVELOP THEM BETWEEN 10 DAYS AND 14 DAYS.

YES, IT'S POSSIBLE, BUT IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT STARTS TO GET REALLY UNLIKELY THE FURTHER OUT THAT YOU'D GET, UH, FROM THE, THE, THE TIME OF EXPOSURE.

UH, SO AGAIN, THE, THE, THE STRATEGY IS IMPORTANT.

UH, THE CHANGE IS IMPORTANT, BUT IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT AS, AS JANET POINTED OUT MANY TIMES TODAY, THAT FOLKS QUARANTINE, WHEN THEY'VE BEEN EXPOSED, NOT KIND OF QUARANTINE, BUT REALLY QUARANTINE STAYING HOME, ISOLATING THEMSELVES, EVEN WITHIN THEIR HOUSEHOLD, FROM OTHER PEOPLE, UH, THAT DOESN'T MEAN STAY HOME EXCEPT GO TO THE GROCERY STORE OR STAY HOME, EXCEPT FOR, YOU KNOW, GO TO THE DRIVE-THRU AND PICK UP SOME, SOME, UH, SOME FAST FOOD.

IT MEANS YOU MUST STAY HOME.

AND THE MORE WE CAN GET PEOPLE TO LISTEN AND HEAR AND ABIDE BY THAT MESSAGE, THE BETTER CHANCE WE ARE GOING TO HAVE, UH, DECREASING OUR TRANSMISSION AND ENTERING BETTER STAGES OF OUR COMMUNITY RISK.

ONE THING I WANT TO DO LIKE TO AFL WITH THAT CHANGE, UM, AS YOU S AS INDIVIDUALS ARE MAKING AN ADJUSTMENT TO THAT CHANGE, UM, THAT CRITERIA DOES SAY THAT YOU MUST MONITOR YOUR SYMPTOMS. AND SO WE DON'T WANT INDIVIDUALS AND THINK THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, I CAN JUST QUARANTINE, YOU KNOW, STAY HOME.

UM, BUT YOU ALSO NEED TO DETERMINE IF YOU HAVE ANY LEVELS OF SYMPTOMS AND YOU SHOULD BE SYMPTOM-FREE DURING THAT ENTIRE TIME.

AND IF YOU'RE NOT SYMPTOM FREE, THEN YOU DEFINITELY NEED TO TAKE A TEST, YOU KNOW, BEFORE THAT TIME HAS ENDED, WHETHER IT IS THE SEVEN DAYS OR THE 10 DAYS.

SO, UM, I JUST ENCOURAGE INDIVIDUALS THAT IF YOU HAVE ANY SYMPTOMS AND I MEAN, IT CAN BE MILD.

MY, MY, MY THROAT IS SORE.

UM, I WOULD LOST, UM, A SENSE OF TASTE FOR THE FOOD THAT I'M EATING.

UM, SO IT CAN BE VERY MILD, BUT, BUT YOU NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE MONITORING ANY SYMPTOMS THAT YOU HAVE SAY ONE OTHER THING.

AND THAT'S THE IMPORTANCE OF TESTING.

AS SOON AS THE SYMPTOMS START IS NOT JUST FOR IDENTIFICATION OF BEING COVID-19 POSITIVE, BUT ALSO THE THERAPEUTICS THAT WE HAVE ARE BEST SUITED EARLY IN THE COURSE OF ILLNESS.

AND THAT INCLUDES THE MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES.

UH, SO IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT PARTICULARLY THOSE WHO HAVE RISKS FOR COMPLICATIONS THEY'RE OLDER, OR THEY HAVE UNDERLYING HEALTH CONDITIONS THAT AS SOON AS THEY ONE, THAT THOSE SYMPTOMS DEVELOP, THEY GO OUT AND GET TESTED, UH, SO THAT THEY CAN BOTH KNOW IF THEY HAVE COVID-19, BUT ALSO, UH, TALK TO THEIR, HOW THEIR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF, OF THERAPEUTICS AT THAT STAGE.

AND NOW THIS IS OUR LAST QUESTION, AND IT'S FROM FOX SEVEN, THERE ARE MANY POP-UP TEST TENTS COMING UP AROUND TOWN.

HOW CAN PEOPLE TRUST THESE LOCATIONS? UH, W THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

AND I THINK IT'S, UH, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR FOLKS TO DO THEIR RESEARCH.

ALL OF THOSE TESTING FACILITIES SHOULD BE AFFILIATED WITH A MEDICAL DIRECTOR AND A LAB DIRECTOR.

UH, SO FOLKS NEED TO ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT THOSE SORTS OF THINGS.

UH, THEY NEED TO FIND OUT WHAT KIND OF TEST IS, IS BEING PERFORMED.

WE STILL HEAR CASES OF, UH, POP-UP TESTING SITES, DOING ANTIBODY TESTING, WHICH WE KNOW IS NOT A USEFUL TEST TO DETERMINE IF SOMEBODY HAS COVID-19 NOW OR NOT.

UH, SO PEOPLE NEED TO DO THEIR HOMEWORK.

UM, ULTIMATELY, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE CAN REACH OUT TO LOOK AT OUR APH RESOURCES THAT SCHEDULE A TEST THROUGH US.

OBVIOUSLY, THE, UH, THE, THE TESTING SITES THAT ARE AFFILIATED WITH, UH, RECOGNIZED ORGANIZATIONS ARE GOING TO BE RELIABLE, BUT THAT INCLUDES AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, OUR HOSPITAL SYSTEMS, BAYLOR SCOTT AND WHITE ST.

DAVID'S ASCENSION SETON, AUSTIN, REGIONAL CLINIC, AS WELL AS OTHER RECOGNIZED CLINICS IN OUR COMMUNITY.

UH, IF IT'S A POP-UP TENT, UH, WITH A, YOU KNOW, IN A PARKING LOT, YOU NEED TO ASK QUESTIONS.

I'LL JUST ADD THAT.

I THINK THAT THAT'S ONE MAJOR, UH, KEY IS IF THEY'RE FOLLOWING, UH, PROCEDURES,

[00:50:01]

AND, UM, THERE, THE OPERATOR IS WEARING A PAIR OF GLOVES AND A MASK, AND THAT'S ABOUT IT.

UM, MOST CREDIBLE PLACES WILL BE FOLLOWING, UH, PRETTY SPECIFIC PROTOCOLS WHEN THEY'RE ADMINISTERING THOSE TESTS AND, UM, PROCESSING, UH, THE RE YOU KNOW, THE SAMPLE COLLECTION.

SO, UM, YOU KNOW, IF IT, IF IT LOOKS A LITTLE UNCHARACTERISTIC, UM, YOU CAN CERTAINLY CALL, UH, AUSTIN THREE, ONE, ONE, UM, FOR INFORMATION OR HOTLINE, AND WE CAN TRY TO, UH, FEEL THAT ANY OF THOSE QUESTIONS, BUT FOR THE MOST PART, I WOULD SAY, UH, LIKE DR.

S SCOTT SAID, DO YOUR HOMEWORK.

UH, WE HAVE, UM, SOURCES LISTED ON OUR AUSTIN, UH, WEB ON OUR CITY OF AUSTIN WEBSITE, AS FAR AS, UH, LEGITIMATE TESTING LOCATIONS.

AND I THINK THE STATE ALSO HAS THAT DATA AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC.

UM, SO I WOULD JUST, I WOULD JUST MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE AWARE IF THE PRACTICE SEEMS A LITTLE, UM, UM, AN ORTHODOX, MAYBE YOU SHOULD REFRAIN FROM BEING TESTED AT THAT LOCATION.