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UH, COLLEAGUES GOOD TO SEE EVERYBODY HAPPY NEW YEAR.
UH, WE'RE GOING TO, UH, CONVENE, UH, THE SPECIAL CLUB MEETING HERE ON TUESDAY, JANUARY 12TH, 2021.
UH, THE PURPOSE OF THIS MOVE, THIS MEETING IS TO RECEIVE A, A BRIEFING ON, UH, COVID 19, UH, IN THE FIRST HOUR OR SO WE'LL DO THIS AS WE HAVE BEEN DOING THEM ON TUESDAY WORK SESSIONS, UH, GIVING THE FLOOR TO, UH, DIRECTOR HAYDEN AND TO, UH, DR.
ASCOT, UH, ENABLING EVERYONE TO, TO BE ABLE TO ASK QUESTIONS HOW WE THEN NEED ABOUT 10 O'CLOCK OR SO WE'LL, WE'LL LOSE DR.
S SCOTT, WHO NEEDS TO GO OVER AND VISIT WITH, UH, WITH, WITH TRAVIS COUNTY.
UM, WE'VE ALSO HAD A REQUEST FROM, UM, UH, OUR COLLEAGUE, UH, A COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON.
THAT'D BE ABLE TO ASK SOME COVID RELATED QUESTIONS.
UH COVID QUESTIONS RELATED TO PUBLIC SAFETY.
UH, SO AT HER REQUEST, SOME OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY STAFF ARE GONNA BE, ARE WITH US AS WELL.
AND WE'LL GET TO THAT AFTER WE GET THROUGH THE MORE TRADITIONAL BRIEFING WITH, UH, UH, THE DIRECTOR, DR.
S SCOTT, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A SIMILAR KIND OF BRIEFING NEXT WEEK, NEXT TUESDAY.
UH, WE'RE WORKING NOW WITH THE COUNTY.
IT COULD BE THAT WE DO THAT AS A JOINT SESSION, SO THAT DR.
ASCOT AND DIRECTOR HAYDEN ONLY HAVE TO SPEAK, MAKE THE PRESENTATION ONE TIME, RATHER THAN, UH, ZIPPING OVER DOING THE OTHER, UM, GONNA HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE DO KIND OF LIKE QUESTIONING OR SOMETHING.
IT'S GONNA BE A LOT OF PEOPLE ALL ON THE SAME, THE ONLY ONE TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY HAS A CHANCE THAT THEY LARGER GROUP TO BE ABLE TO ASK QUESTIONS.
I THINK IT WILL BE SOMETHING THAT JUST KIND OF SHAKES OUT THAT WE CAN JUST KIND OF DO.
UH, BUT I JUST RAISED THAT AS PEOPLE'S CONCERNED, WANTING TO MAKE SURE THAT WITH THE BIGGER GROUP, EVERYBODY GETS A CHANCE TO ASK QUESTIONS.
SO WITH THAT, UH, THIS HAS BEEN, UH, UH, A REALLY IMPACTFUL WEEK AS WE BEGAN THE NEW YEAR.
I, I DON'T KNOW WHY IT WAS, I WAS EXPECTING WHEN WE HIT 20, 21, WE WOULD ALL TAKE A DEEP BREATH AND, AND WE WERE ALL RELAXED MORE, AND IT'S NOT TURNING OUT THAT WAY.
UH, WE'RE SAYING, UH, AN UNCONTROLLED, UH, SEARCH IN OUR NUMBERS, UH, SINCE, UH, MID DECEMBER, UH, REALLY APPRECIATE THE REALLY STRONG MESSAGING COMING FROM OUR STAFF, DR.
PATRICK AND HAYDEN AND EVERYBODY, OR THE COUNCIL, UH, TO GET PEOPLE TO REALLY DOUBLE DOWN.
UH, IT WOULD BE THAT NOW THAT WE WOULD MAYBE START SEEING THE BENEFIT OF BEHAVIOR CHANGES, IF THERE WERE ANY, UH, BUT IT'S STILL REAL EARLY TO REALLY KNOW.
UH, BUT RIGHT NOW WHERE WE'RE SEEING NUMBERS HERE, INSTEAD OF RECORDS OF THIS PAST WEEK BEYOND ANYTHING WE'VE DONE BEFORE, WHICH IS WHY IT'S A WRECK, WHY THEIR RECORDS, UM, THAT'S THE FIRST NIGHT, BECAUSE THE VACCINE ISN'T GOING TO HELP US WITH THIS PRESENT SURGE, BUT IT'S REALLY GOOD NEWS WITH THE VACCINE.
UH, UH, JUDGE BROWN, UM, UH, WORKED WITH ASCENSION SETON, UH, AND WITH, UH, CONSTABLE, UH, MIRALIS TO, UH, DO, UH, THE FIRST PART OF THE, UH, AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, UH, ROLLOUT, UH, UH, ON SATURDAY, UH, AND GOT TO OVER 600 PEOPLE, UM, YOU KNOW, FOCUSING ON THOSE THAT ARE MOST VULNERABLE, UH, AND MOST AT RISK IN THE GEOGRAPHIC AREA WHERE THEY LIVE HAVE IT'S EXCITED.
HE HAS, UH, APH ROSE THE VACCINE THIS WEEK.
UH, WE APPRECIATE THE GOVERNOR AND THE STATE, UH, FOR GIVING YOUR US, UH, VACCINES, UH, TO AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH DIRECTLY, UH, SO THAT WE CAN, UH, UH, FOCUS ON GETTING IT TO THE PEOPLE QUICKLY AT SCALE, UH, THAT ARE MOST AT RISK IN THE EMORY IS WHERE THEY, WHERE THEY LIVE.
SO WE APPRECIATE THAT AND, AND INTEND THIS WEEK TO BE ABLE TO DEMONSTRATE TO THE GOVERNOR AND TO THE STATE LEADERSHIP THAT WE'RE, WE'RE UP TO THAT CHALLENGE, AND YOU CAN TAKE AND PROCESS EVEN GREATER QUANTITIES IN THE BACKSEAT.
SO WITH THAT SAD, UH, AGAIN, THANKS DR.
HAYDEN, YOU AND YOUR STAFF CONTINUE NOT TO SLEEP.
UH, AND MY HOPE IS, IS THAT WE GET TO A PLACE WHERE THAT CAN HAPPEN AS WELL, MANAGER.
[1. Briefing on Covid-19 related matters.]
UH, I TURN IT OVER TO YOU.THANK YOU, HUMIRA AND GOOD TO SEE YOU AND THE REST OF THE COUNCIL.
UH, EVEN DURING THESE CHALLENGING TIMES, YOU NOTED, WE ARE AT A CRITICAL POINT IN THIS PANDEMIC, AND IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE CONTINUE TO AMPLIFY THE MESSAGES THAT ARE COMING FROM OUR PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND OUR PUBLIC HEALTH AUTHORITY.
UH, AND THIS DIALOGUE WITH EACH OF YOU IS CRITICAL IN THAT CONVERSATION.
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WILL PASS IT OVER TO DR.PRESCOTT, UH, BUT I ALSO WANT TO NOTE, UH, WE HAVE, UH, INTERIM ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER.
SHANNON JONES WAS JOINED US IN THIS NEW YEAR, AS WE, AS ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, CHRIS SHORTER TRANSITIONED TO THE CITY OF BALTIMORE.
AND IT'S GREAT TO HAVE, UH, SHANNON, UH, WITH US.
UH, HE IS A FAMILIAR FACE TO MANY OF YOU IN CITY HALL.
UH, HE WAS THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC HEALTH FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS, UH, BUT HAS DECADES OF SERVICE, UH, FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND WITHIN THE CITY.
UH, BUT FOR NOW, I'M GOING TO PASS IT OVER TO DR.
LIKE I HAVE A B UH, PULL UP MY SLIDES.
UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR ACCOUNTS, FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO UPDATE COUNCIL ON OUR COVID-19 RESPONSE.
NEXT SLIDE YESTERDAY, WE REPORTED 955 NEW CASES.
THIS WAS A COMBINATION OF DATA FROM THE 10TH AND THE 11TH, UH, DUE TO OUR SNOW DAY ON MONDAY, THEY'RE MOVING AVERAGE TO 588.
UH, AS THE MAYOR SAID, UH, AT THE BEGINNING, IF WE WERE GOING TO SEE AN IMPACT FROM, UH, FROM THE INTERVENTION THAT WE TOOK WITH THE, UH, THE, ALMOST A CURFEW THAT WE HAD, UH, OVER NEW YEARS, WE'D BE SEEING IT NOW.
AND I'M, I'M DELIGHTED TO SEE THAT THAT CASES HAVE LEVELED OFF, AND WE ARE HOPEFUL THAT THIS TREND CONTINUES.
UH, BUT IT'S, UH, IT'S A BIT TOO EARLY TO TELL, BUT CERTAINLY THE DATA FROM THIS WEEK, I WILL GIVE US A BETTER IDEA OF, OF WHAT THE SPREAD LOOKS LIKE.
UH, I AM CERTAINLY HOPEFUL THAT, THAT OUR COMMUNITY HAS, HAS HEEDED THE CALL FOR CAUTION AND THAT, UH, THAT HAS RESULTED IN PROTECTIVE ACTIONS THAT WILL DRIVE DOWN CASES.
SO AGAIN, WE'LL, WE'LL SEE WHAT THAT DATA LOOKS LIKE FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK.
UH, OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF DAYS, WE HAVE SEEN A DECREASE IN THE ADMISSIONS TO THE HOSPITAL YESTERDAY REPORTED 54 ADMISSIONS, WHICH BROUGHT OUR MOVING AVERAGE DOWN TO 87.
UH, HOWEVER, THIS IS STILL A 102% INCREASE, UH, SINCE THE, UH, THE 11TH OF DECEMBER.
UH, SO STILL MUCH HIGHER THAN WE'D LIKE TO BE, BUT, UH, NOT MOVING UPWARD EITHER.
I DON'T EXPECT THIS TREND TO CONTINUE, UH, IN TERMS OF, UH, VERY LOW CASE NUMBERS OR ADMISSION NUMBERS.
WE HAVE ONE REPORT FROM ONE OF OUR SYSTEMS SO FAR THIS MORNING FOR DATA, UH, AND, UH, THAT SYSTEM ALONE HAS 68 ADMISSIONS TO THE HOSPITAL YESTERDAY.
UH, SO I EXPECT WE'RE GOING TO SEE NUMBERS TODAY, WHICH LOOKED MORE LIKE THE MOVING AVERAGE, BUT, UH, WE WILL CONTINUE TO FOLLOW THAT THIS WEEK AGAIN, UH, WE, WE NEED TO CONTINUE THOSE PROTECTIVE EFFORTS.
UH, AS THE MAYOR SAID, UH, WE ARE PUSHING FORWARD WITH VACCINE, BUT WE CAN'T VACCINATE OURSELVES OUT OF THIS FOR IT SERVES, THIS WILL HELP PROTECT US FROM THE NEXT SURGE, BUT FOR THIS SURGE, WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO PUSH CAUTION.
WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO STAY HOME.
UH, AND IF WE MUST GO OUT TO WEAR OUR MASKS TO SOCIAL DISTANCE AND TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE WASHING OUR HANDS FREQUENTLY, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
THIS IS A, UH, UH, SHOWING THREE THINGS.
THE BLUE IS THE TOTAL HOSPITAL BEDS BEING UTILIZED, THE ORANGE, UH, ICU BEDS, THE GREATER VENTILATORS BEING UTILIZED.
OUR HOSPITALIZATIONS YESTERDAY WAS 564 WITH A MOVING AVERAGE OF 573.
THAT MOVING AVERAGE WAS A NEW RECORD YESTERDAY.
UM, OUR ICU ADMISSIONS, UH, ONE 80 WITH A MOVING AVERAGE OF ONE 80 AS WELL.
AND WE'VE ACTUALLY BEEN AT THAT ONE 80 MARK FOR THREE DAYS IN A ROW, WHICH IS GOOD NEWS BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT, UH, OUR BIGGEST LIMITATION IN HOSPITAL CAPACITY IS THE ICU IN PARTICULAR ICU STAFFING.
UH, SO THAT'S THAT THREE DAY PLATEAU IS, IS CERTAINLY HELPFUL FOR US TO BE ABLE TO, UH, TO CATCH OUR BREATH A LITTLE BIT AND GIVE THE HOSPITALS THE OPPORTUNITY TO INCREASE THEIR CAPACITY, UH, IN ANTICIPATION THAT THOSE NUMBERS WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE.
UH, AGAIN, UH, WHILE IT'S BEEN FLAT FOR THREE DAYS, IT'S STILL A HUNDRED PERCENT INCREASE OVER WHERE WE WERE JUST A MONTH AGO.
NOW, LAST WEEK I SHOWED THIS MAP, UH, WHICH HAD SOME, UH, SOME ORANGE XS ON IT.
UH, ALL THOSE ORANGE X'S FROM LAST WEEK HAVE TURNED RED.
UH, SO WE ONLY HAVE FOUR, UH, TRAUMA SERVICE AREAS LEFT IN THE STATE THAT ARE NOT IN SURGE.
UH, SO THAT ARE, ARE BELOW THAT 15%
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HOSPITALIZATION RATE FOR SEVEN CONSECUTIVE DAYS.UH, EVERY OTHER JURISDICTION, INCLUDING EVERY METROPOLITAN AREA IN TEXAS, UH, IS, UH, IS BEYOND THAT CAPACITY.
NOW, AS I DISCUSSED LAST WEEK, UH, ONCE THE JURISDICTIONS HIT THAT THRESHOLD, UH, THE INTERVENTIONS THAT ROLL IN THE, THE 50% ROLLBACK OF OCCUPANCY, UH, IS NOT HELPFUL ENOUGH IN ITSELF TO PREVENT FURTHER SURGE.
UH, DALLAS NOW IS AT 27% OF THAT HOSPITALIZATION RATE, SAN ANTONIO, 23% HOUSTON, 21% AUSTIN, 19%.
UH, SO WHAT WE NEED AGAIN IS, IS FOR OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY TO REALLY EMBRACE THE CONCEPT THAT WE MUST STAY HOME, IF WE CAN, UH, IF WE HAVE TO GO OUT, WE DO SO IN A LIMITED FASHION, UH, AND ONLY IN CIRCUMSTANCES WHERE WE CAN MASK AND DISTANCE, UH, IF EVERYBODY CHOOSES THAT AND EVERYBODY DECIDES COLLECTIVELY TO PROTECT THIS COMMUNITY BY PROTECTING THEMSELVES AND THEIR FAMILY, WE CAN IDENTIFY THE PEAK, WE CAN BRING IT DOWN AND WE CAN PUT OUR COMMUNITY A BETTER SITUATION GOING INTO FEBRUARY.
UH, RIGHT NOW THERE IS NO PEAK IDENTIFIED IN THAT MEANS WE HAVE MORE WORK TO DO NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
UH, THIS IS AN UPDATE OF THE PROJECTIONS FROM THE UT MOLLIN CONSORTIUM.
UH, I'LL NOTE THAT THIS, UH, THIS UPDATE DOES INDICATE SOME FLATTENING OF THE CURVE.
IF YOU RECALL LAST WEEK, IT WAS, IT WAS ALMOST A VERTICAL LINE.
UH, AND THIS MEANS THAT THAT OUR COMMUNITY IS REACTING.
THEY ARE RESPONDING TO THE FALL, UH, TO DECREASE RISK.
UH, IT STILL STILL SHOWS, UH, SUSTAINED GROWTH.
IT DOES NOT IDENTIFY A, A, WHICH STILL MEANS OUR, OUR HOSPITAL INFRASTRUCTURE IS AT RISK OF BEING OVERWHELMED.
UH, AND AGAIN, WE DO BELIEVE THAT THAT, UH, OVERWHELMING OUR CAPACITIES AND INEVITABLE INEVITABLE NOW, UH, BUT WE CAN, WE CAN MITIGATE THE RISK.
WE CAN DETERMINE HOW FAR WE EXCEED BY THOSE PROTECTIVE ACTIONS THAT WE TAKE.
UH, THIS IS AN UPDATE OF THE TOTAL HOSPITALIZATIONS, UH, GRAPH.
UH, AGAIN, UH, WE SEE THAT IT'S, IT'S FLATTENED OUT SOME, UH, LAST WEEK I WAS SHOWING YOU, UH, A GRAPH WHOSE MEDIA PROJECTION INDICATED THAT WE MAY EXCEED 1500 HOSPITALIZATIONS BY FEBRUARY, UH, THAT HAS DROPPED DOWN SIGNIFICANTLY, BUT STILL WE EXPECT WITH THIS GRAPH WHERE THE CURRENT, IF THE CURRENT TRANSMISSION STAYS THE SAME, THAT WE WILL NEED MORE THAN A THOUSAND HOSPITAL BEDS BY THE 5TH OF FEBRUARY.
UH, SO AGAIN, WE HAVE MORE WORK TO DO IN FLATTEN THIS CURVE, BUT CERTAINLY BETTER THAN, THAN WE WERE SEEING LAST WEEK.
THIS IS AN UPDATE OF THE PROJECTIONS FOR THE ICU BEDS NEEDED.
UH, SIMILARLY, THIS IS, IS FLATTER THAN WE SAW LAST WEEK.
UH, RIGHT NOW THE MEDIAN PROJECTION FOR EXCEEDING CAPACITY IS, UH, IS IN TWO DAYS, JANUARY 14TH.
UH, AGAIN, UH, HOW FAR WE EXCEED THAT CAPACITY DEPENDS UPON HOW MUCH MORE ACTION WE TAKE TO PROTECT OURSELVES AND PROTECT OUR COMMUNITY.
UH, WE REALLY NEED TO IDENTIFY THE PEAK SOON, FLATTEN IT OUT AND DRIVE THE NUMBERS DOWN.
UH, THIS IS AN UPDATE OF OUR HOSPITALIZATIONS BY AGE GROUP, SHOWING YOU THE WEEKLY HOSPITALIZATIONS.
UH, OVER TIME, YOU CAN SEE THAT WE HAD A DECREASE IN THE PERCENTAGE OF INDIVIDUALS HOSPITALIZED IN OUR, UH, 70 TO 79 AND 80 PLUS AGE GROUPS, BUT UNFORTUNATELY AN INCREASE IN OUR 60 TO 69 AGE GROUPS.
UH, WE HAVE ALSO SEEN DECREASES IN THE PERCENTAGES OF OUR, UH, 20 TO 29 AGE GROUP, WHICH IS THAT YELLOW COLOR IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SLIDE, UM, BUT INCREASES IN OUR 10 TO 19 AGE GROUP, UH, IN THE GRAY LINE TOWARDS THE BOTTOM OF YOUR SLIDE.
I'LL TALK MORE ABOUT THAT ON THE NEXT SLIDE.
UH, SO YOU CAN SEE THAT WE HAVE FURTHER INCREASES IN THE NUMBERS OF INDIVIDUALS HOSPITALIZED WEEK OVER WEEK.
FORTUNATELY, THE RATE OF INCREASE IS DROPPING.
UH, SO, UH, BETWEEN, UH, DECEMBER, THE WEEK OF THAT ENDED DECEMBER 27TH AND THE WEEK THAT ENDED DECEMBER 23RD, UH, THERE WAS A 43% INCREASE IN INDIVIDUALS HOSPITALIZED THAT WE, UH, BETWEEN LAST WEEK AND THE PRIOR WEEK, A 10% INCREASE.
SO THIS IS A GOOD SIGN THAT WE ARE FLATTENING THINGS, BUT OBVIOUSLY, UH, WE ARE STILL ON THE INCREASE.
UH, WE SEE, UH, A RELATIVE PLATEAU AND THE NUMBERS OF INDIVIDUALS
[00:15:01]
WITH A SLIGHT DECREASE IN THE 70 TO 79 AND 80 PLUS AGE GROUPS THAT INCREASE THAT I MENTIONED BEFORE IN THE 60 TO 69 AGE GROUP.UH, YOU KNOW, UNFORTUNATELY WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE BOTTOM IN THE GRAY, WE'VE DOUBLED OUR INDIVIDUALS IN THE 10 TO 19 AGE GROUP HOSPITALIZED WITH 10 10 OF THEM HOSPITALIZED LAST WEEK.
UH, SO AGAIN, THIS IS A REMINDER THAT THAT YOUNG PEOPLE ARE NOT IMMUNE FROM SEVERE DISEASE.
AS WE SEE DISEASE TRANSMIT IN AN UNCONTROLLED FASHION ACROSS OUR COMMUNITY, WE CAN EXPECT TO SEE MORE AND MORE YOUNG PEOPLE HOSPITALIZED FROM THIS DISEASE.
AGAIN, THIS IS A SIMILAR GRAPH, BUT BASED ON RACE ETHNICITY, UH, WE'VE TALKED TO IN THE PAST ABOUT THE GREEN LINE, WHICH IS OUR LATIN X COMMUNITY, AGAIN, RELATIVELY STEADY, UH, LAST WEEK WITH A SLIGHT DECREASE IN THE BLOOM AS OUR WHITE NON-HISPANIC COMMUNITY.
UH, SIMILARLY RELATIVELY FLAT WITH A SLIGHT DECREASING PERCENTAGE.
UH, WE DID SEE A, A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN THE GRAY LINE, WHICH IS OUR AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY IN TERMS OF THE PERCENTAGE OF, UH, OF THE HOSPITALIZATIONS, UH, LAST WEEK.
UH, AGAIN, UH, YOU CAN SEE THE NUMBERS OF INDIVIDUALS HOSPITALIZED IN EACH RACE AND ETHNICITY HERE.
UH, SO SOME INCREASES IN THE NUMBER OF, UH, INDIVIDUALS IN THE, UH, LATIN X COMMUNITY, ONE 85 TO ONE 95, UH, SIMILAR INCREASES IN THE NUMBER IN OUR, UM, WHITE NON HISPANIC GROUP.
UH, BUT THE MOST SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN OUR AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY.
UH, THIS IS AN UPDATE OF OUR POSITIVITY, UH, WEEK OVER WEEK.
UH, THE FIRST WEEK OF JANUARY, WE HAD A 17.9% POSITIVITY RATE.
UH, YOU'LL SEE THAT LAST WEEK SO FAR, UH, THAT POSITIVITY IS 16.6%.
UH, SO I WANT TO EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHY IT'S LOWER.
UM, WE ACTUALLY HAD A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF CASES DETECTED LAST WEEK, UH, IN THE DATA SET THAT I'M SHOWING YOU HERE.
UH, SO THAT'S, UH, WAS A 17% INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF CASES DETECTED, BUT WE HAD A DISPROPORTIONATE INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF TESTS PERFORMED.
SO 29% INCREASE WEEK OVER WEEK, AND THE NUMBER OF TESTS, WHICH DRIVES DOWN THAT POSITIVITY RATE, UH, THIS AT THIS STAGE SHOULD NOT BE THAT REASSURING TO US BECAUSE THE CASES ARE ACTUALLY STILL ON THE RISE.
UH, BUT WE ARE, ARE, ARE DOING A BETTER JOB AT GETTING PEOPLE TESTED, WHICH IS REFLECTED HERE.
WE SAW A SIMILAR, UH, UH, A SIMILAR PATTERN AFTER THANKSGIVING, UH, WHEN WE DROPPED FROM 6.8 TO 5.3%.
UH, BUT AGAIN, UH, WE, WE HAVE TO FOCUS ON THOSE PROTECTIVE ACTIONS TO DECREASE ACTUAL TRANSMISSION OF DISEASE.
THIS IS A BREAKDOWN OF THAT POSITIVITY BY RACE AND ETHNICITY.
UH, WE CAN SEE WITH THE EXCEPTION OF OUR NATIVE HAWAIIAN OR PACIFIC ISLANDER, UH, THAT THE OTHER RACES AND ETHNICITIES HAD A DECREASE IN THE PERCENT POSITIVITY, UH, WEEK OVER WEEK, UH, BETWEEN THE FIRST AND SECOND WEEK OF JANUARY.
UH, SO AGAIN, UH, THIS WEEK, OUR LATIN X COMMUNITY CONTINUES TO OUTPACE EVERY OTHER RACE AND ETHNICITY IN TERMS OF POSITIVITY, UH, WHICH IS WHY WE ARE FOCUSING EFFORTS IN PARTICULAR, OUR, OUR VACCINATION EFFORTS NOW, UH, ON, UH, ON OUR COMMUNITIES OF COLOR TO ENSURE THAT WE CAN PROTECT, UH, THOSE COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE BEEN SO DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTED, UH, THROUGHOUT THIS PANDEMIC.
UH, SIMILAR OUR RACE AND ETHNICITY, UH, GRAPH.
WE'VE SEEN A SLIGHT DECREASE, UH, IN, UH, IN MOST OF OUR, UH, POSITIVITY RATES ACROSS THE AGE GROUPS.
AGAIN, UNFORTUNATELY THIS WEEK WE SEE, UH, SOME PATTERNS.
WE SEE A HIGH POSITIVITY IN OUR SCHOOL AGED CHILDREN, UH, 10 TO 19 AGE GROUP, WHICH I'LL TALK MORE ABOUT, UH, ON THE SUBSEQUENT SLIDES.
UH, WE'RE ALSO SEEING, UH, UH, UNFORTUNATELY HIGH POSITIVE IN THAT 80 PLUS AGE GROUP, WHICH IS GOING TO CONTINUE TO DRIVE THE DEMAND ON OUR HOSPITALS IN ICU.
UH, AND OF COURSE, UH, THE HIGHER THE AGE, THE MORE LIKELY THAT INFECTION IS TO RESULT IN DEATH AS WELL.
SO WE DO EXPECT TO SEE SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN OUR DEATHS ASSOCIATED WITH COVID-19 IN THIS PATTERN THAT THAT IS SUSTAINED WEEK OVER WEEK.
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OH, CATS AT POSITIVITY IN SCHOOL, AGE, CHILDREN IN TRAVIS COUNTY.UH, THIS DATA IS FROM THE WEEK OF ONE, TWO TO ONE NINE, UH, YOU KNOW, PRIOR TO, UH, UH, RETURNING TO SCHOOL, I MADE THE RECOMMENDATION THAT MIDDLE SCHOOLS AND HIGH SCHOOLS TRANSITIONED TO VIRTUAL AND I'M THANKFUL FOR, OR, UH, SUPERINTENDENT ELIZONDO DAYS, UH, RECOMMENDATION TO, UH, HER, HER SCHOOL POPULATION TO CHOOSE VIRTUAL THIS WEEK.
UH, BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT WE'RE SAYING.
HIGH SCHOOL, UH, IS EXCEEDING THE COMMUNITY POSITIVITY 20.2% ARE MIDDLE SCHOOL AGE STUDENTS, 27%, WHICH IS A ALL TIME HIGH POSITIVITY FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS, ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS, AGE, 19.8%, UH, IN PRESCHOOL 10%.
UH, SO ALL OF OUR SCHOOL AGE GROUPS ARE OUTPACING, UH, THE COMMUNITY, UH, POSITIVITY RATES, WHICH IS CONCERNING FOR THE ABILITY TO, UH, CONTINUE TO, TO PROTECT STUDENTS IN THE CLASSROOM.
AGAIN, UH, PRIOR TO THE CHRISTMAS BREAK, POSITIVITY WAS, WAS LOWER, CERTAINLY PRIOR TO THANKSGIVING POSITIVE, IT WAS MUCH LOWER AS POSITIVITY INCREASES IN THESE AGE GROUPS, AS WE GET MORE AND MORE CONCERNED ABOUT THE, UH, THE NEW VARIANT, WHICH IS ALMOST CERTAINLY HERE IN A COMPONENT OF THE TRENDS WE'RE SEEING AS THE IN-PERSON SCHOOL NUMBERS INCREASE, IT'S GOING TO BE MORE AND MORE DIFFICULT FOR US TO CONTROL OUTBREAKS AT SCHOOLS.
UH, SO MY RECOMMENDATION, UH, FOR PARENTS ACROSS THIS COMMUNITY IS IF YOU CAN CHOOSE AND VIRTUAL, NOW'S THE TIME TO CHOOSE VIRTUAL SO WE CAN PROTECT OUR SCHOOL INFRASTRUCTURE.
WE CAN PROTECT OUR EDUCATORS AND GIVE, GIVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET MORE PEOPLE VACCINATED, UH, AND DRIVE DOWN THESE NUMBERS PRIOR TO RETURNING TO IN-PERSON SCHOOL.
I DO WANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT, UH, MANY SCHOOLS, UH, PARTICULARLY OUR PRIVATE SCHOOLS, UH, THE DIOCESE OF AUSTIN, UH, HAVE CHOSEN, UH, VIRTUAL OPTIONS, UH, FOR THE FIRST ONE TO TWO WEEKS, UH, HEADING BACK INTO THE SEMESTER, UH, THAT IS HELPFUL.
AND AGAIN, WE'RE HOPEFUL THAT, THAT MORE STUDENTS, MORE PARENTS WILL CHOOSE VIRTUAL EDUCATION, AT LEAST FOR THE SHORT TERM, UNTIL WE IDENTIFY A PEAK AND START TO DRIVE THE NUMBERS DOWN.
UH, WE CAN SEE THE IMPACT ON OUR SCHOOLS LAST WEEK, 292 CASES, UH, 102 STUDENTS, 187 STAFF, UH, HAD, UH, REPORTED INFECTIONS LAST WEEK.
WE HAVE SEEN CLUSTERS, UH, PARTICULARLY ASSOCIATED WITH, UH, BASKETBALL, UH, BOTH BOYS AND GIRLS BASKETBALL.
UH, WE HAVE SEEN, UH, CLUSTERS ASSOCIATED WITH, UH, SHARED TRANSPORTATION AND BUSES.
SO AGAIN, WE HAVE TO ID CONTINUE TO IDENTIFY WHERE THE RISK IS.
THE RISK IS EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES.
THE RISK IS SHARED TRANSPORTATION, EITHER BUSES OR CARPOOLS.
UH, THE RISK IS ALSO THAT COMMUNAL DININGS AND CAFETERIA BASED DINING.
SO WE ENCOURAGE OUR, OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO, UH, MITIGATE RISK AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE IN THOSE SETTINGS IF THEY ARE CONTINUING WITH IN-PERSON OPTIONS.
SO AGAIN, THE, THE, THE TOTAL IMPACT ON SCHOOLS IS NOT JUST THE CASES, BUT THE NUMBER OF, OF EXPOSURES THAT THEY NEED TO BE QUARANTINE.
UH, LAST WEEK ALMOST 1500, UH, INDIVIDUALS WERE QUARANTINED AS A RESULT OF CLOSE CONTACTS WITHIN THE SCHOOL SETTING.
UH, SO THAT'S ABOUT 1200 STUDENTS AND 280 STAFF, UH, WHO HAVE, HAVE HAD TO TRANSITION TO, UH, TO VIRTUAL EITHER TO THOSE EXPOSURES.
UM, SO AGAIN, WE'RE, WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO STRUGGLE WITH THIS AS LONG AS WE SEE THAT, THAT POSITIVITY ACROSS OUR COMMUNITY.
UH, SO HIGH, UH, AGAIN, IF WE'RE GOING TO PRIORITIZE SCHOOLS, THAT MEANS THAT EVERY INDIVIDUAL, THIS COMMUNITY HAS TO TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION TO PROTECT THEMSELVES SO THAT WE CAN KEEP OUR STUDENTS, UH, ABLE TO LEARN AND PROVIDE CONTINUITY OF EDUCATION.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
THIS IS AN UPDATE OF OUR, UH, DASHBOARD FOR OUR NURSING HOMES AND LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES, 192 POSITIVE CASES IN THE PAST 14 DAYS, ALMOST 400 IN THE PAST 28 DAYS.
AGAIN, UH, WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO STRUGGLE WITH, UH, WITH PROTECTING OUR MOST VULNERABLE IN THE COMMUNITY.
AS LONG AS OUR POSITIVITY IS SO HIGH.
UH, WE ARE GRATEFUL TO, UH, THE, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND, UH, THE ALLOCATION OF VACCINE FOR OUR NURSING HOME LONG-TERM CARE RESIDENTS AND STAFF.
[00:25:01]
UH, THERE'S STILL QUITE A WAYS TO GO IN TERMS OF VACCINATING THAT COMMUNITY, BUT THE FASTER WE CAN GET THERE, THE BETTER WE CAN PROTECT THESE COMMUNITIES.AND CERTAINLY, UH, THAN THE, UH, MITIGATE THE IMPACT ON OUR HOSPITALS AS A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF THESE INDIVIDUALS WHO DO GET COVID-19 WILL BE HOSPITALIZED OR REQUIRE ICU CARE.
I WANT TO UPDATE YOU ON OUR REGIONAL INFUSION CENTER.
UH, SO WE ARE GRATEFUL, UH, FOR THE PARTNERSHIP, UH, WITH THE STATE, UH, AND APPRECIATE GOVERNOR ABBOTT, CHIEF KID, UH, UH, FOR PROVIDING THIS, UH, REGIONAL INFUSION CENTER RESOURCE.
UH, SO THE TEXT DIVISION OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OPEN THE CENTER ON THE 6TH OF JANUARY, SINCE THEN 93 PATIENTS HAVE BEEN TREATED WITH MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES.
AGAIN, THIS IS A THERAPY WHICH HELPS TO DECREASE THE RISK OF HOSPITALIZATION FOR THOSE WHO ARE AT THE HIGHEST RISK FOR COMPLICATIONS IN SEVERE DISEASE.
UH, WE HAVE A CURRENT CAPACITY AT THAT SITE OF 26 INFUSIONS A DAY, BUT, UH, TDM IS WORKING TO BUILD THAT CAPACITY UP TO 75 A DAY.
AND THIS IS, UH, I JUST WANT TO RECOGNIZE OUR, OUR PARTNERS AT ASCENSION SETON ST DAVID'S AND BAYLOR SCOTT AND WHITE.
THEY HAVE PROVIDED THEIR ALLOCATIONS OF, UH, MONOCLONAL ANTIBODY THERAPY TO THIS REGIONAL ABUSING CENTER.
THEY ARE WORKING CLOSELY WITH, UH, WITH US AT APH AND, UH, AND TDM TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE A PROCESS WHICH WILL PROVIDE A STEADY FLOW OF A MONOCLONAL ANTIBODY TO THOSE WHO NEED IT.
UH, THERE'S A COMBINATION OF PHYSICIAN REFERRAL.
THERE'S ALSO REFERRAL DIRECTLY FROM APH IN COMMUNITY CARE TO ENSURE THAT, UH, THOSE FOLKS WHO, UH, DON'T HAVE REGULAR HEALTHCARE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, TO SCHEDULE AND BE TREATED.
SO I ENCOURAGE FOLKS WHO ARE POSITIVE, UH, IF THEY ARE CONTACTED BY COMMUNITY CARE BY AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH AND OFFERED, UH, THIS IS A GREAT OPTION TO HELP DECREASE THE RISK OF SEVERE DISEASE, UH, AND CERTAINLY IS EVIDENCE-BASED THERAPY THAT MAY BE VERY HELPFUL IN, UH, IN THAT IT IS, IS FREE OF CHARGE.
I ALSO WANTED TO UPDATE, UH, THE PROCESS ON OUR AUSTIN, TEXAS COUNTY ALTERNATE CARE SITE.
UH, SO, UH, AT THE END OF LAST WEEK, UH, TDM APPROVED AND HAS PROVIDED THE INITIAL STAFFING OF THE SITE THROUGH PRIVATE CONTRACTORS.
AND AS OF THIS MORNING, IT IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS.
UH, IT IS ABLE TO RECEIVE PATIENTS AND AGAIN, THEY'RE RENTOKIL TO THE STATE, UH, ENTITY DOWN FOR EXPEDITING THOSE CONTRACTS AND GETTING THE STAFF IN AND PLATES, UH, PATIENTS WILL BE REFERRED HERE DIRECTLY FROM HOSPITALS.
UH, THIS IS NOT A SITE WHERE INDIVIDUALS CAN SHOW UP AND RECEIVE CARE FOR COVID-19, UH, FOR THAT THEY NEED TO GO THROUGH THEIR REGULAR, UH, PHYSICIAN'S OFFICE, URGENT CARE EMERGENCY ROOM.
UH, ONCE INDIVIDUALS ARE STABILIZED IN THE HOSPITAL AND IT'S CLEAR THAT THEY ARE IMPROVING, THIS IS A PLACE WHERE THEY CAN BE TRANSFERRED TO CONVALESCE, UH, FOR THE LAST ON AVERAGE, UH, YOU KNOW, SEVEN DAYS SO THAT WE CAN DECOMPRESS SOME OF THE STRESS ON THE HOSPITALS, UH, WHICH WILL, WILL FURTHER INCREASE THEIR ABILITY TO HANDLE THE MORE ACUTE PATIENTS.
SO RIGHT NOW, THIS IS DESIGNED FOR LOW ACUITY PATIENTS.
AS THE INFRASTRUCTURE BUILDS, THEY WILL BE ABLE TO TAKE, UH, MODERATE ACUITY PATIENTS OF INDIVIDUALS WHO NEED A LITTLE BIT MORE THERAPY.
UH, BUT WE ARE, WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR THAT PARTNERSHIP, UH, CURRENTLY IN A STAFF TO CARE FOR 25 INDIVIDUALS WITH PLANS TO RAMP UP FROM THERE IN THE CURRENT SPACE AT THE CONVENTION CENTER, IT CAN EXPAND TO, UH, CARE FOR 250 INDIVIDUALS, UH, IN THE CURRENT FOOTPRINT.
UH, WE DO HAVE THE ABILITY TO EXPAND TO ALMOST A THOUSAND IF WE NEEDED, BUT I WANT TO BE VERY CLEAR.
OUR HOPE IS THAT WE NEVER SEE A PATIENT IN THIS SITE, AND THAT WILL INDICATE THAT WE AS A COMMUNITY HAVE DRIVEN DOWN THE POSITIVITY ENOUGH, UH, TO DECOMPRESS OUR HOSPITALS.
UH, BUT UNFORTUNATELY AT THIS STAGE, OUR EXPECTATION IS THAT WE WILL RECEIVE PATIENTS.
UM, THE ONE SAY THAT THE, THE GROUP THAT IS STAFFING THIS, THE POSITIONS, UH, AND OTHER SUPPORT STAFF ALSO STAFFED THE, UH, ALTERNATE CARE SITE IN EL PASO AND ORIGIN.
SO THEY ARE EXPERIENCED WITH COVID-19 AND THE ALTERNATE CARE SITES SETTING, UH, WHICH WOULD BE A GREAT BENEFIT TO US IN AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY.
SO AGAIN, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, WE REMAIN AT STAGE FIVE, UH, WHICH MEANS WE ALL NEED TO STAY HOME.
IF WE CAN WORK FROM HOME, IF WE CAN
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EDUCATE FROM HOME, IF WE CAN, UH, THE MORE WE EMBRACE THIS CONCEPT, UH, THE MORE LIKELY WE ARE TO DRIVE DOWN THOSE CASES AND, UH, AND PUT OUR HOSPITALS IN A BETTER SITUATION AND ULTIMATELY SAVE LIVES.NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, FOR THOSE LIKE ME WHO HAVE SMALL, UH, TROUBLE WITH THE SMALL FRIENDS, UH, THAT THE STAGE FIVE, AGAIN, NO GATHERINGS WITH ANYBODY OUTSIDE OF YOUR HOUSEHOLD, UH, DINING AND SHOPPING SHOULD BE LIMITED TO THE CENTRAL TRIPS AND PREFERABLY TAKEAWAY AND DELIVERY, OR DRIVE-THRU ONLY NON ESSENTIAL TRAVEL SHOULD BE AVOIDED.
AND AGAIN, BUSINESSES ARE OTHER CAPABLE THROUGH THE GOVERNOR'S ORDER, 30
WE STRONGLY ENCOURAGE THEM TO TRANSITION TO DRIVE THROUGH CURBSIDE OR DELIVERY ONLY.
AND WITH THAT, I WILL TRANSITION OVER TO DIRECTOR HAITI TO SPEAK ON VACCINES.
S SCOTT, UM, IF YOU COULD TRANSITION TO THE NEXT SLIDE, THAT WILL BE HELPFUL.
UM, SO I'M GONNA SPEND SOME TIME, UM, TO PROVIDE, UH, THE VACCINE UPDATE.
UM, I THINK IT IS ALSO GOING TO BE IMPORTANT FOR US TO, UM, ALSO COVER, UM, SOME OF THE OTHER INFORMATION AS WELL WITHIN THIS VACCINE UPDATE.
UM, SO I WILL PROVIDE SOME INFORMATION ON, UM, WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH OUR, UM, OUR SCHOOLS, UM, OUR LONGTERM CARE, UM, AS WELL AS, UM, OUR HOMELESS POPULATION.
SO THIS IS A, UM, COMMUNITY VACCINATION STRATEGY.
AND SO THIS IS, UM, WE, WE SENT OUT THE PLAN, UH, LAST WEEK AND, UM, THIS WAS IN THE PLAN.
UM, WE ARE SEEKING FEEDBACK FROM THE PUBLIC.
WE WILL BE HOSTING TWO COMMUNITY MEETINGS THIS WEEK, UM, ON THE 13TH AND 14TH.
UM, AND SO YOU SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED INFORMATION ABOUT THAT THROUGH A RELEASE YESTERDAY.
AND SO WITH THIS PLAN, THE GOAL IS, IS THAT WE DEFINITELY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE SECURE THE HEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE, UM, AND BE ABLE TO PROTECT THOSE, UM, WHO MAY END UP, UM, UM, HAVING, UM, SEVERE ILLNESS, UM, INCLUDING DEATHS.
AND SO, UM, OUR FOCUS AS CAN SEE IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS DOCUMENT IS, IS THAT WE WANT TO FOCUS ON THE HARDEST TICKS COMMUNITIES, DEFINITELY FOCUSING ON COMMUNITIES OF COLOR LOW-INCOME AND OLDER ADULTS.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS I'D LIKE TO SHARE IS, IS WHAT OUR LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES.
UM, THEY ARE WORKING DIRECTLY WITH, UM, CVS AND WALGREENS.
UM, AS OF THE NIGHTS OF THIS MONTH, 42 FACILITIES, UM, HAVE RECEIVED THEIR, UM, VACCINES.
AND SO CVS AND WALGREENS WILL PROVIDE THEIR FIRST IN THEIR, UM, AND THEIR BOOSTER, UM, VACCINE DOSE.
AND SO 7,000 RESIDENTS, UM, HAVE RECEIVED THAT VACCINE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND SO, UM, CVS AND WALGREENS WILL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THAT SERVICE.
AND SO AS NEW STAFF AND RESIDENTS, UM, ARE IN THOSE FACILITIES, UM, THEY'RE GOING TO GO BACK AND PROVIDE THE, THE FIRST AND THE SECOND DOSE TO THEM.
AND SO AS A, AS A COMMUNITY, UM, WE HAVE TO EMPHASIZE, UM, THE BEST WAY FOR US TO, UM, MAKING SURE THAT OUR LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES, OUR HEALTHCARE INFRASTRUCTURE, WHICH ARE ALL OF OUR ONE A'S, UM, ARE DEFINITELY, UM, COVERED DURING THIS PROCESS WITH OUR VACCINES.
UM, THEN WE WANT TO MAKE SURE TO ADDRESS FOLKS THAT, UM, ARE SEVERELY ILL, UM, AND MAY HAVE DIED BECAUSE OF IT.
WE, WE KNOW THAT IT IS IMPORTANT FOR US TO ADDRESS THE EQUITY GAPS, UM, IN THE VACCINE ADMINISTRATION.
UM, I'M SURE THAT MOST OF YOU HAVE SEEN OR READ INFORMATION ABOUT WHERE THE PROVIDERS ARE, UM, ARE IN AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY.
UM, AS I SHARED WITH YOU IN THE MEMO, AUSTIN, PUBLIC HEALTH IS NOT A DISTRIBUTOR.
WE DO NOT ENROLL INDIVIDUALS, UM, TO, TO PROVIDE THE VACCINE TO THEIR POPULATIONS.
AND SO KNOWING THAT WE ARE A PROVIDER
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AND WE ARE LOOKING AT THE DATA OF WHERE THE LOCATIONS ARE, UM, WHERE THE, UM, WHERE THE PROVIDERS ARE, WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO FILL IN THE GAPS.AND SO, AS WE ARE WORKING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE FILL IN THE GAPS, UM, OUR FOCUS WILL BE ON POPULATIONS THAT ARE DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTED BY SEVERE DISEASE AND DEATH, UM, WHICH WILL INCLUDE OUR POPULATIONS OF COLOR, THOSE LIVING IN POVERTY.
UM, THOSE LIVING IN AREAS WHERE THE DISEASE TRANSMISSION IS THE HIGHEST.
AND WE ARE DEFINITELY LOOKING AT AREAS WHERE THERE IS NOT, UM, A LOT OF TRANSPORTATION ACCESS.
UM, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THE BOND.
UM, BUT WE KNOW THAT FOR US TO BE ABLE TO, UM, MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE COVERING THE AREAS WHERE PEOPLE NEEDED TO MOST, WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO CONSIDER TRANSPORTATION IN THE PROCESS.
UM, OUR, OUR GOAL AS WE CONTINUE TO STAND UP SITES, UM, IT STARTING WITH A LARGE SCALE, UM, DISTRIBUTION SITE, UM, WHICH HAS THE ABILITY TO PROVIDE SEVERAL VACCINES A DAY AND THEN, UM, ALSO HAVE SMALLER, UM, PROVIDERS IN AREAS.
AND SO THOSE AREAS THAT THE CITY IS FOCUSING ON IS GOING TO BE THE EASTERN CRESCENT.
UM, AND SO KIND OF LOOKING AT, UM, CITY OF AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR, FROM THE SOUTHEAST, UM, YOU KNOW, TO THE NORTHEAST SIDE OF THE CITY AND COUNTY, WE DEFINITELY WANT TO COORDINATE OUR VACCINE, UM, ADMINISTRATORS WITH OTHERS, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, WE ARE, UM, A SAFETY NET.
SO AS MOST OF YOU MAY RECALL WITH THE, WITH THE VACCINES, WITH THE, WITH THE TESTING, UM, WE LOOKED AT AREAS WHERE, UM, THAT FIT THE SAME FOOTPRINT, UM, WHERE WE WERE SEEING, UM, AN INCREASE IN THE MOUNTAIN WITH THE HIGHEST, UM, DISEASE TRANSMISSION WAS THE HIGHEST.
AND SO THAT'S WHERE WE LOOK TO HAVE OUR SITES, UH, WHERE FOLKS WILL HAVE, UM, A LOCATION IN THEIR COMMUNITY THAT THEY CAN EASILY ACCESS THOSE.
AND SO, UM, AS WE ARE, ARE MEETING WITH PARTNERS AND HAVING CONVERSATIONS, UH, WE'RE DEFINITELY RECEIVING, UM, FEEDBACK, UM, FROM OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS ABOUT HOW WE CAN DEFINITELY, UM, HAVE LOCATIONS AND WORKING WITH PARTNERS TO MAXIMIZE OUR EFFORTS.
UM, AS YOU, UM, ARE AWARE OF, UM, WE INITIALLY THROUGH OUR PUBLIC SAFETY AND WELLNESS RECEIVED 1300 DOSES INITIALLY.
UM, AND SO THOSE WERE ONE AMS AFD, UM, AND THEN APD AND THEN APH, UM, RECEIVED OUR, UM, 1300 DOSES.
AND SO, UM, BASICALLY WHAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO, UM, WITH, WITH ALL OF THOSE DOSES IS, IS WE FOCUSED ON ONE A, UM, BUT WE ALSO, UM, WERE ALERTED THAT THERE WAS ONE LONG-TERM CARE FACILITY.
AND SO WE HAVE PARTNERED WITH THEM TO BE ABLE TO, UH, MAKE SURE THAT THEY WERE COVERED WITH VACCINES, INCLUDING THE RESIDENTS AND THE STAFF.
AND SO, UM, ON YESTERDAY MORNING AT 10:00 AM, UM, THE DEPARTMENT DID RECEIVE, UM, 12,000 DOSES OF VACCINE.
WE ARE OPERATING, UM, THREE, UM, MONDAY, TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, THESE ARE CLOSED, UM, PARTS WE ARE COMPLETING WITH, UM, ONE A DURING THIS TIME, BUT WE ARE ALSO, UM, PARTNERING, UM, WITH COMMUNITY CARE PEOPLE'S, UM, CLINIC AND LONE STAR CIRCLE OF CARE.
UH, BECAUSE OUR GOAL IS, IS THAT WE KNOW THAT, UM, IN THESE POPULATIONS, THIS IS WHERE THE SAFETY NET, WHERE MOST FOLKS GO THAT ARE UNINSURED AND UNDERINSURED.
AND SO OUR FOCUS FOR THOSE THREE DAYS, UM, MONDAY, TUESDAY, AND WEDNESDAY, UM, INCLUDING THE ONE A, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THAT SERVICE.
IT IS AN APPOINTMENT ONLY PROCESS.
AND SO, UM, IF, IF FOLKS, YOU KNOW, LACK, UM, ACCESS TO THE INTERNET, UM, WE ASK THEM JUST TO, YOU KNOW, REACH OUT TO THREE, ONE, ONE, AND THEN WE WILL GET THEM CONNECTED SO WE CAN SCHEDULE HIM FOR AN APPOINTMENT ON TOMORROW.
UM, OUR PORTAL WILL BE LIVE FOR THE PUBLIC.
[00:40:01]
UM, WE WILL CONTINUE TO, UM, COMPLETE THE REST OF THIS 12,000 VACCINE.UM, AND WE'RE JUST LETTING EVERYONE KNOW, WE KNOW WE DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH VACCINES, UM, BUT WE'RE JUST ASKING PEOPLE TO BE PATIENT WITH US THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
UM, THE PORTAL WILL BE, UM, LIVE TOMORROW AND SO THEY CAN GO IN AND THEY CAN REGISTER.
UM, IT WILL BE THE SAME AS THEY HAVE FOR TESTING.
UM, THEY WOULD, UM, REGISTER ON THAT SITE.
UM, AND THEN FROM THERE, THEY WILL RECEIVE, UM, A CONFIRMATION EMAIL FROM OUR SYSTEM.
AND SO THE DEPARTMENT, UH, MAKE THE DECISION TO GO WITH SALESFORCE.
WE HAVE ALREADY BEEN WORKING WITH SALESFORCE DURING THIS TIME THROUGHOUT THIS PANDEMIC.
AND SO WE ONLY WANTED TO USE, UM, ONE SYSTEM.
AND SO EVERYONE THAT GOES INTO THAT SYSTEM TOMORROW, THAT WILL BE A PART OF OUR SALES FORCE ACCESS.
UM, AND THEN ALSO, AGAIN, JUST AS A REMINDER FOR FOLKS THAT DON'T HAVE THAT ACCESS, WE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ASKING YOU TO CALL THREE, ONE, ONE, AND OUR STAFF WILL WORK WITH YOU.
ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE ARE, UM, YOU KNOW, REALLY EMPHASIZING TO LARGER EMPLOYERS, IF THEY CAN CONNECT WITH THEIR, UM, WELLNESS PARTNER, UM, UH, A LOT OF LARGE EMPLOYERS, FOR EXAMPLE, LIKE THE CITY OF AUSTIN, AND WE HAVE PARTNERED WITH RANDALL'S AND THE PROC IN THE PAST, UM, TO PROVIDE OUR FLU VACCINES AND WE ARE ENCOURAGING OTHER LARGE PROVIDERS, UM, TO DEFINITELY REACH OUT AND TALK WITH THEM ABOUT THAT BEING, UM, A PROCESS FOR YOU, UM, WITH YOUR EMPLOYEES, UM, THROUGH YOUR INSURANCE.
AND SO, UM, I JUST WANTED TO EMPHASIZE THAT AS WELL TODAY.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE START HAVING SOME DISCUSSIONS ABOUT, UM, DEFINITELY WANTING TO HAVE MORE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT IT IS, UM, IS THAT, UM, DISHES WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A REGIONAL HUB AND SPOKE, UM, UM, PROCESS WHERE, UM, PARTNERS WILL BE WILLING TO, UM, HAVE THE, THE, THE, THE HUB AND BE ABLE TO HAVE, UM, KIND OF SPOKE LOCATIONS.
SO WHETHER YOU HAVE SMALLER LOCATIONS, YOU'RE WORKING ACROSS YOUR REGION, UM, YOU KNOW, WITH NEIGHBORING COUNTIES.
AND SO WE HAVE BEGAN THOSE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WHAT THAT COULD POTENTIALLY LOOK LIKE FOR, UM, FOR OUR COMMUNITY, AS WELL AS OUR NEIGHBORING COMMUNITIES.
AND SO WE WILL PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THAT.
WE REACHED OUT TO CAP COD, AND SO, UM, THEY ARE GOING TO, UM, ASSIST US, UM, TO BRING SOME PEOPLE TOGETHER TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
AND SO AS THIS INITIAL PILOT, UM, MOVES FORWARD, UM, OUR GOAL IS, IS TO, UM, PROVIDE ALL THE VACCINE OUT THIS WEEK.
UM, AND THEN OUR HOPE IS, IS THAT, UM, WE CAN RECEIVE, UM, CONFIRMATION THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO DEPEND ON, UM, AT LEAST BETWEEN 2000 TO 10,000 DOSES OF A VACCINE TO BE MOVING BETWEEN US AND OUR PARTNERS, UM, HERE IN TRAVIS COUNTY, BUT THEN, UM, POTENTIALLY ACROSS THE REGION.
UM, THE OTHER THING, THIS IS MY LAST SLIDE FOR THAT.
UM, BUT I DID WANT TO JUST KIND OF REMIND FOLKS, UM, THAT FOR THE HOMELESS POPULATION, UM, WE ARE CONTINUING TO, UM, WORK WITH OUR PROTECTIVE LODGES.
UM, OUR STAFF, UM, HAVE, UM, TRANSITIONED 131 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN HOUSED FROM OUR PROTECTIVE LODGES.
UM, 62 OF THOSE HAPPEN IN THE MONTH OF DECEMBER, WE ARE CONTINUING WITH OUR MEALS, WE'VE PROVIDED OVER 70,000 MEALS AND WE'RE CONTINUING, UM, WITH OUR MOBILE SHOWERS, UM, WITH OUR LONG-TERM CARE FACILITY, AS DR.
UM, WE ARE CONTINUING TO SEE AN INCREASE IN CASES IN LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES.
AND SO, UM, OUR INCIDENT COMMAND TEAM HAS SENT OUT A STRIKE TEAM, UM, TO WORK, UM, IN ONE OF THE LOCATIONS WE'RE CONTINUING TO PROVIDE TESTING AT THOSE SITES.
UM, AND WE ARE RECOMMENDING THAT THAT TESTING HAPPENS EVERY THREE TO SEVEN DAYS,
[00:45:01]
UM, IN THOSE FACILITIES.AND SO, UM, I JUST WANTED TO REMIND FOLKS THAT ALL OF THOSE EFFORTS IN THE LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES ARE CONTINUING.
ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS, UM, ON WANTED TO ALSO SHARE IS, IS THAT WE HAVE, UM, FOR, UH, POST ACUTE CARE, UM, ISOLATION FACILITIES, UM, FOR LONG-TERM CARE RESIDENTS.
AND SO THAT REALLY WORKS WELL WITH THE FACILITIES BECAUSE, UM, THEY'RE ABLE TO, UM, USE THAT ISOLATION FACILITY AS THEY NEED IT.
AND SO AT THAT TIME, UM, I'M GOING TO CLOSE MY REPORT, UM, AND I'M AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS.
I'LL TURN IT BACK TO THE MAYOR FOR OPENING UP FOR QUESTIONS.
MA'AM UH, AND, AND, AND AGAIN, THANKS FOR THIS WORK.
UH, IF YOU NEED ANYTHING OR SUPPORT THAT, MAKE SURE THE VACCINATIONS GET OUT, PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOU ASK.
AND, UH, OBVIOUSLY THAT'S, THAT'S REAL IMPORTANT, UH, THAT WE, THAT WE GET THAT DONE AGAIN, THANKS TO THE STATE FOR THREE THINGS THIS WEEK, UH, THE ALLOCATION, UH, NUMBERS THAT, UH, HOPEFULLY WE CAN THEN GET OUT.
THE SECOND IS THAT, UH, UH, INFUSION CENTER THAT WAS STOOD UP, UH, THE FIRST WEEK IN JANUARY, JUST TO REITERATE THAT'S THE TREATMENT THAT THE PRESIDENT GOT, UH, AND IT'S AVAILABLE IN OUR COMMUNITY, UH, FOR FREE, UH, FOR PEOPLE THAT QUALIFY FOR THAT.
UH, WE'VE STOOD UP THE INFUSION CENTER ON THE EAST SIDE OF TOWN, UH, TO MAKE IT, UH, AVAILABLE.
AND THERE'S GOING TO BE ADDITIONAL CAPACITY FROM THE INFUSION CENTER IN THE ALTERNATE CARE SITES, UH, AS WELL, UH, AND IN THAT REGARD ARE PROBABLY DELIVERING AND GETTING OUT AND HAVE GREATER CAPACITY FOR THAT THERAPEUTIC THEN THAN ANYBODY ELSE DOES IN TEXAS BECAUSE OF THE COOPERATION OF OUR SYSTEMS, HOSPITAL SYSTEMS WITH THE STANDING UP OF THOSE CENTERS.
SO THANK YOU TO THE THREE HOSPITAL SYSTEMS ON THAT.
UH, AND THEN, UH, THE LAST THING THAT, UH, UH, WE THANK THE STATE FOR THIS WEEK IS THE STAFFING NOT ONLY FOR THE INFUSION CENTER, BUT ALSO FOR THE ALTERNATE CARE SITE, UH, WHICH IS BEING STOOD UP WITH, UH, UH, STAFFING FROM THE STATE, WHICH WAS CRITICAL BECAUSE IF WE HAD TO STAFF IT OURSELVES, UH, THEN WE WILL, WE WOULD BE TAKING STAFFING FROM HOSPITALS OR LOCAL STAFFING.
IT WAS OTHERWISE AVAILABLE TO HOSPITALS, ALL WITH RESPECT TO THEIR SURGEONS, UH, UH, UH, IN THE HOSPITALS, I HAVE THREE QUICK QUESTIONS, AND THEN I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO, UH, TO, TO COLLEAGUES.
UM, TELL ME, UM, UH, DIRECTOR HAYDEN, WHAT ARE WE DOING IN THE CITY, UH, WITH RESPECT TO COMMUNICATIONS OR CAMPAIGNS REGARDING VACCINE CONFIDENCE? WE HAVE, WE JUST RECENTLY CLOSED A MINI GRANT, UM, PROCESS, UM, THAT WE ARE GOING TO HAVE, UM, CONTRACTORS THAT ARE GOING TO BE WORKING WITH US TO, UM, ONE ADDRESS, ANY HESITANCY THAT FOLKS MAY HAVE TO PROVIDE THE EDUCATION TO THEM.
UM, THESE ARE, UM, UH, GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO WORK WITH FOLKS IN TARGETED ZIP CODES, UM, TO REALLY, UM, WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH THEM.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE ARE UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE, THERE IS ALSO SOME HESITANCY IN LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES.
UM, AND SO, UH, OUR STAFF HAVE GOT TOGETHER, UM, TO, UH, PROVIDE A VIDEO THAT WE HAVE SHARED WITH OUR LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES AS WELL.
UM, AND THEN LASTLY, UM, WE HAVE A COUPLE OF, OF, OF PARTNERS THAT, THAT WE HAVE BEEN REACHING OUT TO AND MEETING REGULARLY WITH, UM, TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE US FEEDBACK INTO, UM, POTENTIAL AREAS OF WHERE, UM, WE MAY WANT TO ALSO CONSIDER, UM, HARD TO, HARD TO REACH, UM, INDIVIDUALS OKAY.
WITH RESPECT TO, UH, THE, THE, THE SITE UP THIS WEEK, UH, YOU KNOW, HERE TO FOUR, IT'S BEEN REAL DIFFICULT TO SIGN UP FOR THE VACCINE, UH, BECAUSE YOU HAD TO DO IT TO INDIVIDUAL PROVIDERS AND THE VACCINE.
SO WE HAD PEOPLE THAT WERE TRYING TO SIGN UP, UH, ON AN HCP SITE, ON A CVS SITE, ON A CLINIC SITE, UH, AND, AND FRUSTRATING FOR THEM.
AND, AND WITH A LACK OF ACTUAL SUPPLY, FRUSTRATING ON LOTS OF LEVELS, BUT YOU'RE STANDING UP A SITE THIS WEEK WHERE PEOPLE CAN GO IN AND SIGN UP THE SAME WAY THEY SIGN UP FOR TESTING THROUGH, UH, THROUGH APH THAT SAME DASHBOARD, WELL, THAT SITE LASTS BEYOND THIS WEEK, UH, AND THE 12,000
[00:50:01]
IT WILL.AND, AND IS IT POSSIBLE THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT SITE, AS IT EVOLVES, AND AS IT AS, UH, WORKS OUT CAN BE MORE OF A CENTRAL SOURCE FOR PEOPLE TO GO TO, TO SIGN UP FOR VACCINES, UH, ADMINISTRATION IN, IN MULTIPLE PLACES, MULTIPLE PROVIDERS AROUND THE CITY.
SO IS A PART OF THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE ARE HAVING.
IF THE OTHER PROVIDERS OUTSIDE OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY, UM, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW WE HAVE PARTNERS THAT HAD ALREADY, UM, BEEN A PART OF SALESFORCE AND WILLIAMSON COUNTY AND BASTROP COUNTY.
AND SO, UM, THE GOAL WOULD BE IS, IS THAT WE WOULD WANT THE OTHER COUNTIES TO BE COME A PART OF, UM, THAT SYSTEM THIS WAY.
I THINK ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS, UM, THAT WE ARE ALSO HAVING DISCUSSIONS ABOUT IS, UM, A REGIONAL HUB WHERE WE'RE FOLKS CAN REALLY SEE, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A PLACE WHERE I CAN SIGN UP, BUT THEN THESE ARE ALSO, UM, OTHER LOCATIONS, IF I DECIDE, I DON'T WANT TO GO TO, YOU KNOW, COMING IN THROUGH THE CITIES, UM, CITY COUNTY, REGIONAL HUB, BUT IT WILL PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION AS WELL.
THE DEGREE TO WHICH WE CAN CENTRALIZE THAT SO THAT PEOPLE DON'T HAVE TO GO TO MULTIPLE PLACES, BUT GO TO ONE PLACE AND STILL BE ABLE TO ACCESS THE VACCINE IN MULTIPLE PLACES WHERE THEIR FIRST OPPORTUNITY ARISES, I THINK WILL BE REAL IMPORTANT, ESPECIALLY AS WE'RE TRYING TO GET THIS VACCINE OUT TO HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE, UH, OVER, OVER TIME.
SO THANKS FOR YOUR WORK ON THAT.
AND THEN THE LAST QUESTION I HAVE RELATES TO DASHBOARD, UH, UH, HOW DO WE GET, UM, UH, TRANSPARENT INFORMATION OUT TO THE COMMUNITY ABOUT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT ARE BE GETTING THE VACCINE, WHO'S GETTING THE VACCINE, THE DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION ASSOCIATED WITH THE PEOPLE GETTING THE VACCINE.
DO WE CONTROL THAT INFORMATION? UH, IS THERE A WAY FOR US TO MAKE THAT INFORMATION AVAILABLE? WELL, WE WILL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE RIGHT NOW IS WHAT AUSTIN COVID SKELETONS DO.
UM, THE STATE OF TEXAS HAS, UM, A DASHBOARD, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT THEY ARE WORKING ON TO STAND UP.
AND SO, UM, WHAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO INITIALLY BE ABLE TO PROVIDE IS, IS WHAT AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH IS DOING.
UM, FOR EXAMPLE, YESTERDAY, WE WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE 850 VACCINES OF YESTERDAY AT THAT LOCATION.
AND SO OUR STAFF ARE GOING TO COMPILE A REPORT, UM, THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO SHARE, AND THEN WE WILL POST IT, UM, ON OUR WEBSITE, WHICH WILL SHOW THE, UM, UH, THE NUMBER OF VACCINES WE'VE PROVIDED.
AND IT WILL INCLUDE THE, UM, THE DEMOGRAPHIC DATA.
AND SO AS MORE INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE, UM, AS WE CONTINUE TO WORK WITH OUR PARTNERS, UM, TO BE ABLE TO, UM, HAVE THEM TO, UM, UM, SHARE THAT INFORMATION AS WELL, THEN THE DASHBOARD WILL GROW.
BUT INITIALLY, UM, THAT INFORMATION WILL BE AWESOME.
I THINK PAIGE WHO HAD HER HAND RAISED, I DID THANK YOU, MAYOR.
SCOTT AND DIRECTOR HAYDEN, BUT I'LL START WITH DR.
SCOTT, SINCE I KNOW HE MAY HAVE TO, UH, LEAVE THE MEETING A LITTLE SOONER ALTERNATE CARE SITE.
CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT? IS IT GOING TO BE PEOPLE WHO HAVE RECOVERED OR MOSTLY RECOVERED? UM, THIS IS NOT A WALK UP AND GET AN ASSESSMENT TYPE OF FACILITY AT THIS POINT, RIGHT? THAT'S CORRECT.
THIS IS FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE BEEN SEEN IN THE HOSPITAL HAVE BEEN STABILIZED AND WHO ARE IN THE PROCESS OF RECOVERY ENOUGH SO THAT THEY CAN BE SAFELY MOVED TO A, A LEVEL OF LEVEL OF CARE.
UH, THESE ARE INDIVIDUALS WHO MAY STILL REQUIRE SOME OXYGEN ADMINISTRATION.
THEY MAY REQUIRE SOME HELP WITH MEDICATIONS OR, OR OTHER THINGS, BUT THIS IS NOT, UH, WILL NOT BE INDIVIDUALS WHO NEED ICU LEVEL CARE OR, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT THERE'S HIGHER LEVELS OF CARE THAT REALLY NEED TO BE DONE IN THE HOSPITAL.
THERE IS NO AVENUE FOR FOLKS TO WALK UP.
IF SOMEBODY WALKED UP TO THE SITE, THEY'LL, THEY'LL FIND THAT IT'S A, IT'S GOING TO BE LOCKED DOWN.
UM, SO, SO, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE MECHANISMS IN PLACE THAT DOES HAPPEN AND YOUR AMBULANCE WILL BE CALLED OUT TO, UH, TO HELP THAT INDIVIDUAL.
UM, BUT THESE ARE, THIS IS THE MODEL THAT HAS BEEN USED IN EL PASO.
THE MODEL HAS BEEN USED IN FOLLOWING GEN, UH, AND MOST OF MOST OTHER ALTERNATE CARE SITES AROUND THE STATE, UH, SUPER COMPETENT IN THIS MODEL AND HOPEFUL THAT IT WILL HELP DECREASE THE,
[00:55:01]
THE BURDEN ON THE HOSPITALS RIGHT NOW.THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION.
I REMEMBER HEARING THAT A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO WHEN A FEW OF US WERE ABLE TO GET A TOUR AND JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WAS STILL THE CASE.
UM, I DID NOTICE ON YOUR CHART ABOUT THE ISD REPORTING CASES.
I CAN SEE IAN'S ISD ON THE LIST.
IS, IS THAT JUST THAT THEY DIDN'T SEND THE INFORMATION OR THEY DIDN'T HAVE ANY, UH, COUNSELOR? I IMAGINE IT'S BECAUSE A REPORT WAS NOT SUBMITTED, UH, I CAN GET WITH OUR SCHOOLS TASK FORCE AND SEE IF THERE WAS ANY UPDATES ON THAT, BUT THAT PARTICULAR REPORT RELIES ON ALL THAT REPORTING TO OUR, UH, OUR SCHOOL NURSE LINE, UH, TO REPORT THOSE CASES AND EXPOSURES.
THAT INFORMATION WOULD BE HELPFUL JUST CAUSE I KNOW IN PREVIOUS ITERATIONS OF CHARTS LIKE THIS, UM, IT HAD SHOWN UP WITH SOME CASES OF INDIVIDUALS, UM, IN THIS SCHOOL.
UM, CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE AGE GROUP OF UNDER ONE YEAR OLDS? UM, WHY WE WOULD SEE MORE INFANTS CONTRACTING COVID, IS THAT BECAUSE OF DAYCARES OR A NEW STRAIN, UH, AFFECTING DIFFERENT AGE GROUPS DIFFERENTLY? CAN YOU TELL ME A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT COUNCIL MEMBERS? UH, YOU KNOW, I THINK THE ISSUE THAT WE'RE SEEING HERE WHILE WE'RE SEEING YOUNGER AGE GROUPS, UH, INCREASINGLY IMPACTED IS BECAUSE WE HAVE MASSIVE UNCONTROLLED SPREAD OF DISEASE.
UH, SO WE'RE GOING TO EXPECT INCREASED NUMBERS IN ALL AGE GROUPS.
UM, YOU KNOW, ONE REASON WHY THE PERCENTAGE OF INFANTS MAY BE HIGHER, UH, IS, IS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IF THERE ARE SYMPTOMATIC, THEY'RE GOING TO GET TESTED.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO FIND A LOT OF ASYMPTOMATIC BABIES GOING OFF AND GETTING COVID-19 TESTING.
UH, SO I THINK THE, UM, UH, THE, THE RISK OF, OF COVID-19 EXPOSURE IN PEOPLE WHO ARE SYMPTOMATIC, INCLUDING ENFANTS IS GOING TO BE HIGHER THAN THE RISK ACROSS THE BOARD OF YOU, IF YOU LUMP IN, UM, UH, ASYMPTOMATIC INDIVIDUALS.
AND SO THIS NEW STRAIN THAT IS IN ALL LIKELIHOOD HERE, UM, HAVE YOU NOTICED ANY TRENDS OR ANY PREDICTIONS THAT COULD BE MADE IF, IF IT IS AFFECTING ANYONE DIFFERENTLY, IF THERE'S ANY DIFFERENT SYMPTOMS THAT PEOPLE SHOULD BE AWARE OF? SO THE INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE SO FAR, UH, FROM, FROM, YOU KNOW, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND, UH, OTHER FOLKS, IS THAT IT DOESN'T APPEAR TO BE ANY MORE DANGEROUS IN TERMS OF, UH, IT'S IT'S, UH, THE INTENSITY OF ITS SYMPTOMS OR THE SEVERITY OF THE ILLNESS, THAT RESULTS, UH, THERE IS CONCERN THAT IT IS MORE EASILY CONTRACTED, UH, WHICH IS GOING TO MAKE IT MORE DIFFICULT FOR US TO, UH, TO CONTROL THE OUTBREAK THAT WE'RE EXPERIENCING NOW.
UH, AGAIN, WHEN THE DISEASE TRANSITIONS OR MUTATES IN A WAY THAT MAKES IT EASIER TO CONTRACT, IT ALSO MAKES US MORE CONCERNED ABOUT THE POTENTIAL FOR ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS, INCLUDING, UH, MAKING IT EASIER FOR AIRBORNE TRANSMISSION TO BE POSSIBLE.
UH, WE DON'T HAVE CLEAR EVIDENCE OF THAT.
NOW WE SUSPECT THAT THAT THAT MAY BE THE CASE, UH, WHICH IS WHY IN PARTICULAR, WE'RE CONCERNED MORE ABOUT, ABOUT SCHOOLS AND OTHER SETTINGS, UH, WHERE INDIVIDUALS ARE IN CLOSE PROXIMITY FOR THE DURATION OF TIME.
I HAVE A FEW MORE FOR DIRECTOR HAYDEN, BUT I'M HAPPY TO LET OTHER PEOPLE, BUT FIRST THAT SOUNDS GOOD.
WE'LL COME BACK TO YOU FOR A DIRECTOR HAYDEN QUESTIONS AND LET'S LIMIT THE QUESTIONS RIGHT NOW THAT AREN'T DRIED OUT SCOTT COUNCILMEMBER KITCHEN.
UM, I HAVE, UH, A NUMBER OF QUESTIONS ABOUT, UH, SENIORS AND ABOUT, UH, REACHING THEM AS WELL AS ABOUT, UM, BUT, UM, I'M NOT SURE IF THESE ARE FOR DR.
SO I'LL GO AHEAD AND ASK THEM AND, AND, UM, I WILL LIMIT MY QUESTIONS RIGHT NOW TO MY QUESTIONS ABOUT SENIORS SO THAT OTHERS CAN ASK QUESTIONS TOO.
SO MY QUESTION REALLY BOILS DOWN TO, UM, SENIORS.
UM, THE TWO, TWO ASPECTS, TWO, TWO ASPECTS, UH, SENIORS WHO ARE LIVING IN LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES THAT ARE, DON'T HAVE A VACCINE RELATIONSHIP WITH BCS OR CVS OR WALGREENS.
MY FIRST QUESTION IS MY UNDERSTANDING WAS THAT THERE ARE SOME LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES THAT ARE NOT COVERED BY THE FEDERAL PROGRAM.
CAN YOU SPEAK TO THAT? IS THAT, IS THAT TRUE? AND HOW ARE WE REACHING THE, SO WHAT WE HAVE PUT IN PLACE IS, IS, UM, FOR THE WALLS THAT WERE NOT COVERED BY THE FEDERAL PROGRAM, UM, HAS BEEN PROVIDING SOME LEVEL OF SUPPORT
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UNTIL LAST WEEK.AND SO THEY'VE LET US KNOW THAT ANY OF THE FACILITIES THAT REMAIN, UM, WOULD NEED TO BE PICKED UP BY AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH.
AND SO THAT IS WHAT WE STARTED TO DO.
AND SO FOLKS CAN JUST REACH OUT TO US, UM, ON OUR, UM, YOU KNOW, AT OUR NURSING HOME, UM, INFORMATION LINE, UM, IF THEY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS, UM, AND WE HAVE OUR TEAM TO SEE WHAT THEY NEED AND WE CAN PROVIDE THOSE NEXT TO THEM AND THEIR STAFF.
LET ME ASK MORE SPECIFICALLY THEN, UM, HOW MANY OF OUR LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES IN THIS, IN OUR COMMUNITY ARE NOT COVERED BY THE, UH, FEDERAL VACCINE PROGRAM? TO MY KNOWLEDGE, MY STAFF HAS ONLY TOLD ME ABOUT TWO.
UM, AND SO THEY COME FORWARD AND SAY, BECAUSE WE TYPICALLY WOULD LOOK AT, UM, THE REPORT THAT THE STATE SENDS US.
UM, AND WE, YOU KNOW, REACH OUT TO HHSC TO SAY, YOU KNOW, IT LOOKS LIKE THERE'S, THIS GROUP IS NOT ON THERE.
AND THEN OUR STAFF ISN'T IN COMMAND FOLKS WILL REACH OUT TO THE ADMINISTRATORS.
SO RIGHT NOW THERE ARE TWO THAT WE KNOW OF, UM, FOCUS WILL BE MORE, UM, AND SO AS THEY REACH OUT TO US AND WE CONTINUE TO TRY TO TRUE UP WHAT THE STATE SENDS US ABOUT, WHO'S ON THAT LIST AND WHO HAS RECEIVED THOSE, UM, THEN WE CAN, WE CAN REACH OUT TO THOSE.
SO LET ME MAKE SURE I UNDERSTOOD.
SO WE ARE PROACTIVELY COMPARING THE LIST OF OUR, UM, LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES IN OUR COMMUNITY WITH THE LIST OF, UH, THOSE FACILITIES THAT ARE INCLUDED IN THE WALGREENS, WALGREENS AND CVS SYSTEM.
IS THAT WHAT THE WE'RE NOT WAITING FOR THEM TO REACH OUT TO US? WE'VE IDENTIFIED WHICH ONES ARE NOT PART OF THAT PROGRAM.
SO WE'VE DONE A COUPLE OF THINGS BECAUSE THE WAY THIS, THE SYSTEM WITH THE STATE IS, IS THEY PROVIDE US A LIST OF WHO THEY ARE WORKING WITH AND WHO HAS BEEN THE VACCINE HAVE BEEN PROVIDING THE VACCINES, HAVE ALREADY STARTED TO RECEIVE THOSE.
UM, AND SO OUR FOLKS ARE BEING PROACTIVE TO SAY, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S OTHERS THAT WE NEED TO WORK WITH THEM.
AND SO THUS FAR WE'VE FOUND TOO, UM, WE WILL CONTINUE THAT PROCESS, UM, WITH THE STATE AND THE LONGTERM CARE FACILITIES THROUGHOUT YESTERDAY.
THEN THE LAST QUESTION I HAVE, AND THEN I'LL TURN IT OVER TO OTHERS THAT RELATES TO SENIORS THEN IS THAT, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR MINORITY POPULATION AND OUR LATINO, UH, SENIOR CITIZENS, A LOT OF THEM LIVE AT HOME WITH FAMILIES, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, AND, AND SENIORS LIVING IN OUR COMMUNITY AT HOME.
SO HOW ARE WE, HOW ARE WE PROACTIVELY REACHING OUT TO THEM? I AM CONCERNED THAT, UM, I, I, I'M VERY PLEASED AND I APPRECIATE, UH, THE SETTING UP THE PORTAL.
I THINK THAT'S VERY HELPFUL, BUT I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT HOW WE'RE GOING TO PROACTIVELY REACH OUT TO, UM, TO SENIORS, PARTICULARLY, UH, LOW-INCOME SENIORS, UH, MINORITY SENIORS, UM, UH, BECAUSE I, I DON'T KNOW THAT THEY ARE GOING TO EITHER KNOW OR ARE HOW, OR KNOW HOW TO, OR BE ABLE TO ACCESS A PORTAL.
SO, UM, I'M WANTING TO UNDERSTAND HOW WE'RE REACHING OUT TO THEM.
AND ONE OF THE REASONS I'M ASKING THAT QUESTION IS, YOU KNOW, WE, WE DID, WE DID WORK EARLY ON LAST SUMMER.
UH, UH, THE STAFF HELPED A NUMBER OF OUR OFFICES TO, UH, DO PHONE CALLS AND TO SEND, UH, POSTCARDS TO SENIORS, UM, THAT WERE LIVING AT HOME IN OUR DISTRICTS.
AND THAT WAS ONE WAY WE, WE OUTREACH TO THEM PROACTIVELY.
SO MY QUESTION TO YOU IS HOW, AND I, AND I UNDERSTAND, OF COURSE WE DON'T YET HAVE ENOUGH FOR EVERYONE IN OUR COMMUNITY, BUT WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO TO PROACTIVELY REACH OUT TO THOSE SENIORS, UM, THAT ARE LIVING WITH FAMILIES OR LIVING ON THEIR OWN IN THE COMMUNITY? UM, WE, UH, WE'VE, WE'VE ALREADY STARTED A FEW THINGS.
UM, ONE IS, YOU KNOW, UM, WE HAVE, UH, AN EMPLOYEE IN THE DEPARTMENT, UM, UH, UH, TABITHA TAYLOR, UM, THAT WORKS WITH THE COMMISSION ON SENIORS.
UM, AND SO, UM, AND SO SHE HAS BEEN A PART OF THE CONVERSATION.
UM, AND, UM, AS, AS WE OUTREACH TO THOSE POPULATIONS, UM, WE HAVE A COUPLE OF THE PROVIDERS THAT ARE A PART OF THE, UM, VACCINE COALITION TASK FORCE.
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ARE MEMBERS THERE.UM, SO THEY HAVE BEEN, UM, EMAILING US AND WE'VE BEEN COMMUNICATING WITH THEM AS WELL.
UM, AND SO, UM, WE, WE WILL DEFINITELY WORK WITH, UM, FOLKS THAT WE HAVE CONTRACTS WITH TO BE ABLE TO GET THE WORD OUT THROUGH, UM, THE POPULATIONS THAT THEY SERVE.
AND THEN WE HAVE SOME OTHER PARTNERS THAT ARE WILLING TO, UM, BE ABLE TO GET THE INFORMATION OUT TO THOSE POPULATIONS.
SO WE DO HAVE THAT ON OUR RADAR.
UM, THOSE THINGS ARE UNDERWAY, UM, AND WILL CONTINUE, UM, THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS, UM, AS WE HAVE MORE VACCINE AVAILABLE, UM, AS YOU KNOW, WE'VE DONE SOME IN-HOME TESTING.
AND SO, UM, THAT'S ANOTHER PART OF OUR STRATEGY, UM, THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO IMPLEMENT, TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE, UM, SOME, UM, VACCINE, UM, TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THE VACCINE AT HOME TO THEM.
SO THOSE ARE THE THINGS WE'RE LOOKING AT.
UM, WE ARE ALWAYS OPEN TO, YOU KNOW, ANY LISTS THAT YOU ALL MAY HAVE, UM, AND WE'VE SET THAT, UM, TO THE COMMUNITY AS WELL.
UM, WE ALSO KNOW, UM, THAT PARKS AND RECREATION, UM, ALSO HAS, UM, FOLKS THAT THEY'VE WORKED WITH.
SO WE'LL BE WORKING WITH THEM AS WELL.
I WILL WORK WITH TABITHA AND YOUR OFFICE.
I THINK I WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST THAT WE THINK ABOUT WAYS TO BE PROACTIVE.
UM, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW, WE COULD EASILY, AND IT'S NOT EXPENSIVE AND IT'S FAST TO DO PHONE CALLS, YOU KNOW, UH, TO DO RECORDED PHONE CALLS TO SENIORS, FOR EXAMPLE, TO SEND A POSTCARD.
WE NEED, I REALLY THINK THAT BECAUSE WE'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY I KNOW YOU GUYS ARE PREPARING FOR, AND I APPRECIATE THIS FOR VACCINE DISTRIBUTION OVER A NUMBER OF MONTHS.
WE'RE NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT WHAT'S IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE TO US BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO TAKE AWHILE TO HAVE ENOUGH, BUT WE NEED TO BE LETTING PEOPLE KNOW RIGHT NOW.
I MEAN, THERE ARE OTHER POPULATIONS TOO, BUT THAT IS ONE OF THE POPULATIONS THAT, UM, IS, IS LIKELY NOT TO HAVE, BUT THEY MAY NOT HAVE AS MUCH ACCESS AND THEY MAY NOT EITHER TO INFORMATION OR TO THE VACCINES.
AND SO I REALLY ARE JUST TO BE PROACTIVE AND I'M HAPPY TO WORK WITH TABITHA'S OFFICE AS WE DID, UM, EARLIER IN THE YEAR WHEN WE WERE REACHING OUT TO SAY, THANK YOU.
AND, AND JUST A REMINDER, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR SENIORS, BUT OTHER PEOPLE THAT DON'T HAVE ACCESS, UM, WE WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE THE ABILITY TO, UM, SIGN UP INDIVIDUALS THAT DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO THE INTERNET.
UM, AND IT MAY NOT, YOU KNOW, BE ABLE TO, UM, ACCESS AND GO ONLINE TO OUR PORTAL.
SO THAT WILL CONTINUE TO BE A RESOURCE AVAILABLE FOR OUR, UM, FOR OUR SENIORS, BUT JUST TO KIND OF THE GENERAL POPULATION THAT DON'T HAVE ACCESS.
THANK, UM, SO A LOT OF MY QUESTIONS HAVE BEEN COVERED AS A COUNCIL MEMBER OR KITCHEN I'M RIGHT THERE WITH YOU AND REALLY LOOKING AT AND ACKNOWLEDGING THAT CULTURALLY FOR LATINOS, A LOT OF LATINOS ARE NOT IN LONG-TERM FACILITIES ARE NOT IN NURSING HOMES.
WE KEEP OUR LAWS AND IN OUR HOMES.
AND SO IT'S INTERGENERATIONAL.
AND SO I WOULD DEFINITELY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A STRATEGY IN PLACE TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE REACHING OUT TO, UM, TOWARD VULNERABLE POPULATIONS.
UH, ONE OF THE QUESTIONS I HAD DIRECTOR HAYDEN WAS AROUND JUST, I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY.
UM, SO WE APH WITH THE 12,000 DOSES THAT WERE RECEIVED THIS WEEK, THOSE 12,000 ARE FIRST GOING TO GO TO THOSE IN THE ONE EGG GROUP.
WE KNOW WHEN THE MAJORITY OF THE ONE, A FOLKS IN LONG-TERM FACILITY GROUP, WHEN WE'LL HAVE VACCINATED, THE MAJORITY OF ONE A, WELL, OUR GOAL, REALLY JUST AS A COMMUNITY, NOT JUST AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, UM, WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO FINISH THE, THE ONE A, UM, BY THE END OF THIS WEEK.
AND SO NOT JUST OFFER ALL OF THE OTHER PARTNERS, UM, THAT ARE PROVIDING VACCINES WERE OUR GOAL WAS TO TRY TO FINISH THAT ONE 80 THIS WEEK.
SO THEN WILL WE BE VACCINATING ONE FOLKS IN THE ONE BD CATEGORY THIS WEEK WITH 12,000 DOSE ALLOTMENT? YES.
WE HAVE ALREADY STARTED SOMEONE BEES.
UM, YOU'RE DEFINITELY TARGETING 65 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER, UM, ARE THE FOLKS THAT WE ARE REALLY TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU KNOW, THAT WE ARE, UM, FOCUSING ON THAT AREA, BUT YES, WE ARE TRANSITIONING TO ONE B, SO SOMEONE BEES,
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UM, WILL BE A PART OF THE, UM, 12,000.SO PART OF APH, OUR DEPARTMENTS, EQUITY EFFORTS INCLUDE THE LOOK, THE ACTUAL PHYSICAL LOCATION OF THE MASS VACCINE SITES THAT WE'RE STANDING AT THIS WEEK.
AND THOSE LOCATIONS WILL BE DISCLOSED.
OH, WHEN FOLKS GO UP TO SIGN UP ON THE REGISTRATION PAGE.
WHEN, WHEN THE CONVENTIONALS, UM, REGISTER FOR THE VACCINE, UM, WHEN THEY RECEIVE INFORMATION BACK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE TIME THAT THEY CAN GO AND IT WILL PROVIDE THEM, UM, THE LOCATION.
AND CAN YOU ALSO JUST ELABORATE A LITTLE BIT MORE ON WHAT ELSE WE ARE DOING WITH OUR EQUITY EFFORTS? SO PART OF THE EQUITY OF COURSES, ENSURING THAT WE'RE BEING EQUITABLE IN THE PHYSICAL LOCATIONS THAT WE'RE SELECTING, BUT WHAT ELSE IS OUR PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT DOING IN TERMS OF EQUITY? WELL, THERE, THERE, THERE'S SEVERAL THINGS THAT WE'VE DONE.
UM, YOU KNOW, REALLY, EVEN BEFORE THE PANDEMIC HIT, UM, THE DEPARTMENT HAS A, UM, HEALTH EQUITY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT DIVISION, UM, WITHIN DIVISION.
UM, WE HAVE FOCUSED IN WITH, UM, THE ASIAN POPULATION, AS WELL AS THE HISPANIC AND AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES, UM, TO ADDRESS HEALTH DISPARITIES.
AND SO WITH OUR EQUITY EFFORTS, UM, WE HAVE A, UM, A PRIORITY POPULATION GROUP, UM, THAT HAS BEEN SET UP SINCE THE INCEPTION OF THIS, UM, PROCESS.
AND SO WE'VE WORKED WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO, UM, IDENTIFY SPECIFIC LOCATIONS THAT WE HAVE, UH, PROVIDED SERVICES TO.
SO WHETHER IT HAS BEEN, UM, UM, FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE, WHETHER IT'S BEEN TESTING, UM, IN THOSE COMMUNITIES OR WHETHER IT HAS BEEN US WORKING VERY CLOSELY IN THOSE COMMUNITIES TO PROVIDE OUR COMMUNITY GROUPS WITH, WITH PPE, UM, SO THEY CAN, UM, DISSEMINATE, UM, INTO THE COMMUNITY, BUT THAT'S JUST A HIGH LEVEL LIST.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, FROM A COMMUNICATIONS PERSPECTIVE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH OUR MEDIA OUTLETS.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE, UM, HELD SOME, UM, FACEBOOK LIVE, UM, SPANISH SPEAKING, ONLY, UM, SESSIONS WITH THE COMMUNITY, UM, AS WELL AS PROVIDING, UM, OUTREACH MATERIAL.
UM, OUR INFORMATION ON OUR WEBSITE IS IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH, UM, AND SEVERAL OTHER LANGUAGES.
AND SO THE GOAL IS TO ENSURE THAT, UM, THE INFORMATION THAT WE ARE PROVIDING TO THE COMMUNITY IS CULTURALLY RELEVANT.
UM, SO WE CAN ENSURE THAT WE ARE REACHING, UM, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THE POPULATIONS THAT WE NEED TO REACH WITH OUR INFORMATION OUTREACH AND EDUCATION.
UH, THANKS VERY MUCH FOR THIS INFORMATION.
I WANT TO, I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS, SOME OF WHICH I THINK I'LL JUST SUBMIT AFTER THIS SESSION, BUT I ALSO WANT TO, I WANT TO GO BACK TO A COUPLE OF THE POINTS THAT MY COLLEAGUES MADE.
I, I WANT TO ECHO, UM, MANY OF THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE WRITTEN ARE ASKING ARE ENCOURAGING THE CITY AND THE COUNTY TO SET UP, UM, THE KIND OF PORTAL THAT I THINK IT WAS THE MAYOR FIRST DESCRIBED.
I KNOW YOU DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE CONTROL OVER WHAT, WHETHER OTHER AGENCIES AND ORGANIZATIONS WILL PARTICIPATE IN THAT, BUT TO THE EXTENT THAT WE COULD GET THAT THE CITY COULD PROVIDE A DATABASE ALONG THE WAY, A LOT OF DASHBOARD, RATHER ALONG THE LINES OF WHAT YOU HAVE DONE FOR COVID CASES, THAT WOULD BE ENORMOUSLY HELPFUL TO BE ABLE TO TRACK WHERE THE, WHERE THE VACCINE HAS BEEN DISTRIBUTED AND TO WHOM, UM, THE OTHER, THE OTHER THING THAT WE ARE HEARING IS HAPPENING IN SOME OTHER PLACES THAT I THINK ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES ALSO MENTIONED IS THAT KIND CENTRAL CENTRAL DATABASE OF INFORMATION THAT PROVIDE ABOUT REAL-TIME INFORMATION ABOUT VACCINE AVAILABILITY AND, AND WAITLIST OPPORTUNITIES.
AND SO, AS I UNDERSTOOD THE MA I THINK THIS MIGHT'VE BEEN THE MAYOR'S QUESTION, BUT DIRECTOR HAYDEN, DID YOU SAY THERE MIGHT BE AN OPPORTUNITY IN THE WEEKS AHEAD TO HAVE THAT, TO HAVE A CENTRAL COMMUNITY REGISTRATION PROCESS FOR INDIVIDUALS WAITING FOR VACCINES, NOT JUST VACCINES THROUGH APH, BUT VACCINES THROUGH CLINICS AND HEB AND VARIOUS PHARMACIES.
SO WE, WE HAVE BEGAN THOSE INITIAL, UM, CONVERSATIONS.
UM, IT IS DEFINITELY NOT SOMETHING THAT WILL HAPPEN IN THE NEXT WEEK, WEEK OR SO.
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UM, BECAUSE BASICALLY WHAT, WHAT WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO DO IS PULL TOGETHER, UH, FOLKS, UM, ON THE REGIONAL LEVEL, UM, HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS, OUR VACCINE DISTRIBUTION GROUP DID INCLUDE REGIONAL PARTNERS.UM, WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH THEM REASONABLY THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS.
AND SO, UM, IN ORDER FOR YOU TO HAVE SOMETHING, UM, UH, ELABORATE WHERE WE PICK UP ALL 350 OF THOSE PARTNERS, UM, EACH OF THEM, UM, HAVE TO BE WILLING TO, UM, WORK TOGETHER WITH AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH AND, UM, IN OUR COMMUNITY AND DEVELOP A REGIONAL APPROACH.
AND SO THOSE ARE THE INITIAL CONVERSATIONS THAT WE ARE HAVING TO SEE HOW WE CAN APPROACH THIS THROUGH, UM, REGIONAL LEADS.
AND SO IT DEFINITELY WILL TAKE EVERYONE, UM, TO BE ON BOARD.
UM, WE HAVE TO DEFINE WHAT THIS REGION WILL LOOK LIKE, WHETHER WE'RE GOING TO GO WITH MSA OR WILL WE, WHETHER WE WOULD BE GOING WITH A LARGER AREA OF 11, UM, UH, COUNTIES, UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, WORK WITH CAP COD.
AND SO ALL OF THOSE DISCUSSIONS, UM, WILL HAVE TO TAKE PLACE, UM, AND THEN DETERMINE EXACTLY HOW WE WOULD MAYBE MOVE FORWARD WITH A REGIONAL APPROACH.
AND SO BOTH OF THOSE INITIATIVES WOULD REQUIRE THAT SAME REGIONAL APPROACH FOR THE DASHBOARD SHOWING WHERE THE VACCINE HAS BEEN DISTRIBUTED COMMUNITY-WIDE, UM, AS WELL AS SOME KIND OF REGIONAL SIGNUP SYSTEM, UH, BOTH OF THOSE WOULD REQUIRE THAT.
I WONDER IF, TO WHAT EXTENT WILL THE INFRASTRUCTURE YOU ALREADY BUILT TO TRACK CASES IN THIS AREA AT LEAST HELP WITH A DASHBOARD ABOUT VACCINE DISTRIBUTION? WELL, WE, WE CURRENTLY USE SALESFORCE AND, AND SEVERAL OTHER PARTNERS, UM, ARE USING SALESFORCE WITH US.
UM, AND AS YOU KNOW, AT THE STATE LEVEL, UM, THE STATE IS ALSO USING, UH, UH, THAT SALESFORCE SYSTEM AS WELL.
AND SO, UM, DIFFERENT PARTNERS ARE USING DIFFERENT SYSTEMS. WE'RE ALL NOT USING THE SAME SYSTEM.
SO THERE THERE'S, THERE'S QUITE A BIT OF THINGS THAT WOULD NEED TO BE WORKED OUT, UM, TO DETERMINE, YOU KNOW, HOW WE WILL PULL ALL OF THIS TOGETHER.
AND SO TO, UM, SEVERAL OF MY COLLEAGUES HAVE ALSO REFERENCED INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE NOT, WHO ARE NOT PART OF, UM, NOT PART OF A LONG-TERM CARE FACILITY WHO ARE LIVING AT HOME.
WE'RE, UM, I KNOW ALL OF OUR OFFICES ARE HEARING FROM INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE SEEKING INFORMATION ABOUT, ABOUT VACCINES, AND THEY MAY BE IN THAT ONE B GROUP.
I WANT TO ECHO AT COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN SAID, UM, SEVERAL OF OUR OFFICES DID HAVE REALLY GOOD OUTREACH TO SENIORS IN OUR DISTRICTS, UM, LARGELY THROUGH VOLUNTEER EFFORTS.
AND, AND SO WE CAN TAP INTO THOSE RESOURCES AGAIN, IF IT'S HELPFUL TO YOU.
I, WHAT I WOULD, UH, I'M NOT SURE WHAT A POSTCARD AT THIS MOMENT WOULD SAY, THOUGH, BECAUSE MANY OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE CALLING OR EMAILING US ARE CALLING THE LIST OF PROVIDERS THAT ARE ON THE STATE, AND THERE'S NOT REAL TIME DATA THERE IN TERMS OF AVAILABILITY.
SO THEY'RE CALLING, YOU KNOW, MULTIPLE, MULTIPLE, UM, SOURCES AND FINDING NO VACCINE AND THEY, AND THEY LIKELY WON'T QUALIFY PARENTS.
UM, THEY WON'T, THEY WOULD NOT BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE PUBLIC HEALTH DISTRIBUTION.
SO WHAT, UM, CAN YOU, CAN YOU GIVE US, UH, SOME WORDS OF ADVICE, UM, OR SOME, SOME SENSE OF WHEN AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH MIGHT BE ABLE TO GIVE US A TIMELINE? I THINK WE NEED TO SET REASONABLE.
WE PROBABLY NEED TO RESET SOME OF THE EXPECTATIONS IN THE COMMUNITY ABOUT HOW QUICKLY THE VACCINE WILL BE AVAILABLE ON A WIDE ENOUGH SCALE TO REALLY, TO GET INDIVIDUALS IN THAT ONE BIG CATEGORY WHO, WHO WON'T QUALIFY FOR THE 12,000 DOSES THAT AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH HAS THIS WEEK OR IN THE WEEKS AHEAD.
UM, WHAT, WHAT WOULD YOU ADVISE THEM TO DO IN TERMS OF SEEKING OUT A VACCINE SOURCE? YEAH, I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE REALLY IMPORTANT, UM, THAT FOLKS, UM, JUST THINK ABOUT INITIALLY WITHIN THE STATE'S PLAN, UM, THE STATE'S PLAN, UM, REALLY, YOU KNOW, LAID OUT.
AND I KNOW THERE'S BEEN QUESTIONS ABOUT WHEN THIS WOULD HAPPEN AND IS IT SUBJECT TO CHANGE? EVERYTHING IS DEFINITELY SUBJECT TO CHANGE, BUT WITHIN THAT INITIAL PLAN THAT THE STATE OF TEXAS, UM, RELEASED, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY STATED THAT, YOU KNOW, DECEMBER, JANUARY, UM, THERE WILL NOT BE A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF VACCINE COMING INTO COMMUNITIES.
AND SO WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE FEDERAL LEVEL THAT THERE WAS DEFINITELY
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A DELAY.UM, WE, WE WERE ANTICIPATING, UM, THAT AT LEAST 20 MILLION VACCINES WILL BE ABLE TO BE DISTRIBUTED.
UM, UM, AT THE END OF DECEMBER AND JANUARY, UM, YOU KNOW, ACROSS THE U S THAT DID NOT HAPPEN ONLY 5 MILLION OF THEM.
AND SO WE'VE REALLY GOT TO, UM, UM, AND I, AND I, AND I UNDERSTAND, I, I WHOLEHEARTEDLY UNDERSTAND, AND, AND WE, WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO GET THIS OUT AS SOON AS WE CAN, BUT WE'VE GOTTA BE REALISTIC TO KNOW THAT, UM, IF THINGS ARE COMING FROM THE FEDERAL LEVEL, UM, WE'RE IN A PROCESS OF TRANSITIONING ADMINISTRATION.
AND SO THEY HAVE COMMUNICATED THAT THAT'S GOING TO BE A PRIMARY, UM, UM, PROJECT FOR THEM.
AND SO AS MORE, MORE VACCINE BECOMES AVAILABLE, THAT IT'S BEING SHIPPED TO THE VARIOUS AREAS.
YOU KNOW, WE CAN ANTICIPATE THAT IT WILL PROBABLY BE AROUND THE PROBABLY APRIL TIMEFRAME, UM, WHERE WE WILL BE ABLE TO SEE MORE VACCINE THAT'S AN ESTIMATE, BUT, BUT THAT IS PROBABLY THE BEST ESTIMATE THAT I CAN PROVIDE, WHERE WE WILL SEE IT MORE WIDELY AVAILABLE.
IN THE MEANTIME, YOU KNOW, WE'RE STILL ENCOURAGING FOLKS, EVEN THE FOLKS THAT HAVE RECEIVED THEIR VACCINE, UM, TO CONTINUE TO WEAR THEIR MASKS, STAY HOME, UM, AND YOU KNOW, DEFINITELY, UM, THE SOCIAL DISTANCING, WASHING YOUR HANDS.
WE CANNOT EMPHASIZE THAT EVEN FOR THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE ALREADY RECEIVED THEIR VACCINE, YOU SHOULD CONTINUE TO BE DOING THAT.
IF I COULD JUST ADD ONTO THAT.
UH, I AGREE WITH WHAT THE GOVERNOR SAID YESTERDAY.
IT IS A REMARKABLE FEAT THAT WE PROVIDED AS MANY VACCINATIONS AS WE HAD IN THIS STATE AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
BUT IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT PART OF THE REASON WHY VACCINE EFFORT IS SLOW IS BECAUSE OF THE SAME PEOPLE WHO DO VACCINES ARE PARTICIPATING IN MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF TESTING IN KENYA FOR A MASSIVE NUMBERS OF INDIVIDUALS IN OUR HOSPITALS.
I THINK THE BEST THING WE CAN DO FOR OUR MACHINATION EFFORT IS TO SLOW THE SPREAD OF DISEASE FREE UP THOSE RESOURCES TO BE ABLE TO GET MORE VACCINES IN THE ARMS OF PEOPLE IN CENTRAL TEXAS.
I ALSO BELIEVE THAT, YOU KNOW, PRESIDENT ELECT BIDEN HAS INDICATED A SHIFT IN POLICY, UH, WHICH IS LIKELY TO MEAN THAT THAT VACCINE, WHICH IS BEING HELD BACK FOR SECOND DOSES WILL BE FREELY FLOWING.
SO I THINK WE CAN EXPECT IT IN THE TWO WEEK TIMEFRAME THAT WE MAY SEE A MASSIVE INJECTION, UH, SORRY FOR THE PUN, UH, ADDITIONAL VACCINATIONS, UH, AVAILABLE, UH, ACROSS THE UNITED STATES.
THAT'S THAT IS REALLY EXTREMELY VALUABLE INFORMATION.
UM, BUT I WANT TO JUST SAY THANK YOU FOR THE TREMENDOUS EFFORT THAT YOU'RE DOING TO GET, TO GET THE VACCINE OUT AND TO EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF IT, AS WELL AS THE IMPORTANCE OF WHAT YOU SAID, DR.
UM, COULD YOU ADDRESS PLEASE WHAT THE PROCESS WOULD BE FOR VACCINATING INDIVIDUAL SERVICE PROVIDERS WHO ARE PROVIDING, WHO ARE WORKING WITH INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, AS WELL AS INDIVIDUALS WITHIN OUR PRO LODGES WHO MIGHT FALL INTO THAT ONE BIG CATEGORY? UM, WE, WE, UM, WE HAVE INCLUDED, UM, SOME OF THE, THE HOMELESS SERVICE PROVIDERS IN THE ONE, A, UM, CATEGORY.
UM, IT COMES IN CONSULTATION WITH THE STATE, UM, BECAUSE OF, UM, THE LEVEL OF RISK THAT THEY TAKE AS THEY'RE WORKING WITH WITH OUR HOMELESS POPULATION.
SO WE HAVE, UM, ALREADY PROPRIETED SOME, UM, VACCINES TO THEM.
UM, OUR PLAN, AS FAR AS, UM, WHAT WE'VE DONE THUS FAR WITH THE TESTING IS, IS, UM, WE WANT TO BE WORKING WITH, UM, UT DELL MED COMMUNITY CARE, AS YOU ARE AWARE THAT THEY HAVE BEEN PROVIDING, UM, UM, TESTING, UM, IN DOWNTOWN SHELTERS, AS WELL AS ENCAMPMENTS.
UM, AND SO WE'RE GOING TO, UM, BE WORKING WITH THEM SO WE CAN, UM, ADDRESS THE HOMELESS POPULATION IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND, UM, ALSO PICK UP, YOU KNOW, ANY OTHER ADDITIONAL FOLKS, UM, THAT WE MAY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO, UM, ADD TO THE LIST.
THOSE DISCUSSIONS ARE ON THE WAY.
OKAY, GREG, AND THEN LESLIE, AND THEN, UH, UH, MCKINSEY, UM, PRIORITY QUESTIONS FOR QUESTIONS FOR DR.
[01:25:01]
WHO WE'RE GOING TO LOSE YOUR MOMENTARILY.UM, I THINK THAT MY QUESTIONS ARE PRIMARILY FOR DIRECTOR HAYDEN.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR, UH, DR.
SCOTT BEFORE HE LEAVES? LESLIE? THANKS.
I WANTED TO ASK YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE EXPECTATION THAT WHEN PRESIDENT MCMARTIN TAKES OFFICE IN EIGHT DAYS, HE HAS INDICATED THAT HE WILL CHANGE A COUPLE OF THINGS ABOUT WHAT ACTUALLY HE WILL MAKE THINGS HAPPEN, UM, IN A MORE, UH, LOGICAL AND EFFICIENT WAY THAN WE HAVE EXPERIENCED FOR NEARLY A YEAR.
ONE OF THEM IS NOT HOLDING STOCK PILE FOR THE SECOND JOB AT THE OTHER ONE IS ACTUALLY TO HAVE SOME DIRECTION AND CONSISTENCY AND STANDARDS COMING FROM THE FEDERAL LEVEL.
SO THAT WITH IT, FROM STATE TO STATE AND MUNICIPALITY TO MUNICIPALITY, THERE IS NOT THIS CONFUSION AND CHAOS THAT IS IN LARGE PART DRIVING THE ANXIETY THAT'S IN OUR COMMUNITY, BECAUSE PEOPLE DON'T KNOW WHY OR HOW WE ARE HANDLING OUR VACCINE AND THE ADMINISTRATION OF, OF THE JOBS BECAUSE IT'S DIFFERENT EVERYWHERE.
CAN YOU GIVE US A LITTLE BIT MORE, UM, FROM YOUR CONVERSATIONS? I KNOW YOU'RE HAVING STATE LEVEL AND FEDERAL LEVEL CONVERSATIONS, INCLUDING WITH THE CDC.
AND I UNDERSTAND ALSO THAT DR.
FOWCHEE WILL BE CONTINUING AS THE COVID ADVISOR SPECIAL ADVISOR TO, UH, PRESIDENT.
YES, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK THAT THERE IS WISDOM IN, IN RELEASING THE VACCINE.
UH, THERE IS CONFIDENCE THAT THE VACCINE MANUFACTURERS WILL BE ABLE TO, UH, DELIVER SUBSEQUENT DOSES IN A TIMELY FASHION.
WE WORKED TO GET THOSE, THOSE SECOND DOSES IN.
UH, SO I THINK WHAT WE'RE UNLIKELY TO SEE, AND CERTAINLY THE CONVERSATIONS WE'VE BEEN HAVING, UH, WITH OUR COLLEAGUES ACROSS THE COUNTRY, UH, IS THAT WHAT WE'RE LIKELY TO SEE IS THE TRANSITION AWAY FROM, UH, PRIORITY BASED GROUPS IN FAVOR OF A GET PEOPLE, VACCINATED PUSH.
UH, WE HAVE SEEN THIS WITH, WITH VACCINATION EFFORTS IN THE PAST.
UH, THE FACTS, YOU KNOW, THERE IS, IS QUITE A BIT OF EVIDENCE THAT THAT WILL SUPPORT, UH, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO GET AS MUCH VACCINE OUT, INTO AS MANY ARMS AS POSSIBLE.
UM, YOU KNOW, I I'M, I'M HAPPY THAT WE ARE, ARE PRIORITIZING THE GROUPS RIGHT NOW, UH, PARTICULARLY THOSE TWO BARS, UH, OR FRONTLINE HEALTHCARE WORKERS, AND THOSE WHO ARE MOST LIKELY TO END UP IN THE HOSPITAL, BUT IN THE VACCINATION OF ANY PERSON IN THIS COMMUNITY IS AFTER THAT IT'S SITTING ON A SHELF.
AND SO TO FOLLOW UP ON, RIGHT.
AND SO TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT CHANGE, TO APPROACH, I WANTED TO ASK, UM, BECAUSE I ASSUME THE ANSWER IS YES, AND MAYBE YOU CAN GIVE US A LITTLE BIT OF A GLIMPSE BEHIND THE SCENES.
WHAT ARE YOU AND YOUR STAFF DOING IN ORDER TO PREPARE FOR WHAT LOOKS LIKE IT CHANGED IN THE STRATEGY AND A MORE WIDESPREAD AND COMPREHENSIVE ADMINISTRATION OF THE VACCINE? WELL, I'LL, I'LL START THAT RESPONSE AND DIRECTOR HAYDEN MAY WANT TO ADD, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, THROUGH AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH ALONE, WE'RE GOING TO DO THREE TO 4,000 A DAY WITH, WITH THE CURRENT SETUP THAT, UH, THAT, THAT WE HAVE GENERATED FOR THIS FIRST EFFORT.
WE HAVE THIS GROUPS IN GREAT PARTNERS LIKE ATV WELL TODAY, IF THEY HAD 4,000 A DAY TO DELIVER 4,000 VACCINES A DAY, WE HAVE GREAT PARTNERS LIKE AUSTIN, REGIONAL CLINIC, COMMUNITY, AND OTHERS WHO CAN DO THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF VACCINES EVERY DAY.
UM, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WE ALSO HAVE OUR HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS THAT IF WE CAN SLOW THE SPREAD OF DISEASE CAN ALSO RAMP UP MASSIVE EFFORTS TO DO THAT AS WELL.
UH, I, I THINK OUR COMMUNITY IS FOCUSED.
UH, I THINK OUR COMMUNITY HAS DEMONSTRATED FOR THE PAST 11 MONTHS THAT, THAT WE ARE WILLING TO WORK TOGETHER HARD TO ACHIEVE GOALS.
AND I THINK THE VACCINE EFFORT WILL BE NO DIFFERENT.
AND THEN THE LAST THING I WANTED JUST TO ADD IN THIS, I UNDERSTAND THAT, UH, THE REASON OPERATION UNDERWAY TO CREATE AT HOME TESTING KITS SO THAT, UM, PEOPLE CAN GET LIKE 20 TESTING, UH, OF 20 TESTS IN A, IN A CONTAINER, SO THEY CAN KEEP TRACK OF THEIR OWN POSITIVITY RATE OR NEGATIVITY RATE.
AND THEN THAT CAN MORE STRATEGICALLY,
[01:30:01]
UH, FOCUS PEOPLE ON STAYING SAFE AND QUARANTINING SO THAT WE ALL TAKE THE RESPONSIBILITY INDIVIDUALLY TO TEST OURSELVES MAYBE EVERY THREE DAYS OR SO, SO THAT WE KNOW, AND THIS WILL HELP WHEN YOU HOPE PEOPLE CAN GO BACK TO WORK AND THEIR WORK SPACES, WE WILL KNOW OURSELVES WHAT OUR POSITIVITY OR NEGATIVITY, RIGHT, IS THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO HAVE PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY ON WHAT RISKS OR NOT RISKS THAT WE TAKE GOING FORWARD.ONCE EVERYBODY, YOU KNOW, AS WE, AS WE MOVE THROUGH 2021, YOU'VE HEARD OF, YOU'VE HEARD OF THAT TOO.
AND I, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT, UH, THERE WERE CERTAINLY, UH, PARTICULAR, UH, FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY WHERE THAT IS EVEN MORE IMPORTANT.
UH, WE MADE A RECOMMENDATION FOR PROACTIVE TESTING FOR OUR STUDENT ATHLETES THAT CERTAINLY HEALTHCARE WORKERS WHO MAY NOT YET BE VACCINATED INDIVIDUALS WHO BY THE NATURE OF THEIR WORK FOR THEIR STUDY HAVE TO BE IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO ONE ANOTHER, OR THEY HAVE TO DO THEIR WORK WITHOUT A MASK ON, UH, FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS IN PARTICULAR, THAT PROACTIVE TESTING IS, IS GOING TO HELP TO LIMIT THE SPREAD FURTHER QUESTIONS FOR DR.
S SCOTT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER.
IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS FOR, UH, UH, FOR DR.
SCOTT AND STEPHANIE FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
AND FOR MEETING WITH ME YESTERDAY, I NOTICED THROUGH THE PRESENTATION, WE DID NOT TALK ABOUT THE FINANCIAL IMPACT OF THE OPENING OF THE ALTERNATE CARE SITE.
COULD YOU PLEASE BRIEFLY REVIEW WITH THE COUNCIL, WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT YESTERDAY AT OUR MEETING DIRECTOR, HAYDEN'S STILL LONG I'M HERE.
UM, ARE YOU ASKING ABOUT THE ALTERNATIVE CARE SITE OR ARE YOU ASKING ABOUT, IS THAT WHAT YOUR QUESTION IS? YES.
IF YOU COULD TALK ABOUT THAT, THAT WOULD BE GREAT, THEN IT CAN WAIT.
WELL, THE, YOU KNOW, I THINK THE, THE BIGGEST IMPACT, UM, AS WE'VE SHARED IS, IS THAT THE STATE OF TEXAS, UM, IS GOING TO PROVIDE, UM, A TEAM TO COME DOWN AND TO OPERATE THAT FACILITY FOR US.
AND SO WE ARE VERY GRATEFUL, UM, FOR, TO RECEIVE THAT TEAM TO COME IN, UM, TO PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES.
UM, I THINK, YOU KNOW, ANY OTHER, UM, PHYSICAL IMPACT, UM, YOU KNOW, DEFINITELY WOULD BE, UH, BECAUSE OF THE, THE, THE, THE USE OF THE FACILITY, UM, WITH ANY OTHER, UM, YOU KNOW, OVERHEAD COSTS WOULD DEFINITELY BE, UM, SOMETHING THAT THE, THE CITY, UH, WOULD DEFINITELY WORK THROUGH, UM, WITH THE BUDGET OFFICE AND COUNCIL, I WILL SAY THAT, UH, AS WE DISCUSSED YESTERDAY, UH, THE IDEA FOR THIS, UH, THIS CENTER IS A REGIONAL CENTER, AND NOW WE'RE FOCUSING ON THE, THE MSA, BUT AT SOME POINT WE HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PROVIDE SERVICES FOR 11 COUNTIES ROLE FOR THE ENTIRETY OF REGION SEVEN.
UH, YOU KNOW, IN THAT CIRCUMSTANCE, I, I THINK THERE DOES NEED TO BE INFORMATION FROM OTHER JURISDICTIONS TO HELP SUPPORT THE COST OF THAT.
AT LEAST THE, THE LOCAL JURISDICTION SHARE OF THAT EXPENSE.
COUNCIL MEMBER, AUTHOR, AND THEN COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER, MADISON.
UM, MY COLLEAGUES HAVE ANSWERED A NUMBER OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I HAD.
I WILL HAVE SOME LATER FOR DR.
ASCOT, IF YOU COULD SPEAK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE CLUSTERS THAT WE'RE SEEING, UM, IN OUR SCHOOLS, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN STRIKING THE REQUESTS THAT WE'RE GETTING TO CHOOSE VIRTUAL AT THE SAME TIME THAT, UM, VARSITY SPORTS ARE CONTINUING.
UM, CAN YOU HELP US UNDERSTAND WHY THAT IS CONTINUING? I BELIEVE IT'S BECAUSE THE GOVERNOR HAS, UM, ORDERS, UM, ALLOW THAT, UM, BUT IT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR PARENTS TO HAVE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE CLUSTERS.
WE DON'T GET THAT INFORMATION UNLESS OUR CHILD IS EXPOSED.
UM, ALL WE GET IS THAT THERE'S BEEN A, THERE'S BEEN A CASE AT THE SCHOOL.
UM, BUT IF THERE HAVE BEEN CLUSTERS WITH OTHER TEAMS, YOU, YOU DON'T REALLY KNOW ABOUT THAT.
SO CAN YOU PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION FOR THE COMMUNITY ON THAT RIGHT.
COUNCIL MEMBERS, SIMILAR TO WHAT WE IN THE FALL WITH FOOTBALL, UH, WE'RE SEEING CLUSTERS WITH BASKETBALL.
[01:35:02]
UH, WE CAN EXPECT TO SEE CLUSTERS IN, IN OTHER SPORTS IN SPRING SPORTS AS WELL.UM, YOU KNOW, THIS IS WHY WE, WE PROVIDED THE ADVICE THAT THE EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES BE CANCELED OR POSTPONED.
AND IF THE COURT CANCELED OR POSTPONED THAT THEY IMPLEMENT PROACTIVE TESTING, NOT TO TRY TO AVOID THE CLUSTER SITUATION, AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH HAS FREE TESTING AVAILABLE, UH, YOU KNOW, STUDENT ATHLETES AND OTHERS GOOD COULD BE TESTED WEEKLY TWICE WEEKLY.
UH, THEY ALSO HAVE PARTNERSHIPS AND AVAILABILITY OF, UH, UH, BY NEXT NOW TESTING, UH, FOR THE STATE, UH, FOR THAT PROACTIVE TESTING EFFORT.
WE'RE SEEING CLUSTERS IN ATHLETICS.
WE HAVE EVENTS WHERE DISTANCING IS NOT POSSIBLE AND MASKING.
UH, IT MAY NOT ALWAYS BE POSSIBLE.
UH, THAT'S IN PARTICULAR, WHY WE RECOMMENDED THAT THEY BE SUSPENDED OR POSTPONE.
UH, WE, WE'VE GOT TO CONTINUE TO IDENTIFY WHERE THE RISK IS AND REDUCE THAT RISK.
UH, SO AGAIN, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR PARENTS TO UNDERSTAND, AND WE KIND OF THIS DIRECTION OVER THE SUMMER, IF YOUR STUDENT IS INVOLVED IN ONE OF THOSE ACTIVITIES WHERE MASKING AND DISTANCING ARE POSSIBLE, THERE'S AN INCREASED LIKELIHOOD OF BECOMING COVID-19 POSITIVE OR THAT STUDENT ATHLETE AND FOR THAT HOUSEHOLD AS WELL.
AND THEN AS FOLLOW UP, ARE WE, UM, ANTICIPATING ANY CHANGES TO OUR, UM, RECREATIONAL ACCESS AS WE CURRENTLY HAVE IT, WHETHER IT'S FOOLS OR SCAPES OR ANY KIND OF X THAT WE ARE RUNNING AT THIS POINT.
SO WE MEET REGULARLY WITH, UH, PARKS AND RECREATION.
UH, I'M SATISFIED WITH, WITH THE CURRENT LEVEL OF OPENING, UH, MOST OF THE FACILITIES THAT ARE FROZEN THEY'RE OPEN AS THE MAXIMUM CAPACITY OF 25%.
UM, MANY OF THE PLACES, UH, ACTUAL ACTUALLY ARE ONLY, UH, ACHIEVING ABOUT 5% OF OCCUPANCY.
AND THERE'S A, THERE'S A FINE BALANCE BETWEEN, UH, UH, CREATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE TO GATHER WELL, UH, YOU KNOW, FINDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE TO BE OUTSIDE RATHER THAN INSIDE, RIGHT.
WE WERE CONCERNED ABOUT PEOPLE BEING INSIDE TOO MUCH WITH THE COOLER WEATHER.
UH, SO OUR, OUR DESIGN RIGHT NOW IS TO KEEP THOSE THINGS OPENED, BUT MANAGING THE RISK BY CONTROLLING THE OCCUPANCY.
I NOTICED OVER THE WEEKEND WHEN WE'RE DOING THE PILOT VACCINATION DISTRIBUTION, THAT ONE OF THE QUESTIONS ON THE FORM IS FOLKS HAVE TO INDICATE WHETHER OR NOT IT HAD THE VIRUS WITHIN THE LAST 90 DAYS.
AND SO CAN YOU SPEAK TO A LITTLE BIT, IF SOMEONE HAS TESTED POSITIVE FOR THE VIRUS, CAN THEY STILL GET THE VACCINE OR IS THE EFFICACY OF THE VACCINE? LIKE WHAT, WHAT SHOULD WE KNOW TO BEST PREPARE PEOPLE TO INFORM PEOPLE ABOUT YOU'VE TESTED POSITIVE FOR THE VACCINE? HOWEVER, YOU CAN STILL GET THE VACCINE, OR I KNOW THE BEST PRACTICE IS TO WAIT, BUT IF THEY'RE ONSITE, THEY'VE SHOWED UP FOR THE DISTRIBUTION AND THEY'VE JUST SHARED WITH US, HEY, WE TESTED POSITIVE IN THE LAST 90 DAYS.
WHAT DO WE DO IN THAT SCENARIO? SO, UH, PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD COVID, UH, CAN CERTAINLY GET THE VACCINE, UH, THAT IS RECOMMENDED.
UH, WE DEFINITELY DON'T WANT PEOPLE WHO ARE STILL UNDER QUARANTINE, UH, OR SICK FROM COVID-19 DO THE REST OF RISK OF EXPOSURE RECENT FOR THE 90 DAYS IS BECAUSE WE HAVE GOOD EVIDENCE.
WELL, PEOPLE WHO'VE HAD COVID ARE WELL PROTECTED FOR AT LEAST 90 DAYS ON THAT.
SO IT'S NOT AS HIGH OF A PARTY IN THOSE GROUPS BECAUSE THEY STILL HAVE NATURAL IMMUNITY FROM THE ILLNESS.
UM, BUT AGAIN, WE WANT TO GET TO THOSE FOLKS AS WELL.
UH, I CAN TELL YOU I'VE HAD FAMILY MEMBERS, WHO'VE HAD AN APP HAS ASKED ME THE SAME QUESTION.
UM, YES, THEY SHOULD GET IT, BUT THEY PROBABLY DON'T NEED TO BE FIRST IN LINE BECAUSE THEY'RE, THEY'RE STILL PROTECTED THERE WHEN THE, WITHIN THAT 90 DAYS, IT'S PROBABLY THE PROTECTION FROM NATURAL ILLNESS IS PROBABLY LONGER THAN THAT, BUT THAT'S ALL WE HAVE THE EVIDENCE FOR RIGHT NOW.
COUNCIL MEMBER, HARPER, MADISON.
UM, I, MOST OF MY QUESTIONS HAVE BEEN ANSWERED AND YOU PROBABLY RECALL DURING THE COURSE OF OUR CONVERSATION, WE TALKED ABOUT WHAT I WAS PROPOSING TO ASK DURING THE COURSE OF THE SPECIAL CALL FOR THE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE.
[01:40:01]
WHETHER OR NOT THESE ARE QUESTIONS THAT I COULD POSTPONE, UM, FOR THE FOLKS FROM THE OFFICE OF MEDICAL DIRECTOR, WHO PROBABLY BE ABLE TO ANSWER SOME OF THESE QUESTIONS SPECIFICALLY AS THEY PERTAIN TO SURGE CONCERNS AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL PERSONNEL CAPACITY.UM, THOSE ARE SOME OF MY QUESTIONS.
SHOULD I, SHOULD YOU BE THE ONE TO ADDRESS THOSE OR LATER WHEN WE GET MORE AROUND EMERGENCY SERVICES AND EMERGENCY SERVICES, PERSONNEL CONCERNS, COUNSEL, MARIAH, I HAVE DISCUSSED OUR CONVERSATION WITH DR.
WHO'S PREPARED TO PROVIDE A RESPONSE AT THAT TIME.
IN WHICH CASE I'LL SKIP TO MY QUESTIONS.
UM, I KNOW THAT YOU ACKNOWLEDGED, UM, GENERALLY BEING COMFORTABLE WITH THE 25% CAPACITY FOR, UM, PART FACILITIES.
UM, BUT, UH, I'M CERTAIN THAT I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO'S RECEIVED REPEATED QUESTIONS, CONCERNS FROM, UM, CONSTITUENTS AND FRANKLY EMPLOYEE NEEDS FOR BARTON SPRINGS.
UM, I'M WONDERING IF YOU HAVE RECEIVED SIMILAR CONCERNS AND WHAT YOUR STANCE IS THERE.
I HAVE, UH, AND I'VE ALSO SEEN, UH, PHOTOS WHICH, UH, HAD BEEN CIRCULATED, UH, YOU KNOW, THE PHOTOS THAT WERE CIRCULATED WERE, OR FROM OVER SUMMER, UH, FROM, UH, FROM THE, THE INFORMATION THAT I'VE RECEIVED FROM PARK.
UH, AND AGAIN, UH, YOU KNOW, IT IS A, IT IS A BALANCING ACT BETWEEN HAVING OUTDOOR SPACE AVAILABLE OR OPEN FOR FOLKS, UH, WHILE ALSO MITIGATING THE RISK OF CONGREGATIONS.
UH, AND THAT'S WHY THEY'RE, THEY'RE LIMITING THE OCCUPANCY.
UH, I THINK, UH, UH, PARTNERS, UH, INFORMATION TO US WHEN WE MET LAST WEEK OVER THE PREVIOUS WEEK, A MAXIMUM OF 5% OCCUPANCY WAS ALL THAT WAS REALIZED IN THE, IN THE PREVIOUS WEEK.
SO WE'LL CONTINUE TO KEEP A CLOSE EYE ON THAT PRINCIPALLY AS THE WEATHER CHANGES AND MAY BECOME MORE ATTRACTIVE FOR FOLKS TO BE OUT AND ABOUT.
UH, AGAIN, THE TAKE HOME MESSAGE FOR OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY IS WE DON'T WANT YOU CONGREGATING BECAUSE THAT SPREADS DISEASE.
SO IF YOU'RE GOING TO BE TOGETHER, BE TOGETHER WITH PEOPLE IN YOUR HOUSEHOLD, UH, OTHERWISE SEPARATE YOURSELVES IN GROUPS, UH, FROM, FROM OTHER PEOPLE THAT YOU DON'T KNOW, PARTICULARLY IF YOU DON'T ACT WITHOUT A MASK ON SO THAT WE CAN CONTROL THE SPREAD OF DISEASE.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, JUST TO SORT OF TAKE THAT A STEP FURTHER AND ADDITIONAL CONCERN I HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, BEFORE WE WERE PRIVY TO SOME OF THIS INFORMATION, UM, WHICH, YOU KNOW, NO FALL TO ANYBODY WHO'S PRESENTING CURRENTLY, I REALIZED THAT, UM, IT'S A MOVING TARGET, BUT BEFORE WE WERE PRIVY TO THIS INFORMATION, MYSELF AND SOME MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY WE'RE LOOKING TO ACTIVATE AND, YOU KNOW, JUST DETERMINE WHAT OUR ASSETS ARE.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS WE CONSIDERED IN TERMS OF THE SUITE OF OPTIONS WE HAVE FOR ASSETS WAS VOLUNTEER EFFORT.
UM, SO ONE OF THE CONCERNS THAT AROSE FROM A AND, AND THINKING ABOUT VOLUNTEERS BEING HELPFUL HERE IS WHAT RISK LEVEL SHOULD BE ASSESSED FOR VOLUNTEERS, PEOPLE VOLUNTEERING TO MINISTER, UM, VACCINATIONS OR WORK SITES TO MR. VACCINATIONS.
IF I UNDERSTAND CORRECTLY, ONE OF THE ELEMENTS THAT'S BEEN SORT OF PROVIDING THIS, UH, OPPORTUNITY FOR LOG JAMS IS, UH, DATA, DATA COLLECTION AND DATA ENTRY.
UM, SO I'M JUST, I'M CONCERNED ABOUT QUESTIONS ABOUT, UM, WHAT, WHAT THREAT LEVEL, UM, ARE OUR VOLUNTEERS EXPOSED TO IF THEY DON'T HAVE NOT RATHER FALLEN INTO THAT WARNING CATEGORY, UM, OR THE ONE V CATEGORY THAT'S BEEN VACCINATED.
SO COUNSELOR I'LL START AND THEN DIRECTOR HAYDEN MAY WANT TO ADD ON, UH, WHEN INDIVIDUALS VOLUNTEER AS PART OF THE VACCINATION EFFORT, THEY BECOME PART OF ONE ADDICT.
UM, SO THEY, THEY ARE THEN ON THE FRONT LINES, UH, AND ARE QUALIFIED FOR, FOR THE VACCINE.
UH, SO OUR INTENTION IS TO ENSURE THAT THAT FOLKS WHO ARE STAFFING THOSE SITES AS VOLUNTEERS ARE OFFERED VACCINE IN ORDER TO PROTECT HIM.
I THINK THAT'S A VERY IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION.
I THINK I HAVE TWO MORE QUESTIONS THAT ARE DEFINITELY FOR YOU, AND THEN THE ONES THAT I HAVE FOR DIRECTOR HAYDEN I'LL HOLD UNTIL EVERYBODY ELSE HAS HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO ASK.
THERE'S THE ONES THAT CAME BEFORE ME.
SO QUARTER QUESTIONS, WOULD THAT BE DR.
YOU CAN SEND HER, I ASSUME ALSO DIRECTOR HAYDEN, UH, I CAN TAKE INFUSION CENTER COUNSELOR.
UM, SO, UH, FOR THE INFUSION CENTER FOR, FOR PEOPLE TO BE CONSIDERED, WHAT ARE THE QUALIFICATIONS? I HAVEN'T QUITE SEEN ANYTHING THAT SPECIFICALLY
[01:45:01]
SAYS UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES, THIS IS THE PROTOCOL FOR WHICH YOU'RE CONSIDERED AS ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE THIS.SO I'M, I'M CURIOUS ABOUT, JUST WANT TO GET SOME CLARITY THERE, AND THEN IF YOU COULD, UM, SORT OF, I GUESS, PROJECT, HOW MANY INFUSION CENTERS YOU SUSPECT WE'LL NEED TO HAVE, AND THOSE ZIP CODES HAVE A SORT OF HIGH NEED.
UH, AND, AND I'LL, WHAT I CAN DO IS SEND YOUR OFFICE A LIST OF THE INCLUSION CRITERIA.
UH, IT IS LONG AND RELATIVELY COMPLEX, UH, IN BROAD STROKES, ANYBODY OVER THE AGE OF 65, UH, THERE ARE SOME OTHER CATEGORIES FOR INDIVIDUALS, UH, UH, OUTSIDE OF THE AGE 65 GROUP.
UH, BUT I CAN SEND THAT TO YOU.
UH, SO WE'LL BE TAKING REFERRALS DIRECTLY FROM, UH, FROM PHYSICIANS, BUT ALSO, UH, COMMUNITY CARE AND AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH WILL BE DIRECTLY REACHING OUT TO INDIVIDUALS THAT WE TEST AND WHO TESTS POSITIVE, WHO FALL WITHIN THOSE CRITERIA, UH, TO HELP, UH, ACTIVELY, UH, FIND INDIVIDUALS AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE AWARE OF THAT OPTION.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, IF FOLKS GET THAT CALL, IT IS A REAL CALL.
UH, IF THEY HAVE ANY CONCERN ABOUT THE VALIDITY OF THAT CALL, THEY CAN CALL AND BE CONNECTED THROUGH THREE, ONE, ONE, UH, AND WE WILL, UH, WE WILL MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE COMFORT IN, IN, UH, IN HAVING THAT DISCUSSION, BUT IT IS FREE.
UH, AND WE HAVE PLACED IT, UH, AT A SITE, UH, IN ORDER TO MAKE IT VERY CONVENIENT FOR, UH, FOR OUR COMMUNITY, UH, IN EAST AUSTIN.
I BELIEVE ALL THE REST OF MY QUESTIONS ARE FOR DR.
UH, MY QUESTION IS, UH, DO YOU MAINTAIN A LIST OF ALL THE DOCTORS THAT ARE OUT THERE? UH, ADMINISTERING THE VACCINE? I HAD JUST LUCKY TO CALL MY DOCTOR AND ASKED HIM TO PUT ME ON THE LIST.
I GOT MY VACCINE SHOT FRIDAY, BUT IF I HADN'T CALLED HIM UP, I WOULDN'T HAVE EVER KNOWN THAT HE WAS ONE OF THE ONES THAT WERE ADMINISTERING THAT YOU HAVE A VACCINE.
AND, UH, ALSO, UH, I HAD OTHER PEOPLE THAT, UH, MY CONSTITUENTS THAT CALL ME UP AND SAY, HOW DID I GET MY ANSWER? AND I SAID, WELL, I, I CALLED MY DOCTOR.
AND THEY SAID, WELL, THEY CALLED THEIR IS.
AND THEY SAID THEY DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE VACCINE.
SO CAN YOU HELP ME UNDERSTAND HOW WHAT'S GOING ON OUT THERE ABOUT WHAT DOCTORS DO Y'ALL HAVE MAINTAIN A LIST OF DOCTORS THAT RECEIVED THE VACCINE? DID IT EVER MINISTER IN THAT A COUNCIL MEMBER THAT IS AVAILABLE ON THE DSHS, UH, COVID-19 VACCINATION WEBSITE? I BELIEVE THERE'S ALSO A LINK FROM OUR APH COVID-19 WEBSITE AS A LIST AND A MAP INTERACTIVE MAP.
UM, YOU KNOW, PART OF THE CHALLENGE IS THAT WE HAVE A RELATIVELY SMALL NUMBER OF PROVIDERS WHO HAVE BEEN GIVEN VACCINE.
UH, LAST TIME I CHECKED, IT WAS AROUND 60 TO 70 DIFFERENT GROUPS, PHYSICIANS, OFFICES, CLINICS, PHARMACIES HAVE BEEN PROVIDED VACCINE OUT OF ORDER 350.
UH, SO THE, THE MAP THAT YOU SEE NOW, THE LIST THAT YOU SEE NOW IS NOT EVEN CLOSE TO ALL OF THOSE WHO ARE ABLE TO PROVIDE VACCINE.
AND AGAIN, HOPEFULLY AS THE, THE SUPPLY IMPROVES, UH, WE'LL SEE, UH, MORE AVAILABILITY OUT THERE, UH, FOR NOW THAT WE'VE ASKED THE STATE TO DO.
AND WHAT THEY'VE DONE IS TO PROVIDE LARGE VOLUMES OF VACCINES TO, TO ENTITIES LIKE AUSTIN, PUBLIC HEALTH.
SO CAN VACCINATE THOUSANDS A DAY, UH, AND HOPEFULLY GIVE, UH, GIVE PEOPLE A, A PLACE TO GO TO GET THE VACCINE.
NOW, IF THEY FALL IN THAT ONE BIG GROUP.
AND ALSO, CAN YOU, UH, LET ME, UM, HELP ME UNDERSTAND ABOUT, ARE THESE DOCTORS THAT ARE, ARE A LITTLE SMALL CLINICS AND DOCTORS ARE RECEIVING THE VACCINE, OR ARE, ARE THEY JUST FOR THEIR CLIENTS, OR CAN THEY JUST, IF THEY HAVE INSURANCE AND THEY JUST CALL ALL THESE, ANY DOCTOR THAT ADMINISTERING THAT, AND ALSO WE'LL DO IT UP TO THE DOCTOR ITSELF, OR CAN THEY TAKE PATIENTS THAT ARE NORMALLY NOT THEIR CLIENTS, COUNCIL MEMBER, GENERALLY SPEAKING, A LOT OF THE, THE INDIVIDUAL CLINICS AND DOCTOR'S OFFICES THAT HAVE RECEIVED ALLOCATION, THEY'RE GOING TO PRESERVE THEIR EXISTING PATIENTS.
IF THAT PARTICULAR OFFICE RECEIVED A LARGE ALLOCATION, THERE MAY BE SOME ROOM TO OFFER THEM, BUT BY AND LARGE, I THINK THEY'RE
[01:50:01]
GOING TO OFFER TO THEIR PATIENTS FIRST.SCOTT, BEFORE WE LET HIM GO TO THE COUNTY? I THINK THEY'RE CALLING FOR YOU.
SCOTT, AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU'RE DOING IT FROM THE INFORMATION THAT YOU'RE GETTING OUT TO, TO EVERYONE.
WE STILL HAVE ONE OF THE LOWEST MORTALITY RATES IN THE COUNTRY AMONG CITIES.
UH, BUT WITH THE SURGE THAT WE'RE SEEING RIGHT NOW, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO REALLY FIGHT TO HOLD ON TO THAT, THAT, THAT POSITION.
UH, ALISON, DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING BEFORE HE LEFT? DR.
UH, NOW BACK TO A QUESTIONS THEN FOR DOCTOR, FOR DIRECTOR, UH, HAYDEN, UH, UH, I THINK GREG, YOU WERE NEXT.
HAYDEN, FIRST TWO CLARIFYING QUESTIONS, UH, FROM YOUR RESPONSES TO COUNCIL MEMBER TOWBOATS QUESTIONS.
CAUSE YOU HAD SAID THAT THE PLAN HAD BEEN 20 MILLION VACCINES, BUT INSTEAD WE WERE AT 5 MILLION AS A CULTURALLY, IS THAT FOR DECEMBER AND JANUARY COMBINED, THAT THAT IS THE INFORMATION THAT WE RECEIVED AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, RIGHT.
SO BETWEEN IT'S NOT EACH MONTH, BUT BETWEEN DECEMBER AND JANUARY COMBINED, WE WERE HOPING FOR 20 AND WE'RE AT FIVE.
AND THEN MY SECOND CLARIFYING QUESTION FROM WHAT KATHY SAID WAS, IT SOUNDS LIKE WE HAVE TRIED TO SEE IF WE CAN COORDINATE A CENTRAL SIGNUP THAT WOULD WORK ACROSS SEVERAL OF THOSE HUNDRED PROVIDERS.
THE BEST WE CAN IS THAT WHAT THE OTHER CITIES ARE TRYING TO DO, HAS ANY OTHER FOLKS TRIED TO DO THAT? HAS ANYONE ELSE ACHIEVED THAT? BECAUSE I'VE SEEN THAT OTHER CITIES HAVE A CENTRALIZED SIGN UP, BUT IT'S NOT CLEAR WHAT YOU'RE SIGNING UP FOR? WELL, MY, MY UNDERSTANDING FROM MY COLLEAGUES THAT HAVE TAUGHT LIVE, THOSE ARE, UM, BASED UPON WHAT THEY HAVE AVAILABLE TO DISTRIBUTE.
UM, I DO UNDERSTAND THAT THAT DENTON COUNTY, UM, WAS, WAS REALLY, UM, STANDING UP AND WANTING TO BE A DISTRIBUTOR.
AND SO THAT IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT, UM, BECAUSE THEN THEY DIDN'T KNOW THOSE PARTNERS, IT DIDN'T COUNT.
HE WOULD RECEIVE THE VACCINE FROM THEM.
SO IN THOSE OTHER CITIES, PEOPLE ARE SIGNING UP FOR THE PUBLIC LEE AVAILABLE VACCINES OF WHICH THERE'S VERY FEW.
AND SO THEY PROBABLY NEED TO BE GOING TO THAT PUBLIC SITE, BUT ALSO TO ALL THE PRIVATE PROVIDERS AS WELL.
IT'S NOT ACTUALLY ROUTING THEM TO THESE OTHER PLACES.
NOW, THAT'S WHAT I'VE HEARD FROM PEOPLE.
I'VE I HAVE EMAILED AND TEXT, UM, BUT I CAN DO A BETTER JOB OF TRYING TO UNDERSTAND, UM, AND AT LEAST SEND IT TO THE TAITO MEMBERSHIP, TEXAS ASSOCIATION, SITTING COUNTY HEALTH OFFICIALS, UM, TO DETERMINE WHAT THAT LAKE, WHAT KIND OF WHAT'S HAPPENING, UM, WITH, WITH ALL OF THE PARTS MAYOR I'M GOING TO POLITELY SAY, WE CAN KIND OF HEAR YOUR KEYBOARD A LITTLE BIT.
UM, AND THE, UM, DIRECTOR HIDDEN WITH THE 12,000 VACCINES THAT WE'VE GOTTEN, HOW MANY OF THOSE ARE WE MORE OR LESS CLAIMING ON HAVING, BE DISTRIBUTED TO A SPECIFIC TO SPECIFIC GROUPS OF VULNERABLE PEOPLE VERSUS HOW MUCH OF THAT 12,000 IS GOING TO BE AVAILABLE FOR THE PEOPLE WHO, WHO REGISTER STARTING TOMORROW? I, I WOULD BE GIVING YOU, UM, PROBABLY AN ESTIMATE.
UM, TODAY AT THE SITE WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO 1200 YESTERDAY.
WE HAVE THE ABILITY, UM, TO DO 2000.
SO, UM, THAT WOULD PICK UP, YOU KNOW, UM, GETTING THEM OUT OF YES.
UM, HOWEVER, YOU KNOW, HOWEVER BEING A SAFETY NET, UM, PROVIDER, UM, OUR GOAL IS, UM, YOU KNOW, EVEN WITH THE PROCESS TO BE ABLE TO GET MORE FOLKS TO THE COMPANY IN, DURING THE WEEK, YOU KNOW, ONCE WE OPEN IT UP TO GET MORE VULNERABLE PEOPLE, UM, IN, THROUGH THIS WEEK FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK.
SO ABOUT 4,000 OF THEM REALLY, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT A PUBLIC SIGN UP JUST REALLY DIRECTED TO VULNERABLE POPULATIONS THAT WE KNOW.
UM, AND THEN THE NEXT 8,000 WOULD BE OPEN TO THE REGISTRATION, BUT THE REGISTRATION WE'RE REALLY PRIORITIZING VULNERABLE FOLKS TO SIGN UP.
[01:55:01]
YES, WE ARE.AND SO CAN YOU LEVEL SET EXPECTATIONS FOR US AND FOR THE COMMUNITY SINCE YOU'LL BE OPENING REGISTRATION TOMORROW OF THE 12,004,000 WILL HAVE ALREADY GOTTEN TO VULNERABLE PEOPLE.
THAT MEANS THAT PEOPLE ARE SIGNING UP AND WE HAVE 200,000 UNINSURED FOLKS IN THE AREA.
WE'LL HAVE PEOPLE SIGNING UP FOR 8,000.
UM, CAN, CAN YOU HEAR, WE'VE SEEN NEWS IN OTHER CITIES WHERE THE REGISTRATION IS FULL WITHIN FIVE MINUTES ONLINE.
UM, WE SAW WITH, UH, THE FINANCIAL DIRECT ASSISTANCE PHONE LINES GETTING OVERWHELMED IMMEDIATELY.
UM, I, THIS IS AN IMPOSSIBLE CHALLENGE TO SOLVE WHEN YOU ONLY HAVE 8,000 VACCINES, BUT CAN YOU HELP LEVEL SET EXPECTATIONS FOR HOW YOU ALL ARE PREPARING FOR THIS AND WHAT THE COMMUNITY SHOULD KNOW SINCE IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT AND GREAT FOR US TO DO THESE THESE 12,000 THIS WEEK, BUT WE KNOW THE NEED IS SO GREAT.
SO HOW ARE WE, HOW ARE WE SETTING EXPECTATIONS FOR THE COMMUNITY AND WHAT ARE YOU PREPARING FOR? WELL, YOU KNOW, ULTIMATELY, YOU KNOW, THE GOAL IS TO PRIORITIZE, UM, AND TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE, UM, ADDRESSING OUR MOST VULNERABLE PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, MOVING FORWARD THE PLAN IS, IS TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE VACCINE, UM, TO OUR COMMUNITY.
BUT WE ARE GOING TO ASK PEOPLE THAT THEY'RE REALLY GOING TO HAVE TO BE PATIENT WITH US.
UM, EVERYONE THAT WANTS TO GET INTO THE VACCINE ON WEDNESDAY IS NOT GOING TO BEGINNING.
UM, AND SO WE JUST ASK THAT YOU, YOU KNOW, THAT YOU WORK WITH US, UM, AS WE'RE MOVING THROUGH THIS PROCESS, UM, AS WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, OTHER CONVERSATIONS, UM, YOU KNOW, WITH OUR COLLEAGUES ACROSS THE REGION, UM, IT REALLY LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, HOW WE COULD SET UP A, UH, A REGIONAL APPROACH.
UM, BUT WE REALLY NEED PEOPLE TO REALLY BE PATIENT WITH US AS WE GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
I KNOW IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT, YOU KNOW, SO MANY FOLKS HAVE, YOU KNOW, HAVE MADE CALLS AND HAVE BEEN ON CALLS FOR AN EXTENSIVE PERIOD OF TIME.
AND THAT THAT'S VERY, VERY UNFORTUNATE FOR PEOPLE TO HAVE GONE THROUGH THAT.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, I CAN SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, I APOLOGIZE THAT PEOPLE HAVE HAD TO DO THAT IN OUR COMMUNITY, BUT OUR HOPE IS, IS THAT PEOPLE ARE PATIENT WITH US.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND AS WE CONTINUE TO RECEIVE VACCINE, UM, AND ARE ABLE TO STAND UP, UM, OPERATIONS, EVEN MORE COLLABORATING ACROSS WITH OTHER PARTNERS, UM, YOU KNOW, AS SOON AS VACCINE BECOMES AVAILABLE, UM, OUR PARTNERS ARE, ARE READY TO PROVIDE IT.
YOU KNOW, THEY'VE EMAILED ME SEVERAL TIMES, STAY STATED BEFORE.
SO OUR PARTNERS ARE READY TO PARTICIPATE IN TO, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, PROVIDE THE VACCINE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WE, WE CANNOT APOLLO THAT WE SHOULDN'T APOLOGIZE FOR, UM, UH, TRYING TO ADMINISTER THE VACCINE SMALL NUMBER OF VACCINES WE HAVE, IF THERE, IF WE WERE HOPING THERE'D BE 20 MILLION PRODUCED AND THERE'S ONLY 5 MILLION RATHER, I THINK THE THINGS YOU APOLOGIZE FOR, IT WOULD BE ONLY IF WE WEREN'T TRANSPARENT WITH THAT INFORMATION, WE'RE TRYING TO BE TRANSPARENT.
SO WHAT I WOULD REALLY URGE, UM, AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH TO, TO DOUBLE DOWN AND DO THE BEST WE CAN.
AND I KNOW Y'ALL ARE TRYING TO DO SOME, BUT I, MY, MY LAST URGING IS THAT WE TRY TO, THAT WE TRY TO BE AS TRANSPARENT WITH EVERYONE ABOUT TOMORROW AND THE PROCESS GOING FORWARD AS WE CAN, AS PEOPLE MAKE PHONE CALLS.
AND THEY PROBABLY HIT A VOICEMAIL MACHINE BECAUSE YOU HAVE SO MANY PEOPLE WHO ARE POTENTIALLY MIGHT CALL THAT WE HAVE THAT VOICEMAIL SET UP TO GIVE PEOPLE THE INFORMATION THAT THERE'S ONLY SO A FEW THOUSANDS, AND THERE'S HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE THAT NEED IT, UH, THAT IF ON THE WEBSITE WE MAKE THAT REALLY CLEAR ABOUT WHO IS MOST VULNERABLE AND WHO WE REALLY WANT SIGNING UP.
AND THE FACT THAT THOSE FOLKS STILL WILL, THERE'S A GOOD CHANCE.
YOU MAY NOT GET IT, BUT I THINK IF WE'RE TRANSPARENT, THEN WE CAN CONTINUE TO RETAIN THE TRUST THAT WE'LL NEED WHEN WE'RE DOING FIVE AND SEVEN AND 10 THOUSANDS A DAY, THAT WE'LL NEED TO BE ABLE TO GO AND TAP BACK INTO ONCE THERE IS ENOUGH SUPPLY.
SO I APPRECIATE ALL THE TRANSPARENCY FROM THESE SESSIONS.
AND I THINK WE JUST NEED TO TOMORROW DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO, TO SET THOSE EXPECTATIONS AND BE TRANSPARENT SO THAT WHEN WE TELL PEOPLE, COME BACK, COME REREGISTER AGAIN, THAT PEOPLE, UM, THE PEOPLE DO.
SO, SO THANK YOU, DIRECTOR PAIGE, AND THEN ALLISON.
[02:00:01]
DIRECTOR HAYDEN, THERE WAS A SLIDE THAT TALKED ABOUT THE REGISTRATION, UM, THAT THERE WOULD BE A WEBSITE AND A PHONE NUMBER.IS THAT INFORMATION PUBLIC YET, OR WHERE SHOULD WE, AND THE PUBLIC EXPECT TO SEE THAT? WOULD IT BE ON SOCIAL MEDIA OR THROUGH A MEMO OR PRESS RELEASE? WHERE WILL WE GET THAT INFORMATION? WE WILL, UM, HAVE A, UH, PRESS RELEASE, UM, SENT OUT TOMORROW.
UM, HE IS GOING TO PROVIDE THE INFORMATION FOR THE WEBSITE.
IT IS THE SAME WEBSITE, UM, AUSTIN, TEXAS.GOV/COVID 19.
UM, AND SO THE SAME PLACE WHERE THEY GO TO, UM, SIGN UP TO TAKE A TEST, THERE WILL BE A BUTTON FOR THEM TO PUSH, TO SIGN UP TO, UM, ENROLL FOR THE, FOR THE VACCINE.
UM, WE WILL, UM, HAVE THAT SENT OUT TO ALL OF OUR MEDIA OUTLETS, UM, JUST TO ENSURE WE GET THE WORD OUT.
AND THEN, UM, REPRESENTATIVE VICKI GOODWIN HAD SENT A LETTER, UH, AT THE STATE LEVEL TO TALK ABOUT VACCINE DISTRIBUTION.
AND THERE WAS JUST ONE PART, I'M NOT SURE IF THERE HAVE BEEN ANY SUBSEQUENT UPDATES YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH, BUT IT WAS ABOUT THE INFORMATION BEING PROVIDED AT THE STATE LEVEL.
WASN'T NECESSARILY REFLECTING WHAT WAS HAPPENING ON THE GROUND AND EVERY LOCATION.
UM, SOME PLACES WERE STILL ADMINISTERING AT THE LONG A LEVEL WHEN SOME OTHERS HAD MOVED TO ONE B, IS THERE ANY FURTHER UPDATE? I KNOW THAT'S NOT YOUR CALL TO MAKE, BUT IT WAS JUST TRYING TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANY MORE INFORMATION THAT HAD, HAD COME OUT ABOUT THAT.
WELL, I THINK THAT REALLY THE TAKEAWAY IS, IS THAT, UM, FROM THE DIRECTION FROM THE STATE, UM, IT IS IMPORTANT FOR US TO ENSURE THAT THE ONE EIGHT PEOPLE, UM, YOU KNOW, ARE, ARE, ARE TAKEN CARE OF THE VACCINES ARE PROVIDED.
UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, ON THE INSTANCE THAT WE FIND OTHERS THAT STILL NEED IT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN ADDRESS THAT AS WELL THROUGH ALL OF THE PROVIDERS, BUT, UM, THE STATE HAS ALSO GIVEN THE CLEAR DIRECTION THAT YOU CAN ALSO TARGET THE ONE BEAT.
SO, SO AT THIS POINT, YOU KNOW, ONE, A OR ONE B YOU CAN, YOU CAN PROVIDE IT TO EITHER OF THOSE FOLKS.
THEY WANTED TO PRIMARILY DO ONE EYE, BUT YOU CAN DO ONE B AS WELL.
I THINK THAT'S HELPFUL FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC TO KNOW.
UM, AND LAST QUESTION, IS THERE ANY COMPILED LIST OF WHICH PRIVATE HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS ARE, ARE ABLE TO ADMINISTER? I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE HAVING THESE QUESTIONS ABOUT IF THEIR CLINIC IS BEING ABLE TO GIVE BACK SCENES, OR IF THEY'VE TRIED TO GET IN LIKE VACCINES OR WHERE EVEN THEIR CLINIC IS.
A LOT OF US KNOW WE'RE NOT HIGH UP ON THE PRIORITY LIST, HEALTH WISE, BUT STILL WANTING TO KNOW, ARE WE PLANNING FOR MARCH, APRIL? SHOULD WE WAIT LONGER THAN THAT BEFORE WE EVEN CALL OUR PRIVATE HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS NOT TO OVERWHELM THEM? WELL, THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES, UM, DOES HAVE THAT ON OUR WEBSITE, UM, ON THEIR WEBSITE, BUT WE HAVE PUT IT ON OUR WEBSITE.
AND WHAT THEY TYPICALLY DO IS, IS THAT THEY POPULATE THE SITE AFTER THEY RECEIVE THE VACCINES.
AND SO, UM, THERE'S, THERE WAS, UH, MAYBE ABOUT 65 OR SO BETWEEN 65 OR 70, UM, THAT HAVE RECEIVED VACCINES.
UM, AND SO YOU WILL SEE THAT, BUT THERE ARE AN ADDITIONAL 298 OR SO TWO 87 DURING THE MATH IN MY HEAD.
UM, BUT BASICALLY THAT WON'T RECEIVE VACCINES THAT ARE ELIGIBLE, UM, AND HAVE WORKED WITH THE SAME, UM, TO BE A DISTRIBUTOR.
AND SO YOU'LL SEE MORE OF THAT TO COME ONLINE WHEN MORE PROVIDERS START TO RECEIVE, UM, VACCINE.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE JUST ASK PEOPLE TO, TO REALLY, TO REALLY BE PATIENT.
UM, ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE IN A PROCESS OF YOU AS AN INDIVIDUAL, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE WORKING AT HOME, YOU'RE NOT INTERACTING WITH THE PUBLIC.
YOU KNOW, REALLY, REALLY OUR HOPE IS, IS THAT YOU WILL ALLOW OTHER PEOPLE THAT ARE WORKING WITH THE PUBLIC THAT MUST LEAVE THEIR HOMES TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE A SERVICE TO THE PUBLIC.
PLEASE ALLOW THEM TO GO FIRST, IF YOU CAN, UM, IS WHAT WE'RE REALLY ENCOURAGING, UM, THE PUBLIC TO DO.
THAT'S A GREAT MESSAGE FOR US ALL TO REMEMBER.
I THINK THERE'VE BEEN A LOT OF REALLY GOOD QUESTIONS AND I THINK WE'RE ALL SORT OF DANCING AROUND THE SIMILAR.
NO, AND MAYBE YOU COULD JUST WALK US THROUGH A VERY SPECIFIC EXAMPLE.
THEY ARE EITHER THEMSELVES IN THE ONE B CATEGORY, OR THEY HAVE A PARENT THAT'S IN THE WOMAN CATEGORY.
[02:05:01]
UM, WHEN DO THEY GO TO TRY TO USE THE APH SYSTEM, WHICH HAS LIMITED SUPPLY, WHEN DO THEY TRY AND USE A PRIVATE PROVIDER, WHICH ALSO HAS LIMITED SUPPLY? AND IF THEY GO TO THE, EACH OF THOSE, WHAT ARE THE STEPS THAT THEY TAKE? UM, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN TALK THROUGH THAT AND IT WOULD BE SUPER HELPFUL, AND I KNOW IT'LL CHANGE OVER TIME.IF WE CAN GET SOMETHING IN WRITING THAT WE CAN CAN SHARE OUT, BECAUSE I THINK THAT IS THE CRUX OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO BE AS TRANSPARENT AS POSSIBLE, GIVEN THE LIMITED SUPPLY.
UM, BUT THERE IS A LACK OF CLARITY.
UM, IF PEOPLE HAVE TO TRY TO UNDERSTAND HOW THE PUBLIC HEALTH SYSTEM WORKS BEFORE THEY CAN FIGURE OUT WHERE THEY GET THEIR VACCINE.
SO IF WE CAN TRY TO DISTILL THAT DOWN, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
MAYBE YOU COULD TRY HERE AND WE COULD GET SOMETHING, I MEAN, IN WRITING AND AGAIN, THIS IS NOT ON YOU, IT'S JUST THE, THE CONFIGURATION OF HOW WE DELIVER HEALTHCARE THAT MAKES THIS COMPLICATED.
I THINK WHAT WOULD BE HELPFUL AND I CAN GET WITH THE COMMUNICATIONS TEAM AND, AND, AND SHARE WITH YOU ALL THE INFORMATION OF WHO IS AT 65 OR SO PROVIDERS THAT HAVE ALREADY RECEIVED VACCINE.
UM, THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THEY HAVE IT ANYMORE BECAUSE AS SOON AS PEOPLE ARE, ARE RECEIVING IT, THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, THEY ARE MAKING SURE THEY ARE PROVIDING IT IN THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE KNOWING THAT THIS IS THE SNAPSHOT OF THE PROVIDERS THAT HAVE ALREADY RECEIVED THE VACCINE, UM, THEN THERE IS ANOTHER LIST OF FOLKS THAT HAVE BEEN APPROVED BY DISHES THAT WILL BE ABLE TO RECEIVE THE VACCINE, AND THEN KNOWING THAT AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH AND THE SAFETY NET PROVIDER, UM, WITH LIKE COMMUNITY CARE, UM, LONG STAR CIRCLE OF CARE, UM, PEOPLE'S COMMUNITY CLINIC WE'LL TYPICALLY WANT TO FOCUS OUR VACCINE EFFORTS TO THE MOST VULNERABLE PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY UNDER INSURED AND UNINSURED.
UM, AND SO, UM, AND SO THAT IS WHAT WE, YOU KNOW, REALLY JUST KIND OF HAVE TO EMPHASIZE AND PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION TO YOU.
UM, BUT WE KNOW OVER TIME, UM, IF WE'RE ABLE TO SEE MORE VACCINE TO COME INTO OUR COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, THAT PROCESS CAN OPEN UP BROADER.
AND SO THAT LANGUAGE CAN CHANGE TO REFLECT, YOU KNOW, KIND OF THOSE THREE TIERS THAT I'VE DESCRIBED TO YOU.
I THINK IT'S, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S A CHALLENGE FOR, FOR FOLKS AS WE HAD WITH TESTING ABOUT WHEN THEY GO TO APH, WHEN THEY GO TO THEIR PROVIDER, UM, AND CLEAR THAT WE CAN BE ABOUT THAT ALWAYS WITH THE CAVEAT RIGHT NOW THAT WE HAVE LIMITED SUPPLY, I THINK IS, UM, HELPFUL, UM, FOR COMMUNICATING, UM, AND, AND DAMPING DOWN SOME OF THE ANXIETY AND HELPING PEOPLE TO KNOW WHEN THEY SHOULD SPEND THE TIME ON THE PHONE TO TRY TO FIGURE IT OUT.
AND WHEN, WHEN NOT TO, UM, IF WE CAN, IF WE CAN HELP TO COMMUNICATE THAT, AND IT MIGHT BE ONE OF THOSE DECISION TREES.
I REMEMBER WE HAD SOME DECISION TREES AT SOME POINT, UH, OVER WHEN TO GO GET TESTED AND WHEN TO NOT GO TO GET TESTED.
UM, I THINK THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL, UM, BECAUSE, UM, THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE OVER 65 WHO ARE VERY ANXIOUS, UM, TO GET THIS WHO ARE NOT THE FOLKS THAT WE ARE TRYING TO TARGET, UM, WITH APH.
AND WE CAN HELP KEEP THEM FROM OVERWHELMING AND TRYING TO GO TO APH IF WE HAVE CLARITY OVER, UM, WHERE THEY SHOULD BE GOING OR WHERE THEY COULD BE GOING.
UM, AND SOME, AT LEAST MOST UP-TO-DATE EXPECTATIONS ABOUT WHEN THEY CAN EXPECT, UM, TO HAVE ACCESS TO IT WITH THE COMMUNICATIONS TEAM AND ASK THEM TO PUT TOGETHER SOMETHING FOR YOU ALL, AND WE'LL SEND IT OUT, UM, VIA MAIL.
UM, UH, THE COMMUNICATION THAT COMES OUT FROM THE, JUST GO AHEAD.
UH, DIRECTOR HAYDEN, YOU, I DIDN'T QUITE CATCH WHAT YOU WILL BE SENDING THAT INFORMATION OUT TO US.
UM, AS YOU RECALL, UM, EVERY DAY THE COMMUNICATION THEMES, WE WILL SEND IT THROUGH THAT.
AND WOULD THAT BE TODAY OR TOMORROW, DO YOU THINK? UM, LET ME GET WITH THE TEAM AND, AND, AND WE CAN LET YOU KNOW WHEN THAT WILL BE.
I'M GOING TO SAY NOT TWO DAYS.
I JUST, JUST WANT TO KNOW WHEN TO LOOK FOR IT, AND THAT WILL BE VERY HELPFUL FOR US AND SENDING INFORMATION OUT AND SHARING IT WITH CONSTITUENTS.
UM, ONE RELATES, UM, THE CIRCLES BACK AROUND TO THE CONVERSATION ABOUT THE AREAS THAT, UM, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT
[02:10:01]
OR OUR HEALTH DEPARTMENT WILL BE FOCUSING ON AND THE EASTERN CRESCENT.I THINK THAT WE NEED TO, YOU KNOW, UM, BE FILLING IN THE GAPS AND FOCUSING ON THE POPULATIONS THAT YOU'VE IDENTIFIED.
UH, MY QUESTION IS IT'S SIMILAR TO QUESTIONS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT DURING, UM, TESTING.
UM, I'M WONDERING IF AND PPE DISTRIBUTION, DOES THAT INCLUDE SEVEN, EIGHT, SEVEN, FOUR FOUR.
AND IF YOU DON'T KNOW YET WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT AFTERWARDS.
THE REASON I'M ASKING IS THAT SOMETIMES, I MEAN, WE DO HAVE VULNERABLE AREAS IN THE SOUTH AND OTHER, OTHER PLACES TOO.
AND, UM, I'M JUST WANTING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT PARTICULAR PARTS OF TOWN.
SO SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST AND SEVEN, EIGHT, SEVEN, FOUR FOUR, IS, IS THE THINKING TO INCLUDE THOSE AREAS? UH, YES.
UM, WE WILL, UM, WE ARE, THE DATA IS GOING TO MAKE THE DECISIONS FOR US WHERE THE POSITIVITY RADIOS, OKAY.
TO BE LOOKING AT, UM, AREAS, UM, WHERE WE SEE THE MOST, UM, COMMUNITY TRANSMISSION, WE'RE GOING TO GET AREAS WHERE WE, UM, NO, UM, UM, FOR PEOPLE OF COLOR OR LIVINGS THAT HAVE A LOWER SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE AREAS, SOME OF THE CONSIDERATIONS THAT WE ARE GOING TO KEEP IN MIND WHEN WE ARE LOOKING AT, UM, WHERE TO STAND UP, UM, TO PROVIDE OUR VACCINES WITH THE SAME TYPE OF 50 WE USE WHEN WE ESTABLISHED OUR TASTING LOCATIONS.
THE OTHER THING JUST AS AN FYI, THERE MAY BE SOME LOCATIONS WHERE WE'LL SEND A STRIKE TEAM OUT.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE ARE THERE LIKE ONCE A MONTH OR TWICE A MONTH OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
UM, BECAUSE WE KNOW, UM, YOU KNOW, TO BE HONEST WITH, YOU KNOW, TO BE OUT ON TRAVIS COUNTY, BECAUSE WE'VE GOTTA BE WORKING NOT ONLY WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN, WE'VE GOT TO WORK WITH SMALLER CITIES AS WELL, AND SEEING HOW WE CAN, UM, HAVE A PRESENCE OUT THERE WORKING WITH THE ELECTED OFFICIALS AND COMMUNITY LEADERS IN THOSE, UM, IN THOSE AREAS.
I JUST WANTED TO, TO CLARIFY IN, UH, YOU KNOW, AND OF COURSE THE DATA WILL DRIVE, UH, JUST AS IT DID WITH TESTING.
AND THE REASON I BROUGHT THAT UP IS JUST BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES THE, WE, WE HAVE SOME AREAS, UH, I'M MOST FAMILIAR WITH SOUTH AUSTIN.
IT WOULDN'T BE THE ONLY AREA, BUT WE HAVE SOME AREAS AND SOME ZIP CODE AREAS AND SOME NEIGHBORHOOD AREAS THAT ARE LOW-INCOME COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, AND THEY MAY, THEY MAY NOT BE, THEY MAY BE MORE ISOLATED AREAS WITHIN, UM, OTHER DISTRICTS, FOR EXAMPLE.
AND SO I WAS JUST HOPING THAT YOU WOULD BE, UM, LOOKING AT THE DEMOGRAPHICS FOR ALL PARTS OF TOWN AND THE DATA FOR ALL PARTS OF TOWN.
SO IT, IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE DOING THAT, SO THAT'S GREAT.
THEN MY SECOND QUESTION IS, IS ABOUT THE HOMELESS POPULATION.
AND, UM, I WANTED TO SAY, THANK YOU.
UM, I THINK AT ONE OF OUR, MAYBE BEEN OUR LAST BRIEFING OR A RECENT BRIEFING, WE HAD SOME, UH, CONVERSATION ABOUT KEEPING THE PER LODGES OPEN DURING A PANDEMIC AND NOT CLOSING THEM DOWN AT THE END OF DECEMBER.
SO I APPRECIATED THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION.
AND, UM, UH, UM, I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT, UH, THE CITY HAS FOUND A WAY TO CONTINUE WITH, UM, OUR PRO LODGES AND THEY WERE NOT CLOSED, OR NONE OF THEM WERE CLOSED AT THE END OF DECEMBER.
SO I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR THAT.
UM, I DO HAVE A SPECIFIC QUESTION, AND AGAIN, IF WE NEED TO GET, DO THIS OFFLINE, BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT CERTAIN, THAT'S FINE, BUT, UM, AND LET ME ALSO SAY I'M VERY, UM, PLEASED TO HEAR, AND I KNOW THAT EVERYONE'S BEEN WORKING VERY HARD TO HOUSE FOLKS THAT ARE STAYING IN THE PRO LODGES.
SO TOO, I THINK YOU SAID 131 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN HOUSED AT THIS POINT, WHICH IS VERY, UM, UM, IMPRESSIVE.
AND I APPRECIATE ALL THAT EFFORT.
UM, SO MY QUESTION IS, UM, AS PEOPLE THAT ARE STAYING IN THE PER LODGES, UM, ARE, ARE HOUSED, ARE WE THEN OPENING UP THAT, UM, THAT, UM, THAT ROOM FOR ANOTHER HOMELESS PERSON, ARE WE KEEPING OUR PROLONGS FULL SINCE THIS IS AN ASSET FOR THIS COMMUNITY, THAT ASSET IS ALWAYS OPEN.
SO IT'S NOT A, IT IS NOT A CLOSED PROCESS BECAUSE IT IS AN ASSET FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
SO IT'S NOT EVEN JUST A MATTER OF THAT RULE WAS FREE.
AND THEN WE PUT SOMEBODY ELSE IN IT.
AND WE JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE KEEP THAT ASSETS AVAILABLE, UM, IN OUR COMMUNITY.
[02:15:01]
AND AS YOU KNOW, ALL FIVE PROTECTIVE LAW ARE HOPING, ARE THEY FULL? UH, NO, THEY ARE NOT FULL.UM, AND STAFF ARE WORKING WITH THE PROVIDERS TO IDENTIFY FOLKS THAT WILL BE IN THAT SPACE.
SO RIGHT NOW, NO, THEY ARE NOT FULL.
DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY, CAN YOU JUST TELL US, UM, HOW MANY, UM, PEOPLE ARE STAYING IN THE PER LODGES AND, AND HOW MUCH MORE ROOM THERE IS? UM, I WOULD HAVE TO GET WITH STAFF TOO TO GET THAT, UM, INFORMATION, UM, FROM THE LOVE WITH 200 PEOPLE, UM, THAT ARE STILL HOUSED THERE.
SO I'LL, YOU CAN SEND THAT SEPARATELY.
SO THERE COULD BE AS MANY AS A HUNDRED, UM, PLACES STILL, UM, OPEN.
SO, UM, THAT'S WHAT I'D LIKE TO UNDERSTAND HOW MANY PLACES ARE STILL OPEN AND, AND THE, UM, PROCESS FOR, UM, FOR, UM, FOR FILLING THOSE PLACES.
UH, LET'S SEE IF I HAD ANY OTHER QUESTIONS I BELIEVE.
ANYTHING ELSE FOR A DIRECTOR HAYDEN? UH, YOU'RE MUTED, CATHY THAT'S.
I'LL FOLLOW UP THAT QUESTION WITH COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN.
IF, IF YOU COULD MAKE SURE THAT WE ALWAYS SEE IF THAT THE GAP, THE GAP, THAT GAP TROUBLES ME WITH ADDITIONAL BEDS THAT WE COULD BE AVAILING OURSELVES.
SO, UM, YEAH, IF YOU COULD JUST MAKE SURE DIRECTOR HAYDEN THAT WE ALL GET THAT INFORMATION ABOUT, ABOUT OUR PRO LODGERS.
COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN SAY, UM, I SHARE AN INTEREST IN SEEING THOSE BEDS BE UTILIZED, UM, SINCE WE KNOW HER INDIVIDUALS COULD USE THEM.
SO IF WE COULD FOLLOW UP ON, ON HOW AND WHEN THAT WOULD HAPPEN.
HEY MAN, I SAW A LOT OF HEADS NODDING WHEN, DURING YOUR DISCUSSION WITH COUNCIL MEMBER ALTAR, ABOUT BEING ABLE TO GIVE ADVICE TO OUR CONSTITUENTS THAT ARE PHASE ONE B UM, AND THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS.
UM, I KNOW THAT THAT ADVICE IS GOING TO BE CHANGING OFTEN, BUT EVEN IF YOU WERE ABLE TO LIST LIKE THIS APPLIES FOR THESE FOUR DAYS, AND THEN WE'LL GET YOU AN UPDATE, IF ANY, IT COULD BE REALLY HELPFUL.
I JUST SAW JUST A LOT OF, OF AGREEMENTS THERE.
I KNOW YOU MENTIONED THAT MAYBE IT COULD COME TO US IN THE NORMAL COMMUNICATIONS EMAIL, BUT IT MIGHT EVEN NEED TO BE SOMETHING THAT IS MORE OF A FLOW CHART THAN THAT.
BECAUSE EVEN JUST FROM THIS PRESENTATION, WE'VE ALREADY RECEIVED A BUNCH OF EMAILS FROM FOLKS SAYING IF I'M OVER 65 AND I'M ON MEDICARE, IS THAT THAT'S SOMETHING I SHOULD BE SIGNING UP FOR IT TOMORROW, OR IF I'M OVER 65, BUT I'M COMPLETELY UNINSURED.
I DON'T EVEN QUALIFY FOR MEDICARE.
SHOULD I DO IT? OR IF I'M SOMEBODY ON THE FRONT LINES WITH A HEALTH CONDITION, SHOULD I, SHOULD I DO IT? AND SO I JUST THINK THAT PHASE ONE B HAS SO MANY DIFFERENT CATEGORIES AND COMPONENTS THAT SOME SORT OF FLOW CHART THAT SAYS, THIS IS OUR ADVICE.
IF YOU FALL INTO ONE OF THESE CATEGORIES ABOUT WHAT YOU SHOULD BE DOING, IS IT MAKING PHONE CALLS TO PRIVATE PROVIDERS OR SIGNING UP WITH THE CITY OR DOING BOTH IT? I JUST, THERE'S JUST SO MANY QUESTIONS THAT THE MORE ADVICE WE CAN GIVE THE BETTER, I THINK WHAT WE'VE SEEN FROM THE ADVICE ON SLOWING THE SPREAD IS THAT PEOPLE ARE WILLING TO MAKE SACRIFICES AND BE PATIENT AND GO THE EXTRA MILE.
UM, IF WE'RE TRANSPARENT WITH THE INFORMATION AND TELL THEM, BECAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO HELP THESE FOLKS THAT NEED IT THE MOST, WE'RE ASKING YOU TO DO X.
I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE WILL STEP UP AND DO THAT, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT THERE IS THAT COORDINATED DIRECTION.
SO THIS MAY BE JUST REITERATING WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER JUST ASKED FOR.
UM, BUT I, BUT I THINK THAT HAVING THAT LEVEL OF DETAILS FOR PEOPLE, UM, THAT WE CAN GIVE, UH, COULD BE REALLY HELPFUL SO THAT PEOPLE KNOW WHEN TO CALL.
ANYTHING ELSE FOR, UH, FOR, FOR STEPHANIE, UH, NATASHA, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
SO, UM, YOU ANSWERED A LOT OF MY QUESTIONS OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS, BUT I'M STILL, YOU KNOW, AS THE, AS THE PROCESS CONTINUES, UM, OTHER QUESTIONS ARISE AND THEN THERE AREN'T ANY ANSWERS FOR SOME.
SO I THINK YOU, YOU TRY TO OFFER SOME CLARITY TODAY ABOUT THE DASHBOARD COMPONENT.
AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT MY COLLEAGUES UNDERSTAND THAT,
[02:20:01]
THAT THE WAY I DID AND THAT MY UNDERSTANDING IS ACCURATE.UM, SO THE WAY THAT I UNDERSTOOD YOUR EXPLANATION OF OUR ACCESS TO THE DASHBOARD WAS THAT WE WERE OPERATING IN DEFERENCE TO THE STATE'S DASHBOARD BECAUSE THEY HAD MORE INFORMATION.
IN WHICH CASE WE WERE ASSUMING THAT THEIR DASHBOARD WOULD BE MORE COMPREHENSIVE AND THUS MORE VALUABLE IN WHICH CASE THAT'S WHY WE WERE DEFERRING TO THEM TO CREATE THE DASHBOARD.
IS THAT CORRECT? OR DID SOMETHING CHANGE THERE BECAUSE THE STATE, UM, IS WORKING DIRECTLY WITH THE PROVIDERS, RIGHT? THEY WILL HAVE EVERY PROVIDER THAT IS APPROVED BY THEM BECAUSE WE ALL HAVE TO USE THE IMITREX SYSTEM.
ALL OF THAT DATA WILL BE ON, ON THE STATE'S WEBSITE.
WHAT ELSE IN PUBLIC HEALTH HAS ACCESS TO IS, IS OUR VACCINE THAT WE PROVIDE AND ALL OF THE DEMOGRAPHIC DATA THAT COMES WITH THAT.
AND SO KNOWING THAT THAT WEBSITE IS AVAILABLE, UM, WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO ADD THAT TO OUR WEBSITE BY, BY TAKING INFORMATION OFF, OFF OF THAT WEBSITE.
I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE, UM, WHEN DR.
SCOTT COMES AND HE SHOWS YOU A MAP OF THE STATE OF TEXAS, WHICH WAS IN HIS LAST PRESENTATION, THAT HIS DATA THAT HE PULLED OFF OF THE STATE WEBSITE, AND JUST PUT IT IN ONE NICE PLACE WHERE WE CAN SEE, UM, THOSE 18 AREAS, UM, WITH THE, UM, HOSPITALIZATION RATES.
SO FOR US, WE WILL START WITH AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH DATA POPULATED WITH OUR INFORMATION, BUT THE GOAL IS, IS TO BE ABLE TO OVER TIME TO ADD MORE, UM, PROVIDERS JUST AS WE'VE DONE WITH TESTING.
AND SO I THINK I UNDERSTOOD CORRECTLY.
SO DO, UM, THESE ARE EMS QUESTIONS, UM, PRO LODGES, UM, I'M REALLY HAPPY TO HEAR.
DID I HEAR CORRECTLY, 62 PEOPLE WERE HOUSED OUT OF OUR PROLOGIS IN DECEMBER? YES.
WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE IN TERMS OF OUR PROJECTED TIMELINE FOR GETTING THE REMAINDER OF THE FOLKS IN OUR PRO LODGES HOUSED AND THEN, YOU KNOW, BEING ABLE TO GET 193 MORE PEOPLE IN, WELL, I THINK, I THINK THE THING TO REALLY KEEP IN MIND IS THAT BECAUSE THIS IS AN ASSET, UM, AND THE ASSET, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, WILL REMAIN OPEN, UM, YOU KNOW, DEFINITELY THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS OF BEING IN THE MIDDLE OF A, UM, AN EMERGENCY RESPONSE.
AND SO AS FOLKS ARE ABLE TO, UM, CONNECT THAT INDIVIDUAL WITH A CASE MANAGER, THAT CASE MANAGER STARTS WORKING WITH THEM IN THE PROTECTIVE LODGES, BUT THEN THE CASE MANAGER FOLLOWS THEM TO WHERE THEY ARE PLACED.
AND SO I THINK THAT'S THE OTHER THING, YOU KNOW, FOR THE AWARENESS OF THIS GROUP IS, IS THAT THAT PERSON, UM, YOU KNOW, IS FOLLOWING THAT PERSON AND ENSURING THEY HAVE THAT, UM, SUPPORTIVE SERVICES ONCE THEY ARE HOUSED.
UM, WE'RE ALSO WORKING WITH, UM, WITH THE, WITH THE, UM, UM, UM, CITY OF AUSTIN, UM, HOUSING AUTHORITY.
UM, WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE VOUCHERS THAT THEY ARE GOING TO PROVIDE US, UM, TO HOW SOME OF THE FOLKS FROM A PROTECTIVE LODGES.
UM, AND THEN, UM, VETERANS HAVE STEPPED UP.
AND SO WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO USE SOME OF THE, UM, UH, BASS VOUCHERS AS WELL FROM THE VETERANS ADMINISTRATION.
AND SO IT'S BEEN A VERY COLLABORATIVE, UM, EFFORT.
YOU SAID THE CITY OF BOSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY, UM, DOES THAT ALSO APPLY FOR THE TRAVIS COUNTY HOUSING AUTHORITY? DO WE HAVE A PARTNERSHIP THERE AS WELL? WE HAVE A PARTNERSHIP THERE, BUT THEY HAVE NOT, UM, PROVIDED TO US THAT THEY HAVE VOUCHERS FOR US.
UM, WE'LL CONTINUE TO, TO WORK WITH THEM.
UM, TWO, TWO, TWO, TWO, TWO, YOU SPOKE TO THE BENEFITS OF USING SALESFORCE.
SO YOU SAID THE PORTAL WAS LIVE AS OF THE 13TH.
UM, YOU'VE SPOKEN ON OCCASION ABOUT US ADMINISTERING TESTING FOR COVID-19 IN HOME FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE HOME BOUND.
I DON'T KNOW THAT I'VE HEARD ANY CONVERSATION AROUND A STRATEGY FOR IN-HOME DELIVERY OF VACCINATION.
IS THAT AN OPTION? IS THAT A PART OF OUR SUITE OF, OF OPTIONS FOR DISTRIBUTION THAT IS GOING TO BE A PART OF, OF OUR, OUR PROCESS, UM, LARGE SITES WITH THE ABILITY TO HAVE A HUGE KIND OF THROUGHPUT, UM, SMALL
[02:25:01]
COMMUNITY LOCATIONS.UM, BUT THEN ALSO, UM, SOME, A FEW POP-UP SITES WORKING WITH SOME OF THE OTHER, UH, CITY ELECTED OFFICIALS, UM, IN AREAS WITHIN THE COUNTY AND THEN AT HOME TESTING IS OUR STRATEGY.
AND THEN ON THE REGIONAL, YOU KNOW, HAVING THOSE QUESTIONS AND THAT CONVERSATION ABOUT A REGIONAL APPROACHES.
WELL, SO THOSE ARE ALL OF THE OPTIONS WITH PROVIDING VACCINES.
THEN WE ARE LOOKING TO DO, ARE YOU ABLE TO EXPAND ON THE AT-HOME OPTION ANY CURRENTLY WHO'S ELIGIBLE UNDER WHAT CIRCUMSTANCES, HOW DO WE FIND THEM? WHO DOES THE ADMINISTERING OF THE, BECAUSE I, I HONESTLY, I THINK ANSWERING THAT QUESTION MIGHT ALLEVIATE THE QUESTION AND CONCERN THAT I HAVE IN ANOTHER AREA ABOUT, UH, THE USE OF FIRST RESPONDERS FOR, UH, DISTRIBUTING VACCINATIONS.
WELL, WELL, TYPICALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'VE DONE BEFORE IS, IS BETWEEN AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH STAFF, AND ONE OF OUR VENDORS, UM, THEY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO PROVIDE THE AT-HOME TESTING AND TYPICALLY, UM, WE HAVE REALLY FOCUSED ON, UM, ON, ON SENIOR CITIZENS, UM, AND OR PEOPLE, UM, THAT HAVE, UM, THAT ARE, ARE DISABLED.
UM, WHETHER IT IS A YOUNGER PERSON THAT YOU HAVE IN YOUR HOME, THAT YOU MAY HAVE DIFFICULTIES TAKING THEM OUT TO ONE OF THE TESTING SITES FOR VARIOUS REASONS.
AND SO, UM, THEY JUST TYPICALLY CHILD THREE, ONE, ONE, OR THROUGH OUR, UM, YOU KNOW, WORK THROUGH, OUT WITH OUR NURSING STAFF AND OUR NURSING STAFF ARE ABLE TO SCHEDULE THE, THAT IN-HOME TESTING.
WE WOULD MIRROR THAT PROCESS TO WHERE WE'RE ABLE TO, UM, PROVIDE THAT TESTING.
UM, AT HOME WE HAVE, UM, HAD CONVERSATIONS, UM, WITH THE, WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
UM, CHIEF BAKER HAS BEEN VERY GRACIOUS.
UM, WE'VE HAD SEVERAL MEETINGS IN MATTER OF FACT, UM, THEY ARE HELPING US THIS WEEK, UM, WITH OUR EFFORTS OF PROVIDING BACKSEAT.
AND IF I UNDERSTAND THAT CORRECTLY, THAT'S ALL VOLUNTEER.
THEY'RE NOT ON THE CLOCK WHEN THEY'RE HELPING TO ADMINISTER VACCINES, OR ARE THEY ON THE CLOCK? IS THIS A PAID USE OF THAT, OF, UH, AFD STAFF? UH, CHIEF BAKER WOULD HAVE TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION IF THAT'S OKAY.
AND I HAVE PLENTY OF QUESTIONS FOR, UH, UH, FOR THOSE FOLKS, SO I CAN SAVE THAT.
UM, ONE OTHER QUESTION I HAVE ABOUT IN HOME COMES BACK TO PEOPLE WHO ARE HOME BOUND AND HOW WE FIND THEM.
UM, I HAVE SOME CONCERNS ABOUT FOLKS WHO LET'S SAY, FOR EXAMPLE, I KNOW THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF FOLKS WHO CALL EMS, UM, FROM START KNOCKING A MESS.
THEY CALLED NINE 11 WHEN THEY FALL.
UM, IF THEY CAN'T GET UP, IF THERE'S, IF THERE'S SOME SITUATION WHERE THEY PHYSICALLY CANNOT HELP THEMSELVES, THEIR RESPONSE IS TO CALL OUR EMERGENCY SERVICES.
SOME OF THESE FOLKS HAVE IN HOME CARE, SOME DON'T SOME HAVE FAMILY MEMBERS THAT COME ON OCCASION, OTHERS, DON'T THAT GROUP OF PEOPLE.
I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THOSE CLUSTERS OF FOLKS THAT WILL VERY EASILY GET FORGOTTEN THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF THIS PROCESS.
IF NOT THE, YOU KNOW, LET'S SAY STATION 11 OR STATION 16, STATION 23, STATION 30, THEY REGULARLY MAKE CALLS ON PEOPLE FOR, BECAUSE THEY FAILED BECAUSE THEY CAN'T GET UP.
BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I WONDER IF THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR EMERGENCY SERVICES PERSONNEL TO CONTRIBUTE TO THAT SORT OF RUNNING LIST OF OBVIOUSLY WITHOUT, YOU KNOW, UM, BYPASSING HIPAA OR ANY PRIVACY CONSIDERATIONS, IF THEY ARE ON THE GROUND.
AND THEY SEE THE FOLKS WHO NEED HELP, WHO OFTEN AREN'T GETTING THE HELP, IN WHICH CASE THEY'RE CALLING NINE ONE ONE TO GET HELP.
UM, CAN, CAN THEY, IS THERE A, UH, AN OPTION WITHIN THE PORTAL SYSTEM FOR THEM TO CONTRIBUTE TO US OR MAYBE A BACKEND PORTAL? UH, I HOPE YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M SAYING.
I DON'T KNOW HOW IT WOULD, WHAT THE APPLICATION OF IT WOULD BE, BUT THAT'S A GROUP OF FOLKS I'M CONCERNED ABOUT.
I THINK WHAT WOULD BE BEST, UM, IS THE DEPARTMENT WORKED DIRECTLY WITH, UM, EMS, UM, AND, AND FIRE ON THAT, UM, AND, AND DEVELOP WHAT THAT PROCESS WOULD LOOK LIKE.
SO WE CAN ENSURE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO THEM IF THEY NEED, UM, VACCINE.
SO WE CAN JUST TAKE THAT OFFLINE WORK WITH ERNIE AND HIS TEAM AND CHIEF BAKER TO ESTABLISH A PROCESS FOR, FOR PEOPLE, UM, THAT THEY HAVE, YOU KNOW, CONTACT WITH AND HAVE ASSISTED, UM, THAT MAY HAVE CHALLENGES WITH THEIR AT HOME.
WE CAN, WE CAN DO THAT OUTSIDE OF, I APPRECIATE THAT.
AND IF, YOU KNOW, WHEN, WHEN, WHEN YOU ALL ARE SENDING ALL THE INFORMATION, THAT'S ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES HAVE REQUESTED THAT WE ALL RECEIVE.
IF WE'RE, YOU KNOW, IF WE CAN BE A PART OF THE CONTINUATION OF THAT CONVERSATION AND JUST, YOU
[02:30:01]
KNOW, BE ABLE TO SEE THE RESOLUTION OF THAT CONCERN, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.UM, SO OUTREACH EFFORTS IS MY OTHER QUESTION.
UM, I, I KNOW THAT I HAVE SEEN, UM, SOME, UH, SOME FORUMS TOWN HALLS.
UM, I JUST WONDER IF THERE'S ANY, UH, ANYTHING THAT REMOTELY CAN TO, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE PARTNERED FOR THE OUTREACH EFFORT FOR COVID-19 TESTING AND JUST INFORMATION DISTRIBUTION, UM, THAT PILOT SORT OF HAS TAKEN ON A LIFE OF ITS OWN AND IS LIVE IN, YOU KNOW, BETWEEN OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, APH, A COUPLE OTHER ENTITIES.
UM, I JUST WONDER IF NOW IS GO TIME FOR THE CONTINUATION OF THAT PILOT.
AND IF SO, UM, DO WE HAVE VENDORS NAMED ARE READY FOR DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION? DO WE HAVE A STRATEGY? IS IT POSTCARDS AS A DOOR TO DOOR? IS IT FLYERS WITH JUST INFORMATION AND RESOURCES? I'M CURIOUS ABOUT WHAT THE EVOLUTION OF THE OUTREACH PROCESS LOOKS LIKE FOR THOSE, YOU KNOW, REALLY HARD TO REACH FOLKS.
SO, UM, THAT'S SOLICITATION JUST CLOSED LAST WEEK AND THOSE CONTRACTS ARE BEING EVALUATED.
ONCE WE HAVE AN UPDATE ON THAT, WE CAN COME BACK TO YOU WITH THAT INFORMATION.
AND I THINK THAT'S ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT I THINK ALL MY COLLEAGUES WOULD BE, UM, WOULD BE GRATEFUL THEY HAVE ACCESS TO.
SO I FIND MYSELF CONTINUALLY, UM, JUST SORT OF CONFUSED ABOUT OUR MSA SLASH REGIONAL SLASH LOCAL SLASH HYPER-LOCAL APPROACH IN TERMS OF THE STRATEGY.
UM, I THINK IT'S SAFE TO ASSUME THAT FOLKS WHO ARE IN EXTREMELY RURAL AREAS WHO DON'T HAVE AS MUCH ACCESS TO HOSPITAL CAPACITIES, WE DO COME TO AUSTIN WHEN THEY NEED TREATMENT.
UM, SO I'M JUST, I'M CONFUSED ABOUT WHAT THIS EXECUTION LOOKS LIKE.
SOMETIMES WHAT'S THE NUMBERS LOOK LIKE WHEN WE'RE TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION ADJACENT MUNICIPALITIES AND COUNTIES.
I'M JUST VERY, UM, I GUESS ULTIMATELY THIS ISN'T A QUESTION THAT YOU WOULD HAVE TO ANSWER TODAY.
I'M EXPRESSING A CONCERN ABOUT OUR ABILITY TO ASSESS IN PROJECT, HOW QUICKLY, BECAUSE OF THOSE ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS OF POPULATIONS OF PEOPLE OUTSIDE OF THE AUSTIN AREA, HOW QUICKLY AUSTIN SPECIFIC FACILITIES WILL NOT BE ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE PEOPLE WHO LIVE WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS AND WHERE ARE THOSE NUMBERS REFLECTED AND OUR REPORTING.
I'M JUST, I'M ENDLESSLY CURIOUS WHEN WE START TO REPORT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, OUR NUMBERS, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE FOR THE FOLKS COMING IN FROM, UH, ADJACENT MUNICIPALITIES? AND I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT'S A QUESTION FOR NOW SO MUCH AS JUST AN AREA OF CONCERN.
I WISH I UNDERSTOOD BETTER WHAT THAT LOOKED LIKE.
WHAT, WHAT TYPICALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE HAVE FOLKS THAT ARE NOT FROM THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY, UM, ON OUR DASHBOARD, UM, YOU WILL SEE WITH OUR REPORT, UM, YOU'LL SEE A LARGER NUMBER.
AND SO THE LARGER NUMBER REFLECTS ALL OF THE OTHER PEOPLE THAT MAY COME TO TRAVIS COUNTY TO BE TESTED NOW WITH THE HOSPITALIZATIONS THAT IS MSA.
SO IT IS PICKING THEM UP, UM, AND THAT DATA, YOU KNOW, DISPLAYS FROM AN MSA, UM, PERSPECTIVE.
AND SO IT'S ACTUALLY KIND OF A, A HYBRID OF BOTH, UM, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE ARE INCLUSIVE OF MSA DATA WITHIN OUR DASHBOARD, UM, THAT DOES HAVE OTHER, UM, LOCATIONS.
I MEAN, OTHER, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE THAT ARE FROM LIKE, FROM WAVES TO COUNTY OR ET CETERA, UM, SOME OF THEM ARE INCLUDED IN OUR DATA.
SO IS THAT ONE OF THOSE TIMES WHERE OUR, YOU KNOW, CLOSE PARTNERSHIP WITH THE STATE, UM, TAKES CARE OF THE ADDITIONAL COST BURDEN, OR DOES THAT COST BURDEN FALL WITHIN THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND OUR AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH OR REGIONAL PUBLIC HEALTH AUTHORITY? WELL, I THINK AS A COUPLE OF THINGS TO THINK ABOUT, UM, EACH OF US DO RECEIVE FUNDING FROM THE STATE OF TEXAS SO FAR WITH OUR PREPAREDNESS EFFORTS, YOU KNOW, WE'VE RECEIVED FUNDING FROM THE STATE, THEY HAVE ALSO RECEIVED FUNDING FROM THE STATE.
IT'S GOING TO BE THE SAME EXAMPLE WITH THE VACCINES, WITH EACH OF US RECEIVING THE VACCINE THAT COMES FROM THE STATE, YOU KNOW, THAT IS CONCEIVED, THAT IS SEEN JUST KIND OF AS A, YOU KNOW, AS VACCINES FOR, FOR EVERYONE.
UM, AND SO, UM, AND SO WE TYPICALLY DO COLLABORATIVELY WORK, UM, AS CLOSELY AS WE CAN.
NOW, THERE ARE EFFORTS WHERE WE HAVE INNER LOCAL AGREEMENTS AND
[02:35:01]
WE HAVE AGREEMENTS, UM, WITH, WITH A FEW OF THE OTHER COUNTIES, LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, WEBSTER COUNTY HAS BEEN USING SALESFORCE.UM, AND SO WE, WE SHARE COSTS WITH THEM, UM, BASTROP COUNTY, YOU SALESFORCE, AND WE SHARE THOSE COSTS.
SO IN INSTANCES WHERE WE CAN SHARE THE COST WITH THE OTHER MUNICIPALITIES, UM, YOU KNOW, UM, WE, WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO, TO DO THAT AS WELL.
I MAY ASK AT A LATER DATE, UM, FOR SOME SORT OF VISUAL AID TO BE ABLE TO REALLY WALK THROUGH THE INTRICACY THERE WITH MY CONSTITUENTS.
UM, I THINK SOMETHING VISUAL COULD BE HELPFUL TO GET THEM TO UNDERSTAND EXACTLY HOW THE PROCESS WORKS AND, YOU KNOW, THE APPLICATION OF RESOURCES.
I HAVE RECEIVED SOME QUESTIONS AND I HAVE SOME OF MY OWN, UM, BUT I'LL SORT OF CONCEPTUALIZE WHAT THAT MIGHT LOOK LIKE AND WE'LL BE IN TOUCH WITH ABOUT THAT LATER.
UM, ANOTHER QUESTION I HAVE IS ABOUT OUR ICE AFFECT FACILITIES.
UM, I KNOW AT ONE TIME, YOU KNOW, THERE HAD BEEN, WE WERE EBBING AND FLOWING AND THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT ED, UM, SPECIFICALLY DURING MY TIME AT ONE OF THE ICE EFFECT FACILITIES.
I WONDER WHERE WE ARE THERE AND, YOU KNOW, IF WE HAVE SUFFICIENT, UM, CAPACITY AND IF PEOPLE ARE USING THAT RESOURCE WELL, AS YOU, AS YOU ALL KNOW, UM, WE DID, UM, DOWNSIZE THE CURRENT FACILITY.
WE WERE IN, WE WENT TO A SMALLER FACILITY, BUT BECAUSE OF THE INCREASE, UM, OF CASES, UM, WE HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH, UM, THE REAL ESTATE OFFICE, UM, TO LOOK AT AND MAYBE HAVE ANOTHER FACILITY ONLINE BECAUSE WE WANT TO BE PREPARED IF WE NEED TO STAND UP A SECOND ISOLATION FACILITY.
UM, SO WE HAVE THE, BECAUSE OF THERE'S AN INCREASE OF, OF, OF TRANSMISSIONS.
WE HAVE SEEN MORE PEOPLE UTILIZE THE ICE EFFECT FACILITY, JUST OUT OF CURIOSITY.
I RECOGNIZE, YOU KNOW, IN TALKING TO SOME OF MY CONSTITUENTS, UM, EARLY ON SEVERAL MONTHS AGO, THEY DIDN'T EVEN REALIZE ISOLATION FACILITY WAS AN OPTION.
AND NOW I'M FINDING THAT PEOPLE ARE MORE FAMILIAR.
THEY KNOW IT'S AVAILABLE, THEY'RE UTILIZING IT.
AND IT'S, IT'S VERY, AND LIKE COUNCIL MEMBER FRONT-DESK POINTED OUT, YOU KNOW, I WENT, I WAS LIVING IN THE HOUSE WITH THE WHOLE FAMILY, YOU KNOW, ONE THEO OR THEO GETS SICK AND THEN THEY GET TO GO TO THE ISOLATION FACILITY.
IT'S VERY HELPFUL IN ISOLATING, UM, THE, THE INFECTION.
BUT I JUST WONDER, WHAT DO YOU SUPPOSE CHANGED IN TERMS OF HAVING MORE PEOPLE ACCESS THAT ISOLATION FACILITY AND HOW DO WE CONTINUE THAT, UM, UH, WHATEVER IT WAS THAT, THAT INITIATED, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE REALLY UTILIZING THAT ASSET? WELL, OUR COMMUNICATIONS TEAM IS ALWAYS IMPROVING THEIR COMMUNICATION EFFORTS.
UM, WE WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATIONS AND WE HAVE, WE HAVE CONTINUOUSLY GOT THE WORD OUT ABOUT THE ISOLATION FACILITY.
AND SO, UM, THAT COMMUNICATIONS TEAM HAS DONE A GREAT JOB.
WELL, I GUESS WE'RE GIVING A SHOUT OUT TO THE COMMS TEAM.
CAUSE I DEFINITELY WENT FROM, YOU KNOW, THE MAJORITY OF THE CONSTITUENTS THAT I WAS INTERACTING WITH, NOT KNOWING IT WAS AVAILABLE AT ALL TO THEM ASKING SPECIFICALLY ABOUT IT NOW.
SO SOMETHING PERMEATED AND THAT'S REALLY GOOD NEWS, I THINK.
AND I'M GLAD THAT WE'RE THINKING ABOUT SETTING UP ANOTHER OPERATION, JUST OUT OF CURIOSITY, IN TERMS OF NUMBERS, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? SO I KNOW WE HAD THE CROWN PLAZA.
WHAT IS THE LARGER FACILITY OR ADDITIONAL FACILITY LOOK LIKE IN TERMS OF NUMBERS? IS IT AS BIG AS THAT ONE THAT WE DOWNSIZED FROM OR ONE THAT'S COMPARABLY SIZED TO THE ONE WE MOVED INTO? WHAT, WHAT IS THE SIZE SCALE LOOK LIKE? I DON'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION WITH ME.
I CAN GET THAT TO YOU AT A LATER DATE IN TIME.
I WILL MAKE SURE IT'S INCLUDED IN THE REPORT THAT COMES OUT TO THE GROUP ABOUT THE ISOLATION CAPACITY TO SEE THAT'D BE VERY HELPFUL.
UM, AND THEN I THINK THE STATE DEBT FOR
UM, UM, TYPICALLY, UM, ALL OF THE FACILITIES THAT WE ESTABLISHED IN THE EASTERN CRESCENT, UM, WILL BE NEAR, UM, TRANSPORTATION.
UM, SO FOLKS, IF THEY NEED TO RIDE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, UM, IT WOULD BE EASILY ACCESSIBLE FOR THEM.
AND SO THAT IS IN OUR CONSIDERATIONS WHEN WE ARE STANDING UP SITE.
I UNDERSTAND, THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION.
I THINK MY MIND WENT DIRECTLY TO PERSONAL TRANSPORTATION AS OPPOSED TO PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.
[02:40:01]
UM, AND THEN I THINK DR.SCOTT ALLUDED TO WHERE WE'D BE HEADED WITH THIS CONSIDERATION AROUND ADMINISTRATION SHIFT AND THE IMPACT OF THAT.
UM, DO YOU ANTICIPATE THAT WE'LL GET SOME SORT OF REPORT ON MAYBE EXACTLY WHAT THE CHANGE IN ADMINISTRATION WILL LOOK LIKE IN TERMS OF HOW IT, IT SHIFTS OUR, UH, VACCINATION, UH, DISTRIBUTION STRATEGY.
I'M CERTAIN THAT YOU GUYS HAVE TAKEN THOSE THINGS INTO CONSIDERATION.
I'M JUST, I WONDER IF WE WILL GET TO SEE EXACTLY WHAT THE RATIONALE IS FOR SOME OF THE DECISIONS THAT ARE A DIRECT RESULT OF CHANGING ADMINISTRATION? WELL, I THINK WHAT IS GOING TO BE IMPORTANT FOR US IS TO WORK WITH, UM, WORK WITH OUR INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS FOLKS, AS WELL AS THE INFORMATION THAT WE RECEIVE FROM THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL.
AND SO AS WE RECEIVE MORE OF THAT INFORMATION, UM, WE CAN DEFINITELY SHARE THAT.
UM, UM, I'M NOT SURE WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO A COMPARISON OF WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW VERSUS WHAT WILL HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE.
SO I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT WE ONLY FOCUS ON WHAT'S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW, UM, AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
I THINK THAT'S ALL MY QUESTIONS OUTSIDE OF, UM, SPECIFIC QUESTIONS FOR EMERGENCY SERVICES.
WE'RE JUST ABOUT TO GO TO A PO AND THEN I THINK MY KIDS, HE MAY HAVE RAISED HER HAND AS WELL.
IT IS ABOUT 15 MINUTES BEFORE NOON.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO TAKE A NOON BREAK FOR LUNCH.
UH, AND IF THERE ARE FOLKS THAT WANT TO COME BACK, UH, AFTER LUNCH, I THINK THERE WERE PUBLIC SAFETY RELATED QUESTIONS LIKE COUNCIL MEMBER HELPER, MADISON, UM, WANTED TO, TO, TO RAISE.
UM, SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOUR, WHAT YOUR PLEASURE IS.
IF YOU WANT TO THINK ABOUT THAT FOR A SECOND, WHERE WE GIVE PO A CHANCE TO ASK HIS QUESTION AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK TO THE SCHEDULE.
I THINK PO YOU WANT TO ASK YOUR QUESTIONS QUICKLY HERE AND THEN WE'LL HAVE THE SCHEDULING CONVERSATION.
UH, STEPHANIE, UH, IRONED OUT IS THAT LIKE, THERE ARE SOME OF THE, UH, CLINICS AND HEALTH DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE HAVING THAT HAVE THE VACCINE, HOW ARE HIGH YOUR MINISTER IN THAT TOO, THAT PEOPLE ARE THEY, THAT ONE OF THE PLACES THAT YOU RECOMMEND THEM TO GO AND WHEN THEY CALL OR THERE ARE YOU USING A LIST AND SHE WOULD HAVE PEOPLE THAT DO NOT QUALIFY, DO NOT HAVE IN CHAIRS SHOULD BE CALLING, UH, NUMBERS THERE THAT ARE POSTED ON THE STATE WEBSITE, OR SHOULD THEY GO THROUGH A, ANOTHER PROCESS BECAUSE IT I'VE NOTICED THAT THERE'S CERTAIN LOCATIONS THAT HAVE SO MANY DOSES.
I DON'T KNOW HOW Y'ALL REACHING OUT TO THE FOLKS.
WELL, WHAT, WHAT WE HAVE PROVIDED ON OUR WEBSITE, UM, IS, IS WE PROVIDED THE LOCATIONS, UM, THE LINK TO DISHES, WEBSITE AND DISHES WEBSITE, UM, SHOWS THE 65 OR SO PLACES THAT HAVE ALREADY RECEIVED THE VACCINE.
UM, AND SO WE HAVE SHARED THAT AND IT'S ON OUR WEBSITE.
UM, WHAT WE'VE TOLD FOLKS THUS FAR, UM, IS THAT WE HAVE BEEN FOCUSING IN ON THE ONE A WITH THAT INITIAL, INITIAL 1300, UM, VACCINES THAT THE DEPARTMENT RECEIVED.
UM, AND SO WE'RE CONTINUING, UM, ONE A, UM, THIS WEEK.
UM, AND THEN WITH THE PORTAL BEING LIVE ON TOMORROW, THE SHIFT FOR THURSDAY, WE'LL START PICKING UP SOME OF THE ONE BEEF FOLKS, UM, AS WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE PARTNERS TO, SO, SO PEOPLE COULD JUST CALL THE PHONE NUMBER THAT ON THE WEBSITE AND GET ON THE LIST, BUT NOW, OR IS IT SO, SO THE, THE LIST IS NOT OPEN RIGHT NOW.
UM, THEY WOULD NEED TO WAIT UNTIL TOMORROW.
UM, THEY CAN GO ON TO THE WEBSITE, UM, AND SIGN UP LIKE THEY WOULD FOR TESTS.
THEY DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THE WEBSITE.
UM, WE'RE JUST ASKING THEM TO CALL, UM, THREE, ONE, ONE, UM, AND THEN THEY WILL CONNECT THEM WITH OUR STAFF.
OUR NURSING LINE, UM, ALSO IS, IS SET UP, BUT IT'S PROBABLY JUST EASIER FOR ME TO TELL THEM THE THREE, ONE, ONE, AND THEY'LL GET THEM OVER TO OUR FOLKS, UM, WITH THAT PROCESS AND OUR FOLKS CAN SIGN THEM UP AS WELL.
THANK YOU FOR THAT INFORMATION.
I WAS CURIOUS IF WE REALLY WANT TO THANK YOU FOR LETTING US KNOW, AND I'M SURE THAT EVERYONE IS JUST A CANUCKS, CAN'T WAIT UNTIL TOMORROW SO THAT THEY CAN CALL HIM.
AND, UH, I'M GLAD THAT YOU'RE MAKING IT REALLY CONVENIENT BY IT.
JUST, ALL THEY HAVE TO DO IS CALL THREE, ONE 11.
WE'RE GOING TO LET THE KIDS, HE ASKED HER A QUESTION AND THEN I'M GOING TO ASK,
[02:45:01]
UH, COUNCILMEMBER HOPPER MADISON, IF YOU HAVE AN ESTIMATE IS HOW LONG YOU THINK IT WILL TAKE TO DO THE PUBLIC SAFETY RELATED QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE EVER.SO MY QUESTION IS RELATED TO THAT ISOLATION FACILITY, AS YOU ALL KNOW, IT'S LOCATED IN DISTRICT SIX AND THE PLANS TO OPEN UP A, ANOTHER ISOLATION FACILITY, IF IT MEETS CAPACITY WOULD ALSO BE IN DISTRICT SIX.
SO MY CONCERN IS RELATED TO INDIVIDUALS FROM ACROSS THE CITY.
HAVE WE GOTTEN ANY PROBLEMS FROM INDIVIDUALS NEEDING TO ISOLATE AS FAR AS TRANSPORTATION TO THE FACILITY GOES BECAUSE OF THE DISTANCE AND HOW FAR AWAY IT IS AND WHAT IS AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH DOING TO GET INDIVIDUALS THERE WHEN THEY HAVE THOSE PROBLEMS? UM, ANY, UM, CONCERNS THAT FOLKS HAVE PRESENTED, UM, WITH, WITH TRANSPORTATION.
UM, WE HAVE A RUN UP THROUGH THE, THE MAN SITE AND WE HAVE ADDRESSED THAT WITH THEM, UM, BECAUSE WE, WE TYPICALLY, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T WANT TO PUT THEM ON A BUS LINE, ET CETERA.
SO OUR FOLKS WILL HANDLE THAT CASE BY CASE THERE HAVE NOT BEEN, UM, A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF FOLKS, UM, THAT HAVE MADE A REQUEST FOR TRANSPORTATION, BUT WE DO COVER THAT IN THE EVENT THEY NEED IT.
UM, COULD YOU GIVE ME AN EXAMPLE OF HOW IT'S BEEN HANDLED, JUST SO THAT I'M AWARE AND THE COUNCIL'S AWARE AND MAYBE IN ONE INSTANCE HOW TRANSPORTATION WAS, WAS FIXED? UM, YES.
UM, WE'VE WORKED CLOSELY WITH OUR, WITH OUR, UM, EMS COMMUNITY PARAMEDIC PROGRAM, UM, TO BE ABLE TO ASSIST US, UM, BECAUSE AS YOU KNOW, UM, THEY ARE, UM, ABLE TO WORK WITH FOLKS THAT MAY BE POTENTIALLY HAD SOME LEVEL OF EXPOSURE.
IT IS, UH, 10 MINUTES BEFORE NOON.
UH, I'M GOING TO NEED TO LEAVE AT NOON.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER TOVA HAS AGREED TO TAKE THE CHAIR IF YOU WANT TO CONTINUE PAST NOON, BUT WE HAVE THE QUESTION OF, OF A, OF A LUNCH BREAK.
I CAN'T STAY, UM, ONLINE, UH, ESPECIALLY NOT FOR A PERIOD OF TIME THAT WE DON'T KNOW HOW LONG IT WILL BE.
UM, NATASHA, I THINK YOU SAID FOREVER.
UM, AND I'M WONDERING IF MAYBE SOME OF THE QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO TAKE OFFLINE DIRECTLY WITH STAFF AND ALLOW I HAD, I HAVE OTHER, I WASN'T ANTICIPATING THIS, UH, WORK SESSION BRIEFING TO GO MORE THAN THE THREE HOURS IT'S ALREADY GONE TODAY.
SO I'M GOING TO HAVE TO DROP OFF.
I'M PROBABLY INCLUDING STAFF TOO, BECAUSE I'M KEEPING THEM ON FOR QUESTIONING, MAYBE EATING INTO THEIR EXPECTATIONS AS WELL.
STEVE, IF YOU, IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND, I'LL BE HAVING TO DROP OFF AT NOON.
I CERTAINLY APPRECIATE THOSE CONSIDERATIONS JUST FOR BACKGROUND.
SO IT DOESN'T APPEAR AS THOUGH I'M BEING TICKETED WITH THE USE OF OUR HOUR, VERY VALUABLE STAFF TIME.
UM, I ACTUALLY ORIGINALLY REQUESTED A SPECIAL CALLED MEETING FOR HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES TOMORROW.
SO IT WASN'T MY IDEA TO COMBINE WHAT I WAS ABLE TO EXTRACT FROM THAT MEETING TOMORROW AND THIS MEETING TODAY, BUT SOMEHOW THAT HAPPENED.
UM, SO NOW THAT WE'RE HERE, UM, I WAS CERTAINLY SAYING FOREVER AND JUST, I, I DO BELIEVE IT WOULD PROBABLY BE AT LEAST A HALF HOUR, UM, IF NOT 45 MINUTES TO GET THROUGH THE QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE.
AND I THINK ONCE I LAY SOME OF THOSE OUT, UM, WHICH OBVIOUSLY I'VE ALREADY DONE BEHIND THE SCENES, UM, SOME OF THIS INFORMATION I THINK, NEEDS TO BE AVAILABLE PUBLIC FACING.
UH, I THINK ONCE I START LAYING OUT SOME OF THOSE QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS, MY COLLEAGUES WILL REALIZE THAT US ANSWERING THOSE QUESTIONS AND ADDRESSING THOSE CONCERNS IS OF GREAT VALUE AND, UM, POSSESSES A LOT IN THE WAY OF TIME SENSITIVITY, UM, FOR US TO BE AS PREPARED AS POSSIBLE.
I DON'T THINK IT'S ANY LESS VALUABLE OR IMPORTANT THAN THE PRESENTATION THAT WE'VE RECEIVED THUS FAR.
IN FACT, I THINK THEY ARE OF EQUAL IMPORTANCE.
UM, SO I CERTAINLY HOPE I WISH, UH, MY COLLEAGUES COULD ALL STICK AROUND, BUT IT WAS NEVER MY INTENTION TO HAVE EVERYBODY BE A PART OF THE MEETING.
I WAS EXCLUSIVELY LOOKING FOR MYSELF AND THE OTHER MEMBERS OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES TO BE A PART OF THE MEETING.
SO, UM, TARA, I'LL SAY YOU DO WITH THAT INFORMATION, WHAT YOU WILL YEAH.
AND I WOULD ASK FOR THE QUESTIONS THAT SOME OF US MAY NOT BE ABLE TO STAY ON IF THEY COULD ALSO BE COMMITTED TO WRITING AND SENT AROUND AND IN ONE OF OUR MEMOS, THAT WOULD ALSO BE EVEN MORE HELPFUL BECAUSE THEN WE CAN READ THEM MORE QUICKLY THAN SITTING THROUGH THE CONVERSATIONS.
IT WILL ALSO HELP THE PUBLIC UNDERSTAND WHAT THE QUESTIONS WERE.
IT'S A LITTLE MORE SUCCINCT AND IT MAY BE ABLE TO MORE SPECIFICALLY TARGET, UH, THE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.
I DID NOT KNOW THAT YOU HAD HOPED TO HAVE A SPECIAL CALLED MEETING.
[02:50:01]
WAS COLLAPSED INTO THE LARGER MEETING.UM, MAYBE WE CAN, UH, HAVE A LITTLE CLARITY ABOUT AROUND THAT IN THE FUTURE.
AND I GUESS STAFF CAN ADDRESS THAT QUESTION TOO.
UM, KATHY, DID YOU WANT TO SAY SOMETHING? I WAS GOING TO SAY, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE COULD AGREE TO GO TO 1230 AND THAT IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT WOULD PROBABLY ACCOMMODATE COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MEDICINE'S QUESTIONS AND, AND I CERTAINLY CAN STAY ON AND MAYBE OTHERS CAN AS WELL.
ALISON, I WAS JUST GONNA SUGGEST THAT AS WELL.
I HAVE A APPOINTMENT WITH SEVERAL OF THE STAFF, PEOPLE WHO MAY BE INVOLVED THAT I MADE FOR ONE TO GET MY QUESTIONS ANSWERED ON ANOTHER MATTER.
AND I WOULD, THAT'S ALSO TIME SENSITIVE IN MY MIND.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO KEEP THAT ONE.
I DON'T WANT TO THINK OF COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER, MADISON FOR HER BEING PROACTIVE AND SETTING UP THE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE AND BRINGING THAT, BRING THIS ISSUE UP.
SO IT SOUNDS LIKE WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER TOBO IS SUGGESTING MY MIKE MIGHT WORK.
WE CAN SEE, I THINK THE SUGGESTIONS OF BOTH COUNCIL MEMBER TOVO AND COUNCIL MEMBER ALTERS A STANDING ONE O'CLOCK MEETING ARE, UM, ABSOLUTELY.
WELL THEN AT THIS POINT THEN KATHY, IF YOU'RE OKAY, I'LL TURN THE GAVEL OVER TO YOU AND MAYBE YOU CAN GET INTO A TASHA'S QUESTIONS AND SEE IF WE CAN MAKE THAT 1230 TIME, UH, WHEN MY, UH, DEAL'S OVER.
I'LL CHECK BACK AND SEE IF YOU GUYS ARE STILL ONLINE, UH, WITH THAT CAVEAT I'LL I'LL TURN IT OVER TO YOU.
UM, WERE THERE OTHER QUESTIONS FOR DIRECTOR HAYDEN BEFORE WE TURN TO THE SERVICES QUESTIONS? CAN YOU MOVE YOUR MICROPHONE? SURE THING.
IS THAT ANY BETTER? I WAS JUST ASKING IF THERE WERE OTHER QUESTIONS THAT WEREN'T PUBLIC SAFETY EMERGENCY SERVICES RELATED BEFORE WE TURN TO THOSE AND I DON'T SEE ANY HANDS.
SO COUNCIL MEMBER, HARTFORD MEDICINE, DO YOU WANT TO START US OFF AND DIRECTOR HAYDEN? THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR ALL YOUR TREMENDOUS CONTINUED WORK.
OH, I WAS GONNA LET YOU ALL KNOW, UM, THAT, UM, I'M JUST GONNA REMAIN ON THE CALL IN CASE SOMETHING ELSE COMES UP.
SO I WILL REMAIN WITH THE REST OF THE TEAM.
THANK YOU FOR THAT DIRECTOR, HAYDEN, WE KNOW YOU HAVE LOTS OF, LOTS OF THINGS PRESSING ON YOU TOO.
SO THANKS FOR, I APPRECIATE THAT COUNCIL MEMBER TOBO AND JUST LETTING YOU KNOW THAT THE STAFF IS MOVING OVER FOR THE PUBLIC SAFETY CONVERSATION, THEY HAVE BEEN AVAILABLE AND BECAUSE IT WAS RELATED TO COVID, WE HAD THOUGHT TO DO THIS CONVERSATION ALTOGETHER FOR EFFICIENCY SAKE.
SO WANTED TO THANK COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER, MADISON FOR BRINGING THE QUESTIONS TO OUR ATTENTION IN ADVANCE.
REMEMBER TO-GO WE'RE HAVING A REAL TOUGH TIME HEARING YOU.
I MUST CONTINUE TO TRY TALKING RIGHT INTO THE MICROPHONE, FOUND SOME PEPPER HOPPER MEDICINE.
I THINK OUR PERSONNEL ARE COMING OVER, BUT DO YOU WANT TO START ASKING YOUR QUESTIONS AND WE CAN SEE YOU BET AND I'LL JUST PUT A T THAT, UM, SO SOME OF THE QUESTIONS, CONCERNS CONSIDERATION ARE CLOSE AS A RESULT OF, UM, MY THOUGHT PROCESS AROUND HOW WE CAN MOST EFFECTIVELY UTILIZE THE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE DURING THE COURSE OF THE ROLLOUT OF OUR VACCINE DISTRIBUTION STRATEGY.
UM, AND SO OBVIOUSLY FIREFIGHTERS AND PARAMEDICS CAME UP AS ASSETS THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE, UM, UH, TO BE ABLE TO DISTRIBUTE VACCINE OR, UM, ADMINISTER VACCINES.
UM, BUT DURING THE COURSE OF THAT THOUGHT PROCESS, IT ALSO, UM, EVOLVED IN RECOGNIZING THAT WE ARE HAVING SOME ISSUES WITH STAFFING THAT I'D LIKE TO CONCERN, UH, OR, OR TO ADDRESS THE CONCERN AROSE BOTH PERSONALLY AND PROFESSIONALLY, UM, UH, RECOGNIZING THAT THERE WAS SOME MANDATORY OVERTIME, UM, THAT HAPPENED, UH, WITH MY SPOUSE WHO WORKED FOR THE US AND FOR OUR DEPARTMENT AND REALIZING THAT HE WASN'T THE ONLY ONE DOING MANDATORY OVERTIME.
UM, SO I WOULD LIKE TO TALK ABOUT MANDATORY OVERTIME WITH A F D E M S UM, AND THEN SORT OF ALL OF THE IMPLICATIONS THERE.
UH, ARE WE PREPARED FOR THE, WHAT DR.
SCOTT DESCRIBED AS THE SURGE? ARE WE PREPARED FROM A STAFFING PERSPECTIVE? THE WAY THAT DR.
SCOTT DESCRIBES OUR ABILITY TO ADDRESS OUR STAFFING UNDER DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES.
HE SAID THAT THIS IS AN INDUSTRY.
THESE ARE INDUSTRIES RATHER EMERGENCY SERVICES THAT RELY ON REDUNDANCY, MEANING LOTS OF STAFF AND LOTS OF APPARATUS.
UM, IF WE DON'T HAVE THAT EXTRA, BECAUSE EVERY COUNTY IN EVERY
[02:55:01]
ADJACENT MUNICIPALITY ALSO EXPERIENCING THE SURGE, WHAT'S OUR PLAN.I'D LIKE VERY MUCH TO BE ABLE TO LAY THAT OUT, UM, AND MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE PREPARED, UH, ACCURATELY AND APPROPRIATELY.
AND ALSO I'D LIKE TO TALK THROUGH, UM, THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK I KNOW, BUT I'D LIKE TO GET AN ACCURATE NUMBER FOR HOW MANY STAFF ARE OUT AT AFD, APD AND EMS WITH, FOR COVID CURRENTLY.
UM, AND WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS OF THAT MANY MEMBERS OF OUR STAFF BEING OUT HOW TO BENEFIT PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT OUT, HOW DOES THAT AFFECT OUR RESPONSE TIMES? UM, I'D ALSO LIKE TO ASK, I MEAN, I GUESS I'M SORT OF GROUPING THE QUESTIONS NOW, BUT I MEAN, I HAVE A LAUNDRY LIST OF QUESTIONS AND THEY ALMOST ALL PERTAIN TO STAFF.
UM, SO LIKE PERSONNEL CONSIDERATIONS, UM, INCLUDING, I'M CURIOUS ABOUT THE FINANCIAL IMPLICATION OF MANDATORY OVERTIME AND PEOPLE GETTING OVERTIME, REGARDLESS OF RANK, THAT'S GENERALLY NOT HOW IT WORKS.
NORMALLY WE PRIORITIZE HOW WE APPLY THE USE OF OVERTIME BECAUSE OF THE PAY SCALE.
UM, SO I HAVE SOME CONCERNS AND CONSIDERATIONS THERE AS WELL.
UM, SOME VERY SPECIFIC TO EMS QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS.
AND THEN, UM, ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE IS ABOUT RAPID TESTING.
I KNOW AFD HAS BEEN ADMINISTERED THE ABILITY TO WRAP A TEST ONE ANOTHER.
UM, BUT EMS DOESN'T HAVE THAT ABILITY.
I HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT, UH, WHY I AM, I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE RATIONALE THERE.
AND THEN I ALSO HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT THE PLAN IS TO ADDRESS WHAT FEELS LIKE AN OVERSIGHT.
UM, SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING CLARITY THERE AND IF IT WAS IN FACT AN OVERSIGHT, OR WE JUST HAVEN'T DONE IT YET, WHEN DO WE INTEND TO RECONCILE THAT? SO, I MEAN, I'LL CERTAINLY TRY NOT TO HAVE MY QUESTIONS LAST FOREVER, BUT, UM, YEAH, IF WE COULD GET MOST OF THAT ANSWERED WITHIN THE HALF HOUR, IF THERE'S ANYTHING ADDITIONAL, UM, I'LL JUST KEEP, YOU KNOW, I'M CERTAIN THAT MY COLLEAGUES AND I WILL CONTINUE THIS CONVERSATION WITH STAFF, BUT THAT'S A REALLY GOOD START FOR US AND FOR THE PUBLIC.
AND I THINK I SHOULD PREFACE ALL OF THAT BY SAYING A MAJOR ISSUE HERE, BOTH FROM, UM, TESTING FOR COVID-19 AND THE ABILITY TO EFFECTIVELY DISTRIBUTE THE VACCINE FOR COVID-19 IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
UM, MAJOR CONSIDERATIONS FOR ME, AND PROBABLY FOR ALL OF US IN OUR DISTRICTS, UM, WILL HAVE TO BE CLEAR AND TRANSPARENT CONVERSATION WITH OUR CONSTITUENTS.
THEY NEED TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON.
THEY NEED TO KNOW WHY, HOW, WHO, UM, WE AT VARIOUS STAGES THROUGHOUT US ADDRESSING THIS, UM, PANDEMIC, WE HAVE TO SOME DEGREE LOST THE TRUST OF COMMUNITIES THAT RELY ON US TO BE ABLE TO TAKE ALL THE NECESSARY CONSIDERATIONS FOR THEIR SAFETY, THEIR HEALTH, THEIR WELLNESS, THERE WILL BE, UM, THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE.
AND, UH, I FEEL ENTIRELY, YOU KNOW, ACCOUNTABLE TO THEM TO MAKE AS TRANSPARENT AS POSSIBLE.
SO IF I HAVE THESE QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS, HAVING THIS CONVERSATION, HAVING THIS CONVERSATION IN A PUBLIC FORUM, I THINK IS IT IS A VERY EFFICIENT WAY TO ADDRESS OUR CONSTITUENTS CONCERNS.
THEY CAN HEAR DIRECTLY WHAT THE RESPONSES ARE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH COUNCIL MEMBER, AND THAT, UH, THANK YOU FOR LAYING OUT YOUR QUESTIONS.
I WOULD SUGGEST WE TAKE THEM IN, IN BATCHES.
UM, AND I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY HAS SOME TOO, AND MAYBE OTHERS ON THE CALL.
OTHER COLLEAGUES ALSO MAY HAVE QUESTIONS AS WE GO.
SO, UM, WHY DON'T WE BEGIN COUNSEL, UH, ACM AUDIO.
NOW, IF YOU WOULD START US OFF AND MAYBE WE CAN TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE OVERTIME AND STAFFING ISSUES AND THEN MOVE ON TO THE DISCUSSION OF, OF TESTING AND VACCINES.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER, AND THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, HARPER, MADISON FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY, HOPEFULLY I'M ON MUTED.
UH, TO COVER AS MANY QUESTIONS AS WE CAN, UH, AND CERTAINLY VERY WILLING TO RESPOND, UH, UH, AFTER THIS MEETING AND IN, IN, IN, IN ANY OTHER VENUE THAT, UH, YOU MIGHT WANT TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION.
SO, UM, YOU DID COVER A LARGE RANGE OF QUESTIONS AND TOPIC AREAS.
I THINK WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS START OFF WITH A MORE BROAD CONVERSATION.
PICKETT, UH, TO TALK ABOUT KIND OF WHAT WE'RE DOING FROM A FIRST RESPONDER PERSPECTIVE TO KEEP OUR, UH, RESPONDERS SAFE, SOME OF THOSE PROTOCOLS, UM, YOU TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UH, THE USE OF RAPID TESTING AND, AND AS YOU MENTIONED, FIRE DEPARTMENT IS THE FIRST OUT OF THE GATE TO BE ABLE TO USE THAT.
PICKETT COULD TALK A LITTLE BIT HOW WE'RE, UH, BEFORE ADD AVAILABLE TO THE OTHER, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENTS.
AND THEN I THINK YOU TOUCHED AS WELL, UM, ON THE POTENTIAL ABUSING USING FIRE EMS STATIONS AS POINTS OR DISTRIBUTION OF THE VACCINE, AND THEN EITHER DR.
PICKETT OR PERHAPS A DIRECTOR HAYDEN CAN ADDRESS THOSE.
SO IF THAT COULD BE THE FIRST BATCH, PERHAPS TO LAY OUT THE FOUNDATION, UH, WE CAN START THERE.
THANK YOU, RAY AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
[03:00:01]
I WANT TO GIVE YOU AN OVERVIEW OF, UM, WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING FROM THE APH AND, UH, OMD PERSPECTIVE TO, UH, PROTECT OUR WORKERS, MAINTAIN OUR CURRENT WORKFORCE.UH, SO OUR GOALS HERE IN, SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE PANDEMIC IS NUMBER ONE TO PROTECT OUR EMPLOYEES, UM, BUT IN THAT ALSO TO PROTECT AND CARE FOR OUR PATIENTS AND, UH, TO NOT BECOME A DANGER TO THEM OR POTENTIAL VECTOR FOR THE DISEASE TO THEM, UH, AND ALSO TO PRESERVE SYSTEM OR RESPONSE CAPABILITIES, UH, IN THAT AS WELL TO PRESERVE OUR HOSPITAL CAPABILITIES AND THE LOCAL HEALTHCARE SYSTEM, AS WE UNDERSTAND FROM, UH, FROM EMS, THAT WE HAVE A BIG PART IN THAT, UH, AS WELL, UH, WE WANT TO PROVIDE CUTTING EDGE, SCIENTIFICALLY VALIDATED AGGRESSIVE MEDICAL CARE WITH COMPASSION, UH, THE, UH, SCIENTIFICALLY VALIDATED, AGGRESSIVE AND COMPASSIONATE CARE WE'VE BEEN DOING.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT STAYING ON TOP OF, UH, UH, CUTTING EDGE.
SO FIRST IS THE PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT, WHICH WE HAVE BEEN EVALUATING THROUGH THROUGHOUT THE PANDEMIC, THE CDC GUIDELINES, UM, WHICH, UH, HAVE SHIFTED NOW, AND THEN WE'VE REVIEWED THE DATA THAT'S, UH, IS AVAILABLE TO US ON WHAT THE BEST APPROACH IS IN ORDER TO, UH, UH, TO ADVISE OUR FIELD PROVIDERS.
WHAT WE FOUND WAS THAT, UH, WHEN WITH INITIALLY WE TRANSLATED A LOT OF THE CDC GUIDELINES INTO GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR THE MEDICS, AND, UM, LET THEM MAKE A DECISION BASED ON WHAT THEY WERE DOING TO, UM, IS SORT OF WHAT LEVEL OF PPE THAT THEY WOULD, UH, DONE.
WE FOUND THAT THAT WAS, UH, THAT, THAT LED TO MORE DEVIATIONS FROM PP RECOMMENDATIONS THAN WE WANTED.
SO WE GOT TOGETHER, UH, BETWEEN OMD APH, UH, EMS, FIRE, AWESOME, PUBLIC SAFETY WELLNESS, TRAVIS COUNTY STAR FLIGHT, AND THE EMS ASSOCIATION AND THE FIRE ASSOCIATION, UH, AND DEVELOPED OUR PPE GUIDELINES.
SO WE CREATED A STANDARDIZED APPROACH FOR ALL OF CALLS AND THEN WITH ADDITIONAL, UM, STEP-UPS FOR CERTAIN TYPES OF CALLS.
WHAT WE FOUND ALMOST IMMEDIATELY WAS THAT THAT LED TO MUCH BETTER COMPLIANCE WITH, UH, PPE, UH, AND A LOT FEWER QUESTIONS FROM THE FIELD.
A LOT LESS CONFUSION ABOUT, UH, WHAT IT IS THAT, UH, THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO DO, BECAUSE IT WAS ALSO SUPPORTED BY THE WORKFORCE REPRESENTATIVES AND IN THE FORM OF THE ASSOCIATIONS THAT ALSO HELPED WITH, UM, UH, W W WITH ACCEPTANCE, WE'VE BEEN EVALUATING NEW PROTECTIVE GEAR THEY'VE, UH, OF COURSE, UH, AS THIS PANDEMIC HAS UNFOLDED, THERE HAVE BEEN A NUMBER OF IDEAS FLOATED ABOUT HOW WE MIGHT BETTER, UH, PROTECT OUR PROVIDERS AND OUR PATIENTS WITH, UH, THINGS SUCH AS, UH, PLASTIC BARRIERS OR BAGS, UH, TO, UH, COVER PATIENTS, UH, OR, OR TO ISOLATE PATIENTS DURING CERTAIN PROCEDURES.
UH, WE EVALUATED EVERY IDEA THAT WE FOUND EITHER ON THE INTERNET, OR THAT WAS BROUGHT TO US.
UH, WE FOUND THAT THERE WAS VERY LITTLE OUT THERE, UH, NEW THAT PROVIDED ANY ADDITIONAL PROTECTION, UH, FOR OUR MEMBERS.
AND IN THESE EVALUATIONS, WE FOUND THAT A LOT OF THESE, UH, SYSTEMS, UH, IDEAS AND DEVICES WOULD ACTUALLY INCREASE THE RISK TO OUR MEDICS AND, UH, OUR FIREFIGHTERS.
AND SO, UH, WE IMPLEMENTED, UH, OUR PPE, BUT WE HAVE NOT, UM, WE HAVE NOT TRIED ANY, UH, W WE, EXCUSE ME, WE HAVE NOT IMPLEMENTED, UH, ANY OF, SOME OF THESE NEW DEVICES THAT HAVE JUST COME ABOUT SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE PANDEMIC.
UM, FAIRLY EARLY ON, WE STARTED TO USING, UH, WE IMPLEMENTED A PROTOCOL 36.
NOW, I KNOW THAT SOUNDS KIND OF SINISTER, UH, BUT, UH, IT'S ACTUALLY JUST A, UH, A CALL TAKING AND DISPATCH PROTOCOL, UH, THAT IS RESERVED FOR PANDEMICS, NOT EACH CALL TYPE IS, UH, WHEN YOU CALL NINE ONE, ONE IS, UH, RELEGATED TO A CERTAIN PROTOCOL, UH, CHEST PAIN PART.
WE CALLED 10 DIFFICULTY BREATHING PROTOCOLS, SIX THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO PROTOCOL 36, WHAT THIS DOES IS IT SERVES AS ESSENTIALLY A FILTER.
UH, SO WHEN A NINE 11 CALL COMES IN, UH, THEN THE, UH, THE CALL TAKER, UH, GOES THROUGH A NUMBER OF THESE QUESTIONS THAT ARE GEARED TOWARDS THE FACT THAT WE DO HAVE AN ONGOING PANDEMIC, UH, CURRENTLY, AND HELPS US TO IDENTIFY PATIENTS THAT MAY BE SUFFERING FROM AN INFECTIOUS DISEASE, UH, THAT OTHERWISE WOULDN'T BE CLEAR FROM OTHER CALL TAKING PROTOCOLS AND ALLOWS US TO, UH, APPROPRIATELY INFORM THE RESPONDERS AS THEY, UH, AS THEY ARE RESPONDING TO MAKE SCENE.
UM, THAT'S, UH, ALSO, YOU'VE PROBABLY SEEN NEWS FROM OTHER AREAS WHERE THEY'VE MODIFIED TREATMENT PROTOCOLS IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.
AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT WE HAVE NOT MODIFIED OUR PATIENT TREATMENT PROTOCOLS OF IN ANY WAY FOR RESPIRATORY DISTRESS, FOR CARDIAC ARREST, UH, FOR, UH, RESPONSE UNITS THAT ARE INITIALLY ASSIGNED BASED ON CALL.
[03:05:01]
WE HAVE NOT MODIFIED ANY OF THOSE.UH, WE VERY THOUGHTFULLY LOOKED THROUGH, UM, ALL OF THESE POTENTIAL MODIFICATIONS WITH THE IDEA THAT WE MAY BE ABLE TO DO SOMETHING, TO REDUCE EXPOSURE, UH, TO THE MEDICS AND FIREFIGHTERS, AND TO PROTECT THEM FROM UNNECESSARY EXPOSURE.
WHAT WE FOUND IS THAT THERE WAS NO MODIFICATION OF OUR PROTOCOLS THAT WOULD IMPROVE SAFETY THAT WOULD HELP OUR MEDICS OR FIREFIGHTERS OR WOULD DO SO WITHOUT A SUBSTANTIAL COST AND SAFETY TO THE PATIENT.
UH, WHAT WE'VE SEEN COME ABOUT FROM SEVERAL OTHER AREAS ARE THINGS THAT, UH, ARE FRANKLY HARMFUL, UH, TO PATIENTS THAT, UH, INCREASE THE RISK OF BAD OUTCOMES.
UM, AND, UH, I DON'T FEEL THAT, UH, THAT HELP THAT SAFETY.
UM, YOU'VE PROBABLY SEEN SOME, UH, MEDIA TRAFFIC FROM, UH, EXCUSE ME, BELLY IS DOESN'T SIT WELL WITH ME.
UM, SO YOU'VE SEEN SOME MEDIA TRAFFIC DOES SUCH AS FROM LA, UH, WHERE THEY'VE MODIFIED THEIR CARDIAC ARREST PROTOCOLS AND, UH, WE'LL ATTEMPT RESUSCITATION ON SCENE.
AND IF UNSUCCESSFUL, UH, WILL NOT TRANSPORT THE PATIENT TO THE HOSPITAL, UH, WHAT I CAN TELL YOU IS THAT THAT IS LA CATCHING UP WITH THE REST OF THE COUNTRY, UH, BECAUSE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN DONE EVERYWHERE FOR YEARS ALREADY.
UH, WE FOUND, UH, THROUGH SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF RESEARCH THAT, UM, TRANSPORTING PATIENTS WHO ARE STILL IN CARDIAC ARREST, UH, IS, UH, ALMOST NEVER HELPFUL TO THE PATIENT AND, UH, LEADS TO RISK FOR INJURY TO OUR PR UH, RESPONDERS AND OUR PROVIDERS.
UM, AND SO THAT HAS BEEN A STANDARD THING FOR, UH, FOR SOME TIME, UH, ADDITIONALLY YOU'VE SEEN, UH, WHERE LA IS, UH, AS IT WAS PUT OUT THERE, UH, RATIONING OXYGEN, UH, FOR, UH, FOR PATIENTS.
UM, AGAIN, THIS IS, UM, IT'S NOT A RATIONING IT'S SIMPLY TITRATING OXYGEN TO THE PATIENT'S NEED.
AND THIS IS AGAIN, SOMETHING THAT WE HERE AT AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY, EMS AND AUSTIN FIRE HAVE DONE FOR MANY YEARS, UM, UTILIZING THIS, UH, THIS TREATMENT, THIS ESSENTIALLY MEDICATION, UH, FOR PATIENTS, UH, IN A WAY ONLY WHEN THEY NEED IT AND, UH, AND HOW THEY NEED IT.
NOW, ONE OF OUR BIG THINGS THAT WE DID EARLY ON AND WAS A STAND UP THE COVID CLINICAL CONSULT LINE, OR THE, UH, C3 L UM, THE GOALS OF THIS ARE TO BRING THE RIGHT RESOURCE THE RIGHT TIME, UH, THE FIRST TIME, UH, FOR THE PATIENTS.
SO THIS STARTED ON, UH, MARCH 13TH.
AND, UH, IT IS COMPRISED OF PR TRAINED PARAMEDICS WHO, UH, GET INVOLVED WITH THE CALL TAKING PROCESS, RIGHT? WELL, THEY, THEY DO NOT REPLACE OR INTERFERE WITH ANY OF THE CALL TAKING OR DISPATCH, BUT THEY'RE ABLE TO GAIN ADDITIONAL UNIT, UH, ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE PATIENT, ABOUT THE SITUATION, ABOUT WHAT THE RESOURCES THAT THEY'RE ASKING FOR.
UH, WE FOUND THAT MANY TIMES PEOPLE CALL, AND THEY'RE ASKING ABOUT RESOURCES FOR TESTING, UH, RESOURCES FOR QUARANTINE, OR WHERE THEY CAN GET MORE INFORMATION, UH, AND THE C3 EL IS ABLE TO PROVIDE THEM THAT, UH, TO THEM, UH, OVER THE PHONE.
UH, YEAH, HE ALSO SERVED AS A, A RESOURCE FOR, UH, OUR CITY DEPARTMENTS, UH, PARTICULARLY A PUBLIC SAFETY, UH, SO THAT WHEN A PUBLIC SAFETY MEMBER HAS A CONCERNING EXPOSURE, THEN THEY CAN GET SOME MORE INFORMATION AND THEN HELP TO ADVISE THEM ON PROPER QUARANTINE PROCEDURES IF NECESSARY.
AND I GET THEM LINED UP FOR A TESTING RAPIDLY, UH, AS WELL, THE C3 L ALSO BASED ON INFORMATION COLLECTED DURING THIS CALL, UH, CALL TAKEN, CAN ADVISE CREWS ON THE APPROPRIATE PPE TO YOU.
UH, SO IF THEY HAVE A HINT THAT THERE IS, UH, POTENTIALLY, UH, AN EXPOSURE TO INFECTIOUS DISEASE AND THEY CAN, UH, HELP TO ADVISE THEM ON RAMPING UP THEIR PPE AS WELL.
ALSO BASED ON THESE CALL INDICATORS, UH, BEEN ABLE TO, TO, UM, UH, AND DISCUSSION WITH THE PATIENTS OR THE COLOR, UH, I, A RESPONSE BASED ON WHAT THEY HEAR IN THE, DURING THAT CONVERSATION.
UH, AND LASTLY, THEY ALSO ASSIST WITH TRANSPORT DECISION MAKING MANY OF THE PATIENTS WHO CALL NINE ONE ONE AND HAVE AN EMS RESPONSE, DO NOT REQUIRE A TRIP TO THE HOSPITAL AND TO C3 HELPS TO DIRECT THEM TO RESOURCES.
AND ALSO WHEN IT IS SUGGESTED THAT THE PATIENT MAY NOT BENEFIT FROM TRANSPORT TO THE HOSPITAL, UH, THEN THEY CAN, UM, UH, THEY CAN ALSO HELP THE FIELD MEDICS WITH THAT DECISION MAKING TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT, THAT IS A, UH, SAFE AND EQUITABLE DECISION, UH, THAT, UH, THAT HAS MADE, UM, NOW DURING THIS TIME, UH, SINCE, UH, MARCH 13TH, THE, OUR COVID CONSULT LINE HAS TAKEN 17,087, UH, CONSULTS.
UH, THIS IS OUT A TOTAL OF 97,767
[03:10:01]
CALLS FOR SERVICE, UM, OF THOSE 17,000 WE'VE, UH, HAD 3,800 COVID 19 ALERTS.SO THESE ARE CALLS WHERE WE SUSPECTED THAT, UH, COVID-19 WAS AT PLAY.
UH, WE ALSO HAVE HAD 1800, UH, CLINICAL CONSULT LINE INITIATED NON TRANSPORTS.
SO THESE WERE PATIENTS THAT OTHERWISE MAY HAVE BEEN TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL, UM, BUT, UH, WE'RE ABLE TO BE DIRECTED TO OTHER RESOURCES.
AND, UH, SO THIS DOES A COUPLE OF THINGS FOR US.
THIS, UH, HELPS TO ONE, UH, MORE EFFICIENTLY USE OUR, OUR HEALTHCARE SYSTEM HERE AND, UH, HELP TO PRESERVE HOSPITAL RESOURCES.
UH, BUT TWO, IT REDUCES THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT OUR MEDICS AND FIRST RESPONDERS CAN SPEND WITH, UH, WITH A PATIENT WHO MAY BE POTENTIALLY INFECTIOUS AND THEREBY REDUCING THEIR RISK OF THE, NOT A TOTAL NINE 11 CALLS THAT THE C3 INTAKE, UH, 11% OF THEM RESULT IN PREVENTION, UH, OF AN AMBULANCE RESPONSE OR CANCELLATION OF AN AMBULANCE RESPONSE.
UH, SO WE CAN MODIFY THE NUMBER OF RESPONDERS THAT ARE GOING TO CALLS, UH, AND THEREFORE REDUCE THE EXPOSURE OF THEM EMPLOYEES, UH, TO THOSE PATIENTS, UH, WHEN IT IS DEEMED MEDICALLY APPROPRIATE.
NOW THE, UH, UH, PART OF OUR EFFORTS TO PREVENT INFECTION AND PROTECT OUR WORKFORCE IS VACCINATION.
UH, OF COURSE, AS YOU'VE SEEN THAT, THERE'S A LOT OF VACCINE HESITANCY OUT THERE, UH, EVEN AMONGST MEMBERS OF THE MEDICAL COMMUNITY.
I'M PROUD TO SAY THAT WITHIN AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY EMS, 85% OF OUR EMPLOYEES INDICATED THAT THEY DO WANT THE VACCINE.
UH, AND I'M HAPPY TO SAY THAT WE'RE, WE'VE VACCINATED PRETTY MUCH EVERY ONE OF THOSE.
I THINK WE HAVE A FEW STRAGGLERS, BUT WE'RE, UH, PRETTY MUCH THERE.
UM, AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT, ALSO A VERY HIGH RATE OF VACCINE ACCEPTANCE.
UM, AND, UH, THAT IS IN CONTRAST WITH DATA THAT WE HAVE FROM OTHER AREAS, THERE WAS A NATIONWIDE SURVEY PERFORMED BY THE JOURNAL JOURNEY OF JOURNAL OF EMS THAT INDICATED THAT THEY HAD ONLY ABOUT 50% OF EMS. OTHERS WOULD, UH, WOULD WANT THAT.
AND I ATTRIBUTE THIS HIGH LEVEL OF ACCEPTANCE TO THE, A GREAT DEAL OF EDUCATION THAT HAS BEEN DONE, UH, BY THE OFFICE OF THE MEDICAL DIRECTOR, PUBLIC HEALTH, AUSTIN EMS, AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT, AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT.
WE CAME OUT WITH A JOINT STATEMENT ON VACCINE THAT HAS, UM, NOT ONLY JUSTIFICATION, BUT ADDRESSES A NUMBER OF FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS, AS WELL AS RUMORS THAT HAVE GONE OUT THERE THAT, UH, PEOPLE MAY HEAR WE'VE RECEIVED A LOT OF FEEDBACK THAT THAT JOINT STATEMENT WAS, WAS, UH, IT WAS WELL RECEIVED.
AND THAT WAS, UH, PUT TOGETHER BY THE OFFICE OF THE MEDICAL DIRECTOR, AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY, EMS, AUSTIN FIRE, AUSTIN POLICE, TRAVIS COUNTY, SHERIFF OFFICE, AND TRAVIS COUNTY STAR FLIED, TRAVIS COUNTY, CLINICAL PERFORMANCE AND EDUCATION, AND THE AUSTIN EMS ASSOCIATION, AUSTIN FIRE ASSOCIATION, AND AUSTIN POLICE ASSOCIATION.
SO ALL OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS GOT TOGETHER AND, UH, ENDORSED THIS, UH, VACCINE STATEMENT.
AND, UH, THIS IS TO, TO HELP ALLAY A LOT OF THE FEARS THAT OUR EMPLOYEES MAY HAVE DR.
THIS IS REALLY GREAT AND VERY DENSE INFORMATION.
I THINK IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL AT THIS POINT, IF WE JUST PAUSE, UM, AT THIS POINT IN YOUR PRESENTATION AND ADDRESS QUESTIONS THAT MIGHT BE RELATED TO PROTOCOL AND TRANSPORT AND, UH, VACCINATION VACCINATIONS AMONG, AMONG OUR PUBLIC SAFETY FOLKS, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER, HARPER, MADISON, I'LL START WITH YOU IF THERE ARE ANY FOLLOW-UP QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE AT THIS POINT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, COUNCIL MEMBER TOBO, IT'S LIKE YOU'RE READING MY NOTEPAD.
UM, THOSE, THOSE, THOSE, THOSE ARE MY QUESTIONS.
UH, JUST SORT OF WHEN WE ANTICIPATED ANY ESCALATION IN THAT PROTOCOL, 36, UM, HOW ARE WE ADDRESSING THOSE, UH, LOW ACUITY PATIENTS THAT DON'T REQUIRE TRANSPORT? IT LOOKS LIKE, YOU KNOW, YOU SAID 11% CANCELLATION RATE, UM, AND I'M ASSUMING THAT YOU ACQUAINT OR THAT YOU RELATE THAT TO HAVING THAT ADDITIONAL LAYER OF, UM, CONSIDERATION AND DISPATCH.
UM, BUT I, I ALSO WONDER WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR THOSE BOOTS ON THE GROUND, UM, OR PARAMEDICS ON THE GROUND IF THEY ARE AT THE DISPATCH LEVEL AND WHAT THAT KIND OF LOOKS LIKE IN TERMS OF COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS? I THINK, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER TOVO, MIGHT'VE JUST REALLY HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD WHEN SHE SAID THIS IS DENSE.
AND SO MY HOPE TODAY WAS TO BE ABLE TO ASK THE QUESTIONS AND WHERE POSSIBLE BE ABLE TO EXTRACT RESPONSES AND ANSWERS, BUT HOPEFULLY THIS WILL HELP TO, UM, AS THIS, YOU ALL IN, IN COMPILING INFORMATION THAT WE CAN REVIEW MUCH LIKE, YOU KNOW, COUNCIL MEMBER POOL POINTED OUT, IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF ALL OF THIS INFORMATION, THE QUESTIONS AND THE RESPONSES WERE COMPILED SOMEWHERE, UM, IN A WAY THAT WE COULD ACCESS THEM LATER.
UM, BUT SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT HAVE ARISEN FOR ME BY WAY OF YOUR PRESENTATION THUS FAR HAVE TO DO WITH, UM, THAT, UH, THAT RESPONSE,
[03:15:01]
THE LOW ACUITY RESPONSE, AND THEN WHETHER OR NOT THERE HAVE BEEN ANY SHIFTS IN OUR, UM, UH, PROTOCOL 36.AND IF NOT TO DATE, DO WE ANTICIPATE THAT THERE WILL BE, UM, IS THE QUESTION THAT I HAVE, THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER, THOSE ARE EXCELLENT QUESTIONS.
SO THE PROTOCOL 36 HAS, UH, SEVERAL LEVELS, UM, LEVEL, ZERO BEING A SURVEILLANCE ONLY.
UM, AND THEN, UH, LEVEL ONE UP TO LEVEL THREE LEVEL THREE IS WHERE WE WOULD CONSIDER, UH, AT THE POINT OF CALL TAKING JUST BASED ON INFORMATION IN PROTOCOL 36, NOT SENDING A RESOURCE TO THAT PATIENT.
UH, AS FAR AS OUR, UH, UH, AS, AS FAR AS OUR, OUR ABILITY TO HANDLE CALLS, UH, WITH VOLUMES ON THE STREET, UH, I WILL DEFER TO MY COLLEAGUES, UH, CHIEF, UH, CHIEF BROWN AND, UH, CHIEF RODRIGUEZ TO, UH, TO, UH, EXPOUND A LITTLE BIT ON, UH, ON THAT.
UM, BUT AS OF RIGHT NOW, THERE HAS, UM, THERE HAS BEEN NO DISCUSSION OF ESCALATING FROM WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW.
SO, UH, CALLS ARE STILL HANDLED.
THEY COME IN THROUGH DISPATCH, APPROPRIATE UNITS ARE, UH, ARE SENT, UH, BUT THEN THE INVOLVEMENT OF THE COVID CLINICAL CONSULT LINE HELPS US TO, UH, TO TRIM DOWN SOME OF THOSE RESPONSES BY DIVERTING PATIENTS, TO THE RESOURCES THAT ARE PROBABLY MORE APPROPRIATE FOR THEM.
UM, NOW THE ADVANTAGE OF THIS FROM, UH, THE, FROM THE STREET LEVEL, THERE'S A LOT OF DISPATCHERS IS THEY NEVER HEAR BECAUSE THEY NEVER OCCUR.
AND SO THEY DON'T KNOW THAT THE C3 L HAS, HAS HEADED OFF SOME OF THOSE CALLS THAT OTHERWISE WOULD HAVE GOTTEN A RESPONSE.
THE, UH, THE OTHER PIECE OF THAT IS, UH, BY ASSISTING THEM WITH, UM, UH, INITIATING NON TRANSPORTS, UH, THEN THAT SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCES THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT THE EMS PROVIDERS ARE INVOLVED IN THAT CALL AND THERE BY RECLAIMING SOME UNIT, OUR UTILIZATION.
UH, SO LOOKING AT, I DON'T HAVE DATA FOR OUR SYSTEM HERE, BUT LOOKING AT, UH, OTHER AREAS SUCH AS HOUSTON, WHICH HAVE, UH, IMPLEMENTED THE TELEMEDICINE RESOURCES AND ARE, ARE HELPING WITH THIS SORT OF SYSTEM NAVIGATION, THEY ON AVERAGE, UH, REDUCE THE CALL DURATION FOR THE UNIT BY 45 MINUTES.
UH, AND, UM, UPON INITIATION OF TELEMEDICINE ARE ABLE TO DISPOSITION THAT CALL AND FREE THE AMBULANCE WITHIN 10 MINUTES.
UM, SO IT'S, UH, IT'S A WAY TO, UH, CULT THE CALL AND GET THAT UNIT AVAILABLE BACK, UH, UH, ABLE TO, UM, UH, RESET AND GET BACK OUT ON IT, GET BACK OUT THERE ON THE STREET.
UM, I WAS JUST GOING TO RECOGNIZE, UH, DEPUTY CITY MANAGER FOR JUST A QUICK MINUTE.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER TOVO AND JUST, UH, UH, A RECOGNITION OF ALL THE HARD WORK AND ALL THE INFORMATION THAT IS MOVING FORWARD.
JUST KNOW THAT STAFF IS TAKING NOTE OF IT, AND WE CERTAINLY WILL FOLLOW UP WITH A SORT OF A Q AND A, OR A SUMMARY OF THE ANSWERS SO THAT EVERYONE IS AVAILABLE.
HAS THAT AVAILABLE TO THEM? THANK YOU SO MUCH.
YEAH, THAT'LL BE SUPER VALUABLE.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER, HARPER, MADISON, AND THEN I'LL RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER, AUTHOR, WHO ELSE HAS A QUESTION? THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
AND I'LL MAKE, I'LL MAKE THE QUESTION SPECIFIC TO WHAT, UM, UH, TO WHAT WE JUST RECEIVED, UM, AND THAT HAD TO DO WITH, SO YOU SAID, UH, DIVERTING TO MORE APPROPRIATE RESOURCES.
I DID HEAR YOU SAY, UM, TELE MEDICINE, BUT IS IT SAFE TO ASSUME SOME OF THOSE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES ALSO INCLUDE, UM, ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO SEE THEIR GENERAL PHYSICIANS OR GO TO MINOR EMERGENCY? OR IS THAT AN, UH, IS THAT AN INACCURATE ASSUMPTION ON COUNCIL MEMBER? THAT'S VERY ACCURATE.
UH, WE DO, UH, W IN TALKING WITH THE PATIENT, WE FIND OUT WHAT RESOURCES THEY HAVE AVAILABLE TO THEM.
SO MANY OF OUR COMMUNITY DO NOT HAVE PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIANS, UM, OR DO NOT HAVE TRANSPORTATION TO, UH, A, UH, UH, AN URGENT CARE OR A MINOR, UH, EMERGENCY CENTER.
UH, HOWEVER, WHEN APPROPRIATE WE DO, UH, WE DO RECOMMEND THAT, UH, WE GO, AS FAR AS OUR CLINICAL CONSULT LINE MAKES DIRECT CONTACT WITH THE PATIENT'S PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN, WHEN WHAT AVAILABLE, UH, TO DISCUSS OUR FINDINGS AND ALSO TO COORDINATE FOLLOW-UP CARE.
AND THEN THE ONE OTHER QUESTION THAT I HAD AS A RESULT OF WHAT YOU PRESENTED WAS THAT SCALE FOR PROTOCOL 36, IT WAS A ZERO FROM ONE, OR FROM START ZERO TO THREE.
UM, YOU DIDN'T QUITE, AND MAYBE YOU DID NOT MISS IT.
YOU DIDN'T INDICATE WHERE WE ARE ON THE SCALE.
WE ARE CURRENTLY A LEVEL ONE A RIGHT NOW.
SO AGAIN, THIS, THIS DOES NOT LEAD TO AN AUTOMATIC CA IT DOES NOT MODIFY THE TRUCKS THAT ARE INITIALLY ASSIGNED TO A CALL, UH, BASED ON PRIORITY.
UH, BUT SINCE WE HAVE THE CLINICAL CONSULT LINE INVOLVED, THEN THAT'S WHAT MAKES IT A LEVEL ONE.
BUT RIGHT NOW, IF YOU CALL NINE ONE, ONE WITH A CERTAIN COMPLAINT, YOU'RE GOING TO GET WHATEVER RESOURCES YOU WOULD'VE GOTTEN
[03:20:01]
A YEAR AGO.UM, AND THEN I, I GUESS THIS IS NEITHER HERE NOR THERE.
MAYBE IT'S NOT THE KIND OF QUESTION YOU CAN ANSWER.
UH, UM, IN FACT, I WILL ASK THIS OFFLINE.
I'M JUST CURIOUS TO KNOW WHAT REASONS PEOPLE HAVE PEOPLE EMERGENCY SERVICES PERSONNEL HAVE FOR BEING HESITANT TO RECEIVE THE VACCINE.
I'M VERY CURIOUS ABOUT THAT, BUT I'LL, I'LL COMPILE THAT IN THE LIST OF QUESTIONS THAT I'LL ASK OFFLINE.
YOU GAVE ME AB 85% FOR EMS. DO YOU HAVE SIMILAR PERCENTAGES FOR AFD AND APD, OR SHOULD I ASK THOSE FOLKS PARTICULARLY? I DON'T HAVE THOSE NUMBERS IN FRONT OF ME FOR AFD OR APD.
AND I'LL BE, I'LL BE, UM, FAIRLY QUICK HERE.
I WANT TO THANK COUNCIL MEMBER PEPPER MADISON, UM, FOR RAISING THESE ISSUES.
WE HAD SOME CONVERSATIONS IN THE LEAD UP TO WHAT WAS GOING TO BE THE SPECIAL CALLED MEETING.
AND I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY, UM, AS A CONSEQUENCE TO ASK SOME QUESTIONS, UM, IN ADVANCE.
UM, AND RATHER THAN RE-ASK THE QUESTIONS THAT I ASKED IN MY MEETING, UM, THIS MORNING, UM, FROM EIGHT O'CLOCK, UM, I WOULD JUST ASK THAT STAFF SHARE ANSWERS TO MY QUESTIONS THAT WERE FOCUSED ON THE STAFFING CHALLENGES FOR EMS, UM, WHEN WE WOULD MOVE TO IMPLEMENT NEW QUARANTINE RULES, WHAT THE EMERGENCY STAFFING PLAN IS, WHEN ARE WE IMPLEMENTING RAPID TESTING AND THE IMPACTS ON THE BUDGET, ET CETERA.
UM, IF THOSE WOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE QUESTIONS, IF YOU ARE GOING TO PREPARE SOME RESPONSE, I WILL JUST SAY TO MY COLLEAGUES, WE HAD A LENGTHY CONVERSATION.
AND I, AND I, UM, I BELIEVE THAT WE ARE, UM, IN A, IN A, IN A GOOD PLACE CONSIDERING THE, UM, AND, UM, I UNDERSTAND WE'RE GOING TO WORK ON IMPROVING SOME OF THE COMMUNICATIONS.
UM, BUT, BUT I THINK, UM, I JUST WANT TO SAY I WAS SATISFIED WITH THE ANSWERS THAT I GOT.
I THINK THAT YOU ALL MAY WANT TO HEAR WHAT THOSE, WHAT THOSE ANSWERS ARE AS WELL.
AND THANK YOU FOR THE STAFF FOR SPENDING THAT TIME WITH ME.
I WONDER, UM, DEPUTY CITY MANAGER, IF IT'S USEFUL FOR COUNCIL MEMBERS TO SUBMIT QUESTIONS THROUGH THE Q AND A PORTAL FOR TODAY'S MEETING, THAT MIGHT BE, THAT MIGHT BE AN EASY WAY TO HAVE THOSE QUESTIONS AND RESPONSES LINKED UP WITH TODAY'S SESSION.
REMEMBER TOBO I THINK THAT WOULD BE TERRIFIC.
AND THAT WOULD BE A GOOD WAY TO CONSOLIDATE ALL THE QUESTIONS SO THAT WE CAN BE RESPONSIVE.
LET'S LET'S SEE EACH PLAN ON DOING THAT.
THEN AS WE HAVE QUESTIONS, COUNCIL MEMBER, HARPER, MEDICINE, OTHERS, ANY MORE QUESTIONS FOR DR.
PICKET OR SHALL WE MOVE ON TO AFD AND APD? I, I BELIEVE, ESPECIALLY SINCE YOU JUST LAID SOME OF THEM OUT SPECIFICALLY, I BELIEVE COUNCIL MEMBER ALTERS QUESTIONS, UM, DURING THE COURSE OF OUR MEETING AND SUBSEQUENTLY, UM, THAT SHE SUBMITTED TO THEM ANSWER SOME OF MY VERY SPECIFIC EMS QUESTIONS.
AND, UM, UH, A QUESTION I DO HAVE IS SO PEOPLE ARE ASKING THEY'RE SORT OF CLAMORING JUST LIKE THEY DID IN THE BEGINNING WHEN WE WERE, UM, GETTING FOLKS TESTED FOR COVID PEOPLE ARE CLAMORING TO BE HELPFUL.
UM, AND SO LOTS OF FOLKS ARE CALLING AND ASKING HOW THEY CAN HELP WITH THE DISTRIBUTION OF VACCINATIONS.
AND SO THE QUESTION THERE IS, UM, IT SOUNDS TO ME AS THOUGH EMS IS ELIGIBLE, AFD IS ELIGIBLE, UM, BY WAY OF THEIR, UM, PARAMEDIC CERTIFICATION.
UM, DO PEOPLE WHO ARE RETIRED, UM, NEED TO RECERTIFY, ARE THEY SOMEHOW, UM, PERPETUALLY ELIGIBLE? WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE WITH PEOPLE VOLUNTEERING TO ADMINISTER VACCINATIONS? IS THAT NOT EVEN SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD CONSIDER AND WE SHOULD MOVE FORWARD, UM, AND THINKING THROUGH HOW THEY CAN MORE APPROPRIATELY ASSIST IF THEIR DESIRE TO VOLUNTEER AROUND THIS EFFORT.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER, WE, UM, UH, AT THE OFFICE OF THE MEDICAL DIRECTOR, WE, UH, AUTHORIZED AND CREDENTIALED EFFECTIVELY THE ENTIRE CLINICAL WORKFORCE OF EMS, AS WELL AS AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT TO ADMINISTER VACCINES.
SO THAT'S OVERALL ABOUT 1700 PROVIDERS, UH, THAT ARE, UH, AUTHORIZED AND CAPABLE OF, UH, OF ADMINISTERING A VACCINE.
UH, SO WE HAVE NOT LOOKED INTO, UH, RETIRED PERSONNEL ASSISTING WITH THAT EFFORT, UM, AT THIS TIME.
AND THEN ANOTHER QUESTION I HAVE IS, WELL, SO IF WE'RE THINKING THAT, UM, FOLKS ARE, YOU SPOKE AT LENGTH ABOUT, UM, PPE PROVISIONS AND CONSIDERATIONS, AND IT SOUNDS LIKE OUR EMERGENCY PERSONNEL, AREN'T CONTRACTING C UH, COVID-19 ON SHIFT OR AT THE STATION.
IT SOUNDS TO ME AS THOUGH THEY'RE CONTRACTING COVID-19 IN THE WORLD AND THEIR DAILY LIVES.
UM, AND SO IF THAT'S THE CASE, I JUST WONDER IF WE HAVE ANY CONSIDERATIONS PUT IN PLACE, ANY ENCOURAGEMENT FOR OUR EMERGENCY SERVICES
[03:25:01]
PERSONNEL TO TAKE EXTRA PRECAUTIONS.UM, I MEAN, I KNOW THAT THEY ARE AUTONOMOUS HUMANS AND OUTSIDE OF THEIR WORK FOR THE CITY, THEY DON'T OWE US ANYTHING, BUT WE, WE NEED THEM TO SAY, WELL, AND BE HEALTHY SO SORRY.
UM, IT DOESN'T LOVE ME EITHER.
UM, AND SO I'M JUST CURIOUS ABOUT WHAT OUR OPTIONS ARE THERE.
HOW DO WE KEEP THE FOLKS THAT WE'RE GOING TO RELY ON SO MUCH, ESPECIALLY DURING THE COURSE OF THIS SEARCH TO STAY HEALTHY, OUTSIDE OF WORK, THAT WAY THEY'RE HEALTHY WHEN WE NEED THEM TO COME TO WORK.
UM, AND THAT SORT OF ROLLS INTO SOME OF MY QUESTIONS ABOUT, UM, HOW MANY FOLKS ARE OFF.
UM, AND WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? MOVING FORWARD COUNCIL MEMBER WE'VE ECHOED THE MESSAGES FROM AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH REGARDING, UH, WHAT ALL OF OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS SHOULD BE DOING RIGHT NOW, WHICH IS NOT GATHERING IN LARGE GROUPS, UH, WITH ISOLATING APPROPRIATELY WHEN THEY ARE ILL AND, UH, SEEKING RAPID TESTING, UH, OUR, UH, CITY AND P A R C PUBLIC SAFETY EMPLOYEES HAVE TESTING RAPIDLY AVAILABLE TO THEM, UH, THROUGH AUSTIN PUBLIC SAFETY WELLNESS.
WE'VE ALSO TAKEN, UH, TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF, UM, A RAPID POINT OF CARE TEST FOR, UH, THOSE TO HELP US TO DETERMINE QUARANTINE NEED.
SO, UH, WHEREAS THE PCR TEST RETURNS IN ABOUT 24 TO 36 HOURS.
UH, WE HAVE A TEST THAT ONCE IT'S RUN, UH, IT JUST COMES BACK IN ABOUT 15 MINUTES.
SO WHEN WE HAVE SOMEBODY WHO GETS ILL AND POTENTIALLY HAS EXPOSED AN ENTIRE FIRE STATION, UH, THEN WE CAN USE THAT RAPID TEST, UH, AND THEN VERY QUICKLY MAKE A DETERMINATION AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THE OTHERS WHO HAVE BEEN AROUND THEM, UH, HAVE BEEN, UH, HAVE BEEN EXPOSED, UH, AND THEREFORE WOULD NEED TO QUARANTINE, UH, THE RULES WITHIN OUR WORKPLACES.
OF COURSE, WE'D NOT ALLOW VISITORS AND STATIONS.
UH, HOWEVER, ONE OF THE BARRIERS THAT WE HAVE IS THAT OUR FIREFIGHTERS AND OUR EMS PROVIDERS, UM, WHEN THEY WORKED 24 HOUR SHIFTS, THEY SLEEP OFTENTIMES IN THE SAME BUNK ROOM TOGETHER.
UH, AND THERE'S NOT A WAY THAT WE COULD FIND TO ADEQUATELY ISOLATE THEM FROM EACH OTHER, IF THERE'S NOT PHYSICAL SPACE WITHIN THE STATION TO DO THAT.
UM, WE LOOKED AT, UH, TRYING TO SET UP TENTS AND, AND, UH, SPLITTING UP THOSE BUNK ROOMS AND SO FORTH.
UH, BUT UNFORTUNATELY WE COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING THAT WOULD ADEQUATELY PROTECT THEM FROM THAT TYPE OF AN EXPOSURE.
WHICH IS ALL THE MORE REASON THAT UTMOST CONCERNS AND CONSIDERATIONS AROUND PERSONAL SAFETY AND PROTECTION ARE SO IMPORTANT BECAUSE WE'RE NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, EXPOSING THE GENERAL PUBLIC, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT YOU EXPOSING YOUR WHOLE CREW.
AND SO I REALLY JUST HAVE A LOT OF CONCERNS THERE.
I'M NOT SURE EXACTLY HOW WE ADDRESS THOSE, UM, WITH US NOT BEING ABLE TO REQUIRE VACCINATION, NOT BEING ABLE TO REQUIRE PEOPLE ADHERE TO ANY SORT OF SELF-IMPLEMENTED QUARANTINE.
I KNOW THAT IN MY FAMILY, WE DO SO FOR NECESSARY REASONS, HEALTH REASONS, AND OTHERWISE, BUT YOU CAN'T REQUIRE THAT IF PEOPLE'S FAMILIES.
SO I JUST WANTED TO EXPRESS THAT AS A POINT OF CONCERN, BECAUSE IT DOESN'T SOUND TO ME AS THOUGH IT'S, YOU KNOW, CREWS INFECTING ONE ANOTHER IT'S IT'S CREW, CREW MEMBERS, INDIVIDUAL CREW MEMBERS THAT ARE MAKING DECISIONS WHERE THEY GET INFECTED AND THEN SUBSEQUENTLY, OR, UM, WHICH BRINGS ME TO, UM, SORT OF THAT CDC REQUIREMENT THAT COUNCIL MEMBER ALTAR BROUGHT UP ABOUT, UH, QUARANTINE REQUIREMENTS BY WAY OF CDC, UM, RECOMMENDATION AND OR REQUIREMENTS, UM, AND HOW THAT AFFECTS OUR STAFFING LEVELS.
UM, I DON'T HAVE A QUESTION THERE JUST RAISING THAT AS SOMETHING THAT I, THAT I AM QUESTIONING.
UM, I DO HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT, I DID HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT TRIAGING CALLS, BUT I THINK YOU ANSWERED THAT, UM, THE TEMPORARY PARAMEDIC PRACTITIONER THAT WE TALKED ABOUT DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS, UM, IF I HEARD THIS CORRECTLY, WE ONLY HAVE AN INTERIM PARAMEDIC PRACTITIONER.
WE DON'T ACTUALLY HAVE AN FTE IN THAT ROLE.
UM, AND I JUST WANT TO KNOW, DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA, UM, HOW QUICKLY OR IT WAS THERE ANY INTENTION TO EXPEDITE WHATEVER THE HR PROCESS IS TO GET THAT PARAMEDIC PRACTITIONER IN PLACE SOONER THAN LATER? THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER, I'LL DEFER TO COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER.
PICKETT, YOU CAN SPEAK, I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT WAS, THAT'S WHAT MY ONE O'CLOCK MEETING IS ABOUT, WHICH IS WHY I WAS SO INSISTENT THAT I WANTED TO KEEP IT.
UM, IT WAS FUNDED AND THE AMENDMENT THAT I PUT FORWARD FOR THE OFFICE OF THE CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER AND THE STATUS OF THAT IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WAS TRYING TO CHECK ON.
IF YOU HAVE INFORMATION, YOU'RE WELCOME TO SHARE IT NOW, DR.
P, WHY DON'T I JUST FOLLOW UP WITH YOU AFTER YOUR ONE? O'CLOCK MY HOPE IS THAT IT'S MORE COMPREHENSIVE.
AND IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS THAT I GET SPECIFICALLY FROM OUR CONSTITUENTS, I CAN SHARE FROM THERE, BUT I THINK THIS COMPREHENSIVE DOCUMENT THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, THE COMBINED DOCUMENT BETWEEN APH AND ALL THE FOLKS WHO ARE ON THE CALL NOW, I THINK WILL BE HELPFUL TO ANSWER A LOT OF THESE QUESTIONS
[03:30:01]
AND FOR US TO ANSWER OUR CONSTITUENTS QUESTIONS.SO THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER ALTAR.
I'LL WAIT UNTIL AFTER YOUR ONE.
O'CLOCK I ONLY HAVE TWO OR THREE OTHER QUESTIONS, COUNCIL MEMBER TOVO, BUT I DON'T WANT TO MONOPOLIZE THE TIME HERE.
I REALLY WANTED TO RAISE THE ISSUES, BUT HAVE MY COLLEAGUES ALSO BE ABLE TO ANSWER OR ASK QUESTIONS.
SO IF YOU DON'T MIND, I'LL JUST DEFER TO THE END.
I HAVE TWO OR THREE, AND THEY SHOULD BE EASY TO ANSWER.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, ARE THESE ABOUT EMS OR ARE THEY FOR AFD OR APD? APD.
AND I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY HAS SOME QUESTIONS FOR APD AS WELL.
DO WE HAVE ANY LAST QUESTIONS, COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN.
DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION FOR JUST A QUICK ONE, JUST A QUICK ONE FOR EMS? I WOULD JUST, UM, IF YOU WOULD PROVIDE INFORMATION TO OUR OFFICES ABOUT YOUR USE OF TELE-HEALTH, I'M VERY PLEASED TO HEAR WHAT YOUR EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN WITH THAT.
AND IF YOU HAVE ANY BACKGROUND INFORMATION OR ANY, ANYTHING IN WRITING, I DON'T WANT YOU TO HAVE TO CREATE A BUNCH OF INFORMATION, BUT IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING THAT YOU CAN SHARE ABOUT WHAT YOUR EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN, UM, UH, AND THE, AND THE VALUE OF IT IN TERMS OF RESULTS, THAT WOULD BE, AGAIN, I'M NOT ASKING YOU TO CREATE ANYTHING, BUT IF YOU HAVE FIRST OR SOME KIND OF DOCUMENT THAT, UM, SPEAKS TO WHAT YOU JUST SHARED WITH US, IN TERMS OF THE VALUE OF IT, I THINK TELEVISION TELEHEALTH IS A, IS A GREAT TOOL.
AND, UM, I'M VERY PLEASED TO HEAR THAT YOU ALL ARE, UM, HAVE FOUND IT TO BE USEFUL AND ARE, AND ARE USING IT.
SO I KNOW WE'VE, I'VE TALKED WITH EMS OVER THE YEARS, A NUMBER OF TIMES ABOUT TELEHEALTH.
SO THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER.
DID YOU ALSO HAVE A QUESTION BEFORE WE MOVE ON? UM, I DIDN'T HAVE A HAVE A QUESTION.
I JUST WANTED TO, TO REMIND FOLKS AGAIN, THAT, UM, IN THE AMENDMENTS THAT WE PASSED IN THE BUDGET, UM, WE MADE THE PANDEMIC HOTLINE, UH, PERMANENT.
WE CREATED CONDITIONS FOR BEING ABLE TO REALLY UPGRADE WHAT WE CAN DO WITH RESPECT TO, UM, TELE-HEALTH BY INCREASING THEIR PHYSICIANS WHO CAN BACK THAT UP.
AND THEN, UM, WE ALSO TOOK HIM ADVANTAGE OF NEW BILLING OPPORTUNITIES THAT WILL ALLOW US TO DO, TO DO MORE OF THAT.
UM, I THINK A LOT OF IT IS STILL TO BE IMPLEMENTED.
UM, BUT WE HAVE TAKEN STEPS IN THE BUDGET, UM, WITH THE WORK WITH, UH, MY AMENDMENTS AND COUNCIL MUMBRELLAS IS AMENDMENTS, UM, TO, TO DO THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, MOVING FORWARD.
THANKS FOR THAT REMINDER AND FOR THE, FOR THE WORK COLLEAGUES ON THAT HOLLOW BLESSEY FRONT, UH, WHY DON'T WE MOVE ON AND DR.
PICKETT, DID YOU HAVE ANY LAST PIECES OF INFORMATION THAT WE HAVEN'T COVERED YET, OR YES, COUNCIL MEMBER.
UH, AND THIS IS, UH, TO ONE OF THE COUNCIL, UH, ONE OF THE QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL MEMBER HARBOR MADISON.
UH, SO YOU'D ASKED ABOUT, UH, POST-EXPOSURE QUARANTINE PROCEDURE, UM, AND, UH, YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
MOST OF THE EXPOSURES AND INFECTIONS THAT, UH, OUR EMPLOYEES ARE GETTING ARE OUTSIDE OF WORK, UH, FROM HOUSEHOLD TYPE EXPOSURES, UH, BECAUSE WE'RE PRETTY SOLID ON THE PPE.
I DON'T THINK WE'RE CATCHING IT FROM PATIENTS.
THEY WE'RE CATCHING IT AT HOME, OR THEN POSSIBLY WITHIN THE STATION, JUST A, WE'VE GOT SEVERAL PEOPLE THAT ARE COHABITATING TOGETHER, UM, AND, UH, OR RIDING AROUND IN A TRUCK WITHIN A COUPLE OF FEET OF EACH OTHER FOR HOURS AT A TIME.
UH, HOWEVER THE, UM, UH, POST POST EXPOSURE POST HIGH RISK EXPOSURE, THE STANDARD PROCEDURE IS STILL IS TO QUARANTINE THAT PATIENT FOR A PERIOD OF 10 DAYS.
POST-EXPOSURE UM, AND, UH, WE EARLY ON, UH, UH, SEVERAL MONTHS AGO, BECAUSE WE HAVE ACCESS TO THESE RAPID TESTS, UM, WE DECIDED TO PUSH THAT UP BASED ON DATA THAT WE HAD FROM THE TEST SENSITIVITY, UH, TO WHERE WE COULD PERFORM A RAPID TEST AT SEVEN DAYS POST EXPOSURE, AND THEN RETURN THAT EMPLOYEE TO WORK A FEW DAYS EARLIER.
THE, UH, NOW, AS WE'RE IN THIS, THIS WIDESPREAD, UH, SPREAD, THE CDC IS STILL HAS NOT MODIFIED THEIR QUARANTINE RECOMMENDATIONS UNLESS YOU ARE IN A CRITICAL STAFFING POSITION.
AND THEN THAT YOU ARE AT THAT POINT, ACCEPTING SOME AMOUNT OF RISK WE'RE MODIFYING THOSE.
SO WE'RE IMPLEMENTING THIS NEW, UM, THIS NEW PROCEDURE FOR OUR EMPLOYEES WHO ARE FULLY VACCINATED, OR AT LEAST THEY RECEIVED THE FIRST DOSE OF VACCINE TWO WEEKS AGO, BECAUSE LOOKING AT THE, AT THE CURVES, IT'S ABOUT TWO WEEKS AFTER THAT FIRST VACCINE SHOT, THAT YOU REALLY, UH, SEEM TO HAVE A VERY HIGH LEVEL OF PROTECTION FROM THE VIRUS, UM, THAT WE'RE NOT QUARANTINING FOLKS WHO HAVE A HIGH RISK EXPOSURE, WHETHER AT HOME OR AT WORK.
UM, BUT WE WE'RE HAVING THEM CONTINUE TO WORK AS SO LONG AS THEY ARE MONITORING FOR SYMPTOMS, UH, PERFORMING THE, UH, THE BA THE RAPID POINT OF CARE TESTS AT THE BEGINNING OF THEIR SHIFTS, AND ALSO TAKING A CERTAIN, UH, UH, STEPS SUCH AS, UH, NOT EATING TOGETHER
[03:35:01]
AND, AND STAYING SEPARATE FROM OTHERS AND MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE WEARING THE MASKS, THE DATA WE HAVE RIGHT NOW ON THE VACCINES, IT SHOWS THAT IT PREVENTS A SYMPTOMATIC CASE OF THE DISEASE.WE DO NOT HAVE DATA THAT SHOWS THAT IT PREVENTS YOU FROM BECOMING AN ASYMPTOMATIC CARRIER OF THE DISEASE.
WE THINK THAT THAT'S LOGICAL BASED ON OTHER VACCINES WITH A SIMILAR LEVEL OF EFFICACY, LIKE MEASLES AND POLIO VACCINES, BUT WE JUST DON'T HAVE THAT DEFINITIVE ANSWER RIGHT NOW.
AND THE CDC HAS COME OUT AND SAID AS MUCH.
YEAH, IF YOU ARE, UH, IF YOU'RE VACCINATED, YOU CAN'T POSSIBLY SPREAD IT TO OTHER PEOPLE.
UM, SO THAT THIS IS A, UM, THIS HAS TAKEN US A BIT OF TIME BECAUSE WE'VE, UH, ROLLED IN OUR INFECTIOUS DISEASE EXPERTS TO GET THEIR OPINION ON IT AND, UH, REVIEWED AVAILABLE LITERATURE AND SO FORTH.
SO WITH THIS, UM, THIS NEW QUARANTINE PROCEDURE FOR FOLKS WHO ARE VACCINATED, WE ARE MAKING CERTAIN ASSUMPTIONS THAT WE DON'T YET HAVE PROVEN BY SCIENCE.
UM, BUT BECAUSE WE NEED TO PROTECT OUR ABILITY TO RESPOND IN OUR WORKFORCE, UH, FROM, UH, WORKING CONDITIONS, WHICH ARE, UM, INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT, WE BELIEVE THAT THIS IS, UH, THIS PROCESS IS ONE THAT IS, UH, THAT'S SEVERAL LAYERS OF SAFETY, UH, TO TRY TO PREVENT THEM FROM SPREADING IT TO EACH OTHER FOR HARVARD MEDICINE.
UM, JUST QUICKLY, CAN YOU ELABORATE ON WHAT QUANTIFIES SORT OF EMERGENCY STAFFING LEVELS? UM, I HEARD AT SOME POINT THAT WE WERE IN THE THIRTIES, AND I KNOW THAT GIVEN, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE AMOUNT OF, UM, EMPLOYEES WE HAVE AT EMS 30 SEEMS LIKE A LOT OF PEOPLE TO BE OFF.
SO WHEN DO WE REACH THAT CRITICAL LEVEL? I'LL DEFER TO CHIEF BROWN.
COUNCIL JASPER BROWN, CHIEF OF STAFF, AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY EMS, UH, WORK.
WE HAVE FOUR LEVELS OF OUR STAFFING PLAN.
UH, FOUR IS OUR, UM, DEFAULT, UM, NORMAL OPERATIONS.
WE ARE CURRENTLY IN LEVEL THREE.
UH, WE ARE LOOKING, UM, AND AT POSSIBLY MOVING TO A LEVEL TWO, WHICH WOULD BE THE NEXT STAGE, UM, UH, OF OUR STAFFING PLAN AND WITHIN THE STAFFING PLAN.
UM, I SENT IT EARLIER THIS MORNING, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALTAR.
UM, IT LISTS THE THINGS WITHIN EACH STEP THAT WE, UH, CAN TRIGGER AND DO, UM, IF WE NEED TO.
UM, SO, UH, FOR EXAMPLE, IN LEVEL TWO, WE WOULD, YOU KNOW, CANCEL ALL VACATIONS THAT ARE ALREADY PLANNED FOR, FOR OUR MEDICS.
CURRENTLY WE DO HAVE NOT DONE THAT.
UH, WE WOULD MOVE ALL OF OUR ADMIN STAFFING FROM OUR ADMIN SUPPORT BACK OUT TO THE FIELD, UM, WITH THAT COMES, YOU KNOW, RISK IN, IN THOSE AREAS THAT THEY ARE CURRENTLY STAFFED AT.
WE HAVE OUR MEDICS IN OUR SAFETY OFFICE AND OUR PIO OFFICE, UM, IN OUR CONTINUING EDUCATION AND TRAINING.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND THOSE ALL COME WITH A WEIGHING IN THE RISK OF, OF, OF MOVING A STAFF OUT.
SO RIGHT NOW WE HAVE ABOUT 30 FOLKS OFF OF THE SCHEDULE, BUT SOME OF THAT'S DUE TO COVID AND SOME OF THAT'S DUE TO REGULAR, UM, SICK CALL AND FMLA AND OTHER THINGS.
SO, UM, WE'RE KIND OF TEETERING ON THAT LINE OF MOVING TO OUR NEXT STEP.
WE STILL HAVE WHAT WE WOULD CALL OUR DISASTER LEVEL, WHICH WOULD BE OUR LEVEL ONE.
AND, UH, EVERYTHING WOULD GET RECALLED, EVERYTHING WE WOULD GO TO ALTERNATE SHIFT PATTERNS, UM, OF, UH, KNOW EITHER A 24 ON 24 OFF OR A 12 ON 12 OFF TYPE SITUATION.
UH, WE'RE NOT THERE YET, AND WE'RE TRYING TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO STAY AWAY FROM THAT, CAUSE THAT IS A HUGE IMPACT TO OUR WORKFORCE SLIFE AND WE'D WHAT NOT, WE DON'T WANT TO DO THAT TO GO IN IT FOR A WEEK AND THEN COME OUT OF IT FOR A WEEK.
SO WITH THE ALTERNATE TESTING, UM, IN QUARANTINE, UH, GUIDELINES THAT WERE JUST, UH, SENT OUT ON SATURDAY TO US, WE'VE JUST RECEIVED SOME OF THE RAPID TESTING ON FRIDAY FROM THE OFFICE OF THE MEDICAL DIRECTOR.
AND WE'VE REQUESTED OTHERS FROM THE STATE, WHICH WE'LL GET THROUGH THE AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT.
WE BELIEVE WE'LL BE ABLE TO GET BACK, UM, IN, IN, UM, AND IT HELPED OUR SCHEDULES IMMENSELY.
WE'VE ALSO, UM, MOVED A FEW OF OUR STAFF, NOT COMPLETELY UNDER OUR STAFFING PLAN, BUT A FEW OF OUR ADMIN STAFF WHERE WE COULD SQUEEZE THEM BACK OUT TO THE FIELD.
WE HAVE DONE THAT JUST TO HELP BOLSTER THE STAFFING AND NOT HAVE TO GO TO, UH, ADDITIONAL OVERTIME THAT, UH, IS NOT ALREADY, UM, PLANNED FOR THE MEDICS IN THE FIELD.
AND IF I MAY JUST TO REALLY EXPRESS MY CONCERN THERE, IT IS OBVIOUSLY ABOUT OVERTIME THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT THERE'S, THERE'S ALWAYS A COST TO EVERYTHING, RIGHT.
UM, AND, AND OVERTIME AS A COST THAT WE INCUR AS A MUNICIPALITY.
BUT MY OTHER CONCERN WAS ABOUT QUALITY OF LIFE FOR OUR, UM, PROFESSIONALS.
UM, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN ONLY WORK SO MUCH BEFORE YOU NEED A BREAK.
AND SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE CERTAIN, OBVIOUSLY THAT'S A POINT OF CONCERN FOR YOU ALL, BUT I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE TO FLAG THAT AS A CONCERN FOR ME, I WANT TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT WE'RE TAKING CARE OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE TAKING CARE OF US.
[03:40:03]
YES, YES, MA'AM.AND THAT'S OUR CONCERN ALSO, UM, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT OVERTIME, WE, WE HAVE A, UM, A OVERTIME LIST BECAUSE WE DO NOT KEEP PEOPLE OVER FROM ONE SHIFT TO ANOTHER OR HOLDING THEM OVER FROM SHIFT.
UM, SO THEY PLAN THEIR OVERTIME, UH, IN ADVANCE.
UM, AND SO ON THERE, ONE OF THEIR THREE DAYS OFF THE SECOND DAY, UM, THERE'S, THEY'RE UP FOR OVERTIME AND WE HAVE ABOUT 10 TO 12 PEOPLE ON OVERTIME EVERY DAY THAT WE CAN UTILIZE.
UH, WE'VE HAD OCCASIONS WHERE WE HAD TO DO SOME CALLBACKS TO TRY TO FIND PEOPLE TO HELP COVER, BUT WE DON'T HOLD PEOPLE OVER FROM ONE SHIFT TO ANOTHER AND HAVE A MORE, UH, 48 HOURS OR ANYTHING ELSE LIKE THAT.
WE TRY TO UTILIZE THOSE LISTS THAT, THAT OUR MEDICS HAVE ALREADY KNOWN ABOUT, WELL IN ADVANCE THAT THEY MAY HAVE TO COME IN FOR THE DAY.
UH, ON THOSE DAYS WE PAY THEM ON CALL PAY, UH, TO BE READY TO COME IN.
AND SO THOSE ARE THE LISTS WE UTILIZE, UM, WHEN NECESSARY.
UM, WE HAVE HAD A COUPLE OF TIMES OVER THE LAST 30 DAYS HAD A, UM, LIKE I SAID, DO SOME SEARCHING AND DANIA FOR SOME FOLKS OFF DUTY, UM, AND THEN ASK THEM ADMIN FOLKS TO GO COVER SOME TRUCKS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, BUT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO, UM, KEEP OUR UNITS UP AND STAFF.
THE ONE OTHER QUESTION I WOULD HAVE AS A RESULT OF WHAT YOU JUST SAID WAS ABOUT RAPID TESTING.
YOU SAID Y'ALL GOT SOME FROM THE STATE, SOME FROM AFD, HOW SOON DO YOU ANTICIPATE Y'ALL HAVING AS MANY AS YOU NEED? SO WE RECEIVED THE, FROM, UH, OMD ABOUT A HUNDRED, UM, UH, TESTS AND, UM, OUR SOURCE FOR THEM, THE STATE WILL BE THROUGH AFD.
UM, UM, WE'RE NOT DOING A SEPARATE, UM, SOURCING REQUEST THROUGH THE EOC.
UM, WE'RE GOING TO START ROLLING THOSE OUT IN OUR, UH, EXPANDED OR MODIFIED QUARANTINE RULES FIRST, AND THEN ALSO IN ANY MEETINGS OR ANYTHING ELSE LIKE THAT.
AS WE SECURE OUR LINES OF THE TESTING TO SEE WHERE WE DO, UH, FOR THE ENTIRE STAFF DAILY TESTING THAT SHIFT A STARTUP, BUT WE'RE ALSO A LOT OF OUR FOLKS ARE NOW, UH, EITHER, UH, GETTING THEIR SECOND SHOT OF THE PFIZER, WHICH, UM, AND THEN WE'RE ABOUT TWO WEEKS AWAY FROM, UH, UH, STAFF GETTING THEIR SECOND SHOT OF THE MODERNISTS.
SO WE'LL BE, YOU KNOW, UH, IN A DIFFERENT PLACE IN WHAT ABOUT TWO WEEKS.
WHY DON'T WE MOVE ON TO APD QUESTIONS FOR APD WHERE IT'S AT 1245.
SO WE CLEARLY WENT BEYOND OUR 30 MINUTES.
UM, WHY DON'T WE ARE AT ABOUT ONE O'CLOCK AND, AND THEN DETERMINE WHETHER IT MAKES SENSE TO TAKE A 30 MINUTE BREAK AND COME BACK, OR, OR IF WE'RE CONCLUDED FOR THE DAY COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY.
SO MY QUESTION SPECIFICALLY IS FOR APD AND IT'S IN REGARDS TO THE ISOLATION FACILITY AND THE PRO LODGES AND THE CONVENTION CENTER AND EXPECTED STAFFING, BUT ALSO WHILE I WAS VISITING THE ISO FAC ON SATURDAY, UM, I RECOGNIZED THAT THERE WERE TWO POLICE OFFICERS STATIONED THERE, AND I'VE GOTTEN QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMUNITY AS TO WHY IT REQUIRES TWO OFFICERS AT ALL TIMES.
I'M HOPING MAYBE YOU COULD EXPLAIN THAT AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
UM, SO WE, UH, THE REASON WHY THERE WOULD BE TWO IS TYPICALLY WITH ANY SECURITY ASSIGNMENT WE WOULD DO WITH THE POLICE OFFICER.
WE DO NOT LEAVE THEM THERE ON THEIR OWN.
WE TYPICALLY WOULD WANT THEM TO HAVE A SECOND OFFICER WITH THEM.
THE REASON THEY'RE THERE IS THAT THERE'S A POSSIBILITY THERE MIGHT BE A NEED FOR SOME TYPE OF, UH, ACTION BY THE OFFICER TO MAINTAIN SECURITY.
AND THIS WOULD ALLOW THEM TO HAVE A BACKUP OFFICER WITH THEM IN THAT MOMENT SO THAT THEY WOULDN'T BE, UM, ON THEIR OWN UNTIL ON DUTY OFFICERS GOT THERE.
UM, WHAT IS OUR EXPECTED STAFFING FOR THE ALTERNATE CARE SITE AT THE CONVENTION CENTER AND ALSO FOR THE PRO LODGES AROUND THE CITY? UH, I CAN'T SPEAK FOR THE CONVENTION CENTER JUST YET.
OBVIOUSLY I'M AWARE THAT THAT OPENED UP THIS MORNING AND I'LL GET YOU SPECIFICS ON WHAT THAT FOOTPRINT LOOKS LIKE.
UM, THE CONVENTION CENTER HAS THEIR OWN SECURITY SERVICES THAT THEY HAVE, AND THEN THEY ALSO CONTRACT WITH A TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY FOR OVERTIME OFFICERS.
AND SO THE EXPECTATION IS THAT THEY WOULD BE HANDLING THE MAJORITY OF THAT, BUT I WILL CONFIRM AND MAKE SURE THAT, UH, WE SHARE THAT INFORMATION WITH YOU AS WELL AS WHAT WE WOULD NEED FOR ANY OTHER, UH, ISO FAC OR PROLOGUE FACILITIES THAT WERE OPEN.
I DO HAVE ONE LAST QUESTION AND IT IS JUST WITH, UM, ANY SORT OF NONCOMPLIANCE YOUR OFFICERS MAY HAVE BEEN SEEING IN THE PUBLIC REGARDING THE HEALTH ADVISORIES THAT ARE COMING OUT ABOUT COVID.
DO YOU HAVE ANY EXAMPLES OF WHAT THE OFFICERS HAVE SEEN AND WAYS THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO CORRECT THAT MOVING FORWARD? UH, ARE YOU REFERENCING, UM, PUBLIC SAFETY STANDARDS LIKE WEARING MASKS AND, AND ADHERING TO CERTAIN TIME RESTRICTIONS BUSINESSES? YES.
SO, UH, WE ARE REALLY FOCUSED ON THE PUBLIC EDUCATION PORTION OF THE SAFETY STANDARDS THAT ARE BEING
[03:45:01]
ISSUED EITHER THROUGH THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE OR THROUGH A LOCAL, OUR LOCAL LEADERS HERE.AND WE HAVE PARTNERED WITH, UH, BOTH CODE ENFORCEMENT, UH, AS WELL AS THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EMS THROUGH OUR EFFORTS, UH, TO ENFORCE THE RESTRICTIONS THAT ARE PUT IN PLACE, WHETHER IT WAS THE TEMPORARY, UM, UH, RESTRICTIONS ON THE ALLOWABLE HOURS FOR FOOD SERVICE DURING THE NEW YEAR'S EVE, UH, TIMEFRAME, OR WHETHER IT'S THE, OF THE SOCIAL DISTANCING AND THE MASKING.
SO WE RESPOND ON A MOSTLY COMPLAINT BASIS IF WE GET CALLS, BUT OFFICERS PROACTIVELY CAN ALSO REMIND INDIVIDUALS OF THAT NEED FOR THEM TO, UH, FOLLOW THE SAFETY GUIDELINES THAT ARE OUT THERE.
WE DO HAVE SOME STATISTICS ON CITATIONS.
THEY'RE VERY, THEY'RE VERY MINIMAL AT THIS POINT.
WE'VE BEEN SUCCESSFUL TO THE EXTENT WE CAN THROUGH PUBLIC EDUCATION AND THROUGH REQUESTING PEOPLE, EITHER MASK WHEN WE GET THOSE CALLS OR, OR COME UPON THAT.
AND THANK YOU TO THE OFFICERS WHO ARE OUT THERE ON THE FRONT LINES, WORKING FOR US.
OTHER QUESTIONS FOR TWO FAMILY COUNCIL MEMBER, HARPER MEDICINE, UH, GOOD AFTERNOON, CHIEF MANLEY.
I'M HAPPY TO SEE THAT YOU'VE RECOVERED.
WELL, I HAVE SIMILAR QUESTIONS FOR YOU THAT I HAD FOR EMS AROUND GENERALLY AROUND PROTOCOL.
I HAVEN'T HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT PPE PROTOCOL FOR PD.
UM, I HAVE SEEN LOTS OF IMAGES, UM, OFTENTIMES PROVIDED BY OUR CONSTITUENTS, BUT JUST SOME ON TELEVISION, UM, DURING INTERVIEWS AND OTHERWISE OF, UM, UNIFORMED OFFICERS NOT WEARING MASK.
I WANT TO KNOW, UM, IS THERE SOME INCREASED PROTOCOL AROUND, UH, PPE EXPECTATION FOR OFFICERS TO WEAR MASKS AND, UM, WILL THAT, AND HAS THAT RATHER INCREASED GIVEN OUR SURGE STATUS, UH, GOOD AFTERNOON COUNCIL MEMBER, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR WELL-WISHES.
UM, THE, UH, EXPECTATION IS THAT OUR OFFICERS WEAR THEIR MASK WHEN THEY'RE INTERACTING WITH EACH OTHER, INTERACT WITH THE PUBLIC, JUST AS WE EXPECT EVERYONE ELSE TO DO.
UH, YOU MAY SEE AN OFFICER IF THEY'RE ALONE IN THEIR VEHICLE, NOT WEARING A MASK JUST AS WE SEE CITIZENS ALL THE TIME DOING THE SAME, BUT WHEN THEY ARE OUT IN THE COMMUNITY INTERACTING, UH, THE EXPECTATION IS THAT THEY WILL WEAR THEIR MASK.
UH, I WILL SAY WHEN YOU SEE OFFICERS DOING, UH, MEDIA INTERVIEWS, UH, MYSELF, LIKEWISE DID ONE LAST WEEK.
I WILL WEAR THE MASK ALL THE WAY UP TO WHEN I GET TO THE MEDIA AND THEN I'LL TAKE IT OFF WHILE I SPEAK TO THE MEDIA BECAUSE WE ARE DISTANCED APPROPRIATELY AND NOBODY WAS, IS WITHIN THAT PERIMETER.
UH, AND IT JUST ALLOWS FOR EASIER COMMUNICATION, BUT SPECIFIC TO YOUR QUESTION, THE EXPECTATION IS THAT OFFICERS WILL BE WEARING THEIR MASKS.
AND THIS IS ACTUALLY NOT FOR YOU SO MUCH AS I'D LIKE TO TALK TO FOLKS IN THE MEDIA.
ONE OF MY CONCERNS IS ABOUT SHARED MICROPHONE USE.
UM, AND SO THAT'S WHY WHEN I SEE FOLKS DOING MEDIA INTERVIEWS WITH A MIC THAT I KNOW OTHER FOLKS HAVE USED, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PROTOCOL IS AROUND SANITATION AND, YOU KNOW, CONSIDERATIONS FOR PROTECTION THERE, WITH THE MIX.
AND SO THAT'S JUST SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S ON MY MIND.
UM, BUT YEAH, I HAD RECEIVED SOME PHOTOGRAPHS FROM CONSTITUENTS OF OFFICERS TALKING TO, UM, THE GENERAL PUBLIC WITHOUT MASS, BUT IT'S GOOD TO KNOW THAT THAT EXPECTATION IS IN PLACE.
UM, AND I'M CERTAIN THAT BETWEEN YOU AND APA, THERE'S PROBABLY A REGULAR REMINDER ABOUT COMPLIANCE WITH WHEREIN NECESSARY PPE.
WHEN JEN, WHEN DEALING WITH THE GENERAL PUBLIC AND THAT SORT OF ROLLS ME INTO QUARANTINE PROTOCOL, I KNOW THEY TALKED ABOUT PROTOCOL 36 FOR EMS. IS THERE SOMETHING SIMILAR IN PLACE FOR AFS OR FOR APD? SO WE'RE FOLLOWING THE PROTOCOL GUIDELINES THAT ARE COMING FROM THE HEALTH AND WELLNESS DIVISION.
AND IF WE HAVE OFFICERS THAT HAVE BEEN EXPOSED, THEN THEY'LL REACH OUT TO THE MEDICAL BRANCH AND DETERMINE IF THAT'S A LEGITIMATE EXPOSURE THAT REQUIRES AN IMMEDIATE QUARANTINING, OR WHETHER THAT'S A LOWER RISK EXPOSURE REQUIRES THEM TO SELF MONITOR THEIR CONDITION AS WELL AS IF SOMEONE IN YOUR HOUSEHOLD, UH, BECOMES INFECTED WITH COVID.
SO WE'VE GOT MULTIPLE DIFFERENT LAYERS, BUT EVERYTHING FLOWS THROUGH THE HEALTH AND WELLNESS DIVISION AND THEN OFFICERS, IF THEY ARE A HIGH RISK EXPOSURE AND THEY WILL BE QUARANTINED, UM, IN THEIR HOME UNTIL AGAIN, THE MEDICAL BRANCH CLEARS THEM TO RETURN TO WORK.
WE'VE TAKEN THE ADDITIONAL STEPS OF TRYING TO REDUCE UNNECESSARY CONTACTS WITHIN THE, UH, THE, THE DEPARTMENT.
WE DON'T OBVIOUSLY HAVE TO SHARE THE SAME SLEEPING SPACES AND ALL OF THAT BECAUSE WE DON'T WORK 24 HOUR SHIFTS.
BUT WHAT WE'VE DONE NOW IS WE'VE MOVED INTO THESE HIGHER STAGES IS WE HAVE, AGAIN, CANCELED ALL SHOW UP BRIEFINGS.
WHEN OFFICERS TYPICALLY COME ON DUTY, THEY'LL ALL SIT IN THE ROOM TOGETHER AND THEY'LL GET A PRE SHIFT BRIEFING.
THAT'S ALL EITHER NOW BEING DONE OUTDOORS AND SPREAD OUT OR OVER THE COMPUTER
[03:50:01]
AS THEY ALL GET IN THEIR CARS AND START THEIR SHIFT.SO WE'RE TAKING THOSE STEPS THAT WE CAN INTERNALLY TO MINIMIZE ANY UNNECESSARY CONTACT.
AND I DO HAVE A RICK RANDALL WHO IS THE, UH, THE DIRECTOR OVER OUR WELLNESS DIVISION HERE AT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, WHO IS, UH, LINKEDIN WITH ALL OF THE OTHER PUBLIC SAFETY, UH, PERSONNEL IN THAT HEALTH AND WELLNESS AREA THAT CAN GIVE FOLLOW-UP IF YOU WANT MORE SPECIFICS ON THE RULES REGARDING WHEN WE QUARANTINE.
AND WHEN WE THANK YOU, I APPRECIATE THAT.
AND I THINK JUST IN THE INTEREST OF TIME, IF YOU ALL COULD COMPILE THAT INFORMATION AND SOMETHING WRITTEN, THAT INCLUDES, SO AS YOU TALKED ABOUT HEALTH AND WELLNESS DIVISION, BEING ABLE TO CLEAR OFFICERS, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? IS THAT, UM, AKIN TO EMS AND, YOU KNOW, THE ORIGINAL 10 DAYS OR THE MODIFIED SEVEN DAYS? HOW LONG IS THAT CLEARANCE PROCESS ALSO? UM, UH, HOW MANY OFFICERS ARE OFF CURRENTLY? I THINK I HAVE A GENERAL IDEA FOR AFD AND FOR EMS, BUT I'D LIKE TO KNOW HOW MANY OFFICERS ARE OFF FOR APD, WHAT THE IMPACT IS ON PERSONNEL, UM, AND STAFFING, UH, REQUIREMENTS AND NEEDS.
UM, THEN I'D ALSO LIKE TO KNOW, DO YOU ALL HAVE ACCESS TO RAPID TEST OR IS THAT ONLY AVAILABLE TO AFD AND EMS BECAUSE OF THEIR PARAMEDICS STATUS? SURE.
SO LET ME ANSWER A FEW OF THOSE.
UH, THE RAPID TESTING IS JUST NOW BEING DISCUSSED FOR THE POTENTIAL USE AT APD.
WE CURRENTLY NOT HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO THE RAPID TESTING, BUT THAT ACTUALLY CAME UP ON OUR EXECUTIVE STAFF MEETING YESTERDAY MORNING.
SO THAT IS BEING DISCUSSED OF WHETHER OR NOT WE WOULD HAVE ACCESS TO THAT.
AND IF SO, HOW WE WOULD USE IT.
UH, I CURRENTLY HAVE 59 OFFICERS COMMISSIONED PERSONNEL THAT ARE UNDER QUARANTINE OF ONE FORM OR ANOTHER RIGHT NOW, ALONG WITH 15 CIVILIANS.
AND WE ARE, AGAIN, GIVEN THAT WE'RE NOT WORKING IN SUCH CLOSE PROXIMITY ON, ON A SHIFT, SUCH AS LIKE A FIREHOUSE OR AN EMS STATION, OURS TYPICALLY END UP GETTING SPREAD ACROSS THE ENTIRE ORGANIZATION.
WE HAVE HAD A FEW CIRCUMSTANCES WHERE WE HAVE HAD MULTIPLE OFFICERS ON ONE SHIFT, HAVE TO BE QUARANTINED AT ONCE THREE, FOUR OR FIVE.
AND THAT REQUIRES A LITTLE BIT OF AN ADDITIONAL SHIFT OF RESOURCES VERSUS JUST HAVING ONE OR TWO IN ONE SECTOR THAT IS NOW IS NOW ON QUARANTINE.
IT WAS WELL-REPORTED MANY MONTHS BACK THAT OUR LAST GRADUATING CADET CLASS THAT GRADUATED IN OCTOBER THAT TWICE WE HAD TO PUT THE ENTIRE CLASS INTO A QUARANTINE BECAUSE OF EXPOSURES.
SO OUTSIDE OF A SPECIFIC INCIDENT LIKE THAT, OUR EXPOSURES HAVE BEEN PRETTY MUCH ACROSS THE DEPARTMENT AND WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO MAINTAIN IT WITH MAKING STAFFING ADJUSTMENTS OR OVERTIME HIRES TO COVER THAT.
UM, THE, I THINK SOME OF MY OTHER QUESTIONS I CAN PUT IN WRITTEN FORM, UM, ONE OTHER QUESTION I HAD, I THINK IT'S GENERALLY ACROSS THE BOARD.
I KNOW THAT YOU ALL DON'T HAVE A CLASS GOING RIGHT NOW, BUT AFD DOES HAVE A CLASS GOING RIGHT NOW.
I THINK THAT'S ALL I HAD TO ASK, UM, FOR NOW.
TOVA I THINK MY, THE LAST FOUR QUESTIONS I HAVE ARE AFD SPECIFIC.
SO I'LL TURN THE CHAIR BACK OVER TO, TO THE MAYOR.
I'M NOT SURE MAYOR, IF ANYONE ELSE HAS QUESTIONS FOR CHIEF MANLEY BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
MINE'S NOT A QUESTION, BUT I DO HAVE A ONE O'CLOCK I WILL NEED TO STEP OFF FOR.
I WILL TRY TO COME BACK AFTER THAT.
AND I KNOW IT COMES FROM A ALTER, SAID YOU ALSO HAD A ONE O'CLOCK.
SO IF I DISAPPEAR AND COME BACK, THAT'S WHY I JUST WANT TO FLAG THAT MY ONE O'CLOCK IS WITH RAY AND NORIA AND WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO SCHEDULE, UM, AND HIS ABOUT RELATED TOPICS.
CAUSE IT HAS TO DO WITH THE MEDICAL OFFICER.
AND WE'D VERY MUCH LIKE TO STILL KEEP THAT.
I DON'T THINK ANY OF US WERE PLANNING THAT WE WERE GOING TO BE HERE PAST 12 TODAY.
UM, I UNDERSTAND THESE ARE IMPORTANT QUESTIONS.
WHAT ELSE LOOK LIKE THERE ARE ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS, DAN, WITH RESPECT TO THIS THAT WOULD GET US TO, UH, FIRE, UH, NATASHA, WANT TO GO AHEAD AND ASK YOUR QUESTIONS.
I UNDERSTAND PEOPLE WILL NEED TO DROP OFF, UH, BUT NATASHA, WHY DON'T YOU GO AHEAD AND AT LEAST YOU'RE ABLE TO, TO AIR IN A PUBLIC FORUM, THESE QUESTIONS, YOU HAVE TO APPRECIATE THAT.
AND IF I COULD JUST REITERATE IT, IT WAS MY INTENTION.
I HAVE A FULL TWO HOURS, I'M DOING MY BEST TO CONDENSE AND DEBRIEF.
UM, AND I APPRECIATE EVERYBODY'S PATIENCE.
UM, SO, UH, I'LL START WITH THAT LAST QUESTION.
UM, AND THIS IS SPECIFICALLY FOR FD.
UM, I KNOW THAT THERE'S A CURRENT
[03:55:01]
CLASS, UM, HAPPENING AS I JUST HAVE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THEY'VE BEEN VACCINATED.UM, AND IF WE'VE HAD ANY TROUBLE WITH QUARANTINE WITH THE CURRENT AFD CADET CLASS AND IS IT OKAY TO LET, UH, UH, CHIEF MANLEY GO? ABSOLUTELY.
I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ANYBODY AT THIS POINT.
ALL CA CAST MEMBER MOUSE AND HARPER.
OH, PAUL'S LET CHIEF BAR, UH, SO YOU CAN'T ANSWER THAT QUESTION.
I THINK THE ONLY TIME WE HAVE QUARANTINE WITH RECRUIT CLASS, UH, WAS THE SAME TIME THE APD IT IS THAT'S AROUND.
UH, SO TOMORROW, OCTOBER, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, CHIEF BARNES, DO YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR QUARANTINE AND WHATNOT? THOSE SPOT CADETS HAVE PRECEDED FASCINATION? NO, SIR.
I DON'T HAVE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THAT.
UH, WE'LL FIND OUT IF WE GOT THIS CALL.
WELL, WE CAN CONTACT THE, UH, UM, THE TREND THAT'S IN AND SEE WHETHER OR NOT THOSE FIVE CADETS HAD ANY ESCALATION.
RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE SO FAR AS UP TO DATE, WE HAVE HAD APPROXIMATELY 50% OF OUR MEMBERS WHO HAVE BEEN VACCINATED WITH THE BREAST SAYING AS UP TO DATE, WE'LL FIND OUT ABOUT THESE FIVE CADETS.
I'M JUST NOT SURE THAT THEY ARE PART OF PERCENTILE NUMBER.
THAT WOULD BE GOOD INFORMATION TO HAVE, BECAUSE IF I HAVE IT ON GOOD INFORMATION, THEY'RE WORKING OUT A FIRE STATIONS ON OCCASION AS A PART OF THEIR TRAINING.
THEY HAVE NOT, THEY'RE NOT WORKING OUT OF FIVE DAYS AND RIGHT NOW AS PART OF THE TRAINING.
SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO FIRE STATIONS AS A PART OF THE TRAINING AND THAT'S NOT RIGHT NOW.
THEY ARE, THEY WILL BE, UH, BUT AS UP TO DATE, THEY HAVE NOT, BUT WE'LL HAVE THE NUMBER FOR YOU.
UH, SHORTLY, WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND CONTACT THE TRAINING DEPARTMENT AND FIND THAT INFORMATION OUT CHIEF, WE DO HAVE 16 CADETS IN TRAINING AND THEY HAVE ALL BEEN VACCINATED, BUT HAVE BEEN INVESTED.
THEY HAVE NOT BEEN IN THE FIRE STATION FOR THE, IN THE TRAINING.
SO THEY HAVE, THEY HAVE, THEY, THEY DID, UH, THEY WERE AT THE VIRUS STATIONS FOR A PART OF THEIR EMT CERTIFICATION DOING THE RIDE OUTS THAT IS ALREADY PASSED.
AND THEN, SO I ALSO HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS, VERY SIMILAR TO THOSE THAT I ASKED OF THE EMS ABOUT PROTOCOLS PROTECTIONS.
UM, DO WE HAVE SOME SYSTEMS IN PLACE TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT WE'RE, YOU KNOW, UM, UH, ADDRESSING, NOT HAVING TO GO BACK INTO THAT MANDATORY OVERTIME.
I KNOW EMS DOESN'T HAVE IT TO WHERE YOU ROLL OVER INTO AN OVERTIME SHIFT AFTER YOUR 24, BUT I KNOW FIRE DOES HAVE IT TO WHERE YOU CAN ROLL INTO AN OVERTIME SHIFT AFTER YOUR 24.
AND SO I JUST WANT TO KNOW WHERE WE ARE THERE.
THAT SEEMS LIKE SORT OF RED BUTTON LIBERAL.
AND SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT WE'RE FULLY PREPARED TO ADDRESS OUR STAFFING NEEDS.
UH, WE STILL REQUIRE OUR MEMBERS TO WORK MANDATORY.
OH, WE HAVE A SEATED, THE ARE PEOPLE WHO HAVE SIGNED UP FOR OVERTIME.
WE HAVE A AUTOMATIC SIGN LIST WITH A MEMBER SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER, TO WORK OVERTIME.
BUT IF WE NEED ADDITIONAL PERSONNEL, WE'LL HOLD THOSE MEMBERS OVER FOR THE ADDITIONAL 24 HOURS.
UM, I MET MY TEAM JUST THE OTHER DAY AND I WOULD GO AS NOT TO BEGIN A LONG WORK OVER 72 HOURS OF OVERTIME.
AND I THINK WE HAVE HAD A COUPLE OF MEMBERS WHO HAVE VOLUNTEERED TO WORK 72 HOURS, BUT WE HAD JUST RECENTLY WORKING ON CHANGING THAT POLICY TO MAKE SURE WE TRY TO TAKE CARE OF OUR MEMBERS, COULD PROTECT THEM FROM BEING SO FATIGUED FROM WORK IN A 24 $40 SHIFTS.
WE DO REQUIRE A MANDATORY 48 HOUR MANDATORY OVERTIME AS NEEDED.
WE HAVE AS UP TO DATE HAS SOME MEMBERS.
I DON'T HAVE THAT EXACT NUMBER WHO HAVE, WHO HAVE WORKED, UH, MANDATORY OVERTIME.
I DON'T HAVE THAT NUMBER BEFORE ME.
UM, BUT WE HAVE HAD MEMBERS TO WORK AT TARA OVER TIME.
I THINK ALL THAT INFORMATION WILL BE HELPFUL WHEN WE GET THIS COMPILATION OF INFORMATION FOR MYSELF AND MY COLLEAGUES INFORMATION ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HOW WE'RE UTILIZING OVER TIME AS AN ASSET.
AGAIN, YOU KNOW, JUST BUDGETARY CONSIDERATIONS, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU HAVE LIEUTENANTS AND ABOVE WORKING OVERTIME THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE IMPLICATIONS FINANCIALLY ABOUT THAT.
AND SO I'M JUST, I'D LIKE TO KNOW MORE SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE IMPACT FINANCIALLY TO THE CITY, UM, FOR THOSE, UH, OVER TIME, UM, CONSIDERATIONS.
UM, I ALSO HAD QUESTIONS ABOUT US UTILIZING FIREFIGHTERS TO ADMINISTER, UM, VACCINATIONS, CHIEF BAKER.
I KNOW THAT YOU AND I HAVE HAD THIS CONVERSATION, UM, AND WE DON'T WITH THE SORT OF ABBREVIATED TIME THAT WE HAVE.
IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF YOU COULD, IF YOU ALL, COULD YOU AND YOUR TEAM COULD COMPILE SOME INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT THAT STRATEGY WOULD LOOK LIKE.
UM, HAVE YOU HAD OPPORTUNITIES TO TALK TO AND WORK WITH APH, UM, TO SORT OF SEE WHEN WE WOULD DEPLOY THAT, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT THEY SAID THIS WEEK, UM, THAT LOCATION WAS WORKED BY AFD
[04:00:01]
TO ADMINISTER THOSE EPIC.I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHETHER OR NOT THAT'S FOLKS BEING PAID TO DO SO.
SO WHEN THEY VOLUNTEER, IS IT THE VOLUNTEERING TO BE PAID TO ADMINISTER VACCINES OR IS IT THEIR PERSONAL TIME? UM, UH, I GUESS ANOTHER QUESTION AROUND CORE CORE QUARANTINE IS THE PROTOCOL THE SAME FOR AFD AS IT IS FOR EMS. UM, IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S TOTALLY DIFFERENT FOR APD.
SO JUST WANTING TO SEE SORT OF HOW CLOSELY IT CAN EVERYBODY'S PROTOCOL IS.
I THINK THERE WAS A UNIT LATERAL APPLICATION OF PROTOCOL, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT EACH DEPARTMENT HAS IN PLACE FOR, UM, PROTOCOL FOR QUARANTINE AFTER EXPOSURE.
THEY MAY BE SOME DEVIATIONS FOR QUARANTINE PROTOCOL WITH A PRIOR AND APD.
I'M NOT SURE CAUSE I DIFFERENT WORK SCHEDULE, YOU KNOW, FIRE EMS WORK 25, WELL A FIREWORK IN 24 HOURS SHIFT.
SO THERE MAY BE SOME DEVIATION, BUT WE WOULD TRY AND GET AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE.
WE'LL MEET WITH THE NUTS TO MAKE SURE WE'RE ALL FOLLOWING THE STANDARD PROTOCOL AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, AS WELL AS OVERTIME FOR VACCINATION OF THE MEMBERS, GIVEN VACCINES OUT, WE ARE PAYING OVERTIME FOR OUR MEMBERS TO WORK LOCAL AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, TO GET THOSE VACCINATION.
I THINK RIGHT NOW WE'RE WORKING ON IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN AT DELCO CENTER, UH, I THINK WE HAVE BETWEEN 15 AND 35 POUNDS WORKING OVERTIME TO ADMINISTER THE VACCINATION.
UH, I CAN GET THAT NUMBER TO BE EXACT AND HOW MANY DAYS THEY WILL BE WORKING.
BUT, UH, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, GOLD MEMBER RPM PAID OVERTIME TO MINISTER BY SAYING THEY'RE NOT DOING A VOLUNTARY SERVICE.
AND THEN IF WE COULD JUST GET SOME INFORMATION INCLUDED IN AND BE LIKE REAL SPECIFIC INFORMATION, IF, AND WHEN WE GO TO THE STRATEGY OF UTILIZING FIRE STATIONS, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? DO PEOPLE WALK UP, DO THEY MAKE AN APPOINTMENT? ARE WE DOING, YOU KNOW, SORT OF LOCALIZED COMMUNITY VACCINATIONS TO WHERE WE'RE GOING DOOR TO DOOR? UM, OBVIOUSLY JUST THROWING THINGS OUT THERE, BUT BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW, I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THE APPLICATION OF THAT WOULD BE.
AND I'D LIKE VERY MUCH TO KNOW.
AND FOR MY COLLEAGUES TO KNOW ALSO IF WE DIDN'T GET THAT IN WRITING, YOU DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER THAT TODAY.
AGAIN, WE'RE SORT OF SHORT ON TIME AND SURE, SURE, ABSOLUTELY.
I THINK EVERYTHING ELSE I CAN PROBABLY ASK OFFLINE, UH, UM, I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT DISPATCH.
UM, YEAH, I THINK THE REMAINDER OF MY QUESTIONS I COULD ASK.
DOES ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS WITH THAT? ARE WE OKAY WITH THAT BEING THE, A WORK SESSION HERE TODAY? AGAIN, THANK YOU.
SO HERE AT ONE OH FOUR, THEN LET'S GO AHEAD.
AND THE JUROR, THE CITY COUNCIL, A SPECIAL CALL MEETING.