[00:00:04]
9:02 AM AND I'M JOINED HERE 700 LAVACA BY COMMISSIONER TREVELYAN AND COMMISSIONER HOWARD.AND THEN, UH, VIRTUALLY I BELIEVE WE'VE GOT, I SEE COMMISSIONER FAY AND COMMISSIONER GOMEZ AS WELL.
SO WE'RE GOING TO DO OUR JOINT BRIEFING THIS MORNING.
AND SO FIRST, UH, HAULING COMMISSIONER'S COURT TO ORDER, THEN I'M GOING TO HAND IT OFF TO MAYOR ADLER, JUDGE BROWN.
UH, STEVE ADLER MAYOR CALLING IT THE ORDER OR THE CITY SIDE OF THE JOINT SESSION WITH TRAVIS COUNTY FOR THE COVID BRIEFING.
TODAY IS TUESDAY, MARCH 23RD, 2021 NINE OH THREE.
UH, WE HAVE A QUORUM PRESENT, UH, JUDGE, UH, I HAD HEARD FROM YOUR TECHNICAL PEOPLE THAT, UM, WHAT YOU, TO DEGREE THAT WE'RE ABLE, YOU ASKED US TO, I THINK YOUR TECHNICAL PEOPLE WANT US TO KEEP OUR CAMERAS RUNNING CREATES PROBLEMS. WHEN WE TURN ON AND OFF OUR CAMERAS, I WAS TOLD, UH, IF THAT'S THE CASE, IF EVERYBODY, TO THE DEGREE, THEY CAN JUST KEEP THEIR CAMERAS RUNNING FOR THIS BRIEFING.
SO I'LL CALL THE JOINT MEETING OF THE TRAVIS COUNTY COMMISSIONER'S COURT AND AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL TO ORDER AND FIRST GO TO PUBLIC COMMENTS.
AUDREY, DO WE HAVE ANY CALLERS FOR THE JOINT MEETING? YES, JUDGE.
WE DO HAVE AT LEAST ONE COLOR FOR THE JOINT SESSION.
UM, CAROLINE IS CURRENTLY SCREENING TWO MORE CALLERS.
UM, WOULD YOU LIKE US TO JUST GO AHEAD AND DO THAT REALLY QUICKLY? SURE.
I WILL LET YOU KNOW WHEN SHE FINISHES.
SO WHILE THEY'RE DOING THAT, I'LL JUST DO THE INTRO.
SO TO ENSURE THE EFFICIENT USE OF DR.
S GARDEN DIRECTOR, HAYDEN HOWARD'S TIME AND MANAGE THE LENGTH OF THE MEETING, I THINK TODAY, AND SINCE OUR MEETING TODAY WILL BE EXTRA LONG SINCE WE DID NOT MEET LAST WEEK, WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO LIMIT OURSELVES TO ONE QUESTION EACH AND THE ORDER THAT WE NORMALLY DO IT.
SO WE'D GO THROUGH THE COMMISSIONERS AND THEN COUNTY JUDGE, UH, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, AND THEN MAYOR AND THEN, AND THEN CLOSED THE MEETING.
WE'LL START, LET'S START WITH DISTRICT 10 WORK DOWN AND THEN I'LL GO.
AUDREY, DO YOU WANT TO GO AHEAD AND HAVE THAT FIRST CALLER GO? I WOULD GO AHEAD AND DO THAT, BUT SINCE IT'S ON THE LINE, WE WOULD BE ABLE TO HEAR CAROLINE TALKING THROUGH THE PUBLIC LINE WHILE SHE SCREENINGS.
SO THE ONLY ISSUE WITH THAT, SO PEOPLE JUST CALLED RIGHT AT 9:00 AM.
SO IT WAS A LITTLE BIT, BUT I WILL LET YOU KNOW.
I THINK IT'LL ONLY BE A FEW MORE MINUTES.
SORRY ABOUT THAT MAYOR WHILE WE WAIT.
CAN I ASK A QUESTION PLEASE? UM, TWO THINGS, ACTUALLY A LITTLE BIRDIE TOLD ME THAT IT MIGHT BE YOUR BIRTHDAY.
UM, AND SINCE YOU DIDN'T MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT, I WON'T HAVE ASKED YOU, BUT I WILL SAY, UM, WE APPRECIATE YOU AND YOUR SERVICE.
AND, UM, I, I THINK IT'S FAIR TO SAY ON BEHALF OF OUR COLLEAGUES AND I WISH YOU A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY.
UM, THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO ASK WAS WE'VE DONE A D 10 DOWN TO D ONE SEVERAL TIMES CONSECUTIVELY.
I WONDER IF WE COULD FLIP BACK AND GO ONE TO 10 AGAIN, I WONDER IF ANY OF MY COLLEAGUES HAVE PROBLEM WITH THAT? YEAH, NO, NO.
IF, IF THAT'S WHAT I'VE DONE, THEN LET'S START WANTING TO GO TO 10.
I THOUGHT IT WAS THE OTHER WAY YOU WOULD, YOU WOULD PROBABLY REMEMBER BETTER THAN ME.
SO WE'LL START AT ONE AND WE'LL WORK OUR WAY UP.
ACTUALLY, IT WAS KIND OF CREATIVE ONE TIME WHERE I STARTED IN THE MIDDLE AND THEN WENT WIDE EACH SIDE THAT WAS HARD TO KEEP TRACK OF.
SO WE PROBABLY WON'T DO THAT AGAIN, BUT YOU'RE RIGHT.
IT WAS BY BIRTHDAY, WHICH MEANT THAT I QUALIFIED FOR THE, UH, FOR THE, FOR THE VACCINATION.
WELL, UM, I ACTUALLY QUALIFIED A WEEK EARLIER BECAUSE THE STATE CHANGED THE RULES.
UH, BUT, BUT HAD THE RULES NOT BEEN CHANGED? UH, I CERTAINLY QUALIFIED, UH, TODAY, WENT ONLINE YESTERDAY AND THE PROCESS WORKED REALLY EASILY.
I WENT ON AT THE APPOINTED TIME, UM, FARMBOT TO A COUPLE OF TIMES MY OPERATOR ERROR.
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BUT I GOT IN JUST BEFORE SIX AS THE 42ND VENDOR PERSON IN LINE, LIKE 4,200, SOMETHING LIKE THAT, BUT THERE WERE 12,000 VACCINES AVAILABLE.UH, SO BY, UH, THE QUEUING KEEPS YOU ALERTED AS TO HOW LONG IT'S TAKING FOR YOU TO MOVE UP THROUGH.
IT GIVES YOU THE NUMBER SO YOU CAN WATCH HOW YOU PROGRESS.
AND BY SEVEN 30 I HAD A SCHEDULED, UH, REMIT PROCESS WE'RE VERY EASILY AND VERY WELL DIRECT TO HAYDEN.
[1. Update on Covid-19 related matters.]
PATIENCE.WE HAVE ONE COLOR FOR THIS ITEMS AND WILL BE ADJUSTED.
GO AHEAD AND UNMUTE THE PUBLIC LINE.
AND SO NOW, MS. SYNOVIA, OKAY.
COMMISSIONERS COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I'M ZENOBIA JOSEPH FUCKER F SCOTT.
I JUST HAVE A QUESTION SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO YOUR MARCH 9TH, 2021 COMMENTS RELATED TO THE MASS MANDATE ENFORCEMENT.
AND I'LL JUST QUOTE, JUST SO THAT YOU CAN HAVE A POINT OF REFERENCE.
YOU SAID IF AN INDIVIDUAL ENTERS A BUILDING THAT REQUIRES A MASK AND DOES NOT WEAR A MASK AND THEY ARE ASKED TO LEAVE AND THEY DO NOT, THEY'RE TRESPASSING, THAT'S A CRIME.
THEY CAN BE ARRESTED FOR THAT.
SO MY QUESTION IS HOW IS THIS MESSAGE BEING CONVEYED TO BUSINESS OWNERS? AND MY SPECIFIC EXAMPLE IS ATV ROSENBERG, WHERE I SPECIFICALLY ENCOUNTERED INDIVIDUALS IN THE STORE WITHOUT A MASK.
AND OF COURSE, AS AN INDIVIDUAL, I JUST COMMENTED TO THE PERSON WITHOUT THE MATH.
THE MATH WAS PERSON MASK IS ALL I SAID AND POINTED TO MY MASK.
I THEN SAW ANOTHER PERSON IN A STORE WITHOUT A MASK AND WENT TO THE ASSOCIATES.
AND THE RESPONSE I GOT WAS WE HAD SIGNS AND WE MAKE ANNOUNCEMENTS, BUT IT'S NOT A STATE LAW.
SO I UNDERSTAND THAT THEY CAN'T BE, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT THEY'RE NOT IN VIOLATION JUST BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE THE MASK ON, BUT HOW ARE THEY BEING ASKED TO LEAD THE STORE OR THAT PARTICULAR BUSINESS? MY SECOND QUESTION IS SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO DOUBLE MASKING.
UM, AS LONG AS THE MASS MANDATE IS BEING ENFORCED, IF YOU COULD JUST GIVE YOUR OPINION ON WHETHER OR NOT WE NEED TO DOUBLE MASK OR FOR A SINGLE MASK IS SUFFICIENT, UH, SPECIFICALLY, UH, JUST WE'LL SHARE WITH YOU THAT THE CUSTOMER SERVICE ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR CAPITAL METRO MET ON MARCH 10TH AND THEY ONLY PUT FIVE MASKS ON EACH BUS IN THE MORNING.
SO IF WE'RE DOUBLE MASKING AND INDIVIDUALS TAKE TWO MASKS, IT MAY SEEM LIKE THEY'RE BEING GREEDY, BUT THEY'RE PROBABLY JUST TRYING TO PROTECT THEMSELVES.
AND THEN LASTLY, I WOULD JUST GIVE YOU A REFERENCE.
UM, NBC NIGHTLY NEWS KIDS EDITION, DR.
JOHN TORRES ACTUALLY SHOWED A DOUBLE MASKING BECAUSE THE KIDS CAN CALL IN AND ASK, NOT CALL IN, BUT THEY CAN PICK UP PICTURE AND VIDEO AND SEND IT IN.
AND HE SHOWED WHERE THEIR GAPS ON THE SIDES OF MATH.
AND THEN WHEN HE PUT THE CLOTH MASK ON TOP, HE SHOWED THE KIDS WHERE IT GIVES A BETTER SEAL.
AND SO I JUST WOULD SHARE THAT AND ASK YOUR COMMENTS AND ASK YOU, I KNOW YOU'RE BUSY.
SO IF YOU COULD JUST SHARE NBC NIGHTLY NEWS KIDS EDITION WHEN YOU'RE TALKING TO THE EDUCATORS, BECAUSE THAT'S A REALLY GOOD REFERENCE FOR KIDS TO BE ABLE TO ASK QUESTIONS.
UM, I'M NOT SURE IF YOU WATCH THAT OR NOT, BUT IT'S A GOOD RESOURCE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TAKING MY COMMENTS.
AND I WOULD JUST SAY TO THE ELECTED OFFICIALS THAT IT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR THE PUBLIC TO KNOW THAT THEY CAN ONLY MAKE COMMENTS IN ADVANCE OF YOUR DELIBERATIONS BECAUSE I WAS NOT ABLE TO DO SO WHEN I FIRST CALLED ON THIS ITEM, BUT THANK YOU TODAY AND I'LL LISTEN FOR YOUR RESPONSE.
THANK YOU, MS. JOSEPH AUDREY, AND THE OTHER COLORS.
THAT WAS THE ONLY COLOR FOR THIS ITEM, JUDGE.
SO I GUESS WE WILL FIRST GO TO DR.
SCOTT AND DIRECTOR OF HIDDEN HOWARD.
UH, AND I WILL RESPOND TO MS. JOSEPH'S, UH, QUESTIONS WHILE I GET THE SLIDE SHOW GOING.
UM, YOU KNOW, THEY, THE MASK MANDATE ISN'T EFFECT IN TRAVIS COUNTY, IT'S AN EFFECT IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
IT REQUIRES BUSINESS OWNERS, UH, TO REQUIRE MASKING.
UH, SO CERTAINLY WHEN IT COMES TO THE TRESPASSING ISSUE, THAT'S THAT PIECE IS UP TO THE BUSINESS OWNER OR THE PERSON WHO OPERATES THAT SITE, UH, TO REPORT THAT AND, UH, AND TO NOTIFY LAW ENFORCEMENT, IF IT'S APPROPRIATE.
UH, CERTAINLY IF THERE'S A BUSINESS
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THAT IS NOT REQUIRING THAT MASKING OR NOT ENFORCING THE MASKING ON THEIR PREMISES, THAT SHOULD BE A NOTIFICATION OF THREE, ONE, ONE, UM, BECAUSE THEY ARE REQUIRED.THERE'S A FINE ASSOCIATED WITH, UH, BUSINESSES WHO, WHO DO NOT DO THAT.
AND CERTAINLY, UH, WE'LL, WE'LL FOLLOW UP WITH THAT PARTICULAR LOCATION, UM, REGARDING THE DOUBLE MASKING.
IT REALLY DEPENDS ON THE MASK.
YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE IN 95 MASKS, WHICH ARE VERY PROTECTIVE ON THEIR OWN, UH, AND YOU HAVE OTHER MASKS WITH VARYING DEGREES OF PROTECTION.
ULTIMATELY YOU NEED MULTIPLE LAYERS.
ONE LAYER IS, IS NOT REALLY SUFFICIENT ENOUGH TO CREATE GOOD PROTECTION.
UH, SO IF YOU HAVE A SINGLE LAYER MASK, HAVING TWO SINGLE LAYER MASK IS BETTER THAN, THAN, UH, ONE SINGLE LAYER MASK, BUT IT IS ULTIMATELY, AS YOU SAID, UP TO THE FIT, YOU WANT A MASK THAT FITS WELL THAT, UH, PREVENTS, UH, LINCOLNS AROUND.
SO IN SOME CIRCUMSTANCES, THE TWO MASKS ARE VERY EFFECTIVE, UH, TO, TO SEAL OFF, UH, THOSE LOOSE FITTING MASKS.
SO AGAIN, ONE OR TWO MASKS, UH, IS A VENT DEPENDENT, BUT CERTAINLY, UH, A MASK IS BETTER THAN NO MASK AT ALL.
SO WHAT TO ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO, UH, TO BE INFORMED ABOUT IT AND, AND WEAR, UH, THE APPROPRIATE MASK, UH, FOR THEIR LEVEL OF RISK AND FOR THEIR PARTICULAR SITUATION, PARTICULARLY IN CLOSED, UH, SETTINGS, WHERE PEOPLE ARE GOING TO HAVE A HIGHER, HIGHER DURATION OF CONTACT, UH, THEN THEY WANT TO CONSIDER EXTRA PROTECTION RATHER THAN JUST A SINGLE, A SINGLE MASK WITH THAT.
I WILL MOVE INTO MY SLIDE SHOW.
UH, THIS IS AN UPDATE OF OUR NEW CONFIRMED IN TRAVIS COUNTY.
YESTERDAY, WE REPORTED 115 NEW CASES WITH A MOVING AVERAGE OF 91.
UH, YOU CAN SEE THAT WE'VE GENERALLY BEEN DECLINING, UH, SINCE, SINCE JANUARY, BUT OVER THE PAST SIX DAYS OR SO, THAT THAT NUMBER HAS BEEN RELATIVELY FLAT.
UH, WE SAW A SLIGHT DECREASE YESTERDAY TO BELOW A HUNDRED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A WHILE ON THAT MOVING AVERAGE.
UH, BUT CERTAINLY THE, UH, DECREASE IN CASE NUMBERS IS NOT AS AGGRESSIVE AS WE HAVE BEEN SAYING, UH, OVER, YOU KNOW, THE JANUARY AND FEBRUARY TIME, TIME PERIOD.
WE SPEND, WE SEE A SIMILAR PATTERN WHEN IT COMES TO ADMISSIONS TO THE HOSPITAL YESTERDAY REPORTED 19 ADMISSIONS TO THE HOSPITAL WITH A MOVING AVERAGE OF 22.
AGAIN, UH, THAT MOVING AVERAGE HAS BEEN ALMOST PERFECTLY FLAT FOR THE LAST SIX DAYS.
UH, AGAIN, THIS IS CONCERNING PARTICULARLY, UM, AS WE MOVE INTO THE POST SPRING BREAK AND POST ST PATRICK'S DAY TIME PERIOD.
UH, THIS CERTAINLY IS CONCERNING FOR THE POTENTIAL OF A UPTAKE IN CASES.
UM, AS A REMINDER, W WE SENT OUT MESSAGING LAST WEEK, IF FOLKS TRAVELED, UH, DURING SPRING BREAK, IF THEY ENGAGE IN ACTIVITIES WHERE MASKS AND DISTANCING WERE NOT FOLLOWING, WE RECOMMEND THAT THOSE INDIVIDUALS SELF QUARANTINE THIS WEEK, THAT THEY GET TESTED AT THE END OF THIS WEEK, FRIDAY OR SATURDAY, AND HAVE A NEGATIVE TEST BEFORE RETURNING TO SCHOOL OR WORK.
NOW THIS HELPS LIMIT THE IMPACT AFTER, UH, THAT TRAVEL.
UH, SO THE DISEASE DOESN'T SPREAD TO OTHER INDIVIDUALS IN THE COMMUNITY, AS WE'VE SEEN WITH PREVIOUS HOLIDAYS, THIS GRAPH, AGAIN, JUST SHOWING AN UPDATE OF OUR HOSPITALIZATIONS IN BLUE, THE ICU ADMISSIONS IN ORANGE, IN THE VENTILATOR USE IN GRAY.
OUR HOSPITALIZATIONS YESTERDAY WERE 151 WITH A MOVING AVERAGE OF ONE 65, UH, THAT HAS BEEN A STEADY DECREASE FOR THE PAST, MORE THAN 60 DAYS.
AND SO HOSPITALS ARE CONTINUING TO GET IN A BETTER SITUATION, SEVERAL IN OUR ICU NUMBERS YESTERDAY 59 WITH A MOVING AVERAGE OF 58, UH, THAT'S BEEN DECREASING FOR AT LEAST 10 STRAIGHT DAYS.
UM, OUR VENTILATOR USAGE 37 YESTERDAY WITH A MOVING AVERAGE OF 35, UH, DECREASING FOR MORE THAN 21 DAYS.
SO AGAIN, THE HOSPITAL SITUATION CONTINUES TO IMPROVE, BUT WE'RE SEEING THAT FLATTENING IN, IN THE ADMISSIONS, UH, OF NEW PATIENTS TO THE HOSPITAL, WHICH JUST GIVE US SOME CONCERN ABOUT WHAT THE NEXT SEVERAL WEEKS IS GOING TO BRING.
THIS IS AN UPDATE OF THE PROJECTIONS FROM THE UT AND MODELING CONSORTIUM.
UH, THIS WAS LAST UPDATED LAST WEDNESDAY.
SO IT HASN'T TAKEN ACCOUNT WHAT'S HAPPENED OVER THE PAST WEEK OR SO, UH, ON THE CURRENT PROJECTION, IT, UH, IS SHOWING THAT AROUND MID APRIL,
[00:15:01]
WE CAN EXPECT THE, UH, ADMISSIONS TO MOVE TO LESS THAN 10.UH, WHAT'S A PLATEAUED AND THAT WE'VE SEEN, HOWEVER, OVER THE PAST WEEK, IN TERMS OF MISSION, UH, I'M ANTICIPATING THAT THIS WILL FLATTEN OUT IN TERMS OF PROJECTIONS THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF APRIL.
UH, AND THAT WE'RE MORE LIKELY TO SAY A PERSISTENCE WITHIN STAGE THREE, AT LEAST THROUGH THAT TIME PERIOD.
UH, SIMILARLY ON THE PROJECTIONS FROM LAST WEDNESDAY, HOSPITALIZATIONS ARE, UH, CURRENTLY PROJECTED TO DROP BELOW A HUNDRED AROUND THE MIDDLE OF APRIL AND THE ICU ADMISSIONS ON THIS SLIDE, UH, DROPPING BELOW 30 BY MID APRIL.
AGAIN, UH, WE'LL SEE WHAT THAT UPDATE LOOKS LIKE EITHER TODAY OR TOMORROW WHEN, WHEN UTI UPDATES THIS, BUT I EXPECT THAT IT'S GOING TO LOOK FLATTER THAN IT DOES NOW, BUT, UH, A GRAPH THAT IS SHOWING THE PER CAPITA MORTALITY RATES IN SOME OF THE MAJOR METROPOLITAN AREAS IN TEXAS, UH, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, SOME FOLKS ARE ASKING WHY IS AUSTIN IS TRAVIS COUNTY, UH, PERSISTING IN THESE MANDATES? WHY ARE THEY DOING THINGS WHICH ARE MORE PROTECTIVE THAN OTHER JURISDICTIONS? AND THE ANSWER IS IT'S, IT'S WORKING, UH, THE GRAPH YOU SEE HERE, THE BOTTOM LINE IN THE DARK BLUE IS TRAVIS COUNTY, WHICH HAS A, UH, A CASE FATALITY RATE OR A, UH, UH, DEATHS AT 73.2 PER HUNDRED THOUSAND.
UH, OBVIOUSLY THERE'S QUITE A BIT OF DIFFERENCE ACROSS THESE, UH, METROPOLITAN JURISDICTIONS IN TEXAS.
UH, BUT IF WE LOOK AT THE, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHERE WE ARE, AND THE AVERAGE FOR TEXAS, THE AVERAGE FOR TEXAS IS 160 DEATHS PER A HUNDRED THOUSAND.
UH, SO IF WE COMPARE WHERE WE ARE TO THAT AVERAGE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MORE THAN 1100 LIVES SAVED IN AUSTIN BY BEING THAT FAR BELOW THE AVERAGE IN TEXAS.
UH, SO AGAIN, WE'RE SAVING LIVES HERE, AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE CONTINUING TO PUSH FOR THESE MANDATES PUSH FOR THESE PROTECTIONS.
SO WE CAN CONTINUE TO SAVE LIVES.
THIS GRAPH IS SHOWING THE SIMILAR DATA, BUT BY, UH, UH, WITHIN THE COUNTIES WITHIN THE MSA.
SO AGAIN, QUITE A BIT OF VARIATION, YOU CAN SEE THAT WILLIAMSON AND TRAVIS COUNTY ARE TRACKING VERY CLOSELY TOGETHER.
UH, WILLIAMSON COUNTY IS AT 74.2 PER A HUNDRED THOUSAND.
UH, THEN WE HAVE HAYES COUNTY, 86 POINT PER A HUNDRED THOUSAND BASS DROP AT 99.2, UH, AND THEN CALDWELL, UH, WHICH IS THE OUTLIER HERE, OBVIOUSLY AT, UH, MORE THAN 210 DEATHS PER A HUNDRED THOUSAND POPULATION.
UH, SO AGAIN, QUITE A BIT OF VARIATION IN OUR MSA, QUITE A BIT OF VARIATION ACROSS THE STATE OF TEXAS ON THAT CASE FATALITY RATE OR THAT, UH, THAT THEY ASKED THE PER CAPITA RATE.
UM, WE'LL SAY INCIDENTALLY THAT THE, UH, US AVERAGE, UH, UH, DEATHS PER A HUNDRED THOUSAND IS ONE 62.2, SO SLIGHTLY HIGHER THAN TEXAS.
UH, SO AGAIN, WE ARE WELL BELOW HALF OF, OF THAT IN TRAVIS COUNTY.
UH, THIS IS AN UPDATE OF OUR HOSPITALIZATIONS BY AGE GROUP.
UM, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WE'RE SEEING SOME, SOME CHANGES, UH, WE'RE SEEING DROPS IN THE 40 TO 49 AGE GROUP WEEK OVER WEEK.
UH, SOME INCREASE IN THAT 30 TO 39 AGE GROUP, AS WELL AS SOME OF THE UPPER AGE GROUPS THAT 50 TO 59 AND 60 TO 69, UH, TO GIVE A BIT MORE DETAIL ON THAT.
THIS IS THE NUMBERS OF INDIVIDUALS ARE HOSPITALIZED WITHIN EACH AGE GROUP.
UM, YOU CAN SEE THAT OUR, UM, THERE'S NOT BEEN MUCH CHANGE WEEK OVER WEEK, UH, THE PREVIOUS WEEK, ONE 72 TOTAL ADMISSIONS TO THE HOSPITAL LAST WEEK, ONE 66.
UH, SO THE RATE OF DECREASES CERTAINLY, UH, SLOWING SIGNIFICANTLY AS COMPARED TO THE PREVIOUS TWO WEEKS.
UM, SO NOT, YOU KNOW, WITHIN EACH OF THE CATEGORIES, NOT MUCH CHANGE.
UH, IT IS INTERESTING TO NOTE, HOWEVER, THAT OUR HOSPITALIZATIONS FOR OUR 30 TO 39 AGE GROUP IS THE SAME AS OUR 80 PLUS AGE GROUP.
AND SO AGAIN, THIS TELLS US THAT THERE'S EFFICIENT SPREAD OF DISEASE IN THESE YOUNGER AGE GROUPS TO RESULT IN THESE NUMBERS OF, UH, OF INFECTIONS.
IT ALSO TELLS US THAT, THAT, SORRY, IT REFLECTS THAT THEY, UH, A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF THE VACCINES THAT WE'VE BEEN PROVIDING
[00:20:01]
HAS GONE TO THESE UPPER AGE GROUPS, WHICH HAVE EXPERIENCED MORE SIGNIFICANT DROPS IN TERMS OF HOSPITALIZATIONS.IT WAS AN UPDATE OF OUR HOSPITALIZATIONS WEEK OVER WEEK BY RACE AND ETHNICITY.
UH, SO OUR LATIN X COMMUNITY HAD A 32.6% OF THE HOSPITALIZATIONS LAST WEEK.
UH, THAT PERCENTAGE IS THE LOWEST IN A YEAR.
UH, SO WE'RE, WE'RE VERY HAPPY WITH THAT.
WE HAVE TO GO ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE BEGINNING OF THE PANDEMIC, UH, TO SEE THIS LOW OF A PERCENTAGE OF HOSPITALIZATIONS, UH, FROM OUR LATIN X GROUP, UH, OUR WHITE NON-HISPANIC POPULATION, 51.8%, WHICH IS A TIE FOR THE HIGHEST ON RECORD, UH, FOR INDIVIDUALS IN THE WHITE, NON HISPANIC GROUP.
UH, SO AGAIN, UH, WE ARE SEEING MORE EFFICIENT DISEASE TRANSMISSION, UH, RIGHT NOW IN OUR WHITE NON HISPANIC GROUP.
UM, AS A REMINDER OF THIS DISEASE SPREADS TO EVERYBODY, UM, YOU KNOW, WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE DISPROPORTIONATE IMPACT ON, ON AFRICAN-AMERICANS IN OUR NEXT COMMUNITY OVER THE DURATION OF THIS PANDEMIC, BUT BY NO MEANS, DOES THAT INDICATE THAT, THAT IT'S NOT GOING TO IMPACT OTHER POPULATIONS AS WELL? SO AGAIN, WE ALL NEED TO CONTINUE THOSE PROTECTIONS AND DRIVE DOWN DISEASE ACROSS OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, WHEN WE GO DOWN TO THE GRAY LINE, THAT'S OUR AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY 12.8% THIS WEEK, WHICH IS A 50% INCREASE IN HOSPITALIZATIONS AS COMPARED TO LAST WEEK, WHICH WAS, UH, 8.2%.
SO AGAIN, REITERATING THAT MESSAGE REGARDLESS OF, UH, YOUR INCOME LEVEL, REGARDLESS OF THE COLOR OF YOUR SKIN, REGARDLESS OF YOUR AGE, THIS DISEASE IS STILL HERE.
THIS DISEASE WILL STILL SPREAD, AND WE ALL NEED TO DO AS BEST AS WE CAN TO HELP MITIGATE THAT SPREAD OF DISEASE THROUGH MASKING, DISTANCING, AND HAND HYGIENE.
THIS IS A BREAKDOWN OF THE NUMBERS OF INDIVIDUALS HOSPITALIZED WITHIN EACH RACE AND ETHNICITY WEEK OVER WEEK.
UM, OUR, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN SEE SIGNIFICANT DECREASES IN OUR LATIN X COMMUNITY, 16 TO 46 WEEK OVER WEEK, A WHITE, NON HISPANIC, NOT MUCH CHANGE 77 TO 73, UH, IN A INCREASE IN OUR, UH, AFRICAN-AMERICAN HOSPITALIZATIONS 13 TO 18.
WHEN WE LOOK AT, UH, AT THESE NUMBERS FOR LAST WEEK AS COMPARED TO THE WEEK OF FEBRUARY 22ND TO 28TH, UH, THERE'S AN INTERESTING PATTERN HERE.
OUR LATIN X COMMUNITY DROPPED FROM 87 TO 46, 47% DECREASE OUR AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY 35 TO 18 TO 49% DECREASE OUR WHITE NON-HISPANIC GROUP 84 TO 73, ONLY A 13% DECREASE.
SO AGAIN, I'M CONCERNED THAT THERE IS SOME SENSE OF, UM, UH, OF PROTECTION IN THIS WHITE, NON HISPANIC COMMUNITY.
UH, THAT'S CERTAINLY NOT THE CASE.
UH, AGAIN, REGARDLESS OF, UH, OF THE RACE OR ETHNICITY, WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO PROTECT OURSELVES, UH, UNTIL WE CAN GET MORE PEOPLE VACCINATING THIS COMMUNITY.
THIS IS AN UPDATE OF OUR POSITIVITY WEEK OVER WEEK, LAST WEEK, CURRENTLY WE'RE REPORTING 4.4%.
SO A SLIGHT INCREASE AS COMPARED TO THE PREVIOUS WEEK AT 4.3%.
UH, AGAIN, THE, THE POSITIVITY, THE ADMISSIONS TO THE HOSPITAL, THE CASES THEY'RE THEY'RE FLATTENING, UH, AGAIN, IT'S, IT'S CONCERNING FOR US.
IT'S, YOU KNOW, COULD IT BE THE, THE, THE PREQUEL TO A FAKE SURGE OR AN INCREASE IN CASES? NOT SO, AGAIN, AS A REMINDER, WE'VE GOT TO CONTINUE THOSE EFFORTS AT MASKING, DESPITE US BEING IN A BETTER PLACE THAN WE WERE A FEW WEEKS AND CERTAINLY A FEW MONTHS AGO.
NOW THIS IS A BREAKDOWN OF THAT POSITIVITY BY, UM, UH, RACE AND ETHNICITY.
UH, OUR LATIN X COMMUNITY MOVED FROM 7.6 IS FLAT, AND 7.6 THIS WEEK, AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY RELATIVELY FLAT 3.3 TO 3.6% ARE WHITE, NON HISPANIC COMMUNITY 4.1%.
THE PREVIOUS WAY TO 3.7%, OUR ASIAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY, UH, INCREASED 3.0% TO 4.1% AND A BIG DROP IN OUR NATIVE HAWAIIAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER COMMUNITY.
AGAIN, WE'RE, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, GETTING CLOSER TO HAVING ALL OF THE RACES AND ETHNICITIES BELOW THAT, UH, THAT RED DOLLAR LINE, WHICH IS THE 5% MARK WE'VE GOT MORE WORK TO DO.
UH, THIS IS A, UH, BREAKDOWN, THE POSITIVITY BY AGE GROUP.
UH, THE ONLY GROUP TO INCREASE THIS
[00:25:01]
WEEK IN TERMS OF POSITIVITY IS OUR 10 TO 19 YEAR OLD AGE GROUP.UH, THE REST ARE, ARE, ARE RELATIVELY FLAT, UH, WEEK OVER WEEK, UH, WITH ALMOST ALL EXCEPT FOR THE 10 TO 19 AGE GROUP AND THAT 40 TO 49 AGE GROUP BEING OVER THE 5% MARK.
SO AGAIN, REGARDLESS OF AGE, WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO PROTECT ONE ANOTHER BY WEARING A MASK AND DISTANCE.
HELLO, COULD THAT DATA FURTHER IN TERMS OF, UH, SCHOOL, AGE INDIVIDUALS IN THE AREA? AGAIN, WE SEE THE TREND CONTINUE THAT WE'VE SEEN IN PREVIOUS WEEKS.
UH, OUR HIGH SCHOOL AND MIDDLE SCHOOLS ARE OVER THAT, THAT AVERAGE FOR THE REST OF THE COMMUNITY BY 0.4% AND 7% RESPECTABLY OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND PRESCHOOL BELOW THAT AVERAGE OF 4.3% AND 3.3%.
UH, AGAIN, WE'RE PLEASED TO SEE THAT OUR SCHOOLS ARE CONTINUING TO UTILIZE THE PROTECTIONS THAT WERE RECOMMENDED, THE MASKING, THE DISTANCING, THE HAND HYGIENE.
UH, WE HAVE SEEN SOME MOVEMENT IN TERMS OF CDC ON A DISTANCING RECOMMENDATIONS WITHIN SCHOOLS DROPPING FROM SIX FEET TO THREE FEET.
UM, SO AGAIN, UH, WE ARE WORKING WITH OUR SCHOOLS GROUP TO UPDATE OUR GUIDANCE.
NOW WE WILL KEEP SIX FEET OF DISTANCING, UH, IN STAGE FIVE BECAUSE OF THE INCREASED RISK OF, OF TRANSMISSION.
BUT, UH, IT'S LIKE THAT WE'RE TRANSITION THE OTHER DISTANCING RECOMMENDATIONS FOR OTHER STAGES DOWN TO THREE FEET WITHIN SCHOOLS.
UH, SOME FOLKS HAVE ASKED, WELL, DOES THAT MEAN THREE FEET OF DISTANCING IS OKAY IN EVERY SETTING.
AND THE ANSWER IS, IS THE STUDY THAT WAS DONE WAS DONE IN A SCHOOL SITUATION IN SCHOOLS ARE, ARE IN DIFFERENT SETTING.
WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT CLASSROOMS, PARTICULARLY CLASSROOMS UNDER, UNDER COVID GUIDANCE, WE'VE GOT DESKS FACING IN THE SAME DIRECTION.
UH, THAT'S MUCH DIFFERENT SITUATION THAN BEING FACE-TO-FACE, UH, WHERE WE'RE INDIVIDUALS ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE EXPOSED RATHER THAN ALL FACING THE SAME DIRECTION.
SO AGAIN, UH, AS WE GET MORE DATA, UH, NATIONALLY, WE MAY SEE, UH, ONGOING CHANGES IN THE GUIDANCE FOR PROTECTION, BUT, UH, WE WILL CERTAINLY PROVIDE THIS UPDATE TO SCHOOLS IN THE NEXT WEEK OR TWO.
LOOK AT OUR DATA RELATED TO LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES.
UH, THIS IS A REAL SUCCESS STORY AND A REAL TESTAMENT TO THE EFFICACY OF VACCINES.
UH, 20 TOTAL CASES IN THE PAST 28 DAYS, UH, SIX IN THE PAST 14 DAYS CAN BE A REMINDER OF WHERE WE WERE ON, UH, THIS REPORT ON, UH, FEBRUARY.
THE SECOND, THOSE TWO NUMBERS WERE 273 AND 620.
UH, SO 97 TO 98% DECREASE IN CASES, UH, IN LESS THAN TWO MONTHS TIME.
UH, AGAIN, A LOT OF EFFORT FOCUSED ON, ON VACCINATING STAFF AND RESIDENTS OF THESE FACILITIES.
AND IT'S REALLY PAYING OFF IN TERMS OF A REMARKABLE REDUCTION IN TRANSMISSION OF DISEASE AND THEY SETTINGS SO QUICK UPDATES ON, UH, OUR ORIGINAL FUSION CENTER.
UH, 818 INDIVIDUALS HAVE BEEN PROVIDED WITH FREIGHT MONOCLONAL ANTIBODY THERAPY, UH, IN CONJUNCTION WITH, UH, THE TEXAS DIVISION OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.
CURRENTLY WE HAVE MORE CAPACITY THAN DEMAND.
SO WE CONTINUE TO ENCOURAGE FOLKS, PARTICULARLY THOSE WHO ARE AT HIGHER RISK FOR SEVERE DISEASE, UH, TO ASK THEIR, THEIR PROVIDER ABOUT A REFERRAL FOR THIS.
IT DOES WORK IS SHOWN TO BE EFFECTIVE AT DECREASING HOSPITALIZATIONS FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE IN THAT HIGHER RISK CATEGORY.
SO PLEASE REACH OUT TO YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER AND ASK FOR REFERRAL IF YOU ARE AT HIGHER RISK FOR SEVERE DISEASE ARE ALTERNATE CARE SITES.
UH, AS YOU ALL HAVE SEEN IN THE MEDIA AND THROUGH PREVIOUS BRIEFINGS, OUR LAST PATIENT WAS DISPOSITIONED ON THREE 20, A TOTAL OF 215 INDIVIDUALS TREATED AT THE ALTERNATE CARE SITE, UH, OVER THE, UH, UH, PERIOD WHERE IT WAS OPEN.
THEY WILL CONTINUE THE DEMOBILIZATION PROCESS, THAT EQUIPMENT WILL BE STORED.
AND WE CERTAINLY HAVE A PLAN IN PLACE TO STAND UP A SITE AGAIN, IF IT'S NEEDED NOT TO HANDLE SURGE.
UH, AGAIN, WE'RE IN THE, WE'RE IN THE RACE TO VACCINATE FOLKS, AND THAT'S HOPEFUL NOW THROUGH THOSE VACCINATION EFFORTS THAT, UH, THEN WE CAN AVOID A SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH SERVES THAT WOULD REQUIRE THIS, UH, FOR THIS PANDEMIC QUICK UPDATE ON OUR INFLUENCES SITUATION, UH, POSITIVITY LAST WEEK, 2.3, 1% OVERALL, A 1.18%,
[00:30:01]
UH, STILL LESS THAN A HUNDRED POSITIVE WITHOUT FLU CASES TODAY.THE SEASON, UH, AS A RESULT, THE BLUE LINE AT THE BOTTOM IS DEMONSTRATING OUR CURRENT FLU SEASON, UH, REMARKABLY LOW CASES AS COMPARED TO PREVIOUS SITUATION, AGAIN, A TESTAMENT TO THE EFFICACY OF VACCINES AND THE OTHER PROTECTIVE MEASURES THAT WE'RE DOING FOR COVID, WHICH IS TRANSLATING INTO PROTECTIONS FOR INFLUENZA AS WELL.
AGAIN, MAYOR COUNCIL, UH, JUDGE COMMISSIONER'S COURT WE'RE IN STAGE THREE.
UH, WE STILL HAVE A WAYS TO GO TO GET DOWN TO STAGE TWO, UH, OUR BEST CHANCE OF GETTING THERE INVOLVES OUR COMMUNITY, CONTINUING TO EMBRACE THIS PROTECT PROTECTIVE ACTIONS THAT HAVE GOTTEN US DOWN THIS FAR.
UH, AND WE'RE HOPEFUL THAT BY FOLLOWING THESE GUIDELINES WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPRESS DISEASE TRANSMISSION AND GET DOWN TO STAGE TWO BY MID APRIL.
WITH THAT, I WILL PASS IT OVER TO STEPHANIE HAYDEN HOWARD.
UM, THIS IS A, UM, A SNAPSHOT OF OUR APH VACCINE DASHBOARD.
UM, AS YOU ALL ARE AWARE, UM, THE, THE POPULATIONS, UM, THAT WE HAVE REALLY, REALLY WORKED HARD ON ARE THE POPULATIONS THAT ARE 65 YEARS OF AGE AND OLDER.
UM, AS YOU CAN SEE FROM, YOU KNOW, FROM THIS SNAPSHOT, UM, THE, THE DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION, AS YOU CAN SEE IN ADDITION TO THAT, UM, WANTED TO JUST KIND OF, UM, WHENEVER YOU HAVE A MINUTE, UM, IF YOU COULD GO ONTO OUR WEBSITE, UH, AND LOOK AT THIS DASHBOARD, UM, YOU WILL SEE THAT, UM, THE, UM, HISPANIC POPULATION, UM, 22% HAVE BEEN, UH, RECEIVED THE VACCINE, UM, WITHIN THE ASIAN POPULATION, UM, IT'S, UH, 9% AND THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN POPULATION IS 6%.
AND SO, UM, WE DEFINITELY HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE CAN ALWAYS MAKE.
UM, AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THE DATA HERE, AFRICAN-AMERICANS REPRESENT 7.6% OF THE POPULATION, AND WE'RE ONLY AT 6%.
UM, SO THAT IS DEFINITELY AN AREA THAT WE NEED TO IMPROVE, UM, WITH THE, WITH THE CHANGE OVER TO ADDING, UM, THE ONE SEAT POPULATION WHERE YOU'RE 50 YEARS OF AGE THROUGH 63 YEARS OF AGE.
UM, WE'RE DEFINITELY, UH, KNOW THAT, THAT WE ARE GOING TO SEE, UH, AND CHANGE IN THE DEMOGRAPHIC, UM, INFORMATION THAT WE'RE SEEING IN THE FOLKS THAT WE ARE PROVIDING VACCINES TO NEXT SLIDE.
UM, THIS GIVES YOU A SNAPSHOT AS OF THE 20TH, UM, THE DASHBOARD THAT I JUST SHOWED YOU THAT WE ENDED THREE 13, AND WE HAVE PROVIDED 148,000 VACCINES.
UM, WE DID ADD THE ONE SEAT TO THE REGISTRATION SYSTEM.
AND SO WHEN WE, UM, PUT OUT, UM, APPOINTMENTS ON LAST NIGHT, UH, IT INCLUDED THE ONE, A, THE ONE B AND THE ONE C AND THEN IN THE REGISTRATION, UM, PROCESS FOR APPOINTMENTS.
UM, WE CONTINUE TO RECEIVE MEDINA, UM, VACCINE.
HOWEVER, WE DID RECEIVE A VERY SMALL AMOUNT OF JOHNSON AND JOHNSON.
UM, AND WE'VE SENT THOSE OVER TO OUR, UM, OUR SHOTS FOR TOTS, UH, CLINIC, WHICH IS, UM, OUR CHASSE FOR TOTS WITH CHILDREN, BUT IT'S ALSO AN ADULT IMMUNIZATION, UM, CLINIC.
AND SO, UM, WE'RE GOING TO BE PROVIDING IN THROUGH THAT OUTLET.
WE HAVE REQUESTED, UM, 12,000, UH, DOSES, UH, OF THE, UH, J AND J VACCINE FROM THE STATE.
AND WE'RE WAITING TO HEAR FROM THEM NEXT SLIDE.
THIS JUST GIVES, UM, KINDA MORE OF A, YOU KNOW, ANOTHER LOOK AT WHERE WE ARE BASED UPON, UM, VACCINE FOR CHILDCARE EDUCATION AND OUR SENIOR POPULATION.
UH, WE, UM, COULD HAVE CONTINUED WITH OUR, UM, WITH OUR SATURDAY EFFORTS, UM, TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE, UH, VACCINES TO CHILDCARE STAFF AND SCHOOL STAFF WE'VE PROVIDED, UH, TO OVER 10,000 VACCINES TO THAT POPULATION AS OF THE 20TH, AND THEN WITH OUR SENIOR POPULATION, UM, WHICH WE ARE 60 YEARS OF AGE AND OLDER, UH, 51,000 HAVE RECEIVED THE FIRST DOSE AND TWENTY-FIVE THOUSAND, OR, UM, FULLY VACCINATED, ACCORDING TO THE STATE'S DATA, WHICH THEY, UM, AS, YOU KNOW, LOOK AT THE ENTIRE COUNTY, UH, ACCORDING TO THEIR DATA, UM, 76,822
[00:35:02]
PEOPLE THAT ARE 65 YEARS OF AGE AND OLDER, UM, HAVE RECEIVED AT LEAST ONE DOSE OF A VACCINE.NEXT SLIDE, WE, UM, WORKED WITH SOME PARTNERS AND WERE ABLE TO DO A COUPLE OF PILOTS, UH, LAST WEEK, UM, ON SATURDAY WE WERE AT THE TONY BURGER CENTER.
UM, AND, UM, WITH THAT PILOT, WE WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE, UM, 1400 VACCINES, UM, KIND OF ESTIMATING BETWEEN 120 TO 150 VACCINES PER HOUR.
UM, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE WERE ABLE TO JUST KIND OF LOOK AT HOW TO IMPROVE AND STAFF WERE ABLE TO DEBRIEF AND WE'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK.
AND SO, UM, WE HAVE MOVED FORWARD AND WE ARE THERE AGAIN TODAY, UH, TO PROVIDE MORE VACCINES.
AND SO, UM, AS WE MOVE ALONG, YOU KNOW, WE'LL LOOK AT ADDITIONAL DAYS OF OPERATION, UH, AT THAT LOCATION.
UM, THAT IS FOR THE, FOR THIS VACCINE, THAT WAS OUR FIRST, UM, DRIVE-THROUGH LOCATION.
UM, AND WE FEEL LIKE THINGS WENT PRETTY WELL.
IT HAS THE CAPACITY TO DO, UM, 3000 VACCINES, UM, FOR A CLINIC OPERATION.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, UM, WE ALSO DID A FAITH-BASED, UM, PILOT PROGRAM THIS WEEKEND, WHERE WE PARTNERED WITH THE SACRED HEART CHURCH AND A HISPANIC CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION.
UM, DEFINITELY, UM, WOULD LIKE TO, YOU KNOW, TO THINK, UM, MR. FRANK PERLIN TEST, UM, FOR BEING A PARTNER WITH US, HE ASSISTED US WITH, UH, PART OF THE REGISTRATION, UM, TO, YOU KNOW, ASSIST US WITH GETTING FOLKS SCHEDULED AND THERE.
AND SO IT WAS A REALLY GOOD PARTNERSHIP.
AND SO, UM, FOR, FOR THAT, UM, PILOT, WE WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE 1760 FIRST DOSES AT THAT LOCATION.
UM, AND SO OUR TEAM WILL BE FOLLOWING UP WITH, WITH THAT TEAM AND LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, HOW, UM, CAN WE DO OTHER FUTURE EVENTS? IN ADDITION TO THAT, UM, WE HAVE HAD, UM, SEVERAL MEETINGS WITH THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY AND THE AUSTIN, UM, BLACK PHYSICIANS ASSOCIATION, THE BLACK PHYSICIANS ASSOCIATION IS GOING TO PARTNER WITH US FOR THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN, UM, FAITH-BASED INITIATIVE.
AND SO THAT PARTICULAR, UM, INITIATIVE, UM, WE'RE GOING TO DO WITH THAT LOCATE WITH THOSE LOCATIONS AS WE WERE STILL WORKING OUT ALL THE LOGISTICS FOR THOSE, BUT, UM, THE AUSTIN BLACK PHYSICIANS ASSOCIATION HAS AGREED TO, UM, DO THE RECRUITMENT OF INDIVIDUALS TO PROVIDE THE, UM, VACCINES.
WE'VE HAD SOME ADDITIONAL PARTNERS THAT HAVE STEPPED UP TO SAY THAT THEY WOULD ASSIST US WITH TRAFFIC CONTROL.
UM, AND SO WE'RE WORKING OUT ALL THE LOGISTICS FOR THAT.
AND SO WE'RE LOOKING AT A COUPLE OF DAYS IN APRIL FOR THOSE, UM, FOR THAT THOSE PILOTS, UM, AND, UM, AND, AND BE ABLE TO GET THOSE OFF THE GROUND.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, UM, WE'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH UT, UM, DEAL MAY ADD, AS YOU ALL KNOW, THEY RECEIVE VACCINES AS WELL, AND THEY ARE WILLING TO PROVIDE SOME, UM, VACCINE TO US IN THAT PARTNERSHIP.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE DEFINITELY LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT NEXT SLIDE.
UM, THE MEALS ON WHEELS PARTNERSHIP, UM, AS YOU ALL KNOW, UM, THAT PARTNERSHIP, UM, STARTED ON YESTERDAY.
UH, THIS IS A COUPLE OF OUR NURSES THAT WERE OUT YESTERDAY.
WE HAD, UH, SEVERAL TEAMS THAT WERE OUT IN A, MADE THE ROUNDS, UM, IN THE EASTERN CRESCENT.
AND SO, UH, YESTERDAY STAFF, THEY WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE 66, UM, VACCINES TO MEALS ON WHEELS, UM, CLIENTS IN CENTRAL TEXAS.
AND, UH, WE'LL CONTINUE THAT PARTNERSHIP THROUGH APRIL, UH, AS WE WORK OUR WAY TO MAKE SURE WE PROVIDE VACCINES, UM, YOU KNOW, TO ALL OF THEIR CLIENTS.
WE DEFINITELY LIKE TO, UM, DEFINITELY APPLY ALL OF OUR PARTNERSHIPS, UM, BETWEEN OUR PARTNERS AND OUR LOCATIONS.
UM, THERE ARE 24, UM, LOCATIONS AND OR PARTNERS, UM, THAT WE ARE WORKING WITH OR THE ELDERLY POPULATION.
AND SO THAT MOBILE VACCINE, UM, PROGRAM HAS, UM, PROVIDED, UM, OVER A THOUSAND, UH, VACCINES
[00:40:01]
TO INDIVIDUALS.UM, SOME HAVE RECEIVE THE, UM, FIRST DOSES, UH, 954.
AND SO ON THE 30TH OF THIS MONTH, WE WILL START WORKING WITH FAMILY ELDER CARE AND, UM, AND PROVIDING, UM, VACCINES TO THEIR LOCATIONS.
WE'VE ESTABLISHED, UM, SEVERAL OTHER PARTNERSHIPS, UM, WHERE WE HAVE PARTNERS THAT ARE WORKING DIRECTLY WITH SENIORS THAT ARE WILLING TO PROVIDE THE TRANSPORTATION TO OUR EXISTING LOCATIONS, AND WE'RE ABLE TO GET THEM SCHEDULED AND, UM, AND COMING IN FOR OUR VACCINES.
SO, UM, THE PARTNERSHIPS ARE DEFINITELY MOVING WELL.
UM, WE ARE ALSO WORKING WITH FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES, UM, AND AT, UH, UM, TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE PROVIDING SERVICES TO FOLKS THAT, UM, HAVE DISABILITIES NEXT SIDE, THE SCHEDULING SYSTEM UPDATE, AS YOU ALL ARE AWARE, WE, UM, RELEASED APPOINTMENTS ON MONDAY AND AS WELL AS LAST NIGHT, AS I'M SURE MOST OF YOU HEARD LAST WEEK ON MONDAY, WE DID HAVE SOME CHALLENGES WITH OUR SYSTEM.
UH, WE WERE ABLE TO, UM, FIX THE CODE THAT WAS CAUSING THAT CHALLENGE, AND WE RELEASED MORE APPOINTMENTS ON THE 18TH OF MARCH AND THAT, UM, RESULTED IN, IN A, UM, A NICE, UH, PROCESS FOR US.
IN ADDITION, ON LAST NIGHT, WE RE WE RELEASED, UM, FIRST DOSE APPOINTMENTS AS WELL.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE, UM, PIVOT INTO SINCE WE KNOW, UM, THAT, UH, VACCINE TYPICALLY COMES TO US ON THURSDAYS, UH, WE WILL BE RELEASING MORE APPOINTMENTS ON MONDAY, BUT WE'RE ALSO GOING TO RELEASE SOME APPOINTMENTS ON THURSDAY THAT WILL TAKE US INTO THE REMAINING WEEK.
UM, AND SO KIND OF AT A SNAPSHOT, UM, FOLKS WE'LL SEE MORE APPOINTMENTS AVAILABLE, UM, AS WELL AS, UM, YOU KNOW, GOING INTO THE FOLLOWING WEEK FOR APPOINTMENTS.
UM, IN ADDITION TO THAT, WITH OUR, UM, IT UPGRADES, UM, FOLKS SHOULD BE ABLE TO GO ONTO THE SITE AND BE ABLE TO, UM, PRINT THEM A VACCINE CARD, UM, THAT THEY CAN, YOU KNOW, PUT IN THEIR WALLET OR SHARE WITH OTHERS AS THEY NEED IT.
UM, WE'RE DEFINITELY, UM, ASKING FOLKS TO, UM, YOU KNOW, EMAIL TO LET US KNOW THAT THEY'RE GOING TO OPT OUT OF OUR SYSTEM.
OUR FOLKS ARE, UM, DEFINITELY CONTINUING TO SCRUB THAT SYSTEM BECAUSE WE STILL HAVE FOLKS THAT HAVE MULTIPLE ACCOUNTS.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO CONSOLIDATE THOSE ACCOUNTS, UM, TO IDENTIFY THE MAIN ACCOUNT.
AND IN ADDITION TO THAT, MAKING SURE ALL OF THE CONTACT INFORMATION IS CORRECT AND THE EMERGENCY CONTEXT OR, UM, ARE, ARE IN PLACE.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, UM, WE ARE STILL WORKING ON OUR, UM, UH, MORE USER-FRIENDLY DESIGN.
UM, AND SO WE DEFINITELY STILL HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE WORK TO DO.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, UM, WHEN, WHEN FOLKS, UM, GO INTO OPERATIONS TODAY, THEY, UM, WILL BE, UM, SCHEDULED FOR THEIR SECOND DOSE APPOINTMENT.
AND SO, UM, WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING WITH THE FOLKS THAT HAVE ALREADY COME IN OUR FOLKS WILL BE PROACTIVELY REACHING OUT TO THEM THUS FAR.
WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING IS SENDING, UM, AN APPOINTMENT.
UM, SO FOLKS DON'T HAVE TO GO BACK ONTO THE SYSTEM.
THEY CAN WAIT TO RECEIVE EITHER AN EMAIL, A TEXT MESSAGE OR A CALL FROM US, AND IT REALLY DEPENDS ON HOW YOU SCHEDULE YOUR APPOINTMENT AND HOW YOU'VE ASKED TO BE NOTIFIED.
AND SO, UM, SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WILL BE, UM, IN PLACE, UM, STARTING TODAY AT THE CLINICS.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE ARE HEARING FROM OTHER PARTNERS THAT THEY ARE STARTING TO RECEIVE, UM, MORE VACCINE.
UH, WE KNOW THAT THE FEDERAL PHARMACY PROGRAM, UM, IS STARTING TO INCREASE, UM, PRODUCTION.
UH, WE ANTICIPATING THAT, UM, THERE'LL BE MORE VACCINE IN APRIL, UM, FROM AN AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH PERSPECTIVE.
UH, WE HAVE ABILITY TO DO 37, UH, VACCINES AT MULTIPLE LOCATIONS.
AND, YOU KNOW, AS WE START TO SEE MORE PRIVATE PROVIDERS STAND UP, UM, OUR GOAL IS TO DEFINITELY, UM, DO MORE, UM, EVENTS WHERE WE ARE, UM, WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH FAITH BASED ORGANIZATIONS, UM, AND, UM, DOING EVENTS
[00:45:01]
WHERE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE BASICALLY GOING TO WHERE PEOPLE ARE TO PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES, OUR, UM, MOBILE VACCINE EFFORTS, UM, LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, ONCE THERE IS, UM, CLEAREST TO PROVIDE MORE VACCINE, UM, HOW WE'RE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, NOT ONLY GO IN AND PROVIDE THE VACCINE TO MAYBE THE SENIOR OR THE PERSON THAT'S DISABLED WITH, IF THEY HAVE OTHER FOLKS THAT ARE IN THE HOME, THEN WE'RE ABLE TO VACCINE OTHER, PROVIDE THE VACCINE TO OTHERS.SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT, UM, AS WE PLAN, UH, FORWARD FOR THE FUTURE WITH THAT, THAT ENDS MY PRESENTATION.
AND I'M AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS.
UH, LET'S FIRST GO TO COMMISSIONER GOMEZ.
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? UM, I JUST HAVE, UH, THE ONE QUESTION ABOUT THE MOBILE VAN THAT WILL BE, UH, UH, SERVING, UH, FOLKS WHO ARE, UM, BEDRIDDEN.
UH, HOW IS THAT GOING? UM, WE'VE DONE IS COMMISSIONER GOMEZ IS THAT WE HAVE STARTED A WAITING LIST WITH THAT.
UM, WHAT THE STAFF HAS BEEN DOING IN THE MEANTIME IS IF THEY THEY'RE CALLING THE INDIVIDUAL, THEY'RE GETTING THEIR INFORMATION IN THE SYSTEM, MAKING SURE THAT THEY ARE REGISTERED WITH THE DEPARTMENT.
UM, AND SO ONCE WE, UM, HAVE KIND OF FINISHED THE, THE PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE FAMILY ELDER CARE MEALS ON WHEELS, UM, THEN WE'RE GOING TO START THAT PORTION OF THE PROGRAM.
SO WE EXPECT THAT MAYBE THAT'LL BE WHAT MAYBE SOMETIME EARLY APRIL.
WE'RE TARGETING APRIL, UM, FOR THAT.
AND, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE DEFINITELY, UM, TRYING TO MAKE SURE IS THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, IF THERE ARE OTHER PEOPLE THAT ARE ELIGIBLE IN THE HOME, UM, WE'RE TRYING TO GATHER THAT INFORMATION AS WELL.
AND, UM, THANKS AS USUAL TO DR.
HAYDEN HOWARD, AND TO ALL OF YOUR STAFF.
UM, I HAVE, UM, THIS QUESTION FOR DR.
UM, I HAVE BEEN, UM, READING INDICATIONS THAT THERE'S A CONCERN THAT THE, UM, THE VIRUS ACTUALLY MAY BE, UH, SPREADING AND MUTATING AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE, UM, AND ASYMPTOMATIC PEOPLE.
UM, AND I WANTED TO GET YOUR SENSE OF THAT AND THAT, THAT THEN ALSO MAKES ME QUESTION, UM, IT APPEARS WE'RE PROBABLY LEAVING THEM TO LAST, IF WE'RE LOWERING THE AGE OF PEOPLE AVAILABLE OR ELIGIBLE FOR THE VACCINES, IT MAKES ME WONDER IF WE SHOULD PERHAPS BE RETHINKING THIS BECAUSE, UH, UH, I DON'T THINK ANYBODY THINKS IT'S A GOOD IDEA TO LET THE VACCINE, I MEAN, LET THE VIRUS, UH, FESTER AND MUTATE.
UM, SO, UH, I'D LIKE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT.
AND IT ALSO RELATES TO WHAT I SAW ON TWITTER, WHICH WAS THAT THERE WERE MORE VACCINES AVAILABLE ON THE AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH SITE THAN THERE WERE PEOPLE SIGNING UP.
UM, AND SO I'M ALSO CURIOUS ABOUT HOW, HOW WE MANAGE THAT SITUATION.
IF WE END UP WHERE WE'VE, WE'VE GOT MORE AND WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TAKERS, THEN, THEN DO WE MAKE IT AVAILABLE TO MORE PEOPLE? SO COMMISSIONER, WE, WE CERTAINLY HAVE MANY, MANY MORE PEOPLE ON THE LIST THAN, THAN WE HAVE VACCINES AT THIS MOMENT.
UH, BUT WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE TRANSMISSION AND YOUNGER PEOPLE.
WE WERE HOPEFUL THAT WHEN THE STATE, UH, RELEASED ONE SEED, THAT IT WAS GOING TO LOOK LIKE THE FEDERAL ONE C, WHICH IS ESSENTIAL WORKERS, SO THAT WE COULD TARGET WHERE TRANSMISSION IS HAPPENING, BECAUSE YOU'RE EXACTLY RIGHT AT THIS STAGE, UH, WHILE POSITIVITY IS AS LOW UNDER 5%, WE REALLY NEED TO FOCUS SOME ATTENTION ON THOSE YOUNGER PEOPLE WHO ARE HAVING MORE PERSON TO PERSON INTERACTIONS TO INTERRUPT THAT TRANSMISSION CYCLE.
UH, BECAUSE AS YOU SAID, THE MORE TRANSMISSION THERE IS THE MORE LIKELY IT IS THAT VARIANTS CURRENT VARIANTS WILL SPREAD, BUT ALSO, UH, THE, IT MAKES IT MORE LIKELY THAT NEW VARIANTS MAY EMERGE.
AND THAT'S WHY, YOU KNOW, THOSE PROTECTIONS ARE STILL NECESSARY AND IMPORTANT.
UH, EVEN FOR YOUNGER PEOPLE WHO HAVE, UH, WHO MAY HAVE LESS SEVERE SYMPTOMS OR, OR WHO MAY BE ASYMPTOMATIC NOW.
SO THERE IS ONGOING CONCERN AND THAT CONCERN WILL CONTINUE, UH, THROUGH THE SUMMER MONTHS FOR PEOPLE IN THOSE YOUNGER AGE GROUPS, BECAUSE THEY ARE, UH, EITHER LESS LIKELY TO BE VACCINATED RIGHT NOW, OR THEY DON'T QUALIFY, UH, FOR VACCINATION BECAUSE THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THEY'RE TEENAGERS OR YOUNGER.
UM, SO AGAIN, IT'S, YOU KNOW, WE
[00:50:01]
ARE IN A RACE AGAINST TIME TO GET FOLKS VACCINATED, UH, AND HOPEFULLY TO AVOID THE EMERGENCE OF A VARIANT, WHICH IS GOING TO INCLUDE, UH, THE CURRENT VACCINE.UM, I WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT FOLKS FIRST TO, UH, TODAY, UH, DR.
ASCOT AND ANDY, AND ALSO HAYDEN HOWARD, UM, FOR, FOR THE, UH, THE WORK THAT THEY HAVE BEEN WILLING TO DO INDIVIDUALLY.
UH, WHETHER WE HAVE ASKED FOR MORNING MEETINGS, WHETHER WE HAVE ASKED HER EVENING MEETINGS, WHETHER WE'VE ASKED FOR WEEKEND MEETINGS, EVERY GROUP THAT WE'VE ASKED THEM TO MEET WITH AND WORK WITH, UH, THEY THEY'VE BEEN WILLING TO DO SO I THINK THAT, UH, SHOULD BE, SHOULD BE NOTED PUBLICLY.
I CERTAINLY, YOU KNOW, UH, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO FEEL THAT, UH, THAT THEY ARE NOT IN THE FRONT OF THE LINE, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THAT HAS HAPPENED HISTORICALLY, BUT I WILL SAY, UH, THAT, UH, THEIR WILLINGNESS TO WORK WITH COMMUNITY INSTITUTIONS AS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT SCHOOLS AND KEEPING THEM CLEAN, AS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT CHURCHES AND WORKING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ADDRESS THE TRUST FACTORS AS WE TALK ABOUT COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AGAIN AND AGAIN, THEY HAVE, THEY HAVE, UH, THEY HAVE STEPPED UP TO THAT CHALLENGE.
AND I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO POINT OUT THAT, UH, THIS IS THE RESULT OF AN, OF AN INCOMPLETE NETWORK.
THIS NETWORK HAS NOT BEEN BUILT INTO MINORITY AND LOW INCOME COMMUNITIES.
SO THEY ARE GIVEN THE DIFFICULT CHOICE OF BUILDING A SYSTEM ON THE FLY, WHETHER WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TESTING VACCINATIONS, FOOD INSECURITY, CLINIC CARE, THESE ARE THE AREAS THAT HAVE HISTORICALLY BEEN LEFT BEHIND AND OFTENTIMES HAVE, HAVE THE MOST DIFFICULTY GAINING ACCESS.
AND THE ONLY WAY THAT THEY WILL GAIN ACCESS IS WHEN OUR PROFESSIONALS INSIDE THE ORGANIZATION AND OUTSIDE THE ORGANIZATION MAKE A CONCERTED EFFORT TO WORK WITH THEM.
AND I APPRECIATE OF THE CONCERTED EFFORT THAT YOU'VE MADE.
I HAVE ONE CONCERN AS, AS WE GO FORWARD TO, UH, TO TURN THE CORNER.
UM, YOU KNOW, NOW THAT IT LOOKS LIKE THE VACCINE WILL BE MORE AVAILABLE, THE PUBLIC DISCUSSION THAT I'M HEARING WHEN I'D LOOK AT CBS OR NBC IS THE ASTRAZENECA DISCUSSION, YOU KNOW, UH, WHICH VACCINE WILL IT BE? IS THIS GOING TO BE SAFE AND EFFICIENT FOR ME? UH, WHAT CAN WE DO, UH, AS WE PREPARE, UM, SOME COMMUNITIES WHO ARE A LITTLE SUSPICIOUS IN THE FIRST PLACE, UH, ABOUT WHAT, UH, ABOUT THE PARAMETERS OF THIS CONVERSATION, HOW THIS MIGHT IMPACT THEM, HOW WE MIGHT CONTINUE TO EDUCATE THE COMMUNITIES, TO LET THEM KNOW THAT WE DO HAVE A SAFE AND EFFICIENT VACCINES AND, AND SAFE AND EFFICIENT ACCESS TO THEM, HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT WE CARRY THAT MESSAGE? AND I THINK THE PLACE THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO CARRY THAT MESSAGE IS TO COMMUNITY INSTITUTIONS, PARTICULARLY THE CHURCH.
SO HAVE, HAVE WE, HAVE WE THOUGHT ABOUT, UH, THE, THE CONVERSATION THAT IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW AROUND ASTRAZENECA AND WHAT EFFORTS SPECIFICALLY ARE WE MAKING TO ADDRESS COMMUNITY EDUCATION? SO, UH, AGAIN, WE HAVEN'T SEEN THE DATA REGARDING THE ASTRAZENECA VACCINE AND, YOU KNOW, I, I'VE CERTAINLY SEEN SOME CONCERNS EXPRESSED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF USING OUTDATED DATA IN THE ANALYSIS OF THE EFFICACY OF THE VACCINE.
UH, SO WE'LL NEED TO, TO, TO WATCH AND, AND LOOK FOR THE SUBMISSION TO THE FDA REGARDING THAT.
I, I CAN SAY THAT WITHOUT A DOUBT THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, THE FDA IS NOT GOING TO APPROVE A VACCINE, WHICH IS NOT EFFECTIVE.
THEY'RE NOT GOING TO APPROVE A VACCINE, WHICH IS DANGEROUS FOR PEOPLE.
UH, PARTICULARLY SINCE WE ALREADY HAVE THREE VACCINES APPROVED, WHICH ARE VERY EFFECTIVE AND VERY SAFE.
SO I THINK THE PUBLIC CAN, CAN BE CONFIDENT THAT THE, THE PROCESS FOR VETTING OF THE VACCINES IN THE UNITED STATES WILL BE VERY THOROUGH.
AND, UH, AND THAT, THAT THEY WILL NOT APPROVE A VACCINE, WHICH IS, IS, UH, IS NOT MEETING THE EXPECTATIONS.
UH, I AGREE WITH YOU, THERE IS CONCERN, UH, UH, IN OUR COMMUNITY ABOUT THE VACCINE SAFETY AND WHICH VACCINE IS BETTER THAN THE OTHER VACCINE.
UH, WE'RE SEEING A LOT OF PEOPLE INTERESTED AT THE MOMENT IN THE JOHNSON AND JOHNSON OR JENSEN VACCINE, UH, BECAUSE IT'S ONE SHOT AND YOU'RE DONE, AND THEY DON'T LIKE NEEDLES THAT MUCH, OR THEY WANT TO BE ABLE TO, UM, UH, TO BE COMPLETELY VACCINATING IN A SHORTER PERIOD
[00:55:01]
OF TIME.SO I THINK WE'RE GOING TO SEE SOME PERSONAL PREFERENCES, UH, IN, IN VACCINE.
I THINK THAT'S OKAY, AS LONG AS THERE'S, UH, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT PRODUCTS AVAILABLE, I WILL SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, THE VACCINE THAT YOU CAN GET IS THE BEST VACCINE.
UM, SO IT'S, IT'S PROBABLY NOT WISE AT THIS STAGE TO WAIT A WEEK OR TWO WEEKS OR A MONTH FOR THE VACCINE THAT YOU WANT, IF THERE'S A DIFFERENT VACCINE THAT YOU CAN GET NOW.
UM, SO WE'LL CONTINUE THOSE EFFORTS.
UH, DIRECTOR HAYDEN HOWARD MAY WANT TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE, THE PARTICULAR EDUCATION EFFORTS THAT WE'RE DOING.
UM, BUT I AGREE WITH YOU COMMISSIONER, UH, HAVING THOSE MESSAGES ECHOED, UH, BY OUR, OUR, UH, FAITH LEADERS BY OUR COMMUNITY CENTERS, BY OUR COMMUNITY ADVOCATES, UH, IS GOING TO BE IMPORTANT TO ENSURE THAT, THAT WE PENETRATE THE COMMUNITY EFFECTIVELY, AND THAT WE'RE ABLE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS EFFECTIVELY, UH, TO GET, UH, TO GET TO HERD IMMUNITY.
UM, THAT IS, THAT IS ONE OF THE, UM, FAITH-BASED INITIATIVE, UM, IS THE EDUCATION, UM, ASPECT OF IT.
UM, AND SO OUR TEAM IS, UM, GOING TO BE WORKING WITH THOSE, UM, GROUPS TO MAKE THAT THE INFORMATION THAT WE PROVIDE, UM, IS DEFINITELY, YOU KNOW, CULTURALLY INAPPROPRIATE INFORMATION OR FOLKS CAN UNDERSTAND IT.
UM, IN ADDITION TO THAT, UM, UH, DR.
PICKLE AND MYSELF, UM, HAVE SIGNED UP AND, YOU KNOW, ARE ACTUALLY GOING OUT TO PARTICIPATE VIRTUALLY, UM, TO PROVIDE THAT EDUCATION AND INFORMATION, UM, TO FOLKS.
SO IF THEY HAVE ANY, YOU KNOW, SPECIFIC QUESTIONS WHERE THEY THINK ABOUT THEIR HESITANCY, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS.
AND SO WE WILL BE DOING, UM, MORE OF THAT IN THE FUTURE, IF I CAN, OR IF MY OFFICE CAN BE HELPFUL IN ANY WAY, PLEASE DO NOT HESITATE TO CALL.
I WANTED TO, TO WISH MAYOR ADLER HAPPY BIRTHDAY THIS WEEK.
UM, MY HUSBAND AND I ARE NOT AS OLD AS MAYOR ADLER, BUT MY HUSBAND, UH, IS ELIGIBLE NOW FOR THE VACCINE.
AND LAST NIGHT HE GOT ONLINE AND WITHIN, YOU KNOW, I THINK ABOUT 30 MINUTES, UH, THE QUEUE CLEARED AND HE IS GETTING HIS VACCINE TODAY AND WE ARE VERY GRATEFUL.
UM, I WANTED TO JUST PUT A PLUGIN ALSO FOR MAYBE CARVING OUT SOME TIME TO VACCINATE THE MANY SOCIAL WORKERS, DEFENSE ATTORNEYS, UM, FOLKS WHO ARE GOING INTO HOMES, FOLKS WHO ARE, YOU KNOW, SOON BEING ASKED TO GO BACK TO THE JAIL, TO MEET WITH THEIR CLIENTS.
UM, WE HAVE A LOT OF EVIDENCE-BASED PROGRAMS THAT WE'VE INVESTED IN, IN THIS COMMUNITY TO HELP PEOPLE, UM, GET BACK ON THEIR FEET.
AND WE, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO GET THOSE SOCIAL WORKS OR WORKERS VACCINATED.
UM, OBVIOUSLY EVERYBODY NEEDS THE VACCINE.
AND SO I JUST WANT TO APPLAUD THE WORK, BEING DONE TO MAKE IT AVAILABLE, YOU KNOW, AS, AS OFTEN AS, AS MUCH AS WE CAN.
UM, IT SEEMS LIKE WE'VE MADE A LOT OF PROGRESS IN THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS, AND I JUST WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO THE STAFF WHO'S WORKING TIRELESSLY.
UM, SO THANK YOU AND STAY STRONG.
YES, MR. HOWARD, UM, WE'VE GOT A JUST SHORT UPDATE FOR WHAT THE CIRCUIT OF THE AMERICAS, UH, EFFORT IS DOING.
I THINK WE'VE HIT 40,000 VACCINATIONS SO FAR IN CONJUNCTION WITH COMMUNITY CARE AND OTHERS.
UM, I KNOW THAT SEPARATE FROM THAT COMMUNITY CARE HAS ALSO DONE VACCINATIONS AND OBVIOUSLY SEPARATE FROM THAT HOSPITALS HERE IN TRAVIS COUNTY HAVE DONE SOME.
AND SO I GET THE NUMBER THAT I SAW, UH, DIRECTOR HAYDEN, HOWARD, THAT YOU HAD WAS 148,844 FOR TOTAL VACCINES.
IS THAT JUST APH OR IS THERE A WAY THAT WE CAN FIND OUT WHAT THAT, THAT WE CAN FIND OUT WHAT THAT TOTAL NUMBER IS FOR EVERY EVERYONE FROM CODA TO COMMUNITY CARE? CAUSE I KNOW LIKE COMMUNITY CARE EVEN SEPARATE FROM CODA IS GETTING AN ALLOCATION EACH WEEK NOW FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
SO I JUST, DO YOU HAVE ANY SENSE IS, IS THAT, IS THERE A WAY TO CAPTURE VACCINES FROM ALL SOURCES THAT ARE BEING GIVEN IN TRAVIS COUNTY, EVEN WITHIN HOSPITAL NETWORKS AND FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT? AND WHAT IS THAT NUMBER? I GUESS THAT'S MY QUESTION.
UH, SO CURRENTLY THE STATE OF TEXAS IS CAPTURING THAT, UM, ON THEIR WEBSITE FOR TRAVIS COUNTY.
UM, I AM A MEETING WITH, UM, WITH
[01:00:01]
DOCTOR EARLIER LATER ONCE A DAY, THE TALK WITH HIM ABOUT HOW WE CAN CAPTURE, UM, THE, THE, THE COTA, UM, UH, DATA AND START POPULATING THAT ON OUR WEBSITE.I THINK THAT WOULD BE A GREAT STEP FORWARD FOR US, UM, BECAUSE YOU KNOW, WE'VE DONE THAT IN THE PAST, YOU KNOW, WITH, WITH TESTING.
UM, I THINK IF WE, IF WE START THERE AND THEN HAVE OTHER CONVERSATIONS WITH, WITH OTHER KEY PARTNERS, I THINK THAT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL, BUT I DEFINITELY THINK STARTING WITH THE COTA EFFORT, UM, SINCE IT IS, YOU KNOW, A, A JOINT VENTURE, UM, TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE THAT DATA ON OUR, UM, WEBSITE.
AND IT IS SPECIFICALLY THE FEDERAL NUMBER JUST CAUSE I DON'T KNOW, I GUESS THE STATE'S GETTING NOT, BUT JUST TO FIND OUT FOR SURE.
AND THEN I THINK THE GOAL THERE, AT LEAST FOR ME, WOULD BE FIGURING OUT WHAT OUR CAPACITY IS.
SO IF YOU'RE, IT SOUNDS LIKE WHAT YOU WERE SAYING WAS APH HAS CAPACITY YOU THINK COULD BE UP TO 37,000 A WEEK.
I THINK WHAT AT CIRCUIT OF THE AMERICAS, YOU KNOW, SOMEWHERE AROUND THERE OPTIMISTICALLY 50,000, BUT YOU KNOW, MAYBE, MAYBE 40,000 MORE REALISTICALLY, UM, HOW DO WE GET A GAUGE OF WHAT LIKE HEBS CAPACITY IS AND SETON AND EVERYBODY ELSE SO THAT, SO THAT WE FEEL COMFORTABLE THAT WHEN APRIL OR THE SECOND WEEK OF APRIL, WHATEVER THAT DATE IS THAT HITS THAT WE'RE JUST, YOU KNOW, FLOODED WITH VACCINES SO THAT WE KNOW WHAT THAT NUMBER IS.
DO YOU, DO YOU SEE ANY WAY THAT WE CAN EXTRACT THAT NUMBER OUT OF THE PRIVATE PROVIDERS AND OTHERS THAT ARE OPERATING WITHIN TRAVIS COUNTY? UM, SEVERAL OF THEM, UM, ARE PARTNERS THAT, UH, ATTEND OUR, UH, COALITION MEETING.
WE HAVE THE KIND OF SEPARATE SESSION JUST FOR THE HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS AND, UM, AND SO WE ARE ABLE TO GET THAT INFORMATION.
UM, WE ARE AWARE OF, UH, YOU KNOW, WHAT HEB CAN PROVIDE.
UM, WE ARE AWARE OF WHAT AUSTIN REGIONAL CLINIC AND PROVIDE AND THE LOCATIONS, ET CETERA.
UM, SO WE WOULD JUST NEED TO MAKE SURE TO, UM, GET THE OTHER INFORMATION ON THE OTHER PROVIDERS.
UM, NUMBERS ARE VERY SIGNIFICANT, UM, YOU KNOW, HEB 4,000 A DAY, 40 LOCATIONS, UM, ARC, UM, 30,000 VACCINES A MONTH, UM, 30 LOCATIONS.
SO THEY, THEY, THEY DEFINITELY, THIS IS WHAT THEY'VE ALWAYS DONE.
UM, AND SO I THINK PROBABLY THE OTHER KEY PLAYERS, BECAUSE I NOTICED THAT, UM, UH, WALMART WITH SCHEDULING APPOINTMENTS THIS WEEKEND.
UM, AND SO WE WILL WANT TO BE ABLE TO GET THE OTHER KEY PARTNERS CAPACITY, THE, YOU KNOW, THE WALMART, THE WALGREENS CVS, UM, TO AT LEAST HAVE AN IDEA OF, OF WHAT THEY ARE DOING, UM, WOULD DEFINITELY BE HELPFUL.
AND SO WE CAN DEFINITELY REACH OUT TO THEM AND ASK THEM TO SHARE THAT, THAT CAPACITY WITH US.
MEHRA I'LL PASS IT OVER TO YOU, JUDGE.
AND THE PRESENTATION THEN THE BRIEFING WAS THOROUGH AND VERY HELPFUL.
UM, AND THEN THE QUESTIONS FROM OUR COLLEAGUES OVER AT THE COUNTY REALLY HELPED TO ANSWER SOME OF MY LINGERING QUESTIONS.
IN WHICH CASE I'LL ASK A COUPLE THAT WERE SENT OVER FROM CONSTITUENTS.
I KNOW THAT THERE WAS, UM, SOME REAL, UM, HEARTACHE OVER, UH, OUR RECENT TECH ISSUES.
AND SO JUST WANTING TO BE ABLE TO OFFER SOME AS, UH, ASSURANCES AND JUST ASSUAGE PEOPLE'S FEARS THAT THEY DON'T HAVE TO ANTICIPATE RUNNING INTO THAT KIND OF PROBLEM.
AGAIN, I JUST WONDER IF WE HAVE SOME SAFEGUARDS IN PLACE.
UM, AND THEN THE OTHER QUESTION, UM, THAT I'VE BEEN ASKED WAS ABOUT, UM, WHEN WE BREAK DOWN OUR VACCINE DISTRIBUTION NUMBERS BY ZIP CODE, I KNOW THAT A LOT OF FOLKS HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE IMPLICATIONS OF THOSE NUMBERS.
WELL, UM, I WILL TELL YOU THAT THE TEAM IS, IS ALWAYS, UM, WORKING TO IMPROVE THAT SYSTEM.
AND SO, UM, MAKING SURE WE HAVE A SYSTEM THAT IS VERY USER-FRIENDLY, YOU KNOW, IS BASICALLY WHAT THE TEAM IS ALWAYS WORKING ON.
UM, IT'S NOT JUST AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH.
UM, IT IS AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH.
UM, THERE'S OTHER FOLKS FROM CITY OF AUSTIN AS WELL, BUT THE, UM, ALSO THE CONTRACTORS AS WELL.
SO IT'S DEFINITELY A JOINT EFFORT, UM, THAT, UM, OUR FOLKS ARE ALWAYS MAKING UPDATES AND IMPROVEMENTS.
[01:05:01]
UM, YOU KNOW, THAT WHEN WE GO IN AND WE, WE, WE TRY TO MAKE THINGS KIND OF WORK A LITTLE SMOOTHER.UM, I'M JUST GOING TO BE HONEST WITH YOU.
IT'S A COMPUTER, IT'S A PROGRAM AND SO WILL IT EVER BE 100%? UM, WE CAN SHOOT FOR THAT.
THAT CAN BE OUR EXCELLENCE, I MEAN, TO STRIVE FOR EXCELLENCE.
UM, BUT THERE MAY BE SOME TIMES WHEN WE, WE JUST MISSED THE MARK, BUT WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN DO.
IN THE MEANTIME, ONE OF THE THINGS WE DID OFFER AND DO LAST WEEK WAS, IS THAT WE SENT OUT APPOINTMENTS, UM, TO FOLKS AND OFFERED APPOINTMENTS FOR FOLKS TO COME IN.
WE WERE ABLE TO GET SOME OF THE PEOPLE IN, THEY WERE ALREADY IN THE, IN THE SYSTEM AND PROVIDE THOSE APPOINTMENTS TO THEM.
UM, WE DID HAVE SOME FOLKS THAT, YOU KNOW, EITHER REACHED OUT DIRECTLY TO MY OFFICE, UM, OR MY STAFF, WE WERE ABLE TO GET THEM APPOINTMENTS AS WELL.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE, WE UNDERSTAND THE CONCERNS, UM, YOU KNOW, WHOLEHEARTEDLY, UM, OUR HOPE IS, IS TO ALWAYS JUST HAVE A SYSTEM THAT JUST WORKS BETTER AND IT'S A BETTER EXPERIENCE.
REMIND ME OF THE SECOND QUESTION I DID.
AND IF I CAN JUST CLOSE THAT ONE OUT, I WAS GOING TO SAY, AND THIS ISN'T A QUESTION SO MUCH AS A STATEMENT.
I KNOW THAT WE GET A LOT, OUR CONSTITUENTS ASK US QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW SUCH A, YOU KNOW, AN INTELLECTUALLY PROGRESSIVE CITY, A TECH CITY COULD HAVE SO MANY PROBLEMS WITH OUR TECH.
UM, AND SO I, THAT'S A QUESTION THAT I FEEL I'VE, I'VE NEVER CLAIMED TO BE TECHNOLOGICALLY SAVVY, UM, IN FACT, THE EXACT OPPOSITE.
SO I, YOU KNOW, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE TO PASS THAT INFORMATION ALONG THAT IT IS A QUESTION THAT I GET OFTEN.
UM, THE OTHER THING I ASKED, UM, AND I CERTAINLY DON'T WANT TO TAKE UP TOO MUCH TIME.
SO, UM, IF ONE OF MY OTHER COLLEAGUES ASKED THIS, MAYBE YOU CAN ANSWER IT THEN, OR I CAN GET WITH YOU OFFLINE.
THE OTHER THING I WAS ASKING ABOUT WAS THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE NUMBERS, THE VERY LOW NUMBERS, WHEN YOU BREAK DOWN THE, UM, DISTRIBUTION OF, OF COVID-19 VACCINE BY ZIP CODE.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE JUST HAVE TO REMIND FOLKS IS THAT WE ARE A HUB PROVIDER.
AND SO THAT MEANS THAT FOLKS ALL OVER THE STATE OF TEXAS AND PLUG INTO THIS PLATFORM, UM, AND SCHEDULE APPOINTMENTS.
UM, I HAVE ONE OF MY FTIS PERSONS.
I WAS MEETING WITH HER AND GOING OVER, UM, SOME INFORMATION.
AND SO AT OUR NEXT, UM, MEETINGS, I'M GOING TO BRING FORWARD SOME MAPS THAT SHE'S WORKING ON FOR ME.
AND I WANT TO BE ABLE TO SHOW YOU ALL HOW WE HAVE PROVIDED VACCINES FOR FOLKS ALL OVER THE STATE OF TEXAS.
AND SO IT'S NOT A KIND OF ONESY TWOSY TYPE OF THING.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S BEEN A GREAT CONCENTRATION IN, IN KIND OF IN CENTRAL TEXAS.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, WE HAVE PROVIDED VACCINES FROM FOLKS FROM EL PASO TO DALLAS, TO HOUSTON, UM, TO LAREDO, YOU KNOW, ALL OVER THE STATE OF TEXAS.
AND SO THAT IS THE THING THAT AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH AGREED TO DO WAS TO BE A, AND SO WHEN YOU AGREE TO BE A HUB, UM, SOMETIMES YOU'RE NOT ABLE TO PROVIDE THE VACCINES AS STRATEGICALLY AS YOU WOULD LIKE TO.
UM, WE ARE LOOKING AT SOME, UM, INTERNAL, UM, OPERATIONS WITH SOME CLOSED PODS AND SOME ADDITIONAL PARTNERSHIPS, UM, AS WE WATCH THE NUMBERS, YOU KNOW, FROM AN EQUITY PERSPECTIVE.
AND SO, UM, WE'LL DEFINITELY BE BRINGING MORE INFORMATION ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, THOSE FOAMS PODS OF WHAT WE'RE DOING THIS WEEK, KIND OF FARMING SNAPSHOT AT ONE OF THE LOCATIONS.
AND SO WE'LL SHARE THAT WITH YOU ALL ON, ON NEXT WEEK, JUST TO SEE HOW THAT OPERATION WAS ABLE TO GO.
REMEMBER, UH, JUDGE BROWN, UH, HAS, UH, TOLD US HE HAS LIKE A REALLY LONG DAY TODAY AS DO WE, SO LET'S, LET'S MOVE QUICKLY AND TRY TO LIMIT TO ONE QUESTION.
UH, NEXT IS, UH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER RENTER, RITA PO WITH US.
I'M A DISTRICT THREE, FOUR, I'M SORRY, VANESSA.
HOW'S OUR FIGHT THIS ALL THE TIME.
UM, WELL, FIRST AND FOREMOST, I JUST WANT TO SAY HOW THRILLED AND EXCITED I AM THAT WE ARE SEEING SUCCESS AND MOVEMENT ON THESE PILOT INITIATIVES.
SO THANK YOU DIRECTOR HAYDEN HOWARD, UH, FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND REALLY GETTING THOSE PILOT INITIATIVES STARTED.
AND I'M EXCITED TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CLOSE POD OPPORTUNITIES.
I THINK THAT THAT TYPE OF EFFORT IS ESPECIALLY IS SOMETHING THAT I'M LOOKING FOR.
AND I KNOW OUR COMMUNITY TRULY APPRECIATES THAT WE CAN HAVE THESE OPPORTUNITIES TO WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY TO TARGET, UM, AND DO SO DO MORE STRATEGIC
[01:10:01]
OUTREACH IN HOW WE DO VACCINATIONS.AND SO I'M REALLY THRILLED TO SEE US GO TOWARDS THAT EFFORT.
UM, SO MY QUESTION IS A SENSE OF, UM, OUR CALL CENTER, YOU KNOW, CAN YOU JUST WALK US THROUGH HOW MANY CALLS ARE YOU GETTING FROM THE COMMUNITY A DAY? UM, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, UM, HOW EFFECTIVE HAVE WE BEEN AND PROMOTING THAT IF YOU'RE HAVING ONLINE ISSUES, IF YOU CAN'T, YOU KNOW, GET ONLINE TO REGISTER OR SCHEDULE YOUR APPOINTMENT, YOU CAN CALL THIS NUMBER.
AND SO WHAT, WHAT DOES THAT CALL VOLUME LOOK LIKE, UM, COMPARED TO WHERE WE WERE, UH, EVEN A MONTH AGO? WELL, I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UM, HAS, HAS HELPED AS FAR AS IMPROVEMENTS TO THE TECHNOLOGY, UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE FIRST ROLLED OUT THE, THE, UM, THE TECHNOLOGY PIECE, THERE WERE SEVERAL CHALLENGES.
UM, THERE WERE, YOU KNOW, A COUPLE OF DAYS WHERE WE RECEIVED 2,500 CALLS IN A DAY.
UM, AND SO AS THINGS HAVE IMPROVED WITH THAT SYSTEM, UM, WE'VE ADDED, UM, THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING WITH THREE, ONE, ONE, THEY ARE ASSISTING US, UM, WITH, YOU KNOW, THEY'LL TAKE A MESSAGE AND THEN THEY'LL SEND IT OVER TO OUR FOLKS FROM THE EQUITY LINE TO ASSIST INDIVIDUALS.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, UM, THEY ARE ALSO HELPING FOLKS TO, TO REGISTER IN THE PORTAL.
AND SO THAT HAS BEEN A CHANGE.
UM, WE KIND OF DID A SOFT ROLLOUT OF THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS AND THAT HAS BEEN WORKING PRETTY WELL.
UM, AND SO, UM, DOING MORE OF THAT, UM, THIS WEEK AS WE CONTINUE THAT PROCESS.
SO ALL OF THOSE THINGS HAVE REALLY, REALLY, UM, KEPT US OUT QUITE A BIT.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS IS, IS, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD SOME PARTNERS THAT HAVE, YOU KNOW, REFERRED THOUSANDS OF FOLKS TO US, UM, AND THEY STARTED PROVIDING FURLOUGHS TO US BACK IN JANUARY, AND WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO, UM, PROVIDE VACCINES TO THOSE INDIVIDUALS AS WELL.
AND WE WILL CONTINUE WITH THOSE VOLUNTEER EFFORTS, UM, AS FAR AS, UM, UH, CALL VOLUME.
UM, INITIALLY, YOU KNOW, UM, YOU KNOW, FOLKS WERE SAYING ANYWHERE BETWEEN, UM, YOU KNOW, 20 TO 80 CALLS A DAY, JUST KIND OF DEPENDS ON KIND OF THE VOLUME THE DAY OF THE WEEK, ET CETERA.
UM, AND SO WE WERE JUST KIND OF SEEING THAT THE CALL VOLUME KIND OF INCREASE IN DECREASE, BUT WE CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THE COUNTY AS WELL.
UM, THEY HAVE DEFINITELY BEEN A VERY GOOD PARTNER FOR US, UM, TO ASSIST OUR FOLKS WITH, WITH CALLS, WITH OUTBOUND CALLS TO FOLKS, TO, TO PROACTIVELY GET FOLKS SCHEDULED AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO THOSE EFFORTS.
YEAH, I THINK IT'S SO IMPORTANT FOR US TO HAVE A GOOD SENSE ON HOW EFFECTIVE WE ARE IN OFFERING THAT TOOL.
I'VE SEEN OTHER COUNTIES ALSO OFFER IN-PERSON REGISTRATION OPPORTUNITIES, OR SOMEONE CAN SWING BY LOCATION AND JUST SIGN UP, UH, IN A SAFE MANNER.
SO THAT MIGHT BE ANOTHER AREA THAT WE COULD CONSIDER THAT MIGHT BE EFFECTIVE.
UH, I ALSO WANNA THANK BOTH OF Y'ALL FOR THE OUTSTANDING WORK THAT Y'ALL BEEN DOING AND THE MESSAGING THAT Y'ALL HAVE BEEN SENDING OUT TO THE COMMUNITY.
UH, JUST THE, UH, THE STATS SHOW THAT IT'S REALLY WORKING WELL HERE IN TRAVIS COUNTY.
UH, MY QUESTION IS TO DIRECTOR HAYDEN DO, UH, I UNDERSTAND THAT, UH, CAPITOL METRO HAS A, UH, BACKSEAT AND ACCESS PROGRAM GOING ON WHERE THEY ACTUALLY PICK PEOPLE UP DOOR TO DOOR.
CAN YOU TELL ME HOW IS THAT THAT IS WORKING AND IF THERE'S ANY CONCERNS OR ANY IMPROVEMENT THAT YOU THINK THAT METRO COULD DO? UM, I, I TELL YOU, YOU KNOW, WE ARE, WE ARE REALLY EXCITED THAT CAPITAL METRO ACTUALLY STEPPED UP, UM, TO, TO DO THAT, UM, FEEL THAT NEED, THAT WAS DEFINITELY A HUGE NEED WE HAD IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO WE DEFINITELY APPLAUD THEM.
UM, ONE OF THE, UM, UH, COMMUNICATIONS, UH, FOLKS, THE SIT ON ONE OF OUR TASK FORCE AND, UM, KIND OF BASED UPON SOME FEEDBACK THAT THEY RECEIVED THERE.
UM, THEY, SHE WENT BACK AND TOOK THAT INFORMATION TO CAPITAL METRO, AND WE DIDN'T EVEN ASK THEM TO DO THAT.
THEY JUST TOOK THE INITIATIVE TO DO THAT.
SO THEY SHOULD DEFINITELY BE APPLAUDED FOR THOSE EFFORTS.
UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY, YOU KNOW, YOU CALL, YOU SCHEDULE YOUR APPOINTMENT AND YOU LET THEM KNOW WHEN YOUR APPOINTMENT IS.
AND, UM, AND THEY'LL SEND SOMEONE OVER TO PICK YOU UP AND TAKE YOU TO, AND FROM YOUR APPOINTMENT, AND IT IS A, UH, FREE OF CHARGE, UM, PROCESS.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, IDEALLY IT'S
[01:15:01]
JUST A GREAT PARTNERSHIP.AND SO WE DEFINITELY APPLAUD THEM.
I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYTHING DEFINITELY THEY CAN, THEY CAN DO.
I MEAN, IT'S JUST BASED UPON, YOU KNOW, WHEN THE PERSON GETS THE APPOINTMENT, UM, THAT WAS SOME OF THE FEEDBACK WE RECEIVED FROM FOLKS AND SAYING, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST GIVE ME MORE THAN A 24 HOUR KIND OF TURNAROUND SO I CAN ARRANGE MY TRANSPORTATION.
AND SO, UM, AND SO WE'VE BEEN, UM, ADHERENT TO THAT AS WELL.
GREAT, THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME KNOW ABOUT THAT.
SO I THINK THE NEWS JUST CAME OUT FROM THE STATE THAT ON THE 29TH, THERE'LL BE OPENING UP ELIGIBILITY TO ALL ADULTS.
SO YES, THAT, THAT CLEARS SOME OF OUR EARLIER CONVERSATION ON ELIGIBILITY.
AND SO MY, MY AREAS OF URGING ARE JUST THAT ONE.
IF THAT MEANS WE'RE GOING TO HAVE LOTS OF MORE PEOPLE APPLYING TO OUR SYSTEM, THAT WE'D BE PREPARED FOR THAT TOO, THAT IF THEY'RE OPENING THAT UP, BECAUSE WE EXPECT THERE'LL BE A LOT MORE VACCINE THAT WE ARE DISTRIBUTING THAT QUICKLY.
AND THEN THIRD THOUGH, TO THE MAYOR PRO TEM AND OTHERS POINTS, UM, I'M INTERESTED IN WHETHER OR NOT THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES VACCINE ZIP CODE MAP IS AS FAR AS WE CAN TELL, LIKE THE RIGHT MATH WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT WHEN WE'RE TRYING TO DETERMINE WHICH PERCENTAGE OF DIFFERENT ZIP CODES OR AREAS IN OUR COMMUNITY ARE INDEED VACCINATED, BECAUSE I HEARD, YOU KNOW, THE BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN Y'ALL AND THE COUNTY JUDGE.
IS THERE ONE PLACE THAT WE IS THAT STATE HEALTH WEBSITE DO? ARE WE COUNTING ON THAT AS BEING AN ACCURATE DEPICTION OF, OF PERCENTAGE OF, OF CENSUS TRACKS OR ZIP CODES BEING VACCINATED? YES.
COUNCIL MEMBER THAT'S, THAT'S THE BEST BECAUSE IT INCLUDES ALL OF THE PROVIDERS IN TRAVIS COUNTY.
AGAIN, IT'S GOING TO LAG A LITTLE BIT AS THE DATA COMES IN, BUT I THINK THAT'S GOING TO SHOW THE MOST COMPLETE PICTURE, UH, AS A REMINDER, WHERE WE LOOKED AT THE PROGRESSION OF, OF VACCINE ELIGIBILITY, UH, WE STARTED WITH HEALTHCARE WORKERS AND FIRST RESPONDERS, AND THEN INDIVIDUALS 65 AND OLDER, AND NOW EVERYBODY.
SO THE DATA RIGHT NOW IS GOING TO BE DATA REALLY FOCUSED ON THOSE INITIAL PRIORITY GROUPS.
AND WE KNOW THAT THE GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION OF THOSE GROUPS IS NOT EQUAL ACROSS THE, ACROSS OUR COMMUNITIES.
UH, SO NOW AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH ALL ADULTS BEING ELIGIBLE, NOW WE HAVE TO PAY YOU IN CLOSER ATTENTION TO THOSE VACCINATION EFFORTS BY ZIP CODE.
NOW THAT NOW THAT A MUCH LARGER GROUP IS, IS ABLE TO BE VACCINATED NOW.
SO WE'LL SAY THAT, WELL, EVERYBODY, IT SOUNDS LIKE WILL BE ELIGIBLE STARTING MONDAY.
WE ARE STILL GOING TO HAVE A MUCH SMALLER AMOUNT OF VACCINE THAN PEOPLE WHO WANT VACCINE.
SO WE ARE STILL GOING TO HAVE TO PRIORITIZE.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO FOCUS EFFORTS IN PARTICULAR AREAS AND ON PARTICULAR GROUPS TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE ACHIEVING THE BEST PUBLIC HEALTH OUTCOME THAT WE CAN AGREED IN.
UM, I THINK RIGHT, IF WE CAN TAKE CARE OF AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE, AND OF COURSE THAT TAKES CARE OF EVERYONE.
BUT THEN WHEN I LOOK AT ON THE STATE WEBSITE, TWO OF OUR HARDEST HIT ZIP CODES IN FOUR, FOUR, AND IN FIVE, THREE AND SOUTHEAST, AND IN NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST TWO OF THOSE HARDEST 10 ZIP CODES REMAIN THE TWO THAT ARE LIKE AT 5% AMONGST THE LOWEST IN THE, IN THE COUNTY.
AND SO NOW THAT, UM, I'LL LET YOU, IT SOUNDS LIKE ELIGIBILITY WILL BE FOR ALL ADULTS.
UM, I WILL BE REALLY INTERESTED IN, WELL, HOW WE MAKE SURE THE SYSTEM WORKS.
IF WE HAVE A BIG FLOOD OF, OF PEOPLE COMING TO THE SYSTEM, WHICH IS GOOD, BUT HOW WE HANDLE IT.
AND THEN TO HOW WE HAVE NOW THAT THERE IS NOT THE QUALIFICATION ISSUE, HOW IT IS THAT THOSE PLACES THAT HAVE HAD THE MOST CASES, UM, BUT THE LOWEST VACCINATION RATES, HOW IT IS THAT WE START TO REALLY OVERCOME THAT.
CAN YOU THINK YOU CAN START A KITCHEN? UM, THANK YOU.
I APPRECIATE ALL THE EFFORTS THAT HAVE, UM, GONE INTO GETTING US WHERE WE'RE AT.
UM, AND I APPRECIATE WHAT WE DISCUSSED LAST TIME ABOUT, UM, OUR, UM, ESTIMATED TIMELINE BY WHICH WE WOULD HAVE MOST OF THE CITY, UH, UM, VACCINATED.
SO, UH, AT SOME POINT IT WOULD BE GREAT TO SEE AN UPDATE ON THAT IF THERE'S ANY, UH, ANTICIPATION THAT THAT WOULD CHANGE.
SO MY QUESTION IS, UM, UH, SIMILAR TO OTHERS AND TO SIMILAR TO, UM, TO GREG'S.
[01:20:02]
UM, SO IS THIS, THERE'S TWO PARTS TO IT.UH, WHERE CAN, WHERE, WHERE CAN WE LOOK TO SEE ALL THE PARTNERS THAT, UM, YOUR OFFICE IS WORKING WITH DIRECTOR, UM, STEPHANIE HAYDEN HOWARD, SO THAT WE CAN CONTRIBUTE IF WE'RE AWARE OF ANY ADDITIONAL GROUPS THAT MIGHT BE HELPFUL IN, IN TARGETING OUTREACH.
SO IF YOU COULD LET US KNOW WHERE WE CAN SEE WHAT THAT LIST IS.
AND THEN THE SECOND RELATED QUESTION IS, UH, CONTINUING TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT, UM, SENIORS WHO MAY NOT BE CONNECTED TO, UM, ANY OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS.
UM, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT IF WE IDENTIFY FOLKS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, THAT WE CAN, UH, SHARE THOSE NAMES WITH YOU FOR, UH, FOR OUTREACH.
SO CAN YOU JUST, UM, ANSWER FOR ME WHERE WE MIGHT LOOK, SEE A LIST OF THE GROUPS THAT YOU'RE WORKING WITH, AND THEN SECOND, UM, CONFIRM THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO, UM, TO, AS WE BECOME AWARE OF, OF PEOPLE IN NEIGHBORHOODS WHO MAY NOT BE CONNECTED WITH ANY PARTICULAR GROUP THAT WE CAN SHARE THAT INFORMATION, I GUESS I'M WHAT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT IS WE HAD TALKED FROM TIME TO TIME ABOUT BEING MORE PROACTIVE IN OUTREACHING WITH A TELEPHONE BANK OR OTHER KINDS OF OUTREACH, SO THAT WE COULD REACH PEOPLE THAT AREN'T CONNECTED TO GROUPS.
AND I THINK THAT'S GOING TO BECOME MORE AND MORE IMPORTANT AS WE GET FURTHER ALONG WITH OUR VACCINATION.
UM, YES, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE, UM, OUR GROUP HAS BEEN, UM, PROACTIVELY REACHING OUT TO, YOU KNOW, ANYONE THAT'S BEEN REFERRED TO US.
SO FOLKS THAT ARE NOT, UM, YOU KNOW, REGISTERED IN OUR SYSTEM, FOLKS THAT ARE REGISTERED IN OUR SYSTEM, UM, FOLKS THAT ARE WORKING, UM, YOU KNOW, WITH A PROVIDER, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE STILL KIND OF REMINDING FOLKS IF THEY'RE NOT CONNECTED TO ANY PROVIDER, UM, THEY CAN CALL THREE, ONE, ONE AND LEAVE A MESSAGE.
AND, UM, THEY ARE, THEY ARE SENDING THAT OVER, UM, TO THE EQUITY LINE AND THEY ARE PROVIDING AN INDIVIDUAL BACK A CALL.
AND SO, UM, WITHIN TWO BUSINESS DAYS, OUR FOLKS ARE GIVING THAT PERSON A CALL BACK DETERMINING EXACTLY WHAT THEY NEED, IF THEY DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO THE INTERNET, IF THEY ARE, UM, HOME BAIL.
UM, AND SO JUST KIND OF WORKING THROUGH THAT PROCESS, MAKING SURE EVERYONE HAS AN ACCOUNT SET UP IN THE SYSTEM AND US ON THE PLATFORM.
AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, SO SOMETIMES IT'S A TWO-PART PROCESS WHERE FOLKS ARE REGISTERED AND THEY'RE MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE REGISTERED AND THEN ONCE THE APPOINTMENTS, UM, ARE AVAILABLE, THEN THEY ARE SCHEDULING THOSE.
AND SOMETIMES THEY HAPPEN IN KIND OF ONE SUITE.
YOU GET THE APPOINTMENT, EVERYTHING HAPPENS AT ONE TIME.
AND SO THAT PROCESS IS WORKING PRETTY WELL WITH US.
I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS WE COULD DO PROBABLY A LITTLE BIT MORE AND BETTER, UM, IS REALLY KIND OF GETTING THE WORD OUT TO FOLKS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HOW THEY CAN PLUG IN IF THEY'RE NOT CONNECTED WITH, YOU KNOW, A, UM, A SERVICE PROVIDER.
SO, AND YOU CAN US, THE NAMES OF ALL THE GROUPS THAT YOU'RE WORKING WITH.
CAUSE MY CONCERN REMAINS THOSE FOLKS THAT PARTICULARLY THE OLDER FOLKS, AS I'M VERY HAPPY TO SEE THAT THIS IS NOW OPENING UP FOR THE WHOLE COMMUNITY.
I THINK THAT'S A GOOD THING, BUT I REMAIN CONCERNED THAT PEOPLE WILL BE LEFT BEHIND.
UH, AND I KNOW YOU'RE DOING A LOT OF EFFORTS TO REACH OUT TO PEOPLE THROUGH GROUPS, WHICH MAKES GOOD SENSE.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT INDEED THE SENIORS AND OTHER INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE NOT CONNECTED TO ANY OF THOSE GROUPS HAVE A ROUTE TO GETTING THE VACCINE.
SCOTT AND DIRECTOR HAYDEN HOWARD, FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING REAL QUICK.
I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THAT FAITH-BASED PILOT PROGRAM THAT YOU DID OVER THE WEEKEND.
I FOUND OUT ABOUT IT AFTERWARDS, BUT I'M SO GLAD THAT YOU WERE ABLE TO GET OVER 1700 INDIVIDUALS VACCINATED.
I ALSO WANTED TO ASK A QUICK QUESTION.
I WAS ABLE TO SPEAK WITH AN INDIVIDUAL WHO ACTUALLY UTILIZED THE ALTERNATE CARE SITE AND THEY HAD NOTHING BUT GREAT THINGS TO SAY ABOUT THE CARE THAT WAS PROVIDED THERE.
SO IT WAS NEAT TO GET THAT DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE ON HOW THINGS WORKED.
I WAS WONDERING IF WE COULD CIRCLE BACK TO ONE OF THE FIRST COVID BRIEFINGS WHERE I HAD ASKED IF WE KNEW WHAT THE OPERATIONAL COST OF THAT WAS NOW THAT IT'S BEEN DEMOBILIZED.
I THINK THAT THAT WOULD BE A GOOD PIECE OF INFORMATION TO SHARE WITH THE COMMUNITY AND COUNCIL MEMBER.
FIRST OF ALL, LET ME SAY THANK YOU TO YOU AND YOUR STAFF FOR YOUR SUPPORT IN, IN BUILDING THAT, UH, THAT FAITH-BASED, UH, UH, PROGRAM AT, AT SACRED HEART.
UH, CERTAINLY, UH, IT WAS A LABOR OF LOVE AND I'M SO GLAD TO SEE SO MANY PEOPLE VACCINATED THIS WEEKEND,
[01:25:02]
UM, REGARDING THE ALTERNATE CARE SITES, UH, WHEN WE STOOD IT UP THAT TRANSITION TO THE TEXT DIVISION OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, UH, WHO, WHO FUNDED THAT PARTICULAR OPERATION? UH, CERTAINLY, UH, IN THE AFTER ACTION, UH, UH, I WOULD IMAGINE THE EMERGENCY MANAGER, NOT ONE OF OUR TEAS, UH, COULD PROVIDE SOME BRIEFING ON THE PARTICULARS OF, OF THE BUILDUP COSTS FOR THAT.THANK YOU SO MUCH AGAIN, AND THAT WAS JUST INCREDIBLE TO ACCOMPLISH THAT OVER THE WEEKEND.
I JUST WANT TO, ONCE AGAIN, EXTEND MY SINCERE AND DEEP APPRECIATION TO EVERYBODY OUT IN THE FIELD AND, UM, AT THE CITY AND THE COUNTY AND, UM, ACROSS THIS DIOCESE FOR EVERYTHING Y'ALL ARE CONTINUING TO DO, IT HAS BEEN A HUGE LIFT AND, UM, YOU'VE SHOWN A NIMBLENESS AND ABILITY TO ADJUST AND ACCOMMODATE ALL WITH GOOD HUMOR.
UH, THAT GOES A HECK OF A LONG WAY AND THAT LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL, I THINK IT'S KEEPS GETTING GROCER.
UH, THIS QUESTION IS GOING TO BE FOR DIRECTOR HAYDEN HOWARD, HOW LONG DO YOU ANTICIPATE OPERATION AT THE BERGER CENTER? I WOULD BE VERY INTERESTED TO COME OUT AND VOLUNTEER.
I THINK MY TEAM WOULD BE EXCITED TO VOLUNTEER.
SO I WAS JUST WONDERING HOW LONG WE CAN EXPECT THAT TO BE A, A MASS VACCINATION LOCATION.
WELL, I THINK SINCE WE JUST STARTED THERE, WE'LL, WE'LL BE THERE FOR AWHILE.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE CAN, WHAT WE'VE DONE IS IS THAT WE, UM, HAVE A LINK THAT WE ARE SENDING, UM, FOLKS THAT ARE INTERESTED IN VOLUNTEERING.
AND SO, UM, I COULD SEND THAT TO YOU.
I COULD SHARE IT WITH EVERYONE ELSE.
UM, AND BASICALLY, UM, WHAT FOLKS ARE DOING IS THAT THEY, YOU KNOW, WE SEND YOU THE LINK AND YOU OPEN TODAY, SO ARE YOU DOING OKAY? SO YES, WE CAN GET THAT TO YOU.
SORRY, MY INTERNET CUT OUT FOR A SECOND.
UM, AND SO ARE YOU DOING IT SEVEN DAYS OUT OF THE WEEK OR WHAT'S THE EXPECTATION OF TYPICALLY WE'RE TYPICALLY, UH, A FIVE DAY, UM, OPERATION? UM, SO MOST, MOST LIKELY WE'RE DOING TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY OR OUR EFFORTS, UM, SUNDAY, MONDAY, OR THE KIND OF TWO DAYS THAT, YOU KNOW, FOLKS WERE ABLE TO, TO REST.
BE HAPPY TO SEE IF WE CAN ROUND OUT SOME VOLUNTEERS.
SO I WANT TO JUST ADD MY THANKS.
I THINK THE PILOT PROGRAMS THAT YOU'VE LAUNCHED ARE, ARE GREAT.
I THINK THE IMPROVEMENTS TO THE APH WEBSITE ARE, ARE REALLY IMPORTANT.
UM, I KNOW ONE, ONE THING THAT I ALSO WANT TO APPRECIATE IS THAT IN THE LAST DAY OR TWO, ONE OF OUR PIO STAFF MEMBERS, UM, SUGGESTED TO SUGGESTED THAT, UM, PEOPLE CAN TAKE, IF SOME OF THOSE PRIVATE PARTNERS WHO WILL HAVE AVAILABLE VACCINE.
AND I WANT TO JUST GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SEVERAL GROUPS OF VOLUNTEERS WHO HAVE ORGANIZED THEMSELVES IN THE COMMUNITY AND ARE POSTING ON NEXT DOOR RESOURCES AND TELLING PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, WHEN DIFFERENT APPOINTMENTS ARE BECOMING AVAILABLE, I ACTUALLY WAS ABLE TO, TO SEE, I SAW SOME OF THAT INFORMATION LAST WEEK.
AND AS PART OF THAT INFORMATION WAS ABLE TO GET ONLINE AND, AND GOT MY FIRST VACCINE AT CVS IN GEORGETOWN, UM, OVER THE WEEKEND.
SO I REALLY, AGAIN, JUST REALLY APPRECIATE, I'M SO GRATEFUL, UM, TO HAVE HAD THAT SHOT, BUT REALLY APPRECIATE THOSE VOLUNTEERS WHO WERE STEPPING UP ASSIST AND BE KIND OF INFORMAL NAVIGATORS FOR SO MANY IN OUR, IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, AND I THINK IT'S AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE FOR APH TO CONTINUE TO PUT OUT THAT IF, IF WE HAVE RESIDENTS AND WE DO DEFINITELY HAVE RESIDENTS WHO ARE ABLE TO TRAVEL TO THE NEXT TOWN OVER TO OTHER PLACES TO GET THOSE VACCINES, THAT THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE GREAT, UM, OPTIONS FOR PEOPLE TO EXPLORE.
AND THAT FREES UP SOME OF THOSE IN TOWN VACCINES, FOR PEOPLE WHO, WHO REALLY CAN'T TRAVEL AND NEED TO BE ABLE TO GO, UM, LOCALLY AND NEED TO BE ABLE TO GET THOSE VACCINES THROUGH THE COUNTY CITY SITE.
I GOT A QUESTION THAT, THAT IT'S COME UP SEVERAL TIMES IN SOME OF OUR PUBLICATIONS ABOUT, UM, THE EQUITY LINE AND MY STAFF, AND I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIND KIND OF A DESCRIPTION OF WHAT EXACTLY THAT IS AND HOW IT'S WORKING.
AND SO, UM, WE'RE TRYING TO PIECE TOGETHER INFORMATION FROM THE DIFFERENT PRESS, BUT IF YOU COULD, IF YOU COULD KIND OF GIVE US A SUMMARY OF WHAT THE EQUITY LINE IS AND WHAT IT'S DOING.
UM, AND, AND THEN I HAVE TO JUST QUICKLY VERIFY A COUPLE PIECES OF INFORMATION THAT YOU SAID IN TODAY'S SESSION.
[01:30:04]
OKAY.UM, SO WE ESTABLISHED THE, UM, EQUITY LINE, UM, IN JANUARY.
AND, UM, BASICALLY THAT LINE, UM, WAS ESTABLISHED WORKING WITH GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATIONS, UM, THAT HAD NOTICED THAT AS WE DID THAT, IT WAS DIFFICULT TO GET THROUGH OUR REGULAR LINE.
AND SO WE WANTED TO ESTABLISH A PROCESS WHERE FOLKS THAT DIDN'T HAVE ACCESS TO THE INTERNET, UM, OR THAT JUST DON'T HAVE KIND OF THAT AMOUNT OF TIME TO SIT AND WAIT.
AND SO, UM, AND SO THAT THOSE OUTBOUND CALLS STARTED, UM, BASED UPON THE REFERRALS THAT WE WERE RECEIVING FROM SEVERAL OF OUR PARTNERS, UM, TO GET THEM SCHEDULED.
AND SO, UM, THEY'RE ABLE TO, UM, UH, CREATE ACCOUNTS FOR FOLKS.
UM, AND SO NOT THAT THEY HAVE TO HAVE EMAIL OR ANY OF THAT, UM, IT KINDA TAKES THAT WHOLE EMAIL PART OF IT BECAUSE SOME FOLKS DON'T HAVE EMAIL AND SO THEY'RE ABLE TO, UM, CREATE THOSE ACCOUNTS FOR THEM.
UM, AND IF THEY HAVE A CELL PHONE AND THEY'RE WILLING TO RECEIVE A TEXT MESSAGE, OR IF THEY JUST WANT US TO CALL THEM BACK.
UM, AND SO THAT IS HOW WE ARE SCHEDULING THEIR APPOINTMENTS FOR THEIR FIRST AND THEIR SECOND DOSE, UM, APPOINTMENTS.
AND THAT HAS, HAS WORKED, UM, VERY WELL.
AND, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, WE'VE ADDED SOME ADDITIONAL PARTNERS, UM, IN THAT PROCESS, IN ADDITION TO KIND OF THAT PIECE, UM, THAT WAS THE SAME PLACE WHERE WE, UM, HAVE ADDED THE SENIOR PIECE, UM, TO THAT PROCESS AS WELL.
AND SO BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE COUNTY IN THAT PROCESS TO BE ABLE TO, UM, ACTIVELY CALL FOR, IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE HAVE SOME PARTNERS THAT JUST, UH, WORKED VERY CLOSELY.
THEY, UM, ASSISTED FOLKS TO SET UP ACCOUNTS AND THEY'RE GOING TO BE PROVIDING THE TRANSPORTATION AND FELL BASICALLY.
UM, AND SO THEY'RE ABLE TO REFER FOLKS INTO US AS WELL, WHO THEY ARE GOING TO TRANSPORT TO AND FROM THEIR APPOINTMENTS.
THAT HELPS ME PUT TOGETHER A LOT OF THE DIFFERENT PIECES OF INFORMATION THAT YOU SHARED THROUGHOUT THIS PRESENTATION AND PREVIOUS PRESENTATIONS, BUT IT WASN'T CLEAR TO ME KIND OF HOW THAT IS FALLING INTO THE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S SORT OF A SUBSET OF THE NURSES LINE, SO PEOPLE CAN STILL CALL ANYBODY CAN STILL CALL THE NURSES LINE FOR ASSISTANCE.
UM, BUT THE EQUITY LINE IS, IS REFER, IS WORKING REALLY DIRECTLY WITH THOSE PARTNERS AND DOING MORE PROACTIVE OUTREACH.
AND WE ARE ASKING PEOPLE TO JUST CALL THREE, ONE, ONE, LEAVE THAT MESSAGE.
UM, AND THEN, UM, OUR FOLKS WILL CALL THEM BACK WITHIN TWO BUSINESS DAYS AND, UM, YOU KNOW, ESTABLISH THOSE ACCOUNTS AND, AND GET THEM SCHEDULED.
SO THE EQUITY LINE IS WORKING DIRECTLY WITH PARTNERS, IF AN INDIVIDUAL CALLS THREE, ONE, ONE, AND NEEDS THAT KIND OF ASSISTANCE, ARE THEY GETTING REFERRED TO THE EQUITY LINE, OR ARE YOU JUST SAYING THAT'S AN OPTION FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE NOT WORKING WITH PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS? SO ACTUALLY IT'S A COMBINATION OF BOTH BECAUSE WE HAVE SOME FOLKS THAT ARE WORKING WITH PARTNERS, BUT THEY'VE NOT GONE THE PARTNER ROUTE AND THEY HAVE JUST CALLED THREE ONE, ONE AND SAID, YOU KNOW, I NEED TO, UM, ACCESS THOSE SERVICES.
AND SO THEY'RE ABLE TO LEAVE THAT MESSAGE AND THEN OUR FOLKS ARE CALLING THEM BACK.
UM, THE OTHER COMPONENT THAT I TALKED ABOUT WAS IS THAT THREE, ONE, ONE NOW HAS STAFF ON BOARD THAT ARE ABLE TO SET UP ACCOUNTS.
SO WHEN FOLKS CALL THEM, THEY'RE ABLE TO DO SOME OF THAT TROUBLESHOOTING WITH THEM ON ACCOUNTS AS WELL.
AND I THINK I HEARD YOU SAY TWO THINGS THAT I JUST WANT TO VERIFY THAT, UM, THAT THE CALL VOLUME, IT SOUNDS AS IF THE CALL VOLUME ON THAT CALL LINE IS GOING DOWN CONSIDERABLY.
AND SO I ASSUME THAT AS THAT HAPPENED, SINCE WE STILL HAVE QUITE A FEW, I THINK 60 ISH CALL TURKERS, UM, WILL THOSE, CALL-TAKERS THAT HOLD TO KIND OF SWITCH INTO THAT MORE NAVIGATOR ROLE AND, AND DO MORE PROACTIVE CALLING? DO WE INTEND, I GUESS, DO YOU INTEND TO KEEP THEM EMPLOYED, UM, AS CALL-TAKERS AND ARE THEY GOING TO BE SHIFTING INTO KIND OF MORE OF A NAVIGATOR ROLE IF THE CALL VOLUME IS GOING DOWN? SO, SO REALLY THAT HAS BEEN THEIR ROLE THIS ENTIRE TIME IS THAT THEY HAVE ACCIDENTS NAVIGATORS.
SO, YOU KNOW, THEY, BECAUSE INITIALLY BEFORE, UM, TRANSPORTATION WAS SET UP, THEY WILL TALK TO PEOPLE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HOW ARE YOU GOING TO GET TO THE APPOINTMENT, ET CETERA.
SO THOSE EFFORTS WILL CONTINUE WITH THEM, UM, BECAUSE THEY ARE TRAINED TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE MULTIPLE SERVICES.
UM, AND THAT WORKED WELL FOR US.
SO NOT ONLY, YOU KNOW, WITH THREE, ONE, ONE,
[01:35:01]
THE CITY STAFF, THE COUNTY AS WELL.SO THEY ALSO, THEY ALL HAVE WHAT'S CALLED A SALESFORCE LICENSE.
AND SO THEY'RE ABLE TO GET INTO THE SYSTEM TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT WORK WITH FOLKS FOR THOSE OUTBOUND CALLS THAT THEY'RE MAKING.
SO THEY ARE GOING TO PROACTIVELY, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE WAITING FOR CALLS.
THEY'RE ALSO GOING TO THEN BE SHIFTING INTO KIND OF MORE PROACTIVE.
AND THEN MY LAST QUICK QUESTION, AS YOU HAVE PEOPLE, I, I THINK YOU SAID THAT PEOPLE CAN REQUEST TO BE REMOVED FROM THE DATABASE.
SO AS YOU HAVE INDIVIDUALS, UM, AND I'M NOW ONE OF THEM WHO HAD REGISTERED WITH APH, BUT WANT TO REMOVE THEMSELVES, WHAT SHOULD WE, WHAT SHOULD WE TELL THOSE INDIVIDUALS TO DO? WHAT'S THE BET IS EVENTUALLY GOING TO BE A BUTTON WHERE YOU JUST DEACTIVATE YOUR ACCOUNT OR DO THEY NEED TO JUST EMAIL THE TECH LINE? YES.
UM, THAT IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UM, OUR STAFF ARE WORKING ON NOW.
UM, AND SO ONCE WE HAVE THAT ACTIVE, WE ARE GOING TO BE PROACTIVELY SENDING OUT EMAILS TO FOLKS THAT HAVE ACCOUNTS IN THE SYSTEM AND ASKING THEM, UM, TO GO AHEAD AND OPT OUT OF THE SERVICE.
I WANTED TO ASK, I THINK THIS IS A QUESTION FOR, UM, DR.
I WANTED TO ASK ABOUT, UM, CHILDREN AND FUTURE VACCINATIONS FOR CHILDREN AND WHAT WE MIGHT EXPECT.
SO IT'S WONDERFUL NEWS THAT WE ARE MOVING TO MAKE ALL ADULTS ELIGIBLE AND THAT WE HAVE VACCINES, UM, THAT WE BELIEVE ARE SAFE FOR ADULTS.
UM, BUT IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE CAN GET OUR KIDS BACK TO SCHOOL.
AND WHILE I REALLY APPRECIATE THE EFFORTS TO VACCINATE THE SCHOOL STAFF, UM, ULTIMATELY THE SAFEST THING WILL BE WHEN THE CHILDREN ARE ALSO VACCINATED.
UM, BUT THERE'S REALLY A VERY BIG DEARTH OF INFORMATION ABOUT HOW THAT MIGHT ROLL OUT AND WHAT WE MIGHT ANTICIPATE.
SO IF YOU COULD PLEASE SHARE, UM, WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT HOW THAT WILL ROLL OUT AND ALSO HOW, UM, YOU'RE SUPPORTING OUR SCHOOLS AND THE CHOICES THEY'RE MAKING ABOUT REOPENING RAYMOUR STUDENTS ON CERTAINLY, UH, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE ARE TRIALS GOING ON RIGHT NOW.
SO THOSE TRIALS ARE ENROLLING, UH, INDIVIDUALS IN AUSTIN, UH, TO STUDY VACCINES IN, UH, IN CHILDREN.
UM, IT'S HARD TO, TO GUESS THE TIMEFRAME NOW, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, PART OF, OF THE VACCINATION, UH, EFFICACY STUDIES INVOLVE, UH, HAVING A CERTAIN BURDEN TO STAYS TO, TO ENROLL PATIENTS AND IDENTIFY PEOPLE WHO BECOME ILL.
SO IF WE SEE SIGNIFICANT SUPPRESSION OF, OF DISEASE, AND THERE'S NOT A LOT OF TRANSMISSION, IT MAY LENGTHEN THE TIME.
IT TAKES TWO TO COMPLETE THOSE TRIALS.
UM, HAVING SAID THAT, I THINK A REASONABLE ESTIMATE, UH, WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, SOMETIME MENTALLY SUMMER IN TERMS OF, OF, UH, A CANDIDATE, UH, VACCINE, UH, THAT MAY BE AVAILABLE TO YOUNGER CHILDREN, OBVIOUSLY, UH, INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE 16 OR OLDER, WHICH ARE, THEY ARE, YOU KNOW, ARE HIGH SCHOOL JUNIORS AND SENIORS WILL HAVE ELIGIBILITY, UH, STARTING MONDAY.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S GOING TO INCREMENTALIZE, UH, REGARDING THE PROTECTIONS FOR THE SCHOOLS.
AGAIN, WHEN WE THINK ABOUT SUMMER ACTIVITIES, WHEN WE THINK ABOUT SUMMER SCHOOL, WHEN WE THINK ABOUT CAMPS, UH, WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO STILL HAVE PROTECTIONS IN PLACE FOR THOSE YOUNGER INDIVIDUALS, UH, BECAUSE THOSE COULD CERTAINLY BE, UH, GROUNDS FOR A SIGNIFICANT TRANSMISSION OF DISEASE.
SO EXPECT MASKING AND DISTANCING AND HYGIENE PRACTICES TO NEED TO BE CONTINUED, UH, THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER FOR THOSE KINDS OF ACTIVITIES.
WHEN IT COMES TO, TO FALL SEMESTER.
IT'S A LITTLE BIT TOO EARLY TO TELL.
UH, OBVIOUSLY WE'VE GOT A DECREASE IN THE DISTANCING REQUIREMENT.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, EVERY TEACHER SCHOOL STAFF MEMBER THAT WANTS TO BE VACCINATED VACCINATED BEFORE SCHOOL STARTS.
SO THAT'S GOING TO START TO DECREASE THE CONCERN ABOUT THE NEXT SCHOOL YEAR, UM, DEPENDING ON WHAT HAPPENS WITH VACCINE APPROVALS, IT'S POSSIBLE THAT THAT STUDENTS WILL STILL NEED TO BE MASKED, UH, IN THE, IN THE FALL SEMESTER.
BUT, UM, AGAIN TOO EARLY TO TELL W WITH CERTAINLY WHAT, WHAT THAT FALL SEMESTER IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE.
AND THEN, UM, I WANTED TO JUST, UM, CONFIRM WITH DR.
HAYDEN HOWARD, IF FOLKS HAVE RECEIVED A SECOND APPOINTMENT, BUT THEY NEED TO CANCEL IT OR CHANGE IT.
WHAT IS THE PROCEDURE WE'VE BEEN GETTING A COUPLE OF THOSE QUESTIONS THE LAST DAY OR TWO, IS IT THAT THEY CANNOT MAKE
[01:40:01]
THAT APPOINTMENT? IS THAT THE PROBLEM THAT THEY'RE HAVING? UM, THEY WERE GIVEN AN ASSIGNED APPOINTMENT AND THEY CAN'T MAKE THAT PARTICULAR APPOINTMENT.UM, THEY CAN JUST SEND AN EMAIL TO THAT, UM, APH INFORMATION EMAIL, AND JUST SAY, YOU KNOW, I NEED TO CANCEL THE APPOINTMENT.
DO THEY NEED TO RESCHEDULE THE APPOINTMENT? YEAH.
SO THEY JUST NEED TO PUT THAT IN, IN THE INFORMATION IS THAT THEY ARE NOT ABLE TO MAKE THE APPOINTMENT AND THEY NEED TO RESCHEDULE IT.
AND THEN, UM, FOR THOSE WHO DON'T, DIDN'T GET A SECOND APPOINTMENT.
THEY'RE JUST SUPPOSED TO WAIT FOR YOU TO BE IN TOUCH WITH THEM.
THEY SHOULD BE RECEIVING, UM, AN EMAIL FOR THE ONES, YOU KNOW, THE FOUR TODAY THAT CAME IN, THEY WILL BE RECEIVING AN EMAIL, WHICH HAS THEIR APPOINTMENT.
AND IF THEY CAN'T MAKE IT AS WELL, UM, IT HAS THE EMAIL ON THERE.
SO IT JUST THERE'S, YOU KNOW, JUST LET US KNOW YOU CAN'T MAKE IT.
AND IS THAT ROLLING OUT OR IS THAT LIKE TODAY, EVERYONE WHO HAS GOTTEN A SHOT, BUT DIDN'T GET A SECOND APPOINTMENT, WILL GET ANY MAIL.
SO, SO AS OF TODAY AT THE CLINIC LOCATIONS, WHEN FOLKS COME IN, THEY'RE GOING TO BE PROVIDED THE VACCINE, THE OTHER PEOPLE THAT ARE IN THE PIPELINE, WE'RE GOING TO GO IN THE ORDER THAT THEY'VE COME IN.
AND SO WE'LL KIND OF TAKE THEM A LITTLE BIT AT A TIME UNTIL WE CAN NORMALIZE IT INTO OUR PROCESS.
SO ALL OF THAT WILL NOT HAPPEN TODAY ON THE GROUND WHERE FOLKS ARE COMING IN, THAT THEY'LL RECEIVE THAT INFORMATION.
SO OVER THE NEXT KIND OF COUPLE OF WEEKS, UM, FOLKS WILL START TO RECEIVE THAT INFORMATION FROM THE ONES THAT HAVE ALREADY COME IN THUS FAR, BUT YOU'RE AWARE OF ALL OF THOSE SECOND APPOINTMENTS.
SO YOU'RE BALANCING THAT OUT SO THAT THOSE FOLKS WILL BE, GET THEIR SECOND APPOINTMENT WITHIN THE WINDOWS THAT ARE RECOMMENDED.
AND THERE'S A CERTAIN PEACE OF MIND DIRECTOR, UH, HEY, HOWARD, THAT IF YOU'VE GOT YOUR FIRST APPOINTMENT AND YOU HAVEN'T HEARD BY LIKE DAY 40 OR 42, YOU CAN JUST SHOW UP, JUST SHOW UP, BRING YOUR CARD WITH YOU, AND YOU'LL GET A SECOND DOSE.
HOPEFULLY EVERYBODY WILL GET AN EMAIL BEFORE, BUT A CERTAIN PEACE OF MIND.
AND KNOWING THAT IF YOU GET TO THAT PLACE, YOU CAN JUST SHOW UP WITH YOUR CARD AND YOU COULD GET A SECOND DOES ABSOLUTELY AT ANY OF OUR SITES.
UH, AGAIN, I WANNA THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING THAT, UH, TO YOU, DR.
SCOTT DIRECTOR, HAYDEN HOWARD ARE DOING, I JUST WANT TO THANK THE FOLKS IN THE COUNTY, UH, JUDGE YOU AND YOUR TEAM, AND SETTING UP THE, THE COTA OPERATION, UH, AND, AND SUPPORT.
IT'S A, IT'S A REALLY EFFECTIVE, UH, PARTNERSHIP AND WE'RE ALL WORKING AND MEETING AND TALKING TO EACH OTHER TOGETHER ALL THE TIME FOR THAT REASON.
UH, AGAIN, I, TO URGE YOU DIRECT YOUR HEAD AND HOWARD TO PUT THE COTA DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION TOGETHER WITH, UH, UH, THE APH INFORMATION, BECAUSE IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE ALL DOING TOGETHER.
AND, UM, AS YOU'VE INDICATED, APH HAS CERTAIN LIMITATIONS ON BEING ABLE TO FOCUS JUST ON EQUITY DISTRIBUTION OF THE VACCINE.
UM, UH, YOU'RE DOING A LOT, UH, APH TO, TO STILL DO THAT WITHIN THE GUARDRAILS THAT THE STATE HAS DONE.
UH, CONGRATULATIONS ON THE ONE THIS WEEKEND WITH WAS A 1200 OR 1500, UH, AT THE CHURCH PEOPLE THAT, UM, UH, PRIMARILY, UH, FALL WITHIN THAT GROUP OF PEOPLE, THAT'D BE MORE DIFFICULT TO, TO GET VACCINES TO, UM, YOU KNOW, BUT THAT WAS THAT THAT UNIVERSE WOULD BE 10% OF WHAT AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH WOULD HAVE GIVEN OUT THAT WEEK IF, IF, UH, UH, COMMUNITY CARES GIVING OUT, UH, YOU KNOW, 10,000 PLUS OUT AT COTA.
THAT AGAIN, AS A POPULATION DIFFICULT TO, TO REACH OUT TO THAT'S FOUR COUNTIES, BUT MOST OF THEM ARE IN TRAVIS COUNTY.
UH, SO INCLUDING THOSE NUMBERS, JUST SO THAT THE PUBLIC CAN GET A MORE COMPLETE PICTURE.
UM, I DO AGREE WITH OTHER FOLKS, COLLEAGUES THAT HAVE SUGGESTED THAT IF THERE'S ANY WAY TO GET VISIBILITY ON THE OTHER VACCINES THAT ARE BEING GIVEN OUT, THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
THE STATE NUMBERS LAGS SO MUCH, UM, AND, AND SUCH A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF THE STATE NUMBERS WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT DEMOGRAPHICS SHOW UP AS NOT AVAILABLE.
SO YOU'RE LOOKING AT, UH, DECLARED DEMOGRAPHICS FOR, FOR A SMALL, RELATIVELY SMALLER PORTION OF THE TOTAL UNIVERSITY.
AND WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE WERE ABLE TO GET THAT INFORMATION WITH RESPECT TO TESTING FROM OUR PARTNERS.
WE PUT IT INTO THE ORDERS, UH, THAT THE COUNTY JUDGE AND I ISSUED TO, TO GET THAT,
[01:45:01]
I KNOW YOU'RE TALKING TO THAT COLLECTIVE GROUP, BUT IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO.SO AS I MAKE THAT A, A PRIORITY, THEY'RE GOING TO BE MORE AND MORE QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS AS MORE AND MORE PEOPLE HAVE ACCESS TO THE VACCINES.
AND AS MORE AND MORE THE VACCINES RIGHT NOW, WE'RE AT 25, 50% OF THE VACCINES BEING GIVEN OUT OF THE COUNTY.
SO THERE'S ANOTHER 75% OF THE VACCINES THAT ARE NOT SHOWING UP IN THE UNIVERSE THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
SO VISIBILITY ON THAT I THINK WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL.
UM, I'M NOT SURE I LIKE THAT WE'RE STATES MOVING US TO KENNY, EVERYBODY AVAILABLE FOR VACCINES RIGHT NOW.
UH, AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, IT WAS COMING AND I, AND I, AND YOU WANT TO BE ABLE TO GET TO THAT POINT.
I WISH THAT OUR NEXT MOVE HAD BEEN TO FOCUS ON ESSENTIAL WORKERS AND PEOPLE THAT ARE REALLY AT THE CROSSROADS OF, UM, OF, OF PASSING THIS INFECTION ON TO, UH, TO OTHERS, OR BECAUSE I THINK ANOTHER COUPLE OF WEEKS OF JUST TARGETING THAT UNIVERSE, UH, WOULD HAVE BEEN A WISER PUBLIC HEALTH CHOICE.
UM, AND, UM, I THINK THAT I LEARNED THAT FROM YOUR DOCTOR HAS GOT DOCTOR AN HOUR THAT, THAT, THAT, UM, WHAT'S, UH, WAS IT AN AREA THAT WE HAD HOPED THAT, UH, THEY WOULD BE, UM, MOVING, UH, TOWARD MY QUESTION GOES TO THE EXPANSION OF THE NUMBERS AS WE GET MORE VACCINES IN, UH, IT'S GREAT TO HEAR THAT, UH, CODA COULD DO 40, WE COULD DO 40 A WEEK THAT'S 80 A WEEK.
UH, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE REAL LIMITATION ON OUR ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT, IT'S GOTTA BE STAFFING ISSUE.
I FELT LIKE WE WERE SAYING THE SAME THING BACK WHEN ICU'S REMOVING, UH, CAPACITY WAS LOOMING IN FRONT OF US.
UM, HAVE WE, UH, UH, COORDINATED YET SO THAT WE HAVE A SINGLE, UH, VOLUNTEERING, UH, UH, DASHBOARD OR ABILITY FOR PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY TO HELP BOTH WITH APH AND WITH, UH, TRAVIS COUNTY, UH, COTA AND, UM, UM, JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE BOTH RESPECT OF VOLUNTEERS, UH, AND THEN VOLUNTEERS OR PROFESSIONALS NEEDED TO ACTUALLY PUT THE VACCINE IN AND MIX IT TO THE DEGREE THEY'RE MIXING.
UM, CAN YOU SPEAK FOR A SECOND ON HOW WE'RE DOING WITH RESPECT TO PLANNING FOR STAFFING OUT, UH, THAT PHYSICAL CAPACITY? UM, I DEFINITELY WANT TO, UM, APPLAUD THE CITY MANAGER, UM, BECAUSE HE SENT OUT A MEMO TO DIRECTORS ACROSS THE CITY, UM, ASKING FOR, UH, REASSIGNMENTS.
UM, AND WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO, UM, REPURPOSE RETRAIN A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES.
AND SO, UM, QUITE A FEW OF THEM ARE OUR CITY EMPLOYEES, I BELIEVE.
UM, WE'RE UP TO ABOUT 400, UM, THAT'LL KIND OF TRANSITIONED OVER ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, CHIEF BREAKER HAS BEEN HE AND HIS STAFF, UM, THEY HAVE RECRUITED, UM, SOME, UH, FIRE, UH, OFFICERS THAT WERE RETIRED, UM, AND SOME OF THEM ABOUT 12 OF THEM HAVE, UH, THE EMT CERTIFICATION.
AND SO THE ABILITY TO KIND OF USE THEM IN MULTIPLE WAYS IS DEFINITELY GOING TO BE SIGNIFICANT.
ONE OF THE THINGS, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT I THINK, YOU KNOW, ALL OF US ARE JUST KIND OF KEEPING IN MIND IS THAT, UM, WE KNOW INITIALLY THIS WILL BE A VERY ATTRACTIVE WAY FOR FOLKS TO VOLUNTEER, UM, BECAUSE THIS IS A WAY FOR, FOR THEM TO BE GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY.
BUT LONG-TERM, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW THAT WE, WE DEFINITELY HAVE, UM, PAID FOLKS IN PLACE THAT ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THESE SERVICES.
UM, WE'VE HAD A COUPLE OF CONVERSATIONS WITH PROVIDERS, UM, THAT HAVE BEEN APPROVED BY THE STATE OF TEXAS.
UM, AND, AND LOOKING AT THAT KIND OF FORWARDLY, UM, ABOUT HOW, YOU KNOW, ONCE CITY STAFF TRANSITIONED BACK, VOLUNTEERS TRANSITIONED BACK TO THEIR REGULAR ROLE, UM, THEN WE'RE ABLE TO PIVOT AND WORK WITH, UM, ADDITIONAL CONTRACT PROVIDERS.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT IT FROM KIND OF WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW, UM, KIND OF 30 DAY LOOK OUT.
UM, BUT WE'RE ALSO KIND OF LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, BEYOND MAY, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? AND SO THOSE ARE THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE ARE WORKING ON FROM A 30,
[01:50:01]
60, 90 DAYS, UM, EFFORT AND PROCESS THE OTHER KIND OF, PART OF THE EQUATION, UM, THAT THE, UM, AUSTIN TOLD THE KELP TEAM HAVE, HAVE STARTED THE DISCUSSIONS BECAUSE ONCE, UM, VACCINES ARE APPROVED, UM, FOR INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE UNDER THE AGE OF 16, UM, KIND OF WHAT DOES THAT PROCESS LOOK LIKE? UM, AS YOU ALL KNOW, WE, YOU KNOW, WE ARE A, UM, A VACCINE PROVIDER AND THERE'S SEVERAL, UM, VACCINE PROVIDERS FOR CHILDREN IN, IN TRAVIS COUNTY, BUT WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE AS WELL? SO THOSE ARE KIND OF THE 30, 60, 90 DAY KIND OF PROCESS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT WITH EXISTING STAFF RIGHT NOW, UM, FIRE PERSONNEL TO ASSIST US VOLUNTEERS THAT WE ARE ADDING AS WELL.UM, BUT THEN LONG-TERM KIND OF PIVOTING, UH, TO, TO CONTRACT TO PROVIDERS.
DO WE HAVE, WE'D BEEN ABLE TO JOIN YET WITH THE COUNTY, THEY HAVE A SINGLE PLATFORM FOR VOLUNTEERS.
SO, SO WE REALLY HAVE NOT NEEDED TO DO THAT SINCE THE CITY MANAGER, UM, WENT FORWARD AND HAS RE HAS REASSIGNED, UM, AND DIRECTORS HAVE REASSIGNED THEIR, THEIR STAFF.
UM, UH, TH THE STAFF HAS SET UP THIS KIND OF UNITED KIND OF PLATFORM, UM, THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO USE.
UM, AND SO WE, WE ARE ELIGIBLE TO USE ANYONE IN THE SYSTEM IS WHAT OUR EOC FOLKS HAVE SAID.
SO WE CAN, IF WE NEED TO GET FOLKS FROM THAT PLATFORM, WE CAN, OKAY.
IF WE GEAR UP IN TWO WEEKS AND IT EXTENDS PAST THAT, PLEASE HAVE A SINGLE SITE WITH, WITH TRAVIS COUNTY, CAN YOU GET A MEMO OUT TO THE COUNCIL AND LET US KNOW WHAT THE DEMOGRAPHICS ARE ON THE 40,000 PEOPLE THAT HAVE GONE THROUGH COTA? I THINK THAT COMMUNITY CARE HAS BEEN COMPILING THAT NUMBER IN REAL-TIME BASIS, SO THAT WE CAN JUST HIDE THAT AS WE'RE LOOKING AT, UH, HISTORIC APH NUMBERS AS WELL.
YOU DO, YOU'RE WANTING A MEMO SPECIFICALLY FOR COTA OPERATIONS TO MAYOR AND COUNCIL AND COMMISSIONER, RIGHT.
TOUGH BECAUSE THAT'S THE OTHER PART OF OUR TEAM EFFORT.
THAT'S JUST NOT SHOWING UP IN THE NUMBERS THAT WE SEE HERE.
SO IT'S, IT'S OVER 25% OF THE TOTAL UNIVERSE.
IT'S ALMOST A THIRD OF, OF THE APH NUMBER THAT'S BEEN REPORTED.
AND THEN LAST QUESTION REAL FAST.
WHAT WAS THE STATE AVERAGE? DR.
S DOT ON MORTALITY RATE PER A HUNDRED THOUSAND 760 MAYOR, A HUNDRED AND (160) 100-6000.
AND WHERE ARE THE 70 RANGE? UM, I JUST WANT TO COMMAND EVERYBODY.
THAT'S BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR THAT NUMBER, UH, YOU KNOW, AT THE BOTTOM LINE, WHEN YOU LOOK AT EVERY STRATEGY THAT WE'VE HAD IN EVERY CORNER AND EVERYTHING THAT WE'VE DONE, IT'S BEEN ABOUT KEEPING PEOPLE SAFE AND KEEPING PEOPLE ALIVE.
THAT, THAT BRINGS INTO ALL THE EFFORTS TO FOCUS ON FOLKS THAT ARE MOST VULNERABLE.
IF EVERYTHING ADDS UP TO THAT NUMBER AND TO BE IN THE SEVENTIES WHEN THE STATE AVERAGE IS 160 TO BE IN THE SEVENTIES, WHICH IS ONE OF THE LOWEST OF ANY CITY AMONGST IT IS ONE OF THE LOWEST AMOUNT OF CITIES IN THE COUNTRY, I THINK IS A REAL TESTAMENT TO THE, TO THE WORK THAT THE TEAM HAS DONE.
SO THANK YOU WITH THAT, JUDGE BROWN, I WILL, UH, UH, CLOSE OUT, UH, THE CITY SIDE OF THIS, IF YOU'RE READY FOR THAT TO HAPPEN.
THANK YOU, MAYOR, AND, UH, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU.
I WOULD SUGGEST THAT WE SING, BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT PEOPLE WANT TO SEE THAT.
UH, BUT, UH, HOPE YOU DO HAVE A GOOD BIRTHDAY TODAY AND THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR HARD WORK OVER THE PAST YEAR, UH, TO YOUR LAST POINT.
I DO THINK IT'S IMPRESSIVE THAT THE AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY COMMUNITY HAS WORKED SO HARD AND SO EFFECTIVELY, UM, I'M GETTING THOSE NUMBERS DOWN.
UH, SO THAT IS, I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND END IT HERE.
COULD I ASK US FOR A QUICK CLARIFICATION? I DO THINK IT'S REMARKABLE THAT OUR FATALITY RATE IS LESS THAN HALF OF THE STATES.
UM, AND IS THAT CUMULATIVE OVER TIME OR IS THAT MORE, MORE RECENT NUMBERS? BECAUSE IT STRIKES ME THAT WE'VE BEEN REALLY CAREFUL AND WE HAVE WORKED VERY HARD, INCLUDING OUR, UM, INSISTENCE ON PEOPLE REMAINING MASKED.
AND I THINK PEOPLE NEED TO UNDERSTAND, WE HAVE A FATALITY RATE THAT IS LESS THAN THE STATE AVERAGE, SO PEOPLE SHOULD PAY ATTENTION TO THAT.
UM, IF THEY DON'T WANT MORE PEOPLE IN THEIR COMMUNITY TO DIE.
AND I'M ASSUMING THAT A GREAT DEAL OF THIS IS BECAUSE OF THE EXTRA EFFORTS IN THE LENGTHS THAT WE'VE GONE TO, TO TRY AND KEEP PEOPLE SAFE, BUT I'D LIKE YOUR MEDICAL OR PROFESSIONAL OPINION ON IT.
SO, YES, WE ARE LESS THAN HALF OF THE TEXAS AVERAGE OR LESS THAN HALF OF THE U S AVERAGE.
UH, AND AS MAYOR ADLER SAID WERE
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AMONGST THE BOTTOM THREE IN TERMS OF, UH, THE NUMBER FOUR METRO AREAS IN THE UNITED STATES.UM, I THINK IT'S, IT'S GOT A LOT TO DO WITH WHAT THE POLICIES THAT WE'VE IMPLEMENTED WITH OUR TIMING OF ACTION, NOT WAITING UNTIL, YOU KNOW, THE SURGE HITS TAKING ACTION BEFORE THE SURGE HITS, UH, TO INSULATE AND PROTECT OUR COMMUNITY.
AND I THINK ULTIMATELY IT IS ABOUT A COMMUNITY COMING TOGETHER.
IT'S ABOUT CITY AND COUNTY GOVERNMENT.
IT'S ABOUT OUR HEALTH CARE SYSTEMS WHO ARE NOT NATURAL PARTNERS COMING TOGETHER.
UH, IT'S ABOUT OUR PUBLIC SAFETY.
IT'S ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY ACTIVISTS IN THE, WHO HAVE REALLY RALLIED AROUND THIS CAUSE THAT I THINK HAS, HAS LED US TO, TO SAVING MORE THAN 1100 PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, I SAY THESE THINGS BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO REMEMBER THIS AND TO REMEMBER WHAT WE CAN ACCOMPLISH TOGETHER.
UM, THIS IS NOT JUST A COVID THING.
THIS IS SOMETHING WE CAN DO ALL THE TIME, AND IT'S CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO CONTINUE FORWARD AS WE LOOK TO SOLVE THE OTHER PROBLEMS THAT HAVE ALLUDED US, UH, OVER THE MANY YEARS PREVIOUS TO THIS.
THANKS TO ALL THE STAFF EFFORTS AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAYOR ADLER.
I HOPE YOU HAVE A FUN DAY COMMISSIONER.
AND THANK YOU FOR NOT SINGING.
WELL, WILL IT TURN OUT ALL RIGHT.
10 AT 10 59, UH, WE'RE GOING TO END THE, UH, UH, JOINT MEETING YEARS, CITY AND COUNTY, UH, UH, AGAIN, OUR APPRECIATION TO THE, TO THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT AND JUDGE BROWN FOR, UH, UH, LETTING US ALL DO THIS TOGETHER.
UH, COLLEAGUES IT'S, UH, TAKE 15.
HOW ABOUT IF WE TAKE FIVE MINUTE BREAK AND, UH, UH, 1105.
WE'LL BE BACK IN THE, UH, CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION, MAYOR PRO TEM.
AND I'D JUST LIKE TO ASK FOR A FAVOR FROM YOU AND MY COLLEAGUES.
I NEED 10 MINUTES IF THAT'S OKAY.
I NEED TO HELP THE KIDS MAKE REAL QUICK AND I CAN BE THERE AT 1110.