[00:00:03]
UM, BUT EVERYONE ELSE IS IN COURT.
SO, UM, MEDIA, IF YOU WANT TO GO AHEAD AND START THINGS UP, MORE JUDGES RUNNING, UH, CHARGING STATIONS, JUST SO THE COUNCIL LOOKS LIKE THEY'RE ON HOLD THE INITIAL BRIEFING.
IT JUST LOOKS LIKE THEY'RE STARTING OR THEY'RE READY TO START, BUT WHAT'S THAT? YEAH.
AND JUST LAST ONE WHO IT LAST NIGHT.
WE'RE READY TO GO AHEAD AND START.
I WANTED TO CHECK AND SEE IF YOU GUYS COULD.
AND, UM, I GOT A NOTE FROM COUNCIL MEMBER AND SHE DIDN'T, SHE, THERE SHE IS.
I THINK WE'RE READY TO GO, JUDGE.
YEAH, I THINK WE'RE GO AHEAD AND START.
UM, THIS IS TRAVIS COUNTY, JUDGE ANDY BROWN.
AND I'M DOING THIS REMOTELY TODAY.
UH, GOING TO GO AHEAD AND CALL TO ORDER THE MEETING OF THE TRAVIS COUNTY COMMISSIONERS COURT.
IT IS 9:05 AM AND EVERYONE OTHER THAN ME IS MEETING AT 700 LAVACA AND WE'VE GOT A JOINT BRIEFING TODAY, UM, AND JUST, UH, FULL DISCLOSURE.
SO, UM, I'VE HAD A STUFFY NOSE, UH, GOT ONE YESTERDAY, BUT RUNNY NOSE YESTERDAY HAD, UH, TOOK A ANTIGEN TEST LAST NIGHT THAT CAME OUT NEGATIVE, UH, WENT TO GET A PCR TEST THIS MORNING, UH, HAD NOT HEARD YET.
SO THAT'S WHY I'M OUT OF AN ABUNDANCE OF CAUTION, NOT, NOT, UH, COMING INTO THE OFFICE TODAY.
UM, HOPEFULLY THAT'LL BE NEGATIVE AS WELL.
UM, BUT JUST MAKES ME, YOU KNOW, REALIZE HOW, HOW WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE STILL, WE STILL HAVE TESTING AVAILABLE FOR EVERYBODY.
SO HOPEFULLY THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN, WE CAN TALK ABOUT, UM, THROUGH THE MEETING TODAY.
SO ANYHOW, I WILL GO AHEAD, MAYOR CALLED THIS TO ORDER AND HAND IT OFF OVER TO YOU TO CALL THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING TO ORDER.
GO AHEAD AND MAYOR STEVE ADLER CALLING TO ORDER THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL MEETING AGAIN, COMMISSIONERS.
THANKS FOR LETTING US PARTICIPATE WITH YOU.
THE JOINT MEETING, TODAY'S JULY 20TH, 2021, UH, UH, 9 0 6.
UH, WE HAVE A QUORUM PRESENT, UM, AND JUDGE BROWN APPRECIATE THAT, UH, WITH THE SYMPTOMS YOU WENT AND GOT TESTED, UH, WE'RE FINDING THAT MORE AND MORE PEOPLE AROUND OUR CITY MAY HAVE SYMPTOMS THAT THE FETAL LIKE ALLERGIES OR FEEL LIKE COLDS.
AND SOME OF THOSE ARE PROVING OUT TO BE, UH COVID OR, OR THE DELTA VARIANCE.
SO IT'S REAL IMPORTANT THAT PEOPLE THAT HAVE THOSE KIND OF SYMPTOMS DO EXACTLY WHAT IT IS THAT YOU HAVE DONE HERE.
UH, SO THANKS FOR CALLING THAT OUT.
AND DO WE HAVE ANY COLORS FOR THE TRAVIS COUNTY PUBLIC COMMENT PORTION? JUDGE, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, SIR.
UH, I, I THINK YOU, UH, STARTED AT, UH, IT WAS, UH, JUNE THE EIGHTH, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, SHOULD WE, CAN WE CORRECT THE RECORD AS WE GO FORWARD? I HEARD YOU SAY CURRENTLY JUNE EIGHT, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
UM, DURING THE 20TH AND I BELIEVE IT WAS ACTUALLY NOT FIVE WHEN WE STARTED TIME FLIES.
OH, IT IS THING I'M NOT, I'M NOT QUICK.
AND I GO, LET'S GO AHEAD AND GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT IF
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WE HAVE ANY JUDGE, NO COLORS RELATED TO COVID.SO JUST AS A REFRESHER, WE'RE GONNA HEAR THE BRIEFINGS AND THEN WE'LL GO THROUGH, UM, QUESTIONS FROM MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT AND THEN FROM MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL IN THE MIRROR.
AND THEN, AND THEN WE'LL, WE'LL CLOSE THE MEETING.
[1. Update on Covid-19 related matters.]
AND PASS IT OVER TO, UH, WE HAVE A BRIEFING FROM DR.FIRST OF ALL, DO YOU WANT TO GO GOOD MORNING, MORNING, MORNING, HONEY.
CAN YOU SEE THE SLIDES ON? THERE WE GO.
WE ARE CURRENTLY IN STAGE WHO GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
WE'RE CURRENTLY IN STAGE THREE.
UM, WE HAVE JUST CROSSED THE THRESHOLD YESTERDAY WITH, UH, FIRST TIME OF HAVING 30 CASES ON OUR SEVEN DAY MOVING AVERAGE.
SO, UM, WE'RE AT THE PRECIPICE OF, UH, A NEW STAGE.
UM, IF THAT CONTINUES AND WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS AT THIS TIME AT MASKING FOR UNVACCINATED PEOPLE AND PARTIALLY VACCINATED PEOPLE.
AND, UM, THAT WILL BE CHANGING AS I GO ON.
I'LL EXPLAIN WHY, IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
AND CAN WE ON MEDIA? IT'S HARD TO HEAR.
CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? THAT'S BETTER.
ON THIS SLIDE, WE ARE LOOKING AT, UM, ON MARKED INCREASE IN OUR CASE NUMBERS AND A CONCOMITANT INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF ICU BEDS AND HOSPITALIZATIONS THAT'S OCCURRED IN THE LAST 14 DAYS.
THIS IS HAPPENING AS A RESULT OF THE IMPACT OF THE DELTA VARIANT IN OUR COMMUNITY, UM, WHICH HAS INCREASED FROM BEING, UH, UH, 60% OF THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT ARE BEING, UM, DIAGNOSED WITH COVID-19 TO A PREDOMINANCE IN OUR COMMUNITY OF 87%.
AND AS WE KNOW NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, THIS PARTICULAR VARIANT IS MUCH MORE TRANSMISSIBLE.
IT'S EASIER, REALLY IT'S MORE EASILY SPREAD.
AND, UM, AS WE KNOW, WE DECREASE SPREAD BY WEARING MASKS AND WE DECREASED DISEASE AND DEATH BY BEING VACCINATED.
UM, SO ON THIS SLIDE, WE WERE LOOKING AT THE HOSPITAL ADMISSIONS AND WE'RE SEEING THAT ALL AGE GROUPS ARE BEING HOSPITALIZED AND WE'RE SEEING, UM, LARGER PERCENTAGE OF YOUNGER PEOPLE BEING HOSPITALIZED IN RECENT DAYS.
AND IN THIS SLIDE, WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT, UH, AGAIN, LOOKING AT AGES, AND WE'RE ALSO NOTING THAT THERE'S AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF PEDIATRIC OR CHILDREN THAT ARE BEING ADMITTED, UM, DUE TO COVID-19.
UM, AND THIS IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE WE'VE HAD GUIDANCE FROM AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS AND THE CDC SUGGESTING THAT AND GUIDING AND RECOMMENDING THAT CHILDREN WERE MASS, WHO ARE UNPROTECTED BY VACCINATION.
THEN THAT WOULD BE OUR CHILDREN THAT ARE LESS THAN AGE 12.
SO IT IS IMPORTANT FOR US TO PROTECT OUR CHILDREN AND ALIGN OURSELVES WITH THAT GUIDANCE.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, IF WE LOOK AGAIN AT ADMISSIONS TO ICU, WE'RE SAYING THAT ALL AGE GROUPS ARE BEING ADMITTED TO ICU AND ALMOST ALL ARE UN-VACCINATED AND AGAIN, MASKS STOP THE SPREAD AND VACCINE STOCK, DEATH AND DISEASE.
IF WE LOOK AT OUR RACE AND ETHNICITY OF PEOPLE WHO ARE BEING ADMITTED TO HOSPITAL, WE'RE CONTINUING TO SEE A DISPROPORTIONATE IMPACT ON OUR COMMUNITIES OF COLOR WITH NEXT SLIDE, MORE BLACKS
[00:10:01]
AND HISPANICS, UM, BEING ADMITTED TO HOSPITAL.AND THEY'RE ALSO BEING REPRESENTED HERE IN OUR ICU ADMISSIONS.
THERE IS A RELUCTANCE IN OUR COMMUNITIES OF COLOR TO BE VACCINATED DUE TO, UM, A LONG-STANDING PROBLEM WITH TRUST OF VACCINES.
AND WE ARE WORKING TO GET THE WORD TO THOSE COMMUNITIES, TO IMPROVE VACCINE ACCEPTANCE, TO GET GOOD INFORMATION, UM, AND, AND DISPEL MISINFORMATION SO THAT WE CAN, AGAIN, STOP DISEASE, SEVERE ILLNESS AND DEATH IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND TO DECREASE THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON ALL OF OUR CITIZENS.
CAN WE GO BACK? SORRY, ONE SLIDE.
UM, WE'VE RECEIVED REPORTS THAT WE HAVE FOUR CONFIRMED CASES OF THE DELTA VARIANT IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND AS WE KNOW, THE DELTA VARIANT IS MORE EASILY TRANSMITTED.
AND AGAIN, AS I'VE SAID, SEVERAL TIMES MASKS STOPPED SPREAD.
UM, AND WE ALSO KNOW THAT THE DELTA VARIANT IS EFFECTIVELY, UM, PROTECTED.
WE GET PROTECTION FROM THE DELTA VARIANT FROM BEING VACCINATED.
UM, THE LEVELS OF THAT PROTECTION ARE DECREASED TO SOMEWHERE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF 60, 80%, DEPENDING ON WHAT YOUR, UM, SOURCES, HOWEVER, THERE IS PROTECTION FROM THE DELTA VARIANT WITH VACCINATION, BUT BECAUSE THAT PROTECTION IS NOT AS ROBUST AS IT IS WITH THE ORIGINAL WILD TYPE OF THIS VIRUS THAT WE STARTED OUT THE PANDEMIC, UM, FIGHTING AGAINST, UM, LAYERED, UM, PROTECTION BY USING MASKS TO STOP.
THE SPREAD IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
AND THIS SLIDE, WE'RE LOOKING AT THE, UM, POSSIBILITY FOR, UM, VACCINATED INDIVIDUALS TO, UM, HAVE, UH, COVID-19 BECAUSE OF THAT SLIGHT DECREASE IN THE AMOUNT OF PROTECTION THAT YOU CAN SAVE WITH THE VACCINE IN VARIOUS SCENARIOS.
UM, IF YOU LOOK BACK TO OUR, UH, EXPERIENCE WITH THE FLU VACCINE, FOR INSTANCE, UM, WE'VE HAD YEARS WHEN THE FLU VACCINE WORKS REALLY WELL AND YOU GET THE FLU VACCINATION AND YOU DON'T GET SICK.
UM, AND THEN THERE ARE TIMES WHEN WE MAY NOT CATCH ONE VARIANT OF THE FLU AND YOU MAY HAVE MILD DISEASE.
THE SAME THING IS TRUE WITH ADULTS VARIANT IN OUR CASE, IN THE CASE OF COVID WE HAVE, BECAUSE WE'VE HAD PEOPLE WHO WERE UN-VACCINATED, UM, BEEN ABLE TO GIVE THIS VIRUS AN OPPORTUNITY TO MUTATE, TO CHANGE THE WAY IT BEHAVES TO CHANGE THE WAY IT IS ABLE TO DEVELOP DISEASE IN OUR BODIES.
AND AS A RESULT, THERE ARE SOME INSTANCES WHERE IF YOU'RE VACCINATED, YOU COULD GET MILD DISEASE.
AND THAT IS INDEED WHAT WE'RE SAYING.
PEOPLE WHO ARE VACCINATED WHO'VE HAD MILD DISEASE, UM, THEY RARELY ARE HOSPITALIZED AND, BUT THEY, BECAUSE THEY HAVE MILD DISEASE OR SOME MAYBE ASYMPTOMATIC, THEY CAN ACTUALLY BE SPREADING.
UM, COVID-19 SO, BECAUSE OF THAT, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO, AS THE JUDGES, UH, JUST SAID, HE'S TAKING PRECAUTIONS, HE'S WEARING A MASK, HE'S STAYING AWAY FROM CROWDS UNTIL HE KNOWS FOR SURE THAT HE IS NOT SICK AND THAT'S THE RESPONSIBLE THING TO DO.
AND THAT'S WHY WE AS A COMMUNITY NEED TO DO.
AND IF WE LOOK AT THE RAF'S THAT WE'RE SEEING AND THE CHANGES THAT WE'RE SEEING IN OUR, IN OUR POPULATION AND THE NUMBER OF CASES THAT WE'RE SEEING, THESE GRAPHS ARE SHOWING US THAT THERE MAY BE SOME IMPACT WITH, UM, THIS PARTICULAR PART OF POPULATION.
HOWEVER, ALMOST ALL OF THE CASES THAT WE'RE SEEING RIGHT NOW FROM CASE INVESTIGATIONS ARE IN PEOPLE WHO ARE UNVACCINATED
[00:15:01]
AND ALMOST ALL OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE BEING HOSPITALIZED ARE UN-VACCINATED.BUT THIS IS SHOWING THAT WE ALL NEED TO TAKE PRECAUTIONS, WEAR MASKS TO STOP THE SPREAD, AND EVERYBODY SHOULD BE MET VACCINATED TO PREVENT SEVERE DISEASE.
YES, WE'RE SEEING AN INCREASED NUMBER AND THE NUMBER OF BREAKTHROUGH CASES.
UM, THIS WEEK WE HAD 488, UM, AS A CUMULATIVE TOTAL, UM, UP FROM LAST WEEK'S TOTAL OF 333, UM, 75% OF THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE HAD BREAKTHROUGH VACCINE BREAKTHROUGH CASES, I E PEOPLE WHO ARE FULLY VACCINATED, WE'VE RECEIVED BOTH DOSES OF THE MRMA PFIZER AND MADRONA VACCINE.
UM, AND 14 DAYS LATER, THEY'RE FULLY VACCINATED.
SOME OF THOSE PEOPLE HAVE EXPERIENCED WHAT I WAS JUST DESCRIBING ON THAT LAST SLIDE.
UM, 25% OF THOSE PEOPLE WERE ASYMPTOMATIC.
UM, SO THAT JUST, AGAIN, STRESSES THE IMPORTANCE OF OUR COMMUNITY AND STAYING HOME WHEN THEY'RE SICK, WEARING MASKS TO PREVENT THE SPREAD.
AND FOR SURE, GETTING VACCINATED, BECAUSE THESE ARE INDIVIDUALS WHO FOR THE MOST PART HAVE HAD MILD TO NO DISEASE.
THIS, UH, SHOWS THAT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES.
WE'VE HAD, UM, UH, 13, UM, 24 CASES IN LOSS, 14 DAYS IN OUR LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES, 13 IN THE LAST WEEK.
UM, AND WE SEE THAT, UH, 13 HAVE HAD, UH, WERE RESIDENTS AND THEY, UH, SEVEN WERE STAFF AND THAT OF THE PEOPLE THAT WERE VACCINATED, UM, THERE WERE 10 VACCINATED RESIDENTS AND SIX VACCINATED STAFF.
UM, HERE WE SAY THAT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT HAD SYMPTOMS, THOSE THAT WERE ASYMPTOMATIC AND HERE'S WHERE THEY WEREN'T ABLE TO DETERMINE WHAT THEIR SYMPTOMS WERE.
THE MOST NOTABLE THING IS THAT OF THE PEOPLE THAT WERE SICK IN OUR, UM, NURSING HOMES, YOU KNOW, NON-REQUIRED HOSPITALIZATION.
UM, THEY WERE ALL ABLE TO BE TREATED AS OUTPATIENTS.
AND THIS IS THE PROOF THAT OUR VACCINES WORK TO PROVIDE, TO PREVENT SEVERE DISEASE AND DEATH.
AND IN THE BEGINNING AT THE OUTSET ARE OUR MISSION WAS TO PROTECT OUR MOST VULNERABLE AND TO, UM, PREVENT STRESS AND STRAIN ON OUR HOSPITAL, UM, SYSTEMS. SO WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH THAT THROUGH OUR VACCINATION PROGRAM, AND WE MUST CONTINUE TO WORK TO GET THE REST OF OUR COMMUNITY VACCINATED.
THIS IS A SLIDE LOOKING AT REA INFECTIONS.
AND IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, RAY INFECTIONS ARE DESCRIBED AS, UH, PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD COVID-19 IN THEIR 90 DAYS.
UH, WE BELIEVE THAT THE IMMUNITY THAT YOU GET FROM BEING SICK FROM COVID-19 LAST APPROXIMATELY 90 DAYS.
AND SO AFTER THE 90 DAY MARK, IF YOU'VE DEVELOPED COVID-19 AFTER THAT POINT, WE'D CALL THAT A RE-INFECTION.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT THIS, UM, PICTORIAL, UM, GRAPH, YOU'LL SEE THAT SOMEWHERE ALONG ABOUT FEBRUARY, WHICH IS WHEN WE'D SAY THE IMPACT OF THE VACCINATION PROGRAM THAT STARTED IN LATE DECEMBER.
WE SEE A DROP-OFF IN THE NUMBER OF REINFECTION, WHICH ANECDOTALLY WE BELIEVE IS BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT THESE INDIVIDUALS ALSO WERE STARTING TO BE MORE TO, UM, RECEIVE VACCINATIONS.
THE UT MODELING GROUP, UM, WERE, UM, HELPFUL TO OUR RESPONSE THROUGHOUT THIS RESPONSE.
AND THEY DID SOME WORK TO LOOK AT WHAT THE IMPACT OF COVID-19, UM, IS IN OUR COMMUNITY CURRENTLY WITH THE SPREAD OF THIS NEW ADULT, ABOUT VARIANT.
AND THIS LOOKS AT WHAT MASKING CAN DO TO HELP US RIGHT NOW, STOP THE SPREAD OF COVID 19 AND FLATTEN THIS CURVE.
AND THIS IS A STUDY FROM GERMANY THAT SHOWS WITH THE USE OF
[00:20:01]
MASKING.WE SEE, UH, A LINE THAT'S PROJECTING UPWARDS, UM, IN A SURGE FASHION.
AND THEN THAT FLATTER LINE IS WHERE WE'RE SEEING THE IMPACT OF MASKING, WHERE WE DECREASE WITH A 90% COMPLIANCE.
WE CAN DECREASE THE AMOUNT OF TRANSMISSION BY 45%.
AND IF I CAN, UM, SHOW YOU MY SCREEN NOW, UM, I'D LIKE TO, CAN YOU SEE MY SCREEN NOW? YES, NO.
SO
UM, I CAN'T SHOW YOU THE SCREEN THAT I WANT TO, BUT IT HAS A SIMILAR, UM, I'M GOING TO TRY ONE MORE TIME, CAUSE THIS IS AN IMPACT DO YOU SEE A STREAM? NO.
WELL, IT'S NOT WORKING, SO I'LL STOP THERE.
UM, THEY'RE SHOWING THE SAME THING IN THE RECENT PROJECTIONS THAT THEY PROVIDED US, AND IT SHOWS THAT WITH COMPLIANCE OF, WITH MASS SQUARING IN OUR COMMUNITY, THAT WE CAN FLATTEN OUR CURVE AS WELL.
UM, AND THAT IS WHAT OUR GOAL WOULD BE.
UM, AS WE GO FORWARD, UM, WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO STOP THE SPREAD AND STOP THE, UM, CLIMB OF CA THE NUMBER OF CASES THAT WE'RE SAYING.
IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
UM, THE, UH, THE S THE CURVES THAT WE HAVE CURRENTLY, IF WE LOOK AT THEM IN THE NEXT SLIDE, SHOW THAT BACK IN JULY, MID JULY OF 2020 ON JULY 3RD, THERE WAS A MASS MANDATE THAT WAS INSTITUTED.
AND IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THAT LAST MANDATE, WE HAD A DECLINE IN THE NUMBER OF CASES.
UM, SO THAT'S REAL WORLD EVIDENCE THAT NOT ONLY DO MASS STOP THE SPREAD, UM, BUT THAT THEY WORK.
AND IF WE CAN CONTINUE WITH OUR VACCINATION PROGRAM AND WITH THE USE OF MASKING, UM, WE CAN TAKE THE CURVE.
THAT'S GOING UP ON THE OTHER END OF THE SLIDE RIGHT NOW AND CHANGE ITS TRAJECTORY.
SO IT IS IMPORTANT FOR US AS POLICYMAKERS AND AS A COMMUNITY WHO ALL OF WHOM WANT TO SEE OUR SCHOOLS OPEN SAFELY, UM, WITH OUR CHILDREN PROTECTED BY WEARING MASKS IN SCHOOL.
UM, WE WANT TO KEEP OUR AUTONOMY WORKING TOWARD ROBUST, THE COVERING, AND WE DON'T HAVE TO REINVENT THE WHEEL.
WE KNOW WHAT WORKS MASS, STOP, THE SPREAD AND VACCINATION STOP, SEVERE DISEASE AND ILLNESS.
AND OUR LAST SLIDE WE SAY THAT ARE IN OUR PROGRESS TOWARDS HERD IMMUNITY.
UM, WHAT ARE DONE THUS FAR, WE'VE BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN, UM, VACCINATING 60 PLUS PERCENT OF THE ELIGIBLE POPULATION.
HOWEVER, THIS IS SHOWING WHAT OUR ACTUAL SUCCESS RATE IS IN THE ENTIRE POPULATION, EVEN THOSE WHO ARE NOT VACCINATED, SO THAT WE'RE AT 53%.
THAT'S SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT IS THE INCLUSION, NOT ONLY IF THOSE WHO ARE ELIGIBLE, BUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THOSE WHO ARE NOW ELIGIBLE AND THE ONES THAT WE'RE MOST CONCERNED ABOUT RIGHT NOW, OUR CHILDREN, UM, WE HAVE 19% OF OUR POPULATION.
[00:25:01]
NOW.THAT'S NOT BEEN VACCINATED AND IT'S IMPORTANT MORE NOW THAN EVER.
UM, MORE NOW, MORE NOW, MORE THAN EVER TO, TO REALLY STRESS, TO OUR LOVED ONES, OUR COLLEAGUES, OUR FRIENDS, OUR FAMILY, THAT IF THEY'VE NOT BEEN VACCINATED, UM, NOW'S THE TIME WE WOULD NEED TO GET EVERYBODY VACCINATED.
UM, IF EVERYBODY KNEW WHO COULD TAKE THE TIME TO REACH OUT TO SOMEBODY AND ASK THEM TO GO AND GET BACK STATED, THAT WOULD GO A LONG WAY TO US GETTING TO THE POINT WHERE WE HAVE THE PROTECTION FROM SEVERE DISEASE AND ILLNESS, BUT REALLY THE ORDER TO STOP THE SPREAD RIGHT NOW, EVERYBODY NEEDS TO WEAR A MASK TO PROTECT THEMSELVES, THEIR LOVED ONES, THEIR KIDS, UM, SO THAT WE CAN MOVE ON FROM THIS AND, AND STOP THIS CURVE THAT AT THE END OF WHICH NOW LOOKS LIKE A HOCKEY STICK.
YOU'LL GO BACK TO THE PREVIOUS SLIDE.
UM, STOP THAT FROM BECOMING ANOTHER PEAK IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS.
I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND ATTENTION, SORRY FOR THE TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES.
UM, I'LL TAKE QUESTIONS WHEN EVER IT'S APPROPRIATE.
AND I'LL JUST RUN QUICKLY THROUGH THE VACCINE OPERATIONS, UNLESS COMMISSIONERS AND COUNCIL WOULD LIKE TO ASK DR.
LOGS QUESTIONS ABOUT THE DATA NOW.
OH, WE COULD DO IT AT THE END.
WE CAN JUST ASK THEM ALL TOGETHER.
SO, UM, LOOKING AT OUR VACCINE DASHBOARD, YOU CAN SEE CUMULATIVELY, WE'VE GIVEN OVER 400,000, UH, VACCINE DOSES IN COMMUNITY.
THIS NEXT SLIDE IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT SHOWS, UM, THE DATA FOR AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY BROKEN OUT BY RACE AND ETHNICITY, AND WE'VE ADDED A COLUMN SO WE CAN TRACK OUR PROGRESS OVER TIME.
AND SO YOU CAN SEE, UM, THE FIRST, THE SECOND COLUMN IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT TALKS ABOUT THE ESTIMATE ESTIMATED ELIGIBLE POPULATION FOR VACCINE.
AND RIGHT NOW THAT'S ANYONE 12 AND OVER.
UM, AND SO WE SEE FOR AGE GROUPS OR FOR OUR DIFFERENT GROUPS, ASIAN WE'RE AT 76%, UM, WITH AN A 0.8% INCREASE OVER LAST WEEK, WHICH RESULTS IN 582 SHOTS, UM, FOR THE BLACK AND AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY, WE'RE AT 28% WITH LESS THAN A PERCENT INCREASE LAST WEEK, BUT NUMERICALLY, YOU KNOW, 662 ADDITIONAL VACCINES IN, IN THAT COMMUNITY WHERE WE'RE SEEING THE GREATEST UPTICK IS IN OUR HISPANIC AND LATINO COMMUNITY, WHICH I THINK IS, UM, WE'RE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
WE KNOW THAT THAT COMMUNITY HAS BEEN DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTED BY COVID IN TERMS OF HOSPITALIZATIONS AND DEATHS.
AND TO SEE A WEEK INCREASE OF OVER 3000 ADDITIONAL VACCINATIONS IS, IS A HUGE WIN.
AND SO, UM, AS MY FRIEND AND COLLEAGUE, CHUCK BROTHERTON SAYS, YOU KNOW, IT'S A GAME OF INCHES AT THIS POINT, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THESE PARAGRAPHS.
IT SHOWS AGAIN THE BREAKOUT OF WHERE WE ARE IN TERMS OF DISTRIBUTION, UM, CONTINUING TO MAKE STRIDES IN OUR LATIN, NEXT COMMUNITY, SEEING GOOD OVER REPRESENTATION, AGENT AND COMMUNITY, UM, AND STILL, UH, OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT WITH OUR BLACK AND AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY IN TERMS OF DISTRIBUTION.
THIS IS OUR FIRST DOSE PENETRATION MAP, WHICH IS NOT UPDATED SINCE THE LAST TIME THAT YOU'VE SEEN IT.
UM, WHICH IS WHY I THINK THE CHART THAT SHOWS THE INCREMENTAL CHANGES ARE IMPORTANT.
WE, OUR TEAM IS GOING TO MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO, UM, UPDATE THIS MAP ON A BI-WEEKLY BASIS.
UM, WE'VE OVERLAID THE LOCATIONS OF ALL OF OUR OPERATIONS ON THIS MAP.
WE KIND OF USE IT AS OUR GUIDING POINT WHERE, WHERE DO WE NEED TO BE TO GET THOSE NUMBERS TO SHIFT MORE TO GREEN, THE MORE GREEN, THE BETTER.
AND SO, UM, EACH WEEK OUR TEAM MEETS, UM, INTERNALLY AND WITH OUR PARTNERS IN THE COUNTY COLLABORATIVE, AND THEN REACH OUT TO, UM, DIFFERENT SPACES AND COMMUNITY TO SEE WHERE WE CAN SET UP
[00:30:01]
OUR CLINICS OR WHERE WE CAN SEND OUR MOBILE VACCINE TEAMS. WE'VE IDENTIFIED EIGHT PRIORITIES, ZIP CODES THAT ARE, UM, RELATED TO THE MAP THAT I'VE JUST SHOWN YOU.UM, AND THIS IS, THIS IS REALLY WHERE THE RUBBER IS GOING TO MEET THE ROAD.
UM, I'M HAPPY THAT THERE IS AN INFLUX OF RESOURCES IN THE COMMUNITY THAT ARE SPECIFICALLY TARGETING, UM, HEALTH DISPARITIES WITH RESPECT TO COVID.
IT'LL GIVE US THE OPPORTUNITY TO SUPPORT, UM, MORE PROMOTION AND EDUCATION, AS WELL AS BOOTS ON THE GROUND EFFORTS, UM, INCLUDING CANVASSING AND ALLOW US TO CONTINUE TO INVEST IN OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE THOSE, UM, DEEPER RELATIONSHIPS WITH COMMUNITY AND CAN BE USED AS AMBASSADORS TO HELP SPREAD THE MESSAGE AND DIRECT PEOPLE, OR DRIVE PEOPLE TO THE VACCINATION CLINICS BEING STOOD UP, UM, BY THE CITY AND THE COUNTY AT THE START OF THIS, WE SET OUT SOME METRICS BECAUSE WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE TRACKING OUR PROGRESS AND GIVING OURSELVES THE OPPORTUNITY TO COURSE CORRECT WHEREVER POSSIBLE.
UM, IT STILL CELEBRATING BEING AT A 70% FIRST DOSE VACCINATION AND REALLY WORKING, UM, STRATEGICALLY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN REACH OUR SECOND GOAL, WHICH IS TO BE, UM, 70% FULLY VACCINATED BY SEPTEMBER 1ST, UM, THAT DEADLINE OR THAT THAT GOAL DATE BECOMES MORE IMPORTANT AS WE THINK ABOUT OUR KIDDOS THAT ARE ABOUT TO HEAD BACK TO SCHOOL COOL FOR OUR VACCINE OPERATIONS, WE CONTINUE TO HAVE OUR STATIC CLINICS AT SOUTHEAST LIBRARY, LITTLE WALNUT CREEK IN THE ANNUL ARCH CENTER.
UM, WE WILL BE BACK AT TURNER ROBERT AND VIRGINIA BROWN THIS WEEK, UM, AS WELL AS THE ROCK ATX, UM, THE CHRISTIAN CRISTO REY CHURCH AND THE DEL VALLEY OPPORTUNITY CENTER.
AND THAT IS IN COLLABORATION WITH, UM, TRAVIS COUNTY AS, UM, OUR SITUATION INCREASES AND WE'RE CONSIDERING, UM, OR BEING AT THE PRECIPICE OF, UM, A DIFFERENT STAGE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
WE REALIZING THE NEED FOR, UM, INCREASED TESTING RESOURCES, ESPECIALLY FREE TESTING.
AND SO THE APH TEAM IS CURRENTLY WORKING TO STAND UP, UM, STATIC TESTING SITES.
UM, WE HOPE TO LAUNCH THIS THURSDAY AT THE DOVE SPRINGS REC CENTER.
UM, WE HAVE A TENTATIVE START DATE FOR OUR ST JOHN'S LOCATION AT THE OLD HOME DEPOT.
SO, UM, WE ARE TRYING TO, AND TO MAKE THIS PROCESS AS EASY AND BARRIER FREE AS POSSIBLE, UM, ALLOWING WALK-UPS AND NO REGISTRATION NECESSARY.
WE HOPE TO ADD FUTURE, UM, TESTING LOCATIONS IN DEL VALLEY AND SUPERBILL IN TERMS OF FOCUSED OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT.
UM, AGAIN, USING THAT MAP AS, AS OUR STARTING POINT, UM, CONTINUING OUR CANVASSING EFFORTS IN THE MONTOPOLIS NEIGHBORHOOD IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PODESTA, UM, LAST WEEK AT OUR LBJ HIGH SCHOOL SITE, WE, WE VACCINATED 75 PEOPLE.
UM, AND AT THE RAJ ATX, WE WERE ABLE TO GIVE SHOTS TO 159 PEOPLE.
UM, OUR MINI GRANT PROGRAMS, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, EXPANDING OUR OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE REACH WITHIN COMMUNITIES AND SHARING THAT WE HAVE EVENTS AND MATERIALS THAT ARE IN A VARIETY OF LANGUAGES, ENGLISH, SPANISH, SIMPLIFIED, CHINESE BURMESE, VIETNAMESE, AND KOREAN.
AGAIN, OUR PRIORITY POPULATIONS LINING UP WITH THE DATA, UM, BLACK AFRICAN-AMERICAN, ASIAN AND HISPANIC, LATIN X, IMMIGRANTS, AND SENIORS.
AND AGAIN, OUR PRIORITY ZIP CODES OVERLAYING WITH THE MAP SO THAT ALL OF OUR EFFORTS ARE IN SYNC WITH THE CAR DRIVERS, UM, OF NOTE THE NEW CODES WITH THE ASTERIX.
WE WERE ABLE TO HOST MORE THAN 20 EVENTS TO HELP PROMOTE VACCINATE VACCINE AND TO GIVE PEOPLE GOOD INFORMATION AND DIRECT THEM TO RESOURCES.
OUR PIO TEAM CONTINUES TO KNOCK IT OUT OF THE PARK.
I'M REALLY APPRECIATIVE OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE, UH, THE CITY AND THE COUNTY, UH, PIO STAFF THAT CONTINUE TO COLLABORATE TO PUT OUT GOOD MESSAGING.
UM, WE HAVE RADIO PROMOTES GOING ON.
WE'RE TRYING TO REALLY DIG INTO THOSE PERSONAL STORIES.
LIKE WHAT IS YOUR REASON FOR VAC
[00:35:01]
GETTING VEXED, VACCINATED, EXCUSE ME.AND AS YOU CAN SEE THERE ONE PERSON, SO YOU CAN HUG YOUR GRANDPARENTS AGAIN, SO YOU CAN INVITE PEOPLE INTO YOUR HOME AGAIN, SO YOU CAN GO ON VACATION AGAIN, OR PROTECT YOUR KIDS.
AND SO WE'RE REALLY CONTINUING TO REACH INTO COMMUNITY AND, AND TELL THOSE STORIES, UM, BECAUSE THAT'S, WHAT'S GONNA STAND, RIGHT.
WE, IN THOSE COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, THE BLACK COMMUNITY AND THE LATIN X COMMUNITY, THEIR RICH TRADITIONS OF ORAL HISTORY.
AND SO WE WANT PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO, UM, REALLY SERVE AS TO SHARE THOSE PERSONAL MOMENTS, TO CONVINCE THEIR LOVED ONES, TO GET VACCINATED.
WACHS TALKED ON THIS OR TOUCHED ON THIS EARLIER, YOU KNOW, EACH ONE OF US NEED TO BE RESPONSIBLE AMBASSADORS.
WE NEED TO, TO FOLLOW THE EXAMPLE OF THE JUDGE, IF YOU'RE SICK AND YOU'RE NOT SURE GET TESTED, STAY HOME.
AND IF YOU HAVE BEEN VACCINATED AND YOU KNOW, SOMEONE IN YOUR CIRCLE OR YOUR COMMUNITY THAT HAS QUESTIONS, AND YOU'RE ABLE TO, TO SHARE YOUR STORY TO INCENTIVIZE THAT, UM, THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO DO.
AND THAT'S ALL THAT WE HAVE FOR OUR PREPARED PRESENTATION TODAY.
I THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR TIME AND OPEN TO ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE FOR DR.
UM, I THINK WE'VE GOT, UH, CHUCK AND THEN CONSTABLE MORALES ARE GOING TO GIVE A SHORT UPDATE AS WELL.
AND THEN WE CAN GO TO QUESTIONS IF THAT'S ALL RIGHT.
GOOD MORNING, JUDGE, MAYOR COMMISSIONERS AND COUNCIL CHUCK BROTHERTON COUNTY EXECUTIVE WITH EMERGENCY SERVICES, UH, JUST WANTED TO FIRST ALLOW CONSTABLE GEORGE MORALES WITH CONSTABLE PRECINCT FOR, TO UPDATE THE COURSE.
UH, AND THEN I'LL HAVE A COUPLE OF POINTS FOR YOU, AND THEN WE CAN GET TO YOUR QUESTION.
SO CONSTABLE MORALES, IF YOU'RE READY, I AM GOOD MORNING.
UH, COMMISSIONERS, COUNCIL MEMBERS, JUDGE AND MAYOR.
UM, OUR TRAVIS COUNTY MOBILE VACCINE COLLABORATIVE HAS CONTINUED TO TARGET THE EASTERN CRESCENT.
AND AS WE KNOW, IT'S, IT'S AN AREA WHERE OUR MOST VULNERABLE AND, UM, PEOPLE ARE HARD TO REACH AREAS.
UM, IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS WE VACCINATED, WE'VE HAD ABOUT 43 VACCINE LOCATIONS.
UM, THIS WEEK WE'RE CARVING ABOUT 18 DIFFERENT VACCINE LOCATIONS.
UH, SOME OF THOSE ARE STILL AT THE J D UH, SUPERMARKETS, AND, AND WE'VE SEEN AN INCREASE OF, UH, A PRESENCE THERE FOR FIRST AND SECOND DOSES.
UM, WE'RE ALSO WORKING WITH, UH, OUR TRAVIS COUNTY CONSTABLES, UH, PRECINCT ONE THROUGH FIVE, UM, AND FINDING AREAS IN THAT ARE NEED IN THEIR AREAS, UH, FOR VACCINE LOCATIONS, FOR INSTANCE, WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING A MOSQUE AND, UM, SOME, A MARQUETTE DOES THAT ARE IN PRECINCT, UH, ONE AND ALSO SOME CHURCHES THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE OUT THERE THAT, THAT REALLY WANT TO TRY TO COORDINATE WITH US AND GET THESE VACCINES ROLLING.
UM, ON THE LAST TWO WEEKS, OUR MOBILE VACCINE COLLABORATIVE HAS DONE ABOUT 2050 SHOTS AND, UH, WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO PUSH IN THOSE AREAS.
I MEAN, WE ALL KNOW HERE AS TODAY'S PRESENTATIONS WITH OUR TEAM MEMBERS, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE GET THOSE VACCINES OUT AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
UM, AS FAR AS OUR OUTREACH FOR THE TRAVIS COUNTY MOBILE VACCINE COLLABORATIVE, WE'VE DONE, UH, APPROXIMATELY ABOUT 1400 PHONE CALLS.
UM, WE WANT TO THANK AISD AND DVI ISD FOR THE TEXT MESSAGES THAT GO OUT FOR OUR SHOT CLINICS THAT WE HAVE IN THE AREAS.
UM, WE ALSO, FLYERED ALMOST 3,400 HOMES, APARTMENT BUILDINGS AND BUSINESSES.
UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, IT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE WE WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW THAT WE'RE IN YOUR COMMUNITY, WE'RE PROVIDING THAT VACCINE TO YOU AND WE'RE MAKING IT ACCESSIBLE FOR YOU.
UM, WE HAVE SOME UPCOMING EVENTS THAT WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT.
UM, TODAY WE HAVE PAN-AM HILLSIDE.
HOPEFULLY THAT WEATHER CAN HOLD UP FOR OFF A LITTLE BIT, CAUSE WE'LL HAVE A VACCINE LOCATION THERE.
UM, WE HAVE RECONNECT AISD THIS WEEKEND, UM, JULY 24TH, UM, WORKING WITH, UM, AUSTIN VOICES, THEY'VE DONE A REALLY GOOD JOB WORKING IN THE COMMUNITY AND DOING SOME OUTREACH, WORKING WITH SD PROTECTS MESSAGING AND THE MESSAGING WORKING WITH APH AND GETTING THE MESSAGE OUT THERE.
UM, AGAIN, WE HAVE A GROCERY STORE MEDIA PUSH STARTING JULY 31ST WITH OUR TRAVIS COUNTY PARTNERS.
UM, THE DUST BRINGS BACK TO SCHOOL BASH AUGUST 7TH.
YOU KNOW, WHAT WE, WHAT OUR GOAL IS NOW IS YOU HEARD THE MESSAGE TODAY.
WE HAVE TO START GETTING VACCINES OUT TO THOSE THAT ARE MOST VULNERABLE, THOSE OVER 12 YEARS OF AGE, GETTING OUR KIDS THAT ARE UNDER 12 YEARS OF AGE TO MASK UP, UM, YOU KNOW, MY PARTNER CHIEF, BAILEY'S NOT HERE RIGHT NOW, BUT HE ALWAYS MAKES IT VERY CLEAR.
THIS IS NOT A GEORGE AND BAILEY SHOW.
THIS IS A TRAVIS COUNTY CITY OF BOSTON COLLABORATIVE.
I WANT TO THANK SO MANY PEOPLE BECAUSE THIS WEEK HAS BEEN EXCITING FOR US.
[00:40:01]
IS D APH, THE CITY OF BOSTON, TRAVIS COUNTY, COMMUNITY CARE SEATON.EVERYBODY HAS A PLACE HERE AND WE'RE DOING OUR BEST, BUT LET'S CONTINUE TO PUSH FORWARD AND I'LL ATTEND ANY QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE ANY.
AND JUDGE, JUDGE, AND MAYOR, I JUST WOULD LIKE TO QUICKLY SHARE A COUPLE MORE POINTS, UH, UH, AS YOU HEARD FROM CONSTABLE MIRALIS AND, UH, DIRECTOR STIRRUP, THE COUNTY COLLABORATIVE, UH, AND AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH CONTINUE WORKING TOGETHER TO GET STRIKE TEAM EVENTS OR POP-UP EVENTS SCHEDULED AND COORDINATED.
UH, AND I JUST WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU QUICKLY A LOOK AT, UM, A CALENDAR THAT WE ARE WORKING ON.
UM, WANT TO BE CAREFUL, HANG ON ONE SECOND, IF YOU WOULD SHARING MY SCREEN AND HOPEFULLY YOU CAN SEE THAT, UM, AND I'VE BLANKED OUT THE URL ON THIS CALENDAR, BUT THIS IS A CALENDAR THAT WE ARE WORKING ON CURRENTLY.
IT'S INTERNAL FACING ONLY, UH, BUT WE ARE WORKING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN, UH, MAKE THIS AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC AND CALENDAR FOR THE MONTH OF JULY RIGHT NOW, UH, SHOWS ALL OF THE EVENTS THAT WE HAVE SCHEDULED BETWEEN AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH AND THE COUNTY COLLABORATIVE.
UH, AND YOU CAN CLICK ON ANY PARTICULAR EVENT AND SEE DETAILS OF, OF, OF WHAT'S HAPPENING THAT DAY.
BUT I THINK THIS IS INFORMATIVE JUST SO THAT YOU CAN UNDERSTAND THE SHEER NUMBERS OF EVENTS THAT WE'RE HOLDING.
YOU'RE SEEING SOME DAYS OF THE WEEK THAT, UH, SEEM A LITTLE BIT, UH, LIGHTLY SCHEDULED.
UH, WE ARE WORKING TO OVERCOME SOME RESOURCE CHALLENGES AND STAFFING NEEDS THAT WE HAVE, UH, BUT WE ARE HOPEFUL OF SOON MAKING SURE THAT THIS CALENDAR IS KEPT CURRENT ON A DAILY BASIS, UH, SO THAT WHEN WE DO MAKE IT AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC ON OUR COUNTY AND CITY WEBSITES, THAT WE CAN BE ASSURED THAT WE'RE NOT MISINFORMING THE PUBLIC OF ANYTHING THAT WE'RE SCHEDULED ACCOMPANYING.
THIS CALENDAR WOULD ALSO BE A MAP TO SHOW THE ACTUAL, UH, LOCATIONS, UH, YOU KNOW, IN, IN MAP FORM.
UH, AND THEN, UH, FINALLY JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT Y'ALL UNDERSTAND, UH, UM, DR.
I ARE MEETING REGULARLY AGAIN WITH OUR ISD SUPERINTENDENTS ON A WEEKLY BASIS, JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY REMAIN PLUGGED INTO EVERYTHING THAT, UH, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT, ALL OF THE, YOU KNOW, UH, QUESTIONS THAT WE HAVE AND THINGS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO ADDRESS.
I CAN, I CAN TELL YOU, UH, FROM OUR MEETING YESTERDAY THAT THE SUPERINTENDENT SEEMED TO BE STRUGGLING WITH HOW BEST TO BRING STUDENTS BACK SAFELY IN THE FALL, HOW TO KEEP THEM SAFE IN SCHOOLS, THEY'RE, UH, YOU KNOW, STRUGGLING WITH, UH, THE GOVERNOR'S MOST RECENT EXECUTIVE ORDER THAT PROHIBITS THEM FROM REQUIRING MASKING.
UH, AND SO WHILE I DON'T BELIEVE DR.
WACHS HAS ALL THE ANSWERS FOR THEM, WE CONTINUE AT LEAST TALKING WITH THEM TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE HEARING THEIR CONCERNS.
UH, SO I WILL STOP THERE AND, AND, UH, TURN, TURN IT OVER TO YOU ALL FOR QUESTIONS.
UM, ALL RIGHT, SO WE'LL GO THROUGH THE QUESTION PORTION AND REMEMBER, WE'RE TRYING TO DO IT, UH, BASICALLY ONE QUESTION, AND WE'LL START WITH THE COMMISSIONERS THEN GO TO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS AND I'LL RECOGNIZE COMMISSIONER GOMEZ.
FIRST, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, MR. GOMEZ, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? NO, I DON'T HAVE ANY, ANY QUESTIONS.
I JUST HAVE A, A COMMENT ABOUT, UM, UM, IT MAKES ME FEEL GOOD THAT THEY, THAT OUR TEAM IS, IS, UM, OUT IN THE COMMUNITY, UH, SO MUCH AND, AND CAUSE THAT'S, WHAT'S GOING TO BE NEEDED, UH, TO DO SO.
AND AS USUAL, THANKS TO ALL OF THE STAFF WHO CONTINUED TO DO AN AMAZING JOB TO KEEP OUR COMMUNITY SAFE.
UM, UM, I WAS TRYING TO KIND OF BOIL DOWN, UH, DR.
WALKS KIND OF KEY MESSAGES, AND I'M NOT SURE I GOT THEM, RIGHT.
SO I MIGHT WANT YOU TO RESTATE IT, BUT DID I UNDERSTAND CORRECTLY THAT THERE'S AN 87%, UM, IS IT OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE, UM, WHO HAVE, UM, UM, GOTTEN THE VIRUS OR WHO ARE IN THE HOSPITAL? WHAT'S THE 87.
THAT'S WHAT I WAS TRYING TO REMEMBER.
AND THERE ARE 30 CASES IN THE HOSPITAL NOW, IS THAT CORRECT? DR.
I HAD TO UNMUTE, UM, WE HAVE, UH, IN OUR HOSPITAL AS OF YESTERDAY, WE HAVE A TOTAL OF 196 CASES OF COVID 19
[00:45:01]
ADMITTED TO THE HOSPITAL.AND WHAT WAS THE 87%, UH, FIGURE IN RELATION TO THE DELTA VARIANT? OR DID I UNDERSTAND THAT? YES.
UM, THAT WAS REFERRING TO THE, UM, THE AMOUNT OF, UH, PREVALENCE OR THE, THE WE'VE HAD WELL, SINCE WE'VE STARTED TO SEE THE DELTA VARIANT IN OUR COUNTRY, THE AMOUNT OF IT IN THE COMMUNITY HAS RISEN GRADUALLY OVER TIME.
AND, UM, IT IS THOUGHT IT'S BEEN PROJECTED THAT BY JULY 21ST, WHICH IS TOMORROW THAT IT'S EXPECTED TO REPRESENT 87% OF THE, UM, AMOUNT OF COVID-19 THAT'S WE SEE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
SO, SO THE KEY TAKEAWAY IS THAT THE DELTA VERY INTO SPREADING RAPIDLY, AND THIS IS BAD AND IT'S INCREASING, UH, THE INFECTION RATE.
WE'VE ALL BEEN HEARING HOW INFECTIOUS IT IS AND HOW CAREFUL WE HAVE TO BE.
AND, UM, HONESTLY, I DON'T KNOW WHAT ACTION WE CAN TAKE, BUT I WOULD LIKE ANY GUIDANCE ON THAT.
THE GOVERNOR HAS LITERALLY TIED OUR HANDS AND PREVENTED US FROM TAKING LOCAL ACTION TO BETTER PROTECT OUR COMMUNITIES.
SO ANY GUIDANCE YOU CAN GIVE ON, WHAT WE CAN DO WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL.
THEN MY GUIDANCE IS FOR PEOPLE TO STOP THE SPREAD BY WEARING A MASK AND TO GET VACCINATED, TO PREVENT GETTING SICK.
UM, AND IN THE CASE OF CHILDREN, WE NEED TO PROTECT THEM BY HAVING THEM WEAR MASKS BECAUSE THEY ARE UNPROTECTED AND UN-VACCINATED, IF THEY'RE LESS THAN 12, THANK YOU.
UM, LIKE MY COLLEAGUES, I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE FOR THE, UH, IMPORTANT INSIGNIFICANT WORK THAT HAS BEEN DONE TO THIS POINT.
UM, THERE ARE, I DON'T KNOW IF THIS MADE THE, UM, MAY THE CALENDAR OF THE UT SCHOOL OF NURSING WILL BE PROVIDING, UH, SHOTS AT THE ST.
JOHN REGULAR BAPTIST ASSOCIATION, WHICH IS 150 CHURCHES.
UH, THEY WILL BE MEETING WITH, UH, WITH AL MEETING IN ELK.
AND, AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ENOUGH SHOTS AVAILABLE SO THAT EVERYONE WHO IS THERE THAT WOULD LIKE A SHOT CAN HAVE ONE.
UM, IF, IF WE CAN, UH, IF WE CAN TALK OFFLINE AND, AND I CAN, UH, CONNECT YOU TO THE LEADERSHIP OUT THERE, YOU GUYS MIGHT'VE ALREADY BEEN TALKING, BUT IF YOU HAVEN'T, I'D LIKE TO CONNECT YOU.
UM, I APPRECIATE, UH, I APPRECIATE WHAT'S BEEN DONE SO FAR, AND I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT THIS IS NOT OVER YET, AND THAT WE HAVE GONE BACK TO LEVEL THREE, AND WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE REASON WE'RE CLIMBING BACK IS, UH, THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT ARE UNVACCINATED.
UM, IT IS, IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE REMEMBER THAT, UH, WE HAVE TO TOUCH EVERYBODY THAT WE CAN TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE WHO WANTS TO TAKE, UH, THE SHOT, UH, HAS, UH, HAS THE RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO DO SO.
UH, IT, THIS IS A CRITICAL TIME.
WE WANT TO SEE OUR KIDS GO BACK TO SCHOOL.
WE WANT TO SEE THINGS GO BACK TO NORMAL.
THAT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN UNTIL WE GET A HIGHER LEVEL OF VACCINATION.
AND, UH, SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE COMMUNICATING WITH EVERYBODY WHO'S OUT THERE, WHO EVERY GROUP OUT THERE WHO WANTS TO SPONSOR A PROGRAM, WANT TO MAKE SURE I LOVE THE, UH, THE, UH, CALENDAR THAT YOU PUT TOGETHER SO THAT WE CAN IDENTIFY AND DOCUMENT ALL THOSE PLACES THAT ARE HAVING BACK TO SCHOOL EVENTS.
UH, IF THIS IS STILL A CRITICAL POINT AND THE PLACES AND THE, AND THE COMMUNITY THAT ARE MOST IMPACTED ARE THOSE LOW TO MODERATE INCOME COMMUNITIES AND MOSTLY MINORITY COMMUNITIES.
UH, SO, UH, REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE GOVERNOR SAYS, AND HE'LL HAVE TO MAKE HIS PEACE WITH HIS OWN MAKER, UH, WE STILL HAVE A JOB TO DO, AND WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR GETTING AS MANY SHOTS OUT AS WE POSSIBLY CAN.
UH, SO LET'S REDOUBLE OUR EFFORTS AND NOT LET OUR GUARD DOWN NOW IS NOT THE TIME.
WACHS OR, OR, UH, ADRIAN, DO WE HAVE ENOUGH SHOTS FOR THAT LOCATION? DO YOU HAVE IT? Y'ALL HAVE EYES ON THAT.
[00:50:01]
COMMISSIONER HOWARD, THANK YOU.I WAS CURIOUS ABOUT THE PARTICIPATION WITH OUR LOCAL MEDIA OUTLETS ON THE MESSAGING.
I DON'T WATCH MUCH TV ANYMORE, BUT I'M WONDERING IF I CAN ANYBODY TELL ME IF WE ARE GETTING TO RUN SOME OF THESE COOL MESSAGES THAT WE'VE CREATED ON LOCAL TELEVISION STATIONS, COMMISSIONER, UM, THE PIO TEAM FOR, UH, THE CITY AND THE COUNTY ARE WORKING TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE EXERCISING, UM, ALL TYPES OF COLLATERAL.
SO, BUT YET ON TV OR ON RADIO AND IN PRINT MEDIA.
AND I KNOW THAT TRAVIS COUNTY HAS MADE SOME, UM, GRANTS CONTRACTS TO, UM, UH, SEVERAL NONPROFITS TO HELP WITH PPE DISTRIBUTION OR THOSE ORGANIZATIONS.
AND IF YOU DON'T KNOW, WE COULD TALK TO SHERRY FLEMING LATER, BUT ARE THEY WORKING NOW ON LIKE TESTING AND VACCINATION? DOES ANYBODY KNOW TO SPREAD THE WORD COMMISSIONER HOWARD? UH, I WOULD HAVE TO PROBABLY GET OFFLINE AND HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH MS. FLEMING, UH, AND YOU, AND WE CAN FIND OUT A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT.
I MEAN, TO ME, THE BIG MESSAGE HERE IS WHAT DR.
WACHS HAS REPEATED TODAY IS THAT BASKS STOP THE SPREAD AND VACCINES SAVE LIVES.
AND I CAN'T EVEN IMAGINE THE EXHAUSTION, BUT WE JUST HAVE TO KEEP AT IT AND, UM, PLEASE CALL ON ME TO HELP IN ANY WAY I CAN.
UM, JUST WANT TO JOIN AND SAY THANKS TO EVERYBODY WORKING HARD WITH THIS REALLY HARD TIME OF, UH, OF A RESURGENCE OF, OF THE DELTA VARIANT AND COVID, AND, UM, JUST WANT TO ECHO THE SENTIMENT OF THERE'S A LOT OF PLACES TO GET A FREE VACCINE TODAY AND TOMORROW, AND THIS WEEKEND, PLEASE, PLEASE GO DO SO.
UM, AND I WILL PASS IT OVER TO YOU MAYOR FOR THE COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UH, I WANT TO SEE IF IT'S POSSIBLE FOR ME TO, TO, TO, TO SHARE MY SCREEN JUST BECAUSE I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I THINK, UM, DR.
WALTZ TRIED TO PULL UP AND WASN'T ABLE TO, YEAH, WE CAN SEE IT.
YOU CAN SEE THIS IS OUT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, UH, UH, MODEL.
AND THIS IS THE, UM, UH, ICU PATIENTS.
AND YOU CAN SEE, WE HAD GOTTEN UP TO OUR CAPACITY OF 200, UH, BACK IN JANUARY AND THE COMMUNITY REACTED JUST IN TIME.
UH, AND WE WERE ABLE TO STOP REACHING THAT ICU CAPACITY NUMBER.
YOU CAN SEE IN JULY HOW THE NUMBERS STARTED HEADING UP, THE GREEN LINE IS WORTH THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS MODELERS IN THAT STUDY THAT WAS PUBLISHED YESTERDAY, INDICATE WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN WITH THE STATUS QUO.
THAT'S THE GREEN LINE, A, A COMPLIANCE IS COMPLIANCE WITH MASKING BASED ON THE STUDY IN GERMANY THAT A DOCTOR WALKS SHARE.
IF PEOPLE, IF, IF, IF, IF MOST, ALL PEOPLE WILL START WEARING MASKS INDOORS, AND IN GERMANY, THEY WERE WEARING ON OUR TRANSIT WHEN THEY WENT OUT SHOPPING.
UH, BUT IF WE GET MOST PEOPLE TO DO THAT, YOU CAN SEE HOW WE CAN STOP THIS, UH, INCREASE IN ICU, UH, ADMISSIONS, UH, AND KEEP THE NUMBER DOWN.
UM, IF WE DON'T, UH, YOU CAN, YOU CAN SEE WHAT IT IS WITH MODERATE COMPLIANCE AND WITH A LOW COMPLIANCE.
AND WHAT WE'RE ASKING THE COMMUNITY TO DO RIGHT NOW IS TO, UH, UM, UH, BE ABLE TO, TO, TO ACHIEVE THAT, UH, PURPLE LINE, THE HIGH COMPLIANCE LINE.
I WOULD POINT OUT THAT ICU CAPACITY BACK TO JANUARY WAS 200.
UH, IT'S UNCLEAR AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, UH, UH, ULTIMATELY WE WOULD BE ABLE TO ACHIEVE AGAIN, UH, BECAUSE IT'S HARDER NOW.
UH, WE HAVE A LOT OF, UH, MEDICAL STAFF NURSES, UH, THAT, UH, HAVE RETIRED, UM, GONE ON TO OTHER JOBS.
AND QUITE FRANKLY, THEY'RE JUST ABSOLUTELY EXHAUSTED, UH, AS, AS WE ALL ARE, BUT ESPECIALLY, UH, THE, THE, THE FIRST RESPONDERS THAT WE HAVE AT EACH OF THE AREAS, UH, NURSES AND DOCTORS, UH, IN POLLUTED.
SO THE CAPACITY WE HAVE IN ICU IS PROBABLY DOESN'T REACH TO 200, UM, UH, AS WE, AS WE, AS WE GO FORWARD.
AND THAT GREEN LINE THAT YOU SAW, AND THAT CAPACITY
[00:55:01]
ISSUE IS, WAS PRECIPITATING THE RINGING OF THE BELL, UH, RIGHT, RIGHT, RIGHT NOW.AND I, AND I HATE THAT ONCE AGAIN, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE FINDING OUR HOSPITALS, UH, UH, THAT ARE FILLING UP.
I POINT OUT WE HAVE THE STAFFING AT OUR HOSPITALS RIGHT NOW FOR BOTH COVID AND NON COVID PATIENTS, UH, BECAUSE WE HAVE THE SPACE RIGHT NOW, BUT WHAT THESE UT PROJECTIONS ARE, THEY'RE NOT PREDICTIONS OR PROJECTIONS.
UH, WHAT THEY TELL US IS, IS THAT WHILE WE HAVE THE STAFFING WE NEED NOW, THE FUTURE, UH, UH, IS, IS REAL ON UNCERTAIN WITH RESPECT TO WHETHER WE CAN SUSTAIN THAT WHEN OUR ICU IS FILL UP, WE DON'T HAVE ROOM FOR FLU PATIENTS.
WE DON'T HAVE ROOM FOR HEART ATTACK PATIENTS AND CAR ACCIDENT PATIENTS, WHICH IS WHY WE HAVE TO KEEP THOSE NUMBERS, UH, UH, DOWN ALL OF OUR HOSPITALS AT THIS POINT HAVE ASKED THE STATE FOR STAFFING REINFORCEMENT.
UH, BUT, UH, WE HAVE YET TO GET INDICATION FROM THE STATE THAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO TO HELP AND ASSIST US.
CAUSE THEY'RE DEALING WITH THE SAME STAFFING ISSUES THAT WE HAVE.
EVERYBODY WANTS THIS TO BE OVER.
UH, THE MESSAGE TODAY IS WE'VE GOTTA DIG DEEP.
UH, AND WE'VE GOT TO BE EVERYTHING WE CAN TO, UH, PROTECT OUR DOCTORS IN THERE, DOCTORS AND OUR NURSES AND OUR IC.
I SEE, AS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS TAKE THE SHOT.
UH, AS THE NUMBERS SHOW, YOU CAN STILL GET THE VIRUS IF YOU'RE VACCINATED, A FEW ARE, UH, BUT THE, BUT THE IT'S NOT SEVERE WHEN THAT HAPPENS.
25% OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE GETTING IT AFTER THEY'VE TAKEN THE SHOT ARE ASYMPTOMATIC.
THEY DON'T EVEN KNOW THE NUMBERS WE SAW IN THE NURSING HOMES AND LONG-TERM CARE SHOW THAT EVEN AMONG OUR MOST VULNERABLE, WHEN THEY ARE VACCINATED AND GET THE VIRUS, THEY'RE NOT REQUIRING A HOSPITALIZATION.
IT'S A REALLY SMALL NUMBER OF, OF PEOPLE THAT VACCINATION IS THE THING TO DO AFTER MILLIONS OF PEOPLE WHO'VE TAKEN IT, IT'S, IT'S PROVEN TO BE SAFE AND EFFECTIVE, BUT AFTER VACCINATION, THE MOST EFFECTIVE THING THAT YOU CAN DO.
WACHS IS ASKING PEOPLE TO DO NOW IS TO WEAR MASKS INDOORS.
THAT'S EVERYBODY THAT'S VACCINATED AND UNVACCINATED.
I KNOW THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE ACTUALLY NEEDED ME INCLUDED, I'VE REALLY ENJOYED BEING ABLE TO GO BACK TO THE PLACE WHERE WE WERE NOT WEARING MASKS IN DOORS.
I SENSE OF RELIEF, A SENSE OF CELEBRATION, BUT WHAT WE'RE FINDING RIGHT NOW IS EVEN PEOPLE THAT ARE VACCINATED, EVEN THOUGH YOU WON'T GET SO SICK, PROBABLY TO END UP IN A HOSPITAL, CERTAINLY TO BE IN AN ICU OR TO DIE WITH IS DELTA, VERY VARYING PEOPLE WHO ARE VACCINATED ARE PASSING IT TO OTHER PEOPLE, EVEN WHEN THEY DON'T KNOW IT.
SO IF WE'RE GOING TO GET TO THAT PINK LINE, AS OPPOSED TO THE GREEN LINE, EVERYBODY NEEDS TO BE WEARING BASKING NOW INDOORS.
LOCKE SAY THAT, AND, AND, AND I BELIEVE, AND I KNOW THE JUDGE BELIEVES THAT, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T WANT TO GET INVOLVED IN OUR LEGAL ISSUE WITH, UH, WITH THE GOVERNOR AND, AND WANT TO TRY TO AVOID THAT IF WE CAN.
BUT IF THERE WAS A WAY RIGHT NOW TO ORDER THAT ALL STUDENTS HAD TO WEAR MASKS, UH, IN SCHOOL, WE WOULD BE DOING THAT.
I, AND WE WOULD BE DOING IT FOR TEACHERS AND WE WOULD BE DOING IT FOR GUESTS IN THE SCHOOL.
UH, IT IS, IT IS THAT SIGNIFICANT AND THAT IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY TO KNOW, AND FOR PARENTS TO, TO NOW.
SO AT THIS POINT, NOW IT'S UP TO INDIVIDUALS BECAUSE WE CAN'T ENFORCE OUR WAY.
I HOPE THAT INDIVIDUALS MADE THE DECISION TO WEAR MASKS WHEN THEY'RE INDOORS.
I HOPE BUSINESSES THAT CAN CONTROL THEIR ESTABLISHMENT, ADOPT POLICIES TO THEIR BUSINESSES, TO HAVE PEOPLE IN THEIR BUSINESSES INSIDE WEAR, WEAR MASKS AS BOTH VACCINATED AND UNVACCINATED.
UM, UH, UH, PEOPLE, YOU HEARD A DOCTOR WALK SAY THAT WE ARE ON THE PRECIPICE OF GOING TO STAGE FOUR.
WE CAN AVOID GOING TO STAGE FOUR.
GERMANY SHOWS US IF PEOPLE WEAR MASKS, IF WE DON'T.
AND WE GO TO STAGE FOUR, WHAT CHANGES IN STAGE FOUR IS PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT VACCINATED ARE GOING TO BE ASKED NOT TO GO TO RESTAURANTS.
AND I'VE GOT TO BE ASKED NOT TO GO SHOPPING, UNLESS IT'S A CENTRAL, THAT'S THIS CHANGE BETWEEN WHERE WE ARE TODAY, ASKING EVERYBODY IN THE BASKET INDOORS AND STAGE FOUR.
CLEARLY THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS TO GET VACCINATED.
AND THEN THE NEW RULE TODAY, THE NEW GUIDANCE TODAY, THE NEW RECOMMENDATION TODAY IS FOR EVERYONE
[01:00:01]
TO WEAR MASKS, UH, INDOORS.UH, AND I'LL BE STARTING THAT, UH, TODAY FOR, FOR MYSELF AND FOR MY FAMILY.
AND I HOPE EVERYONE DOES THAT, THAT UT CHART IS PRETTY COMPELLING.
SO LET'S GO THROUGH THE COUNCIL NOW, WE'LL, WE'LL START WITH, UM, UH, UH, THE MAYOR PRO TEM, UH, UM, AND THEN WE'LL WORK OUR WAY THROUGH DISTRICT 10.
UM, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I'LL I APPRECIATE THE INFORMATION.
UH, YOU KNOW, MY KIDS WENT TO AWAY CAMP THIS SUMMER.
ONE OF THEM IS 12, BUT THE OTHER IS ONLY 11.
UM, BUT THERE WEREN'T REQUIREMENTS FOR CAMPERS TO WEAR MASK.
I KNOW THAT WE STILL HAVE SEVERAL WEEKS OF AWAKE CAMP THIS SUMMER.
ARE THESE THE TYPES OF PRECAUTIONS THAT WE'RE EXTENDING TO, UM, PEOPLE WHO OPERATE AWAY CAMPS, WHERE WE HAVE SOME CAMPERS THAT AREN'T QUITE 12 YET.
YES, WE ARE RECOMMENDING THAT ANYBODY WHO'S UNPROTECTED UNVACCINATED OR PARTIALLY VACCINATED WEAR A MASK TO PROTECT THEMSELVES FROM CONTRACTING COVID I PROBABLY APPRECIATE THE DOCTOR WALKS.
I GUESS WHAT I'M ASKING SPECIFICALLY IS ARE WE AS A MUNICIPALITY, THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY REACHING OUT SPECIFICALLY TO ESSENTIALLY I CAN'T, FOR EXAMPLE, I KNOW THEY'RE STILL RUNNING THE SUMMER.
THERE'S A COUPLE OTHER CAMPS THAT ARE STILL RUNNING THIS SUMMER.
ARE YOU SPECIFICALLY REACHING OUT TO CAMPS TO SAY, AS WE ARE ON THE PRECIPICE OF REACHING STAGE FOUR AGAIN, AND WE HAVE CONFIRMED CASES OF DELTA FOUR, UM, WE NEED YOU ALL TO BE AS YOU KNOW, TO TAKE AS MANY PRECAUTIONS AS POSSIBLE.
I, WHILE I RECOGNIZE WE CAN'T REQUIRE, UM, I JUST WANT TO KNOW HOW WE'RE, UM, UH, PROACTIVE FOR BEING FOR THAT POPULATION.
I UNDERSTAND WE DO HAVE, UM, INDIVIDUALS IN OUR APH, UM, GROUP THAT ARE WORKING WITH VARIOUS ORGANIZATIONS TO DISSEMINATE THE INFORMATION ABOUT THE CHANGES IN OUR GUIDANCE.
AND THEN THE ONE OTHER THING WAS THE 28% NUMBER OF, UM, BOTH VACCINATIONS FOR BLACK AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES.
THAT NUMBER IS FRIGHTENING AND DISMAL AND SO MUCH LOWER THAN EVERY OTHER POPULATION.
I MEAN, I SUPPOSE WE CAN ANSWER ALL THE QUESTIONS TODAY, BUT I CERTAINLY WOULD LOVE TO BE ABLE TO GET WITH YOU AND TO GET WITH DIRECTOR STEER UP AND COMMISSIONER TREVELYAN AND THE JUDGE.
AND WE'VE GOT TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO KIND OF DO SOMETHING ABOUT THAT NUMBER.
SO I SUPPOSE THAT'S MORE OF A COMMENT THAN A QUESTION.
I WELCOME THAT OPPORTUNITY TO GET, TO GET YOUR IMPLEMENT YOUR INPUT TO TOO.
THAT'S SOMETHING WE'RE REALLY WORKING HARD TO ACHIEVE IS MOVING THAT NEEDLE, RIGHT.
I'M GOING TO GO OUT OF ORDER HERE.
A SECOND CANCER POOL NEEDS TO LEAVE.
UH, SO I'M GOING TO GO TO HER RIGHT NOW AND LET HER ASK HER QUESTION.
I WANTED TO THANK EVERYBODY FOR THE, UM, UNFORTUNATE, UH, UPDATE.
UH, IT'S REALLY DISTRESSING AND DISAPPOINTING TO SEE THOSE NUMBERS GO UP HIGH, UM, UH, REVERT TO INCREASING, DESPITE THE REALLY GOOD EFFORTS THAT I KNOW THAT EVERYBODY IS PUTTING FORWARD.
I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT IT IS OUR CIVIC RESPONSIBILITY AS ADULTS TO BE VACCINATED.
WE MUST PROTECT THE MEDICALLY VULNERABLE IN OUR COMMUNITY AND THE CHILDREN WHO, UM, UNDER AGE 12 ARE STILL NOT ABLE TO BE VACCINATED.
IT IS, IT IS OUR CIVIC RESPONSIBILITY AS ADULTS TO DO THAT.
AND I HAVE, UH, GONNA CONTINUE SOUNDING THAT, THAT ALARM AND THAT STATEMENT, WE HAD REACHED A 70%, ONE OF THE FEW CITIES THAT HAD GOTTEN TO A 7% RATE OF COMMUNITY VACCINATION, WHICH WAS TREMENDOUS AND A CAUSE FOR CELEBRATION.
AND NOW THIS HAS HAPPENED BECAUSE OF THE DELTA VARIANT.
SO, UM, WE ALL NEED TO DOUBLE DOWN AND TRIPLE DOWN AS THE MESSAGE HAS BEEN FROM EVERYBODY WHO HAS SPOKEN SO FAR TODAY, THAT WE MUST DO EVERYTHING IN OUR POWER, UH, TO CONVINCE PEOPLE, PERSUADE PEOPLE AND TAKE PEOPLE TO GET THAT JOB.
UM, IT IS IT'S OUR CIVIC RESPONSIBILITY.
AND I'M SORRY, I'M GOING TO RUN OFF, I HAVE ANOTHER MEETING.
UM, BUT, UM, THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, UH, FOR THIS SHE, WITH ASH, DIDN'T SEE HER A COUNSELOR OVER 30.
[01:05:07]
FROZEN ON THE SWING STRING.WE'LL COME BACK TO, UH, TO HIM COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN.
I DON'T HAVE QUESTIONS AT THE MOMENT.
I DO WANT TO REALLY, UM, THANK OUR STAFF.
UM, FIRST FOR, UM, THE, THE MESSAGING TODAY.
I THINK I WILL JUST REPEAT VERY BRIEFLY WHAT EVERYONE HAS SAID.
WHAT'S CRITICAL IS, UM, IS PEOPLE GETTING VACCINATED, BUT ALSO AS THE MAYOR AND OTHERS SAID, WE NEED TO ALL WEAR OUR MASK INSIDE AS MUCH AS IT IS, AS MUCH AS IT WERE AT THE POINT NOW, WHERE IT FEELS LIKE WE DON'T NEED A MASK, WE MUSK, WE MUST.
UM, IT'S ALL ABOUT, IT'S ALL ABOUT, UM, STOPPING THE SPREAD.
AND THOSE OF US WHO ARE VACCINATED CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT THAT AND WE CAN WEAR A MASK AND SOME, UH, AND THOSE, THOSE OF OUR COMMUNITY WHO ARE NOT, WE COULD CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THEM TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE AND MAKE IT VERY EASY TO GET VACCINATED.
SO I JUST WANTED TO REPEAT THAT MESSAGING AND THANK EVERYONE WHO IS ALL THE WORK THAT ALL OF YOU ARE DOING, UH, TO HELP PEOPLE GET VACCINATED AND TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO WEAR A MASK.
AND I WILL BE FOLLOWING YOUR EXAMPLE, MAYOR, UH, AND WE'RE IN MASK DOORS, KITCHEN WAS ON AND THEN OFF, COME BACK TO HIM AGAIN, JOHNSON NUMBER KELLY, THANK YOU QUITE A FEW CONCERNED RESIDENTS HERE IN AUSTIN AT MY OFFICE HAS HEARD FLAT OVER THE LAST FEW DAYS.
AND THEY'RE SIMPLY CONCERNED ABOUT MOVING TO STAGE FOUR AND ADDITIONAL RESTRICTIONS ON THE COMMUNITY.
SO I'D LIKE TO HEAR FROM AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, WHAT WOULD TRIGGER THE MOVE TO PHASE FOUR? WHAT IF ANY RESTRICTIONS WOULD THE COMMUNITY BE FACED WITH? WE ARE GOING TO BE MOVING TO STAGE FOUR.
UM, WHEN WE SAY OUR CONSISTENT, UM, TRENDING OF THE THRESHOLD BEING CROSSED OF 30 OR MORE CASES, AND WE'LL BE LOOKING AT THE OTHER FACTORS THAT IMPACT PANDEMICS, UM, THOSE BEING THE EFFECTS ON OUR ECONOMY, OUR SCHOOLS, OUR, UM, HOSPITALS, PRIMARILY OUR HOSPITALS AND OUR ABILITY TO CARE FOR PEOPLE IN THE MIDDLE OF A PANDEMIC.
AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT AS WE MAKE THAT DECISION TO, TO ELEVATE TO THE RISK, UM, BASED GUIDANCE LEVEL OF STAGE FOUR.
AND WHAT WILL CHANGE IS THAT EVERYONE WILL BE REQUIRED TO WEAR A MASK IN DOORS.
AND, UM, UH, WE'LL ALSO BE, UM, LOOKING AT PEOPLE NOT, UM, GOING TO PARTICIPATE IN, UM, CERTAIN ACTIVITIES SUCH AS GOING TO RESTAURANTS, TRAVEL AND SHOPPING IF THEY ARE OUT OF VACCINATED, UM, BECAUSE WE WILL NEED TO, TO FURTHER RESTRICT, UM, INTERACTIONS SO THAT WE CAN STOP THE SPREAD OF THE VIRUS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND IT JUST A FOLLOW UP QUESTION ABOUT THAT, BECAUSE I KNOW THERE WAS SOME TALK EARLIER ABOUT THE GOVERNOR BEING INVOLVED.
COULD YOU HELP US UNDERSTAND WHAT DISCUSSIONS ARE BEING HAD BETWEEN A CITY AND A STATE ON A DELTA VARIANT IN ANTICIPATION OF A POSSIBLE MOVE TO STAGE FOUR? THE DISCUSSIONS THAT I'VE HAD, UM, WITH THE LEADERSHIP AT THE STATE LEVEL HAS BEEN TO DISCUSS THE SITUATION AND TO APPRISE THEM OF OUR CONCERNS WITH THE SPREAD IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND, UM, THEY SUPPORT US, UM, TAKING THE ACTIONS THAT WE NEED TO TAKE THUS FAR THAT WE'VE NEEDED TO TAKE THUS FAR TO PROTECT OUR COMMUNITY, UM, UM, AND THE PUBLIC HEALTH OF OUR COMMUNITY.
EVERY TIME YOU CALLED ON ME INTERNET HERE AT CITY HALL DROPPING THAT'S OKAY.
MA'AM I REALLY APPRECIATE EVERYONE THAT IS GOING TO NEED IT.
AND ESPECIALLY IN THOSE PLACES WHERE WE HAVE SO MANY FEWER PEOPLE THAT ARE VACCINATED, BUT I THINK, UM, EVEN, YOU KNOW, EVEN DESPITE OUR BEST EFFORTS CLIMBING ONLY 1% A WEEK PUTS US A REALLY LONG WAY OUT OF
[01:10:01]
GETTING, YOU KNOW, ALL THOSE DEMOGRAPHICS, ESPECIALLY PEOPLE OF COLOR, AND LOWER-INCOME PEOPLE ANYWHERE CLOSE TO 70% WHERE WE WANT EVERYONE.AND SO MY QUESTION IS, YOU KNOW, JUST BY OUR VERY BEST EFFORTS, UM, IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE WE ARE ABLE TO GROW VACCINATIONS FAST ENOUGH TO GET TO WHERE WE WANT TO GO.
SO WHAT ARE WE, OR WHAT ARE WE SEEING IN OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY WHO IS DOING THIS WELL? AND WHAT STRATEGY I JUST WANT TO FIGURE OUT IS IT THAT WE NEED MORE FINANCIAL INCENTIVES IS THAT WE NEED TO BE MORE GOING MORE DOOR TO DOOR, BUT BOTH LOCALLY, BUT ALSO NATIONALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY, WHAT ARE WE SEEING WORKING, OR HOW ARE WE TALKING TO THOSE OTHER PLACES TO FIND OUT WHAT WILL WORK SO THAT WE GROW VACCINATIONS AT MORE THAN 1% A WEEK? I'LL LET YOU ADDRESS THAT.
AND SO, UM, WE HAVE, UM, BEEN SPEAKING OR I HAVE BEEN SPEAKING WITH MY COUNTERPARTS THAT ARE PART OF THE TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF CITY AND COUNTY HEALTH OFFICIALS TO KIND OF GET A GAUGE OF WHAT THEY'RE DOING IN TERMS OF, UM, RECOMMENDATIONS AROUND AS WELL AS WHAT THEY ARE DOING TO INCENTIVIZE AND TO SEE HOW THEY'RE ADDRESSING DISPARITIES.
UM, RECENTLY I'VE ALSO REACHED OUT TO MY COUNTERPARTS IN THE BIG CITIES COALITION, AS WELL AS LOOKED AT SOME NATIONAL RESOURCES, PUT FORTH BY THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF HEALTH.
ALL THAT BEING SAID IS, UNFORTUNATELY, WE'RE NOT FAIRING ANY DIFFERENTLY THAN WE ARE NATIONWIDE WITH RESPECT TO THE DISPARITIES, ESPECIALLY IN, IN OUR BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITIES, UM, WHERE WE DO HAVE SOME ROOM TO GROW WOULD BE WITH THE FINANCIAL INCENTIVES.
UM, OTHER STATES HAVE HUGE LOTTERY PROGRAMS. UM, THERE ARE SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT THE EFFICACY OF THOSE PROGRAMS, UM, IN TERMS OF THE DATA AND PLACES LIKE OHIO AND CALIFORNIA, THEY'RE JUST STARTING TO PUT THAT TOGETHER AND SHARE WITH THE GROUP.
UM, BUT TH THAT'S THAT'S WHERE WE'RE HEADED.
WHAT ARE THE FINANCIAL INCENTIVES THAT WE CAN OFFER PEOPLE TO MAKE IT FEASIBLE FOR THEM TO TAKE TIME OFF OF WORK, TO, UM, COME AND GET A SHOT.
AND THEN IN SPEAKING WITH THE EQUITY OFFICE YESTERDAY, IT'S, WE HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE OUR HISTORY OF MEDICAL RACISM, RIGHT? AND SO THE STRATEGY MAY BE THAT WE BEGAN TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS WHERE WE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT OUT AT THE FRONT, AND THEN WE CONTINUE TO BRING PEOPLE ALONG INTO PLACES WHERE THEY FEEL SAFE AND COMFORTABLE GETTING VACCINATED.
UM, UNFORTUNATELY IT TOOK OUR COUNTRY A LONG TIME TO GET TO THIS PLACE OF MISTRUST.
AND IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO, TO UNDO OVERNIGHT.
UM, BUT I DO THINK THAT WE CAN LEVERAGE OUR, UM, INCENTIVE PROGRAMS TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE WITH THAT AND CONTINUE TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS AND TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS THAT DO HAVE THE TRUST OF, OF RESIDENTS VERSUS, YOU KNOW, GOVERNMENT.
UM, AND, AND WE'LL INVEST LIKE, UH, NO PRIDE HERE.
WE DON'T, WE DON'T HAVE TO BE THE FRONT RUNNER AT APH, WHOEVER CAN GET THE JOB DONE, AND WE'RE GOING TO SUPPORT YOU IN THOSE EFFORTS, WHETHER IT BE FINANCIAL RESOURCES OR INFORMATION OR SHOTS.
AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S KIND OF THE STRATEGIES THAT WE'RE PUTTING TOGETHER, BUT THAT'S WHAT WE'RE SEEING LOCALLY IN TEXAS AS WELL AS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
YOU'RE PLAYING THAT GAME OF INCHES, BUT I THINK GIVEN THE PROJECTIONS THAT WERE BEING SOLD AND WE HAVE TO DO THE MASKS AND GET, GET BACK TO A GAME OF YARDS FROM A GAME OF INCHES AND DO WHATEVER IT IS WE HAVE TO DO TO GET THERE.
SO IF IT HAS TO FIT SOMEBODY ELSE TO GET BROUGHT BACK TO THE COUNCIL OR THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT, I THINK YOU HAVE A VERY SUPPORTIVE AUDIENCE OF US TRYING TO FIND WHATEVER IT IS, WORKING ANYWHERE IN THE COUNTRY TO GET US MORE THAN 1% VACCINATED A WEEK.
WACHS, COULD WE GET AN UPDATE ON THE TIMELINE FOR THE VACCINES FOR CHILDREN UNDER 12? WE DON'T HAVE ANY NEW WORD ON WHEN THAT'S GOING TO BE APPROVED.
UM, WE'RE HOPING THAT IT WILL BE BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR.
I KNOW I'M HEARING A LOT ABOUT FOLKS WHO ARE WORRIED ABOUT THEIR CHILDREN GOING BACK TO SCHOOL AND UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE'S NOT A LOT OF VIRTUAL OPTIONS ANYMORE.
AND SO WE REALLY WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE AVOIDING SITUATIONS WHERE ADULTS ARE INADVERTENTLY INFECTING CHILDREN AND PASSING THAT AMONG CHILDREN WHO COULD END UP IN THE HOSPITAL.
SO I KNOW THAT'S A BIG CONCERN THAT I'M HEARING RIGHT NOW AS PEOPLE START PREPARING FOR THE NEXT SCHOOL YEAR.
[01:15:01]
WEARING MASKS, EVEN PEOPLE THAT ARE VACCINATED WEARING MASK INDOORS IS GOING TO BE IMPORTANT AS WE TRY TO PROTECT OUR CHILDREN.I KNOW I WILL GO BACK TO WEARING MY MASK.
THANK YOU FOR THIS, FOR THIS INFORMATION.
AND, AND THANK YOU FOR WORKING WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO KIND OF SHARE THIS NEW, NEW WRINKLE, UM, AND ENCOURAGING THOSE WHO ARE VACCINATED TO WEAR THEIR MASKS.
I KNOW MY, UM, DAUGHTERS ARE PARTICIPATING IN VARIOUS AISD ACTIVITIES THROUGH THE SUMMER AND, UM, I'VE ENCOURAGED THEM TO WEAR THEIR MASK AND THEY TELL ME THEY ARE, UM, THEY ALSO TELL ME MOST OTHER KIDS ARE NOT.
SO I THINK THE MORE WE CAN DO TO ADVOCATE, UM, YOU KNOW, TO REALLY SHARE THAT IN AND MAKE IT PREVALENT UPON AMONG THE STUDENTS WHO ARE PARTICIPATING.
SO MANY ACTIVITIES ARE STARTING UP AGAIN RIGHT NOW.
UM, I HAD A COUPLE OF QUICK QUESTIONS.
ONE IS I THANK YOU FOR THE USEFUL INFORMATION AS ALWAYS.
I DON'T THINK I SAW A SLIDE ALONG THESE LINES, BUT IT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL IN FUTURE PRESENTATIONS.
IF YOU'RE ABLE TO HAVE ONE SLIDE THAT OVERLAYS HOSPITALIZATIONS WITH, UM, VACCINATION STATUS.
I DON'T THINK I SAW A CHART THAT DID BOTH OF THOSE THINGS, AND I WOULD BE VERY INTERESTED TO SEE, TO SEE HOW THAT, UM, HOW THAT ALIGNS AND ALSO HOW IT ALIGNS BY AGE.
AND THEN I NOTICED AT LEAST IN THE DATA THAT WAS PRESENTED MY CURSORY REVIEW, IT LOOKS AS IF THE, AND MAYBE WE CAN LOOK AT THIS SLIDE.
IT'S THE SLIDE FOR THE VACCINE BREAKTHROUGH.
IT LOOKS AS IF THE PFIZER, THOSE WHO ARE HAVING BREAKTHROUGH INFECTIONS, THE LARGEST SHARE OF THEM APPEAR TO BE, UM, APPEAR TO HAVE RECEIVED THE PFIZER VACCINE.
AND I WANTED TO ASK YOU IF THAT, UM, IF THAT LOCAL DATA APPEARS TO BE SUPPORTED BY NATIONAL TRENDS, IS IT A FACTOR OF THE MOST PEOPLE IN OUR AREA HAVE RECEIVED PFIZER VACCINE OR WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT, UM, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CONVERSATIONS AROUND THAT CAN ANY MEANING BE MADE OF, OF, UM, OF THAT, THE INFORMATION ON THAT CHAT ON THAT CHART IN TERMS OF WHICH VACCINE INDIVIDUALS RECEIVED? I THINK THAT THAT'S MORE A FUNCTION OF THE FACT THAT THE PREDOMINANT, UM, TH TH THE VACCINE THAT WAS USED PREDOMINANTLY IN OUR AREA FOR THE, UM, PARTICULARLY OLDER INDIVIDUALS, WAS THE PFIZER VACCINE MORE SO THAN THE FACT THAT THERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THAT, THAT YOU CAN INFER FROM THAT.
AND DOES THAT SEEM TO BE BORN OUT BY WHAT, BY WHAT YOU AND YOUR COLLEAGUES ARE SEEING NATIONWIDE THAT THERE'S NOT A DIFFERENCE IN TERMS OF BREAKTHROUGH, UH, BETWEEN PFIZER AND MADONNA.
IT'S ABOUT THE SAME FOR BOTH OF THOSE VACCINES.
I THINK, UH, UH, THAT'S OUR TAVO IN A REPORT AD YESTERDAY FROM SOME OF THE HOSPITALS.
UM, I THINK WHERE WE WERE TOLD YESTERDAY IS THAT, UH, EVERYONE IN ICU IS, UH, IN, IN THE CITY, ONLY ONE PERSON, UH, HAD BEEN, UH, UH, VACCINATIONS.
BUT I AGREE WITH YOU, WE SHOULD START REPORTING THOSE NUMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY CAN SEE THE FACT THAT ALMOST EVERYONE AT OUR HOSPITALS DISPROPORTIONATELY WIDELY ARE PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN, HAVE NOT GOTTEN VACCINATED.
I ALSO AM INTERESTED IN THE, IN THE UNDER 30 CATEGORY TO KNOW, AND I KNOW WE'VE HAD THIS CONVERSATION BEFORE, BUT IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO KNOW HOW MANY OF THOSE UNDER 30, UM, ARE ABLE TO BE VACCINATED VERSUS NOT.
SO THE, TO THE, TO THE EXTENT THAT WE CAN, UM, SEE INFORMATION WITH THE 12 AND UNDER, OR THE UNDER 12 CATEGORY, UM, SEPARATED OUT THAT WOULD ALSO BE USEFUL.
HAS THERE EVER ALTER GOOD MORNING, UM, THANK YOU FOR THESE UPDATES.
UM, I FIRST TAKE SOME REQUESTS FROM HOW DOES IT WORK, UM, ASKING FOR UPDATED GUIDANCE, CONSIDERING OUR RECENT TRENDS, I'M GOING TO SEND THIS TO APH VIA EMAIL AS WELL, BUT, UM,
[01:20:01]
I'M THINKING THAT OTHER PEOPLE MIGHT BE ASKED THE SAME QUESTIONS AS WE'RE SORT OF IN THIS SHIFTING.UM, SO THESE CONGREGATIONS HAVE BEEN PLANNING TO BE OPEN UNDER THE GUIDANCE AND ASSUMPTIONS OF THE POSITIVE TRENDS THAT WE HAD BEEN SEEING.
UM, BUT NOW GIVEN OUR CURRENT SITUATION, THEY'RE INTERESTED IN SOME GUIDANCE ON THINGS LIKE HOW TO APPROACH THE CIRCUMSTANCES WHERE CONGREGANTS WILL BE SINGING DURING SERVICES, UM, AND YOU KNOW, WHETHER MASKS SHOULD BE THE ONLY GUIDANCE FOR, YOU KNOW, IF THEY DO MOVE FORWARD.
UM, SO IF YOU COULD SPEAK A LITTLE BIT TO THAT SITUATION, UM, AND THEN TO THE EXTENT POSSIBLE, IF YOU COULD, UM, ELABORATE IN OUR CURRENT LANDSCAPE, WHETHER THEY CAN, WHETHER THE CONGREGATIONS CAN REQUIRE THAT KITCHEN STAFF OR OTHER STAFF BE MASSED.
UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY SERVE MEALS, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT A PRIVATE ENTERPRISE CAN REQUIRE WHATEVER THEY WANT FROM THE MASKS.
UM, BUT I WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT, UM, AND ALSO FIND OUT WHO, UH, CONGREGATIONS CAN REACH OUT TO IF THEY WANT TO GET, UM, SOME SPECIFIC GUIDANCE TO TALK THROUGH THEIR CHANGES.
SO THE CURRENT GUIDANCE IS SOMETHING THAT EVERYBODY NEEDS TO FOLLOW.
UM, THE GOVERNOR HASN'T TOLD PEOPLE THEY CAN'T WEAR A MASK.
HE SAID THAT WE CAN'T TELL PEOPLE TO WEAR A MASK IN AN ORDER.
UM, AND SO THE FACT THAT WE'RE ASKING PEOPLE TO WEAR MASKS, UM, IS GIVING THEM THE PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY TO, TO MAKE THAT CHOICE TO DO SO.
AND, UM, I WOULD, WE WOULD RECOMMEND THAT, UM, IN OUR CURRENT STATE, UM, WHERE WE'RE CLOSE TO MOVING TO STAGE FOUR, THAT IN HOUSES OF WORSHIP, PEOPLE WEAR MASK ENDORSED.
AND AS WE KNOW, WHEN PEOPLE ARE PROJECTING THEIR VOICES, EITHER BY SHOUTING OR SINGING THAT THOSE INFECTED AEROSOLIZED PARTICLES GO A LONGER DISTANCE, SO SOCIAL DISTANCING WILL BE IMPORTANT.
AND I KNOW THAT I'VE SEEN IN CHURCHES WHERE CHOIRS ARE PRESENT IN SINGING THAT THEY'RE ACCOMPLISHING THAT BY SPREADING OUT THE MEMBERS OF THE CHOIR SO THAT THEY'RE NOT, UM, PUTTING THEMSELVES AT RISK BY BEING IN LIVE AND FIRE.
SO TO SPEAK, SAY, SING ALL IN THE SAME DIRECTION.
AND THEN WHEN THEY FINISHED SINGING, WEARING THEIR MASKS.
SO, UM, THOSE TYPES OF GUIDANCE, UM, ARE, ARE, UM, ARE MOVED.
WE'D BE HAPPY TO TALK TO WHOEVER WOULD LIKE TO, TO, UM, SPEAK TO US ABOUT THAT.
UM, AND I THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION.
UM, BUT I DO WANT TO JUST CLARIFY, THE CONGREGATION ITSELF CAN DECIDE IT WANTS TO REQUIRE MASS.
THE CITY CAN'T REQUIRE TO REQUIRE MASKS, BUT THERE'S NOTHING LEGALLY THAT PREVENTS THE CONGREGATION FROM REQUIRING MASKS WITHIN ITS, UM, HOUSE OF WORSHIP.
UM, AND THEN I WANTED TO REITERATE IF FOLKS HAVE BEEN, UM, REPEATING THE SWITCHING OF WEARING MASKS AND GETTING VACCINES, BUT I HEARD, YOU KNOW, A THIRD PART, UM, WHICH JUDGE BROWN IS EXEMPLIFYING, WHICH IS IF YOU HAVE SYMPTOMS TO GET TESTS, UM, AND STAY HOME.
AND SO I JUST WANT TO UNDERSCORE THAT, THAT EVEN IF YOU'RE VACCINATED, UM, GETTING THAT TEST, IF YOU HAVE A SYMPTOM IS PART OF WHAT WE NEED PEOPLE TO BE DOING, AND THAT FOLKS CAN GO TO THE CITY'S COVID WEBSITE TO FIND, UM, FREE TESTING LOCATIONS.
UM, AND THEN FINALLY, I WANTED TO JUST ASK, UM, I KNOW THE APP, MY SON WHO'S WORKING AT A CAMP HAS ASKED ME TO SPECIFICALLY ASK, DO YOU RECOMMEND THAT THREE TO FIVE YEAR OLDS WEAR MASKS? YES, MA'AM THE RECOMMENDATION IS THAT CHILDREN OVER THE AGE OF TWO? UM, IF THERE'S NO MEDICAL REASON FOR, THEY'RE NOT WEARING MASKS, THAT THEY SHOULD BE WEARING A MASK TO PROTECT THEMSELVES.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR PHISHING IT.
HAS EVER ALTER, I THINK YOU'RE, YOU'RE RIGHT IN SUGGESTING THAT THERE ARE CERTAINLY LEGAL ISSUES ASSOCIATED WITH, UH, THE, UH, HEALTH AUTHORITY ISSUING A, AN ORDER OR THE JUDGE OR, OR, UH, HE HAS MAYOR ISSUING AN ORDER THAT IS NOT CONSISTENT WITH THE GOVERNOR'S, UH, POSITION THOSE ISSUES HAVE YET TO BE DECIDED BY THE COURTS.
YOU RECALL, WE DID IT AT A NEW YEAR'S EVE AND THEN SOME OTHER PLACES THEY WERE UP ON A COURT, A COURT OF APPEALS.
[01:25:01]
SAY THAT THERE'S, THAT LEGAL QUESTION HAS BEEN DECIDED, BUT THE GOAL HERE IS NOT TO END UP AT COURT AND TO HOPEFULLY THE COMMUNITY WILL RESPOND, UH, IN, IN WAYS THAT THAT ENABLED US TO BE ABLE TO PROTECT OUR, OUR STYLES.MAYOR, IF I COULD JUST CLARIFY MY CONCERN WAS TO COMMUNICATE THAT THE CONGREGATION HAS THE RIGHT TO REQUIRE THAT, UM, LEGALLY, UM, AS OPPOSED TO WHAT THE CITY COULD DO THAT I'M JUST TRYING TO CLARIFY.
I THOUGHT THAT WAS A REALLY GOOD POINT AS WHAT DO BUSINESSES AND WE'RE ASKING BUSINESSES TO DO THAT.
WE WOULD ASK CHURCHES TO DO THAT AS WELL, UH, IF THEY CAN.
UH, SO WITH THAT, UH, I WANT TO THANK, UH, THE CONSTABLE, UH, AND THE COUNTY FOR THE WORK THAT'S HAPPENING, UH, OUR, UH, APH FOLKS AND GETTING OUT OF THE COMMUNITY COUNCIL, AFRICA STARS, RIGHT? IT NEEDS TO BE GOING FASTER SOMEHOW THEY CAN, BUT IT'S ALSO REAL SIGNIFICANT TO SEE, UH, THE WORK THAT IS BEING DONE, UH, AND THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE TO READ.
THIS IS A CONCERTED EFFORT AND, AND WE HAVE TO GET FASTER, BETTER ALL THE TIME, BUT I DO APPRECIATE EVERYONE'S EFFORT.
I TURNED, UH, THE ALBUM BACK TO YOU.
AND THANK YOU, COMMISSIONERS AND COUNCIL MEMBERS AND STAFF, AND EVERYBODY FOR WORKING TOGETHER ON THIS AND TRYING TO GET THE VACCINE RATE UP AND GET PEOPLE TO WEAR MASKS AND DOORS.
AND, YOU KNOW, I'M PERSONALLY ESPECIALLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE FACT THAT WE CANNOT VACCINATE ANYONE UNDER 12 YEARS OLD AND WE'VE GOT SCHOOL STARTING IN THE MIDDLE OF AUGUST.
AND SO, UH, I I'M REALLY PLEASED TO HEAR DR.
WALTZ RECOMMENDING THAT ALL STUDENTS AND TEACHERS AND PEOPLE INTERACTING WITH STUDENTS UNDER, UH, ESPECIALLY UNDER A 12, UM, NEED TO WEAR MASKS OR SHOULD WEAR MASKS.
UM, AND I WHOLEHEARTEDLY AGREE WITH THAT AND ALSO WITH WHAT THE MAYOR SAID ABOUT THAT.
SO I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND, UM, WE'LL ADJOURN AND COME BACK AT 10 35, WE'LL HAVE A FIVE MINUTE BREAK AND MARY I'LL PASS IT OVER TO YOU TO DO THE SECOND CALLER, AT LEAST ONE CALLER ON THE LINE.
SO WE DON'T ACTUALLY, UM, THERE ARE, THEY'RE CALLING FOR ANOTHER ITEM, BUT IF YOU WANT TO, UM, WE CHECKED WITH THE ATTORNEY AND SAID THAT THEY, WE ACTUALLY CAN'T TAKE THEIR CALLS BECAUSE THE AGENDA FOR THE JOINT SESSION SPECIFICALLY STATES THAT MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC MAY GIVE COMMENT BEFORE THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT ON ANY ITEM ON THIS AGENDA BY CALLING 800, 304, 10 55, THE COMMENT AT THE BEGINNING.
PUBLIC COMMENT FOR THE SPECIAL JOINT SESSION OF THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT AND AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL WILL ONLY BE TAKEN AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING BEFORE THE AGENDA ITEM IS CALLED OR CONSIDERED.
SO WE ACTUALLY, UNFORTUNATELY CAN'T TAKE THEIR CALLS AT THIS POINT, BUT IF IT'S, IF THERE'S AN AGENDA, IF THERE'S AN AGENDA ITEM DURING THE REGULAR MEETING, UH, WHICH IS TYPICALLY ITEM SIX, THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO COMMENT ON ITEM SIX.
UH, HERE AT, UH, 10 31, UH, WE'RE GOING TO, UH, JUROR AND THE CITY COUNCIL PORTION OF THIS MEETING, UH, COLLEAGUES, I THINK WE GATHERED TOGETHER FOUR O'CLOCK ON THURSDAY, UH, IN, UH, IN CHAMBERS, UH, FOR THOSE THAT ARE READY TO DO THAT, IF COMMUNITY IS GOING TO BE ABLE TO, TO, TO PARTICIPATE, I THINK BOTH REMOTELY, AS WELL AS IN PERSON, UH, SEE YOU GUYS, UH, FOUR O'CLOCK ON UNDERSTANDING WE'RE ADJOURNED, HOW MANY GUNS ARE SOLD WHEN ALL IS SAID AND DONE THOSE THAT GIVE AND THOSE THAT DON'T THAT'S ABOUT EVERY ONE