[00:00:02]
THE TRAVIS COUNTY COMMISSIONERS COURT, AND A JOINT MEETING WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN TODAY IS AUGUST 17TH, 2021.
WE'RE MEETING HERE AT 700 LAVACA WITH COMMISSIONER
AND, UH, I WILL HAND IT OFF TO YOU, MAYOR ADLER, JUDGE.
AND AGAIN, CHRIS, THANK YOU FOR LETTING US JOIN YOU.
UH, WE'RE GOING TO CONVENE OUR MEETING HERE AS WELL.
UM, IT'S UH, AUGUST 17TH, 2021.
SO CALL TO ORDER THE JOINT MEETING OF THE TRAVIS COUNTY COMMISSIONERS COURT AND THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL.
AND, UH, LARRY, DO WE HAVE ANY CALLERS TODAY, JUDGE? WE DO WELL.
WE HAVE ONE, UH, CALLER ON THE LINE FOR THE JOINT SESSIONS AND OPIATE JOSEPH SHOULD BE THERE AS AN OPIATE.
AND COUNCIL MEMBERS, MAYOR ADLER I'M ZENOBIA JOSEPH.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SOME COMMENTS AS IT RELATES TO THE UPDATE ON COVID RELATED MATTERS.
I KNOW THAT YOU WILL PROBABLY TALK ABOUT THE MASK MANDATE AND THE SUPREME COURT DECISION.
I WILL TELL YOU THAT WHILE I CERTAINLY APPRECIATE KUT LISTENING TO SCHOOLS THAT ARE USING MASK AND THOSE THAT AREN'T, IT CAN ACTUALLY BE AS CLEAR AS MUD AT TIMES.
I HOPE YOU WILL CLARIFY WHAT THE MASS MANDATE IS AS IT RELATES TO STAYING HOME.
I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT I JUST HEARD ON KCI THE HEALTH TALK AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT THEY'RE SAYING.
SO MY COMMENTS ARE REALLY RELATED TO RENT ASSISTANCE.
AND WHILE I CERTAINLY AM A CRITIC, OFTENTIMES OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN, I HAVE COMPLIMENTED THE NEFERTITI JACQUELINE, WHO IS THE CITY'S ANTI-DISPLACEMENT OFFICER IN HOUSING AND PLANNING DEPARTMENTS.
I'VE SENT THIS INFORMATION TO COMMISSIONER'S COURT, AUGUST 3RD, 2021.
I RECOMMENDED THAT SHE GIVE THEM A BRIEFING ON HOW THE CITY IS DISPERSING THE RENT ASSISTANCE MONEY, BECAUSE THE PROGRAM, UNFORTUNATELY AT THE COUNTY LEVEL IS QUITE SLOW.
I ALSO TYPED A MEMORANDUM TO COMMISSIONER HOWARD ON AUGUST 3RD, AND I MADE THE COMMENTS AND GAVE THE UPDATE FROM THERE FOR TD JACQUELINE IN MY ORAL TESTIMONY.
I JUST WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE THAT HUD IS ACTUALLY PROVIDING ASSISTANCE AND I'VE ASKED COMMISSIONER'S COURT WHETHER OR NOT THEY REACHED OUT TO HUD THEY'RE SPECIFICALLY BUILDING BACK BETTER, WHICH IS, UH, SECRETARY FUDGE, JULY 20TH, 2021 ACTUALLY GAVE TESTIMONY BEFORE THE U S HOUSE COMMITTEE ON FINANCIAL SERVICES WHERE SHE TALKED ABOUT THEM, GIVING ASSISTANCE FOR PEOPLE WHO SAY WE DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO.
SHE SAID WE PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO THEM.
AND SO I WOULD ASK THAT YOU ON THE 65 PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO, UM, THE COUNTY.
AND I WOULD JUST LASTLY, CALL TO YOUR ATTENTION THAT THIS IS A NATIONAL PROBLEM.
UH, NBC NIGHTLY NEWS DID REPORT AT 26 OF THE 41 STATES HAD NOT PROVIDED MUCH OF THEIR ASSISTANCE FROM THE FIRST ROUND OF CARES ACT FUNDING.
AND SO ANYTHING THAT YOU CAN DO, NOT JUST PREACH TO PEOPLE TO TELL THEM TO STAY HOME WHEN THEY'RE SICK, BUT TO ENSURE THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO GET THE RENT ASSISTANCE AND WHATEVER ELSE THEY NEED EXPEDITIOUSLY.
AND SO SINCE YOU'RE HAVING THIS JOINT MEETING, I'M JUST ASKING PUBLICLY THAT YOU ALLOW NEFFER TD JACKMAN TO GIVE A PRESENTATION TO TRAVIS COUNTY COMMISSIONER'S COURT SO THEY CAN EXPEDITE THE MONEY THAT THEY HAVE FOR PEOPLE WHO NEED ASSISTANCE.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'LL BE GLAD TO ANSWER THEM AT THIS TIME.
AND THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO MAKE MY COMMENTS.
I WOULD LIKE TO ASK THAT WE LOOK INTO THAT IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO GET AN UPDATE ON WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE RENT ASSISTANCE AND TO DETERMINE IF THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE THAT CAN BE DONE TO GET IT.
SO THAT ACTUALLY WASN'T TOPICAL JUST FYI TO THE JOINT SESSION, BUT WE DO HAVE THAT COMING UP IN OUR REGULAR MEETINGS SO WE CAN TALK TO SHERRY ABOUT THAT.
THERE ARE ANY OTHER COLORS, LARRY.
[1. Update on Covid-19 related matters]
YOU.OKAY, SO WE'LL GO AHEAD AND START THE BRIEFING WITH DR.
WACHS, IF YOU ARE AVAILABLE AND THEN WE'LL GO TO APH AND THEN HEAR FROM, UH, THE CONSTABLE AND, UH, CHIEF AND CHUCK.
I, UM, WE HAVE, UM, PER OUR FIGURES YESTERDAY 955 NEW CASES REPORTED TO APH.
SOME OF THOSE CAME IN OVER THE WEEKEND.
UM, A SEVEN DAY MOVING AVERAGE IS 76, 589 PEOPLE IN ICU, 213 PATIENTS ON VENTILATORS,
[00:05:01]
SORRY, 213 PATIENTS IN ICU, 134 PATIENTS ON VENTILATORS, 64 ADMISSIONS AND 69 DISCHARGES IN THE PRIOR, UH, 24 HOUR PERIOD OF TIME.AND WE'RE SAYING, UM, THAT OUR CURVE, IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE ARE, IS STARTING TO, UM, SLOW DOWN SOMEWHAT.
THERE'S A PERCEIVED FLATTENING THAT'S OCCURRING.
UM, HOPEFULLY THIS IS OCCURRING.
AS A RESULT OF, UM, BEHAVIORAL CHANGES THAT HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTED BY OUR COMMUNITY WITH MASKING AND SOCIAL DISTANCING, UM, AND INCREASED VACCINATIONS EFFORTS, UM, THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY, HOWEVER, SCHOOL'S ABOUT TO BEGIN.
SO W WE'RE HOPEFUL THAT THIS CURVE FLATTENING WILL CONTINUE WITH CONTINUED MASKING AND SOCIAL DISTANCING AS THOSE ACTIVITIES START.
WE LOOK AT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR BUSINESS COMMUNITY, PARTICULARLY IN OUR RESTAURANT COMMUNITY.
WE SEE THAT WE'RE CONTINUING TO SEE, UM, A SMALL NUMBER OF CASES THAT ARE OCCURRING.
UM, THIS INDUSTRY PARTICULARLY HAS BEEN ENFORCING, UM, THE MITIGATION MEASURES THAT WE'VE ASKED THEM TO DO WITH WEARING A MASK AND DOING DISTANCING WITHIN THEIR ESTABLISHMENT.
SO IT'S EXEMPLARY FOR OUR BUSINESS COMMUNITY.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT HOW WE'RE DOING OVERALL AS A, AS A COUNTY, A MAJOR METROPOLITAN COUNTY, UM, YOU'LL SEE THAT WE'RE STILL, UM, TRENDING LOWER THAN OTHERS.
UM, HAYES HAS 10,000 PLUS PER A HUNDRED THOUSAND, WHICH IS THE TOP LINE.
AND THEN THE MIDDLE LINE, WHICH IS WILLIAMSON COUNTY HAS 9,300 PLUS 400,000 THE GREEN LINE.
AND WE ARE REPRESENTED BY THE YELLOW LINE WITH, UM, 7,400 PLUS PER A HUNDRED THOUSAND CASES.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE NEXT SLIDE, UM, LOOKING AT OUR DEATHS PER A HUNDRED THOUSAND, WE'RE STILL TRENDING LOWER, UM, THAN OTHERS, UM, IN OUR SURROUNDING COUNTY AREAS.
UM, THE ADMISSIONS BY RACE OVERALL SHOWED DISPROPORTIONATE RATE OF ADMISSIONS OF HISPANICS AND BLACKS.
AND WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR ZIP CODE DATA, UM, WE SEE THAT THERE ARE HIGHER NUMBERS OF ADMISSIONS COMING FROM THE 7 8 7 4 4 AND 7 8 6 6 0.
THE TOTAL ADMISSIONS FOR THE LAST, UM, PERIOD OF A AUGUST 2ND TO AUGUST 15TH WERE 882.
UM, 53% OF THOSE CAME FROM TRAVIS COUNTY RESIDENTS, 24% FROM WILLIAMSON COUNTY RESIDENTS.
UM, 7.5% FROM BASS DROP AND THEN ANOTHER 5.4 FROM HAYES COUNTY RESIDENTS THAT WERE HOSPITALIZED IN OUR, UM, HOSPITALS LOCALLY.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, JUST TO TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT'S HAPPENING AS FAR AS VACCINATION RATES IN OUR SURROUNDING COUNTIES BRIEFLY, UM, WE SEE THAT, UM, IN, UM, WILLIAMSON COUNTY, WE HAVE, UH, APPROXIMATELY 15% OF THE THERE THAT'S VULNERABLE, WHICH MEANS THAT THEY HAVE NOT RECEIVED VACCINATION, UM, WITH PARTIALLY VACCINATED INDIVIDUALS AT 9%.
UM, AND THEN WE HA THERE, I'VE NOTICED THAT 25% OF THE POPULATION IS UNDER THE AGE OF 18.
BASTROP COUNTY SIMILARLY HAS, UH, APPROXIMATELY 20%, 19% OF THEIR POPULATION THAT'S VULNERABLE.
UM, AND 25.4% OF THEIR POPULATION IS UNDER THE AGE OF 18.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE IS COUNTING HAS 10% OF THEIR POPULATION VULNERABLE AND, AND UNPROTECTED AND 20 TO 23% OF THEIR POPULATION IS ON VACCINATED.
IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, OUR HOSPITAL VACCINATION RATES, AS FAR AS THOSE WHO ARE HOSPITALIZED IN OUR HOSPITAL, ALMOST ALL OF THE PEOPLE THAT ADMITTED TO HOSPITAL ARE UN-VACCINATED AND IT'S
[00:10:01]
RUNNING ABOUT 85% OF THOSE WHO ARE ADMITTED TO THE HOSPITAL OR NOT PROTECTED BY THE OF IT VACCINES THAT ARE AVAILABLE.AS WE ALL KNOW, THERE HAVE BEEN BOOSTERS TO THE MRNS VACCINES THAT HAVE JUST BEEN, UM, APPROVED.
AND, UM, HOWEVER, WE DO KNOW THAT THE VACCINES THEMSELVES HAVE PROVEN TO PROTECT AGAINST SEVERE COVID ILLNESS, HOSPITALIZATION, ICU, ADMISSIONS IN DEATH.
SO THEY CONTINUE TO BE PROTECTIVE AGAINST, UM, THE COVID-19 SEVERE ILLNESS.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, IF WE LOOK AT OUR HOSPITALIZATIONS BY AGE GROUP, YOU'LL SEE THAT THERE'S CONTINUING INCREASES IN ALL AGE GROUPS OF ADMISSIONS TO HOSPITAL DURING THE SURGE FROM ADULT TO VARIANT.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE NEXT SLIDE, YOU WILL SAY THAT, UM, THE AGES THAT ARE MOST, UM, REPRESENTED FOR HOSPITALIZATIONS OF LATE HAVE BEEN THE ORANGE LINE 50 TO 69, UH, 30 TO 49.
AND THEN, UM, SOME REPRESENTATION OF THE OVER 70 AGE GROUP, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, OR SAYING CHILDREN ADMITTED TO OUR ICU.
AND WE HAVE, UM, A SMALL NUMBER OF STAFFED ICU BEDS AT ANY GIVEN TIME.
WHEN WE LOOK AT THE, UH, PATIENTS UNDER AGE 18, ADMITTED TO ICU, UM, DURING THIS REPORTING PERIOD OF JULY 1ST TO AUGUST 15, THERE WERE 20 ADMITTED TO ICU.
UM, AND THEN THOSE UNDER, UM, 18 ADMITTED OVERALL 74, AND THERE'S ONE PATIENT THAT'S BEEN REPORTED ON VENTILATOR THAT PATIENT'S BEEN REPORTED AS A CHILD THAT HAS SOME PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS THAT HER TENS, THIS CHILD TO BE MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO SEVERE ILLNESS FROM COVID-19 NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
THIS AGAIN LOOKS AT, UH, CASES OF COVID 19 THAT HAVE BEEN REPORTED, UM, SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THIS YEAR.
AND WE SAY THAT EARLY IN THE YEAR, WE HAD, UM, INCREASES IN OUR PEDIATRIC ADMISSIONS OUT CASES.
UM, AND THIS WAS DURING A TIME WHEN MASKS WERE STILL IN PLACE.
UM, IF WE LOOK AT THE NUMBERS NOW WE'RE SEEING A LARGE NUMBER OF PEDIATRIC CASES AGAIN, OCCURRING WHEN NASA NOT MANDATED AND WHEN CHILDREN ARE NOT YET IN SCHOOL.
SO THAT IS WHY I'M, I'M SAYING THAT WE WOULD WATCH GOLD TO SEE WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN WITH SCHOOLS OPENING.
UM, AND WE'RE, WE'RE HOPEFUL THAT MASKS WILL BE USED TO HELP MITIGATE AS WE SEE THAT THEIR NUMBERS HAVE INCREASED AS THE MASK, UM, MANDATE WAS LIFTED.
AND WE HAD CHILDREN THAT HAVE BEEN, UM, AFFECTED BY COVID DURING THE SUMMER ARE THOSE THAT ARE, THAT HAVE BEEN ENGAGED IN ACTIVITIES SUCH AS STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING TRAINING.
AND SOME OF THE CAMPS THAT OCCURRED OVER THE SUMMER.
WE'RE ALSO CAUTIOUS ABOUT WHAT'S GOING TO OCCUR WITH CHILDREN WHO ARE NOT ABLE TO RECEIVE VACCINATIONS WHO ARE UNDER THE AGE OF 12.
SO, UM, THE FACT THAT WE'RE HAVING THIS INCREASE IN PEDIATRIC CASES NOW, UM, WITH, IN, DURING A PERIOD WHERE A MASK, WHICH HAVE BEEN OUR MAINSTAY OF MITIGATING THE SPREAD OF COVID-19, UM, PRIOR TO VACCINATIONS EVEN, UM, WE'RE REALLY CONCERNED THAT WE NEED TO BRING BACK, UM, MASK USE FOR OUR KIDS, PARTICULARLY TO PROTECT THOSE WHO ARE NOT ABLE TO RECEIVE VACCINATIONS.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE NEXT SLIDE FOR THE TOTAL NUMBERS OF, UM, CASES OF COVID-19 IN OUR PEDIATRIC POPULATION, UM, YOU'LL SEE THAT THERE, THE NUMBERS BETWEEN, UH, THE FIRST PART OF THIS YEAR NOW, UM, HAVE BEEN, UM, INCREASED BY ABOUT 30% IN THE LAST TWO MONTHS BECAUSE OF THE NUMBER OF CASES
[00:15:01]
THAT HAVE OCCURRED IN PEDIATRIC CASES.SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, UM, TO CURB THIS SPREAD, WE MUST ENCOURAGE OUR CHILDREN AND STAFF AT OUR SCHOOLS TO WEAR A MASK.
WE'RE LOOKING HERE AT, UM, SOME OF THE QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT'S REQUIRED, THOSE DISCHARGED FOR SOME OF OUR PATIENTS AND THE MAJORITY OF PATIENTS ARE BEING DISCHARGED TO HOME.
HOWEVER, THERE ARE SOME THAT REQUIRE SKILLED NURSING, UM, THAT THAT IS THEY'RE REQUIRING HIGH FLOW OXYGEN OR REQUIRING SOME PHYSICAL THERAPY, OX, OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY.
AND FOR THE MOST PART, OUR CURRENT, UM, SKILLED NURSING FACILITIES ARE ABLE TO, UM, ACCOMMODATE THESE PATIENTS.
HOWEVER, WITH THE NUMBER OF PATIENTS THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW IN ICU, IS THAT WE'RE ANTICIPATING THAT WE MAY HAVE A NEED FOR AN ALTERNATE CARE SITE, AND WE HAVE PLANS, UM, READY TO GO FOR THAT.
UM, AND WE'VE MADE REQUESTS FOR STAFFING FOR SUCH A FACILITY, UM, TO BE ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE THAT NEED, THE NEXT SLIDE LOOKS AT BREAKTHROUGH CASES.
AND THESE ARE THE CASES OF PATIENTS THAT HAVE BEEN FULLY VACCINATED.
THEY'RE 14 DAYS PAST THAT LAST VACCINATION.
SO THEY HAVE, THEY'RE CONSIDERED TO HAVE FULL PROTECTION.
AND WE SEE HERE THAT WE HAVE HAD A NUMBER OF BREAKTHROUGH CASES DURING THIS PERIOD OF THE SURGE.
UM, AND WE ALSO NOTE THAT FOR THE MOST PART, THE ILLNESS THAT HAS OCCURRED HAS BEEN MILD AND SHE'S NOT REQUIRED HOSPITALIZATION 41 PATIENTS WHO'VE BEEN HOSPITALIZED FOR COVID RELATED ILLNESS.
UM, AND THESE ARE PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT, UM, RESIDENTS OF OUR LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES.
ALL MOST OF THE LONG-TERM CARE FACILITY PATIENTS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO BE TAKEN CARE OF AT THE NURSING HOMES, WHERE THEY RESIDE.
UM, THERE'S BEEN, UM, UM, ONE DEATH OF A NURSING HOME PATIENT.
UM, AND THEN THE OTHER 12 DEATHS WERE NOT LONG-TERM CARE FACILITY PATIENTS.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE LONG-TERM CARE FACILITY DATA, UH, WE'VE HAD 46 CASES IN THE LAST 14 DAYS, 135 IN THE LAST 28 DAYS.
AND THIS IS A BREAKDOWN OF WHAT THE CASES, UM, WHERE THOSE CASES HAVE HAPPENED.
1,612 OF THE CASES WERE IN STAFF.
UM, AND THEY WERE DISTRIBUTED LARGELY IN THE YOUNGER AGE GROUPS, 22, UM, 69, BUT MAJORITY OF THOSE HAVE BEEN IN THE 20 TO 49 YEAR OLD, 59 YEAR OLD RANGE AND RANGE.
THERE HAVE BEEN SOME BREAKTHROUGH CASES.
UM, BUT MANY OF THESE HAVE BEEN, UM, MILD CASES AS PER REPORTS FROM LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES.
AND LOOKING AT THE CASES IN THE RESIDENTS OF NURSING HOMES, AS YOU WOULD EXPECT, THOSE HAVE BEEN INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE OLDER.
AND, UM, AS I SAID EARLIER, UM, MANY OF THEM WILL HAVE BEEN MILD CASES OR ASYMPTOMATIC.
AND, UH, THERE'S BEEN ONE DEATH IN ONE OF THE LONG-TERM CARE FACILITY RESIDENTS WHO WAS ACTUALLY ON HOSPICE AS WELL.
AND THE QUESTION IS COMMENTS TO WHAT MEASURES ARE BEING TAKEN TO MITIGATE THE SPREAD OF COVID AND MANAGE, UM, COVID IN LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES.
AND THIS IS A GRAPHIC THAT SHOWS WHAT THE GUIDANCE IS, AND IT HIGHLIGHTS THAT WE HAVE BEEN CLOSELY MONITORING THROUGH OUR LONG-TERM CARE TASKFORCE AT APH, UM, AND HAVE HAD, UH, DOCTORS FRYE AND DR.
JASON MARTIN, UM, WHO ARE BOTH, UM, HOSPITALISTS AND, UM, GERIATRICIANS WHO WORK IN OUR LOCAL FACILITIES MONITORING AS WELL, AS WELL AS OUR APH EPIDEMIOLOGIST STAFF.
WE'RE FOLLOWING CDC PROTOCOLS AND STAFF AND RESIDENTS ARE TESTED ACCORDING TO CDC
[00:20:01]
PROTOCOLS, DEPENDING ON WHAT OUR POSITIVITY RATE IS AS PUBLISHED BY CMS. AND, UM, MEASURES ARE TAKEN WHEN THERE'S A CASE THAT'S IDENTIFIED IN THE NURSING HOME, SIGNIFYING AN OUTBREAK AND RESIDENTS AND STAFF ARE ALL, ALL, UM, TESTED AND THEN MONITORED FOR 14 INITIAL 14 DAYS.UM, AND UNTIL THE OUTBREAK IS, UM, AND UNTIL THE OUTBREAK IS RESOLVED.
AND THEN IF YOU LOOK AT OUR, UM, PROGRESS TO HURTING UNITY, UM, WE'VE HAD VACCINATION UPTAKE INCREASES IN THE LAST SEVERAL.
WE'VE HAD 10,000 PLUS MORE VACCINATIONS IN THE LAST, UM, WEEK TO HAVE 10,000 PLUS MORE PEOPLE FULLY VACCINATED IN THIS LAST WEEK AND OUR VULNERABLE POPULATION, OR THOSE WHO HAVE NOT HAD VACCINATION HAS DROPPED FROM 15% LAST WEEK TO 13%.
HOWEVER, TO NOTE THAT WE STILL HAVE A POPULATION OF PEOPLE WHO ARE, UM, THOSE THAT HAD HAD COVID 19 OR FOUR, WE SUSPECT AND HAVE ESTIMATED HAVING HAD COVID-19 AND NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED.
AND THOSE PEOPLE HAVE DEVELOPED ANTIBODIES, WHICH WE FEEL WILL BE PROTECTIVE FOR A 90 DAY PERIOD.
HOWEVER, IT IS STILL IMPORTANT FOR THEM TO BE VACCINATED, TO GET THE FULL PROTECTION THAT'S SUPPORTED BY RECEIPT OF THE VACCINE SERIES.
THE NEXT SLIDE, OUR HOSPITAL, REGIONAL DATA AS OF YESTERDAY.
UM, ACTUALLY THESE ARE FIGURES FROM SUNDAY.
UM, THE REPORTING DID NOT COME OUT UNTIL THE WEEK, UM, UM, ON THE DIFFERENT SLIDES, SORRY.
UM, THESE ARE RE-INFECTION RATES ARE FOR THE, UM, PREVIOUS PERIOD OF JULY THROUGH AUGUST.
AND YOU'LL SEE HERE, THE BREAKDOWN OF NUMBERS OF, UM, RE INFECTIONS THAT HAVE OCCURRED.
AND THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT SPIKE, PARTICULARLY IN FEMALES IN JULY.
AND, UH, AND WE'RE IN THE BEGINNING OF AUGUST AND SEEING A SIMILAR INCREASING THOSE NUMBERS.
UM, THESE FIGURES FOR OUR HOSPITAL, REGIONAL DATA ARE LOOKING AT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR DIFFERENT METROPOLITAN AREAS.
WE SAY THAT WE ARE, WE, UM, CROSS THE THRESHOLD OF 15% IN EACH OF THE METROPOLITAN AREAS EXCEPT I'LL PASS, UH, WHERE THEY'VE ALREADY HAD, UM, A HARD IN A LARGE IMPACT, UM, ON THEIR SYSTEM FROM A SURGE PREVIOUSLY IN PRIOR TIMES IN THE YEAR.
SO THEY, THEY'RE STILL SITTING AT 4.4%.
UM, HOWEVER, EACH OF THESE AREAS, UM, THAT HAS BEEN, UH, HAS CROSSED THAT 15% THRESHOLD HAVE LIMITED NUMBERS OF BEDS.
AND AS SUCH, THERE IS A LIMIT.
AND, UH, THERE'S ACTUALLY NOT A LOT OF TRANSFER THAT'S OCCURRING BETWEEN THE MAJOR METROPOLITAN AREAS.
AT THIS POINT, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO MANAGE THROUGH, UM, CAREFUL COORDINATION THAT'S BEEN DONE BY DR.
S SCOTT AND THE HOSPITALS AND OUR EMS TRANSPORT TEAMS. AND WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO CARE FOR PATIENTS.
HOWEVER, IT'S STILL IMPORTANT THAT OUR COMMUNITY DO WHAT IT TAKES TO KEEP THE NUMBERS OF CASES DOWN BY WEARING MASKS, SOCIAL DISTANCING, HAND-WASHING, UM, STAYING HOME WHEN SICK AND, AND ATTENDING TO ONLY ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS.
AND IF YOU DO HAVE TO GO OUT WEAR A MASK, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO ARE UNPROTECTED BY VACCINATION, WE'RE TRYING AS A GROUP AS, UM, TO CONTINUE TO KEEP OUR ECONOMY OPEN.
WE WANT TO OPEN OUR SCHOOLS IN A SAFE FASHION.
AND WITH THAT IN MIND, WE HAVE, UM, RECOMMENDED THE USE OF MASS, UM, IN SCHOOLS TO PROTECT OUR STAFF AND OUR CHILDREN, AND PARTICULARLY OUR CHILDREN WHO ARE UNDER THE AGE OF 12, WHO ARE UNABLE TO BE VACCINATED.
UM, SO WITH THAT IN MIND, WE'RE HOPEFUL THAT WE CAN GET TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE SURGE.
SO WHAT'S NEW, WE'VE OPENED A REGIONAL INFUSION CENTER FOR MONOCLONAL ANTIBODY THERAPY.
[00:25:01]
UM, IT OPENED YESTERDAY, UM, MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES ARE USED TO TREAT THOSE WHO ARE AT RISK FOR SEVERE ILLNESS, HOSPITALIZATION, AND DEATH.UM, AND IT'S ALSO BEEN APPROVED FOR POST EXPRESS EXPOSURE PROPHYLAXIS FOR THOSE WHO ARE AT RISK FOR SEVERE DISEASE, HOSPITALIZATION, AND DEATH.
SO IF SOMEONE IS IN A HOME WHERE THEY, UM, HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO COVID FROM A YOUNGER SIBLING OR SOMEONE IN THEIR HOUSE, THAT'S KIND OF BEEN POSITIVE AND THEY'RE IMMUNE COMPROMISED, THEY ARE NOW ELIGIBLE FOR THIS TREATMENT THAT'S AVAILABLE IN OUR COUNTY.
UM, IT REQUIRES A REFERRAL FROM A PROVIDER AND WE HAVE, UM, GOTTEN THE INFORMATION OUT TO OUR LOCAL PROVIDERS AND HOSPITAL SYSTEMS, UM, TO GET THOSE PATIENTS THAT ARE ELIGIBLE FOR THE TREATMENT, UM, IN, FOR TREATMENT, WE'RE HOPEFUL THAT THIS WILL DECREASE THE NEED FOR HOSPITALIZATION FOR THESE INDIVIDUALS.
AND, UM, WE ARE WORKING DILIGENTLY TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT ACTUALLY DOES OCCUR.
THE FDA HAS APPROVED FOSTER SHOTS FOR THE MRNS VACCINES, UM, MADONNA AND PFIZER.
AND THESE WILL BE, UM, DISTRIBUTED BY LOCAL PROVIDERS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, PEOPLE CAN, UH, GO TO THEIR PROVIDER TO TALK ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THEY SHOULD HAVE THE BOOSTER AND THEY CAN ALSO SELF THE TEST, UM, AND PRESENT FOR BOOSTER SHOTS, THE JANSSEN, UM, J AND J VACCINATION IS NOT INCLUDED IN THIS, UM, DIRECTIVE.
UM, THEY WILL, THOSE WHO HAVE RECEIVED A SINGLE SHOT OF J AND J ARE, UM, ARE NOT CURRENTLY BEING ADVISED TO HAVE A BOOSTER SHOT.
CAN WE START TO REALLY, UM, JUST A QUICK QUESTION.
UM, YOU LAID OUT THE NUMBER OF ICU BEDS AND VENTILATORS.
WE GOT, UH, INFORMATION ON THAT.
DO WE HAVE THE SAME TYPE OF INFORMATION ON THE CAPACITY OF SKILLED NURSING FACILITIES? I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT THEM, BUT I DIDN'T SEE NUMBERS THAT SAID, THIS IS OUR CAPACITY, AND THIS IS THE LEVEL AT WHICH THEY'RE BEING USED AT THIS POINT.
WE DO NOT HAVE EYES ON THAT INFORMATION, UM, DIRECTLY, THEY ARE PRIVATE COMPANIES AND THEY, UM, DON'T ALL HAVE THE CAPABILITY FOR, UM, HOUSING COVID PATIENTS BECAUSE OF THEIR CURRENT, UM, CENSUS.
WE HAVE IDENTIFIED APPROXIMATELY 37 THAT'S THAT, UM, CAN BE USED AT THIS POINT IN TIME FOR SKILLED NURSING AND THE CAPACITY FLUCTUATES DEPENDING ON ADMISSIONS AND DISCHARGES, JUST AS OUR, UM, CENSUS IN HOSPITALS DOES.
SO, UM, I CAN GET THAT FOR YOU COMMISSIONER AND, AND LET YOU KNOW, UM, THANK YOU.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE IMPORTANT TO KNOW OVER TIME.
AND, UM, AND THEN JUST VERY QUICKLY, UH, WE NOTICED THAT, UH, WHEN THERE ARE VACCINATION SPACES THAT ALLOW PHYSICALS AS WELL, YOU OFTEN GET TWO OR THREE TIMES AS MANY STUDENTS COMING FROM PHYSICALS AND THEN MIGHT TAKE THEIR VACCINATIONS.
UH, CAN WE ADD IN OUR STRATEGY AS WE GO FORWARD, PARTICULARLY AS WE TALK ABOUT THE BACK TO SCHOOL PROGRAMS THAT WE'RE PARTICIPATING IN, THAT WE, UH, HAVE THE CAPACITY TO ADD SCHOOL PHYSICALS, AS WELL AS VACCINES AS A, AS A, UH, ANOTHER MEANS OF ATTRACTING STUDENTS THAT MIGHT WANT TO GET THE VACCINATION.
ALSO, THANK YOU, UH, DIRECTOR STIRRUP.
AND NOW I WILL GIVE AN UPDATE ON THE OPERATIONAL SIDE, UM, AND AS ALWAYS JUST A REMINDER AND AN OPPORTUNITY TO REMIND OUR COMMUNITY OF WHERE WE ARE IN TERMS OF STAGING
[00:30:01]
AND WHAT THE BEHAVIORS ARE THAT WE'RE ASKING FOLKS TO UNDERTAKE SO THAT WE CAN STAY SAFE.SO THAT'S MASKING WASHING YOUR HANDS, STAYING HOME.
IF YOU'RE SICK, GETTING TESTED, IF YOU FEEL SICK, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY BEING VACCINATED VACCINATION IS THE LONG-TERM GAME.
BUT RIGHT NOW TO GET OUT OF THIS SURGE MASKING AND SOCIAL DISTANCING WILL BE IMPORTANT.
IT'S ALL ABOUT TESTING THESE DAYS.
SO I AM GLAD AND HAPPY THAT THE COMMUNITY IS RESPONDING OVER THE LAST WEEK.
YOU CAN SEE HERE ON THIS SLIDE, THE LOCATIONS WHERE A RESIDENT CAN COME AND GET TESTING.
WE'RE AT THE DOVE SPRINGS REC AT ST.
JOHN'S WE OFFER IN-HOME TESTING.
ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS CALL 3, 1, 1, AND WE CONTINUE TO SUPPORT OUR FACILITIES WITH, UM, TESTING AT SENIOR CENTERS, HOMELESS SHELTERS, AND THE LIKE IN ACCORDANCE TO THE DATA SHARED TO US BY DSHS AND EVIDENCED ON THE SLIDE, UH, THAT DR.
WACHS, UM, SHARED EARLIER ABOUT THE NUMBER OF, UM, DEATHS IN PFLUGERVILLE.
WE ARE CONTINUING TO LOOK AT WAYS TO PARTNER WITH THAT COMMUNITY AND ADD ADDITIONAL SUPPORT AS SUCH.
WE'VE ADDED A NEW TESTING SITE.
IT'S LOCATED AT 1 0 3 NORTH RAILROAD AVENUE PFLUGERVILLE.
WE EXPECT TO LAUNCH IN SEPTEMBER, SO IT'S NOT OPEN YET, BUT WE EXPECT TO LAUNCH IN SEPTEMBER AS WITH ALL OF OUR SITES, IT WILL BE FREE AND THEY ARE WALK-UP OPTIONS AVAILABLE.
WE WILL STRESS THAT YOUR APPOINTMENT WILL GO A LOT MORE QUICKLY IF YOU DO PRE-REGISTER AND MAKE AN APPOINTMENT, BUT THAT SHOULD NOT BE A STUMBLING BLOCK.
YOU CAN SCHEDULE ONLINE AT THE WEB ADDRESS CITED HERE BY CALLING 3 1, 1, OR BY CALLING 5 1 2 9 7 4 2 0 0 0.
AND RECOGNIZING THAT SOME OF THE TEXTS AND THE GRAPHS MIGHT BE HARD FOR THE PUBLIC TO SEE.
I ALSO WANT TO REMIND FOLKS THAT THESE SLIDES WILL BE AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE FOR YOU TO DOWNLOAD AND READ AT YOUR LEISURE WHEN LOOKING AT OUR VACCINE DASHBOARD UPDATE, AND THIS NUMBER HERE JUST REPRESENTS SHOTS GIVEN BY AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH AND COMMUNITY CARE.
UM, AND THE LAST WEEK WE GAVE 1,322.
AND IF WE LOOK AT THE NEXT SLIDE, THIS SHOWS THE VACCINE DATA FOR TRAVIS COUNTY BY RACE AND ETHNICITY.
AND LAST WEEK, THERE WAS A QUESTION ABOUT THE TOTAL NUMBER OF SHOTS GIVEN IN OUR COUNTY.
AND SO, UM, WE CAN LOOK AT THIS BOTTOM NUMBER HERE, CIRCLED IN RED AND SEE THAT AT A MINIMUM WE'VE GIVEN OVER 800 SHOTS.
AND THEN WHEN YOU COUNT THE NUMBER OF FOLKS WHO ARE FULLY VACCINATED, THAT GETS OUR NUMBER UP TO 1,483,241 SHOTS IN TRAVIS COUNTY.
WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH OUR PARTNERS AT THE COUNTY AND WITH THE COLLABORATIVE TO GET THOSE SPECIFIC NUMBERS BY PROVIDER, BUT THIS GIVES YOU THE TOTAL OUTLOOK FOR THE COUNTY.
SO, UM, WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR FIRST DOSE MAT, UNFORTUNATELY NOT TOO MUCH CHANGED OVER, UM, LAST WEEK.
UM, AND AGAIN, JUST TO REMIND THE COMMUNITY, THE BLUE MEANS THAT THAT ZIP CODE IS OVER 60%.
AND THE GREEN REPRESENTS AREAS THAT ARE A 70% OR HIGHER WITH FIRST DOSE PENETRATION.
AND WE ONLY HAVE ONE SMALL CIRCLE OF, UH, YELLOW TO, TO TACKLE AND OH FIVE.
AND WE ARE DEPLOYED DEPLOYING OUR MOBILE VACCINE PROGRAM IN ANY SPACE AVAILABLE IN THAT COMMUNITY.
SO WE CAN HELP DRIVE THOSE NUMBERS.
AND SO THIS SHOWS OUR SECOND DOSE FULLY VACCINATED POPULATION.
SO UNFORTUNATELY THERE'S NOT AS MUCH GREEN ON THIS MAP AS WE WOULD LIKE, BUT WE ARE.
UM, AND IT'S, IT'S NOT SURPRISING THAT WE'RE SHOWING THE SAME AREAS THAT KIND OF LAG BEHIND FOR FIRST DOSE ARE BELOW THAT 50% MARK FOR FULLY VACCINE BEING FULLY VACCINATED.
PARDON OF NOTE, OF COURSE, IS ONE SEVEN, AND WE WILL CONTINUE OUR EFFORTS IN SOUTHEAST COUNTY, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE WORKING WITH OUR PARTNERS TO GET AS MANY FOLKS ARE FULLY VACCINATED AS POSSIBLE.
OTHER ZIP CODES OF NOTE ARE FOR 2 0 5 AND FIVE THREE.
WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR VACCINE OPERATIONS FOR THE WEEK, A REMINDER THAT WE WILL BE AT ALL OF OUR STATIC LOCATIONS.
[00:35:01]
SO THAT SOUTHEAST LIBRARY, LITTLE WALNUT CREEK LIBRARY, THE ANNUL ARCH CENTER, UM, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH TRAVIS COUNTY, WE WILL BE AT THE DEL VALLEY OPPORTUNITY CENTER AND AT THE TURNER ROBERTS REC CENTER FOR MORE DETAILED INFORMATION ABOUT THESE LOCATIONS AND THE TYPE OF VACCINE THAT YOU CAN RECEIVE, PLEASE VISIT US AT WWW DOT AUSTIN, TEXAS.GOV.UM, FOR THIS WEEK, OUR MOBILE OPERATIONS WILL BE AT APPROXIMATELY 25 DIFFERENT LOCATIONS, INCLUDING FOUR ACC CAMPUSES, NINE MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOLS, THE MONTOPOLIS FLEA MARKET, AND THE SOUTH AUSTIN MARKET.
I DO WANT TO, UM, POINT OUT TO THE COMMUNITY THAT WE ARE PLANNING THE INCENTIVE PROGRAM FULL ROLLOUT.
UM, LAST WEEK WE HAD A LIMITED NUMBER OF GIFT CARDS FOR A TRIAL BASIS.
WE ARE PUTTING TOGETHER THE, UM, INCENTIVE THAT WILL GIVE, UH, FOLKS BEING VACCINATED WITHIN THIS TIME PERIOD, TO RECEIVE UP TO A $50 GIFT CARD FOR EACH SHOT, WE WILL HAVE INFORMATION AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE.
ONCE THE VAC, THE PROGRAM IS LAUNCHED ABOUT WHERE AND HOW YOU CAN GET THAT GIFT CARD.
AND AGAIN, I'M FOCUSING BACK TO DATA-DRIVEN DECISIONS FOR OPERATIONS.
I'M REALLY STEPPING UP THE OUTREACH IN THE PFLUGERVILLE AREA, PARTNERING WITH OUR ISD OUT THERE TO BE IN MIDDLE SCHOOLS, UM, TO PLAN EVENTS IN CON IN CONSULTATION WITH ADMINISTRATORS AND THE PUBLIC TO MAKE SURE WE'RE OFFERING AS MANY OPPORTUNITIES AS WE CAN FOR, UM, FAMILIES TO GET VACCINATED, TO ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT VACCINE, UM, TO, UM, RECEIVE INFORMATION ABOUT VACCINE.
AND SO WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO HAVE A LARGER FOOTPRINT IN THAT AREA TO DRIVE THOSE NUMBERS TO A BETTER PLACE.
AND SO IN HER COMMENTS EARLIER, DR.
WACHS TALKED ABOUT, UM, THE VACCINE BOOSTER THAT WAS RECENTLY, UM, APPROVED BY, UH, THE FDA AND CDC.
AND SO THE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE FOR THOSE WHO ARE IMMUNOCOMPROMISED, UM, AND WE'RE REALLY, UH, DIRECTING OUR PUBLIC TO TALK WITH THEIR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER, UM, TO DETERMINE IF AN ADDITIONAL DOSE IS APPROPRIATE FOR THEM.
IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A REGULAR PROVIDER OR, UM, CANNOT FIND A SITE, UM, TO GET VACCINES APH EXPECTS TO WITHIN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS TO SET UP A PROGRAM, TO OFFER BOOSTERS TO THE COMMUNITY.
ONCE THAT PROGRAM IS FINALIZED AGAIN, WE WILL SHARE INFORMATION, UM, THROUGH OUR REGULAR MEDIA OUTLETS IN THIS VENUE, AND WE'LL HAVE THAT INFORMATION POSTED ON OUR WEBSITE AS WELL.
AND AGAIN, I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF TEXT ON THIS SLIDE, BUT IT WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR THE PUBLIC TO, UM, DOWNLOAD FROM OUR WEBSITE.
SOME OF THE CRITERIA FOR FOLKS THAT MIGHT NEED A BOOSTER ARE IF YOU'RE RECEIVING TREATMENT FOR TUMORS OR BLOOD CANCERS, IF YOU'RE TAKING IMMUNOSUPPRESSIVE MEDICATIONS AFTER AN ORGAN TRANSPLANT, IF YOU'RE WITHIN TWO YEARS OF RECEIVING CRT THERAPY OR A STEM CELL TRANSPLANT, IF YOU HAVE PRIMARY, IMMUNODEFICIENCIES RARE GENETIC DISORDERS THAT PREVENT YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM FROM WORKING PROPERLY, IF YOU HAVE ADVANCED OR UNTREATED HIV, AND IF YOU'RE TAKING HIGH DOSE CORTICOSTEROIDS AND OTHER AGENTS TO HELP, IF YOU HAVE IMMUNO COMPROMISED SYSTEMS AND OTHER CHRONIC MEDICAL CONDITIONS SUCH AS CHRONIC RENAL DISEASE, OR IF YOU'RE RECEIVING DIALYSIS.
AND SO THAT'S JUST A SNAPSHOT OF THE LIST.
UM, IT'S EXHAUSTIVE ON THE CDC WEBSITE, AS WELL AS OUR WEBSITE TO HELP YOU FIGURE OUT IF A BOOSTER IS RIGHT FOR YOU.
AND AS ALWAYS, WE'RE TRYING TO EXPAND OUR MEDIA PRESENCE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE GIVING THE PUBLIC THE MOST RECENT AND UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION AS POSSIBLE.
UM, WE RESPONDED TO OVER 60 INQUIRIES LAST WEEK.
KEY POINTS OF DISCUSSION HAVE BEEN, UM, PATIENTS IN THE ICU OR A SICKER AND STAYING LONGER.
UM, ICU STAFF ARE SEEING YOUNGER PEOPLE IN OUR HOSPITALS.
AND THE OTHER POINT IS THAT THE DELTA VARIANT PASSES FROM PERSON TO PERSON WITH MUCH MORE EASE.
SO THE V THE VIGILANCE WITH HYGIENE MASKING AND WATCHING DISTANCE IS OF PARAMOUNT IMPORTANCE.
AND OF COURSE OUR BACK TO SCHOOL MESSAGING, UM, FOCUSING ON GETTING OUR KIDS THAT ARE ELIGIBLE FOR VAX VACCINE VACCINATED, UM, SUPPORTING OUR KIDS AND WEARING MASKS AND MAKING SURE THEY STAY AT HOME WHEN THEY'RE SICK AND THE RIDE TO SCHOOL TODAY, MY, MY SON COMMENTED TO ME THAT, YOU KNOW, NOBODY IN SCHOOL IS WEARING A MASK
[00:40:02]
AND IT MADE HIM FEEL A LITTLE AWKWARD.AND I HAD TO TALK THEM THROUGH THE REASONS WHY MASKING IS IMPORTANT AND LIKE A CHAMP.
AND, YOU KNOW, I SAID TO HIM, YOU COULD BE A LEADER, NOT A FOLLOWER, YOU KNOW, THE INFORMATION, SHARE IT WITH YOUR FRIENDS.
AND HE WHIPPED HIS MASK OUT BEFORE WE GOT OUT OF THE CAR PURPLE TO MATCH HIS PURPLE HAIR AND PUT IT ON AND WINKED AT ME WHEN HE GOT OUT OF THE CAR.
AND SO I KNOW IT'S A STRESSFUL TIME FOR OUR FAMILIES AND KIDS, AND WE ALL NEED CONSTANT REMINDERS AND ENCOURAGEMENT AND SUPPORT TO DO THE RIGHT THING.
AND SO WITH THAT, I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME THIS MORNING.
THANKS DIRECTOR, STIRRUP, UH, CHECK.
ARE YOU AVAILABLE OR CONSTABLE MARYELLA'S JUDGE, UH, MAYOR, YES.
CHUCK BROTHERTON, TRAVIS COUNTY EXECUTIVE FOR EMERGENCY SERVICES TODAY.
OF COURSE, WE'VE GOT, UH, CONSTABLE GEORGE MIRALIS WITH PRECINCT FOUR, UH, AND FIRE CHIEF, KEN BAILEY WITH ESD 11 I'LL TURN THINGS OVER TO CHIEF BAILEY TO JUDGE, UH, MAYOR COUNCIL AND COMMISSIONERS CARD CAN VALLEY WITH TRUCKS COMING FIRE RESCUE, AND TO SHARE MY SCREEN REPORTING FOR THE COUNTY COLLABORATIVE.
UH, WE, UH, TO DATE HAVE NOW DONE ABOUT 27,000 DOSES WITH ABOUT 24,000 OF THOSE BEING TRAVIS COUNTY RESIDENTS.
UM, WE HAVE NOW PLANNED OR, UH, EXECUTED ON 322 DIFFERENT MOBILE EVENTS, WHICH DOES NOT INCLUDE THE EXPO.
AND THESE, ALL OF THESE NUMBERS, UH, DO NOT ALSO INCLUDE CODA, WHICH WAS A MAJOR EFFORT, UH, SOMEWHERE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF ABOUT 80,000 SHOTS PRIOR TO, TO APRIL.
UH, WE HAVE SEEN AN UPTICK OF ABOUT 231%, UH, FIRST DOSES COMPARED TO THE FIRST 16 DAYS OF JULY.
AND, UM, CONSTABLE MORALITY IS GOING TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT OUR OUTREACH EFFORTS.
GOOD MORNING COMMISSIONERS, JUDGE, MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UH, AGAIN, WE CONTINUE TO FOCUS OUR, UH, OUTREACH AND EDUCATION, UH, MAKING SURE THAT OUR, UH, MOBILE VACCINES ARE SUCCESSFUL.
WE HAVE INCREASED OUR OUTREACH, UM, THIS LAST WEEK BY DOING A TOTAL OF 6,305 PHONE CALLS.
UH, WE DISTRIBUTE, OUR TEAMS HAVE DISTRIBUTED 21,381 FLYERS.
OUR MOBILE TEAMS GAVE A COMBINED SHOT OF 1,849 SHOTS THIS PAST WEEK.
UM, WITH THE COMBINED SHOT TOTAL FOR AUGUST AT 3,554, WE WILL BE WORKING ON SHOT LOCATIONS IN THE WELLS BRANCH AREA AND THE PFLUGERVILLE ERA COMMUNITIES.
UM, WE WILL BE WORKING WITH, AGAIN, OUR PARTNERS WITH ASD DBIS D UH, TO CONTINUE THE VACCINE TO CONTINUE THE VACCINE, OUR STUDENTS.
UM, WHAT IS UNIQUE ABOUT THE MOBILE VACCINE IS WE ARE VERSUS OUR VERSATILITY.
UM, WE CAN MOVE AND PIVOT INTO AREAS OF HIGH NEEDED AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
UM, SO WHEN WE GET THESE PHONE CALLS AND THEY SAY, HEY, WE, WE THINK WE HAVE A GOOD SHOT HERE.
CAN IT HAPPEN THIS WEEK? UH, WE USUALLY JUMP ALL OVER THAT AS QUICK AS WE CAN, AND WE, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THOSE NUMBERS ARE GREAT.
UM, ONE THING THAT WE DO OR UPCOMING SCHEDULE THIS WEEK IS WORKING WITH RODRIGUEZ ELEMENTARY, THEIR SECOND DOSE CLINIC, AND WE HAD A REALLY GOOD TURNOUT WITH THE FAMILIES THERE.
UM, WE HAVE A TRAVIS COUNTY COMMUNITY CENTER IN FOOTHILL FARMS. UH, WE WILL START THAT THIS FRIDAY AND, AND GIVING SHOTS INTO THAT COMMUNITY WELLS BRASS COMMUNITY CENTER, RIVER CITY, YOUTH FOUNDATION, THE MEXICAN COUNCIL AT HOUSTON CHILTON UNIVERSITY.
AND OF COURSE, ALL FOUR JD SUPERMARKETS TO INCLUDE THE TRAVIS COUNTY CRIMINAL JUSTICE CENTER.
WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING THIS FRIDAY, UM, AS I TRY TO DO EVERY WEEK AND GIVE SHOUT OUTS TO A LOT OF THE TEAM MEMBERS THAT WE HAVE OUT THERE THAT DO AN AMAZING JOB FOR US.
ONE IS, UH, THANK YOU TO COUNCIL MEMBERS, ALISON ALTER, AND DIRECTOR KIM LEE FROM PARKS AND RECS, UH, FOR PROVIDING, HELPING US GET SOME TRANSPORTATION.
UM, AND ESPECIALLY OUR OUTREACH TEAM, ALEX CURTIS WITH GARCIA, DANIEL ALVAREZ, KEVIN RAMIREZ, KAYLA RAMIREZ, TY HENDERSON, AND OUR TWO PROJECT COORDINATORS, JACKIE CHAN, AND JOHN LAWLER, AS WE CONTINUE TO PUSH FORWARD.
UH, OUR SUCCESS IS MEASURED ON PARTICIPATION OF EVERY ONE OF YOU AND THE, AND THE EFFORT THAT YOU SUPPORT US WITH.
AND I WILL HARDLY WANT TO THANK OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS, OUR COMMISSIONERS, OUR JUDGE, AND OUR MAYOR, AND ESPECIALLY THE AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, UM, FOR THEIR COLLABORATION WITH US AND MAKING SURE THE MESSAGE IS CONTINUOUS.
AND IF I CAN, ONE LAST THING, WE ARE PREPARING OUR SYSTEM TO
[00:45:01]
START WITH THIRD DOSES, UH, AND COORDINATING WITH THE STATE, UH, FROM A TECHNOLOGY STANDPOINT, WE HOPE TO HAVE THAT DONE BY THE END OF THE WEEK.UH, BUT WE ARE COORDINATING WITH THE STATE AS TO WHEN THEY'RE GOING TO BE READY TO ACCEPT THOSE.
THE, UM, THE OTHER THING IS, IS THAT I STILL THINK THAT THERE'S A LOT OF WORK TO BE DONE IN REGARDS TO BENDING BEHAVIOR.
UH, THIS WEEKEND WE HAD PROBABLY A 5,000 PERSON EVENT, UH, WITH NOT A MASK IN SIGHT AND PEOPLE SHOULDER TO SHOULDER, UH, AT, UH, AT, UH, ONE OF THE, UH, RODEOS THAT WAS OUT HERE IN OUR AREA.
AND I THINK THIS IS AN EDUCATION PIECE THAT WE MUST BE.
UM, WE, WE SHOULDN'T IGNORED IT, CONTINUE OUR EFFORTS.
THANK YOU, JUDGE, MAYOR, UH, COURT AND COUNSEL, AS I DO EVERY WEEK, I JUST LIKE TO SHOW, SHOW OUR RESIDENTS HOW EASY IT IS TO FIND VACCINATION INFORMATION.
UH, AS YOU'VE HEARD, WE CONTINUE EXPANDING OUR OUTREACH EFFORTS.
UH, THE COLLABORATIVE IN AUGUST OR IN JULY DID NEARLY 5,000 DOSES.
AND WE S WE LOOK TO EXCEED 6,000 DOSES IN THE MONTH OF AUGUST, UH, AT EXPO AND, UH, AT THE OTHER LOCATIONS.
UH, AND I'M GOING TO SHARE MY SCREEN VERY QUICKLY.
IF I MAY AT TRAVIS COUNTY, TX.GOV, THIS IS THE LANDING PAGE FOR THE COUNTY'S WEBSITE.
UH, AND IT'S VERY, VERY SIMPLE JUST TO CLICK ON THAT LINK.
AND IT TAKES YOU IMMEDIATELY TO THE CALENDAR OF VACCINE EVENTS, UH, THAT WE ARE, UH, SCHEDULING EACH DAY.
THE CALENDAR SHOWS BOTH, UH, COUNTY COLLABORATIVE, AUSTIN, PUBLIC HEALTH, AND A HANDFUL OF, UH, PRIVATE PROVIDER LOCATIONS, AS WELL AS ESDA, AGAIN, SIMPLY CLICK ON ANY ONE OF THESE LINKS.
THIS IS A JDS MARKET AT CEDAR CREEK, AND YOU SEE ALL OF THE INFORMATION, UH, DATE, TIME, UH, WHAT VACCINES ARE AVAILABLE.
UH, THE SAME LINK IS AVAILABLE THROUGH THE AUSTIN, TEXAS.GOV/ COVID-19 WEBSITE.
YOU CAN GET, GET TO THIS SAME INFORMATION, UH, AND FOR INFORMATION ABOUT PRIVATE PROVIDERS, VACCINES.GOV, UH, IS A GREAT RESOURCE FOR, UH, FOLKS TO GO TO AND FIND OUT WHERE THEY CAN GET A VACCINE AT A NEARBY PHARMACY, CVS, WALGREENS, AGB.
ALL OF THOSE ARE AVAILABLE ON VACCINES.GOV, AND I WILL STOP SHARING IT RIGHT THERE AND PAUSE THERE FOR QUESTIONS.
SO, UH, THANKS EVERYBODY FOR ALL YOUR WORK.
WE'RE GOING TO GO THROUGH THE QUESTION PORTION.
SO FIRST WE'LL GO TO MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT AND THE JUDGE THEN MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL THAN THE MAYOR.
IF WE COULD LIMIT OURSELVES TO ONE QUESTION EACH AND I WILL START WITH COMMISSIONER MARGARET GOMEZ.
UM, AGAIN, UH, THIS INFORMATION IS REALLY, UM, CONCERNING TO ME AND AS WE, UH, CONTINUE GOING OUT AND EDUCATING THE PUBLIC, I THINK IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT GOALS THAT WE HAVE, UH, THE END RESULT IS OF COURSE THE VACCINATION HAS ALWAYS BEEN THAT, BUT I WANT TO SAY TO, UH, THE COLLABORATIVE TEAM, I'M SO PROUD OF Y'ALL, UM, ALL THE WORK THAT YOU HAVE DONE AND REACHING PEOPLE AND, UH, AND COMMUNICATE IN ONE-ON-ONE AND ENCOURAGING THEM TO, TO GET VACCINATED.
SO, UM, I MEAN THE, THE, YOUR EFFORTS ARE REALLY PAYING OFF AND, UM, UM, IT ALL, I'LL BE ETERNALLY GRATEFUL TO YOU.
THANKS SO MUCH, AND THANKS TO ALL OF THE HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS AND, UM, ALL THE FOLKS WHO ARE CONTINUING, UM, TO TRY AND KEEP OUR COMMUNITY HEALTHY AND SAFE IN SPITE OF A LOT OF REALLY UNNECESSARY BARRIERS.
UM, I WAS TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE NUMBERS.
SO THIS MAY BE A QUESTION FOR DR.
UM, IT, I THINK YOU'D INDICATED ABOUT 85% OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE, UH, CURRENTLY IN THE HOSPITAL ARE UN-VACCINATED.
UM, BUT THE, THE NUMBERS KIND OF THREW ME, IT LOOKED LIKE THERE WERE 800 SOME IN THE HOSTEL AND THEN 400 SOME VACCINATED, IF YOU COULD, IF YOU COULD PROVIDE A LITTLE MORE CLARITY ON THE, ON THE NUMBERS IN THE HOSPITAL.
I'M I UNDERSTAND THAT THE CONTINUING BULK OF THE ISSUE WITH PEOPLE ENDING UP IN THE HOSPITAL ARE PEOPLE WHO HAVE NOT YET BEEN VACCINATED, BUT I'M JUST TRYING TO GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE ACTUAL NUMBERS.
SO WE DON'T ALWAYS GET THE QUESTION ANSWERED BY THE PATIENTS, UM, AND, AND ARE NOT ALWAYS ABLE TO VERIFY THEIR VACCINATION STATUS AND THAT THOSE NUMBERS THAT WE HAVE ARE THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN VERIFIED BY OUR TEAM, UM, FOR ACCURACY.
AND SO THAT, THAT'S WHY THERE'S A DISCREPANCY IN THE NUMBERS, JUST AS SOME OF THE
[00:50:01]
NUMBERS THAT YOU MAY SEE ON SLIDES HERE, UM, MAYBE BEFORE A CERTAIN DATE AND POINT IN TIME, AND THEY THEY'RE SUBJECT TO CHANGE BECAUSE THE CENSUS CHANGES AND, UM, YOU KNOW, OUR HOURS.SO ARE WE KEEPING TRACK OF PEOPLE WHO ARE REFUSING TO SAY WHETHER OR NOT THEY'VE BEEN VACCINATED, I'M GOING TO ASSUME THAT IS MOSTLY PEOPLE WHO ARE UNVACCINATED, BUT ARE WE KEEPING TRACK OF THAT NUMBER? THAT SEEMS LIKE THAT'S A, THAT'S A REALLY BAD TREND IF PEOPLE WON'T EVEN SAY WHEN THEY'RE COMING TO THE HOSPITAL, WHETHER OR NOT THEY'VE BEEN VACCINATED FOR, ARE WE TRACKING THEM? WE, WE HAVE, UH, AN UNKNOWN CATEGORY.
UM, ONCE AGAIN, I WANT TO THANK THE, UH, THE TEAM AND ITS EFFORTS TO, UH, TO REALLY REACH INTO COMMUNITIES AND TO FIND A TRUSTED COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO WORK THROUGH.
I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR EFFORTS IN THAT PROCESS.
UH, I WANT, I REALLY WANT TO ASK WHAT WE CAN DO IMMEDIATELY TO ADD SCHOOL PHYSICALS TO THE VACCINE PROCESS, BECAUSE THAT SEEMS TO GET, UM, MANY MORE STUDENTS INTERESTED AND MANY MORE PARENTS INTERESTED WHEN WE MARK IT THAT WAY.
IS THERE A WAY THAT WE CAN DO SO, AND I AM ALSO INTERESTED IN UNDER UNDERSTANDING, UH, WHAT WE ARE DOING WITH OUR TRAINING APPARATUS, MEANING, UH, LOCAL WORKFORCE BOARDS, UH, ACC CAPITAL IDEA, UH, AND, AND OTHER PLACES ABOUT, UH, CONTINUING TO BUILD OUT OUR HEALTHCARE WORKFORCE, BECAUSE NOW THAT WE'RE GOING TO BOOSTERS, UH, YOU KNOW, WHO KNOWS HOW LONG THIS IS GOING TO LAST, WHAT ARE WE DOING TO USE OUR WORKFORCE RESOURCES, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE TRAINING ENOUGH PEOPLE TO HELP US WHERE WE HAVE SHORTAGES.
AND, AND SO I'LL START COMMISSIONER THEN INVITE MY COLLEAGUES TO, UM, ADD TO, UM, FROM AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH PERSPECTIVE, IN ORDER TO ADD THE PHYSICALS TO THE VACCINE OPERA, WE OPERATIONS, WE WOULD HAVE TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR, UM, LOCAL COMMUNITY CENTER OR HEALTH CENTER PARTNERS, UM, BECAUSE THAT IS NOT WITHIN THE PURVIEW OF WHAT AWESOME PUBLIC HEALTH CAN PROVIDE.
UM, SO THERE'S THAT, UM, SECONDLY, I THINK THERE IS OPPORTUNITY, AS YOU SAID, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE BUILDING OUT OUR WARTS AND PUBLIC HEALTH DID RECEIVE A TWO YEAR GRANT FROM THE CDC THAT FOCUSES ON PUBLIC HEALTH, WORKFORCE RETENTION AND RECRUITMENT, UM, SPECIFICALLY A DIVERSE WORKFORCE, UM, UNDERSTANDING THAT WE HAVE A HEALTH EQUITY ISSUE AT HAND WITH COVID.
AND SO OUR TEAM IS CURRENTLY WORKING ON THE PLANS TO, UM, ONE ADD COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS AND TRAIN COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS, AND THEN TO WORK, UM, WITH OUR, UM, HOUSTON TILLOTSON AT OTHER INSTITUTES OF HIGHER LEARNING TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN HAVE, UM, A MORE INTENTIONAL, UM, RECRUITMENT STRATEGY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE CAPTURING, UM, THOSE MINDS THAT MIGHT NOT EVEN HAVE REALIZED THAT THEY COULD HAVE A CAREER PATH IN PUBLIC HEALTH.
AND SO THOSE PLANS ARE, ARE UNDERWAY.
IF WE CAN MEET, UH, SOMETIME THIS WEEK, I WILL MAKE TIME THIS WEEK, UH, WE'VE PUT TOGETHER AN ADVISORY TEAM WITH THE PR WITH THAT PURPOSE.
SO IF YOU WILL, IF, IF OUR OFFICES CAN CONNECT, I WILL, I WILL CONNECT YOU WITH THE TEAM, THE COMMUNITY TEAM PUT TOGETHER PRECISELY FOR THAT FUNCTION.
I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME.
UM, JUST GOT ONE, UH, DIRECTOR STIRRUP, I THINK WHERE YOU PROBABLY, OR MAYBE FOR CONTRACT, WHO'S NOT HERE, BUT I'M REALLY EXCITED THAT WE HAVE AN INFUSION CENTER SET UP, WENT OUT AND LOOKED AT IT YESTERDAY, OUT AT THE EXPO CENTER.
OBVIOUSLY PEOPLE CAN GO DIRECTLY THERE TO ACCESS IT.
THEY NEED TO FIRST GET A REFERRAL FROM A DOCTOR.
COULD YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW WE'RE ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO DO THAT AND SORT OF PUBLICIZING THAT IT'S AVAILABLE FOR PEOPLE WHO TEST POSITIVE FOR COVID OR IN A HIGH RISK CATEGORY? UM, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE GETTING THE FULL, FULL UTILIZATION OUT OF THAT, UH, SO THAT WE CAN STEER PEOPLE AWAY FROM THE HOSPITALS.
SO WE, WE, WE, UM, HAVE DISSEMINATED THE INFORMATION TO THE MEMBERSHIP, UH, 4,000 PLUS DOCTORS THAT ARE PART OF TRAVIS COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETY.
[00:55:01]
THE INFORMATION OUT TO THE PRESIDENTS OF THE COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETIES.UM, WE'VE ALSO, UM, SENT THE INFORMATION TO FREE-STANDING EMERGENCY ROOMS AND, UM, WE WILL BE DOING MORE OF THE SAME, UH, GOING FORWARD.
WE'RE ALSO PLANNING TO PUT IT ON OUR WEBSITE AT APH, AND IT ALSO APPEARS ON THE CAT ROCK WEBSITE.
AND IF, IF FOLKS DON'T HAVE A DOCTOR AND THEY TEST POSITIVE, I'M JUST TRYING TO THINK THROUGH THAT SCENARIO.
MAYBE I'M NOT THINKING OF, RIGHT.
LIKE IF THEY TEST POSITIVE FOR COVID DURING THE HIGH RISK CATEGORY, CAN THEY CALL 3, 1, 1, OR COULD THEY, IF THEY DON'T KNOW HOW TO GET TO A DOCTOR, I GUESS IS MY QUESTION.
YES, WE WE'RE, UM, GOING TO PUT MESSAGING, UM, AT THE THREE ONE, ONE CALL CENTER TO GIVE INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO OBTAIN A REFERRAL FROM A PROVIDER.
UM, AS YOU KNOW, WE JUST OPENED YESTERDAY, SO WE'VE NOT, UM, WIDELY PUBLICIZED IT BECAUSE WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PROCESS WAS GOING TO BE, UM, GOING ACCORDING TO PLAN, BUT THAT THAT'S, THAT WILL BE PART OF THE PROCESS AS WELL.
I'LL PASS IT OVER TO YOU, JUDGE.
WE'RE STARTING DISTRICT 10, WORKING YOUR WAY BACK UP.
GOOD MORNING, UM, DIRECTOR STIRRUP.
I WAS WONDERING IF YOU COULD SPEAK A LITTLE BIT TO MORE TO THE PLANS FOR ROLLING OUT THE BOOSTER SHOTS SO THAT WE CAN, UH, UM, AVOID, UM, A DISTRIBUTION CHALLENGE, ESPECIALLY WITH RESPECT TO INFORMATION DISTRIBUTION AND MAKING SURE THAT OUR SYSTEMS CAN HANDLE THE VOLUME.
I UNDERSTAND THAT THE PLAN AT THIS POINT IS, IS FAIRLY LIMITED BOOSTER SHOTS FOR THOSE WHO ARE IMMUNOCOMPROMISED, BUT IT SOUNDS FROM WHAT WE'RE HEARING, THAT THERE WILL EVENTUALLY BE A THIRD BOOSTER SHOT FOR, FOR ALL.
UM, AND LIKE TO UNDERSTAND HOW OUR PLANNING SO THAT WE CAN AVOID SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE EXPERIENCED.
UM, EARLIER THIS YEAR, I'M SMILING BECAUSE WE HAD THAT CONVERSATION, UM, THIS MORNING IN OUR EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP TEAM, HOW DO WE AVOID, UM, THE BACKLOG OR THE, THE WAIT TIMES THAT WE SAW WHEN THE VACCINE FIRST BECAME AVAILABLE? UM, AND SO SEEING THAT WE GOT THE FINAL, UM, DIRECTION, I BELIEVE JUST YESTERDAY, WE'RE GOING TO TAKE THAT INFORMATION AND MEET WITH OUR IT TEAMS TO SEE HOW WE CAN SHORE UP OUR SYSTEMS TO KIND OF, AND IT'S, IT'S A VERY COMPLEX PROCESS AND, UM, I'M GOING TO GIVE IT TO YOU IN THE LAYMAN'S TERMS, HOW I HEARD IT, WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO HELP OUR SYSTEM DISTINGUISH BETWEEN A PATIENT WHO'S BEEN WITH US FOR, TO A PATIENT WHO'S BEEN WITH US FOR ONE AND THE NEW PATIENT.
UM, AND SO WHILE WE WORK THAT OUT, WE WILL HAVE THE WALK-UP OPTION JUST SO THAT OUR TECHNOLOGY LAPSES WON'T BE A BARRIER.
UM, BUT THE, THE FORMALIZATION AND THE SHORING UP OF THAT PLANNING WILL HAPPEN TODAY.
AND SO, UM, THE, THE BONES ARE IN PLACE.
THE STAFF NEEDS THAT WE'LL, WE'LL HAVE, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT LOCATIONS.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT HOW TO INTEGRATE THAT INTO OUR EXISTING SITES.
UM, WE'VE BUILT OUT THE, UM, INITIAL QUESTIONS THAT SOMEONE WILL HAVE TO ANSWER FOR THE SELF ATTESTATION.
AND SO THOSE KEY PIECES HAVE ALREADY BEEN IN PLACE.
BUT NOW WITH THAT FINAL GUIDANCE, WE CAN PUT ALL OF THAT TOGETHER AND HAVE A MORE FORMALIZED PLAN, WHICH IS WHY I SAID IN MY COMMENTS EARLIER THAT ONCE WE HAVE EVERYTHING IN PLACE, IT WILL BE ANNOUNCED TO THE PUBLIC, BUT YES, WE HAVE OUR EYES ON MAKING SURE THAT WE CAN MAKE IT AS SEAMLESS AS POSSIBLE.
WE'RE ALSO HOPING THAT WE'RE IN A DIFFERENT PLACE IN JANUARY WHEN APH WAS ONE OF THE FEW PROVIDERS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND WE'RE REALLY HOPING THAT NOW THAT WE, THAT VACCINE IS MORE READILY AVAILABLE, THAT WE WON'T KIND OF SEE THOSE WAIT TIMES AT THE CENTERS THAT THE COUNTY OR THE CITY WILL SET UP.
SO YOU'RE ALSO PREPARING THOUGH, TOO, UM, YOU KNOW, CAUSE THERE'S THE IMMEDIATE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE IMMUNOCOMPROMISED, BUT AS THAT OPENS UP, UM, THERE WILL PRESUMABLY BE A SURGE THAT MAY MAKE IN SOME WAYS SIMILAR TO WHAT WE HAD, BECAUSE IT WILL MIMIC WHEN PEOPLE ARE EIGHT MONTHS OUT OR WHATEVER THE RECOMMENDATION IS AT THAT POINT IN TIME.
UM, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALSO PLANNING FOR, FOR THAT STAGE WHERE IT MAY BE A MUCH LARGER, UM, GROUP OF PEOPLE.
YES MA'AM AND IN FULL TRANSPARENCY.
UM, ONE OF THE BIGGEST HURDLES WILL BE A LOCATION THAT COULD HANDLE A MASS CLINIC.
UM, WHEN WE HAD THE DELCO OPEN, WE WERE IN A PERIOD OF WHERE NOT MUCH WAS HAPPENING SCHOOLS
[01:00:01]
WEREN'T IN SESSION.AND SO THAT, THAT WILL BE THE THING THAT WE NEED TO KIND OF NAIL DOWN.
WHERE COULD WE HOLD A MASS CLINIC IN THE TIME WHERE EVERYTHING IS OPEN AND PEOPLE ARE OUT AND ABOUT, OKAY, THANK YOU.
I HAVE, UH, A COUPLE OF OBSERVATIONS AND A QUESTION.
UM, THE FIRST IS, UM, COMMISSIONER, UM, COMMISSIONER, TREVELYAN MENTIONED THE PO ASKED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF ADDING PHYSICALS TO VACCINE CLINICS.
AND I WONDER IF, IF THE REVERSE COULD BE TRUE AS AISD AND OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS DO SOME OF THEIR PHYSICAL CLINICS FOR FAMILIES.
I WONDER IF THOSE ARE, ARE GOOD OPPORTUNITIES TO ADD, UH, THE VACCINE, IF, IF THAT'S NOT ALREADY HAPPENING AND IT MAY BE FULLY IN SWING ALREADY, THAT PARTNERSHIP, UM, I WANTED, THIS IS REALLY KIND OF INSIDE BASEBALL FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN, BUT MANAGER.
MAYBE YOU COULD REPORT BACK TO US ON THIS.
I, UH, RECENTLY LEARNED THAT OUR HEALTH INSURANCE IS, HAS STARTED CHARGING OFFICE VISITS FOR COVID TESTS THAT HAPPEN AT CERTAIN LOCATIONS, INCLUDING URGENT CARE CLINICS.
THAT WASN'T ALWAYS TRUE THROUGH THE PANDEMIC, BUT IT, UM, AS THE PANDEMIC WANED, APPARENTLY THAT OFFICE VISIT CHARGE STARTED GETTING APPLIED.
AND I REALLY WANT TO ENCOURAGE US, UM, SINCE I BELIEVE IT'S A CITY OF AUSTIN CHOICE TO RETHINK THAT, SO THAT WE'RE REALLY ENCOURAGING, WE OF COURSE, WANT TO ENCOURAGE TESTING, UM, AND, AND MAKE SURE THAT THAT SAYS AS ACCESSIBLE AS POSSIBLE TO AUSTIN EMPLOYEES.
AND SO ALLOWING THEM TO GO TO GO, UM, YOU KNOW, TO A VARIETY OF PLACES I THINK MAKES, MAKES GOOD SENSE.
AND THEN MY QUESTION IS FOR OUR APH, I NOTICED THAT, UH, WE TALKED BRIEFLY ABOUT 7, 8, 5 LAST WEEK.
AND AS I MENTIONED LAST WEEK, IT IS PRIMARILY, UM, WEST CAMPUS.
SO IT INCLUDES A FEW NEIGHBORHOODS.
UH, I APPRECIATE DIRECTOR STIRRUP THAT YOU MENTIONED YOU DON'T HAVE MOBILE, A MOBILE VAN IN THAT AREA.
AND I WONDERED IF YOU COULD JUST SPEAK FOR A FEW MINUTES ABOUT WHAT, WHAT KIND OF COORDINATION IS UNDERWAY.
UM, ARE YOU WORKING WITH SORORITIES AND FRATERNITY HOUSES AND CO-OP HOUSING IN THAT AREA TOO, TO COORDINATE ON THAT MOBILE VACCINE? IS THAT SOMETHING THAT UT IS ASSISTING WITH? I, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, IT MAY BE, AS WE TALKED ABOUT LAST WEEK, THAT SOME OF THOSE STUDENTS HAVE, HAVE BEEN VACCINATED ELSEWHERE AND THE INFORMATION ISN'T NECESSARILY COMING THROUGH, BUT TO THE EXTENT THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT IS OUR LAST YELLOW POCKET, UM, AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UM, UNDERSTAND KIND OF WHAT THE PLAN IS TO COORDINATE WITH SOME OF THOSE, SOME OF THOSE ON THE GROUND ORGANIZATIONS THAT CAN REALLY ASSIST IN, IN GETTING FOLKS VACCINATED.
IT COULD BE A LAG IN US UNDERSTANDING, UM, IF THE STUDENTS HAVE BEEN VACCINATED ELSEWHERE.
AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THE, THE TEAM IS WORKING CLOSELY WITH FOLKS AT UT FOR THAT MORE DETAILED LEVEL OF COORDINATION.
AND I COULD CERTAINLY FIND THAT OUT AND WE'LL GET BACK TO YOU.
AND IF, AND IF THERE'S, UM, ANY ASSISTANCE YOU NEED FROM MY OFFICE IN TERMS OF, OF, UM, YOU KNOW, PROVIDING IDEAS ABOUT ORGANIZATIONS IN THE AREA OR NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS OR, OR OTHERS IN THAT 7, 8, 705 ZIP CODE, I'M HAPPY TO HAPPY TO ASSIST.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, ALICE IS NOT WITH US TODAY IS OUR CHEMISTS NUMBER.
SHE WAS WITH US EARLIER, BUT I KNOW SHE HAD TO STEP OUT ABOUT THAT.
IT'S JUST THE COUNCIL MEMBER, KELLY.
AND THANK YOU FOR THAT GREAT PRESENTATION.
I WANT TO START OUT BY SAYING, I KNOW SOMEONE WHO WENT AND GOT THE TRANSFUSION AND IT REALLY MADE A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE FOR THEM.
SO FLAG THAT WE HAVE THAT RESOURCE AVAILABLE.
MY QUESTION IS WHAT IS THE METRIC OR STANDARD WE NEED TO REACH IN ORDER TO, UM, RESCIND THE MASK ORDER.
IT'S JUST WONDERING WHAT THAT MIGHT LOOK LIKE FOR THE FUTURE.
WHEN WE ARE AT A POINT WHERE THE PANDEMIC IS UNDER CONTROL, AND WE HAVE, UM, THE HERD IMMUNITY THAT WE NEED TO, UM, FUNCTION IN SOCIETY AND KNOW THAT IT WILL NOT SPREAD AND REBOUND AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR THAT.
COULD YOU CLARIFY WITH NUMBERS OR SOME TYPE OF DATA SO THAT WE CAN HAVE AN EXPECTATION? SO THE, WHO CONSIDERS THE PANDEMIC TO BE UNDER CONTROL WHEN WE ARE LOW, A POSITIVITY RATE OF FIVE, UM, WE WOULD CONSIDER THE PANDEMIC TO BE, OR THE OUTBREAK TO THE OVER WHEN WE HAVE HAD ZERO CASES
[01:05:01]
WITHIN, UH, TWO INCUBATION PERIODS OR 28 DAYS.YOU ALSO HAVE A KITCHEN IS NOT WITH US TODAY.
UH, FIRST TO STEP POINT OF INFORMATION, SINCE I KNOW THE COMMISSIONERS ARE DISCUSSING THIS LATER TODAY, AND IT WAS RAISED DURING TESTIMONY, BUT, UH, WE HAD A PRESENTATION AT THE CITY'S HOUSING COMMITTEE RECENTLY ABOUT HOW WE'VE REACHED ABOUT 10,000 PEOPLE WITH THE CITY'S RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
AND 5,000 HOUSEHOLDS OVERWHELMINGLY HOUSEHOLDS LED BY, UH, WOMEN, UH, OVERWHELMINGLY IN THE ZIP CODES THAT HAVE BEEN HARDEST HIT BY THE VIRUS.
UH, SO THANKS AGAIN TO MS. JACKMAN FOR LEADING THAT PROGRAM.
IT'S GOTTEN TO ABOUT 10,000 PEOPLE AND WE'RE HERE TO HELP IN WHATEVER WAY.
UM, SO TO MODEL THAT PROGRAM FOR THE COUNTY OR ANYWHERE ELSE THAT, UM, IS STILL GETTING INSTALLERS OUT AS WE STILL TRY TO GET OUR DOLLARS OUT.
MY, UH, MY QUICK QUESTION FOR DR.
WACHS IS THE SLIDE THAT YOU SHOWED, UM, WAS, YOU KNOW, REALLY UPSETTING, UH, TO SEE, UH, HOW WE HAD ONE ICU BED STAFFED BED AVAILABLE, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT IT'S LOW EVERYWHERE ACROSS THE STATE, BUT WE HAD THAT, UH, LOWEST NUMBER.
CAN YOU TALK US THROUGH WHAT IT MEANS TO HAVE JUST ONE ICU BED AVAILABLE? I MEAN, I SAW AN EARLIER SLIDE THAT YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT, UH, A REAL HANDFUL OF CHILDREN THAT HAD NEEDED AN ICU BED.
UM, IF WE HAVE A COUPLE OF CAR ACCIDENTS, IF THERE'S A COUPLE OF CHILDREN THAT UNFORTUNATELY NEED AN ICU BED IN OUR COMMUNITY, IF, IF SUDDENLY THERE'S A NEED FROM 5, 6, 10 PEOPLE, UH, TODAY OR TOMORROW THAT NEED AN ICU BED, WHAT, WHAT HAPPENS? WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR US? WELL, THAT NUMBER WAS FROM SATURDAY BECAUSE THERE'S A DELAY IN THE REPORTING.
UM, AND SO LET ME PREFACE BY SAYING THAT.
AND THEY, UM, IF WE COME TO A POINT WHERE WE NEED TO HAVE A PERSON HOSPITALIZED, UM, IN AN ICU SETTING, UM, THERE WILL BE ARRANGEMENTS MADE TO TAKE CARE OF THAT PATIENT IN A NON-TRADITIONAL ICU SETTING, UM, UNTIL A BED BECOMES AVAILABLE.
UM, BUT YOU'RE RIGHT THERE, THAT WOULD BE A STRETCH THAT WOULD BE, WE WOULD HAVE TO ACTIVATE WHAT WE CALL SEARCH PLANS.
UM, AND SO IT'S NOT IDEAL, BUT WE WILL, WE WILL TAKE CARE OF THAT PERSON.
IT'S JUST GOING TO DELAY CARE FOR SOMEBODY ELSE.
WHO'S NOT IN SITUATION OF NEEDING THAT CRITICAL CARE.
AND I APPRECIATE YOU MENTIONING THAT I'M RIGHT, BUT I, I'M NOT SURE EXACTLY WHAT I WAS RIGHT ABOUT BECAUSE I RIGHT IN POINTING OUT THAT THAT IS A, THAT IS A, UH, A SERIOUS ISSUE THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS AS A COMMUNITY.
AND, UM, AND WE ARE ADDRESSING A MEDICAL COMMUNITY BY MAKING ADJUSTMENTS IN THE FLOW OF THINGS.
SO WE HAVE PATIENTS DURING HIGH POINTS OF HIGH TRAFFIC TIMES, UM, WHERE WE HAVE PATIENTS THAT ARE ON STRETCHERS IN HALLWAYS INSTEAD OF IN ROOMS, BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH ROOMS. WE USE NON-TRADITIONAL SPACES TO, UM, TAKE CARE OF PATIENTS WHO NEED VENTILATORS OR LIFE SUPPORT.
FOR INSTANCE, INSTEAD OF USING A CAP LAB THAT WE'VE USED TO DO A CARDIAC CATH ON SOMEBODY FOR THAT PURPOSE, WE'VE BROUGHT THAT TO THE SPACE WHERE WE CAN PROVIDE, UM, EMERGENCY CARE AND PUT SOMEBODY ON A VENTILATOR.
SO WE'VE MET, WE MAKE ADJUSTMENTS WHEN WE NEED TO, UM, IN OUR HOSPITAL SETTINGS, BUT THAT'S NOT IDEAL.
AND YOU'RE RIGHT TO POINT OUT THAT THE ONLY HAVE A FINITE NUMBER OF STAFF.
I SEE THAT, THAT WE HAVE LISTED AND THAT WHEN WE EXCEED THAT CAPACITY, UM, WE HAVE, WE HAVE TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS.
SO THERE WOULD BE A DETERIORATING LEVEL OF CARE FOR EITHER THE PEOPLE IN THOSE CAR ACCIDENTS OR WITH THOSE HEART ATTACKS, OR FOR PEOPLE IN LESS CRITICAL SITUATIONS THAT ARE IN THE HOSPITAL.
THERE MIGHT BE, WE WOULD DO OUR BEST TO TAKE CARE OF EVERYBODY, BUT THERE MIGHT BE DETERIORATION OF THE LEVEL OF CARE FOR THOSE PEOPLE.
I WOULDN'T USE THE WORD DETERIORATING.
I WOULD SAY THAT THERE, THERE MAY BE PEOPLE THAT ARE WAITING LONGER FOR CARE FOR NON-EMERGENT CARE, BUT, UM, WE WILL TRIAGE
[01:10:01]
AND PRIORITIZE THOSE WHO NEED HIGHER LEVELS OF CARE, UM, AND, AND DO OUR BEST TO PROVIDE THE CARE THAT WE NEED TO GIVE PEOPLE WHO NEED EMERGENT CARE OR HIGHER LEVELS OF CARE.AND SO, SO YOU WOULD, SO POTENTIALLY STAFF OR RESOURCES REMOVED FROM LESS EMERGENT CASES TO MORE EMERGENT CASES TO TRY TO INCREASE NON-TRADITIONAL ICU TYPE OF ACID.
YEAH, I THINK YOU'RE MARRIED AND I WANT TO ALSO THANK ALL THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN OUT THERE WORKING REALLY HARD ON THIS.
I JUST WANT TO A DESCRIPTION ON, UH, IN-HOME TESTING AND HOW IT WORKS AND HOW YOU'RE A MINISTER THAT PROGRAM.
SO A CLIENT CAN CALL 3, 1, 1, AND BE DIRECTED TO OUR TEAM TO SCHEDULE AN IN-HOME TEST.
AND I'M A NURSE AND A PATIENT REP SHOWS UP WITH A LITTLE COOLER BAG FULL OF VACCINE, AND THE PERSON CAN GET THEIR SHOT IN THE COMFORT OF THEIR OWN HOME.
IT'S REALLY AS SIMPLE AS THAT.
I JUST, UH, YOU KNOW, KIND OF WHEN YOU SAY TESTING, BUT I THOUGHT MAYBE THAT Y'ALL JUST WENT OUT THERE AND PICKED UP A KID OR, AND DID A SELF TESTING, BUT THIS IS BASICALLY IN-HOME TESTING IS YOU'RE GETTING A VACCINE SHOT.
AND YOU KNOW WHAT? I'M SO SORRY.
I REALIZED THAT YOU SAID TESTS AND I'M SO VACCINE FOCUSED, BUT YES, IT'S THE SAME THING OF A TEAM WILL SHOW UP WITH THE SWABS AND ADMINISTER THE TEST FOR YOU AT HOME IN THE SAME WAY, IF YOU SHOWED UP TO THE DRIVE-THROUGH RELOCATION.
SO IT'S STILL THE SAME PROCESS.
UM, IT, IT MIGHT BE ONE PERSON INSTEAD OF TWO, SINCE THE VACCINE HAS A LOT OF DATA ENTRY THAT'S REQUIRED, BUT YES, IT'S THE SAME PROCESS.
YOU COULD CALL 3, 1, 1, AND WE WILL COME OUT AND GIVE YOU A TEST AT HOME.
AND THIS IS BASED BASICALLY WHEN YOU'RE FEELING SICK, YOU ALREADY BEEN VACCINATED.
AND, OR JUST, IF, IF YOU JUST HAVEN'T BEEN VACCINATED AND YOU'RE FEELING SICK, THEY'LL COME OUT THERE AND DO THAT FOR YOU.
IT'S FOR ANYONE WHO IS FEELING ILL AND, UM, HAS SOME EXPOSURE TO COVID.
IT DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU'RE A VACCINATED OR NOT.
IT'S REALLY, FOR THOSE WHO HAVE, UM, EITHER LIMITED MOBILITY OR DON'T HAVE TRANSPORTATION OR ANY OTHER WAY TO ACCESS ONE OF THE, UM, DRIVE THROUGH TESTING SITES, WE DON'T WANT THAT TO BE A BARRIER FOR PEOPLE TO, UM, KNOW THEIR COVID STATUS.
WELL, THANK YOU FOR THAT INFORMATION.
AND WHILE I'M ON THE MIKE, IF I COULD JUST, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER TOVO, I DID GET THE ANSWER FROM THE VACCINE TEAM.
UM, WE ARE WORKING WITH UT HEALTH.
THEY'RE THE LEAD ON THAT EFFORT AND WE ARE, UM, PROVIDING SUPPORT AND YOU'RE QUITE RIGHT.
THEY'VE HOSTED, UM, SEVERAL CLINICS WITH THE DIFFERENT FRATERNITIES AND SORORITIES ON CAMPUS.
AND SO WE WILL CONTINUE THAT PARTNERSHIP AND HELP THEM IN ANY WAY THAT WE CAN.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT FOLLOWUP INFORMATION DIRECTORS.
WACHS, WHY DID IT GET SOME INFORMATION ON OUR PROGRESS TOWARD REACHING HERD IMMUNITY? KNOWING THAT OUR COMMUNITY IS ABOUT 56% FULLY BACKS AND 65% WITH THE FIRST DOSE AND OUR INITIAL TARGET WAS TO HAVE 70% OF OUR POPULATION FULLY VAXXED FOR US TO REACH THAT HERD IMMUNITY.
HAS THERE BEEN ANY CHANGES TOWARDS THAT BENCHMARK GIVEN THE RISE AND SURGE OF THE DELTA VARIANT AND POSSIBILITY OF OTHER VARIANTS, UM, HAPPENING, UH, SHOULD BE, HOW SHOULD WE BE LOOKING AT OUR, YOU KNOW, IS THERE A NEW BENCHMARK THAT WE SHOULD BE MINDFUL OF OR ARE THERE ANY CHANGES TOWARDS THAT, THAT PROGRESS TOWARD REACHING HER DEMEANOR? D SO WE'RE STILL, UM, WORKING TOWARDS GETTING AS MANY INDIVIDUALS AS POSSIBLE VACCINATED IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND MAYBE THE ACTUAL BENCHMARK, UM, HAS, HAS PROBABLY SHIFTED TOWARD, UM, 80 TO 85% FULL BACKS, FULLY VACCINATED, UM, FOR, UH, HERD IMMUNITY, UM, NUMBER THAT WOULD GIVE US PROTECTION IN THE CURRENT SITUATION THAT WE FIND OURSELVES IN WITH ADULTS VARIANT BECAUSE OF THE INCREASED LEVEL OF TRANSMISSION IN SPROUT OF THAT PARTICULAR VARIANT,
[01:15:02]
UM, THAT THERE, THE REAL GOAL WAS FOR US TO GET AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE VACCINATED, UM, RATHER THAN A PARTICULAR TARGET, UM, SO THAT WE CAN PROTECT AS MANY PEOPLE AS WE POSSIBLY CAN IN OUR COMMUNITY.BUT THEN ANSWER YOUR QUESTION.
MA'AM, IT'S HELPFUL AND I'M WITH YOU THAT WE ARE.
AND I LOVE TO SEE THE PROGRESS THAT WE'RE HAVING, UM, IN VACCINATING MORE OF OUR COMMUNITY.
AND I THINK, UM, WITH THE RECENT INVESTMENT IN COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS THAT COUNCIL SUPPORTED, UM, WE'LL HAVE EVEN MORE BOOTS ON THE GROUNDS TO HELP IN THAT EFFORT.
UM, THE OTHER QUESTION I HAD REAL QUICK IS AROUND OUR TESTING STRATEGY, KNOWING THAT THE TESTING, THE STATIC TESTING SITES THAT WE HAVE ARE PCR TESTS.
AND WHAT I HEAR FROM THE COMMUNITY IS THAT, YOU KNOW, IT TAKES A COUPLE OF DAYS BEFORE THEY FIND OUT WHETHER OR NOT THEY HAVE COVID.
UM, IS THERE ANY CONSIDERATION TO HAVING RAPID TESTS AVAILABLE? SO THAT INDIVIDUALS FIND OUT A LITTLE BIT SOONER IF THEY ARE INFECTED.
UM, AND, AND, AND I THINK THAT MIGHT HELP US CURB THE SPREAD OF, OF COVID, ESPECIALLY WITH THE DELTA BRM, BUT IF YOU'LL HAVE CONSIDERED IT, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THE, THE RATIONALE ABOUT NOT HAVING RAPID TESTS AVAILABLE FOR THE COMMUNITY? SURE.
WE HAVE, UM, RAPID TESTING AND, UM, THAT IS WHAT IS BEING USED IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEMS TO IDENTIFY, UM, PEOPLE THAT HAVE, UH, SYMPTOMS AND, AND ALSO ASYMPTOMATIC INDIVIDUALS IN CONGREGATE SETTINGS, SUCH AS LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES.
WE'RE ALSO USING RAPID TESTING IN THAT VENUE AS WELL.
SO RAPID TESTING IS BEING USED.
UM, THE, THE USE OF, UM, THE PCR TEST IS WHAT HAS HISTORICALLY BEEN USED BY APH AND AT THIS POINT TAKING, UM, THE USE OF RABID TESTING UNDER ADVISEMENT AND LOOKING AT PROCESSES AND WAYS TO INCORPORATE THAT INTO THE ARMAMENTARIUM.
SO WE CAN, AS YOU SAY, HAVE A BETTER SENSE OF THE LEVEL OF INFECTIONS IN OUR COMMUNITY, IN THE BURDEN OF INFECTIONS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
WATSON, JUST TO ADD REALLY QUICKLY, UM, IN FULL TRANSPARENCY, AGAIN, THERE ARE SOME OPERATIONAL CHALLENGES WITH USING, UM, THE RAPID TESTS.
UM, I'LL BE AT THE, THE RESIDENT WILL GET THEIR, UM, RESULT IN 15 MINUTES OR LESS.
UM, WE WOULD STILL HAVE TO CONFIRM WITH THE PCR TEST AND THEN THERE'S SOME LAG IN THE DATA, UM, REPORTING AND BECAUSE IT WOULD HAVE TO BE DONE MANUALLY.
AND SO THAT BECOMES, UM, VERY RESOURCE INTENSIVE.
AND SO WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THOSE RAPID TESTS, WE HAVE TO LOOK AT WHERE THEY WOULD BE MOST USEFUL AND NOT BE A DRAIN ON THE OVERALL SYSTEM.
WACHS POINTED OUT IN THE SCHOOLS, OR IN OTHER PLACES WHERE THAT'S AN ENVIRONMENT THAT'S MORE SUITABLE.
UM, BUT FOR US TO REALLY SHIFT, UM, OUR MAJOR TESTING SITES TO THAT METHOD WOULD TAKE SOME MORE PLANNING AND, UM, SOME ADDITIONAL RESOURCES THAT WE DON'T CURRENTLY HAVE AT HAND, BUT AS SHE SAID, IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE ARE WORKING THROUGH.
I JUST WANTED YOU TO BE AWARE OF ALL THE PARAMETERS.
UM, AND CERTAINLY I THINK, YOU KNOW, JUST CONSIDERING HAVING THAT AS AN OPTION, JUST KNOW FROM FOLKS WHO ARE WORRIED THAT THEY'VE BEEN EXPOSED OR THEY HAVE COVID AND THEY'RE FEELING ILL, THAT LAG PERIOD BEFORE FINDING OUT WHETHER OR NOT THEY ARE INFECTED, UM, IS CRUCIAL BECAUSE THEY MIGHT STILL GO OUT AND YOU'D SEE OTHER PEOPLE.
AND THEN THE SPRITE IS JUST CONTINUING.
SO IT MIGHT BE SOMETHING TO CONSIDER.
I CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND THE CAPACITY LIMITATIONS THAT WE HAVE ASSOCIATED WITH IT.
AND IT'S HELPFUL TO NOTE THAT IF SOMEONE IS FEELING ILLNESS, SUSPECT THAT THEY HAVE COVID BECAUSE OF EXPOSURES AND THAT SORT OF THING THAT THEY ARE BEING ADVISED TO, TO ISOLATE UNTIL THEY DO HAVE THOSE RESULTS, UM, SO THAT THEY DO NOT SPREAD.
UM, I APPRECIATE ALL THE HARD WORK THAT'S GONE INTO BEING ABLE TO PRESENT US WITH THIS INFORMATION AND KEEPING IN A REAL ACCURATE, UH, REAL-TIME TRACK OF THE DATA.
I APPRECIATE ALL THE QUESTIONS THAT PROCEEDED ME IN WHICH CASE I'M GOING TO ASK ONE THAT I'VE BEEN ASKED AND I'VE FOUND MYSELF WONDERING MYSELF.
I REALLY WISH I COULD SHOW YOU MY PHONE, BUT I WAS DRIVING DOWN SIXTH STREET ON FRIDAY
[01:20:01]
AFTERNOON, HEADED TO THE BANK.AND FOR TWO CITY BLOCKS, IT WAS CHOCK FULL OF PEOPLE STANDING WITHIN A FEW INCHES OF ONE ANOTHER.
UM, AND I MEAN, MY VIDEO WOULD SHOW YOU, I JUST, I TOOK VIDEO ALL ALONG THE WAY, NOT A MASK IN THE BUNCH.
UM, AND SO I JUST WONDER, AND MY CONSTITUENTS HAVE ASKED ME WHEN WE FIND OURSELVES IN A SITUATION WHERE YOU SEE SOMETHING LIKE THAT, HUNDREDS OF UNMASKED PEOPLE CONGREGATED IN A WAY THAT'S CLEARLY NOT SAFE.
UM, LORD KNOWS WHERE THEY WERE HEADED.
THEY WERE ALL IN A LINE TO GO INSIDE A BUILDING.
WHAT DOES ONE DO IN THAT SITUATION? THAT, UM, THAT'S A DIFFICULT QUESTION TO ANSWER.
UM, I THINK THAT, UM, RIGHT NOW WE'RE LEAVING IT TO PERSONAL CHOICE FOR ADULTS TO MAKE A DECISION ON, UM, FACE COVERINGS.
AND THOSE INDIVIDUALS, UM, ARE, ARE MAKING A CHOICE THAT IMPACTS THE COMMUNITY.
SO THAT IS A DIFFICULT QUESTION TO ANSWER.
WE DON'T HAVE ANY RECOURSE AT THIS POINT FOR, FOR THAT SITUATION, BUT, BUT WE DO HAVE SOME RULES AROUND CONGREGATING THOUGH.
DON'T WE, AM I MISTAKEN ABOUT THAT? NO, WE HAVE RECOMMENDATIONS, BUT WE, OUR RECOMMENDATIONS DON'T HAVE ANY, UM, MEANS OF ENFORCEMENT SO WE CAN ONLY RECOMMEND THAT'S UNFORTUNATE.
UNDER THE CURRENT ORDERS, THERE ISN'T MUCH THAT WE CAN DO AROUND, UH, ENFORCEMENT OF OCCUPANCY LIMITS AND THE LIKE, IT'S, IT'S SIMPLY RECOMMENDATIONS.
I HOPE MAYBE AS A COMMUNITY, WE CAN GET TOGETHER AND REALLY PUT OUR WEIGHT BEHIND OUR DECISION-MAKING.
AS FAR AS THAT WE'RE SPENDING IS CONCERNED, I CERTAINLY WOULD PREFER TO RESERVE MY LIMITED DOLLARS FOR, UM, COMPANIES AND BUSINESSES THAT ADHERE TO THE, THE GREATEST OVERALL GOOD FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
SO THAT'S WHAT I'LL BE DOING WITH MY DOLLARS.
JUST FOLLOWING UP ON SOMETHING, YOU KIND OF, THE BARE PRO TAMRA'S RAISED, FIRST OF ALL, ORDERS, I WROTE A BANK, UH, AFTER WALKS, WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH HER WATER TO
WE HAVE ALL THREE OWNERS OUT THAT DO THAT AT THIS POINT.
UH, THE DISTRICT COURT HERE IN TRAVIS COUNTY, UH, IS MADE THEY, UH, LOSE WATERS, UH, CONTROLLING, UM, HERE QUESTION.
NOW, I DON'T KNOW AMERICA, WE COULD, YOU PRIESTS THE ORDERS TO ALSO INCLUDE A CITY-WIDE MANDATE OR AN ASKING THE LIGHT, THEN THE DECISION, AND THEN BRECHTIAN AT THIS POINT HAS BEEN, YOU KNOW, MAD TO DO THAT AT THIS POINT, BUT TO REALLY JUST STEP ONE, HIDE AND SUPPORT THE PARENTS AND, UH, UH, SCHOOL DISTRICTS THAT ARE FORCING THAT ISSUE.
UH, AND WE'LL WATCH WHAT HAPPENS TO THOSE CASES AS THEY MOVED BACK UP TO THE, TO THE SUPREME COURT.
UH, BUT, UH, KEEPING THE, THE, THE KIDS IN THE SCHOOLS REALLY CENTER NOW BECAUSE I'M VACCINATED, THEY, THEY PRESENT A UNIQUE, UM, RISK, UM, DR.
WATTS, THE POWERPOINT PRESENTATION THAT YOU PRESENTED ON PAGE FOUR, YET SOME NUMBERS ABOUT RESTAURANTS.
IS THERE A CONCLUSION TO BE DRAWN ABOUT RESTAURANTS FROM THE DATA THAT YOU PRESENTED? I WAS TELLING THAT TO SAY THAT THEY ARE USING THE MITIGATION STRATEGIES OF MASKING SOCIAL DISTANCING, HAND WASHING, ET CETERA, AND HAVE BEEN ABLE TO KEEP THIS NUMBERS IN CHECK WITHIN THEIR ESTABLISHMENTS AS PER OUR REPORTS TO APH.
AND IS THAT LOOKING AT RESTAURANT EMPLOYEES OR IS THAT LOOKING ALSO AT RESTAURANT CUSTOMERS? THOSE NUMBERS TO MY KNOWLEDGE ARE FOR RESTAURANTS, NOT STAFF, NOT FOR CUSTOMERS.
THE ONES THAT THE RESTAURANT THAT, THAT ARE, THAT ARE MAST, IT'S GOOD THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF RESTAURANTS DOING THAT.
AND I THINK REALLY SUPPORT THE RESTAURANTS THAT ARE ENCOURAGING MASKING AND ENCOURAGING VACCINATIONS.
AND, UH, I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT OF THE RESTAURANTS THAT ARE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO BE ABLE
[01:25:01]
TO DO THAT AND GET AROUND THE THREADS OF THE LOSS OF LIQUOR LICENSES, UH, BECAUSE THAT'S REALLY BEHAVIOR FOR AN EMPLOYER TO BE ABLE TO DO IN THEIR OWN SHOP, UH, IS, IS SOMETHING THAT, THAT SEEMS SOMETHING WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO ENCOURAGE BUSINESSES AT THE VERY LEAST BE ABLE TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS FOR THEMSELVES.NOW, THE ICU BED QUESTION THAT, UH, CHARACTER COSAR RAISED, UH, THE, THE STRAIN ON HOSPITALS SEEMS TO BE HIGHER.
IT USED TO THE DALLAS, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF NUMBER OF CASES GENERALLY, BUT WE SEEM TO GET HIT WITH THE ICU SHORTAGE MORE QUICKLY THAN SOME OF THOSE OTHER BIG CITIES.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE LONG-TERM SOLUTION IS TO DECREASE ICU CAPACITY IN OUR CITY FOR EVENTS LIKE THIS.
BUT IT SEEMS AS IF WE GET TO THAT CHOKE POINT SOONER THAN SOME OF THE OTHER MAJOR CITIES IN TEXAS, HOUSTON, SAN ANTONIO, AND DALLAS.
SO I JUST NOTE THAT IT'S NOT A SHORT-TERM THING TO LOOK AT, BUT THAT'S PROBABLY A LONGER CARE.
YOU SAID THAT NO BOOSTER SHOT RIGHT NOW FOR THE J AND J THEY, THE AMA RNA, UH, WAS, UH, THE THING I'D DO WOULD BE A BOOSTER HERE INITIALLY FOR, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, COMPROMISED OR VULNERABLE PEOPLE.
WHY IS THERE NO BOOSTER SHOT, UH, BEING, UH, TALKED ABOUT FOR, FOR JJ, IS THAT IT HASN'T BEEN SHOWN TO BE EFFECTIVE, OR THERE'S JUST NOT THE CLINICAL DATA TO SUPPORT THAT ACTION.
NOW, DO YOU KNOW, THEY'RE STILL LOOKING AT THE DATA FOR J AND J AT THIS POINT AND HAVE NOT REACHED A CONCLUSION AS TO WHETHER BOOSTERS REQUIRED OR NOT.
THEN I WOULD JUST HAVE MY, MY VOICE TO MY COLLEAGUES EARLIER WITH RESPECT TO APH SYSTEM ON THE BOOSTER SHOTS.
THAT'S PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST OUTWARD FACING THINGS THAT WE DO, UH, IN TERMS OF, UH, THE COMMUNITY, UH, LOOKING AT, UH, UH, HOW EFFECTIVE WE ARE, CERTAINLY THEY'RE ALLOWED TO STANDARDS, BUT ANY OTHER SUPPORT NEEDED IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN WE ROLL THAT OUT ON THE WEBSITE, UH, WE'VE STRESS TESTED AND MADE SURE THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO, TO, TO DEAL WITH ABS IN A WAY THAT IS THAT PEOPLE JUST SITTING AROUND A FOAM BOARD OUT OF A TIDE OF ISSUES THAT WE HAD A YEAR AGO, PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE THE RESOURCES TO DO THAT.
UH, SO I'LL TURN IT BACK OVER TO YOU.
THANKS MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
AND THANKS IN PARTICULAR TO ALL THE FOLKS WORKING HARD TO CONTROL THE SPREAD OF THE DELTA VARIANT OF COVID AND CONGRATULATIONS TO THE ISD, AISD STUDENTS GOING BACK TO SCHOOL TODAY, UM, AND OTHERS AND OTHERS.
THAT'S ALL WE HAVE, I GUESS WE'RE GOING TO ADJOURN FOR UNTIL 10 45 AND WE'LL COME BACK AS A COMMISSIONER'S COURT AT 10 45 AND, UH, MIRROR, I WILL PASS IT OVER TO YOU TO DO THE SAME.
UH, WITH THAT, UH, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND, UH, UH, ADJOURN, THE CITY'S PORTION OF THE JOINT MEETING HERE ON AUGUST 17TH, 2021 IS 10 35 CHARGING CORD.
AGAIN, THANKS FOR LETTING US JOIN YOU.