[1. Update on Covid-19 related matters.]
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THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT MEETING FOR TODAY.
AND WE'RE MEETING HERE AT 700 LAVACA.
WE'VE GOT COMMISSIONERS GOMEZ, SHAY, AND MYSELF, AND, UH, MAYOR ADLER.
I'LL HAND IT OFF TO YOU TO START YOUR MEETING.
UH, CALLING TO ORDER THE JOINT MEETING OUR PORTION OF IT.
THE CITY'S PORTION HERE ON TUESDAY.
I SEE THE LITTLE ON YOUR THING.
YEAH, BUT I'M OVER THE MICROPHONE.
CALLING TO ORDER THE CITY PORTION OF THE, A JOINT MEETING HERE TODAY ON SEPTEMBER 14TH, 2021, UH, TIME IS 9 0 4.
UH, I'M PRESENT COUNCIL MEMBER ALTAR IS, UH, UH, PRESENT.
WE'RE NOT TAKING ACTIONS, SO WE DON'T NEED A CORUM YET.
I THINK WE SEE OTHER PEOPLE, BUT THEY HAVEN'T SIGNED IN, BUT WE'RE READY TO PROCEED, JUDGE.
SO I'LL CALL THE JOINT MEETING OF THE TRAVIS COUNTY COMMISSIONER'S COURT AND AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL TO ORDER.
AND WE'RE JOINED HERE ALSO NOW BY COMMISSIONER HOWARD.
FIRST, WE'RE GOING TO TAKE UP ITEM ONE TO RECEIVE BRIEFINGS ON COVID-19 RELATED MATTERS AND WE'LL GO TO THE TRAVIS COUNTY PUBLIC COMMENT PORTION.
I BELIEVE WE HAVE ONE COLOR FOR THAT.
I'LL I WILL KEEP MY COMMENTS SHORT THIS MORNING.
AND AGAIN, THANK YOU EVERYBODY FOR YOUR WORK.
UM, LATER TODAY, I'LL BE SENDING YOU ALL AN UPDATE, INCLUDING SUMMARIES OF RECENT RESEARCH BY TOPIC AS WELL AS SOME NEW NUMBERS REGARDING THE GAP IN VACCINE ACCEPTANCE.
CURRENTLY THE AVERAGE PROVIDER IS DELIVERING 500 DOSES PER WEEK.
MANY OF THOSE DOSES IN THE EASTERN CRESCENT HAVE OCCURRED THROUGH GRASSROOTS OR ORGANIZATIONS EFFORTS FROM A VARIETY OF ORGANIZATIONS EACH WITH THEIR OWN UNIQUE AND TRUSTED REACH INTO THE COMMUNITY.
LAST WEEK, I RAN NUMBERS TO SEE HOW CLOSE WE WORK TO REACHING 70% AND EVERY, UH, EASTERN CRESCENT ZIP CODE BY DECEMBER 31ST, THERE ARE CURRENTLY 181 FEDERAL AND STATE APPROVED PROVIDERS IN THE EASTERN CRESCENT.
AT THE CURRENT RATE, WE WOULD NEED 25 MORE PROVIDERS IN TRAVIS COUNTY, UH, EASTERN CRESCENT TO GET TO 70% FULLY VACCINATED IN EVERY ZIP CODE.
AS YOU PROBABLY KNOW, WE'RE UNLIKELY TO SEE THESE WAVES OF COVID STOP UNTIL WE'RE AT AT LEAST 90%.
IN SOME CASES ADDING PROVIDERS IS THE ANSWER IN OTHERS.
IT'S COMMITTING MORE EFFORT AND MONEY INTO CLEAR AND UPDATED COMMUNICATIONS AND INCENTIVES LIKE BUSINESSES OFFERING PAID TIME OFF.
THERE ARE AT LEAST 20 ORGANIZATIONS ACTIVE IN THE EASTERN CRESCENT THAT ARE WORKING HARD TO FILL SOME OF THIS GAP, BUT THEY NEED TO BE SUPPORTED ON THEIR OWN TERMS AND EXPANDING THEIR EFFORTS.
AND THEY NEED TO BE ABLE TO PAY PEOPLE FAIRLY.
IN MANY CASES, VOLUNTEERS ARE BURNING OUT IT'S TIME FOR GROUPS LIKE SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST AND ACL WHO ARE OFFERING OPPORTUNITIES TO GATHER IN PERSON ALSO OFFER FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO THESE ORGANIZATIONS.
IT'S TIME FOR CORPORATION TO CONTINUE, UM, TO SUPPORT WAY MORE IN THIS EFFORT.
UH, WE WILL NOT GET THERE THE WAY WE'RE GOING, BUT WE CAN IF WE SHIFT THE TRAJECTORY.
UM, I THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
ANY OTHER COLORS OR NO, JUDGE.
SO WE WILL START THE BRIEFING PORTION AND UM, TURN IT OVER TO DR.
WELLS IS NOT HERE OVER TO DIRECTOR STIRRUP.
WE'LL START WITH THE FIRST SLIDE PLEASE.
SO THIS IS THE CURVE THAT WE'RE FAMILIAR WITH THAT SHOWS OUR HOSPITALIZATIONS, UM, ICU ADMISSIONS AND, UM, OUR VENTILATOR USE, ET CETERA.
UM, OUR ICU ADMISSIONS MENTAL LETTER USE, AND FOR THE LAST 24 HOURS, WE HAD 400 AND, UH, 12 NEW CASES REPORTED TO APH.
OUR SEVEN DAY MOVING AVERAGE HAD DECREASED TO 55 AND HAS SLOWLY BEEN DECREASING.
WE HAVE 509 PATIENTS TOTAL ADMITTED FOR COVID, UH, RELATED ILLNESS, 217 IN ICU, UH, OR FOUR HUNDRED, ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY THREE ON VENTILATORS WITH 57 ADMISSIONS IN 39 DISCHARGES.
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WE SEE THAT ACCORDING TO THE U T CONSORTIUM MODELING PROJECTIONS, OUR CURVE CONTINUES TO DECLINE, UM, AS FAR AS OUR SEVEN DAY MOVING AVERAGE OF HOSPITALIZATIONS.WHEN WE LOOK AT, UH, THE PREDOMINANT, UH, VARIANT THAT'S IN OUR COMMUNITY AT THIS POINT, UM, IT CONTINUES TO BE THE DELTA VARIANT, THE 1 6 1 7 0.2, UM, AT 99%.
UM, THERE'VE BEEN QUESTIONS ABOUT THE NEW VARIANT OF INTEREST, UM, THAT IS, UH, PRESENT IN OUR COMMUNITY AT 0.1% AND HAS BEEN CONTINUING TO DECLINE AND DOES NOT SHOW THAT IT'S GOING TO BE, UM, UH, PREVALENT IN OUR, UH, COMMUNITY THIS POINT IN TIME.
DID YOU JUST SAY THE DELTA VARIANT IS DECLINING AND WILL NOT BE PREVALENT? I WASN'T QUITE SURE.
PROPERLY THE MEW THE MUTE VARIANT.
IT'S A LITTLE HARD TO HEAR THAT ONE.
UM, AND, AND ALSO I WANT TO POINT OUT THAT, UH, VACCINES CONTINUE TO PROTECT AGAINST SEVERE DISEASE, HOSPITALIZATIONS AND DEATHS, AND, UM, IN A RECENT SEPTEMBER 10TH ARTICLE, UM, OUR VACCINES ARE DOING WHAT WE WANT THEM TO DO, WHICH IS PROVIDING THAT PROTECTION.
WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR SCHOOL CASES IN OUR AREA, SINCE THE BEGINNING OF SCHOOL, WHEN STAFF RETURNED IN EARLY AUGUST, UM, THERE WAS A SLOW CLIMB IN THE NUMBER OF CASES AND THAT SLIGHT THERE'S BEEN A SLIGHT DECLINE IN THE WEEK OF LABOR DAY, THAT SHORTER WEEK, UM, THE TOTAL NUMBER OF, UH, REPORTED STUDENT CASES AS THAT 1,447, UM, STAFF CASES AT 225 WITH FOUR OTHER CASES MENTIONED, UM, IN OTHER, UM, AREAS IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, THE SCHOOL CASES THAT OCCUR IN STUDENTS MOST OFTEN OCCUR IN CLASSROOM SETTINGS, UM, FOLLOWED SECOND BIO-PLASTICS AND THEN AFTER SCHOOL, UM, ACTIVITIES, UH, LAST WEEK, THE TA, UH, ANNOUNCED A ROLL-UP OF TESTING RESOURCES FOR OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND THE ISD IS, ARE PLANNING FOR, UM, THE USE OF THESE RESOURCES TO INCREASE TESTING IN SCHOOLS.
OUR RECENT UT MODELING STUDY, UM, ON THE BENEFITS OF MASKING AND TESTING IN SCHOOLS, WHICH WILL BE RELEASED TODAY, CONFIRMS THAT TESTING COMBINED WITH MASKING WILL HELP KEEP OUR SCHOOLS OPEN SAFELY AND HELP US HAVE FEWER CASES.
UM, AS WE KNOW, VACCINATIONS PROVIDE STRONG PROTECTION AGAINST ILLNESS AND HOSPITALIZATIONS AND MASKING WILL CONTINUE TO PROTECT THOSE WHO ARE NOT ABLE TO BE VACCINATED AT THIS TIME.
WE STILL HAVE NOT GOTTEN WORD ON WHEN PEDIATRIC VACCINATIONS WILL BE EXPANDED FOR THOSE UNDER THE AGE OF 12, BUT WE ARE PREPARED TO DEPLOY THOSE VACCINES ONE THAT IS ANNOUNCED IN THE GUIDANCE FOR SAVED.
THE, UM, THE SLIDE HERE, UM, SHOWS THE, UM, ADMISSIONS BY AGE, UM, THAT WE'VE HAD IN THE LAST SEVERAL WEEKS.
AND WE SEE THAT THERE'S BEEN A WEEK ON WEEK, SLOW DECLINE IN THE NUMBERS OF ADMISSIONS, UM, IN EACH OF THE AGE GROUPS AND ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE SLIDE, UH, WE SEE THE NUMBER OF ADMISSIONS TO HOSPITAL FOR THOSE UNDER THE AGE OF 18, SINCE HERBST, SORRY.
DID SOMEONE ASK A QUESTION? NOPE.
UM, AND SO, UH, WE SEE HERE THAT, UM, THE PEDIATRIC ADMISSIONS, UH, TOTAL 133 IN THIS TIMEFRAME AS OF YESTERDAY, WE HAD 15 PEDIATRIC ADMISSIONS TO HOSPITAL.
UM, AND NONE OF THE CHILDREN AT MED HAVE WERE VACCINATED.
THE SLIDE AGAIN, LOOKS AT AGE GROUP IN THE TOP LEFT-HAND CORNER.
WE SEE THE DISTRIBUTION OF AGE, UM, WITH THE LARGEST PERCENTAGE BEING, UM, REPRESENTED BY THOSE IN THE 50
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TO 69 YEAR AGE GROUP OVER THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE PANDEMIC.UM, A FAIRLY EVEN SPLIT BETWEEN MALE AND FEMALE, 10%, UM, 10.9% BLACKS, 44% HISPANICS REPRESENTING A DISPROPORTIONATE, UM, IMPACT, UM, OF THOSE HOSPITALIZED BY RACE AND ETHNICITY.
AND IN THE LOWER RIGHT-HAND CORNER, WE SAY THE BLUE LINE, WHICH REPRESENTS PEOPLE OVER THE AGE OF 70.
AND THERE'S BEEN A SLOW DECLINE IN THE NUMBERS OF THOSE ADMITTED WHO WERE OVER THE AGE OF 70 SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE, UM, DEPLOYMENT OF VACCINES IN JANUARY OF REPRESENTED BY THE ARROW.
UM, AND THEN THAT DECLINE CONTINUES OVER TIME.
AND THEN IF YOU LOOK AT THE GREEN LINE, WHICH REPRESENTS THE AGE GROUP OF THE 30 TO 49 YEAR OLDS, YOU SEE THAT THERE'S BEEN A SLOW INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF THOSE, UM, IN THAT AGE GROUP WHO HAVE BEEN HOSPITALIZED OVER TIME, UM, AND PARTICULAR IN THE SEARCH, UH, WE HAVE AS A RESULT OF THE DELTA VARIANT OF SARS COV TWO NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
AGAIN, LOOKING AT OUR, UM, VACCINE EFFECTIVENESS, UM, WE'VE DEPLOYED 750,000 PLUS VACCINES, UM, TO FULLY VACCINATE 750,000 PLUS INDIVIDUALS IN OUR COUNTY OF THAT NUMBER FIFTY NINE HUNDRED AND SIXTY FOUR, UM, HAVE HAD BREAKTHROUGH CASES.
UM, OUR DISEASE SURVEILLANCE TEAM HAS BEEN ABLE TO CONTACT AND INTERVIEW 1,378 OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS TO LEARN THAT 59 WERE HOSPITALIZED, WHICH REPRESENTS 1% OF THAT NUMBER.
UM, THE AGE GROUPS OF THOSE HOSPITALIZED WERE FROM 19 TO 96.
UM, THEY RECEIVED, UH, 13 OF THEM, J AND J 18 MODERNA AND 28 PFIZER.
THERE WERE 32 DEATHS IN THIS BREAKTHROUGH CASE, UM, COHORT, UM, A AGES 17 TO 98, 7 WERE LONG-TERM CARE FACILITY, UH, RESIDENTS, AND THEY RECEIVED 19 OF THEM.
PFIZER, 10 MADONNA, AND THREE J AND J NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR LONG-TERM CARE FACILITY, UM, NUMBERS IN THE LAST 14 DAYS, THERE HAS BEEN A DECREASE IN THE NUMBER OF FACILITY, NEW FACILITY CASES, UM, DROPPING FROM 77 CASES TO 53 11 FACILITIES REPORTED THESE POSITIVE CASES DOWN FROM 16 FACILITIES IN THE PREVIOUS 14 DAY REPORT OF THE CASES REPORTED.
UM, 21 WERE RESIDENT CASES, 20 OF WHICH WERE FULLY VACCINATED.
UM, AND 32 WERE STAFF CASES AND 16 OF THOSE WERE VACCINATED FULLY.
THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, WHEN WE LOOK AT, UM, DEATHS THAT WE'VE HAD IN TRAVIS COUNTY, UH, SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, UM, WE'VE HAD A TOTAL OF A 447 FROM JANUARY 1ST TO SEPTEMBER 10TH.
UM, DURING THE ENTIRE PANDEMIC TO TODAY'S DATE, THERE'VE BEEN 1035 DEATHS, BUT I SHOWED THIS SLIDE TO SHOW, UM, THAT THE COVID VACCINE HAS HELPED TO REDUCE, UM, THE NUMBER OF DEATHS.
UM, AND THROUGH THIS LAST PORTION OF JULY AND AUGUST OF THE PANDEMIC, THERE HAVE BEEN SOME INCREASES IN DEATH, UM, RELATED TO THOSE WHO WERE UNVACCINATED.
UM, PRIMARILY 50% OF THE INDIVIDUALS WHO PASSED WERE HISPANIC AND 58% WERE MALE.
UM, 7.3% OF THOSE WHO HAVE DIED, UM, FROM JANUARY 1ST TO SEPTEMBER 10TH, WE'RE FULLY VACCINATED.
THERE WERE MORE DEATHS SEEN WHEN REPEAT THAT STATISTIC AGAIN.
W WHAT PERCENTAGE WHO DIED VACCINATED 7.3%.
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THERE WERE MORE DEATHS, UM, SAYING IN THE AGE GROUPS, UH, 30 TO 59 IN THE AUGUST TIMEFRAME, UM, JOE DUE TO THE SARS, COVID TWO DELTA VARIANT.AND IF YOU REMEMBER, REMEMBER THE PREVIOUS SLIDE THAT HAD THE, THE LINES SHOWING THE INCREASES IN THAT, UM, 30 TO 40, UM, AGE GROUP, UM, YOU S YOU SAW THAT THERE WAS AN INCREASE THAT WAS SEEN THERE AS WELL.
ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THE SLIDE, WE SHOW OUR VACCINATION STATS THAT WE HAVE HAD REPORTED.
UM, NOT ALL OF OUR INSTITUTIONS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GIVE US, UM, COMPLETED INFORMATION.
SO THE 2 29 THAT'S REPRESENTED HERE IS UNKNOWN.
UM, UM, IF YOU WERE TO TAKE THAT OUT AND JUST LOOK AT WHAT WE DO KNOW, UM, I WANT TO EXPLAIN THAT THOSE WHO ARE PARTIALLY VACCINATED ARE NOT CONSIDERED TO BE, UM, FULLY VACCINATED OR FULLY PROTECTED.
SO THEY ACTUALLY GO INTO THE CATEGORY OF NOT VACCINATED BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT FULLY VACCINATED AND THE FULLY VACCINATED, UM, ARE REPRESENTED BY JUST THAT FULLY VACCINATED.
WE, UM, DEFINE FULL PROTECTION, UM, BY COVID VACCINE WHEN 14 DAYS HAS PASSED AFTER THAT LAST SHOT THAT'S RECEIVED.
AND SO THE DATA HERE SHOWS THE BREAKDOWN OF THOSE WHO ARE VACCINATED IN OUR HOSPITAL SYSTEMS IN THE PERIOD OF AUGUST 30TH, THROUGH SEPTEMBER 12TH, THE, UH, RIGHT LEFT-HAND SIDE OF THE GRAPH SHOWS THE BREAKDOWN OF WHERE PEOPLE, UM, RESIDE, WHO HAVE BEEN HOSPITALIZED IN OUR COUNTY HOSPITAL SYSTEMS AND 52% OF THOSE HOSPITALIZED IN TRAVIS COUNTY OR TRAVIS COUNTY RESIDENTS, AND 48% OF THE PATIENTS ARE FROM SURROUNDING COUNTIES.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE DEATHS ARE HIGHER IN SURROUNDING COUNTIES WITH LOWER VACCINATION RATES.
AND HERE WE SEE IT DETECTED, UM, THE SURROUNDING COUNTIES, UM, LARGER SURROUNDING COUNTIES.
AND WE SEE THAT IN CALDWELL WHERE THEY HAVE, UH, 50, UH, ALMOST 51% OF THEIR, UM, RESIDENTS, FULLY VACCINATED WHO ARE ELIGIBLE FOR VACCINE.
THEY HAVE A 245, UM, DEATHS PER A HUNDRED THOUSAND.
AND HERE IN TRAVIS COUNTY, WHERE WE HAVE, UM, ALMOST 69% OF OUR, UM, RESIDENTS WHO ARE ELIGIBLE FOR VACCINATION VACCINATED, WE HAVE AN 84 DEATH PER A HUNDRED THOUSAND DEATH RATE.
SO IN CONCLUSION, ON SEPTEMBER 10TH, UM, THE CDC, MORTALITY AND MORBIDITY WEEKLY REPORT, AND THEN WR RELEASED A STUDY THAT TALKED ABOUT THE, UM, CASES, HOSPITALIZATIONS AND DEATHS, UM, OF FROM COVID-19, UM, WITH, UM, IT AS ACCORDING TO VACCINATION STATUS AND THAT STUDY, UM, THEY SHOWED THAT THE VACCINATE VACCINES CONTINUE TO OFFER STRONG PROTECTION AGAINST COVID-19 INFECTION FIVE TIMES.
UM, THE REDUCED REDUCTION IN RUSS HOSPITALIZATIONS WITH GREATER THAN 10%, 10 TIMES REDUCTION IN RISK AND DEATHS ARE SHOWN TO THEY REDUCED BY 10 TIMES.
UM, SO IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE CONTINUE AS THE CALLER, UM, DISCUSSED TO VACCINATE OUR RESIDENTS AND CONTINUE TO MOVE OUR, UM, COMMUNITY TO A HIGHER LEVEL OF VACCINATION, PARTICULARLY IN THE FACE OF NOT BEING ABLE TO VACCINATE THOSE WHO ARE UNDER THE AGE OF 12.
AND IN ADDITION TO THAT, UM, AS WE HAVE DISCUSSED IN, IN, UM, OTHERS SETTINGS, IT'S GOING TO BE IMPORTANT FOR US TO, UM, LOOK TO OUR NEIGHBORS AND, AND, UM, COLLABORATE WITH THEM AND, UM,
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GET THEIR POPULATIONS VACCINATED AS WELL.BECAUSE AS WE'VE SAID, MANY TIMES, WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER AND OUR HOSPITAL SYSTEMS HERE IN THE TRAVIS COUNTY METROPLEX, UM, DO, UH, ALL SERVE OUR NEIGHBORS.
AND SO WE ALL HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER TO PROTECT OURSELVES AND PARTICULARLY PROTECT OUR CHILDREN.
UM, SO CONTINUED MASS SQUARING AND VACCINATION, SOCIAL DISTANCING, AND STAYING HOME WHEN KNOW, AND I'D LIKE TO MAKE ONE LAST POINT.
AND THAT IS THAT WE CONTINUE TO UTILIZE THE ORIGINAL INFUSION CENTER TO TREAT PATIENTS WHO ARE FOR TREATMENT FOR COVID 19.
UM, WITHIN 10 DAYS OF SYMPTOM ONSET THAT HAS HAD A GOOD IMPACT ON OUR COMMUNITY.
WE'VE DELIVERED OVER 1500 DOSES OF INFUSION TO, UM, OUR, OUR REGION AND THIS SERVICE CONTINUES TO BE AVAILABLE.
SO IF YOU FEEL SICK, GET TESTED, IF YOUR TEST POSITIVE FOR COVID-19 SAKE, HELP FROM A MEDICAL PROVIDER AND SEE IF YOU'RE ELIGIBLE FOR CARE.
AND IF YOU ARE, UM, HAVE YOUR PROVIDER REFER YOU FOR, UH, INFUSION OF MONOCLONAL ANTIBODY THERAPY AND WITH THAT ALL IN MY REPORT.
THANK YOU, DOCTOR WALKS AND SO GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE.
ADRIAN STIRRUP INTERIM DIRECTOR FOR AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH.
AND I WILL JUMP IN WITH OUR COVID OPERATIONS UPDATE.
UM, IF YOU ARE SICK, PLEASE GET TESTED.
IF YOU WERE EXPOSED TO SOMEONE WHO TESTED POSITIVE, PLEASE GET TESTED.
AND IF YOU'RE NOT SURE IF YOU HAVE, UM, A SIMPLE SNIFFLE, SOME ALLERGY AILMENTS, PLEASE GET TESTED.
AGAIN, US IN PUBLIC HEALTH IS OFFERING IN-HOME TESTING.
YOU CAN CALL 3 1 1 5 1 2 3 1 1, OR I'M SORRY, 5 1 2 9 7 4, 2000 TO GET AN APPOINTMENT SCHEDULED.
IF YOU'RE HOME BELLED OR UNABLE TO VISIT A TESTING SITE, UM, OUR FREE OPTIONS ARE HERE ON THE SCREEN.
WE'RE AT, UH, DOVE SPRINGS REC WE'RE AT ST JOHN'S, AND WE'RE ALSO SUPPORTING OUR COMMUNITY BY PROVIDING IN-HOME, UH, FACILITY TESTING TO SENIOR LIVING FACILITIES, HOMELESS, HOMELESS SHELTERS, AND OTHER CONGRESS CONGREGATE SETTINGS.
UM, LAST WEEK YOU CAN SEE, WE DID JUST UNDER 3000 TESTS.
UM, SO THE DEMAND IS, UM, DECREASING SLIGHTLY.
UM, LAST WEEK WE WERE, UH, OVER, UM, 3000 TESTS ADMINISTERED.
AND SO, UM, THE STAFF THOUGHT IT WOULD BE USEFUL TO SHOW, UM, THIS GRAPH, UH, MAY COMES FROM THE TRAVIS COUNTY, UM, SORRY THAT THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES WEBSITE, I'M GOING TO GET MYSELF TOGETHER THIS MORNING AND IT SHOWS OUR VACCINE UPTAKE OVER TIME.
UM, THE BOX IN THE YELLOW SHOWS THE TOTAL NUMBER OF DOSES THAT HAVE BEEN ADMINISTERED IN THE COUNTY.
AND YOU SEE, THERE WERE JUST OVER A MILLION AND A HALF, UM, AND THE GRAPH REALLY SHOWS, UM, OVER TIME WHAT THE VACCINE UPTAKE HAS BEEN FOR TRAVIS COUNTY.
UM, WE CAN SEE AT THE HIGHEST POINT, UM, WE WERE OVER 120 VACCINES PER WEEK.
UM, AND WE KIND OF TRICKLED OFF IN THE SUMMER WHEN WE WERE IN THAT PERIOD OF, UH, STAGE TWO.
AND THEN WE'RE SEEING, UM, WE HAD, UH, AN INCREASE IN AUGUST.
AND SO WE'RE, WE'RE ASKING OUR COMMUNITY TO, TO KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK, IF YOU ARE NOT VACCINATED, UM, PLEASE, PLEASE DO SO.
UM, THE STATS FOR THE CITY AND COMMUNITY CARE FOR THE LAST OPERATIONAL PERIOD, YOU CAN SEE SINCE THE BEGINNING, WE'VE GIVEN OVER 450,000 SHOTS.
AND SO THAT IS A DECLINE FROM PREVIOUS WEEKS.
UM, THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT ACCORDING TO, UH, DSHS ABOUT 79% OF OUR POPULATION IS A VACCINATION WITH AT LEAST ONE DOSE.
AND AS DR WACHS SAID EARLIER, WE'RE JUST UNDER 69% OF THE ELIGIBLE POPULATION AND THAT'S ANYONE 12 AND OLDER WHO'S FULLY VACCINATED.
UM, WE HAVE MADE SOME PROGRESS.
THE LAST TIME I GAVE THE FULL FIGURE, THERE WERE 250,000 ELIGIBLE PEOPLE WHO WERE NOT VACCINATED.
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AND THAT NUMBER IS NOW APPROXIMATELY 225,000.SO THE NEEDLE IS MOVING AND WE JUST NEED THE COMMUNITY, THE COMMUNITY TO CONTINUE TO MAKE THE CHOICE TO BE VACCINATED.
THE, THE FLIP SIDE OF THAT IS, ARE OVER 340,000 PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT FULLY VACCINATED.
AND THIS LEAVES US OPEN FOR THE POTENTIAL OF HOSPITALIZATION OR EVEN DEATH IF THEY REMAIN UNVACCINATED.
AND AS DR WACHS SAID, WE'RE CONSIDERING ANYONE WHO HAS NOT COMPLETED THE COURSE AS UNVACCINATED.
AND SO OUR NEXT SLIDE SHOWS WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON IN OUR COUNTY WITH RESPECT TO VACCINE DISTRIBUTION BY PROVIDER.
AND WE CAN SEE FOR, FOR OUR AREA, THE LION'S SHARE OF THE WORK HAS BEEN THROUGH PHARMACY WITH OVER 680,000 SHOTS GIVEN, UM, FOLLOWED RIGHT BY PUBLIC HEALTH AND GOVERNMENT WITH 304,000 SHOTS GIVEN.
AND SO THERE SEEMS TO BE A GOOD DISPERSEMENT OF OPPORTUNITY IN OUR COMMUNITY.
WE JUST NEED TO CONTINUE TO WORK AND GET THE MESSAGING OUT, UM, THAT VACCINES ARE AVAILABLE AND THAT THEY'RE SAFE.
AND THAT IS THE SMART CHOICE FOR FOLKS DURING THIS TIME, WHEN LOOKING AT THE DATA THAT SHOWS THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE FULLY VACCINATED BY AGE, WE SEE THE HIGHEST AGE GROUP IS IN THAT 16 TO 49 YEAR OLD CATEGORY.
UM, AND THEY MAKE UP ABOUT 50% OF THE POPULATION THAT'S FULLY VACCINATED, UM, THE 65 TO 70 OR OLDER OR 84% FULLY VACCINATED.
AND SO THE POPULATION ESTIMATES SHOW THAT THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY JUST OVER, JUST UNDER 27,000 INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE 80 AND OLDER.
SO BASED ON THIS ESTIMATE, WE KNOW THAT 72% OF THOSE 80 AND OLDER ARE FULLY VACCINATED, OH, LET ME GO BACK.
ALSO, YOU CAN SEE HERE THAT WITHIN A, EACH AGE CATEGORY, THIS SPLIT BETWEEN GENDER MALE AND FEMALE IS ABOUT EVEN.
AND SO WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR FIRST DOSE MAP, UM, WE HAD ONE ZIP CODE EXCEED THE 70% FIRST, THOSE VACCINE MARK, AND, UH, TURNING 7, 8, 7, 5 8 FROM BLUE TO GREEN.
UM, I'M ALSO EXCITED THAT THERE'S VERY LITTLE YELLOW ON THIS MAP, AND SO WE ARE MAKING GREAT PROGRESS AS A COMMUNITY AND FOR OUR FIRST DOSE.
AND THEN WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR SECOND DOSE FULLY VACCINATED, I'M EXCITED THAT THERE'S NO RED ON THIS MAP, UM, THAT THERE'S MINIMAL YELLOW, BUT AGAIN, YOU KNOW, NOT, NOT TO TAKE AWAY FROM THE EFFORTS THAT NEED TO HAPPEN IN THOSE AREAS.
AND SO, AS IN WEEKS PRIOR, WE CONTINUE TO USE THIS MAP TO PLAN OUR, UM, STRIKE TEAMS EVENT.
WE USE IT IN THE COUNTY COLLABORATIVE.
UM, WE USE IT AS THE BASIS FOR ALL OF OUR COMMUNICATIONS AND OUTREACH EFFORTS.
SO THIS MAP IS VERY NEAR AND DEAR TO US AS IT SERVES AS ONE OF THE GUIDING DATA POINTS FOR OUR OPERATIONS, WITH RESPECT TO VACCINE.
AND THEN WE'LL SEE FOR THE WEEK WE ARE AT OUR STANDARD LOCATIONS.
UM, AGAIN, THERE ARE NO APPOINTMENTS NECESSARY, NO IDEAS NECESSARY, NO INSURANCES REQUIRED TO COME TO ANY OF THE APH LOCATIONS.
THERE ARE LISTED HERE FOR YOU ON THE SCREEN.
SO IN ADDITION TO BEING AT SOUTHEAST LIBRARY, LITTLE WALNUT CREEK AND AT THE ANNA LARK CENTER THIS WEEK, WE'LL BE AT THE PFLUGERVILLE LIBRARY.
WE WILL ALSO BE IN MAYNOR AT MAIN, OUR NEW HIGH TECH WILL BE AT THE HARMONY SCHOOL OF EXCELLENCE AND OUT IN ELGON AT THE INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL, UM, ALSO OF NOTE, UM, THE HEALTH EQUITY TASK FORCE CONTINUES TO WORK WITH THE VACCINE INCIDENT MANAGEMENT TEAM OR IMT TO IDENTIFY AND BRING VACCINE RESOURCES TO ZIP CODES THAT ARE NOT AT THE 70% GOAL.
UM, OUTREACH EVENTS CONTINUE TO BE AN IMPORTANT TOOL TO SUPPORT PROTECTIVE BEHAVIORS, MEET BASIC NEEDS AND PROVIDE INFORMATION ABOUT VACCINES.
SO IF WE'RE NOT GIVING SHOTS, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SHOTS, WE'RE GIVING OUT PPE TO REMIND PEOPLE AND TO SUPPORT THE NEED TO MASK.
AND WE'RE ALSO HELPING OUT, UM, WITH MEAL DISTRIBUTION THAN ANYTHING, ALL OF THE THINGS THAT OUR COMMUNITY, UM, TO ELIMINATE EVERYDAY THOUGHTS, NECESSITIES, OR BARRIERS THAT MIGHT GET IN THE WAY OF THEM BEING ABLE TO, UH, TAKE THE TIME OUT TO GET A VACCINE.
UM, LAST WEEK WE WERE AT THE POCO LOCO SUPERMARKET, UM, ON SATURDAY, UM, WITH THE HELP
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OF THE AUSTIN'S BLACK PHYSICIANS ASSOCIATION, WE WERE AT ST.JAMS, UM, FOR A VACCINE POD, AND THEN, UM, ON THE 11TH, UH, SAFFRON TRUST IN PARTNERSHIP WITH AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH AND THE DELL VALLEY COMMUNITY COALITION HELD A MOVIE NIGHT.
AND YOU MIGHT BE WONDERING WHY A MOVIE NIGHT IS IMPORTANT WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT VACCINE OPERATIONS HAS A PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
WE'RE ALWAYS TRYING TO ADDRESS THE IMPACT OF, UH, COVID ON OUR COMMUNITIES AND ITS TOTALITY.
AND SO WE KNOW THAT THE MAIN FOCUS IS RIGHT FOR PEOPLE TO PRACTICE THE PROTECTIVE BEHAVIORS, BE VACCINATED TEST, IF YOU'RE SICK, WEAR A MASK AND AVOID LARGE GATHERINGS, BUT WE ALSO RECOGNIZE THE STRESS THAT OUR COMMUNITIES HAVE BEEN UNDER.
AND WE ARE TRYING TO, UM, SUPPORT OVERALL HEALTH AND WELLNESS BECAUSE WHEN YOU'RE FEELING GOOD AND, AND IN MOST AREAS OF YOUR LIFE, IT BECOMES EASIER TO ADOPT AND SUPPORT ALL OF THE HABITS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO YOUR HEALTH.
AND SO THE MOVIE NIGHT WAS A REALLY CREATIVE, UM, AN INNOVATIVE WAY TO GET FAMILIES AND TOGETHER IT WAS A DRIVE-THROUGH, SO EVERYONE WAS SAFE.
THEY WERE IN THEIR CARS, YOU KNOW, THEY GOT TO COME OUT AND, AND BE RELAXED IN A FUN, SAFE ENVIRONMENT.
AND AT THE SAME TIME, LEARN INFORMATION ABOUT VACCINE AND GET INFORMATION ABOUT THE DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY, WHERE THEY COULD SEEK OUT A FREE VACCINE ALONG THAT SAME VEIN.
WE WERE AT THE EAST AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER, UM, DISTRIBUTING PPE AND FOOD, AS WELL AS INFORMATION ABOUT WHERE FOLKS CAN GO TO GET VACCINES.
UM, THIS WEEKEND WE'LL BE AT THE TURNER ROBERTS REC, UM, DOING THE SAME THING, VACCINES AND PPE.
UM, WE'LL BE AT THE DEL VALLEY OPPORTUNITY CENTER AGAIN, VACCINES AND PPE, AND, UM, OUR MOBILE TESTING SITES.
WE'LL, WE'LL BE AT A VARIETY OF LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
AND AGAIN, YOU CAN SCHEDULE THOSE BY CALLING 3 1 1, AND YOU'LL BE DIRECTED TO OUR, OUR IMT, OUR, UH, INCIDENT MANAGEMENT TEAM, AND THEY'LL HOOK YOU UP AND GET VACCINES OUT TO YOUR LOCATION.
AND SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT OUR FOCUSED OUTREACH AND MESSAGING, I TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS ON THE PREVIOUS SLIDE, YOU KNOW, REALLY JUST USING THAT MAP AND MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE PLACE-BASED OPPORTUNITIES FOR FOLKS, UM, TO RECEIVE SUPPORT NOT ONLY FOR VACCINES, BUT ALSO FOR OTHER BASIC NEEDS THAT HELP SUPPORT, UM, THE GENERAL COMMUNITY HEALTH.
LAST TIME WE WERE TOGETHER, WE TALKED ABOUT THE STRIDES THAT WE'RE MAKING FOR, UM, BOOSTER, PLANNING.
UM, SO NOTHING NEW HERE JUST REALLY WANT TO REITERATE FOR THE COMMUNITY THAT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THIRD DOSES AND BOOSTERS.
SO THE THIRD DOSE IS FOR ANYONE THAT'S IMMUNOCOMPROMISED, IF YOU'RE UNSURE, THAT IS A CONVERSATION THAT YOU NEED TO HAVE WITH YOUR DOCTOR, BUT GENERALLY THOSE ARE FOLKS WHO HAVE RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS.
YOU'VE HAD AN ORGAN TRANSPLANT.
UM, YOU MAY BE UNDERGOING CHEMOTHERAPY, ANY MEDICAL CONDITION THAT, UM, MAKES YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM, UH, LESS LIKELY TO RESPOND TO THE FIRST TWO DOSES.
THE THIRD DOSE IS FOR YOU, UM, BOOSTERS.
SO ACCORDING TO THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION, WE'RE GOING TO BE READY FOR BOOSTERS ON SEPTEMBER 20TH.
AND IF THAT IS THE DIRECTION FROM THE CDC AND THE FDA, YES, AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH WILL BE READY TO PROVIDE BOOSTERS FOR THE COMMUNITY AND BOOSTERS ARE, UM, THE SHOT THAT'S NECESSARY BECAUSE, UH, THE DATA IS SHOWING THAT YOUR INITIAL TWO DOSES, THE PROTECTION THAT YOU'RE HAVING IS WANING.
UM, AND SO THERE IS SOME PRELIMINARY DATA THAT SHOWS THAT PFIZER IS WANING AT THE EIGHT OR NINE MONTH MARK.
SO FOR ANYONE WHO IS PAST EIGHT OR NINE MONTHS OF THEIR SECOND DOSE, YOU MIGHT WANT TO CONSIDER, UM, A BOOSTER.
WE DON'T HAVE ALL OF THAT DATA YET FOR MADONNA.
AND SO IT, IT SEEMS THAT THE PRELIMINARY STUDIES ARE SHOWING THAT THE MODERN VACCINE IS PROVIDING A BIT LONGER PROTECTION.
SO ALL THAT BEING SAID, WE'RE CURRENTLY PROVIDING THIRD DOSES FOR ANYONE WHO'S IMMUNOCOMPROMISED FREE, SAME SYSTEM.
YOU CAN WALK UP, NO APPOINTMENT NECESSARY.
IF YOU'RE A PERSON WHO LIKES TO PLAN, BUT YOU'RE NOT VERY SAVVY ON THE COMPUTER, YOU CAN CALL 3, 1, 1, AND OUR EQUITY LINE WILL HELP YOU SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT FOR YOUR THIRD DOSE.
IF ON THE NINE 20 DATE, WE GET THE ALL
[00:35:01]
GO AHEAD FROM THE FDA.AND THE CDC THAT BOOSTERS FOR, FOR PFIZER ARE ACTUALLY NECESSARY.
WE'RE READY AT ANY OF OUR LOCATIONS.
YOU CAN COME AND GET THAT BOOSTER SHOT.
THERE'S STILL NO APPOINTMENT REQUIRED.
AND IF YOU PREFER TO TALK TO A LIVE PERSON TO SCHEDULE YOUR APPOINTMENT, YOU CAN DO THAT BY CALLING 3 1 1, AND THEN JUST BECAUSE WE'RE PUBLIC HEALTH AND IT'S THAT TIME OF YEAR.
UM, AND, AND WE'RE, WE'RE ALREADY THINKING ABOUT FLU, UM, JUST TO REMIND EVERYONE THAT AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH IS SUPPORTING THE COMMUNITY THROUGH OUR VACCINE EFFORTS.
AND THIS IS THE SAME TEAM THAT, UM, HELPS FULFILL OUR DUTIES AS A SAFETY NET PROVIDER FOR A VACCINE, FOR CHILDREN AND ALSO FOR ADULTS.
AND SO JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF HOW BUSY WE'VE BEEN DURING THE MONTH OF AUGUST, JUST ON VACCINES ALONE, UM, YOU CAN SEE, WE PROVIDED OVER 5,000 DOSES, 3000 OF THOSE FOR FIRST DOSES.
UM, A LITTLE OVER 1800 WERE SECOND DOSES, AND WE PROVIDED 243 THIRD DOSES OF COVID VACCINE IN AUGUST.
UM, WE'VE ALSO PROVIDED MANY BACK TO SCHOOL VACCINES.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT KEEPING OUR KIDS SAFE, RIGHT? SO IF YOU'RE, IF YOU'RE NOT VACCINE ELIGIBLE FOR COVID, THERE'S STILL PLENTY OF SHOTS THAT WE CAN GIVE OUT TO MAKE SURE OUR KIDDOS ARE READY FOR SCHOOL.
AND SO WE GAVE OVER 3,200 DOSES TO 1200 CLIENTS OF THOSE, UM, VACCINES FOR KIDS THAT KEEP THEM SAFE.
AND IN TERMS OF OTHER ADULT VACCINES THAT WE PROVIDED, THERE WERE 281 DOSES ADMINISTERED.
YOU HAVE TWO ARMS, YOU CAN GET TWO SHOTS COVID IN ONE FLEW IN THE OTHER AND, AND BE PROTECTED.
AND SO THEN LAST WEEK, OR THE LAST TIME WE WERE TOGETHER, WE MENTIONED THAT THERE WAS A SURVEY THAT WE WERE CONDUCTING TO, UM, ASSESS ATTITUDES ABOUT A COVID VACCINE THAT WAS TIED TO THE INCENTIVE PILOT.
AND THERE WAS A REQUEST TO GET SOME OF THE PRELIMINARY INFORMATION FROM THOSE SURVEYS.
AND SO I'LL TAKE A FEW MOMENTS, UM, TO GO THROUGH SOME OF THOSE QUESTIONS.
AND, UM, THIS WAS DEVELOPED IN ORDINATION WITH THE COUNTY.
AND SO, UM, I DO BELIEVE THAT THE SURVEYS WERE ADMINISTERED AT, UH, COUNTY COLLABORATIVE LOCATIONS, AS WELL AS LOCATIONS SPONSORED BY AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH.
SO ONE OF THE FIRST QUESTIONS THAT WE ASKED WAS AT ANY TIME IN THE PAST YEAR, HAVE YOU FELT HESITANT OR RELUCTANT ABOUT GETTING THE COVID 19 VACCINE? AND WE CAN SEE, UNFORTUNATELY BY THE ORANGE, UM, SECTION THAT REPRESENTS THE, YES, I'VE BEEN HESITANT OR RELUCTANT, HI, I'M 68% VERSUS 32%.
AND THEN THIS NEXT SLIDE, UM, TRIES TO DIG INTO THAT A LITTLE MORE DEEPLY TO FIGURE OUT, UM, WHAT IS DRIVING THE HESITANCY.
AND WE CAN SEE HERE, UM, THAT 55% OF FOLKS, THAT'S THE GREATEST BAR GRAPH HERE HAVE NOT BEEN SURE WHETHER OR NOT THE VACCINE SAFE.
AGAIN, 48% OF THE RESPONDENTS WERE CONCERNED ABOUT THE LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF THE VACCINE, AND THEN, UM, QUESTIONS ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT, UM, THE COVID VACCINE WAS EFFECTIVE.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT OPERATIONS AND WE TALK ABOUT ACCESS, I THINK, AS A COMMUNITY, UH, WE'RE DOING A GOOD JOB WITH THAT BECAUSE A LOT OF THE HESITANCY WASN'T ABOUT FEAR, UM, FROM MISSING WORK, IT WASN'T ABOUT COST.
SO PEOPLE ARE UNDERSTANDING THAT IT'S FREE, UM, ABOUT THERE WERE NO CONCERNS ABOUT MISSING WORK.
AND I, I, I HOPE THAT INFERS, THAT THEY UNDERSTAND THE FLEXIBILITY AND THE HOURS THAT BOTH THE CITY AND THE COUNTY ARE OFFERING FOR VACCINE OPPORTUNITIES.
UM, SO IT'S REALLY MORE ABOUT THE SCIENCE.
IT SEEMS LIKE A LACK OF INFORMATION ABOUT THE SAFETY AND EFFECTIVENESS OF THE VACCINE AND FOR THOSE WHO OBVIOUSLY THEY WERE THERE AND THEY, THEY TOOK THE LEAP AND, AND THEY DECIDED TO GET THE VACCINES ON THE SAME VEIN, WANTING TO DECIDE, WANTING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THOSE TRIGGER POINTS WERE FOR FOLKS THAT, YOU KNOW, ALLOW THEM TO OVERCOME THEIR HESITANCY AND, AND DRIVE THEM TO A SITE TO GET A VACCINE.
AND SO INCREASE THE KNOWLEDGE HAS BEEN, YOU KNOW, 58.9% OF FOLKS RESPONDED THAT THEY LEARNED MORE ABOUT THE VACCINE
[00:40:01]
AND THAT CHANGED THEIR MIND, FOLLOWED BY CONCERN ABOUT THE DELTA VARIANT, UM, FOLLOWED CLOSELY 50%, YOU KNOW, FOLKS WERE ENCOURAGED BY FRIENDS AND FAMILY, AND THEN THIS ONE MAKES ME FEEL GOOD.UM, 48.9% REPORTING THAT THEY FELT A SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY TO THEIR COMMUNITY.
AND SO, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN SAYING, WE'RE SEEING, UM, BEAR FRUIT, THE IMPORTANCE OF GOOD COMMUNICATIONS AND ENGAGEMENT AND OUTREACH, UM, THE TRANSPARENCY AND THE VALIDITY OF THE DATA THAT WE'RE ABLE TO SHARE TO THE COMMUNITY ABOUT THE DELTA VARIANT AND THE EFFECT THAT IT'S HAVING ON OUR HEALTH CARE SYSTEMS AND ON OUR LOVED ONES.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE TALK ABOUT TRUSTED VOICES, FRIENDS, AND FAMILY.
AND SO THE MORE INFORMATION THAT WE CAN GIVE OUT AS A PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS OR ON THE TRAVIS COUNTY SIDE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, UM, WE CAN BUILD AMBASSADORS IN OUR COMMUNITY OF FRIENDS AND FAMILY THAT CAN HELP THEIR LOVED ONES TO MAKE A GOOD DECISION TO GET VACCINE.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WANTING TO, TO FIGURE OUT, WELL, WHERE ARE PEOPLE GETTING THEIR INFORMATION ABOUT HEALTH? YOU KNOW, IF ALL OF THE CONCERNS ARE THE GREATER NUMBER OF THE CONCERNS ARE ABOUT THE EFFICACY OF THE VACCINE AND THE SCIENCE BEHIND IT, 57% ARE STILL GETTING THAT INFORMATION FROM THEIR, THEIR DOCTOR.
AND WE WANT THE COMMUNITY TO CONTINUE TO REACH OUT TO THEIR PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN, TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT COVID AND ANY OTHER, UM, HEALTH NEEDS THAT YOU HAVE YOUR DOCTOR IS, IS YOUR NUMBER ONE ALLY.
AND THEN RIGHT BEHIND IT AT 39% NEWS RADIO TELEVISION ONLINE OR NEWSPAPERS.
SO THAT'S WHERE WE COME IN, RIGHT AS, AS A PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
AND, UM, EVEN THOUGH ONLY 10% OF FOLKS SAID THEY GOT THEIR INFORMATION FROM AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, WE'RE GOING TO KEEP ON USING, UM, OUR, OUR COLLATERAL AND OUR TEAM TO PRODUCE INFORMATION ON, ON THE NEWS, ON RADIO, ON TV, ONLINE, PROVIDING INFORMATION SO THAT FOLKS CAN, UM, HAVE ACCESS TO GOOD DATA, UH, TO BE ABLE TO DISPEL DISINFORMATION AND MYTHS AND KEEP THEMSELVES AND THEIR FAMILIES SAFE.
AND SO WHEN ASKING ABOUT WHY FOLKS DID NOT GET THE VACCINE SOONER, UM, 21% SAID THEY WERE WAITING FOR A SPECIFIC KIND OF VACCINE TO BE AVAILABLE TO THEM.
AND THEN, UM, 16% SAID THAT THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHERE TO GET A VACCINE.
AND SO WHILE THAT IS THE SECOND TOP ANSWER, I'M GLAD THAT THE PERCENTAGE IS ONLY 16%.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, WHAT THAT INDICATES WITH THE TEAM IS THAT WE NEED TO CONTINUE THE GOOD WORK OF MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE OUT IN COMMUNITY, UM, THAT WE'RE PUBLICIZING AND PROMOTING, UM, VACCINE OPPORTUNITIES.
AND, AND THAT WORK IS JUST AS IMPORTANT AS STANDING UP THE VACCINE CLINICS.
PEOPLE HAVE TO KNOW WHERE WE ARE, UM, SO THEY CAN ACCESS THE RESOURCES.
AND THEN THIS THIRD ONE IS IMPORTANT TO US SCHEDULE CONFLICTS WITH WORK OR OTHER TRAVEL OR RESPONSIBILITIES.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, THAT HELPS US NOT ONLY TO DECIDE PLACES, BUT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE OFFERING VACCINES ON WEEKENDS AFTER WORK, BEFORE WORK, WE REALLY HAVE TO BE FLEXIBLE AND NIMBLE IN OUR OPERATIONS TO MEET THOSE NEEDS AND TO CONTINUE TO WORK, TO ELIMINATE UNNECESSARY BARRIERS FOR FOLKS GETTING THE VACCINE.
AND SO JUST TO ROUND OUT, UM, GOOD SEGUE INTO WHAT WE'RE DOING FOR MEDIA AND OUTREACH, UM, WE'RE INTRODUCING A VAX FAX CAMPAIGN, UM, TO COMBAT MISINFORMATION WEEKLY.
UM, WE CONTINUE TO PROMOTE THE, UH, LET'S STICK TOGETHER CAMPAIGN WITH, WHICH IS A JOINT EFFORT BETWEEN AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, TRAVIS COUNTY, AND IN, UH, CENTRAL HEALTH.
AND THOSE ADVERTISEMENTS ARE AVAILABLE IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH.
UM, FOR MEDIA ENGAGEMENT THAT JUST JOINT INFORMATION SYSTEM IS DOING BILEY BI-WEEKLY INTERVIEWS WITH.
SO ALMOST AUSTIN ON THE LATEST COVID 19 INFORMATION, WE CONTINUE TO DO THE MEDIA Q AND A EVERY FRIDAY AT 10:30 AM ON AT T X N.
UM, THAT'S ALSO AVAILABLE IN SPANISH, ON ATX AND FREE.
UM, WE CONTINUED TO PROVIDE, UM, ANSWERS TO NUMEROUS MEDIA INQUIRIES AND TO DIFFERENT, UH, LOCAL MUNICIPALITIES WITHIN THE COUNTY TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE IS HAVING FAIR ACCESS TO INFORMATION.
[00:45:01]
ONE OF, ONE OF THE, UH, COMMUNITY OUTREACHES THAT I'M ESPECIALLY PROUD OF FROM, UH, THE AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH HEALTH EQUITY UNIT IS MY API LIVE.UM, AND THAT STARTED IN THE HEIGHT OF THE PANDEMIC IN 2020.
AND IT REALLY WAS AN OPPORTUNITY OR AN EFFORT TO ENGAGE, UM, UH, THE DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES IN AUSTIN THAT WE KIND OF PUT UNDER THE API UMBRELLA.
AND SO THOSE ARE FOLKS WHO, YOU KNOW, THEIR FIRST LANGUAGE MIGHT BE BURMESE, CHINESE, MANDARIN OR VIETNAMESE.
UM, AND IT'S FACILITATED BY ONE OF THE AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH STAFF.
AND IT GIVES AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE, UM, COMMUNITY TO CALL IN OR TO INTERACT AND TO GET INFORMATION ABOUT DIFFERENT COVID RESOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND I SMILE BECAUSE LAST WEEK, UM, WE WERE, WE WERE HEAD TO HEAD, IT WAS THE MEDIA Q AND A, AND THE, MY API FACEBOOK TOWN HALL.
AND THE STAFF WROTE ME A NOTE TO SAY THAT THEY BEAT ME OUT BY 1300 VIEWS ON FACEBOOK.
AND I WAS LIKE, YOU KNOW, I'LL TAKE THAT.
I'LL TAKE THAT, THAT WE HAVE OVER A 1000 FOLKS FROM OUR API COMMUNITY TUNING IN MONTHLY TO GET INFORMATION ABOUT, UM, COVID IN AN ENVIRONMENT I KIND OF COMMUNITY THAT THEY'VE CREATED VIA SOCIAL MEDIA, UM, FOR GOOD JOB, Y'ALL KEEP UP THE WORK.
AND THEN LAST BUT NOT LEAST, YOU KNOW, I ALWAYS LIKE TO SHOW A PICTURE OF OUR TEAM'S HARD AT WORK.
UM, I BELIEVE THIS IS FROM AN EVENT AT GUS, AND YOU CAN SEE HERE, THE COLORFUL, COLORFUL BAGS OF PPE THAT WERE DISTRIBUTED.
SO THERE'S MASK IN THERE, THERE'S HAND SANITIZERS OR SQUIRES ABOUT THE DIFFERENT, UM, OPPORTUNITIES FOR TESTING AND VACCINE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
WE HAVE THE BOXES OF FRESH FOODS, UM, THAT WE MAKE AVAILABLE TO THE COMMUNITY.
AND WE HAVE OUR TEAM HARD AT WORK, UM, LOADING UP CARS AND TRUNKS OF STUFF FOR FOLKS.
AND HERE'S ANOTHER PICTURE OF STUFFING BAGS AND ENGAGING WITH FOLKS AS THEY DRIVE THROUGH.
AND THAT'S ALL THAT I HAVE TODAY WHERE WE'RE WELCOME TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.
UM, CHUCK, TURN IT OVER TO YOU AND I SUPPOSE, GOOD MORNING, JUDGE BROWN MAYOR ADLER COMMISSIONERS, COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I'M CHUCK BROTHERTON, TRAVIS COUNTY EXECUTIVE FOR EMERGENCY SERVICES HERE TODAY WITH, UH, CONSTABLE GEORGE MORALES TO UPDATE YOU ALL VERY BRIEFLY ON OUR ACTIVITIES OF THE TRAVIS COUNTY VACCINE COLLABORATIVE.
IF YOU'LL GIVE ME JUST A MOMENT, I'LL SHARE MY SCREEN.
AND FOR THE WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 6TH THROUGH SEPTEMBER 12TH, JUST WANT TO, AGAIN, AGAIN, GIVE YOU A QUICK OVERVIEW OF WHAT WE HAVE BEEN DOING.
UH, TOTAL VACCINATIONS PROVIDED FOR THE PAST WEEK, SEPTEMBER 6TH, THROUGH SEPTEMBER 12TH OR 1096.
UH, THOSE ARE COMBINATION OF FIRST, SECOND, AND A HANDFUL OF THIRD DOSES.
WE'RE NOT DOING MANY THIRD DOSES, BUT, BUT, UH, LIKE, UH, DIRECTOR STIRRUP, UH, STATED BOTH APH AND THE COLLABORATIVE HAVE THE THIRD DOSE AVAILABLE FOR THE IMMUNE COMPROMISED.
UH, AND WE HAVE BEEN GIVING OUT SOME OF THOSE, UH, THE WEEK PRIOR TO THIS PAST WEEK, UH, WE DID ACTUALLY TAKE A WELL-DESERVED BREAK, UH, FOR OUR, UH, HARDWORKING TEAM MEMBERS.
UH, WE DID NOT DO VACCINATIONS AT OUR TYPICAL WEEKEND, UH, STRIKE TEAMS AND AT THE EXPO.
UH, SO THE WEEK OF AUGUST 23, SEPTEMBER 5TH WAS SLIGHTLY LOWER.
AND THEN TOTAL DOSE IS TWO WEEKS PRIOR.
SO WE ARE STARTING TO SEE, UH, DEMAND, UH, TAPERING OFF SOMEWHAT THE, WE CONTINUE, UH, WORKING VERY DILIGENTLY TO BE OUT IN THE COMMUNITY, UH, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, UH, DOING STRIKE TEAMS THAT HAVE VARIETY OF LOCATIONS.
AND OF COURSE WE CAN DRIVE THROUGH AT THE, AT THE EXPO CENTER ON DECKER LANE DOSES BY MONTH, AND THE STRIKE TEAM EVENTS.
YOU CAN SEE, UH, WE ARE STARTING OVER HERE ON THOSE BY MONTH, FIRST DOSE, SECOND DOSE, AND THIRD DOSE.
UH, IN SEPTEMBER, WE ARE DOING MOSTLY SECOND DOSES THOUGH.
THERE ARE STILL FIRST DOSES BEING GIVEN OUT, AND THEN OUR STRIKE TEAM EVENTS, YOU CAN SEE JUST THE, THE, UH, UH, THE NUMBER OF EVENTS THAT WE'RE HAVING MONTH TO MONTH.
AUGUST WAS A VERY BIG MONTH WITH 115 SEPARATE EVENTS, SEPTEMBER, SO FAR, 111.
UH, AND IT LOOKS LIKE WE, YOU KNOW, WE WILL EXCEED, UH, THE NUMBER OF EVENTS THAT WE DID, UH, IN AUGUST.
THIS MAP JUST SHOWS A DAY BY DAY FOR THE WEEK, MONDAY WAS LABOR DAY.
SO WE DID NOT DO ANY ACTIVITIES ON MONDAY, BUT ON TUESDAY, THE SEVENTH,
[00:50:01]
YOU CAN SEE THE DIFFERENT STRIKE TEAM LOCATIONS, WHERE WE APPEARED IN THE, IN THE, UH, UH, EASTERN CRESCENT, ZIP CODES AND THE NUMBER OF DOSES GIVEN OUT AT EACH STRIKE TEAM.AND THEN, SO ON THROUGH THE WEEK, WEDNESDAY, FIVE EVENTS, THURSDAY FOR EVENTS FRIDAY, AND THEN SATURDAY, BOTH SATURDAY AND SUNDAY, WHEN YOU GET TO SUNDAY, THE 12TH ONE EVENT, WHICH IS OUR TRAVIS COUNTY EXPO CENTER, WHERE WE WE'RE APPEARING BOTH SATURDAYS AND SUNDAYS, BEFORE I TURN IT OVER TO CONSTABLE MIRALIS, AS I DO LIKE TO DEMONSTRATE TO OUR VIEWERS AND TO Y'ALL, UH, JUST HOW EASY IT IS FOR OUR COMMUNITY TO FIND ONLINE INFORMATION ABOUT VACCINE LOCATIONS ON THE TRAVIS COUNTY, TX.GOV HOMEPAGE, OUR LANDING PAGE, JUST ONE CLICK AWAY.
AND YOU CAN SEE OUR VACCINE EVENTS CALENDAR DAY BY DAY, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14TH, THE DIFFERENT PLACES WHERE WE WILL BE APPEARING.
UH, SOME OF THESE ARE OUR COMMERCIAL PHARMACIES, BUT PRIMARILY THESE ARE OUR BOTH AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, UH, AND COUNTY COLLABORATIVE STRIKE TEAM EVENTS, UH, CLICK ON ANY ONE OF THESE, THE J D MARKET AND CEDAR CREEK, FOR EXAMPLE, AND YOU WILL FIND THE ADDRESS, THE TYPE OF VACCINE BEING PROVIDED HOURS OF OPERATION, UH, AND SO FORTH ON THE AUSTIN, TEXAS.GOV LANDING PAGE AT, UH, AUSTIN, TEXAS.GOV ONE CLICK FIND CORONAVIRUS INFORMATION, FIND LOCATIONS FOR FREE COVID-19 VACCINATIONS RIGHT HERE, AND VERY SIMILAR INFORMATION TO WHAT YOU'LL FIND, UH, ON THE TRAVIS COUNTY, TX.GOV.
AND THEN FOR THOSE WHO ARE LOOKING FOR A COMMERCIAL VACCINE PROVIDER, VACCINES.GOV, UH, FIND COVID-19 VACCINES, AND YOU CAN DO IT, JUST ENTER YOUR ZIP CODE, AND YOU WILL FIND ALL OF THE COMMERCIAL PROVIDERS, UH, AROUND YOU THAT ARE GIVING AWAY VACCINE.
UH, AS DIRECTOR STIRRUP INDICATED THE TRAVIS COUNTY, UH, COLLABORATIVE VACCINE EFFORTS, WE CONTINUE, UH, DOING FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD DOSES.
WE ARE PREPARED AND READY TO SCALE UP AT EXPO AND AT ALL OF OUR SITES, UH, TO DELIVER BOOSTERS WHEN IT'S APPROPRIATE TO DO SO.
UM, NO APPOINTMENTS NEEDED FOR THE TRAVIS COUNTY COLLABORATIVE, UH, LOCATIONS.
UH, NO IDENTIFICATION REQUIRED.
OF COURSE, NO INSURANCE INFORMATION IS COLLECTED JUST LIKE AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, WHERE YOU'RE DOING THIS, UH, FOR, UH, TO MAKE IT AS EASY AS POSSIBLE FOR OUR RESIDENTS TO GET VACCINATED.
SO AT THIS TIME I WILL STOP SHARING AND, UH, TURN IT OVER TO CONSTABLE MORALES.
GOOD MORNING, COMMISSIONER, JUDGE, COUNCIL MEMBERS, AND MAYOR.
WE CONTINUE TO FOCUS OUR OUTREACH ON EDUCATION DURING ENSURING THAT OUR STRIKES TEAMS THAT ARE OUT THERE ARE VERY SUCCESSFUL, ARE MOBILE BACK TEENS COLLABORATIVE.
UM, WE DID SEE THAT IT WAS 1000 AND I'M SORRY.
UM, 1096 DOSES THAT WERE GIVEN, UM, THAT NUMBER IS ACTUALLY CHANGED.
IT'S 1,117 DOSES THAT WERE GIVEN THIS PAST WEEK, UM, WITH THE 21 ADDITIONAL SHOTS COMING IN, UM, A TOTAL OF 2079 FOR THE FIRST TWO WEEKS OF SEPTEMBER, UH, VACCINES WERE, WERE DISTRIBUTED THIS WITH OUR MOBILE VACCINE COLLABORATIVE.
UM, WE HANDED OUT ABOUT A TOTAL OF 4,100 FLYERS AND MADE, UH, A TOTAL OF 848 PHONE CALLS AND TO OUR COMMUNITIES THAT ARE, ARE REALLY HIGH WITH COVID.
SO OF THOSE ZIP CODES, AS YOU ARE AWARE OF, OF THE 7 8 7 5 8 7 8 6 1 7, THAT DEL VALLEY COMMUNITIES, UH, WE WILL CONTINUE TO TARGET THIS WEEK AND THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS IN THOSE, THOSE ZIP CODES TO CONTINUE TO BRING MORE INFORMATION AND EDUCATE OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, THIS WEEK WE START, UH, WITH ST.
MARY'S IN PFLUGERVILLE, UH, CHURCH WITH THE HELP OF PASTOR, PASTOR COAX, UM, AND, UM, AGAIN, HITTING THOSE AREAS OF CONCERN WITH OUTREACH IN THE COMMUNITIES OF PFLUGERVILLE.
UM, SOMETHING IMPORTANT THAT WE DID START WITH AISD.
WE STARTED TWO, UH, STATIC LOCATIONS.
ONE'S GOING TO BE AT MENDEZ MIDDLE SCHOOL AND THE 7 8 7 4 4 ALSO AT KILLING MIDDLE SCHOOL, UM, IN THE 7 8, 7 0 2 2 1 AREAS.
UM, REAL QUICK, I DO WANT TO RECOGNIZE, UM, THE GREAT WORK THAT OUR COLLABORATIVE WITH THE HELP OF, OF OUR LOCAL LEADERS AND ELECTED OFFICIALS CALLED COMMISSIONER SHEA WAS A BIG HELP IN THE WELLS MATCH COMMITTEE.
LAST WEEK, WE DID A REALLY GOOD JOB OUT THERE COMMUNICATING, AND, AND THE WELLS BRANCH COMMUNITY ALSO DID A GREAT JOB AS COMMUNITY LEADERS OUT THERE REACHING OUT TO THEIR COMMUNITIES, LOCAL APARTMENT COMPLEXES OF BUSINESSES AND BRINGING PEOPLE TO THE SHOT CLINICS ALONG WITH OUR, OUR OUTREACH
[00:55:01]
PERSONNEL.UM, THANK YOU TO JUDGE BRANDON MUELLER WITH PROJECT ENGAGE, UH, WITH THE HELP OF CONSTABLE LOPEZ.
WE WILL HELP TO BE ABLE TO GO TO THE TRAVIS COUNTY JUSTICE CENTER AND GIVE OUT SHOTS THERE.
UM, I WANT TO MENTION AND GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO THE TEAMS THAT ARE OUT THERE, DAILY AUSTIN, PUBLIC HEALTH, UH, SESSION SETON, TRAVIS COUNTY, FIRE RESCUE, TRAVIS COUNTY OUTREACH PERSONNEL, PRECINCT FOUR.
WE ARE A TEAM AND TOGETHER WE MAKE, WE'RE TRYING SO HARD TO GET THESE SHOTS OUT TO THIS COMMUNITY.
AND MY, MY, OUR EFFORTS ARE, ARE WORKING AND IT'S SHOWING THAT IT WORKS.
SO I JUST WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY THAT'S OUT THERE, THAT'S DOING THEIR PART AND HELPING GET THESE SHOTS OUT TO THEIR COMMUNITY.
I'LL TURN IT OVER, BACK OVER TO CHUCK.
THANK YOU, CONSTABLE, UH, JUDGE AND MAYOR AT THIS TIME, WE'LL TURN IT BACK TO Y'ALL FOR QUESTIONS.
UH, SO WE'LL GO THROUGH THE QUESTIONS NOW, AGAIN, EVEN PROBABLY MORE SO THAN LAST WEEK, WE HAVE A FULL AGENDA AFTER THIS.
SO IF FOLKS COULD LIMIT THEMSELVES TO ABOUT ONE QUESTION EACH, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
AND WE'LL START, UH, AS USUAL WITH COMMISSIONER GOMEZ, GO THROUGH THE COMMISSIONERS AND THEN TO ME, AND THEN TO COUNCIL, UH, I'M, I'M VERY GLAD TO HEAR ABOUT THE PROGRESS THAT WE CONTINUE TO MAKE, EVEN THOUGH IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S DWINDLING A LITTLE BIT, UH, OUT THERE.
UH, AND I GUESS WE NEED TO JUST KEEP PUSHING, UH, THE EDUCATION OF, UH, THE, THE PUBLIC AND MAKING SURE THAT THEY UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF GETTING VACCINATED.
UH, IT'S OKAY TO GET PPE, UH, TO KIND OF HAVE SOME PROTECTION, BUT THE REAL GOAL HERE IS TO GET VACCINATED JUST LIKE AT THE OTHER OTHER TIMES, WHEN WE HAD TO DEAL WITH POLIO AND HAD TO DEAL WITH OTHER THINGS THAT, THAT HIT US.
AND SO, UM, BUT, UM, I REALLY ADMIRE, AND I'M THANKFUL TO THE TEAMS AS, AS YOU CONSISTENTLY GO OUT AND TALK TO PEOPLE AND, UH, UH, AND ALL OF THE TEAMS THAT ARE THERE WORKING ON THIS, I CAN SEE THAT YOU HAVE A VERY BUSY CALENDAR AND THAT'S GOOD.
AND I GUESS WE WON'T GIVE UP UNTIL WE SEE MORE PEOPLE VACCINATED, SO MANY THANKS TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU.
AS USUAL, THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR STAFF AND HEALTHCARE WORKERS AND VOLUNTEERS, EVERYBODY WHO'S OUT THERE TRYING TO MAKE OUR COMMUNITY SAFER.
UM, I THINK I HEARD, UM, FROM DIRECTOR STIRRUP THAT ABOUT 340,000 PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY ARE NOT FULLY VACCINATED.
I MEAN, THAT'S OVER A THIRD OF A MILLION PEOPLE, AND I JUST FEEL LIKE, I FEEL LIKE WE NEED TO SEND A STRONGER MESSAGE THAT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE UNVACCINATED ARE LITERALLY PROLONGING THIS PANDEMIC, THEY'RE THE HOSTS OR THE MUTATIONS, WHICH ARE THE VARIANTS.
AND THEY'RE CAUSING US TO HAVE TO SCRAMBLE AROUND MASK MANDATES IN SCHOOLS BECAUSE CHILDREN CAN'T BE VACCINATED, UH, CURTAIL ATTENDANCE, UH, YOU KNOW, IN PUBLIC FACILITIES, THEY READ BIG PART OF THE PROBLEM.
AND I FEEL LIKE WE HAVEN'T, WE HAVEN'T MADE IT CLEAR ENOUGH THAT THEY'RE LITERALLY PROLONGING THIS SO THAT MAYBE PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO BE THAT POINTED ABOUT IT.
BUT I THINK IT'S, IT'S REALLY CLEAR.
WE NEED TO SEND STRONGER MESSAGES.
AND THE THING THAT, THAT I CANNOT UNDERSTAND, AND I DON'T KNOW IF ANYONE CAN EXPLAIN THIS, HOW IS IT THAT PEOPLE ARE MORE WILLING TO TAKE A WORSE DEWORMER THAN THEY ARE TO TAKE AN FDA IMPROVED VACCINE THAT WILL SAVE THEIR LIVES? I JUST CANNOT FATHOM WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR SOCIETY.
IT SEEMS LIKE PEOPLE HAVE LOST THEIR MINDS.
ANYWAY, IF ANYONE HAS AN ANSWER ON THAT ONE, I'D LOVE TO HEAR IT, BUT OTHERWISE I'LL LEAVE MY COMMENTS WITH THAT.
YOU CAN'T ATTACH LOGIC TO AN ILLOGIC COVID RESPONSE.
IT'S PROBABLY THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION.
IF SOMEBODY CHOOSES TO BE DEFIANT AND CHOOSES TO HARM THIS SELVES IN THE PROCESS, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT'S WHY THEY MAKE THE DARWIN AWARDS.
AND I JUST THINK WE NEED TO SEND A STRONGER MESSAGE TO PEOPLE THAT THEY ARE LITERALLY PROLONGING THE PANDEMIC BY REFUSING TO GET VACCINATED AND REFUSING TO WEAR MASKS.
UM, SO FIRST OF ALL, LET ME START BY THANKING, UH, THANKING THE TEAM ON, ON NOT ONLY THE COUNTY TEAM, BUT THE CITY TEAM, UH, FOR THE EFFORTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE TO EXPAND INTO COMMUNITIES.
AND OUR QUESTION IS GOING TO BE ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT A LOT OF TITLE ONE SCHOOLS, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT,
[01:00:01]
UH, THERE ARE A LOT OF KIDS THAT, THAT ARE, UH, THAT ARE NOT BEING EXPOSED TO THE VIRUS OR TO THE VARIANT.UH, DO WE HAVE A PROCESS, UH, THAT MAKES IT EASY FOR, UH, FOR, UH, STUDENTS WHO ARE OVER 12 WHO WANT TO GET VACCINATED AT SCHOOLS OR TEACHERS IN THOSE SCHOOLS, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY GET THEIR THIRD SHOT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE? I THINK, UH, GIVEN THE FACT THAT WE DON'T HAVE THE ENTIRE MEDICAL INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE TITLE, ONE COMMUNITIES THAT WE SHOULD HAVE, UH, MAYBE, UH, ONE IMPORTANT PLACE TO HAVE AN INITIATIVE WOULD BE AT, UH, AT OUR TITLE ONE SCHOOLS.
SO, UH, DO WE HAVE ANY PLANS FOR EXTENDING OUR EFFORTS, UH, INTO TITLE ONE SCHOOLS AND, UH, HOW ARE WE EXPANDING OUR NETWORK OF TRUSTED RELATIONSHIPS? AND AS WE TRY TO DO SO, WHAT, WHAT'S THE DELTA BETWEEN, UH, THE, THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE WORKED WITH LAST WEEK AND THE ADDITIONS THAT WE'VE HAD SINCE THAT TIME? THAT QUESTION FOR CHAPTER TWO, WE KNOW IT'S PROBABLY, THAT WOULD BE A CHUNK COMMISSIONERS REBELLION.
THE, UH, THE AISD SCHOOL NURSES ARE ASCENSION SETON AFFILIATED, UH, STAFF.
UH, THEY ARE PREPARED AND ARE READY TO DELIVER VACCINES, UH, IN THE AISD SCHOOL SYSTEM, UH, WHICH IS THE BULK OF THE, OF THE SCHOOL SYSTEM IN THE COUNTY.
BUT IT CERTAINLY DOESN'T COVER ALL 15 OF OUR ISD.
UM, SO BEYOND WHAT AISD HAS AVAILABLE, UH, WE MEET WEEKLY, DOCTOR WALKS, I JUDGE BROWN OTHERS, UH, MEET WEEKLY WITH OUR ISD SUPERINTENDENTS.
UH, AND WE'VE TALKED WITH THEM ABOUT THEIR OPERATIONS, ABOUT THEIR UNMET NEEDS, UM, UH, ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO TO ASSIST THEM.
WE REMAIN, UH, IN STAND READY TO ASSIST THEM.
WE DO WORK WITH THE PARENTS, PORT SPECIALISTS AT ALL TITLE ONE SCHOOLS WHEN VACCINE CLINICS BECOME AVAILABLE IN THEIR AREAS.
WE ALSO WORK WITH AISD DVI AS D AGAIN, THEIR PARENTS SUPPORT SPECIALISTS WHO WERE VERY AWESOME OR WHAT WE'RE DRAWING WITHIN THE COMMUNITY, AND SOMETIMES LIVE WITHIN THEIR COMMUNITY, UM, AND GIVE A LOT OF MORE RESOURCES AND CONTACTS OUT TO WHERE THE VACCINE IS AVAILABLE AND WORKING WITH THOSE TITLE ONE SCHOOLS, WE KNOW THAT A LOT OF THEM WILL END UP IN OUR HEAVILY, UH, AFFECTED ZIP CODES.
SO WE'RE CONTINUING TO DO THAT, THAT EFFORT WORKING WITH AISD DB ISD MAYNOR ISD IN PFLUGERVILLE ISD.
UM, AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH ALSO PROVIDES VACCINE AT VARIOUS SCHOOL CAMPUSES, UM, ADULT AND PARTICULAR AT DEL VALLEY AND IN MAYNOR.
AND SO WE, WE DO CONTINUE TO WORK WITH OUR PARTNERS IN THE VARIOUS ISD TO SUPPORT, UH, GOOD MORNING, ADRIAN AND DR.
WACHS, THANK YOU FOR THE UPDATE.
I'M STILL CONCERNED ABOUT 7, 8, 7 0 5 WEST CAMPUS, UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS.
THE REPORTING I'VE SEEN IN THE NEWS IS PRETTY POSITIVE ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON AT UT.
I KNOW THAT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER TOVO ASKED ABOUT THIS LAST, UM, TWO WEEKS AGO, IS THERE ANY UPDATE ON, UM, LIKE I'D LOVE TO BELIEVE THAT THE YELLOW IN 7, 8, 705 IS SIMPLY BECAUSE THE STATE DOESN'T KNOW WHERE THE STUDENTS LIVE.
UM, BUT IS THERE ANY INSIGHT TO THAT? UM, DR.
YOUNG, WHO IS, UM, MONITORING AND, AND CONDUCTING THE COVID RESPONSE FOR THE UT CAMPUS, UM, HAS BEEN DOING ONGOING SURVEILLANCE TESTING, AND ALSO, UM, SYMPTOMATIC TESTING OF STUDENTS AND REPORTS THAT THEIR POSITIVITY RATE HAS BEEN DROPPING, SHARE PORTED OUT YESTERDAY, UM, THAT THE SURVEILLANCE TEST SHOWED A 0.6, 5% POSITIVITY RATE AND SYMPTOMATIC TESTING WAS AT 6.27, WHICH IS LESS THAN OUR OVERALL COUNTY RATE, WHICH IS IN THE 10.8 RANGE.
UM, THEY CONTINUE TO, UM, RESPOND TO TEST WITH TESTING AS THEIR WAY OF IDENTIFYING CASES SO THAT FOLKS CAN BE ISOLATED AND, OR TREATED IF APPROPRIATELY, UM, IF IT'S APPROPRIATE TO DO SO WITH MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES AND SUCH.
SO, UM, AND THEY ALSO HAVE A VERY ROBUST VACCINE PROGRAM THAT THEY'RE CONDUCTING FOR THE STUDENT BODY.
SO, UM, THEY, THEY REPORT TO US, UM,
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THROUGHOUT THE WEEK AND THINGS SEEM TO BE STABLE THERE.WACHS, JUST TO ADD ONTO THAT, UM, THAT UT HEALTH CONTINUES TO WORK ON WEST CAMPUS, AND THEY'RE HAVING SOME INTERNAL INCENTIVES FOR STUDENTS TO PROMOTE VACCINES.
I THINK YOU CAN BE ELIGIBLE FOR A $10,000 SCHOLARSHIP.
UM, AND SO THEY ARE WORKING THEIR RESOURCES TO PROMOTE WITHIN THEIR SYSTEM AND AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH STANDS READY TO ASSIST WHENEVER THEY REQUEST OR WHATEVER.
UH, MAYOR, I'LL PASS IT ON OVER TO YOU JUDGE.
WE'LL GO AHEAD AND, UH, DO THE COUNCIL.
WE'RE GOING TO START WITH, UH, DISTRICT NUMBER ONE, WORK OUR WAY THROUGH A MAYOR PRO TEM.
THANKS EVERYBODY FOR THE PRESENTATIONS THIS MORNING AND FOR YOUR CONTINUED EFFORTS, UM, I HOPE EVERYBODY'S WEEK IS OFF TO A GOOD START.
MY BRIEF QUESTION IS OUT OF THE 7.3 FULLY VACCINATED INDIVIDUALS WHO DIED FROM CONTRACTING THE COVID 19 VIRUS.
UM, WERE ANY OF THEM RECIPIENTS OF A THIRD SHOT ARE, ARE BOOSTERED FULLY VACCINED PEOPLE ALSO EXPERIENCING MORTALITY AS A RESULT, AS A RESULT OF COVID? NO, MA'AM NOT, NOT TO MY KNOWLEDGE FROM THE REPORT THAT I JUST RECEIVED.
NO, BECAUSE THAT WAS BEFORE THAT WAS BEING, UH, ROLLING.
SO I WONDER IF THERE'S A WAY, YOU KNOW, FOR THE NEXT TIME THAT WE CONNECT WITH ONE ANOTHER, I WONDER IF THERE'S A WAY SINCE WE WILL HAVE HAD THAT OPPORTUNITY TO COLLECT SOME DATA THERE, TO BE ABLE TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION WHEN WE HAVE MORE INFORMATION.
UH, FIRST, JUST WANT TO THANK OUR STAFF FOR ALL THE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING THIS PAST WEEKEND COMMISSIONER SHANE AND I WERE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT THE EXPO CENTER AND SEE THE OPERATIONS FIRSTHAND.
AND, UH, IT'S INCREDIBLE THE HARD WORK THAT ARE DOING AND PUTTING IN AT THIS STAGE OF THE PANDEMIC AND JUST WANT TO EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE FOR, FOR THAT WORK AND FOR ALL OF YOUR EFFORTS.
UM, ALSO WANT TO THANK DIRECTOR STIRRUP FOR THIS REALLY INCREDIBLE PRESENTATION.
I THOUGHT IT WAS SUPER THOROUGH AND HAD A LOT OF GREAT INFORMATION FOR US TO SHARE WITH OUR COMMUNITY.
I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL OF THE DATA, UM, AND THE WORK THAT YOU HAVE SHOWN THAT OUR DEPARTMENT IS DOING.
AND SO I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US TO PUT IT OUT THERE.
SO PEOPLE KNOW TO EXPECT THE BACKS BACKPACKS CAMPAIGN THAT Y'ALL ARE GONNA BE ROLLING OUT.
I THINK THAT IS BRILLIANT AND I'LL KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR IT SO I CAN RESHARE, UM, THAT MATERIAL AS IT GETS POSTED.
MY QUESTION IS, UM, I READ RECENTLY THAT WE HAVE OVER A MILLION TEXANS WHO HAVE NOT RECEIVED THEIR SECOND DOSE.
I THINK IT WAS 1.8 MILLION, UM, WHO HAVE NOT YET GONE IN FOR THEIR SECOND DOSE IN OUR PAST, UM, THAT WINDOW OF WHEN RECOMMENDED TO GET THE SECOND SHOT OF THE VACCINE, WHETHER PFIZER OR MEDINA.
UM, CAN YOU TALK US THROUGH, YOU KNOW, WHAT DOES THAT, WHAT DOES THAT NUMBER LOOK LIKE FOR US AND TRAVIS COUNTY AND HOW MANY INDIVIDUALS THAT WE HAD WHO HAVE RECEIVED THEIR FIRST VACCINATION, BUT HAVE NOT GONE BACK FOR THEIR SECOND DOSE.
AND PERHAPS IF YOU COULD ALSO SPEAK TO ANY EFFORTS, STRATEGIES THAT WE'RE DOING TO GET THOSE FOLKS BACK INTO THE SYSTEM TO GET THEIR SECOND SHOT.
AND SO I DON'T HAVE THE NUMBERS AVAILABLE AND I'M HOPING THAT THE TEAM WHO'S LISTENING TO THE BRIEFING WILL SEND ME A TEXT SHORTLY.
IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN READILY PULL, IF NOT, WE CERTAINLY WILL PRESENT THAT INFORMATION.
UM, SO WE, WE DID PILOT, UM, THE INCENTIVE PROGRAM WITH THE HEB GIFT CARDS, AND THERE HAVE BEEN SOME CONVERSATION BETWEEN US AND OUR PARTNERS AT THE COUNTY ABOUT WHAT ADDITIONAL INCENTIVES, UM, WE WOULD EMPLOY AND, UM, THE NUMBER FOR US.
UM, SO THERE'S, THERE'S TWO, TWO GOALS THAT WE CAN STRIVE FOR.
SO LESS THAN 25,000 PEOPLE IN TRAVIS COUNTY, UM, NEED TO BE VACCINATED FOR US TO REACH THE 70% MARK.
AND SO THE FIRST THOUGHT IS USING THE SECOND ITERATION OF THE INCENTIVE PROGRAM TO KIND OF DRIVE THAT NUMBER, TO GET US TO THAT, THAT STANDARD OF MEASURE THAT'S BEEN OUT THERE NATIONALLY, UM, COMMUNITIES WHO ARE AT 70% FULLY VACCINATED.
UM, THE SECOND THOUGHT, UM, IS JUST THAT, HOW DO WE MORE BROADLY USE THE INCENTIVE PROGRAM TO DRIVE, UM, FOLKS TO GET THEIR SECOND SHOTS? OF COURSE, THERE'S RESOURCE LIMITATIONS TO THAT.
[01:10:01]
OF DOLLARS, UM, TO PROVIDE AN INCENTIVE AT THE LEVEL OF A HUNDRED DOLLARS PER SHOT IN ORDER TO GET US THERE.UM, SO, YOU KNOW, IT'LL, IT'LL BE A COMBINATION OF THINGS TOO.
I THINK THE FIRST NEXT GOOD GOAL FOR US IS TO TARGET THAT, THAT 25,000 TO GET US THERE AS A COMMUNITY, AND THEN CONTINUE TO WORK WITH OUR PARTNERS IN THE COUNTY FOR THOSE POCKETS THAT WE KNOW THOSE POPULATIONS THAT WE KNOW THAT ARE, UM, HAVING THOSE DISPARITIES AND HOW WE USE, UM, ANY ADDITIONAL INCENTIVE PROGRAMS TO, UM, PUSH NUMBERS OR, UH, PROMOTE VACCINE UPTAKE.
SO THOSE ARE THE INITIAL THOUGHTS THAT WE HAVE AROUND THAT.
AND TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION AND TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION ABOUT THE PARTIALLY VACCINATED, WE HAVE A 9.2% TO A PARTIALLY VACCINATED, WHICH REPRESENTS 117,000 PLUS INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE PARTIALLY VACCINATED IN TRAVIS COUNTY.
SO I DON'T HAVE THE NUMBERS, BUT STAFF DID REMIND ME THAT WE ARE PROACTIVELY CALLING EVERYONE WHO IS DUE FOR THEIR SECOND DOSE, AS WELL AS PROACTIVELY CALLING FOLKS IN OUR, WITHIN OUR SYSTEM WHO MAY FOR A THIRD DOSE, GOOD DEAL.
THAT INFORMATION IS SUPER HELPFUL.
AND I, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU ALL CONSIDERING INCENTIVES AS PART OF THAT EFFORT TO, UM, GET FOLKS IN THE QUEUE TO GET THEIR SECOND DOSE.
AND CERTAINLY HAVING OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND WHO HAVE NOT YET RECEIVED.
UM, THAT SECOND DOSE IS STILL A PRETTY LARGE NUMBER.
AND I, SO I, I APPRECIATE THE HARD WORK THERE AND KNOW THAT THIS IS REALLY COMPLEX, UM, CHALLENGE THAT WE HAVE, UM, AS A COMMUNITY AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THE VACCINE SURVEY THAT YOU PRESENTED ON, YOU KNOW, SHOWS THAT THAT COMMUNITY FEEL OF, UH, THE STRENGTH OF OUR COMMUNITY AND THAT RESILIENCE OF OUR COMMUNITY AND CREATING THAT, UM, TYPE OF MENTALITY WILL GO A LONG WAY.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHY IN EL PASO COUNTY, WE'RE SEEING, UM, SOME REALLY GOOD, UH, SOME REALLY LOW RATES OUT THERE.
UM, IT'S BECAUSE THEY HAVE THAT STRONG SENSE OF COMMUNITY.
SO I WAS GLAD TO SEE THAT POP UP IN OUR SURVEY DATA.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER, READ 30.
YEAH, THEY GET MARRIED AND ALSO WANT TO THANK, UH, OUR, OUR STAFF AND THE COUNTY STAFF FOR THE WORK THAT THEY HAVE DONE.
NA ALSO THE, UH, THE CITIZENS OF AUSTIN Y'ALL HAVE REALLY COME OUT AND SHOWED YOU REALLY CARE FOR THE COMMUNITY.
SO WE'RE GETTING THE OUT VACCINATION SHOT.
NO, I, I JUST LEFT FRIDAY, TOOK MY, MY BOOSTER SHOT BECAUSE, UH, AND, AND I JUST WANT TO LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT HAVE PREEXISTING CONDITIONS THAT YOU CAN GO OUT TO YOUR DOCTOR AND THE DOCTOR WILL SET AN APPOINTMENT FOR YOU.
UH, I HAD A PREEXISTING CONDITION, SO MY DOCTOR HAS ALWAYS LOOKED OUT FOR ME AND I REALLY WANT TO APPRECIATE HIM.
SAN DIEGO IS IT'S ONE OF MY POSITIONS THAT PRIMARY PHYSICIAN THAT HAD BEEN WISPY FOR ALMOST 30 YEARS NOW.
SO, UH, I KNOW THAT JOB THERE'S PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT HAVE INSURANCE THAT HAS DEVELOPED A RELATIONSHIP WITH THEIR DOCTORS AND PLEASE CONTACT THEM AND THEY WILL LET YOU KNOW WHERE YOU NEED A BOOSTER SHOT IMMEDIATELY, OR YOU COULD WAIT.
SO I WOULD ADVISE ANYONE THAT WHEN SHE HAD MY CHANNEL OVER 70 ON ANY THAT GO OUT THERE AND GET YOUR, YOUR BOOSTER SHOT, PICK ME.
THAT'S MY, WELL, THANK YOU MAYOR.
AND I JUST WANT TO EXTEND MY, THANKS TO EVERYBODY THAT ARE PROVIDING THOSE VACCINES.
HAVING SEEN THE CHANGE IN COLOR ON THE MAP IN THE NORTH AUSTIN CIVIC ASSOCIATION IN MY DISTRICT IN THE FIVE EIGHT, AND THEN ALSO IN DEL VALLEY, I KNOW THAT THAT HAS BEEN LONGSTANDING WORK, UM, WHERE YOU'VE BEEN CONVINCING PEOPLE TO CHANGE THEIR MINDS.
AND IT'S CLEAR THAT THERE IS A BIG PART OF OUR COMMUNITY WHOSE MINDS CAN BE CHANGED.
UM, AND I'M LESS UPSET WITH FOLKS, UH, TAKING THEIR TIME TO CHANGE THEIR MINDS THAN WITH THE FOLKS THAT ARE BENEFITING FROM SPREADING MISINFORMATION ACTIVELY.
UM, AND SO I APPRECIATE Y'ALL GOING AND WORKING WITH PEOPLE TO GET THEM TO CHANGE THEIR MIND, BUT THEN THERE ARE GOING TO BE SOME PLACE FOR REQUIREMENTS AND WITH THE ANNOUNCEMENT FROM THE WHITE HOUSE ABOUT, UM, OSHA ESTABLISHING REQUIREMENTS FOR BUSINESSES TO, UM, TO HAVE THEIR EMPLOYEES VACCINATED, I'D ASK FOR OUR CITY AND COUNTY LEGAL STAFF TO LOOK AT WAYS THAT WE COULD ASSIST, UH, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET AS MUCH COMPLIANCE AS WE CAN IN OUR OWN COMMUNITY.
BECAUSE I THINK THAT THIS SORT OF REQUIREMENT, IF, IF IT'S WELL ENFORCED, WE'LL GET A LOT MORE FOLKS, UM, IN THAT REMAINING CATEGORY OVER TO OUR, TO OUR CLINICS.
[01:15:01]
THAT REQUEST OUT THERE AS THOSE OSHA RULES GET DEVELOPED.THANK YOU, UH, CATS OVER KITCHEN.
UM, I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT, UM, JUST TO REITERATE THAT, UM, OR ACTUALLY I WANTED TO CONFIRM WE'RE STILL IN STAGE FIVE.
UM, I HEARD THE, UH, REPORT ABOUT, UH, CONTINUING TO LOWER OUR RATES, ALTHOUGH NOT AT A FAST PACE, IF I'M UNDERSTANDING CORRECTLY.
UM, CAN YOU GIVE US ANY KIND OF, UM, UH, WHAT, WHAT IS YOUR THOUGHTS ON HOW THE DIRECTION WE'RE MOVING IN AND HOW THAT MIGHT RELATE TO MOVING DOWN TO STAGE FOUR? UH, AND BEYOND AT SOME POINT, I, I HESITATE TO ASK YOU TO PREDICT, CAUSE I KNOW YOU CAN'T EXACTLY PREDICT, BUT CAN YOU GIVE US ANY IDEA OF HOW WE'RE DOING WITH REGARD TO STAGE FIVE AND THE POTENTIAL TO MOVE, MOVE DOWN TO STAGE FOUR AND BELOW IN THE FUTURE? WELL, AT THE CURRENT PACE, WE ARE SLOWLY MOVING DOWN, UM, AS PER THE PROJECTIONS THAT WE'VE BEEN FOLLOWING THUS FAR.
UM, AND IF WE CONTINUE IN THAT FASHION, WE MAY BE LOOKING AT BEING IN STAGE FOUR, MAYBE LATE SEPTEMBER, EARLY OCTOBER, UM, THE, THE REAL CRUX, UM, AND THING THAT'S GOING TO STOP THIS AS THIS PROGRESSION DOWNWARD IS INCREASES IN OUR SCHOOL CASES AND, UM, INCREASING CASES THAT REQUIRE HOSPITALIZATION, PARTICULARLY THE UNVACCINATED INDIVIDUALS.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'VE BEEN SAYING FOR THE PAST COUPLE OF WEEKS.
AND SO FAR, UM, FINGERS CROSSED IT'S, THEY'RE STILL GOING DOWN WITH OUR CASE NUMBERS.
HOWEVER, UM, WE STILL HAVEN'T SEEN THE FULL IMPACT OF THE LABOR DAY WEEKEND, WHERE THERE WERE GATHERINGS AND, AND, UM, FAMILIES AND FRIENDS GATHERING.
UM, SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE REAL, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE WAITING TO SAY.
UM, AND TYPICALLY THOSE TYPES OF THINGS HAVE AN IMPACT, UM, TWO TO THREE WEEKS OUT.
SO WE STILL HAVE SOME TIME BEFORE WE SEE THE FULL IMPACT OF THOSE GATHERINGS FROM LABOR DAY.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S LOOKING GOOD RIGHT NOW, BUT IT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE WAITING TO SAY.
I'M SORRY, I DON'T HAVE THAT CRYSTAL BALL.
UM, UH, UH, KELLY IS NOT WITH US TODAY.
I DIDN'T SEE HER ON THE SCREEN EITHER.
AND THAT GETS US THEN TO COUNCIL MEMBER ALICE.
I'M WONDERING IF THERE'S ANY INFORMATION ABOUT PEOPLE GETTING THEIR THIRD OR THEIR BOOSTER SHOT WITH A DIFFERENT MANUFACTURER'S VACCINE.
IS ANYONE TRYING TO DO THAT? IS THAT ADVISABLE OR IS IT REALLY IMPERATIVE THAT YOU GET THOSE ADDITIONAL SHOTS WITH THE SAME MANUFACTURER? THE GUIDANCE IS FOR THE VACCINE THAT YOU HAD ORIGINALLY TO BE THE ONE THAT YOU RECEIVED AS YOUR THIRD SHOT, IF YOU'RE IMMUNE COMPROMISED OR BOOSTER SHOT, IF YOU'RE NOT IMMUNE COMPROMISED, UM, HOWEVER, UH, IF THAT IS NOT AVAILABLE, UM, THERE IS SOME PROVISION IN THE GUIDANCE TO SEE IF A DIFFERENT MRI RNA VACCINE, WE STILL DO NOT HAVE GUIDANCE REGARDING J AND J, UM, AND WHAT TO DO WITH REGARDS TO BOOSTERS OR THIRD SHOTS, BUT FOR THE MRNS, THE GUIDANCE IS TO, UM, USE THE SAME VACCINE THAT YOU WERE GIVEN THE FIRST TIME.
AND I APPRECIATE ALL, ALL THE WORK THAT ALL OF YOU ARE DOING TO MAKE SURE WE CAN GET AS MANY PEOPLE VACCINATED AS POSSIBLE GUYS.
NO, WHY DON'T YOU CALL IN, WE'LL GO PAST YOU AND THEN COME BACK.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, ALTER GOOD MORNING.
I WAS HOPING THAT YOU COULD SPEAK ON TWO THINGS.
UM, FIRST, COULD YOU PLEASE PROVIDE SOME GUIDANCE WITH RESPECT TO THE FLU SHOT AND THE BOOSTER AND THE TIMING? UM, SO DO YOU NEED TO WAIT AFTER ONE OR THE OTHER, OR CAN YOU DO THEM AT THE SAME TIME OR, YOU KNOW, WHAT KIND OF GUIDANCE CAN YOU PROVIDE ON THAT? AND THEN
[01:20:01]
SECONDLY, CAN YOU, UM, GIVE US A SENSE OF, IN WHAT WAYS, UM, AS SOME PUBLIC HEALTH IS ABLE TO HELP BUSINESSES THAT NEED TO COMPLY WITH THE FEDERAL MANDATE OR WHAT WE HAVE IN THE WORKS TO ASSIST BUSINESSES IN DOING THAT IN TERMS OF INFORMATION OR RESOURCES TO, UM, FACILITATE THE PROCESSES THAT ARE REQUIRED.UM, COUNCIL MEMBER I'LL ANSWER THE FIRST PART OF THE QUESTION AND I'LL LEAVE THE OPERATIONAL, UM, ANSWER TO OUR DIRECTOR.
BUT AS FAR AS THE CO ADMINISTRATION OF THE COVID 19 VACCINE AND THE FLU SHOT, THEY CAN BOTH BE GIVEN AT THE SAME TIME.
AND ARE WE SEEING PREVALENCE OF FLU? I KNOW THAT WE'RE HEARING REPORTS WHERE MY DAUGHTER'S AT COLLEGE, THAT THEIR KIDS ALREADY WITH FLU.
SHE UNFORTUNATELY GOT HERS BEFORE SHE LEFT, BUT, UM, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE'RE SEEING IN AUSTIN? UM, I HONESTLY HAVE NOT LOOKED AT THE FLU DATA, UM, TODAY, BUT THE, IT WOULD NOT BE SURPRISING TO SEE SOME EARLY CASES OF FLU STARTING NOW AS WE HAVE SCHOOLS, UM, GATHERING IN THAT CONGREGATE SETTING.
UM, SO IT IS ADVISABLE TO GO AHEAD AND GET THE FLU SHOT NOW, UM, AS WELL AS THE COVID VACCINE, IF YOU'RE NOT CURRENTLY VACCINATED.
UM, AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS IT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO GET THE FLU SHOT IN A REGULAR YEAR, BUT IT IS EVEN MORE IMPORTANT WHEN WE'RE IN THE PANDEMIC, BECAUSE IT DOES PUT A STRAIN ON OUR HOSPITALS IN AND OF ITSELF.
UM, SO JUST WANT TO REALLY ENCOURAGE FOLKS.
AND IF YOU'RE DOING MESSAGING TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO GET THAT FLU SHOT, AS WELL AS THE BOOSTER SHOT FOR THE VACCINE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BRINGING THAT UP.
UM, FOR THE SECOND QUESTION DISRUPTED, YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS.
SO GENERALLY I WOULD SAY ANY SUPPORT THAT WE CAN LEND TO COMMUNITY TO GET SOMEONE VACCINATED.
WE ARE PREPARED TO TAKE A LOOK THAT I LOOK AT, UM, THAT BEING SAID, UM, YOU KNOW, AS A PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT, WE REALLY WANT TO FOCUS OUR EFFORTS ON THOSE POPULATIONS THAT FALL WITHIN THE SAFETY NET CATEGORY THAT ARE EITHER EXPERIENCING DISPARATE OUTCOMES DUE TO COVID OR LIVE IN A COMMUNITY WITH A LACK OF INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, USING THAT AS THE GUIDING PRINCIPLE, DO WE, DO WE REACH OUT TO CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES? ARE WE LOOKING IN THE RESTAURANT BUSINESS? ARE WE LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, THOSE TYPE OF INDUSTRIES THAT TYPICALLY, UM, EMPLOY, UH, A LARGER NUMBER OF FOLKS THAT WOULD FALL WITHIN THOSE CATEGORIES, THEN? YES, IT MAKES SENSE.
UM, BUT WE'RE STILL TRYING TO DISECT ALL THAT.
IT MEANS WHAT THE SHOULD HAVE IS MEAN OR STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO WHAT TO DIRECTIVE.
UM, SO, SO GENERALLY, YES, YOU KNOW, OUR GOAL WOULD BE TO GET AS MANY SHOTS IN ARMS AS POSSIBLE, BUT TO BE MINDFUL OF THE RESOURCES AND MAKE SURE THAT AT ALL COSTS, THAT DATA WOULD DRIVE OUR STRATEGY.
SO I THINK THAT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE IN TERMS OF, UM, YOU KNOW, DOING THE SHOTS AND A LOT OF THE OTHER THING, I'M JUST WONDERING IF THERE'S ANY ROLE FOR, UM, PROVIDING SOME INFORMATION AND GUIDANCE THAT WOULD HELP FOLKS TO COMPLY, UM, USING OTHER RESOURCES.
UM, I JUST, IT JUST SEEMS LIKE IT IS A TALL ORDER TO ASK ALL OF, I TOTALLY SUPPORT IT, BUT I THINK THAT IT WILL BE MORE EFFECTIVE IF THERE'S INFORMATION PROVIDED TO THOSE BUSINESSES, UM, ON HOW TO GO ABOUT THIS AND WHAT RESOURCES ARE OUT THERE IN THE COMMUNITY, UM, FOR DOING THAT, UM, SOMEONE THAT'S OBVIOUSLY ON THE FEDERAL LEVEL, BUT TO THE EXTENT THAT WE CAN BE PROVIDING THAT INFORMATION, WHICH IS DIFFERENT THAN GOING TO THOSE BUSINESSES AND DOING A SHOT CLINIC, UM, I WOULD SUPPORT US PROVIDING THAT.
UM, I DO ALSO LOVE THE IDEA OF US, UM, TAKING THIS AND THEN FOCUSING IN ON CONSTRUCTION OR RESTAURANTS OR OTHER AREAS THAT HAVE THE POPULATIONS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO TARGET AND IN DIFFERENT WAYS AS WELL.
AND IT MAY BE THAT IN DOING THAT, WE LEARN STUFF THAT THEN WE CAN SHARE WITH THE BROADER, BROADER COMMUNITY ABOUT HOW TO, HOW TO DO THIS, OR IF THEY'RE JUST THINGS OUT THERE IN THE PUBLIC HEALTH COMMUNITY ABOUT HOW TO DO THIS, THAT CAN BE, UM, PACKAGED IN SOME WAY TO SHARE WITH THOSE BUSINESSES.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE, THAT WOULD BE USEFUL.
TOVO ARE YOU WITH US WITH SOUND? HOW ABOUT NOW? YES.
I REALLY WAS JUST SAYING THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION, FOR THE INFORMATION, FOR ALL THE CONTINUED AND CONSISTENT WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING.
I HAD, UH, I WANTED TO VERIFY SOMETHING.
I THINK I HEARD EARLIER ABOUT SCHOOL,
[01:25:01]
ABOUT WHERE INFECTIONS ARE HAPPENING WITHIN SCHOOLS AND UNLIKE, UM, DURING SOME EARLIER PHASES OF THE PANDEMIC WHERE MOST OF THE TRANSMISSION SEEMED TO BE HAPPENING IN EXTRACURRICULARS, ESPECIALLY SPORTS.YOU SAY THAT A LOT OF THE TRANSMISSION NOW IS HAPPENING WITHIN CLASSROOMS, WHICH MAKES SENSE BECAUSE BEFORE WE DIDN'T HAVE LOTS OF KIDS IN CLASSES, STUDENTS IN CLASSES, UM, I JUST WANT TO MAKE AN OBSERVATION THAT IN, IN, I WAS NOTING, UM, AT ONE OF THE BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHTS, THE PRESENCE OF FIXED OF FIXED SEATS, WHICH, YOU KNOW, I HAD REALLY HOPED, UM, WE WERE GETTING AWAY FROM, FOR ACADEMIC PURPOSES.
I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF, A LOT OF REALLY GOOD RESEARCH OUT THERE ABOUT HOW MUCH THE STUDENT AND THE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT CHANGES WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE FIXED SEATS IN CLASSROOMS, BECAUSE STUDENTS CAN WORK IN SMALL GROUPS, THEY CAN BE MORE COLLABORATIVE, THEY CAN INTERACT IN DIFFERENT AND DIFFERENT WAYS THAT ARE PEDAGOGICALLY, UM, STRONG AND IMPORTANT AND INNOVATIVE.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, IT, IT STRIKE IT.
AND NOW IN THIS CONTEXT, YOU KNOW, SEEING THE NUMBER OF FIXED SEATS SOMETIMES IN REALLY CLOSE PROXIMITY TO ONE ANOTHER CONCERNS ME, UM, FROM A PERSPECTIVE OF VIRUS TRANSMISSION.
SO, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH HAS HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH WITH OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU'RE IN A FIXED, IN FIXED SEATS THAT ARE IN SOME, AT SOME POINT LIKE FACING ONE ANOTHER.
I MEAN, THERE'S NO, THERE'S REALLY NO OPPORTUNITY FOR DISTANCING YOURSELF ANY MORE THAN THAT, THEN THAT STRUCTURE PERMITS, WHICH IS SOMETIMES NOT.
SO IT'S, IT'S, IT'S REALLY AN EDITORIAL COMMENT AND AN OBSERVATION, BUT ALSO A QUESTION ABOUT, ABOUT THE EXTENT TO WHICH YOU'RE WORKING WITH, UM, OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND OUR, OUR, OUR PROFESSIONALS ABOUT WAYS TO DISTANCE SOMETIMES WITHIN, WITHIN AN INFRASTRUCTURE THAT MAKES THAT CHALLENGING PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE THAT MAKES THAT CHALLENGING.
I W I WAS JUST GOING TO QUICKLY SAY THAT I CAN CHECK IN WITH ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, DONNA SUNDSTROM.
SHE HASN'T BEEN LEADING THE, UH, CHILDCARE AND SCHOOLS TASK FORCE SINCE LAST YEAR, AND, UM, INTERFACING WITH, UH, THE SCHOOL SYSTEMS PROVIDING UPDATED GUIDANCE ON SAFETY PRACTICES, MAKING SURE THAT THEY HAVE AVAILABLE RESOURCES.
SO I'LL CHECK IN WITH HER TO SEE IF THERE'S BEEN ANY DISCUSSION ABOUT, UH, FIXED FURNITURE, UM, AND MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, IN OUR COMMUNICATIONS THAT WE'RE, WE'RE GIVING THE RECOMMENDATION THAT HOWEVER SCHOOLS CAN CHANGE THEIR ENVIRONMENTS TO SUPPORT SOCIAL DISTANCING WOULD BE KEY.
SO IT'D BE INTERESTING TO MAYBE HAVE IN A FUTURE SESSION, A LITTLE BIT OF FEEDBACK ON THAT.
UH, I CONCUR WITH MY COLLEAGUE MAYOR PRO TAB ASKING YOU FOR JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION ON THE FOLKS THAT ARE DYING, JUST SO THAT WE CAN HELP THE COMMUNITY BETTER UNDERSTAND THOSE NUMBERS.
UH, IT LOOKS TO ME LIKE IF 69%, THE, THE, UM, THE PEOPLE THAT ARE VACCINATED ARE RESPONSIBLE, I THINK YOU'VE SAID FOR 77% OF THE MORTALITIES, THAT MEANS THAT 31%, UH, UNVACCINATED ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR 93% OF THE MORTALITIES THAT WOULD MAKE IT 30 TIMES MORE LIKELY TO DIE OF THIS VIRUS IF YOU'RE NOT VACCINATED THAT IF YOU, AND IF YOU ARE, UH, AND I THINK THAT'S AN IMPORTANT NUMBER.
DO WE KNOW IF THAT 7%, UH, HAS A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF PEOPLE WITH COMORBIDITIES? YES.
THE CASE INVESTIGATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN ONGOING SHOW THAT THE MAJORITY OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS, ALMOST ALL OF THEM HAVE CO-MORBIDITIES.
UM, SO THAT'S LIKELY HAVING AN IMPACT ON THEIR DEMISE THAT WOULD THEN MAKE IT SEEM THEN THAT IF YOU'RE VACCINATED WITHOUT COMORBIDITIES, YOU'RE, YOU'RE EVEN LESS THAN A ONE 30TH, UH, THE SAME CHANCE OF GETTING A, OF DYING IN THE VIRUS.
UH, AGAIN, JUST MORE INFORMATION FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE TRYING TO DECIDE, UH, WHETHER OR NOT TO GET VACCINATED.
I APPRECIATE THAT YOU'RE MAKING IT REAL EASY TO DO.
I WAS LOOKING AT THE HOSPITAL ADMISSIONS ON THE WEBSITE BY WEEK.
YOU PRESENT TO US, I THINK, NUMBERS OVER A SIX MONTH PERIOD OF TIME.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE WEBSITE, NOT LOOKING AT ACTUAL NUMBERS, CAUSE THEY'RE NOT ON THERE, BUT THE AVERAGES WITH RESPECT TO
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THAT, THE PERCENTAGES WITH RESPECT TO, UH, UH, RACE AND ETHNICITY, UH, IT LOOKS LIKE, UH, OVER THE LAST TWO MONTHS, UH, THE, THE PERCENTAGE OF, OF PEOPLE THAT ARE ADMITTED IN THE HOSPITALS THAT ARE HISPANIC SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER THAN THE SIX MONTH, THE NUMBER THAT YOU PRESENTED.UH, AND THAT'S A REAL GOOD THING TO SEE, I THINK BECAUSE OF THE ACTIVITY AND THE REAL FOCUS OF, UH, OF APH AND THE COUNTY WITH RESPECT TO GETTING TO THOSE POPULATIONS.
AND IN THE LAST MONTH, THE NUMBER GOES EVEN LOWER THAN THAT IN TERMS OF WHAT THE ADMISSIONS WERE IN, UH, IN THE HOSPITAL.
UH, I THINK IN THE LAST MONTH IT LOOKS TO BE, UH, ABOUT 35.8% OF HOSPITAL ADMISSIONS, UH, PEOPLE, UH, WITH, UH, SPANIC, UH, BACKGROUNDS, AFRICAN-AMERICAN THE SAME KIND OF THING, NUMBERS LOWER, UH, LAST TWO MONTHS IN THE LAST SIX MONTHS, BUT THE NUMBERS SEEM TO BE GOING UP OVER THE LAST FOUR WEEKS IN TERMS OF, UH, ADMISSIONS.
SO SOMETHING OBVIOUSLY WE NEED TO, TO, TO WATCH, CAN YOU SPEAK FOR A SECOND, DR.
WACHS, THERE USED TO BE A CERTAIN CORRELATION BETWEEN HOSPITAL ADMISSIONS AT ICU ADMISSIONS.
UH, AND, AND NOW IT LOOKS LIKE THE ADMISSIONS NUMBERS ARE GOING DOWN, BUT THE ICU AND VENTILATOR NUMBERS ARE STAYING RELATIVELY PLATEAUED.
SO EVEN IF WE WERE TO DROP FROM STAGE FIVE TO STAGE FOUR, BECAUSE HOSPITAL ADMISSIONS HAVE GONE DOWN THAT IT MAY NOT CATCH THE FACT THAT WE STILL HAVE TOO MANY PEOPLE IN OUR ICU AS ARE TOO MANY PEOPLE ARE BATTLE LATERS.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT IS AN ANOMALY THAT WE'RE SEEING, OR IS THAT SOMETHING THAT IS ASSOCIATED THAT WITH THIS DELTA VARIANT, IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S ASSOCIATED WITH THE PROGRESSION OF COVID-19 IN PARTICULAR, THE SEVERITY, THE DELTA VARIANT, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO SEE THE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE IN ICU ON VENTILATORS.
UM, FOR SOME MONTHS NOW IT'S GOING TO TAKE ABOUT TWO TO THREE MONTHS TO CLEAR OUT OUR ICU IS OKAY, THANK YOU.
AND ANOTHER REASON TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY'S VACCINATED AND MASKING, I WANT TO CLOSE JUST FOR THE SAYING THANKS TO THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYERS THAT WE'RE SEEING, UH, AND, AND VENUES AND THE LIKE THAT ARE REQUIRING PEOPLE TO HAVE TESTING, UH, BEFORE THEY'RE ADMITTED, UH, OFTEN FREQUENTLY WITH A VACCINE WAIVER TO WAIVE OUT OF THE TESTING REQUIREMENT.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE LAW IS, IS, IS, IS PERHAPS CONFUSED IN THIS STATE WITH RESPECT TO, YOU KNOW, WHO'S ORDERS AND LAWS CONTROL.
I REALLY APPRECIATE THE SCHOOL DISTRICT STEPPING FORWARD, THE WAY THAT THEY HAVE IN OUR AREA, BUT BUSINESSES STILL, IT SEEMS, UH, UH, ARE ALLOWED TO DO MANDATORY TESTING FOR THEIR EMPLOYEES OR FOR THEIR CUSTOMERS, UH, WITH, UH, WITH A VACCINE WAIVER.
AND I APPRECIATE THE ONES THAT ARE STEPPING OUT AND MODELING THAT.
I CONTINUE TO THINK THAT IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEEDED TO BE TAKING A LOOK AT CITY AND MAYBE THE COUNTY TOO, WITH RESPECT TO EMPLOYEES.
AND I APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT'S GOING ON NOW TO, TO, TO STUDY THAT WITH THAT, UH, JUDGE, UH, AGAIN, UH, ON BEHALF OF THE COUNCIL, THANK YOU FOR LETTING US, UM, UH, JOIN YOU, UH, IN THIS JOINT MEETING, I TURNED IT BACK TO YOU, THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL AND COMMISSIONERS, AND EVERYBODY THAT'S WORKING TOGETHER ON GETTING FOLKS VACCINATED.
WE'RE GOING TO ADJOURN UNTIL 10 45 HERE AT THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT, AND I'LL TURN IT OVER TO YOU, MERIT TO DO THE SAME.
WE'RE JUST GOING TO ADJOURN THE MEETING.
UH, WE'RE DONE FOR, UH, FOR TODAY, UH, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14TH, 2020 1, 10 37 IN THE MORNING.
OUR PORTION OF THIS JOINT MEETING IS ADJOURNED.
YOU'D THINK THAT I'D FIND A BETTER