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CAUSE I THINK THEY BET IT TURNED OFF.
[1. Update on Covid-19 related matters.]
MORNING.THIS IS TRAVIS COUNTY, JUDGE ANDY BROWN CALLING TO ORDER THIS MEETING OF THE TRAVIS COUNTY COMMISSIONER'S COURT.
IT IS SEPTEMBER 28TH, 2021 AT 9:12 AM.
AND WE'RE MEETING HERE AT 700 LAVACA AND WE HAVE EVERY COMMISSIONER AND THE JUDGE PRESENT.
SO, UH, I WILL, UM, PASS IT OVER TO THE CITY COUNCIL TO MAYOR PRO TEM, NATASHA HARPER, MADISON, TO CALL IT YOUR MEETING TO ORDER.
UM, I'D LIKE TO CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER THE JOINT MEETING BETWEEN THE TRAVIS COUNTY AND AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL AT NINE 13 ON SEPTEMBER 28TH, 2021.
AND I'LL ALSO CALL TOGETHER THERE, THE JOINT MEETING.
AND DO WE HAVE ANY CALLERS FOR PUBLIC COMMENT AT THIS TIME? SHELBY.
I'M IN COLOR THIS MORNING, JANICE BOOKOUT.
JANICE, IF YOU CAN HEAR US, PLEASE GO AHEAD.
THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR YOUR HARD WORK.
UM, THIS MORNING, I'LL BE SENDING YOU ZIP CODE LEVEL DATA SHOWING IN EACH ZIP CODE.
THE NUMBER OF MONTHS IT WOULD TAKE AT THE CURRENT RATE OF VACCINATION IN THAT ZIP CODE TO GET TO 70 AND 90% FULLY VACCINATED IN EACH ZIP CODE.
ASSUMING A HUNDRED PERCENT ELIGIBILITY, CDC RECOMMENDS, SUGGESTS A RECOMMENDATION SUGGESTS THAT OUTBREAKS WILL HAVE A MORE HYPER-LOCAL IMPACT AND THAT VACCINATION STRATEGIES, UM, SHOULD BECOME MORE AND MORE CUSTOMIZED AND APPROACH.
I BELIEVE WE'RE SEEING THIS TO BE TRUE IN SOME ZIP CODES THAT WOULD TAKE A YEAR TO GET TO 90% AND OTHERS THAT WOULD ONLY TAKE A COUPLE OF MONTHS.
UM, AS WE CONTINUE TO ADDRESS YOUNGER PEOPLE, I'D LIKE TO SEE DATA ON THE DISTRIBUTION BY ZIP CODE OF VACCINATIONS FOR 18.
AND UNDER SPECIFICALLY, I'M CONCERNED FOR EXAMPLE, THAT WITH A NUMBER OF A SMALL NUMBER OF PROVIDERS, ABLE TO STORE AND DELIVER PFIZER THAT AN IN, UH, AN INEQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION FOR YOUNG PEOPLE IS HIDDEN IN THE NUMBERS.
UM, I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE DATA, THERE WAS A SHIFT IN MAY AND THE PERCENTAGE OF DOSES DELIVERED IN THE EASTERN CRESCENT STARTED INCREASING AT A HIGHER RATE THAN WEST AUSTIN.
UM, AND I WANT TO UNDERSCORE, AS WE HEARD LAST WEEK, THAT THAT'S THE RESULT OF THE COLLECTIVE EFFORTS OF MANY ORGANIZATIONS WHO NEED FUNDING TO CONTINUE THEIR JOB IS IN NO WAY DONE.
UM, AS I'VE HEARD ON THE COLLABORATIVE CALL, A WEEKLY, MANY ARE RUNNING OUT OF THE EXTRA MONEY AND VOLUNTEERS NECESSARY.
THEY NEED TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE AND THEY NEED TO BE ABLE TO PAY PEOPLE.
THE GOVERNMENT CAN NOT FILL THAT GAP ALONE, AND WE NEED MANY ORGANIZATIONS TRUSTED UNIQUELY BY EACH UNIQUE COMMUNITY THEY SERVE.
I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SEE A SURVEY OF THE UT CAMPUS, THE ZIP CODE LEVEL DATA SUGGESTS THAT VACCINE ACCEPTANCE THERE IS VERY LOW.
HOWEVER, I'M WONDERING WHETHER STUDENTS MIGHT'VE GOTTEN THEIR VACCINATIONS AND REGISTERED AT A DIFFERENT HOME ADDRESS WHILE ATTENDING REMOTELY.
WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT THE REAL NUMBERS ARE AND IF WE'RE GOING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE WITH THAT.
SO I JUST, ONCE AGAIN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR WORK AND YOU'LL SEE AN EMAIL FROM ME, UH, LATER TODAY.
I THINK THAT'S OUR ONLY COLOR TODAY.
UM, SO WE WILL GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED AND UM, I'LL PASS IT OVER TO DR.
UM, COUNCIL MEMBERS AND COMMISSIONERS.
UM, I'LL GET STARTED WITH MY SLIDE PRESENTATION.
CAN I GET THE FIRST SLIDE PLEASE? CAN EVERYBODY SEE THE SLIDES? WE CAN'T SEE THE SLIDE.
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HERE WE GO.YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND GET, GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
AND YOU GET IT TO THE NEXT, WHAT WILL THAT NEXT FRIDAY? WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THE TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES.
I'LL JUST REPORT TO THE GROUP THAT YESTERDAY APH HAD 314, A NEW CASES OF COVID-19 REPORTED.
UM, OUR POSITIVITY RATES GONE DOWN TO 8.3%.
OUR SEVEN DAY MOVING AVERAGE FOR HOSPITALIZATIONS IS DOWN TO 34.
WE HAVE, UM, HAD 390 COVID PATIENTS IN HOSPITAL, 162.
SO WE'RE BELOW THE 200, THAT CAPACITY LIMIT THAT WE INITIALLY ESTABLISHED AND WE HAVE 108 PEOPLE ON LIFE SUPPORT, VENTILATORS, 25 ADMISSIONS AND 42 DISCHARGES.
UM, AS OF TODAY WE HAVE 1093 PEOPLE, UNFORTUNATELY, WHO PASSED AS A RESULT OF COVID RELATED ILLNESS.
AND WE ARE NOW MOVING INTO STAGE FOUR, UM, WHICH FOR VACCINATED INDIVIDUALS MEANS THAT THEY'LL CONTINUE TO MASK IN INDOOR, UH, SETTINGS AND IN SETTINGS OUTDOORS, WHERE THERE IS AN INABILITY TO, UM, EFFECTIVELY SOCIAL DISTANCE MASK WITH TRAVEL AND ALSO, UM, WHEN DINING AND NOT EATING AND DURING SHOPPING INDOORS, UM, FOR THE UNVACCINATED, IT'S STILL RECOMMENDED THAT THEY AVOID, UM, UH, GETTING OUT INTO SETTINGS WHERE THEY'RE WITH PEOPLE THAT THEY'RE DON'T LIVE WITH, UM, AND THAT IF THEY DO GET OUT TO, UM, DINE OR SHOP, UH, THAT THEY WOULD BE WEARING, UM, MASK AND PARTICULARLY, UM, DOING CURBSIDE FOR DINING AND ONLY ESSENTIAL SHOPPING.
SO THE BEHAVIORS THAT HAVE BEEN UNDERTAKEN BY OUR COMMUNITY TO GET OUR NUMBERS OF CASES DOWN HAS BEEN EFFECTIVE.
UM, AND THE INCREASED EFFORTS THAT HAVE BEEN TAKEN UNDERTAKEN BY, UM, APH AND MEMBERS OF THE ACCOUNTING COALITION AND LOCAL PROVIDERS HAVE SPENT EFFECTIVE IN INCREASING OUR VACCINATED POPULATION WHO ARE ELIGIBLE FOR VACCINE.
AND WE ARE SEEING THE BENEFITS OF THAT.
IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE YOU'LL SEE THAT OUR CURVE IS SHOWING A DOWNWARD TREND.
UM, OUR ICU NUMBERS ARE TRENDING DOWNWARD.
OUR VENTILATOR, UM, USE IS GOING DOWN AND OUR CASE NUMBERS ARE GOING DOWN ON THE LEFT-HAND SIDE OF THE SLIDE.
YOU'LL SEE, UM, A GRAPH, I APOLOGIZE FOR BEING SMALL.
UM, BUT HOPEFULLY WE'LL BE ABLE TO LOOK AT IT LATER AND LOOK AT THE, UM, MASKING ACTIVITY THAT'S GONE ON IN OUR COUNTY.
AND YOU'LL SEE THAT WITH THE INCREASE IN MASKING THAT OCCURRED, UM, STARTED EARLY IN JULY AND IS NOW LISTED AT APPROXIMATELY 76%, UM, THAT, THAT HAS, UH, CORRELATED WITH THAT DROP IN THE NUMBER OF CASES THAT WE'RE SEEING.
SO MASK DO WORK TO HELP DECREASE THE SPREAD.
AND AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, OUR VACCINE EFFORTS AND GETTING OUR POPULATION PROTECTED AGAINST COVID-19, UM, HAS BEEN HELPFUL, BOTH MASKING AND GETTING VACCINATED HAVE ALSO HELPED THOSE WHO ARE UNPROTECTED BY THE VACCINE, EITHER KIDS THAT ARE LESS THAN 12 YEARS OLD.
SO CONTINUING THOSE EFFORTS UNTIL WE ARE ABLE TO VACCINATE ALL OF OUR POPULATION'S GOING TO BE IMPORTANT SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO, UM, HOPEFULLY, UH, SAY THIS TREND DOWNWARD.
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SLIDE, PLEASE RECENT.UM, AND THEN W OUR REPORTS HAVE SHOWN THAT, UM, IT'S TRUE.
WHAT WE'RE SAYING ABOUT SKULLS AND MASKING.
UM, THE, THE USE OF MASK IN SCHOOLS DOES HELP DECREASE THE NUMBER OF CASES AND THE SPREAD OF COVID-19 ON THE RIGHT-HAND SIDE OF THE SLIDE, YOU'LL SEE THAT, UM, WE'RE SEEING, UH, A DROP IN THE NUMBER OF CASES OVERALL IN SCHOOLS.
THERE WERE TOTAL OF 429, UH, CASES 375 OF WHICH WERE IN CHILDREN, UM, PRIMARILY HAPPENING IN CLASSROOMS. WHEREAS YOU REMEMBER LAST YEAR WE HAD, UH, FEWER CLASSROOM RELATED, UH, CASES THAT DEVELOPED, UM, THIS IS NOT TRUE THIS YEAR BECAUSE MASKING IS NOT BEING DONE, UM, ACROSS THE BOARD.
SO, UM, WE ARE SEEING MORE CLASSROOM, UH, TRANSMISSION, AND THEN THAT'S FOLLOWED BY TRANSMISSION DURING ATHLETICS AND AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS. THE MMWR REPORT SHOWED THAT THOSE, UM, CLASSROOMS AND SCHOOLS WHERE MASKS WERE NOT WORN, THAT THERE WAS A 3.5 TIMES GREATER CHANCE OF, UH, CASES DEVELOPING AND OUTBREAKS IN THOSE INSTITUTIONS.
SO THOSE, UM, MEASURES THAT WE'VE TAKEN IN THE PAST STILL WORK AND MASKING, UM, WHEN USED IS ENCOURAGED AND IS HELPFUL IN REDUCING OUR CASES IN SCHOOLS.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE LOOKING AT THE AGE DISTRIBUTION OF CASES, WE ARE SEEING A DROP IN THE NUMBERS OF CASES.
HOWEVER, STILL SEE A HIGHER NUMBER OR PERCENTAGE OF CASES IN THAT 30 TO 49 YEAR OLD AGE GROUP.
SO CONTINUING OUR EFFORTS TO GET THAT INITIAL PROTECTION WITH THE VACCINE FOR THAT AGE GROUP IS GOING TO CONTINUE TO BE IMPORTANT.
UM, WE'RE ALSO LOOKING TO DEPLOY BOOSTERS FOR THOSE WHO ARE OVER AGE 65 AND ANYONE UNDER THE AGE OF 65 WITH CHRONIC MEDICAL CONDITIONS TO CONFER MORE PROTECTION TO THOSE GROUPS.
AND OF COURSE THE IMMUNOCOMPROMISED OR BEING ENCOURAGED TO GET THAT THIRD SHOT 28 DAYS AFTER THEIR SECOND SHOT OF THE PFIZER VACCINE ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THE SLIDE WHERE WE'RE SEEING THE IMPACT IN THE LAST 14 DAYS OF COVID IN OUR PEDIATRIC POPULATION, CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 18, UM, WE'VE HAD 28 CASES ALL TOTAL, UH, WITH FOUR IC ADMISSIONS AND ONE, UM, VENTILATED PATIENT.
CURRENTLY WE HAVE 13, SORRY, 11 PATIENTS, UM, IN HOSPITAL.
UM, AND THEY ARE, NONE OF THEM ARE VACCINATED.
SO AGAIN, UM, PROTECTING THOSE CHILDREN WHO ARE ABLE TO BE VACCINATED OVER THE AGE OF 12 AND OLDER, UM, IS IMPORTANT, UM, AND CONTINUES TO BE, UH, ONE OF THE, UM, MOST IMPORTANT THINGS THAT WE CAN DO AS FAR AS MITIGATING THE SPREAD OF COVID-19 IN OUR SCHOOLS.
AND WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO ANNOUNCEMENTS THAT WE HOPE WILL BE COMING IN THE COMING WEEKS TO ALLOW US TO START VACCINATING THOSE WHO ARE UNDER THE AGE OF 12 ON THE LEFT-HAND SIDE OF THE SLIDE, WE'LL SEE THAT THE GREATEST INCREASE IN HOSPITALIZATIONS HAS ACROSS THE BOARD BEEN IN THE 30 TO 49 YEAR OLD AGE GROUP.
UM, AND THAT CONTINUES TO BE THE CASE, EVEN WITH THE NUMBERS OF CASES DECREASING OVERALL.
AND OUR NEXT SLIDE, I'D LIKE TO SHOW THAT VACCINES WORK, WE STILL ARE ONLY SEEING, UH, 1% OR LESS OF BREAKTHROUGH CASES.
THERE HAVE BEEN A TOTAL OF 771,000 PLUS VACCINES GIVEN TO FULLY VACCINATED RESIDENTS OF AUSTIN.
TRAVIS COUNTY HAD SEVENTY ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY ONE, UM, BREAKTHROUGH CASES.
UH, OF THOSE CASES WE WERE ABLE TO GET IN TOUCH WITH SEVENTEEN HUNDRED AND SEVENTY THREE SEVENTY FIVE OF THOSE PATIENTS WERE HOSPITALIZED FOR COVID RELATED REASONS AND 40 OF THE PEOPLE THAT DEVELOPED COVID, UM, AS A RESULT OF A BREAKTHROUGH CASE, UM, UH, UNFORTUNATELY DIED 21 WERE FEMALES 21 WERE MALES, THE AVERAGE RANGE
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OR MEDIAN AGE OF THE, THOSE WHO DIED, UM, WERE, UH, 77 YEARS, UM, OF THOSE 40 14 WERE LONG-TERM CARE, UM, FACILITY RESIDENTS.UM, SO OVERALL THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THESE VACCINES IS, UM, HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED.
IT PROTECTS AGAINST INFECTION.
UM, IT DOES DECREASE HOSPITALIZATIONS AND, UH, UM, AND SO WE CONTINUE TO STRESS THE IMPORTANCE OF GETTING OUR COMMUNITY VACCINATED.
WE LOOK AT THE NEXT SLIDE, OUR LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES CONTINUE TO DO A EXCELLENT JOB OF PROTECTING THEIR RESIDENTS.
UM, THEY'RE CONTINUING TO VACCINATE RESIDENTS IN LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES.
THE BOOSTERS JUST BEEN, UM, APPROVED AND GUIDANCE HAS BEEN RECEIVED TO VACCINATE THOSE OVER 65 AND THOSE WHO ARE RESIDING IN LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES.
SO THAT WILL BE BEGINNING, UM, AND HAS BEGUN.
UM, WE HAVE NOW IN THE LAST 14 DAYS, UH, 39 CASES IN OUR LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES, 11 OF THE, UM, PEOPLE WHO WERE POSITIVE IN OUR LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES WERE RESIDENTS WHO WERE FULLY VACCINATED.
UM, SO WE'RE CONTINUING TO SEE THE BENEFIT AND COVERAGE AND PROTECTION WITH VACCINE.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE NEXT SLIDE ON, UH, THE NUMBERS OF FATALITIES THAT WE'VE HAD, UM, AS OF YESTERDAY, THERE WERE 1089 DEATHS REPORTED SINCE JANUARY 1ST, WE'VE HAD 517 DEATHS, UM, 88.1, SORRY, 8.1% OF THE DEATHS THAT HAVE OCCURRED WERE IN INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE FULLY VACCINATED, UM, WITH LOOKING AT RACE AND ETHNICITY, 11.8% OF THOSE WHO DIED WERE BLACK 51.5% OF THOSE WHO DIED WERE HISPANIC AND 59.4% WERE MALES.
NO ONE DIED RECEIVED A THIRD DOSE OF VACCINE.
BUT YOU COULD YOU PLEASE REPEAT THAT LAST STATEMENT? DID YOU SAY NO ONE WHO DIED RECEIVED A CURRENT DOSE OF VACCINE? THE WORD YOU USED? SORRY.
UM, OUR AUSTIN MSA, UM, BECAUSE OF OUR AMAZING JOB DONE BY OUR VACCINE COALITION TEAM COMPRISED OF APH THE COUNTY, AND ALSO OUR LOCAL PROVIDERS, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO REACH A 70% MARK FOR, UM, THOSE WHO ARE ELIGIBLE AND FULLY VACCINATED.
AND IT'S BORN OUT IN THE NUMBERS THAT YOU SEE BEFORE YOU NOW, UM, WE'VE HAD A DECREASE IN THE NUMBER OF CASES.
WE'VE HAD ALSO A DECREASE IN THE NUMBER OF HOSPITALIZATIONS THAT ARE COMING FROM TRAVIS COUNTY.
UM, LAST WEEK, WHEN I LAST SPOKE WITH YOU, UM, WE HAD 47% OF TRAVIS COUNTY RESIDENTS IN OUR LOCAL HOSPITALS.
WE'RE NOW DOWN TO 42% OF TRAVIS COUNTY RESIDENTS IN LOCAL HOSPITALS.
AND THERE'S AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBERS OF PATIENTS IN LOCAL HOSPITALS FROM SURROUNDING COUNTIES.
SO OUR EFFORTS TO VACCINATE OUR, OUR COMMUNITY HAVE BEEN HELPFUL.
UM, IT'S BROUGHT OUR NUMBERS DOWN AND WE ARE NOW WORKING TO, UM, GET THE MESSAGE OUT TO SURROUNDING COUNTIES TO HELP THEM ENCOURAGE THEIR COMMUNITIES TO BECOME VACCINATED AS WELL.
SO OUR CALL TO ACTION TODAY IS TO GET VACCINATED.
IF YOU'RE NOT PROTECTED FROM COVID-19 ENCOURAGE A FRIEND TO GET VACCINATED.
IF YOU ARE, IN FACT, VACCINATED, BOOSTERS ARE AVAILABLE NOW, AND GUIDANCE HAS BEEN RECEIVED TO VACCINATE THOSE OVER 65 AND IN LA OR, AND THOSE WHO ARE IN LONGTERM CARE FACILITIES FOR PEOPLE OVER THE AGE OF 18 WITH CHRONIC MEDICAL CONDITIONS AND PEOPLE WHO ARE AT RISK FOR EXPOSURE DUE TO THEIR OCCUPATIONAL OR INSTITUTIONAL SETTING.
WE ASKED THAT OUR COMMUNITY CONTINUE TO SUPPORT BUSINESSES THAT ARE HELPING US REACH OUR GOALS TO COMBAT THE SPREAD OF COVID 19.
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WE'RE CONTINUING TO ENCOURAGE MASKING IN DOORS AND IN PLACES WHERE YOU'RE UNABLE TO SOCIALLY DISTANCE EFFECTIVELY.AND WE'RE ASKING THAT THOSE WHO ARE UNPROTECTED AND UN-VACCINATED, UM, REMAIN, UM, IN SAFETY OF, UH, AVOIDING CROWDS.
UM, AND IF THEY DO HAVE TO GO OUT IN PUBLIC THAT THEY WEAR MASKS, UM, WE'RE ASKING THOSE WHO ARE SICK TO STAY HOME, GET TESTED, SEE A HEALTHCARE PROVIDER.
AND IF THEY'RE ELIGIBLE FOR REFERRAL FOR MONOCLONAL ANTIBODY THERAPY, THAT THEY, UM, ASK THEIR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER FOR THAT REFERRAL.
AND WITH THAT, I'LL END MY PRESENTATION AND PASS IT ON TO DIRECTOR STIR.
HOPEFULLY I CAN GET MY MIC TO WORK BETTER AND, UM, MY ABILITY TO SHARE THE SCREEN.
AND SO TO START OFF JUST TO REFRESH EVERYONE'S MEMORY, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE SICK, GET TESTED, IF YOU'RE EXPOSED TO SOMEONE WHO TESTED POSITIVE, GET TESTED, AND IF YOU'RE NOT SURE GET TESTED, UM, WE ARE STILL SUPPORTING TESTING OPERATIONS AT THE LOCATIONS LISTED HERE ON YOUR SCREEN.
UM, IF YOU NEED, UH, IN-HOME TESTING OR ACCESS TO MOBILE TESTING, YOU CAN MAKE THOSE APPOINTMENTS BY CALLING 5 1 2 9 7 2 5 6 0 OR BY CALLING 3 1 1 OVER OUR LAST OPERATIONAL PERIOD, WE ADMINISTERED A 1,488 TESTS.
SO NOW TAKING A LOOK AT, UM, THAT VACCINE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A LOT TO CELEBRATE THIS WEEK.
UM, IT'S A GOOD LESSON IN, UM, DELAYED GRATIFICATION AND DOING WHAT'S HARD AND SEEING THE PAYOFF, UM, THE FACT THAT WE'RE IN STAGE FOUR AND WE CAN SEE FOR OUR COUNTY WE'RE AT 81% FIRST AND 71% FULLY VACCINATED IN COMPARISON TO OTHER MAJOR METROS.
WE CONTINUE TO, UM, BE A LEADER IN THIS EFFORT.
AND SO MY THANKS TO THE STAFF AND THE COMMUNITY FOR WORKING TOGETHER, ALONG WITH OUR PARTNERS TO REACH THESE VERY IMPORTANT GOALS.
WHEN WE LOOK AT VACCINATIONS BY WEEK IN TRAVIS COUNTY, UM, AGAIN, WHERE WE'RE SEEING THE SLIGHT DROP-OFF, UM, BUT THAT'S TO BE EXPECTED, UH, THE TEAMS WILL CONTINUE TO, UH, DO THE GOOD WORK.
UM, SO FAR OVER 1.6 MILLION VACCINES OR DOSES HAVE BEEN, UM, DELIVERED IN AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY, UM, FOR OUR LAST OPERATIONAL PERIOD, APH DELIVERED OVER 1000 DOSES, UM, CUMULATIVE FOR APH AND COMMUNITY CARE.
UM, WE'VE DELIVERED 463,265 DOSES.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE NUMBER OF RESIDENTS WHO HAVE YET TO RECEIVE THEIR SECOND DOSE, UM, WE SEE THIS NUMBER CONTINUES TO GO DOWN A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO.
WE WERE AT 250,000, RIGHT NOW WE'RE AT 212.
AND SO THE WORK OF THE TEAMS, UM, CONTINUED TO HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT, UM, WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR COUNTY AND, UM, SEE WHERE, HOW VACCINES ARE BEING RECEIVED OR GIVEN OUT, WE SEE THAT PHARMACY STILL REMAINS TO BE THE LARGER LARGEST PROVIDER WITH PUBLIC HEALTH AND GOVERNMENT COMING IN AS A CLOSE SECOND.
WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR DISTRIBUTION DATA FOR TRAVIS COUNTY, UM, BROKEN OUT BY RACE AND ETHNICITY, UH, THE TEAM THOUGHT IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO PRESENT THIS INFORMATION IN A LITTLE MORE, UH, YOUR FRIENDLY FORMAT RATHER, RATHER THAN THE CHART.
SO WHEN YOU LOOK OVER TO THE LEFT AND YOU SEE THE VACCINATION STATUS BY RACE, UM, YOU CAN SEE THAT, UM, WHILE WE'RE OVERALL DOING WELL AS A COUNTY, THOSE GAPS STILL PERSISTS IN OUR HISPANIC AND BLACK COMMUNITIES WERE ONLY 35% OF OUR BLACK POPULATION IS FULLY VACCINATED.
AND 48% OF OUR HISPANIC POPULATION IS FULLY VACCINATED VERSUS 63% OF OUR WHITE POPULATION IN AN 80% OF ASIAN.
WHEN WE LOOK AT, UM, THE VACCINATION RATES BY RACE AND ETHNICITY OVER TIME, WE DO SEE THAT EVEN THOUGH, UM, THE GAPS FOR HISPANIC AND BLACK COMMUNITIES PERSIST THAT WE ARE MAKING PROGRESS, UM, THE DIFFERENT COLORS SHOW, UH, THE CHANGES WEEK OVER WEEK.
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THOSE INCREMENTAL CHANGES MORE CLEARLY.AND SO WHERE DO WE KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK? UM, THIS IS WHERE WE'LL BE THIS WEEK.
UM, AS A REMINDER, ALL OF OUR CLINICS ARE WALK-UP NO APPOINTMENTS ARE NEEDED.
WE DO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT IF YOU CHOOSE TO PRE-REGISTER ONLINE, YOUR APPOINTMENT WILL GO A LITTLE BIT FASTER.
YOU CAN COME VISIT US AT THE SOUTHEAST LIBRARY AT LITTLE WALNUT CREEK LIBRARY IN THE PFLUGERVILLE LIBRARY.
WE WILL ALSO BE AT THE DELCO ACTIVITY CENTER, A SITE THAT WE, UM, STOOD UP IN ANTICIPATION FOR BOOSTER SHOTS, AND ALSO AT, UM, IDA BLUFF SPRINGS.
UM, FOR OUR MOBILE OPERATIONS, WE'LL BE IN 21 DIFFERENT LOCATIONS THIS WEEK, INCLUDING THREE ACC CAMPUSES, UH, FRONT STAFF, THE TRAVIS COUNTY PROBATION, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO MAKE HOME VISITS.
UM, WE HAVE FIRST AND SECOND DOSES AVAILABLE AS WELL AS THIRD DOSES FOR THOSE WHO ARE IMMUNOCOMPROMISED AND THIRD DOSES ARE FOR THOSE FOLKS.
UM, AGAIN, BEING IMMUNOCOMPROMISED, IF YOU ARE UNDERGOING CHEMOTHERAPY, IF YOU HAVE RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS, IF YOU'VE RECEIVED AN ORGAN TRANSPLANT OR ANY OTHER, UM, MEDICAL CONDITION, WHICH MAKES YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM NEED THAT EXTRA, UH, OF TO PROTECT YOU WELL, THAT'S WHAT THE THIRD DOSE IS FOR.
ALSO HAVE BOOSTERS AVAILABLE FOR PFIZER.
AND SO LET'S TALK ABOUT BOOSTERS, A LOT OF, UM, COMMENTS OR NEWS MEDIA OVER THE WEEKEND ABOUT THE, OF BOOSTER SHOTS.
AND SO THIS IS WHAT WE KNOW THAT THE FDA PROVIDED, UM, EMERGENCY USE AUTHORIZATION RECOMMENDATIONS LAST WEEK, AND THE CDC PANEL REVIEWED ADVISORY PANEL ON IMMUNIZATIONS, REVIEWED THE FDA RECOMMENDATIONS TO GIVE US THE GUIDELINES FOR BOOSTERS.
AND SO, UM, FOR FOLKS WHO HAVE BEEN FULLY VACCINATED FOR AT LEAST SIX MONTHS AND ARE 65 YEARS AND OLDER, 18 THROUGH 64 AT A HIGH RISK FOR SEVERE COVID 19 OR 18 THROUGH 64 AT A HIGH RISK OF OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE.
AND THIS IS NOT AN ALL-INCLUSIVE LIST OF THE, UM, OCCUPANT OCCUPATIONS, UH, IDENTIFIED AS HIGH RISK.
BUT WE SEE FIRST RESPONDERS, WE SEE OUR EDUCATORS FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL WORKERS, MANUFACTURING, WORKERS, CORRECTIONS, POSTAL WORKERS, TRANSIT, AND GROCERY STORE WORKERS.
SO ANYONE FROM 18 TO 64 WHO FALLS WORKS, ONE OF THOSE JOBS IS ELIGIBLE FOR A BOOSTER AT THIS TIME.
THERE ARE NO BOOSTER RECOMMENDATIONS FOR A MATERNAL OR JOHNSON AND JOHNSON ONLY FOR THOSE WHO HAVE RECEIVED THE PFIZER VACCINE.
AND SO, UM, I BELIEVE IT WAS IN MAY CITY COUNCIL PASSED A RESOLUTION, UH, DIRECTING THE STAFF TO BUILD ON THE CAPITOL AREA.
COVID-19 VACCINATE VACCINE DISTRIBUTION PLAN TO DEVELOP A COMPREHENSIVE COVID-19 VACCINE BOOSTER SHOT STRATEGY.
UM, THAT SHOULD INCLUDE ANALYZING LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE INITIAL, UH, VACCINE ROLLOUT WITH A FOCUS ON COMBATING HESITANCY OR ACCESS ISSUES, UM, BUILDING ON COMMUNICATION AND PARTNERSHIP WITH COMMUNITY GOVERNMENT PARTNERS AND OTHER VACCINE PROVIDERS DO EARNING THE BOOSTER SHOT PROCESS, UM, PLAN TO EXECUTE A STRATEGY WHILE CONTINUING TO ADDRESS ONGOING ISSUES WITH VACCINE AND PRIORITIZING THOSE POPULATIONS THAT ARE EXPERIENCING DISPARATE OUTCOMES, A COMMUNICATION STRATEGY AND PLANS TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC WITH ACCURATE INFORMATION ON THE BOOSTER SHOT PROCESS AND WHERE RESIDENTS CAN GET THE VACCINE AND PLANS TO UTILIZE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS AND OTHER COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO ADDRESS BOOSTER SHOT OUTREACH EFFORTS.
AND SO, UM, THE STAFF FACILITATED SOME SESSIONS WITH, UM, AN OUTSIDE CONTRACTOR TO REALLY SEE HOW WE CAN, UM, BUILD ON THE INITIAL, UH, FRAMEWORK, UM, OF THE PLAN.
AND SO JUST TO GIVE EVERYONE AN UPDATE OF, OF THAT INITIAL PLAN THAT WE'VE BEEN USING SINCE LAST DECEMBER, UM, THE PURPOSE OF THE CAPITAL AREA PLAN IS TO PROVIDE AN EXTERNALLY FACING DOCUMENT THAT OUTLINES OUR STRATEGY TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE HAS A LEVEL OF AWARENESS AND TRANSPARENCY ABOUT APH HAS PLANS TO MEET NEEDS, TO HAVE A LEVEL OF TRANSPARENCY ABOUT RESOURCES AND PARTNERSHIPS AVAILABLE.
UM, THE CALLER TALKED ABOUT COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AND, AND SMALL,
[00:30:01]
UH, PROJECTS RUNNING OUT OF MONEY.AND, AND THAT'S SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, AS A CITY DEPARTMENT, WE HAVE TO KEEP A HIGH LEVEL ON RESOURCES AND WHAT'S FEASIBLE AND PRACTICAL, AND WHAT'S THE MOST EFFICIENT USE OF, OF WHAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE, UH, WHETHER IT BE FUNDING OR STAFF OR FACILITIES.
UM, THE PLAN IS ORGANIZED, UM, AND SUPPORTS THE STRUCTURE DEVELOPED BY THE CDC AND IS USED BY STATE AND LOCAL HEALTH DEPARTMENTS NATIONWIDE.
SO IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE JUST CAME UP WITH.
UM, EVEN THOUGH WE'RE PRETTY COOL AND SMART AT AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, WE'RE FOLLOWING WHAT WE'RE SEEING OUR PARTNERS DO NATIONALLY.
UM, AND IT DESCRIBES OUR OUTREACH ENGAGEMENT AND COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES.
UM, AS A PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT, WE ARE ALWAYS IN A PROCESS OF CONTINUOUS QUALITY IMPROVEMENT, AND THAT'S DEMONSTRATED IN THIS PLAN AND REINFORCED BY THE DIRECTIVES IN THE RESOLUTION WHERE WE ALWAYS CONSIDER LESSONS LEARNED AND MAKE IMPROVEMENTS TO THE SERVICES THAT WE'RE PROVIDING.
UM, IT PROVIDES A STRATEGY FOR THIRD DOSES AND BOOSTERS, AND WE'RE ALSO BEGINNING TO THINK ABOUT WHAT IT'S GOING TO LOOK LIKE WHEN PEDIATRIC VACCINES ARE AVAILABLE.
AND SO ALL THIS, ALTHOUGH THIS, UM, SKELETON PLAN IS CONSTANTLY REVIEWED AND ANALYZED, WE TAKE FEEDBACK THAT WE GET FROM EVERYWHERE FROM THESE BODIES, FROM FACEBOOK, FROM PARTNERS, FROM CLIENTS, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE CONSTANTLY EVALUATING OUR PROCESS.
UM, ABOUT TWO FRIDAYS AGO, WE HAD A FORMAL MEETING WITH OUR VACCINE COALITION, UM, THAT INCLUDED LOCAL HEALTH AUTHORITIES FROM, UM, NEIGHBORING COUNTIES, AS WELL AS GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATIONS, UM, REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE HEALTH CARE FIELD HERE IN TRAVIS COUNTY.
AND, UM, WE WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE, UH, MORE EVENTS IN OCTOBER TO REALLY GET THAT COMMUNITY FEEDBACK, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'VE CAPTURED ALL OF THE PAIN POINTS AND VICTORIES FROM OUR INITIAL ROLLOUT AND TAKE THOSE INTO CONSIDERATION AS WE DEVELOP OUR PLAN FOR NOT ONLY BOOSTERS.
AND IT LOOKS LIKE THOSE WILL BE SUBSEQUENT PHASES AS WE WAIT FOR MADONNA IN J AND J FOR DECISIONS TO BE MADE ABOUT THAT, BUT ALSO FOR PEDIATRIC VACCINES.
AND SO, UM, WE'VE BROKEN DOWN OUR INITIAL LESSONS LEARNED INTO THREE CATEGORIES, AND SO THE FIRST WAS, UM, HEALTH COMMUNICATIONS AND, UH, SPEAKING TO THE RESOLUTION.
AND ALSO WHAT WE KNOW IS IMPORTANT AS A PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT, BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE WE LIVE.
WE LIVE TO ADDRESS, UM, THOSE DISPARITIES AND, AND FOCUS ON OVERALL COMMUNITY HEALTH.
AND SO REALLY HAVING HEALTH COMMUNICATIONS THAT ARE FOCUSED ON COMMUNITIES AT RISK.
AND SO WE WANT THAT TO BE A TWO WAY PROCESS, UM, AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
AND SO THAT INVOLVES US MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE KEEPING THE COMMUNITY INFORMED ON THE LATEST SCIENCE RULES, REGULATIONS REGARDING TESTING AND VACCINE.
UM, IT MEANS THAT WE WILL WORK TO PROVIDE ONGOING OUTREACH WITH THIS UPDATE AND REVISE INFORMATION ACROSS, UM, ALL OF THE DOMAINS OF THE RESPONSE AND THAT, THAT PROVED CHALLENGING FOR US THE FIRST TIME.
UM, THERE WERE SOME ISSUES WITH, WITH BEING ABLE TO HAVE THAT REACH.
UM, WE RECOGNIZE THAT SOCIAL MEDIA, UM, WAS AN AREA OF OPPORTUNITY FOR REACHING TRAVIS COUNTY RESIDENTS.
AND WE WERE CONTINUALLY, UM, CHALLENGED BY THE NEED TO HAVE, UM, FOCUSED LINGUISTICALLY AND CULTURALLY NOT ONLY APPROPRIATE, BUT RELEVANT MESSAGING TO DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTED COMMUNITIES TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE WERE RECEIVING, UM, INFORMATION AND A MANNER, UM, THAT WAS MOST COMFORTABLE TO THEM AND ALLOWED THEM TO MAKE THOSE REALLY, UH, PERSONAL CHOICES, UM, ABOUT VACCINE.
UM, AND SO THEN WE TALK ABOUT HEALTH EQUITY, UM, AND YOU KNOW, I, I CHUCKLED TO MYSELF BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, COVID REALLY IS DOING A GREAT JOB OF POINTING OUT THE SYSTEMIC GAPS THAT WE HAVE, NOT ONLY LOCALLY, BUT NATIONWIDE.
AND SO WHAT WE SAW IS THAT THIS PANDEMIC, UM, JUST EXASPERATE EXACERBATED CONDITIONS, UM, THAT WE SEE IN OUR COMMUNITY, WE ALL KNOW ABOUT THE EASTERN CRESCENT AND THE ISSUES THAT WE HAVE WITH FOOD ACCESS AND CHRONIC DISEASE AND COVID WAS RIGHT THERE.
UM, AND SO THE LESSON LEARNED FROM THAT IS, YOU KNOW, BUILDING ON WHAT WE KNOW TO DO AS A PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT, WHEN WE'RE ADDRESSING THOSE ISSUES, MAKING SURE THAT HEALTH EQUITY IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF ALL OF OUR OPERATIONS, UM, FROM THE FRONT END TO THE BACK END, NOT ONLY WHAT PEOPLE SEE WHEN THEY ROLL UP TO A VACCINE SITE, BUT ALSO THE SYSTEMS AND THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE PUT IN PLACE.
UM, WE RECOGNIZE THAT WE NEED A RENEWED HEALTH EQUITY FOCUS,
[00:35:01]
UM, TO CONCENTRATE ON THE NEEDS OF THOSE WHO ARE ECONOMICALLY MARGINAL MARGINALIZED ON AREAS WITH HIGH CASE POSITIVITY AND AREAS OF LOW VACCINE UPTAKE.AND, AND YOU KIND OF SEE THAT PLAY OUT WHEN WE ARE COUPLING VACCINE WITH FOOD DISTRIBUTION OR, YOU KNOW, WHEN OUR WICKED NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERS ARE SHARING INFORMATION ABOUT FIRST, IT WAS TESTING.
AND NOW ABOUT VACCINE, UM, HAVING A RENEWED FOCUS TO BE INCLUSIVE OF ALL RACES, ETHNICITIES, AND LANGUAGES, UM, BEING REFLECTIVE, NOT ONLY IN OUR MEDIA PRESENCE, BUT IN OUR STAFFING, UM, MAKING THAT OUR TECHNOLOGY SUPPORTS, UM, AS MANY LANGUAGES AS POSSIBLE, THESE THINGS WILL BE KEY.
AND THEN HAVING THAT RENEWED FOCUS ON, UM, PROVIDING OUTREACH THROUGH TRUSTED SOURCES AT THE NEIGHBORHOOD LEVEL.
AND THAT IS, UM, THROUGH OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS, WHICH WE, UM, WE HAVE SOME ON STAFF, WE'VE GOT SOME NEW POSITIONS AND BUDGET.
WE WERE GOING TO HIRE THOSE FOLKS, TRAIN THEM UP, SEND THEM OUT, BUT IT ALSO MEANS THOSE INVESTMENTS THAT WE'VE MADE IN DIFFERENT COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE KNOW HAVE, UM, THE EAR, UM, SOMETIMES BETTER THAN WE DO AND THOSE COMMUNITIES THAT WE ARE TRYING TO REACH.
AND SO MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE LEVERAGING, LEVERAGING THOSE RELATIONSHIPS AND SUPPORTING THEM TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS WORK.
AND THEN THE BIGGEST BEAR ARE IT, UM, YOU KNOW, LOOKING BACK OUR INFRASTRUCTURE WAS BUILT TO HANDLE DAILY OPERATIONS, BUT NOT PANDEMIC OPERATIONS.
AND AS THE PANDEMIC UNFOLDED, IT WAS DIFFICULT FOR OUR IT INFRASTRUCTURE TO MEET THE DEMANDS.
IT HAD TO, YOU KNOW, BE USER-FRIENDLY, UH, IT HAD TO BE CULTURALLY RELEVANT.
IT HAD TO BE LINGUISTICALLY APPROPRIATE, AND IT HAD TO BE ABLE TO SPIT OUT DATA THAT, UM, POLICY MAKERS NEEDED TO BE ABLE TO MAKE, UM, POLICY AND RESOURCE DECISIONS.
UM, AND SO WITH THE ONGOING PANDEMIC PANDEMIC, RATHER WE HAD TO, UH, PRIORITIZE AND, AND MOVE QUICKLY WITH OUR VENDORS FOR IMPLEMENTATION.
AND IF YOU'VE EVER WORKED WITH ANYONE ON SETTING UP AN IT SYSTEM LIKE THAT IS HATS OFF TO THE TEAM WHO REALLY DID THAT WORK TO, UM, SET UP THE USE CASE STUDIES TO MAKE THE ADJUSTMENTS, TO, TO BE AS RESPONSIVE AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE, UM, TO THE GROWING NEEDS.
AND, AND FROM THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE, WE'VE THOUGHT ABOUT HOW WE PREPARE OUR INFRASTRUCTURE, NOT ONLY FOR THIS RESPONSE, BUT FOR FUTURE RESPONSES.
UM, AND THAT REALLY HAS TO BE A STRUCTURED THAT NOT ONLY MEETS THE PR THE PRO PROGRAMMATIC NEEDS, BUT, UH, DIS DISASTER RELATED RESPONSE REQUIREMENTS AS WELL.
BUT THEN WE ALSO HAVE TO RECOGNIZE THAT WE DO HAVE SECTIONS OF OUR COMMUNITY THAT DON'T HAVE THE SAME ACCESS OR SAVVY WHEN IT COMES TO TECHNOLOGY.
AND, UM, WE REALIZED PRETTY QUICKLY ON THE FRONT END OF THIS PANDEMIC, THAT THE OVER-RELIANCE, UM, ON TECHNOLOGY HAD SOME UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES AND THOSE VERY COMMUNITIES THAT WE WERE TRYING TO PRIORITIZE.
AND SO HOW QUICKLY BEING ABLE, UM, AS A DEPARTMENT, UM, USING OUR INTERNAL RESOURCES, OUR PARTNERSHIPS WITH AUSTIN ENERGY IN 3, 1, 1, AND A GREAT PARTNERSHIP WITH THE COUNTY TO, TO FIGURE OUT A PHONE LINE, UM, SO THAT THOSE RESIDENTS WHO, WHO DIDN'T HAVE GOOD WIFI, WHO DIDN'T LIKE THE INTERNET, OR JUST CAN PLAY AND FIGURE IT OUT, COULD CALL AND TALK TO SOMEONE.
SO WHETHER YOU CALL 3, 1, 1, OR WHETHER YOU CALLED YOUR, THE EQUITY LINE MIDWAY THROUGH, WE WERE ABLE TO INCREASE THAT ACCESS, UM, TO OUR RESIDENTS.
AND SO WHEN WE THINK ABOUT ALL THAT WE'VE MANAGED TO ACCOMPLISH, AND ALL OF THE THINGS THAT WE KNOW WE NEED TO, TO PUT IN PLACE, UM, BACK TO THE CALLERS, UM, COMMENTS ABOUT, UM, THE DWINDLING RESOURCES TOWARDS THESE EFFORTS, THE LONGER THAT THIS PLAYS OUT.
UM, AND SO SOME THINGS THAT WE HEARD LOUD AND CLEAR THAT WE'RE STILL WORKING ON AS A STAFF TO ADDRESS AND OUR PLAN, UM, INCENTIVES, WE CONTINUE TO SEE IN OTHER POPULATIONS, HOW INCENTIVES WORK.
UM, ALTHOUGH BOOSTERS ARE VERY IMPORTANT.
AND AS A HEALTH DEPARTMENT, WE STAND READY TO, UM, PROVIDE A BOOSTER SHOT TO ANYONE WHO HAS RECEIVED A VISOR, A PFIZER VACCINE, SIX MONTHS AGO, OUR FOCUS NEEDS TO BE ON THAT INITIAL PROTECTION FOR THE COMMUNITY.
AND SO, UM, MAKING SURE THAT WE CAN SUPPORT BOOSTER OPERATIONS, BUT KEEP THAT, THAT FOCUS ON PROTECTING FOLKS, GETTING THAT INITIAL LAYER OF PROTECTION IN PLACE.
[00:40:01]
DONE A LOT OF RESEARCH ABOUT WHAT PEER CITIES IN TEXAS HAVE DONE FOR, UM, INCENTIVES.AND IT'S MORE THAN JUST BUYING GIFT CARDS, THE MOST SOPHISTICATED SYSTEMS, UM, FOR INCENTIVE PROGRAMS, HAVE IT INFRASTRUCTURE AND STAFF TO, TO BACK THAT UP.
SO THOSE ARE AREAS OF OPPORTUNITY THAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO EXPLORE AS A DEPARTMENT AND TO FIGURE OUT, UM, HOW WE CAN LEVERAGE, UM, EXISTING FUNDS, AS WELL AS SOME INCOMING GRANT DOLLARS TO, UH, ADDRESS SOME OF THESE GAPS, HOW WE INCREASE NEIGHBORHOOD LEVEL OUTREACH AND EDUCATION.
UM, THE NINE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS THAT WE RECEIVED IN THE BUDGET PROCESS.
WE'LL BE HARD AT WORK BEATING THE STREETS.
UM, THAT IS A GOOD RESOURCE THAT WE'RE, WE WILL, UM, MOBILIZE RATHER QUICKLY WHEN WE TALK ABOUT NOT ONLY BOOSTERS, BUT ANYTHING RELATED TO COVID VACCINE, BECAUSE WE SEE THAT AS WORKING, WE SEE THAT, UM, THE WORK THAT THE COLLABORATIVE CONTINUES TO DO WORKS, AND WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO MODEL AND BUILD OFF OF THOSE EFFORTS IN AUSTIN, PUBLIC HEALTH AS WELL.
AND THEN WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT SECURITY FOR EXISTING AND NEW OPERATIONS.
WE STOOD UP DELCO IN ANTICIPATION OF, UM, A LARGE RUSH OF FOLKS COMING IN FOR BOOSTERS.
AND IT'S OKAY THAT WE DON'T HAVE THAT YET AS A COMMUNITY.
UM, IT IS A RESOURCE THAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT.
UM, WE KNOW AS A COMMUNITY, WE WERE MOSTLY MURDERED OUT OF THE 460 SOMETHING THOUSAND SHOTS, UM, THAT I TALKED ABOUT EARLIER, ONLY 5,841 OF THOSE ARE PFIZER.
UM, IN TERMS OF THE SHOTS DELIVERED BY AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, THAT DOESN'T, THAT WE WILL NOT, UM, AGAIN, ANYONE WHO COMES TO OUR SITE, WE WILL GIVE THEM THEIR BOOSTER SHOT, WHAT IT DOES MEAN THOUGH FOR THE COMMUNITY.
AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT WHILE YOU WON'T NEED AN APPOINTMENT AND YOU WON'T NEED ANY IDENTIFICATION, WE WILL NEED YOU TO BRING YOUR, UM, VACCINE CARD BECAUSE WE WILL NOT HAVE RECORD.
WE MAY NOT RATHER HAVE A RECORD OF YOUR PFIZER DOSE IF YOU'VE GOTTEN IT FROM SOMEPLACE ELSE.
AND WHAT WE FOUND IS THAT THE DATA THAT IS IN M TRACK, WHICH IS THE, UH, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE ALL FEED UP INTO IS NOT ALWAYS ACCURATE AND UP-TO-DATE, AND SO WE REALLY ENCOURAGE OUR RESIDENTS TO MAKE SURE WHEN THEY SHOW UP TO ANY OF OUR LOCATIONS TO GET THEIR PFIZER BOOSTER SHOT, THAT THEY HAVE THEIR VACCINE CARD WITH THEM, SO THAT WE CAN VERIFY NOT ONLY THAT YOU'RE IN THE RIGHT TIME PERIOD, BUT, UM, YOU'VE RECEIVED THE RIGHT DOSE, GOING BACK TO THE UNMET NEEDS.
UM, IN THE HEIGHT OF THE PANDEMIC RESPONSE THROUGH THE EMERGENCY OPERATION CENTER, UM, WE HAD ACCESS TO TRAFFIC CONTROL AND LOGISTICAL SUPPORT BECAUSE IT SAID IT WAS REALLY SHUT DOWN AND THERE WASN'T ANYTHING THAT'S HAPPENING.
AND NOW THAT WE'VE OPENED BACK UP AND WHERE WE'RE IN OUR FESTIVAL SEASON AND PEOPLE ARE OUT AND ABOUT AND ENJOYING LIFE, UM, THERE'S A STRAIN ON THOSE RESOURCES.
AND SO, UM, IT'S A BALANCE OF FINDING OUT WHAT, HOW OUR, UH, SISTER DEPARTMENTS CAN HELP IN THAT EFFORT, BUT HOW WE CAN ALSO LEVERAGE, UM, RELATIONSHIPS WITH, UH, CONTRACTED VENDORS.
UM, AND THEN JUST THE ONGOING LOGISTICAL AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT.
UM, WELL, THE LOGISTICAL SUPPORT FROM EOC FROM A HIGH LEVEL OF COORDINATION, HELPING US IN PUBLIC HEALTH ROLLOUT, NOT ONLY VACCINE AND TESTING, BUT ACS AND THE OTHER SERVICES THAT WE'RE MANAGING IN RELATION TO RESPONSE.
AND SO I'M SURE THERE'LL BE PLENTY OF QUESTIONS ABOUT BOOSTER, BUT THAT IS KIND OF OUR UPDATE ON THE PLAN.
UM, THE HIGH POINTS, AGAIN, KNOWING THAT EQUITY NEEDS TO CONTINUE TO BE THE FOCUS, HOW WE SHIFT FROM AN OVER-RELIANCE ON TECHNOLOGY WHILE BUILDING OUT THAT TUCK TECHNOLOGY TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE POPULATIONS OF FOCUS AND HOW WE MOBILIZE OR CONTINUE TO MOBILIZE THE BOOTS ON THE GROUND TEAMS, UM, TO PROVIDE, UM, THAT PLACE-BASED SUPPORT THAT SEEMS TO BE WORKING IN HELPING US MOVE THE NEEDLE IN THOSE COMMUNITIES AND EXAMPLES OF SUCH, UM, JUST TO SHARE SOME UPDATES ON OUR COMMUNITY OUTREACH.
UM, THIS WEEK WE'LL BE OUT AT FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES, WE'LL BE AT THE ST JAMES BAPTIST CHURCH, AND WE'LL ALSO BE AT THE BEAUTY AND BARBARA'S CONVENTION.
UM, YOU'D BE SURPRISED ABOUT HOW MUCH INFORMATION IS SHARED AND IN A BARBERSHOP OR A BEAUTY SALON.
UM, PERSONALLY, WHEN I GO VISIT, I TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DROP SOME KNOWLEDGE ON LADIES.
IF THEY HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT VACCINE, THEY KNOW THAT'S KIND OF WHAT I DO, AND I USE THAT SPACE TO HELP ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO MAKE GOOD DECISIONS FOR THEMSELVES.
AND THERE'S OUR TEAM OUT AT A CAP METRO EVENT, TALKING ABOUT SUPPORTING OUR PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION WORKERS.
UM, ALWAYS LOVE TO SEE THE PHOTOS.
UM, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT AGAIN, MAKING SURE THAT IT'S A, UH, A CONNECTED APPROACH THAT ADDRESSES NEEDS ACROSS FAMILIES BEING OUT AT THE DEL VALLEY OPPORTUNITY CENTER.
[00:45:01]
YOU KNOW, AT, UP UNTIL LAST WEEK, AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH WAS SUPPORTING THE COUNTY COLLABORATIVE BY PROVIDING, UM, PERSONS TO GIVE SHOTS THEY'VE TAKEN OVER THOSE OPERATIONS.AND WE'LL, WE'RE STILL THERE BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT COMMUNITY NOT ONLY NEEDS VACCINES, BUT, YOU KNOW, FOOD SECURITY CONTINUES TO BE IMPORTANT.
UM, WE TALK ABOUT ASKING PEOPLE TO WEAR A MASK, AND IF I HAVE TO MAKE A CHOICE OF BUYING SOME GROUND BEEF FOR MY FAMILY OR THIS PACK OF MASK, I'M PROBABLY GONNA BUY THE GROUND BEEF.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, HAVING HAND SANITIZER AVAILABLE, HAVING THE PP E KITS AVAILABLE AND JUST TO RUN DOWN SOME STATS THAT THE STAFF NICELY PLOPPED IN HERE, UM, WE SERVE JUST UNDER 400 FAMILIES, UH, WITH THE PPE BAGS AND THE MASKS AND THE HAND SANITIZER, WE GAVE OUT 201 RESOURCE BAGS.
UM, AND THOSE WERE REALLY NEAT.
IT HAD FOOD ITEMS, ITEMS FOR PETS, UM, BOOKS FOR KIDS, AND THOSE WERE PROVIDED BY THE OUR NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES UNIT.
UM, WE GAVE AWAY SIX PALLETS OF HOUSEHOLD GOODS THAT WERE PROVIDED BY OUR PARTNERS AT THE CENTRAL TEXAS FOOD BANK, 714 BOXES OF SHELF, STABLE FOOD, AND 622 BOXES OF FRESH FRUITS AND VEGETABLES.
UM, SO ALL IN ALL, I THINK THAT'S A GREAT DAY.
UM, YOU GOT SOME, SOME YOUR BASIS NEEDS THAT, AND THEN YOU WALK ACROSS THE WAY AND YOU GET YOUR VACCINE.
AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT MESSAGING, UM, AGAIN, BEING OUT THERE AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE, WE'RE FOCUSED ALL THE WAY OVER TO THE RIGHT, YOU SEE THE IMAGES THAT ARE REFLECTIVE OF OUR LET'S STICK TOGETHER CAMPAIGN, UM, AND THAT'S AVAILABLE IN MULTIPLE LANGUAGES.
AS YOU CAN SEE, THEY'RE MOVING OVER TO THE LEFT MASK UP, LADDER UP SLEEVE UP, AND, UH, REALLY REMINDING PEOPLE IN AN EASY WAY, THE THINGS THAT WE WANT YOU TO DO, UM, TO STAY PROTECTED, MASK UP, WEAR YOUR MASK, LATHER UP, WASH YOUR HANDS, SLEEVE UP, GET YOUR COVID SHOT.
AND RIGHT NOW WE ARE ALSO ENCOURAGING FOLKS TO GIVE FLU TWO SHOTS TO ARMS, GET IT DONE.
UM, THE FAMILY PHOTOS HERE AND IN SPANISH, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES WE NEED THE GRAVITY OF THE SITUATION TO SMACKS IN THE FACE.
AND THAT, THAT GRAPHIC ALL THE WAY OVER TO THE LEFT SHOWS UP, UM, THE NUMBER OF UNVACCINATED INDIVIDUALS, UM, THAT DIED DUE TO COVID BACTINE TOO DUE TO COVID-19 AGAIN, REITERATING DR.
UH, WALKS HIS POINT VISUALLY THAT VACCINES, UM, MAY NOT PERMIT YOU FROM GETTING A MILD CASE OF COVID, BUT THEY HAVE SHOWN UP STRONG TO PREVENT DEATH FROM COVID.
AND WITH THAT, THAT IS THE END OF MY REPORT.
I TURN IT BACK OVER TO THE JUDGE.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME THIS MORNING.
SO MUCH DIRECTOR STIRRUP I'LL TURN OVER TO, UH, CHUCK BROTHERTON AND CONSTABLE MORALES AND CHIEF BAILEY.
GOOD MORNING, JUDGE, MAYOR PRO TEM COURT AND COUNCIL CHUCK BROTHERTON.
AND I AM THE TRAVIS COUNTY EXECUTIVE FOR EMERGENCY SERVICES TO HEAR, TO GIVE YOU ALL A BRIEF UPDATE ON THE ACTIVITIES OF OUR VACCINATION, UH, COLLABORATIVE OVER THE LAST WEEK.
UH, I'M HOPEFUL THAT YOU CAN SEE MY SLIDES AT THIS POINT.
AND YOU CAN SEE, SEE ON OUR FIRST SLIDE THAT OVER THE PAST WEEK, THE NUMBER OF DOSES THAT WERE GIVEN OUT IN THE LAST WEEK BY THE COUNTY COLLABORATIVE, UH, IS DOWN SOMEWHAT FROM PREVIOUS WEEKS, 781 WAS THE TOTAL THROUGH THIS PAST SUNDAY, THE 26TH, UH, WHILE OUR STRIKE TEAM, UH, NUMBERS ARE, ARE CONTINUING TO BE, UH, YOU KNOW, TO TRACK A WEEKEND AND WEEK OUT, WE SAW A DROP OFF IN DEMAND OVER THE WEEKEND.
WE HAD EXCELLENT WEATHER, FRIDAY, SATURDAY, AND SUNDAY IN TOWN.
WHEREAS WE HAD A FOOTBALL GAME, UH, AT UT ON SATURDAY.
UH, IT SEEMS THAT PEOPLE WERE FINDING A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS TO DO THIS PAST WEEKEND AND COME OUT AND GET A SHOT, UH, REGARDLESS.
UH, WE ARE THERE, WE WILL CONTINUE BEING AT THE EXPO CENTER AND WE WILL CONTINUE, UH, UH, GOING OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK, MOSTLY IN THE EVENINGS, UH, TO DO SHOTS WITH OUR STRIKE TEAMS, OUR TOTAL NUMBER OF SHOTS, UH, DELIVERED TO DATE BY THE COLLABORATIVE, STARTING FROM JANUARY OF THIS YEAR, UH, THROUGH THIS PAST WEEKEND, UH, I FIND, I, I ADD THAT UP AT 105,076 TOTAL DOSES AND MIX IT FIRST AND SECOND WITH JUST A HANDFUL OF THIRD DOSES IN THERE.
UH, THAT WAS A LOT OF THE, THE INITIAL WORK WAS OF COURSE AT CIRCUIT OF THE AMERICAS WHEN WE WERE SEEING GIGANTIC DEMAND, UH, AT OUR DRIVE-THRU
[00:50:03]
GIVING YOU A LITTLE MORE INFORMATION ON THE ZIP CODES THAT WE, UH, CONTINUE WORKING IN, UH, IN THE EASTERN CRESCENT MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY, ACTUALLY THROUGH SUNDAY OF THIS WEEK, UM, MONDAY, FAIRLY LIGHT DAY.UH, BUT THEN ON, ON TUESDAY, YOU CAN SEE THAT OUR NUMBERS CONTINUE, UH, YOU KNOW, MAINTAINING WITH, WITH GOOD TURNOUT AT THE VARIOUS LOCATIONS WHERE, WHERE WE APPEAR WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY, FRIDAY, AND THEN SATURDAY, YOU CAN SEE AGAIN, UH, WHILE WE WERE AT EXPO, WE WERE ALSO IN VARIOUS OTHER LOCATIONS AND THE NUMBERS WERE FAIRLY, FAIRLY LIGHT FOR BOTH SATURDAY AND SUNDAY.
ALWAYS WANT TO SHOW OUR VIEWERS WHERE THEY CAN FIND INFORMATION.
UM, CAN WE SEE THAT PARTICULAR SCREEN, UM, THE COUNTY'S WEBSITE ON OUR LANDING PAGE, ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS CLICK HERE TO QUICKLY FIND VACCINATION INFORMATION FOR ANY DAY OF THE WEEK, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28TH, YOU CAN SEE ALL OF THE DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES HAPPENING TODAY.
THESE ARE A MIX OF BOTH PUBLIC AND PRIVATE, UH, BUT WE'VE GOT INFORMATION FOR, FOR EXAMPLE, COMMUNITY CARE AT ROSEWOOD, ZARAGOSA CLICK ON THAT AND HE WILL SEE THE COUNT OF VACCINE BEING DELIVERED, HOURS OF OPERATION AND SO FORTH.
UH, ON TUESDAYS WE APPEAR AT THE FOUR JDS MARKETS THROUGHOUT THE AREA, AND THEN GOING THROUGH WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY, FRIDAY, AND SO ON, ON THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S LANDING PAGE.
LIKEWISE, WE CAN ACTUALLY SEE THAT SCREEN.
I WAS WONDERING IF YOU ALL COULD SEE THAT SCREEN, I CAN SEE THE SCREEN FOR SOME REASON IT'S SHOWING UP AT THE CITY.
IT SOUNDS LIKE THE CITY CAN'T, I DON'T SEE IT ON THE DASHBOARD ON THE SCREEN OR MY ONLINE EITHER.
I'M GOING TO STOP SHARING AND THEN RESHARE WE'RE WORKING IN WEBEX.
I'M HONESTLY, I'M MORE USED TO WORKING IN MICROSOFT TEAMS, BUT, UH, THIS IS WHERE WE ARE.
YOU CAN SEE THAT THERE'S THE CITY OF AUSTIN HOMEPAGE.
I WISH UPON YOU ALL THE TRAVIS COUNTY HOMEPAGE, CITY OF AUSTIN HOMEPAGE, WHERE TO GET VACCINATED.
AND THEN OF COURSE, VACCINES.GOV ALSO FOR PRIVATE VACCINATION PROVIDERS FIND A COVID VACCINE IN YOUR AREA, UH, FOR EXAMPLE, 7, 8, 6, 5, 3 AS A ZIP CODE SET THE SEARCH RADIUS TO FIVE MILES AND SEARCH FOR VACCINES.
YOU CAN SEE THAT THIS ILLUSTRATES WHY IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE BOTH AUSTIN, PUBLIC HEALTH AND THE COUNTY COLLABORATIVE CONTINUE WORKING IN THE EASTERN CRESCENT.
UH, ONE MAJOR REASON IS THAT THE COMMERCIAL PHARMACIES SIMPLY ARE NOT AVAILABLE, UH, IN MANY OF THE ZIP CODES IN THIS PART OF OUR COUNTY.
SO CAN STOP SHARING NOW, CHUCK, DO YOU, WOULD YOU MIND SHOWING JUST REAL QUICK THAT MAP, THAT Y'ALL DID, I THOUGHT THAT WAS HELPFUL FLIPPING THROUGH THAT IF PEOPLE COULDN'T SEE THAT PREVIOUSLY, THE ONE WITH THE RED DOTS, ABSOLUTELY.
WE'RE ABLE TO SHARE THE SAME WAY ONE WITH THE RED DOTS.
AH, THAT WOULD BE OUR, OUR COLLABORATIVE.
AND I, IT LOOKS LIKE I HAVE TO STOP SHARING AND THEN RESHARE.
SO HERE IT IS, JUDGE, CAN YOU SEE THAT? YES.
SO THESE ARE OUR VARIOUS LOCATIONS WHERE WE APPEAR THROUGHOUT THE WEEK, UM, IN THE VARIOUS ZIP CODES AND THE NUMBERS IN EACH EACH DOT INDICATE THE NUMBER OF SHOTS DELIVERED ON THAT PARTICULAR DAY.
SO THESE ARE THE LOCATIONS, JUDGE, MAYOR PRO CAMP COUNCIL, WHERE WE WILL CONTINUE WORKING, UH, ON OUR STRIKE TEAMS. WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF RENEWING, UH, OUR CONTRACT, OUR COUNTY CONTRACT WITH ASCENSION SETON.
THE OTHER PARTNERS THAT WE WORK WITH CONSISTENTLY ARE THE TEXAS ARMY GUARD, OF COURSE, AUSTIN, PUBLIC HEALTH.
UH, BUT WE, WE DO IDENTIFY, RECOGNIZE THE NEED FOR US TO CONTINUE OUR EFFORTS.
WE ARE ALSO WORKING ON A PLAN, UH, TO ASSIST OUR INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICTS, UH, PRIMARILY IN THE EASTERN CRESCENT AT THE POINT WHERE WE HAVE AN EMERGENCY USE AUTHORIZATION TO, UH, ADMINISTER VACCINATIONS TO CHILDREN UNDER 12.
AND WE MEET WEEKLY WITH THE, UH, ISD SUPERINTENDENTS.
AND WE DO WANT TO WORK CLOSELY WITH THEM, UH, TO HAVE A PLAN IN PLACE AT THE POINT WHERE WE CAN BEGIN, UH, SCHEDULING MORE STRIKE TEAM VISITS IN SCHOOLS, UH, TO MEET THE NEED AND THE DEMAND FOR, UH, VACCINATIONS FOR KIDS
[00:55:03]
AT THIS TIME, I WILL STOP SHARING JUDGE, TURN IT BACK OVER TO YOU FOR QUESTIONS.JUDGE WANT TO TURN IT OVER TO CONSTABLE MIRALIS FOR AN UPDATE FROM, UH, FROM PRECINCT FOUR, CONSTABLE THANK YOU.
GOOD MORNING, COMMISSIONERS, JUDGE, COUNCIL MEMBERS, AND MAYOR.
WE CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON OUTREACH AND EDUCATION DOING THE WORK TO ENSURE THAT OUR STRIKE TEAMS AND OUR COLLABORATIVE AND OUR PARTNERS ARE SUCCESSFUL.
OUR MOBILE VACCINE TEAMS HAVE GAVE OUT A COMBINED 781 SHOTS THIS PAST SEVEN DAYS WITH A TOTAL OF 3,868 FOR THIS MONTH.
UH, WE HANDED OUT A TOTAL OF 2,800 FLYERS WITH AN ADDITIONAL 893 PHONE CALLS TO THE TARGET AREAS.
WE WILL STILL CONTINUE TO TARGET AREAS IN THE 7 8 7 5 8 2 4 41 DEL VALLEY, AUSTIN COLONY.
WE WILL CONTINUE WORKING WITH LSD TARGETING TITLE, ONE SCHOOLS THAT ARE IN HIGHLY EFFECTED ZIP CODES THIS WEEK.
WE'RE, UH, WE'LL BE AT LANGFORD COOK ELEMENTARY AND OF COURSE THE, UH, DEL VALLEY OPPORTUNITY CENTER AND DAILY MIDDLE SCHOOL AND THE DEL VALLEY COMMUNITY.
UM, WE WANT TO THANK A COUPLE OF OUR PARTNERS THIS WEEK, ESPECIALLY WITH OUR COMMUNITY LEADERS, UH, CONSTABLE AS I'M BY SETTLES COMMISSIONER TREVELYAN, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER, RUDY MATEO FOR BEING OUR HOST THIS WEEKEND OR THIS PAST WEEKEND AND THE PAST WEEK AND THE PFLUGERVILLE COMMUNITY.
UM, UH, ALSO THIS WEEK, WE'RE LOOKING AT SOME UNIQUE STUFF THIS WEEK.
WE WILL BE GOING, UH, INTO THE VILLAGE OF THE CORDOBAS THIS WEEK.
UH, IT'S A PUBLIC HOUSING COMMUNITY, UH, ALONG WITH THE
ONE, UH, IMPORTANT, UH, MICAH IS SAN JOSE CATHOLIC CHURCH.
UM, OF COURSE, UH, THE TWO DAILY ARMY, TWO INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICTS, UM, THAT WE WORK WITH ONE FOCUS, LANGFORD, UH, ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND COOK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
UM, SO FAR WE DID, UH, AN AMAZING JOB THIS WEEK, BECAUSE AGAIN, WE KNEW THAT THE WEATHER HAD A LOT OF PLAY WITH US COMING INTO THIS WEEKEND, BUT, UH, WE STAYED FOCUSED AND CONTINUE TO GO OUT THERE AND, AND KIND OF PUSHED OUR AGENDA MORE EFFECTIVELY TO WHERE PEOPLE COULD UNDERSTAND, EVEN IF WE HAD TO SHOW UP AT SITES, UH, LOCAL GROCERY STORES, AND JUST HAND OUT THE INFORMATION TO EDUCATE THESE PEOPLE ABOUT THE VACCINE.
UM, ONE, ONE IMPORTANT THING IS AS JUDGE, UH, ANNIE BROWN, UH, SET UP A CLINIC FOR US AT THE PIPE FITTERS UNION.
AND WE WERE SUPER IMPRESSED BECAUSE WE HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE TAKE THE SHOT THAT WERE FROM, UM, OUR LOCAL AUSTIN AREA AND SURROUNDING AREAS.
SO WE WERE EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
UM, I'LL TURN THIS BACK OVER TO YOU.
I'VE GOT A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS FOR YOU CONSTABLE, BUT WE'LL WAIT.
SO, UH, WE'LL DO IT AS NORMAL.
WE'LL GO THROUGH THE COMMISSIONERS AND THEN ME, AND THEN WE'LL GO THROUGH THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THE MAYOR PRO TEM FOR QUESTIONS.
AND WE'LL START OFF WITH JUDGE YOUR AUDIO CUTOUT RIGHT THERE.
YOU SAID WE WOULD START OFF WITH, IS THAT IS THE VIDEO WORKING? WE CAN HEAR Y'ALL AGAIN.
SO I'M GOING TO RECOGNIZE COMMISSIONER MARGARET GUMBO.
UM, BUT I CONTINUE TO BE IMPRESSED WITH THE EFFORTS THAT WE'RE ALL MAKING, CONTINUING TO MAKE AND, AND TRYING TO FIND NEW PLACES TO GO TO, UH, TO TRY TO CONVINCE PEOPLE TO GET VACCINATED.
UM, I HOPE THE WEATHER DOESN'T HOLD US UP THIS WEEK.
UH, BUT, UM, UH, BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY WE NEED THE RAIN, BUT WE'LL STILL TRY TO, TO, UH, MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO REACH AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE.
SO, BUT, UM, UH, THANKS VERY MUCH FOR ALL OF THE EFFORTS THAT PEOPLE ARE MAKING.
UH, UM, AND, UM, AND I DO, I AM BEGINNING TO HEAR SOME FOLKS SAYING THAT, UM, THEY WILL GET THEIR SHOTS.
SO I GUESS WE JUST KIND OF NEED TO BE AT THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
BUT, UM, UH, I REALLY APPRECIATE IT FOR EVERYBODY'S EFFORTS.
I THINK JUDGE, UM, UH, MY USUAL GRATITUDE TO ALL OF THE STAFF AND THE EMPLOYEES AND THE VOLUNTEERS THAT ARE HELPING TO TRY AND KEEP OUR COMMUNITY SAFER.
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HORRIFIED THAT OUR STATE LEADERS ARE SUING SCHOOL DISTRICTS THAT ARE JUST TRYING TO KEEP THEIR KIDS SAFE.AND I WANTED TO ASK WHAT FURTHER INFORMATION WE MIGHT HAVE ABOUT THIS.
THERE WAS A STORY ON THE FRONT PAGE OF THE STATESMAN THIS SUNDAY, AND THE HEADLINE SAID FEWER CASES IN DISTRICTS WITH MASK MANDATES.
AND IT WENT ON TO SAY THE AUSTIN SCHOOL DISTRICT, WHICH WAS THE FIRST IN THE AREA TO REQUIRE FACE COVERINGS IN DEFIANCE OF GOVERNOR GREG ABBOTT, EXECUTIVE ORDER, BANNING DISTRICTS FOR MANDATING MASKS AS REPORTED THE FEWEST CASES PER 1000 PEOPLE, 10.4 AMONG THE DISTRICTS ANALYZED BY THE STATESMAN.
AND I DON'T KNOW ALL THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS THEY ANALYZE, BUT I'D LIKE YOUR ANY, UH, ANY INFORMATION OR GUIDANCE THAT YOU CAN GIVE US ABOUT THIS ISSUE, BECAUSE IT JUST SEEMS LIKE RECKLESS ENDANGERMENT THAT THE GOVERNOR IS TRYING TO PREVENT SCHOOL DISTRICTS FROM PROTECTING CHILDREN.
I'M ASSUMING YOUR DATA WILL, UH, CORRESPOND WITH WHAT THE STATE'S BEEN FOUND.
AND THERE WAS A GRAPH THAT SAID, I THINK, UM, UH, SCHOOL CHILDREN WHO WORE MASKS, UM, WERE THREE AND A HALF TIMES LESS LIKELY TO GET INFECTIONS.
UH, YES, YES, MA'AM THAT THREE AND A HALF TIMES LESS LIKELY TO HAVE CASES AND OUTBREAKS AND, AND YES, WE, WE'RE CONTINUING TO SUPPORT OUR ISD IN THEIR PLANNING AND EFFORTS TO IMPLEMENT MEASURES, TO PROTECT CHILDREN.
AND, UM, IT'S A DIFFICULT TIME BECAUSE OF THE CLIMATE THAT WE FIND OURSELVES IN.
UM, CAN YOU JUST REMIND US THE, THE, THE VERY SPECIFIC DATA ABOUT THE, UH, OUTBREAK OF COVID IN SCHOOLS, UH, IN OUR COVERAGE AREA, IN TRAVIS COUNTY AREA AND, UH, AND, UH, THE NUMBER OF HOSPITALIZATIONS? SURE.
SO THE CURRENT NUMBER OF CASES IN SCHOOLS IS FOUR HUNDRED AND TWENTY NINE, THREE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY FIVE OF THOSE ARE STUDENT CASES AND THAT'S WITH INFECTIONS AND THEN THE NUMBERS IN HOSPITAL AND CURRENTLY IN HOSPITAL, THERE ARE 11 PEDIATRIC CASES AND HA AND, UH, AND NONE OF THOSE WERE VACCINATED.
THEY'RE ALL UNVACCINATED, BOULDER, AND, UH, TWO ARE IN ICU AND ONE IS ON A VENTILATOR.
UM, I ALSO WANT TO, UH, TO THANK THE TEAM FOR THE HARD WORK AND CONSISTENT WORK, UH, THAT HAS BEEN DONE.
UH, MY QUESTION IS MORE ALONG THE LINES OF HOW ARE WE COLLECTING LESSONS LEARNED IN REAL TIME.
AND, AND WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS, YOU KNOW, WE, WE HAD THE ORIGINAL OUTBREAK AND, UH, AND STEPS WERE TAKEN TO ADDRESS THE SPREAD.
AND, BUT THEN WE HAD A DELTA VARIANT AND THEN, UH, THE, THE NUMBERS EXPLODED AGAIN.
I IMAGINE THAT WE CAN EXPECT ANOTHER VARIANT AT SOME POINT.
AND MY QUESTION IS, UH, WHAT ARE WE DOING TO CAPTURE LESSONS LEARNED? SO WE CAN DO A BETTER JOB OF CREATING SYSTEMS RATHER THAN TRANSACTIONS, HOW WE EXTENDING OUR REACH AND THE HARD TO REACH COMMUNITIES.
AND ARE WE BUILDING ANY TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES? SO PEOPLE WHO ARE INTERESTED IN THE HEALTHCARE FIELD, UH, CAN, UH, CAN FIND THEIR WAY TO TRAINING SO THAT THEY CAN ASSIST IN THIS OUTREACH EFFORT.
SO THAT THAT'S A MULTI-LAYERED QUESTION AND I'LL START, UM, I THINK NOT, NOT, NOT, I THINK I KNOW, UM, THROUGHOUT THE RESPONSE, UM, WE HAVE RECEIVED UNFETTERED FEEDBACK FROM CLIENTS, UM, WHETHER ON THE SPOT OR THROUGH OUR SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS OR PEOPLE SENDING US EMAILS.
SO THAT'S AS REAL TIME AS IT CAN GET.
UM, WE'VE HAD SEVERAL ITERATIONS OF SURVEYS.
UM, SENDERO HAS DONE THEIR SURVEY AT LEAST THREE TIMES.
I KNOW THAT THE COUNTY, UM, THE APH TEAM JUMPED ON THE COUNTY COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS, UM, OF THE, ON THE SPOT VACCINE SURVEYS THAT THEY WERE GIVING OUT TO FOLKS AFTER THEY GOT SHOT.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S IN REAL TIME.
UM, AND SO, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO THAT.
LIKE EVERY OPPORTUNITY THAT WE HAVE TO, UM, ASK SOMEONE ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCE OR TO, UM, WHEN THE EDUCATION TEAMS AND THE CHWS ARE OUT IN THE
[01:05:01]
FIELD.UM, TALKING TO FOLKS ABOUT VACCINE WHERE WE'RE RECORDING THAT INFORMATION, AND I WILL SAY ONE OF THE OTHER UNMET NEEDS, UM, THAT, THAT TEAM DAYLIGHTED FOR ME WAS THAT THERE ARE, IF THERE ARE OUT THERE IN THE FIELD AND THESE ARE THE EDUCATORS AND THE CHWS, AND THEY GET THAT PERSON TO BE VACCINATED, THEN THEY HAVE TO LIKE DIRECT THEM TO A SHOT AND HOW GREAT IT WOULD BE IF THEY COULD HAVE, UM, A VACCINATOR WITH THEM.
BUT THERE'S JUST NOT ENOUGH NURSING POOL TO, TO STAFF ALL OF THOSE POSITIONS THAT WE WOULD NEED OUT IN THE FIELD.
YOU WOULD NEED AN RN LEVEL PERSON TO ADMINISTER A SHOT.
AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE WORKING THROUGH.
SO THAT, THAT PROCESS OF COLLECTING REAL TIME DATA, UM, CONTINUES WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT, UM, HOW WE BUILD UP OUR PUBLIC HEALTH WORKFORCE.
SO THERE'S ONE OPPORTUNITY THAT WE ALREADY HAVE IN PLAY WITH THE CENTRAL TEXAS ALLIED HEALTH INSTITUTE, UM, WHERE THROUGH A WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT GRANT, UH, FROM AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, WE ARE SUPPORTING THAT PROGRAM.
AND, UM, THE NEXT LEVEL OF CONVERSATION IS HOW WE CREATE AN EXTERNSHIP, UH, PROGRAM, SIMILAR TO WHAT WE HAVE WITH ACC OR UT SCHOOL OF NURSING TO HAVE THOSE STUDENTS, UM, WORK WITH US IN THE FIELD, EITHER AT ONE OF OUR CLINICS OR, UM, WITH OUR STRIKE TEAMS TO GET THAT, THAT REAL TIME, UM, EXPOSURE.
UM, WE'RE ALSO THINKING ABOUT WAYS THAT WE CAN EXPAND OUR AMERICORPS PROGRAM TO EXPOSE, UH, STUDENTS TO CAREERS IN PUBLIC HEALTH.
AND SO THERE'S A STRONG PROGRAM THAT WE HAVE WITH LOCAL HIGH SCHOOLS ARE ALSO UNDERWAY AND, UM, KIDS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY.
STUDENTS RATHER HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO ROTATIONS THROUGH THE DIFFERENT DIVISIONS IN AUSTIN, PUBLIC HEALTH, SO THAT THEY HAVE THAT LEVEL OF EXPERIENCE OF EXPERIENCE.
UM, I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE LONG RANGE PLAN.
LIKE HOW DO WE BUILD THAT OUT AS A COMMUNITY, BUT THOSE ARE SOME OF THE PLACES WHERE AS A CITY OF A DEPARTMENT WHERE WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO HAVE THAT IMPACT.
AND IF THERE WAS A THIRD POINT TO YOUR QUESTION, IT, IT WENT THERE.
UM, IF YOU WANNA REFRESH ME ON WHAT THAT WAS, SIR.
NO, I THINK, I THINK YOU HIT MOST OF THE POINTS I'M INTERESTED IN MAKING SURE THAT, THAT WE, UH, BUILD TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES.
AND THEN, UM, AND I'M PARTICULARLY INTERESTED IN HOW WE BUILD SOME OF THOSE OPPORTUNITIES IN HARD TO REACH COMMUNITIES.
FOR EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW, LBJ HAS A SCIENCE EMPHASIS.
THEY DON'T HAVE A SCIENCE ACADEMY ANYMORE, BUT THERE, THE CURRICULUM SHOULD BE DESIGNED TO HELP STUDENTS FIND THEIR WAY INTO SCIENCE, OUR RELATED CURRICULUM.
AND I'M JUST TRYING TO, UH, TO LOOK AT ALL THE TOUCH POINTS, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE COMMUNICATING REGULARLY WITH SOME OF THOSE PEOPLE IN COMMUNITIES, UH, THAT, UH, THAT COULD BE HELPFUL IN REACHING SOME OF OUR HARD TO REACH NEIGHBORHOODS.
SO I THINK THAT, I THINK THAT YOU ANSWERED THE QUESTION OF, THANK YOU.
I HAVE A CHANCE TO MEET OF THE STUDENTS WORKING WITH, UH, DR.
THOMAS HOCKADAY THIS WEEKEND, AND IT WAS GLAD TO, I WAS GLAD TO SEE THE PIPELINE HAPPENING, MAYBE ALL TOO SMALL, BUT I WAS GLAD TO SEE IT.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO THANK EVERYBODY FOR THE HARD WORK AS COMMISSIONER GOMEZ SAID, WE'RE NOT FINISHED.
WE HAVE TO KEEP OFFERING, UH, SHOTS, UH, AND JUST KEEP IT UP BY.
AND I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU AND JUST APPRECIATE, UH, INTERIM DIRECTOR, ADRIAN STIRRUP.
I THINK YOU HAVE STEPPED INTO A POSITION IN, YOU'RE JUST DOING AN AMAZING JOB COMMUNICATING AND I I'M SO GLAD TO KNOW YOU.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER HOWARD.
UM, HEY, SO MY QUESTION IS, SO IF WE GET THE AUTHORIZATION, WHICHEVER, I SOUNDS LIKE WE WILL VERY SOON TO START GIVING SHOTS TO KIDS WHO ARE UNDER 12.
AND I GUESS BETWEEN FIVE AND 11, IT SEEMS LIKE THAT WE'LL DO A COUPLE OF THINGS.
ONE IS GOING TO SHIFT THE PERCENTAGE OF OUR POPULATION THAT IS VACCINATED INSTEAD OF, OR OF OUR ELIGIBLE POPULATION.
SO THAT NUMBER WILL, WILL DROP.
AND I'M CURIOUS, KIND OF ON TWO FRONTS, UH, I GUESS WHAT HAVE WE LOOKED AT? WHAT, LIKE, IF WE GET THE SIMILAR PERCENTAGE, LIKE 60% OF KIDS WHO ARE FIVE TO 11 VACCINATED, WHERE WOULD OUR OVERALL RATE BE? IS THAT AN EASY QUESTION? UH, EITHER DR.
STIRRUP, HAVE WE HAVE, Y'ALL LOOKED AT THAT, LIKE WHAT OUR OVERALL RATE BE IF OUR OVERALL RATE RIGHT NOW, THE FULL POPULATION IS 61%, ACCORDING TO THE NEW YORK TIMES, WOULD VACCINATING A SIMILAR PERCENTAGE OF KIDS, FIVE TO 11, BRING
[01:10:01]
US UP TO 70% OVERALL, OR DO WE KNOW, IS THAT NOT SOMETHING I'VE LOOKED AT YET IF I'M MAKING AND THAT PARTICULAR CALCULATION, BUT I WILL, SIR.I, I BELIEVE THAT WOULD TAKE US WELL OVER, BUT I'M NOT SURE.
UM, AND THEN CUSTOMER MORALES, I KNOW YOU AND I, AND CHUCK AND THE ISD SUPERINTENDENT SPOKE A LITTLE BIT YESTERDAY ABOUT A POSSIBLE WAY TO START PLANNING FOR VACCINATING KIDS, MAINLY IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS IN THE EASTERN CRESCENT OF TRAVIS COUNTY IN PARTICULAR.
COULD YOU JUST, JUST TO SORT OF START THAT CONVERSATION, WOULD YOU MIND SAYING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT, WHAT YOUR PLANS ARE THERE? SURE, JUDGE, UM, OUR TEAM HAS STARTED WORKING, UM, IN THE LAST MONTH AND A HALF, ALMOST TWO MONTHS ON, UM, TARGETING TITLE ONE SCHOOLS AND SCHOOLS IN THE EASTERN CRESCENT THAT HAVE, ARE HIGHLY AFFECTED BY COVID.
UM, AS YOU SEE RIGHT NOW, WE ARE CURRENTLY DO THAT.
I DID INVITE JOHN LAWLER WHO WORKED ON A SKELETON WITH ME.
UM, AND I'D LIKE TO GIVE HIM, LET HIM GET A LITTLE BIT MORE INPUT ON THE DIRECTION WE'RE GOING THERE.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN HEAR ME OR SEEMING YEP.
WELL, UH, THANK YOU, CONSTABLE.
AND THANK YOU COMMISSIONERS, JUDGE, MAYOR, AND COUNCIL.
UM, JUST TO GIVE A QUICK UPDATE ON WHAT THE CONSTABLE WAS LAYING OUT.
WE'VE, UH, BEEN LOOKING AT THE FULL AMOUNT OF SCHOOLS THAT WE WOULD NEED TO SET UP CLINICS AND BOTH TITLE ONE SCHOOLS, AND THEN ALSO SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND THE EASTERN CRESCENT, UM, RIGHT NOW WITH OUR EXISTING CLINICAL CAPACITY THAT WE'VE SLOWLY BEEN INCREASING, UH, WHICH BIG SHOUT OUT TO ASCENSION SEED AND THE CLINICAL PROVIDERS AT THE COUNTY COLLABORATIVE.
WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO INCREASE OUR CLINICAL CAPACITY, WHICH MEANS THAT WHEN WE GET THE WORD THAT WE CAN PROVIDE PEDIATRIC VACCINATIONS FIVE THROUGH 12, WE COULD, IF WE NEEDED TO AND WANTED TO GO OUT AND TAKE ON ONE SPECIFIC SCHOOL DISTRICT OVER THE COURSE OF A WEEK, PROVIDE A VACCINE CLINIC ONCE, TWICE, THREE TIMES AT EACH OF THOSE SCHOOL COMMUNITIES.
AND ONE WEEK SIMILARLY, WE WOULD KEEP UP OUR GROCERY STORE CAMPAIGNS, THE GROCERY STORE LOCATIONS.
A LOT OF TIMES WHEN WE HAVE A VACCINE CLINIC AT A TITLE ONE SCHOOL, WE'LL ACTUALLY SEE SOME OF THOSE FAMILIES COME IN FOR THEIR SECOND DOSE, UM, AT ONE OF THOSE GROCERY STORE LOCATIONS, BECAUSE IT'S MORE CONVENIENT THAN TIME AND LOCATION FOR THAT FOLLOW-UP SO IT WOULD BE A BIFURCATED APPROACH KEEPING UP OUR CONSISTENT PRESENCE AT THESE NEIGHBORHOOD HUBS WHILE AT THE SAME TIME, TRYING TO PUT AS MUCH AS WE COULD AND TO TRY AND TO PROVIDE AS MUCH ACCESS IMMEDIATELY TO THOSE TITLE ONE SCHOOLS AND SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
SO IF I UNDERSTAND IT CORRECTLY, AND WE TALKED TO THE SUPERINTENDENT OF DEL VALLEY ISD AND SEVERAL OTHERS THAT I THINK WERE INTERESTED IN US WORKING TOGETHER.
SO BASICALLY THE FIRST WEEK WE TRY OUR BEST TO VACCINATE THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS IN DEL VALLEY AS BEST WE CAN AND SEE, AND THEN FROM THERE, WHAT WE USE, WHAT WE LEARNED TO GO TO THE OTHER, UH, TITLE ONE SCHOOLS LIKE YOU TALKED ABOUT, IS THAT MORE OR LESS THE PLAN OR THE, THE THEORY, I GUESS CONSTABLE OR, OR YES, YES, JUDGE.
THAT'S GOING TO BE KIND OF THE THEORY OF IT, BUT WE WERE STILL DOING AT LEAST TWO TITLE ONE SCHOOLS A WEEK ALONG WITH TWO ADDITIONAL HUBS.
SO THAT, THAT STAYS STATIC THERE.
UM, SO WE'RE DOING FOUR SCHOOLS.
WE'LL USE THE VALLEY FOR AN EXAMPLE, YOU HAVE EIGHT SCHOOLS WE'RE CAPABLE OF DOING ALL EIGHT SCHOOLS, UM, WITHIN THAT, WITHIN THAT WEEK, MULTIPLE SCHOOLS A DAY TO INCLUDE AISD SCHOOLS THERE IN THE TITLE ONE AREAS.
UM, I THINK, UM, AGAIN, JUST LOOKING FORWARD, UH, YOU'RE, UH, DIRECTOR STRIPS SAY, AND SHE GETS GREAT POINTS ABOUT RESOURCES AND, AND THE NEED OUT THERE.
UM, WE'RE DEFINITELY GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT IF IT HAPPENED TOMORROW, WE'RE READY, BUT IF IT PROLONGS US, UH, AS FAR AS RESOURCES GO, WE NEED TO BE LOOKING AT THAT HERE IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
AND WE'LL TALK MAYBE MORE ABOUT THAT IN THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT PART, BUT I DO UNDERSTAND THAT Y'ALL ARE GETTING STRESSED, THEN YOU'VE BEEN DOING GREAT WORK OVER THIS ENTIRE PERIOD.
SO IT'S A CONVERSATION WE'RE GONNA NEED TO HAVE.
UM, ARE YOU BACK AND THIS I'M BACK, BUT I'M GOING TO NEED TO LEAVE AGAIN HERE SHORTLY.
SO I'LL LET THE MAYOR PRO TEM, UH, UH, TAKE THE HELMET HERE.
AND I THINK WE START WITH DISTRICT ONE.
UM, TO MY QUESTION IS, UH, WHETHER OR NOT THERE ARE ANY GIVEN THAT IT'S FLU SEASON AND I HAVE BUMPED INTO A COUPLE OF FOLKS, UM, WHO'VE GOTTEN THE FLU SO FAR AND FOR THE SAKE OF FULL DISCLOSURE, I HAVEN'T FELT GREAT THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS, BUT MY COVID TEST CAME BACK NEGATIVE.
I KNOW THIS IS A CONVERSATION ABOUT COVID-19, BUT I, I CAN'T HELP, BUT WONDER IF THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO OFFER FLU VACCINES ALONGSIDE COVID-19 VACCINES AT SOME OF THESE EVENTS.
IS THAT AN, IS THAT AN OPTION?
[01:15:04]
UM, FOR AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, WE ARE PLANNING TO PUSH FLEW IN, UH, WHEREVER POSSIBLE WHEN WE'RE GIVEN COVID-19 WE'RE RIDING WITH THAT TAGLINE TWO SHOTS, TWO ARMS. AND SO WHEREVER WE CAN MAXIMIZE THE OPPORTUNITY, UH, TO PROTECT THE COMMUNITY FROM BOTH COVID AND FLU WE ARE DOING SO.AND JUST TO OFFER SOME FOLKS A LITTLE BIT OF CLARITY, MY OFFICE HAS RECEIVED A FEW QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW OLD YOU CAN BE TO GET THE FLU SHOT.
WE SAW SOMEWHERE THAT YOU COULD BE SIX MONTHS OLD AND RECEIVE VACCINE FOR FLU.
IS THAT ACCURATE? YES, MA'AM THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
I'M GOING TO ASK MY QUESTION REAL FAST, CAUSE I WON'T BE HERE THROUGH THE END OF THIS.
UH, AND I APPRECIATE THAT OPPORTUNITY.
WACHS, WOULD YOU TALK ABOUT, UH, THE PERCENTAGE OF PEOPLE AT OUR LOCAL HOSPITALS THAT ARE FROM OUTSIDE OF TRAVIS COUNTY? AND I RAISED THAT JUST BECAUSE THE VACCINATION RACE, IT WAS TO VARY BY COUNTY.
ARE WE SEEING ANY OF THAT REFLECTED IN OUR, OUR HOSPITALS? YES.
WE'RE STARTING TO SEE A HIGHER PERCENTAGE OF PEOPLE FROM OUTSIDE TRAVIS COUNTY BEING HOSPITALIZED IN OUR HOSPITALS NOW.
UM, AND THEY'RE PRIMARILY COMING FROM THOSE AREAS WHERE THERE ARE LOWER VACCINATION RATES.
I RAISED THAT ISSUE ONLY BECAUSE I, WE TALK ABOUT THE DISPARITY WE SEE IN SCHOOLS, UH, AS IT RELATES TO INFECTIONS ALSO IMPACTS COUNTIES.
AND OBVIOUSLY THE PEOPLE THAT ARE IN HOSPITALS, YOU KNOW, ABOUT WHAT THE PERCENTAGE IS OF PEOPLE IN OUR HOSPITALS LOCALLY HERE THAT ARE COMING FROM OUT OF COUNTY RIGHT NOW IT'S 58%, UM, ADAM COUNTY.
UH, AND I MENTIONED THAT AGAIN, BECAUSE THERE'S, WE'RE LOOKING FOR, WE STILL, WE'RE COMING DOWN ON STAFFING LEVEL ON THE OCCUPANCY, IN OUR ICU'S AND HOSPITALS, WHICH IS REALLY GOOD, STILL HIGH OR STILL STRAIN A AND NOW THAT WE'RE ACTING MORE AND MORE EVERY REGIONAL RESOURCE, UH, I HOPE THAT THE LEGISLATURE, WHEN IT'S, UH, UH, DISTRIBUTING THE $16 MILLION IN SUPPORT MONEY, I HOPE THEY TAKE A LOOK AT THAT AND HELP US SEND CITIES LIKE US, UH, WITH THE STAFF AGAIN, HOSPITALS, UM, UH, AND SUPPORT, BECAUSE WE'RE REALLY ARE PERFORMING A REGIONAL ROLE AT THIS POINT.
THANK YOU, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, FOR WHAT THIS THANK YOU.
AND THANK YOU FOR TODAY'S PRESENTATION.
I ESPECIALLY APPRECIATE THE UPDATE ON THE RESOLUTION, THE BOOSTER SHOT STRATEGY RESOLUTION THAT AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL PASSED A COUPLE MONTHS AGO.
IT WAS A REALLY GOOD AND THOROUGH UPDATE, SUPER INFORMATIVE.
AND SO DIRECTOR STRIPPER REALLY APPRECIATE, UM, THE PRESENTATION.
AND I THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, I WANTED TO SHARE THAT PART OF THE REASON WHY I BROUGHT FORWARD THAT POLICY WAS, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE ALL STAND UNITED IN WANTING TO SET A CLEAR MESSAGE TO OUR CONSTITUENTS, THAT WE WILL DELIVER A BOOSTER SHOT STRATEGY THAT IS ROOTED IN EQUITY, AND THAT BUILDS UPON THE LESSONS LEARNED.
AND I APPRECIATE THAT IN YOUR PRESENTATION THIS MORNING, YOU WENT, UH, W YOU WENT THROUGH IN DETAIL, THE LESSONS LEARNED ON HOW THE INITIAL VACCINE ROLLOUT HAPPENED AND HOW WE CAN IMPROVE, UH, FOR MANY IN OUR COMMUNITIES, ESPECIALLY IN MY COMMUNITY AND DISTRICT TWO, UH, THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT MISTRUST IN PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS.
AND SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, HAVING A PLAN, UH, A LIVABLE BREATHING DOCUMENT, UH, SO TO SPEAK THAT WE CAN CHANGE AND UPDATE AND TWEAK AS WE NOW MOVE, UH, TOWARDS THIS NEXT PHASE OF THE VACCINATION.
UM, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT WE HAD THIS PRESENTATION JOINTLY BECAUSE AS TRAVIS COUNTY ELECTED OFFICIALS AND CITY COUNCIL ELECTED OFFICIALS, YOU KNOW, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE.
UM, AS WE MOVE TO THIS NEXT PHASE OF THE VACCINE, AND WE'VE SEEN EVEN JUST IN THE LAST FEW DAYS, HOW FLUID IT IS WITH THE FDA APPROVALS AND THE CDC GUIDELINES.
UM, SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, HAVING AN INFORMATION CAMPAIGN THAT'S REALLY ROOTED AND SHARING, UM, THE DETAILS OF WHO'S ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE THE BOOSTER, WHY IT'S IMPORTANT, UH, THE SCIENCE BEHIND IT, AND, UM, AND GETTING THAT INFORMATION OUT THERE AS CLEARLY AS POSSIBLE IS GOING TO BE IMPERATIVE.
AND SO I, UM, WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR HARD WORK, YOUR LIFE-SAVING WORK, AND HELPING US WITH THIS VACCINE DISTRIBUTION.
MY QUESTION TODAY IS, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT KNOWING THAT BOOSTER SHOTS ARE NOW
[01:20:01]
AVAILABLE, THE PFIZER BOOTH BOOSTER SHOTS ARE NOW AVAILABLE FOR CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS.UM, WHAT THE CITY PLAN ON DOING TO MITIGATE, UH, CAPACITY CONCERNS ON HOW, AND WE STILL HAVE COMMUNITIES THAT ARE STRUGGLING TO REACH THAT 70% FULLY VACCINATED.
THAT'S GREAT THAT THAT'S OUR COUNTY NUMBER, BUT WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE CERTAIN POCKETS IN OUR COUNTY THAT ARE NOT AT 70%, SOME THAT ARE NOT CLOSE TO 70%.
SO HOW WILL WE CONTINUE TO ACHIEVE THAT? WE'RE ADDRESSING VACCINE HESITANCY TO GET PEOPLE TO TAKE THE FIRST SHOT.
UH, YOU MENTIONED THAT THE INCENTIVES WERE ONE AREA THAT WE'RE SUCCESSFUL IN OUR OUTREACH AND ONE THAT YOU RECOMMEND MOVING FORWARD, BUT THERE ARE SOME CAPACITY CONCERNS AND RESOURCES NEEDED.
SO IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND DIRECTOR STIRRUPS, JUST TOUCHING ON WHAT MORE CAN BE DOING ON THAT FRONT TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE STILL CENTERING OUTREACH TO OUR MOST VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER FONTUS.
AND SO, YEAH, TO, TO BE CLEAR, OUR FOCUS WILL BE ON MAKING SURE THAT OUR COMMUNITY HAS THAT INITIAL LAYER OF PROTECTION.
AND SO, UM, BOOSTERS ARE IMPORTANT, UM, BUT WE WILL NOT, UH, WE ARE NOT AT A POINT WHERE WE HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION ABOUT WHAT OPERATIONS TO SUPPORT.
AND SO, UM, AS I SAID, DELCO WAS ADDED AS AN ADDITIONAL SITE.
WE HAD REALLY GOOD TRACTION THERE, UM, FOR THE INITIAL VACCINE.
AND WE BOUGHT THAT ONLINE TO, UM, HELP ANY OVERFLOW THAT MIGHT HAPPEN WITH THE BOOSTER ALLOCATION.
UM, I THINK THE FACT THAT, UH, THIS IS GOING TO BE A PHASED APPROACH WILL HELP US WITH THAT.
AS WE KNOW THAT OUR COMMUNITY WAS LARGELY A MATERNAL COMMUNITY FOR THE, THE MAJORITY OF LAST YEAR.
UM, AND THAT SLIDE THAT I SHOWED, UH, THE BREAKDOWN OF WHERE FOLKS ARE GETTING THEIR DOSES IS IMPORTANT FOR THE CONTEXT, BECAUSE NOW WE SEE WITH THE AVAILABILITY AND MORE PROVIDERS ONLINE, A LOT OF PEOPLE AREN'T CHOOSING PHARMACY, WHICH FREES US UP TO ACT IN THAT CAPACITY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE FOCUSING ON THE POPULATION.
SO WE CAN BE CLEAR ABOUT WHAT OUR STRATEGIES ARE.
SO ONE TO MAKE TO GET THAT INITIAL LAYER OF PROTECTION, CAN'T STOP, WON'T STOP.
WE WILL CONTINUE OUR BOOTS ON THE GROUND EFFORTS TO, TO BE IN THOSE PLACES IN SPACES WHERE THE MAP IS STILL NOT LIGHTING UP GREEN TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE GETTING THOSE INITIAL LAYERS OF, UM, PROTECTION OUT TO COMMUNITY.
AND THE FACT THAT THE BOOSTER SHOTS CAN BE ROLLED INTO THOSE OPERATIONS.
IT'S NOT LIKE YOU HAVE TO CHOOSE, YOU CAN GET THEM OUT FROM OUR MOBILE VACCINE TEAM, OR YOU CAN GET THEM FROM ONE OF OUR STATIC LOCATIONS.
SO I THINK ONE OF THE GREATEST IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE MANAGED TO MAKE WAS TO ENABLE THAT WALKUP PROCESS WHERE PEOPLE DIDN'T HAVE TO GO ONLINE AND WAIT FOR HOURS AND WAIT FOR A SPOT TO BECOME AVAILABLE.
THE FACT THAT THAT, THAT BARRIER HAS BEEN ELIMINATED, I THINK GIVES US THE FLEXIBILITY AND THE CAPACITY, UM, TO FOCUS ON THE INITIAL PROTECTION AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE MAKING BOOSTERS AVAILABLE AS WELL.
I'M LOOKING AT THE, UH, TARGETED OCCUPATIONS.
IF WE'RE SENDING STRIKE TEAMS OUT, LET'S SAY TO A CAP METRO EVENT, MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE ENOUGH DOSES TO NOT ONLY DO INITIAL SHOTS, BUT IF ANYONE'S THERE, WHO FEELS LIKE THEY WANT THAT BOOSTER SHOT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING THAT DOUBLE DUTY.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, AS THE CONSTABLE POINTED OUT, WE'RE NOT AT A POINT WHERE RESOURCES ARE AN ISSUE, UM, THROUGH THE PURCHASING PROCESS, WE ARE SECURING SOME MORE INCENTIVES.
THOSE INCENTIVES WILL NOT BE FOR THE BOOSTER PROGRAM, AGAIN, STICKING TO OUR PRIMARY FOCUS OF THAT INITIAL LAYER OF PROTECTION.
SO THAT INCENTIVE PROGRAM WILL BE GEARED TOWARDS GETTING FIRST AND SECOND DOSES IN PLAY.
BUT I THANK YOU FOR YOUR, YOUR QUESTION.
UM, UM, WE JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THOSE THINGS SO THAT IF WE GET TO A POINT WHERE WE'RE HAVING TO CHOOSE OPERATIONS, THIS BODY WON'T BE SURPRISED AND WE CAN GIVE SOME GUIDANCE ABOUT WHATEVER DECISIONS NEED TO BE MADE ABOUT RESOURCES, BUT WE'RE IN A GOOD SPACE RIGHT NOW.
AND COUNCIL MEMBER, JUDGE, IF I MAY JUST ADD TO THAT, UH, THE COUNTY COLLABORATIVE, LIKEWISE, UH, IS OPERATIONALLY READY TO BEGIN DELIVERING BOOSTERS.
UH, WE HAVE CAPACITY AT THE TRAVIS COUNTY EXPO CENTER WHERE WE ARE DOING DRIVE-THROUGH VACCINATIONS EVERY WEEKEND.
UH, WE HAVE, WE HAVE SPACE THERE TO, UH, TO ADD ADDITIONAL LANES.
WE WILL COLLABORATE COOPERATE WITH AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH AS WELL TO BRING IN ANY NECESSARY RESOURCES.
IF WE SEE DEMAND BEGIN TO SPIKE FOR, UH, FOR THE BOOSTER SHOT, UH, AS WELL AS FOR VACCINATING THOSE UNDER 12.
SO, UH, AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, UH, IS THE COUNTY HEALTH AUTHORITY.
UH, THEIR PLAN FOR BOOSTERS IS ESSENTIALLY OUR PLAN, UH, AND WE ARE READY, UH, AND ABLE TO PLUG RIGHT INTO THAT AND MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN GET SHOTS OUT TO THE PUBLIC.
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TARGETED AND FOCUSED APPROACH, ESPECIALLY IN OUR EASTERN CRESCENT.YOU KNOW, AS YOU SHOWED US TODAY WITH THE DATA THAT PHARMACIES ARE A TOP SOURCE FOR GETTING THE VACCINES IN GENERAL, BUT FOR MANY IN OUR COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY MINING DISTRICT TWO, WE DON'T HAVE A FREESTANDING STANDALONE PHARMACY EAST OF 35 SOUTH OF BEN WHITE.
IN FACT, THE FIRST ONE IS BEING BUILT RIGHT NOW.
AND SO KNOWING THE UNIQUE ROLE THAT PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT PLAYS IN THAT ROLLOUT, IN THAT OUTREACH IS CRITICAL.
SO I'M REALLY HEARTENED TO HEAR YOUR FEEDBACK AND YOUR COMMENTS TODAY.
AND I REALLY WANT TO THANK ALL THE STAFF HAS, ESPECIALLY FOR TWO GEORGE MARYELLEN, MY CONSTABLE PRECINCT FOR GEORGE MURALI, YOU KNOW, HE HAS DONE, YOU HAVE DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB.
I, YOU KNOW, I SEE THE NUMBERS OF HISPANIC SHOTS AND THAT YOU HAVE YOUR TEAM HERE MINISTERED, AND IT'S JUST AMAZING, YOU KNOW, AND I REALLY WANT, THANK YOU, BUT I'M STILL CONCERNED THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, OUR NUMBERS ARE STILL LOW, IS THAT, IS THAT WHEN WE, UH, QUOTING THE, UH, THE HISPANIC, UM, VACCINATION TOTALS, IS THAT JUST, THAT, IS THAT INCLUDING THE WHOLE COUNTY OR THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN COUNCIL MEMBER, THE NUMBERS THAT THE COUNTY COLLABORATIVE IS REPORTING ARE FOR THE COUNTY COLLABORATIVE? UH, SO THOSE ARE THE NUMBERS ESSENTIALLY THAT WE ARE DELIVERING, UH, IN TRAVIS COUNTY.
SO OUR, OUR, OUR NUMBERS OF, UH, BACKS AND NECKS ARE MINORITIES.
ARE, ARE THEY HIGHER? IF WE SEPARATE THE CITY FROM THE COUNTY IS WHAT OUR NUMBERS INCREASE.
I I'D HAVE TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT.
OUR, OUR FOCUS HAS BEEN TO LOOK AT THE DATA FOR THE COUNTY.
UM, BUT I CAN ASK THE TEAM TO DO THAT INTUITIVELY I THINK IT WOULD APPEAR THAT WE WERE DOING WELL, JUST BECAUSE, UM, OF THE FACT THAT WE'VE PUSHED OUR BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITIES OUT EITHER NORTH TO PFLUGERVILLE OR SOUTH TO THE EASTERN CRESCENT.
SO, YEAH, I JUST WOULD, I'M VERY CURIOUS.
IT'S SEE IF I, IF I EFFORT IN THE CITY, IT HAS REALLY, IF THE NUMBERS ARE REALLY THAT, UH, HIGHER THAN WHAT'S BEING REPORTED.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IS THAT, AND, AND FOR THE PEOPLE OUT THERE, UH, YOU KNOW, I'M A SENIOR, I'M A, I HAVE THREE GRANDKIDS AND, AND IT, IT WOULD KILL ME NOT TO BE ABLE TO BE AROUND HIM, FUCK HIM ANYMORE OF THAT.
SO I TOOK THE BOOSTER SHOT AND I HAD NO SIDE EFFECTS.
I JUST ASSORTED ON FOR THAT DAY AND THAT'S IT.
SO I ENCOURAGED EVERYONE TO TAKE ONE WHEN IT BECOMES AVAILABLE.
AND THREE DAYS LATER I TOOK THE FLU SHOT.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S EVEN MORE IMPORTANT.
AND THEN A WEEK LATER I TOOK THE SHAKEN SHOT.
SO MY ARMS ARE PRETTY SHOT UP NOW, BUT ANYWAY, IT HAS NO SIDE EFFECTS.
IT JUST A SORE ARM CAUSE SHE GOT A NEEDLE STUCK IN YOUR ARM AND THAT'S IT, YOU KNOW? AND NOW, I MEAN, I'M COMPLETELY, I GO ANYWHERE.
I WANT TO ANYBODY I WANT, SO THIS STILL ALMOST MY MEDICINE, BUT I, I'M NOT AFRAID TO DO ANYTHING LIKE THAT ANYMORE.
SO I ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO TAKE THAT BACKSEAT AND SHOT.
IT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING, AND YOU'RE DOING IT FOR YOUR FAMILY AND YOUR FRIENDS AND FOR ALL THE ALL OF BOSTON.
SO PLEASE GO OUT THERE AND GET YOUR VACCINATION SHOT.
MA'AM I'M GOING TO RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER COSAR AND MAYOR PRO TEM.
I'M ON, I'LL PROBABLY LEAVE, UH, DURING, UH, GREG'S QUESTION.
I'LL TRY TO COME BACK ON MY PHONE.
UM, THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER AT NVIDIA FOR BEING A MODEL FOR EVERYONE.
UH, AND I DO WANT TO DOUBLE DOWN ON YOUR, THANKS TO THE TRAVIS COUNTY STRIKE TEAMS. UH, THANKS MR. LAWLER AND, AND CONSTABLE MIRALIS AND FOR ALL JUST A REALLY HARD WORK.
AND MR. BROTHERTON, I THOUGHT THAT THE MAP SHOWING WHERE THOSE WERE ON EACH DAY WAS REALLY HELPFUL.
SO IT'S JUST, IT'S JUST CLEARLY REALLY TARGETED TO WHERE YOU NEED IT.
AND, UM, AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE HERE IN TRAVIS COUNTY THAT I THINK LOTS OF PEOPLE ACROSS THE COUNTRY WOULD HAVE DO.
SO THANK YOU ALL AGAIN FOR YOUR WORK.
UM, I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT DATA, UH, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU SHOW THE VACCINATIONS BY RACE AND ETHNICITY, THERE'S JUST SO MANY PEOPLE IN THE OTHER CATEGORY, THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE IN THAT CATEGORY.
AND WHILE I'M SURE, AND WE KNOW THAT
[01:30:01]
WE HAVE TOO FEW, UH, OF FOLKS IN COMMUNITIES OF COLOR AND DISTRICTS LIKE MINE WITH EQUAL AMOUNTS OF VACCINE, WE KNOW THAT THE NUMBER IS TOO LOW.IT'S HARD TO KNOW WHAT THE REAL NUMBER IS BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE IN THE OTHER CATEGORY.
DO WE HAVE ANY DATA OR INFORMATION OR INKLING ABOUT THE BREAKDOWN OF PEOPLE THAT ARE MARKING OTHER TO WE HAVE, WHICH ZIP CODES THEY LIVE IN OR JUST ANYTHING SO THAT WE CAN GET A BETTER SENSE OF? YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST, IT'S JUST HARD TO LOOK AT THE CHARTS AND REALLY HAVE AN ACCURATE PICTURE BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY PEOPLE IN THAT CATEGORY.
I CAN, I CAN ASK THE TEAM IF WE CAN PULL THAT INFORMATION OUT SOMEHOW FOR THE COUNTY-WIDE DATA.
I THINK IT WOULD BE EASIER FOR FOLKS WHO ARE IN OUR EHR SYSTEM THAT WE'VE VACCINATED TO, TO PULL OUT THAT DATA, BUT IT WOULD ONLY BE A SMALL SAMPLING, BUT PERHAPS IT WOULD GIVE YOU SOME INDICATION OF WHAT THE LARGER PICTURE IS.
AND IT REALLY JUST COMES DOWN TO HOW PEOPLE CHOOSE TO IDENTIFY, UM, AND HOW THE SYSTEMS, UM, RECONCILE PEOPLE WHO CHOOSE MULTI RACE OR MULTI ETHNICITIES.
SO, AND EVERY SYSTEM SEEMS TO TRACK IT DIFFERENTLY.
WE WERE HAVING THIS CONVERSATION INTERNALLY ABOUT HOW WE WANTED TO, UM, EXPAND THE OPTIONS FOR OUR PATIENTS, BUT THEN HOW DO WE CHEW THAT UP TO THE WAY THAT THE STATE IS REPORTING OUT DATA? SO THE LONG, THE SHORT OF IT IS I CAN SEE IF WE CAN PULL THAT FOR APH PATIENTS, UM, AND SEE WHAT WE CAN DO ABOUT DRILLING DOWN INTO THE COUNTY DATA TO GET THAT DETAILED FOR YOU.
THAT WOULD BE GREAT BECAUSE IF WHAT WE FIND IS IT'S A LOT OF FOLKS THAT ARE, UM, MULTIRACIAL OR BIRACIAL, UM, THAT COULD BE VERY INTERESTING.
OR IF IT'S FOLKS THAT JUST AREN'T MARKING RACE OR ETHNICITY, THAT, THAT MIGHT TELL US SOMETHING ELSE, IF IT'S HEAVILY EASTERN CRESCENTS, THAT MIGHT TELL US SOMETHING, BUT IF IT'S NOT, THAT MIGHT SAY SOMETHING ELSE.
AND, AND THANK YOU DIRECTOR STIRRUP FOR PRESENTING TO US, SORT OF WHAT THE RESOURCE NEEDS MIGHT BE, UM, BECAUSE THAT'LL BE REALLY RELEVANT TO THE, TO THE CITY AND THE COUNTY HERE.
UM, DO I DON'T KNOW THAT I SEE COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN, IN WHICH CASE WE'LL GO TO DISTRICT SUCCESS, SAW COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY EARLIER.
I'VE BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH MY COMPUTER.
SO, UM, I WAS WONDERING, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS GREAT PRESENTATION TODAY, AUSTIN, COUPLE OF CHELSEA, YOU GUYS ALWAYS KNOCK IT OUT OF THE PARK.
I'M WONDERING HOW CLOSE YOU ALL WILL BE WORKING WITH ACL TO ENSURE THE SAFETY THERE.
AND MAYBE IF YOU COULD ENLIGHTEN US AND TELL US WHAT THE PLAN IS FOR THAT THE TWO WEEKENDS WHERE THE FESTIVAL IS HAPPENING.
I WAS WATCHING DOCTOR WALKS HIS HAND.
DO YOU WANT TO, DO YOU WANT TO START? SURE.
WE'VE BEEN IN CONVERSATION WITH THE ORGANIZERS AND DISCUSSING MITIGATION EFFORTS.
THEY ARE PLANNING TO, UM, REQUIRE A NEGATIVE TEST PRIOR TO THE ENTRY TO THE FESTIVAL GROUNDS, UM, WITHIN 72 HOURS.
AND IF THEY DO NOT HAVE, UM, THE TEST, THEY WILL ACCEPT PROOF OF VACCINATION AS, UM, AND FOR AN ENTRY TO THE GROUNDS.
UM, THEY WILL ALSO BE, WERE CRA REQUIRING, UM, MASKING AND, UM, AREAS WHERE MASKING IS NOT, UM, POSSIBLE.
SO WHERE PEOPLE ARE GATHERING IN QUEUES, UM, AND ON TRANSPORTATION VEHICLES TO AND FROM PARKING AREAS.
UM, THEY ALSO HAVE ONSITE MEDICAL FACILITIES TO HANDLE MINOR, UM, ISSUES THAT MIGHT OCCUR, UM, AS PEOPLE ARE, UM, PARTICIPATING IN THE, UM, CONCERT FESTIVAL FESTIVAL, UM, IN THE NEXT TWO WEEKENDS.
AND THEN JUST AS A UP, HOW WILL YOU ALL BE TRACKING? LET'S SAY SOMEBODY GETS COVID.
I KNOW PEOPLE ARE COMING AND GOING FROM OUT OF TOWN.
WILL IT MAKE IT MORE DIFFICULT FOR YOU ALL TO KIND OF SEE WHO MAY HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO COVID? WE WILL HAVE ONGOING DISEASE SURVEILLANCE TEAMS THAT WILL CONTINUE TO REACH OUT TO DO CONTACT TRACING, AND WE'LL BE MONITORING TO SEE WHICH PEOPLE REPORT THAT THEY WERE PARTICIPANTS AT ACL.
[01:35:02]
THANKS MAYOR PRO TEM.I JUST WANTED TO SHARE, UM, A LITTLE BIT OF, UH, BASED, UM, BOUNCING OFF OF WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY JUST ASKED ABOUT PEOPLE IN, FROM OUT OF TOWN AND, UH, AND A MUSIC FESTIVAL AND SO FORTH.
I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO, UM, GO TO THE BIG BARN DANCE IN TAOS NEW MEXICO, RIGHT AFTER LABOR DAY, WHICH WELL, AND I ENJOY GOING EVERY YEAR AND WE WEREN'T ABLE TO GO LAST YEAR.
SO WE WERE DETERMINED TO GO THIS YEAR, AND I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT TO GET OUR TICKETS.
WE HAD TO SHOW PROOF OF VACCINATION.
UH, THE CITY OF TALUS HAD SET UP A FREE TESTING SITE, RIGHT AT THE ENTRY FOR ANYBODY WHO WANTED TO TAKE A TEST.
AND, UM, AS A RESULT OF THAT, THAT TRIP THERE AND BACK AGAIN, AND, UH, SOME OTHER, UM, ACTIVITIES THAT WILL, AND I HAVE, HAVE BEEN OUT OF TOWN FOR AS FULLY VACCINATED, UH, ADULTS IN OUR SOCIETY, UH, IN PARTICULAR IN CITIES LIKE NEW YORK CITY, AS WELL AS TAOS, NEW MEXICO, WE REMAIN NEGATIVE.
WE BOTH DID THE, UH, THE TEST HAVE DONE THAT MULTIPLE TIMES.
AND IT'S A, UM, IT'S A CLEAR EVIDENCE THAT THE VACCINES WORK, I MAY JUST BE ONE PERSON, BUT I'M A GOOD, A GOOD PROFILE DEMOGRAPHICALLY.
AND, UM, I JUST WANT TO ENCOURAGE EVERYBODY.
IT PROVIDES A LEVEL OF COMFORT AND ASSURANCE AND CERTAINTY TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY AND YOUR FRIENDS AND YOUR KIDS TO GO OUT AND GET THAT VACCINATION.
AND THE TRAVEL IS NOT, UH, IT'S, IT, IT, IT WENT FINE.
EVERYBODY WORE MASKS ON THE AIRPLANES AND, UM, AND WE WERE VERY COMPLIANT.
UH, OBVIOUSLY, UM, MEMBERS OF SOCIETY WILL.
AND I, BUT WITH REGARD TO ACL, I HOPE AND TRUST THAT THE PROTOCOLS THAT WILL BE PUT IN PLACE WILL BE STRONG AND THEY WILL BE, UH, I KNOW THEY ARE THOUGHTFUL AND I FULLY ANTICIPATE THAT EVERYBODY WHO ATTENDS THAT FESTIVAL WILL DO SO WITH CIVIC RESPONSIBILITY AND THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO THE GREATER COMMUNITY TOP OF MIND, SO THAT WHEN WE COME OUT OF ACL, WE DON'T SEE TWO WEEKS LATER A SURGE.
AND, UM, THAT, THAT WOULD BE MY, MY ANTICIPATION AND MY HOPE.
AND SO THANKS TO EVERYBODY WHO'S AGAIN, GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND EVERY SINGLE DARN DAY ON THIS SITUATION.
AND THOSE OF US WHO HAVE REMAINED NEGATIVE AND HAVE, HAVE DONE WHAT WE NEEDED TO DO, WE ALL APPRECIATE YOUR WORK.
THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT COUNCIL MEMBER POOL COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS.
UH, I HAVE A QUESTION AS IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE GETTING CLOSE TO VACCINATIONS BEING APPROVED FOR THE FIVE TO 11 AGE GROUP.
WHAT EFFORTS ARE BEING MADE EITHER BETWEEN SCHOOLS OR CHURCHES OR, UM, YOU KNOW, FESTIVALS THAT ARE GEARED TOWARD CHILDREN TO TRY TO BRING THE VACCINES TO THEM.
DO YOU KNOW IF THOSE CONVERSATIONS ARE HAPPENING KIND OF BETWEEN ALL, ALL THESE DIFFERENT ENTITIES TO TRY TO MAKE IT FUN FOR THE SMALLER ONES TO GET EXCITED ABOUT GETTING A SHOT? FINALLY, I WAS ALL READY TO ANSWER IT UNTIL YOU SAID TO MAKE IT FUN.
I'M NOT SURE WE'VE DONE THAT, BUT, UM, THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS, WE'VE HAD STRIKE TEAMS THAT CONTINUE TO WORK WITH ISD, CHARTER SCHOOLS AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS, UM, FOCUSING ON DEL VALLEY MAIN OR PFLUGERVILLE AND THOSE SCHOOLS IN AISD.
AND, UM, THOSE WILL CONTINUE ONCE WE GET THE APPROVAL FOR THE PD VACCINES, WE ALREADY HAVE THE STRIKE TEAM ASSEMBLED.
THOSE RESOURCES ARE IDENTIFIED, SO IT'S NOT LIKE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO RUSH OUT AND, UM, FIND THE NURSES THAT HAVE, UM, THAT SPECIAL SKILLSET.
UM, IN THE PAST WE HAVE HAD FUN EVENTS LIKE BU THE FLU IS ONE THAT WE DO AROUND THE OCTOBER TIMEFRAME TO ENCOURAGE KIDS AND FAMILIES TO GET A VACCINE.
AND SO WE WON'T GET THE AUTHORIZATION FOR THE KIDDOS AND TIME TO INCORPORATE, UM, THE COVID SHOTS WITH BU THE FLU, BUT THERE ARE PLANS IN PLACE TO TRY TO, UM, YOU KNOW, MAKE IT AS ACCESSIBLE AS POSSIBLE WHILE KEEPING FOLKS SAFE AS WELL.
WE DON'T WANT TO CREATE A SITUATION WHERE SOMEONE COMES OUT TO A FESTIVAL AND THEN IT'S EXPOSED.
SO ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE BEING TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION, BUT I THINK AT THE CORE OF THE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE KIDS OR WITH THE SCHOOLS RATHER, AND THEN HAVING THOSE NURSES THAT ARE SKILLED AND GIVING, UM, UM, SHOTS TO KIDDOS IS KEY.
AND WE HAVE THAT IN PLACE BECAUSE WE KNOW NURSING RESOURCES ARE, ARE, YOU KNOW, HARD PRESSED TO FIND IN OUR COMMUNITY.
BUT THEN THERE ARE ALSO A LOT OF GREAT PARTNERS, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT HAVE BEEN TO OUR EVENTS AND SPECIALIZED
[01:40:01]
IN THE PD VACCINES.WHEN WE USED TO TAKE A LOVED ONE TO A DOCTOR IN SEPTEMBER AROUND THIS TIME WHEN WE WE'RE TRYING TO GET KIDS TO, TO COME, UM, BE FULLY PROTECTED.
SO ALL THAT TO SAY IS THAT WE HAVE THE RESOURCES IN PLACE AND THOSE CONNECTIONS THAT WE CAN LEVERAGE ONCE WE GET THAT FULL APPROVAL.
AND I, UH, DIDN'T MEAN TO INSINUATE, YOU WOULD CREATE FOR PEOPLE TO GO TO ON THE FLY, BUT I KNOW THERE MAY JUST BE SOME SCHOOL EVENTS OR CHURCHES THAT ARE HAPPENING.
UM, I WAS FORTUNATE TO BE ABLE TO ATTEND A FOOTBALL GAME LAST FRIDAY AT COUNCIL MEMBER TOBO WAS ALSO THERE.
UM, AND SO I JUST KNOW THERE MAY BE SITUATIONS WHERE, UM, YOUNGER SIBLINGS ARE GOING, THE FAMILY'S ALREADY GOING, PEOPLE ARE AROUND.
AND SO IT JUST MAY BE HELPFUL TO THINK ABOUT IF THERE'S ANY CONNECTIONS TO BE MADE, TO HELP, YOU KNOW, UH, A PHARMACY BE ABLE TO GO TO A FOOTBALL GAME OR TO KIND OF CREATE THOSE CONNECTIONS JUST TO MAKE IT AS SIMPLE AS POSSIBLE ON FAMILY.
SO THEY DON'T NEED TO ADD ONE MORE PERSON BEEN TO AN ALREADY BUSY LIFE COUNCIL MEMBER.
TOVO, UH, THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO TEM, AND THANKS TO ALL OUR, ALL OUR STAFF, BUT FOR ALL OF THEIR WORK AND ALL OF THEIR PRESENTATIONS.
UM, JUST ON THAT LAST POINT, I KNOW THAT THE AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH HAS WORKING WITH GROUPS LIKE THE THINKERY TO BRAINSTORM HOW, WHAT KIND OF PARTNERSHIPS MIGHT BE AVAILABLE TO DO, TO DO JUST WHAT YOU'VE SUGGESTED.
COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS, GOING TO MAKE IT, MAKE IT MORE FUN.
MY PERSONAL ADVICES, LOTS OF LOLLIPOPS.
I FIND THAT IT STILL WORKS EVEN, EVEN WITH MY TEENS WHO REALLY NEED ONE AND WE'RE GETTING A VACCINE.
UM, I HAD A QUESTION I'M NOT SEEING IN, IN TODAY'S BACK-UP THE MAP OF VACCINATION STATUS AND WONDERED IF YOU COULD POINT US TO WHERE THAT IS ON THE WEB.
UM, IN PARTICULAR, I WANTED TO FOLLOW UP ON A QUESTION THAT MS. BOOKOUT RAISED AND THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IN PREVIOUS CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HOW ABOUT, UM, IF YOU CAN OFFER US ANY SPECIFIC INFORMATION ABOUT THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING WITH UT TO EITHER GET, GET DATA ABOUT STUDENTS WHO HAVE BEEN VACCINATED OUTSIDE OF THE COUNTY, OR CONTINUING TO INCREASE THE VACCINATION STATUS OF THOSE STUDENTS WHO ARE IN, IN, UM, WEST CAMPUS.
SO I'LL SPEAK ABOUT THE MAPS OF DOCTOR WALKS.
YOU WANT TO TAKE THE DATA QUESTION.
AND SO, AND EVERY WEEK WHEN WE PUT TOGETHER THE PRESENTATION, WE TRY TO HIGHLIGHT THE CRITICAL PIECES AND BE RESPECTFUL OF THE TIME CONSTRAINTS.
AND I KNOW THAT THERE'S A BUSY WORK DAY FOR BOTH BODIES.
AND SO, BECAUSE THERE WAS NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN THE MAP, UM, WE DECIDED NOT TO SHOW THEM THIS WEEK, BUT WE CAN POST THEM TO OUR WEBSITE AND DEFINITELY SEND THEM TO YOUR OFFICE.
THEY WERE PREPARED, BUT PULLED, UM, BECAUSE NO RELEVANT CHANGE, UM, UT OH, YES.
UM, AND WE CONTINUE TO SUPPORT UT IN THEIR, THEIR EFFORTS.
YOUNG REPORTS OUT ON THE, UH, WEDNESDAY CALLS AND I WILL CHECK WITH STAFF AT THEIR SPECIFIC DATA ABOUT THE STUDENTS.
WACHS REACHING FOR HER MUTE BUTTON.
MAYBE SHE HAS A MORE SPECIFIC UPDATE FOR THAT.
SO WE DO KNOW THAT UT HAS A ROBUST VACCINE PROGRAM AND INCENTIVE PROGRAM FOR VACCINATIONS, FOR STUDENTS ON CAMPUS.
UM, THERE WERE COMMUNICATIONS SENT OUT TO STUDENTS TO ENCOURAGE THEM AND TO NOTIFY THEM THAT THERE WAS AN EXPECTATION THAT PEOPLE WOULD TAKE ADVANTAGE OF BEING VACCINATED, UM, PRIOR TO COMING TO CAMPUS.
AND NOW THERE'S AN ONGOING EFFORT TO, UM, UH, GIVE THAT OPPORTUNITY TO THOSE WHO ARE NOT ABLE TO GET THE VACCINATION BEFORE THEY RETURNED BACK TO CAMPUS WITH REGARDS TO STATISTICS.
UM, I'VE ASKED THAT QUESTION AND HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THERE ARE, UH, 90% PROBABLY IN THE ATHLETICS ARENA.
UM, AND I DON'T HAVE A FIGURE FOR THE POPULATION AT LARGE AND ANTICIPATE THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WON'T HAVE REPORTED OUT TO US.
UM, AT THIS POINT WHILE THEY'RE DOING THAT ONGOING VACCINATION PROCESS, BUT I'LL ASK THE QUESTION AND SEE IF I CAN GET MORE INFORMATION FOR YOU FOR NEXT TIME.
I KNOW IT, IT COMES UP PROBABLY EVERY OTHER SESSION THAT WE HAVE EITHER FROM THE COMMUNITY OR FROM, I THINK COMMISSIONER HOWARD ASKED IT LAST TIME.
SO IF WE, IF THERE, UM, YOU KNOW, ANY SPECIFICS THAT YOU CAN OFFER, THAT WOULD BE GREAT, ESPECIALLY SINCE IT IS AN AREA.
IF THE MAP HASN'T CHANGED, IT IS ONE OF THOSE AREAS THAT AT LEAST THE DATA WE HAVE REFLECTS, UH, IS NOT AS, AS FULLY VACCINATED AS SOME OTHER AREAS OF THE CITY.
AND SO I KNOW THAT I BELIEVE IN ONE OF OUR SESSIONS, AUSTIN, PUBLIC HEALTH INDICATED THAT YOU WERE MAYBE DOING SOME MOBILE ACCESS, SOME MOBILE MOBILE OUTREACH, UM, IN THAT AREA.
BUT IF THE EFFECTS WE CAN GET ABOUT EITHER THE WORK THAT APH
[01:45:01]
IS DOING, OR THE WORK THAT UT IS DOING, OR ANY OF THAT DATA, THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.UM, SO THAT WE'RE, WE'RE AS SURPRISED AS POSSIBLE OF, OF STATUS IN THAT AREA.
AND SO I'VE OFFERED IN THE PAST, MY OFFICE STANDS READY TO ASSIST IN THOSE EFFORTS.
UH, IT'S JUST NOT, IT'S NOT, IT SOUNDS AS IF THERE'S QUITE A BIT OF WORK GOING IN AND, AND WE WANT TO BE SUPPORTIVE AND NOT DUPLICATIVE.
AND THE OTHER THING THAT I MIGHT ALSO ADD IS THAT THEY DO EXTENSIVE TESTING IN THAT AREA AND THEIR POSITIVITY RATE, UM, IS LOW BOTH FOR SYMPTOMATIC AND SURVEILLANCE TESTING.
SO, UM, BECAUSE VACCINE STATUS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT WE CAN, UM, REQUEST AND REQUIRE THAT STUDENTS PRODUCE.
UM, THEY ARE, THEY'RE ESSENTIALLY ENSURING THAT THE COVID, UM, SPREAD IS, UM, CONTAINED BY DOING CONTACT TRACING, UM, AND ALSO BY DOING A LOT OF TESTING.
SO, UM, WE DO HAVE EYES ON IT.
WE JUST DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION ABOUT VACCINE, UNFORTUNATELY, AND THE S THE STAFF JUST INDICATED THAT IT MAY BE DUE TO A REPORTING GAP INTO AMTRAK.
SO WE CAN, WE CAN CHASE THAT DOWN TO SEE IF THAT'S THE ISSUE THERE.
THANKS VERY MUCH COUNCIL MEMBER ALTAR THE MORNING.
UM, I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS THIS MORNING JUST WANT TO ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO GET THEIR FLU SHOTS.
MY WHOLE FAMILY HAS OURS, AND IT'S JUST REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE DON'T TUFTS TEXT, TASK TEXTS ARE, UM, HOSPITALS, UM, THAT WE NEED TO, UM, THE FLU THAT'S GOING AROUND IS, IS NASTY.
SO JUST PLEASE DO GET YOUR FLU SHOTS IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY, UM, AND A LOT OF THE PLACES WHERE YOU CAN GET A VACCINE, YOU CAN GET FLU SHOT.
AND JUST BEFORE I TURN IT BACK OVER TO YOU, JUDGE, ONE THING I JUST WANT TO PUT ON THE RADAR FOR OUR, UM, UH, PROFESSIONALS IN THIS DEPARTMENT IS AS WE ENTER BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH, I WOULD LOVE TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THAT ADDITIONAL CONVERSATION WITH YOU ALL ABOUT OPPORTUNITIES AROUND HAVING OUR COMMUNITY, UM, JUST MAKE, UH, AN ADDITIONAL INVESTMENT IN PROTECTING VULNERABLE POPULATIONS OF PEOPLE.
UM, BUT I'LL DEFINITELY ADDRESS THAT WITH YOU ALL OFF OF THE, UM, OFF THE RECORD, JUDGE, I'LL SEND IT BACK IN YOUR DIRECTION.
UH, SO WE WILL, THANKS TO EVERYBODY FOR ALL YOUR EFFORTS ON THIS AND KEEPING GOING.
OBVIOUSLY IT'S NOT OVER YET, EVEN THOUGH THE NUMBERS ARE, ARE GOING IN A GOOD DIRECTION RIGHT NOW, WE'RE DEFINITELY NOT, NOT OUT OF THE WOODS.
UM, I WILL GO AHEAD AND ADJOURN.
THE TRAVIS COUNTY COMMISSIONER'S COURT.
WE'LL COME BACK AT 11:05 AM AND THEN I'LL, I'LL PASS IT OVER TO THE MAYOR PRO TEAM TO DO THE SAME WITH THE CITY COUNCIL.
AND AT 11 O'CLOCK I'LL ADJOURN, THE JOINT MEETING BETWEEN THE TRAVIS COUNTY, UM, AND COUNCIL, I'M GOING TO NEED AT LEAST 15 MINUTES COLLEAGUES.
HOPEFULLY EVERYBODY'S COMFORTABLE WITH TAKING THAT LONG BEFORE WE COME BACK AND START OUR WORK SESSION.
I DON'T SEE ANY OBJECTIONS IN WHICH CASE WE'LL GO AHEAD AND ADJOURN AND I'LL SEE YOU ALL AT 1115.