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AM.[1. Update on Covid-19 related matters.]
WE'RE MEETING HERE AT 700 LAVACA WITH EVERYBODY.WE'VE GOT COMMISSIONER GOMEZ, SHEA, JILLIAN, AND HOWARD, AND MYSELF.
AND THEN I WILL HAND IT OFF TO MERE ADLER TO CALL THE MEETING AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL TO ORDER JUDGE.
UH, I CALL TO ORDER THE, A SPECIAL CALL BDB AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL HERE ON NOVEMBER 30TH, 2021, UH, NINE 11.
UH, WE HAVE, UH, UH, NEARLY A QUORUM, NOT QUITE, BUT I'M READY TO CONVENIENCE MEETINGS AND WE'RE NOT TAKING ANY ACTION AND I'LL ANNOUNCE THE QUORUM WHEN IT ARRIVES.
UM, MAYOR, CAN YOU HEAR US? HI.
CAN YOU HEAR ME? AND I'M DOING ROBOT.
OKAY, JUDGE, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, I CAN HEAR YOU.
WE'RE GOING TO BE THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL MEETING HERE ON NOVEMBER 30TH, 2020 WIDE TIMELINE WHILE, UH, WE DON'T HAVE A QUORUM, UH, PRESENT, BUT I'M FIVE WITH CONVENING IS SPEEDING SINCE RIGHT.
AND I'LL ANNOUNCE THE QUORUM WHEN IT ARRIVES.
SO CALL TO ORDER THE JOINT MEETING OF THE COMMISSIONERS COURT AND THE CITY COUNCIL ON, UH, TO RECEIVE BRIEFING ON COVID RELATED MATTERS.
AND LARRY, DO WE HAVE ANY CALLERS TODAY OR NO.
AND I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYONE IN PERSON HERE TO TESTIFY ON ANYTHING.
ALL RIGHT, SO WE'LL GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED.
I, I THOUGHT I SAW SIX ONLINE.
WELL THAT OUTSIDE AFTER THE PRESENTATION, I'VE TRIED TO SEE IT.
I SAW A COUNCIL OF EVERY KITCHEN.
I DON'T HAVE A SCREEN THAT LETS ME SEE EVERYBODY.
UM, KATHY, I SAW YOUR BLOCK, BUT I DIDN'T SEE YOU.
UM, BUT I HEAR YOUR VOICE AND THAT COUNCIL MEMBER LS IS ONLINE.
WELL THAT WOULD GIVE US SIX THEN AT A COURT AND LET'S GO AHEAD AND PROCEED MAYOR.
UM, WE'RE HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE SITUATION REGARDING COVID-19 IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, AS I ALWAYS DO I START WITH THIS SLIDE TO GIVE YOU SOME PERSPECTIVE ON WHERE WE'VE BEEN AND WHERE WE ARE AT THIS POINT.
UM, WE'VE HAD, UH, PLATEAU IN CASES IN THE PAST SEVERAL WEEKS.
UM, WE'VE HAD A DECREASE IN THE NUMBERS OF CASES IN THE LAST SEVEN DAYS FROM AN AVERAGE OF 620 OR SO, UM, IN THE PAST SEVEN DAYS, WE'VE HAD 435 CASES.
AND IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, WHEN WE, UM, TALKED LAST TIME, I SHOWED THIS FIGURE FROM THE UT MODELING PROJECTIONS REPORT THAT SHOULD SUGGESTED THAT OUR CURRENT HOSPITALIZATION THRESHOLDS, UM, IF WE JUST LOOKED AT THOSE AND WITH REGARDS TO MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS FOR, UH, GUIDING OUR COMMUNITY ON WHAT MITIGATION STRATEGIES THEY SHOULD USE WITH REGARDS TO MASKING, ET CETERA, THAT WE WOULD, UM, HAVE A SURGE IN CASES.
AND THE RECOMMENDATION WAS TO ADD TO OUR GUIDANCE AND ONGOING, UM, RISK ASSESSMENT, THE, UM, COMMUNITY BASED TRANSMISSION RATE, WHICH LOOKS AT THE NUMBER OF CASES PER A HUNDRED THOUSAND IN THE SEVEN DAY PERIOD PRIOR, UM, AS A WAY OF, UH, ASSESSING WHAT THE SPREAD WAS
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IN OUR COMMUNITY, UM, AND HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE GETTING INFECTED, UM, PRIOR TO THE NEED FOR HOSPITALIZATIONS, THIS NUMBER GIVES US SOME GUIDANCE ON WHAT THE ACTIVITY OF THE VIRUSES IN OUR COMMUNITY.AND SO AT THE ADDITION OF THAT, YOU SEE IN THE GRAPH ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE, THAT THE PROJECTIONS SHOW THAT THOSE SEARCHES COULD BE A VIRTA.
AND SO IN THESE PAST COUPLE OF DAYS, WE HAVE BEEN EDUCATING OUR COMMUNITY ABOUT THAT.
AND, UM, I'LL FEEL GOOD TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
PLEASE, YOU'LL SEE HERE A GRAPH THAT WE TOOK FROM OUR CDC DATA TRACKER SITE, WHICH GIVES THE DEFINITIONS OF, UM, WHAT THEY'RE USING TO, UM, MAKE THE ASSESSMENT OF THE TRANSMISSION.
AND THEY'RE USING TWO METRICS CAN THEY'RE USING CASES PER A HUNDRED THOUSAND, THE CASE RATE PER A HUNDRED THOUSAND SEVEN DAYS PRIOR, AND THE PERCENT POSITIVITY RATE AND THEY USE WHICHEVER OF THE TWO OF THOSE IS HIGHER TO, UM, ASSESS WHAT THE COMMUNITY CHANCE MISSION RATE IS IN A GIVEN COMMUNITY.
WE'VE REDESIGNED OUR RISK-BASED CHART.
AND THIS IS, UM, SHOWN, UM, SHOWING THE VACCINATED VERSION OF THE RISK SPACE CHART THAT EVERYONE'S FAMILIAR WITH.
UM, IN ADDITION TO THE FRESH HOLDS FOR, UM, OUR STAGING THAT WE'VE BEEN USING ALL ALONG AT THAT LOOK AT THE SEVEN DAY MOVING AVERAGE OF HOSPITALIZATIONS, WHICH HERE IS REPRESENTED ON, ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE OF THE CHART, THE INNER BAR.
UM, WE'RE ALSO ADDING IN HERE, THE TRANSMISSION THRESHOLDS, UM, THAT WE'RE SEEING ON THAT PREVIOUS SLIDE.
WE DID HAVE EVER BREAK DOWN THE LOW, UM, CATEGORY FROM WHAT THE CDC SHOW, WHICH WAS LESS THAN 10 TO LESS THAN 10 AND LESS THAN FIVE, SO THAT WE WOULD HAVE THE FIVE STAGES THAT WE'RE ACCUSTOMED TO IN OUR COMMUNITY TO GUIDE US AS WE MOVE FORWARD, UM, WITH THE PANDEMIC, UM, WHEN WE MADE THESE INITIAL, UM, MODELING PROJECTIONS, UM, THEY LOOKED AT THE DELTA VARIANT AND IT'S, UH, TRANSMISSIBILITY AND ITS RATE OF SPREAD, WHICH IS, UM, 1.6, FIVE OR 65% MORE LIKELY TO SPREAD.
AND THEY ALSO LOOKED AT, UM, SOMETHING THAT WAS TWICE AS, UM, TRANSMISSIBLE AND 2.5 TIMES AS TRANSMISSIBLE.
UM, AND IN EACH OF THOSE SCENARIOS, THE ADDITION OF THIS COMMUNITY-BASED TRANSMISSION WILL ALLOW US TO GUIDE THE COMMUNITY ON MEASURES.
THEY CAN TAKE TO KEEP OUR NUMBERS OF CASES, UM, THAT ENDED UP, UM, TAXING OUR HOSPITAL SYSTEMS DOWN BY GUIDING THE COMMUNITY ON WAYS TO REDUCE SPREAD PERIOD.
SIMILARLY, WE, UM, REDESIGNED THE DASHBOARD WITH THE HELP OF OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS AND THEIR GUIDANCE ON, UM, HOW TO BEST COMMUNICATE THE COMPLEXITY OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
UM, WE MOVED THINGS THAT WE ALREADY WERE SHOWING ON THE DASHBOARD AND HIGHLIGHTED THEM IN BOXES SO THAT THEY WERE A LITTLE BIT EASIER TO PULL OUT FROM THE DATA THAT WAS BEING PRESENTED.
WE'RE GOING TO DO SOME RATE, UM, DESIGNS ON COLOR, UM, AS WE GO FORWARD JUST TO MAKE IT A LITTLE BIT MORE, UM, SELF-EXPLANATORY WE TRIED TO GET THIS OUT BEFORE THANKSGIVING BECAUSE THAT WAS A LARGE HOLIDAY LONG HOLIDAY WEEKEND, AND WE WANTED TO REALLY GET THE MESSAGE UP ABOUT MASKING INDOORS IN PUBLIC PLACES.
UM, BUT THE IDEA IS THAT WE'LL TAKE THIS INFORMATION AND UPDATED DAILY TO INFORM THE PUBLIC ON WHERE WE ARE IN THIS PANDEMIC AND HOW OUR HOSPITAL SYSTEMS ARE DOING AS
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A RESULT OF MEASURES THAT ARE BEING TAKEN BY OUR COMMUNITY.SO AS YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN IN STAGE THREE FOR SOME TIME NOW, AND THE REASON IS THAT WE'VE BEEN ON THE THRESHOLD OF STAGE THREE AND STAGE TWO FOR QUITE SOME TIME AND THROUGHOUT OUR COUNTRY AND IN EUROPE, UM, WE'VE BEEN SEEING SOME INCREASES IN THE NUMBERS OF CASES AND SURGE IN HOSPITALIZATIONS.
UM, SO MINDFUL OF THAT, UM, WE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR A TREND DOWNWARDS TO PUT US SOLIDLY IN STAGE TWO, AND WE'VE, UH, AT THE SAME TIME SEEN, UM, A HIGH RATE OF COMMUNITY TRANSMISSION, UM, PRIOR TO YESTERDAY, OUR NUMBERS, UM, LAST WEEK WE'RE IN THE 50 60 RANGE, WHICH WOULD PUT US IN A SUBSTANTIAL RATE OF COMMUNITY TRANSMISSION.
UM, AND THE POSITIVITY RATE, HOWEVER, WAS 4.9, WHICH FROM OUR, UM, BRIEF LOOK AT THAT, UH, GRAPH EARLIER, BUT US AT A LOW POSITIVITY RATE THAT WHEN WE TRACK THE COMMUNITY TRANSMISSION RATE, PARTICULARLY THE CASES, UM, IN SEVEN DAYS FOR A HUNDRED THOUSAND, WE'RE SEEING THAT THAT NUMBER GOES UP TYPICALLY PRIOR TO A SURGE IN HOSPITALIZATIONS.
UM, WE'D BEEN TALKING TO OUR COMMUNITY ABOUT THIS FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS AND URGING THEM TO INCREASE MASKING IN INDOOR PUBLIC SPACES WHERE THEY'RE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE THEY'RE AROUND DON'T KNOW, THEIR VACCINATION STATUS OR HEALTH STATUS.
AND THERE HAS BEEN SOME INCREASE NOTED IN THAT, UM, BEHAVIOR IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND NOW AS OF YESTERDAY OR COMMUNITY TRANSMISSION RATE OR CASES PER A HUNDRED THOUSAND WAS NOTED TO BE 36.7 CASES PER A HUNDRED THOUSAND.
UM, WE'RE HOPING THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'LL CONTINUE TO SEE TRACKING GOING FORWARD.
UM, THIS MAY BE DUE TO, UM, THE PERIOD OF TIME THAT, UM, NOT ONLY OUR OFFICES AT APH, BUT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OFFICES WERE CLOSED FOR THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND, IF THIS IS INDEED TRUE, TRULY AS A TESTAMENT TO THE EFFECTS OF THE COMMUNITY COMING TOGETHER AND USING MASKING TO HELP, UH, PREVENT SPREAD IN ANY CASE.
AT THIS POINT IN TIME, WE SEE THAT THE COMMUNITY TRANSMISSION RATE IS AS LISTED 36.7, UM, AND OUR HOSPITALIZATION SEVEN DAY MOVING AVERAGE IS AT 13.
UM, SO WE'RE STILL ON THAT CUSP OF STAGE THREE.
UM, AND WHEN THOSE NUMBERS CONTINUE TO TREND DOWNWARD, UM, THEN RECOMMENDATIONS COULD BE MADE FOR, UM, MOVING INTO A LOWER STAGE.
BUT AT THIS POINT, PARTICULARLY GIVEN OUR, UM, CURRENT NUP NOTICE OF AN NEW VARIANT, THE ALMA CRON VARIANT, WHERE WE'RE BEING VERY CAUTIOUS ABOUT MOVING OUR STAGING DOWNWARD AND RELAXING THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR MASKING INDOORS AND IN PUBLIC PLACES.
YOU'LL ALSO SAY ON THIS DASHBOARD THAT WE'RE INCLUDING THE NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS HOSPITALIZED, UM, THOSE IN ICU, THOSE AND VENTILATORS IN THAT TOP BLUE BOX, WE'RE LOOKING AT OUR, UM, NEW CASES IN THE LAST SEVEN DAYS.
UM, THE NEW CASES THAT WERE REPORTED TO APH, UM, AS OF YESTERDAY, DOUBLING TIME IN THE BEIGE BOXES IN THE CENTER PORTION ON THE RIGHT, AND THEN FOR COMPARISON, WHERE WE'RE LOOKING AT THE, UH, COMMUNITY TRANSMISSION FOR TEXAS AND FOR THE UNITED STATES TO GIVE YOU SOME IDEA AS TO HOW WE'RE, UH, FAIRING AS COMPARED TO OUR NEIGHBORS IN OUR STATE AND NATIONALLY, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
AND GIVEN THE SPREAD OF THE HIGHLY TRANSMISSIBLE DELTA VARIANT, UM, THE CDC HAS ADVISED THAT LOCAL DECISION-MAKERS SHOULD ASSESS THE FACTORS LISTED ON THE SLIDE COMMUNITY SPREAD OR TRANSMISSION, THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM CAPACITY, WHICH WE DO WITH OUR SEVEN
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DAY MOVING AVERAGE HOSPITALIZATIONS VACCINE COVERAGE.AND THAT INCLUDES NOT ONLY THOSE WHO ARE RECEIVING THE FIRST SERIES OF VACCINE, BUT ALSO THOSE WHO, UM, ARE REQUIRING BOOSTERS, UM, AND THEN DETECTION OF CASES AND THE, UM, ASSESSMENT OF OUR AT RISK POPULATIONS, PARTICULARLY OUR SENIOR CITIZENS AND THOSE WHO WERE UNABLE TO BE VACCINATED ARE CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF FIVE AS ALWAYS VACCINES, UM, WILL PREVENT THIS, UH, VACCINE PREVENTABLE DISEASE AND USE OF MASKING AND SOCIAL DISTANCING, UM, WILL HELP ALSO WITH PREVENTING THE SPREAD OF THIS DISEASE.
LAST WEEK WE HAD 75 ADMISSIONS TO HOSPITAL.
THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IN SEVERAL WEEKS THAT THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN ADMISSIONS, UM, FOR THIS AND IN THIS, UM, REPORTING PERIOD OF THIS LAST MONTH.
AND IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, WE CONTINUE TO SAY, UM, THE IMPACTS THAT WE'RE HAVING, UM, IN OUR COMMUNITIES OF COLOR AND THE BLACK AND HISPANIC COMMUNITIES IN PARTICULAR, UM, THERE'S STILL A HIGHER IMPACT IN THOSE COMMUNITIES.
THERE'S AN EQUAL DISTRIBUTION OF THE IMPACT BY RACE.
UM, AND THE AGES OF THOSE WHO'VE BEEN IMPACTED BY THIS DELTA VARIANT ARE YOUNGER AS NOTED IN PREVIOUS PRESENTATIONS IN THE 30 TO 49 YEAR OLD AGE GROUP.
OUR VACCINATION, UM, IS STILL PROTECTING THOSE WHO ARE, UM, GETTING COVID-19 ARE ALMOST ALL ON VACCINATED.
WE DO KNOW THAT THERE'S SOME WANING IMMUNITY THAT WE'RE SEEING WITH REGARDS TO THE VACCINE AND BOOSTER HAS BEEN RECOMMENDED.
UM, AND YESTERDAY THE CDC RECOMMENDED THAT THOSE OVER THE AGE OF 18 SHOULD GET THEIR BOOSTER SHOT, TO INCREASE AND IMPROVE THEIR PROTECTION, UH, FOR COVID-19 FROM THE DELTA VARIANT, WHICH IS WHAT WE HAVE CIRCULATING NOW IN OUR COMMUNITY AT A 99% RATE.
UM, BUT ALSO IN ANTICIPATION, ANY POSSIBLE VARIANTS THAT WE MAY ENCOUNTER, INCLUDING THE OMNICON BARIUM.
I SHOW THIS SLIDE TO, AGAIN, EMPHASIZE THAT VACCINATIONS ARE IMPORTANT.
UM, THIS SHOWS THAT OUR MOST VULNERABLE POPULATION EARLY ON IN THE PANDEMIC, THOSE LIVING IN LONGTERM CARE FACILITIES WHO HAVE BEEN VACCINATED AND NOW HAVE BEEN RECEIVING BOOSTERS, UM, HAVE HAD, UM, THE PROTECTION VACCINE, THE ONE CASE THAT'S BEEN SHOWN, UM, HERE ON THE SLIDE IN THE LAST 14 DAYS IS AN INDIVIDUAL WHO IS A STAFF MEMBER WHO WAS UNVACCINATED.
WE'VE SEEN HISTORICALLY THROUGHOUT THIS DELTA SEARCH, THAT THOSE IN OUR LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES HAVE BEEN PROTECTED BY VACCINE.
AND THOSE THAT HAVE HAD THE, UM, I MEAN, BREAKTHROUGH ILLNESS HAVE LARGELY HAD MILD ILLNESS AND NOT REQUIRED, UM, HOSPITALIZATION AS MUCH AS, UM, THEY WOULD HAVE IF WE'D NOT BEEN ABLE TO PROTECT THEM WITH A VACCINE.
SO WE CONTINUE TO STRESS THE IMPORTANCE OF VACCINATION PROTECTION AND COVERAGE FOR NOT ONLY OUR LONG-TERM CARE FACILITY RESIDENTS, BUT ALL OF OUR COMMUNITY.
YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
THE SLIDE SHOWS THE DEATHS THAT HAVE OCCURRED SINCE VACCINES WERE DEPLOYED IN OUR COMMUNITY IN LATE DECEMBER OF 2020, AND WE'VE HAD 613 DEATHS.
UM, THIS YEAR WE'VE HAD 1,188 DEATHS OVERALL SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE PANDEMIC, BUT SHOW THIS TO EMPHASIZE THE FACT THAT VACCINES ARE IMPORTANT.
THEY CAN CONTINUE TO PROTECT THOSE WHO ARE VACCINATED FROM SEVERE DISEASE
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HOSPITALIZATION.AND, UH, UM, THERE WERE 8% OF THOSE DEATHS HAVE OCCURRED SINCE VACCINES WERE AVAILABLE, UM, OCCURRED, UM, IN THOSE WHO HAD A CHRONIC DISEASE, UM, AND HAD COMPROMISED IMMUNITY AS, AS A RESULT OF THAT.
SO WE NEED TO GET THOSE IN OUR COMMUNITY WHO WERE UNVACCINATED VACCINATED, AND ANYONE WHO'S ELIGIBLE, UH, FOR VACCINE.
AND THAT WOULD BE ANYONE WHO IS VACCINATED BEFORE JUNE, JUNE THE FIRST, THIS YEAR, UM, ARE THEY'RE ELIGIBLE NOW FOR VACCINE BOOSTER SHOTS.
AND, UM, WE URGE ALL OF THOSE WHO ARE, HAVE NOT GOTTEN THAT BOOSTER YET TO GET OUT AND, UH, GET THEIR BOOSTER.
SEAN, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE, OF THE 122,630 CONFIRMED CASES OF COVID-19 THAT WE'VE HAD IN OUR COMMUNITY ONLY 9,902 HAVE BEEN VACCINE BREAKTHROUGH CASES.
AND WE HAVE DELIVERED OVER A 1.8 MILLION DOSES OF VACCINE IN OUR COMMUNITY TODAY.
SO THAT, UM, IS ANOTHER TESTAMENT TO THE PROTECTION OF VACCINE, UM, OF THE 9,900 PEOPLE THAT, UM, HAD BREAKTHROUGH CASES THAT OUR TEAM OF EPIDEMIOLOGISTS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO REACH 3037 OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS.
90% OF THE CASES, UM, THAT WERE, UM, REPORTED AND INVESTIGATED FOR SYMPTOMATIC 99 OF THE 9,900 WERE HOSPITALIZED, 50 FEMALES, 49 MALES.
THE AGE ROOM WAS TRIAGE WAS BETWEEN 21 AND 97 YEARS OF AGE.
WE HAD THE 49 DEATHS THAT I MENTIONED EARLIER.
UM, AND THE AGE RANGE OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS, UM, WHO DIED WAS FROM 17 TO 90.
UM, 15 OF THOSE WERE LONG-TERM CARE FACILITY RESIDENTS.
AND AGAIN, AS I MENTIONED, HAD CHRONIC MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING THINGS LIKE END STAGE RENAL DISEASE AND CANCER.
I SHOWED THE SLIDE AGAIN TO REMIND US THAT THEIR CANDY ASYMPTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FROM A VACCINATED INDIVIDUAL TO SOMEONE, UM, WHO WAS UNVACCINATED.
AND SO IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO PROTECT OUR LOVED ONES, THOSE WHO HAVE A COMPROMISED IMMUNE SYSTEM OR A HAT, A BRISK FOR A SEVERE CASE OF COVID-19 BY WEARING A MASK, GETTING VACCINATED, AND IF ELIGIBLE, GETTING BOOSTER SHOTS, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
AND TO FINISH THIS, UH, UH, PRESENTATION, I WANT TO BRIEFLY GO OVER WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE VARIANT.
UM, IT'S, UH, THEY BE 1, 1, 5, 2, 9 VERSION OF THE COVID-19 VIRUS.
IT ORIGINATED IN SOUTH AFRICA, UNFORTUNATELY WAS REPORTED QUICKLY BY THE SOUTH AFRICAN PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS, TO WHO AND, AND SCIENTISTS AROUND THE WORLD ARE NOW WORKING TO QUICKLY ASCERTAIN WHAT THE IMPACT OF THIS VARIANCE IS GOING TO BE ON ALL OF US AS, YOU KNOW, VIRUSES MUTATE.
UM, SOME HAVE REPORTED AS MANY AS 43.
I HEARD A REPORT FROM SOMEONE AT NIH THAT THERE MAY BE AS MANY AS 50 MUTATIONS ON THIS PARTICULAR VARIANT OF COVID-19.
WE HAVE NOT HAD ANY REPORTS IN THE UNITED STATES AS YET.
HOWEVER, THERE ARE TWO CASES THAT HAVE BEEN REPORTED IN CANADA, AND THE ASSUMPTION IS THAT THERE ALREADY ARE THOSE WHO HAVE THIS VARIANT IN OUR COMMUNITY, UM, IN THE UNITED STATES.
UM, BUT WE'VE NOT IDENTIFIED THAT AS YET.
AND THE POINT IS THAT THIS IS ANOTHER VARIANT
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OF COVID-19.UM, JUST AS WE INITIALLY HAD THE DELTA VARIANT, UM, THEN THE UK VARIANT BEFORE THAT AND THE ORIGINAL AUSTRALIAN FOR MOHAN BEFORE THAT.
SO IT'S STILL THE SAME MEASURES THAT WE HAVE BEEN USING, UM, ALL ALONG TO PROTECT OURSELVES.
WE NOW KNOW, AND HAVE THIS A VACCINE THAT PROTECTS US FROM DEVELOPING THIS VACCINE PREVENTABLE DISEASE, WHO YET WE HAVE YET TO FIND OUT HOW WELL THE VACCINE WILL PROTECT US, BUT WE, UM, HAVE REPORTS THAT THE CASES THAT HAVE BEEN SEEN IN SOUTH AFRICA AND MILD.
SO WE ASSUME THAT THERE WILL BE SOME LEVEL OF PROTECTION FROM THE VACCINES THAT WE HAVE.
AND IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THOSE WHO HAVE NOT RECEIVED A VACCINE, THAT THEY GO AND GET VACCINATED.
AND FOR THOSE WHO ARE ELIGIBLE FOR BOOSTERS, THAT THEY GO AND GET BACK THERE.
THE STUDENTS NATION YESTERDAY IN A PRESS CONFERENCE AT THE WHITE HOUSE, THE PRESIDENT AND DR.
FOWCHEE, UM, SAID THAT IT IS A TIME FOR CONCERN, NOT PANIC.
UM, THIS IS A VARIANT OF CONCERN BECAUSE IT SEEMS TO BE SPREADING MORE RABIDLY, ALTHOUGH THAT IS SOMETHING TO BE DETERMINED AS THE WEEKS GO BY AND WE GATHER MORE INFORMATION AND WE HAVE TO TAKE THE ACTIONS THAT WE KNOW WORK TO FIGHT THIS VIRUS, GET VACCINATED, GET BOOSTERS, WEAR MASKS, AND INTO OUR PUBLIC SPACES.
THE BOTTOM LINE IS IF YOU'RE SICK AND GET TESTED, STAY HOME AND CONTACT YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER FOR ADVICE TO SEE IF YOU QUALIFY FOR TREATMENT WITH MONOCLONAL ANTIBODY THERAPY OR TO SAY, IF YOU NEED ANY OTHER ADDITIONAL, UM, HEALTHCARE, UH, FROM YOUR PROVIDER OR IN HOSPITAL.
UM, AND WITH THAT, UM, AND MY REPORT.
WE HEARD ABOUT THE SCIENCE AND NOW I'LL TALK TO YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE SERVICES THAT AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH IS PROVIDING ON THIS FIRST SLIDE.
YOU CAN SEE, UM, AN OVERVIEW OF OUR RESPONSE OPERATIONS FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER.
UM, WE'VE GIVEN OUT A TOTAL OF 1099, FIRST DOSES, 825 OF THOSE WERE, UH, PD DOSES OF ADVISER, UH, PFIZER, EXCUSE ME.
UM, AND WE GIVE OUT NOW QUITE A FEW BOOSTER SHOTS THIS MONTH.
YOU CAN SEE THE TOTAL THERE ALL THE WAY OVER TO THE RIGHT AT 5,049.
WHEN WE LOOK AT TESTING, UM, THE NUMBERS AT THE EXPO ARE NEWS.
SO NO COMPARISON, BUT WE SEE AT THE OTHER SITES ST JOHN'S AND WITH MOBILE TESTING, WE'VE SEEN SOME DECREASE IN THE NUMBER OF TESTS THAT WERE PERFORMED, AND THAT BRINGS US TO THE SLIDE ABOUT, UM, OUR TESTING OPERATIONS.
AND JUST TO REITERATE WHAT DR.
WACHS JUST SAID, IF YOU ARE SICK, GET TESTED, IF YOU WERE EXPOSED TO SOMEONE WHO TESTED POSITIVE, GET TESTED, AND IF YOU'RE NOT SURE GET TESTED, UM, WE STILL HAVE IN-HOME TESTING OPPORTUNITIES BY CALLING EITHER 3 1 1 4 5 1 2 9 7 4 2000.
AND WE'LL COME OUT TO YOUR HOUSE IF YOU'RE UNABLE TO GET TO ONE OF OUR SITES.
UM, IF YOU HAVE INSURANCE, THERE ARE OTHER TESTING OPTIONS AND PROVIDERS AVAILABLE.
UM, WE SUGGEST YOU CALL YOUR LOCAL DOCTOR TO GET MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THOSE TESTING SERVICES, BUT AS FOR WHAT APH IS OFFERING, WE'RE STILL AT THE GEORGE MIRALIS DOVE SPRINGS REC CENTER.
WE'RE NOW, UM, AT THE EXPO CENTER FOR A DRIVE-THROUGH OPTION.
AND THEN AGAIN, I MENTIONED THE MOBILE OR THE IN-HOME TESTING OPTIONS WHERE YOU CAN CALL AND MAKE APPOINTMENTS.
UH, THREE ONE, ONE FOR IN-HOME TESTING FOR MOBILE TESTS.
AND WE CONTINUE TO SUPPORT OUR PARTNERS AT SENIOR LIVING FACILITIES, HOMELESS SHELTERS, AND OTHER FACILITIES WITH, UM, TESTING.
WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR VACCINATIONS BY A, FOR TRAVIS COUNTY, AND THIS INFORMATION IS PULLED FROM THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES, AND ALSO FROM AMTRAK, WE CAN SEE, UM, THAT WE HAD THAT LITTLE BUMP UP, AND THAT WAS PROBABLY EARLY ON, UM, WHEN PEADS WERE AVAILABLE.
BUT NOW WE'RE, WE SEE WE'RE STILL TRENDING OFF.
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UM, TRAVIS COUNTY AT THIS POINT IS 67 POINT 53% FULLY VACCINATED FOR THOSE FIVE AND OLDER, THE FULLY VACCINATED RATE FOR 12 AND OLDER IS 74 AND A HALF PERCENT.UM, THE FIVE AND UP KIDS ADD MORE OR MORE THAN 114,000 KIDS IN OUR, UM, COMMUNITY THAT NEEDS TO BE VACCINATED.
AND THAT INCREASES THE ELIGIBLE RESIDENTS OR THE ELIGIBLE POPULATION TO 1.2, UM, YEAR TO DATE, WE HAVE AN, OR THERE HAVE BEEN 1.8 MILLION DOSES ADMINISTERED TO TRAVIS COUNTY.
WHEN WE LOOK AT THE CUMULATIVE VACCINE DISTRIBUTION, UM, IN TRAVIS COUNTY BY AGE, AND AGAIN, THIS, UM, INFORMATION COMES FROM DSHS.
YOU CAN SEE THAT THE UPTAKE IN THE FIVE TO 11 RANGE IS NOT WHAT WE WOULD LIKE.
UM, BUT THERE, THERE IS SOME SOLID PROGRESS, UNFORTUNATELY, THAT IS A TREND THAT WE'RE SEEING NATIONALLY.
PARENTS ARE STILL OUT, UM, WEIGHING THE RISKS VERSUS THE BENEFITS, UM, FOR GETTING THEIR KIDS VACCINATED.
WACHS JUST EXPLAINED, UM, YOU KNOW, THE SCIENCE IS THERE, UM, VACCINATE, VACCINES WORK TO PROTECT, UM, FROM COVID.
SO WE ENCOURAGE ALL PARENTS TO CONSIDER GETTING THEIR CHILDREN VACCINATED.
WHEN WE LOOK AT THE, UM, DISTRIBUTION OF, UH, PEDIATRIC VACCINES BY RACE AND ETHNICITY, UM, UNFORTUNATELY WE'RE SEEING THE SAME TRENDS AS WE'VE SEEN IN THE OTHER AGE GROUPS, UM, WITH SOME UNDER-REPRESENTATION IN THE BLACK AND HISPANIC POPULATIONS.
UM, WHEN WE LOOK AT THE NUMBER OF TRAVIS COUNTY RESIDENTS WHO HAVE NOT RECEIVED THEIR SECOND DOSE, THAT'S APPROXIMATELY 127,000.
UM, AND THE AMOUNT OF, UH, FOLKS THAT ARE UNVACCINATED IS 265,000, AND THAT NUMBER HAS JUMPED UP BECAUSE WE'VE NOW INCLUDED, UH, THE FIVE TO 11 YEAR OLD AGE GROUP.
AGAIN, WHEN WE LOOK AT, UM, OUR VACCINE DATA BY RACE AND ETHNICITY, WE DO SEE IN ALL OF THE GROUPS THAT THERE IS SOME DROP-OFF, UM, AGAIN OF CONCERN IS OUR HISPANIC AND BLACK OR AFRICAN-AMERICAN POPULATIONS AT 45% AND 34% RESPECTIVELY.
UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE CONTINUE TO WORK AS A DEPARTMENT AND WITH OUR TRAVIS COUNTY PARTNERS TO FIGURE OUT WHAT ARE THE BEST STRATEGIES TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE NOT ONLY MAKING VACCINES AVAILABLE, BUT WE'RE ALSO PROVIDING PEOPLE GOOD INFORMATION TO COMBAT DISINFORMATION THAT IS UNFORTUNATELY OUT THERE ON A LOT OF SOCIAL MEDIA OUTLETS, SO THAT FOLKS CAN HAVE, YOU KNOW, A SOLID, UH, PUTTING WHEN THEY'RE TRYING TO MAKE HIS CHOICE ABOUT THEIR VACCINE STATUS.
WHEN WE LOOK AT THE MAPS FOR THE FIRST DOSE, UM, NOT ANY SIGNIFICANT CHANGES, THE GREEN MEANS THAT THAT ZIP CODE IS OVER 70%.
THE BLUE MEANS THAT WE'RE IN THE 60 TO 69%.
AND, UM, THE YELLOW IS THAT 50 TO 59%.
SO THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT WE DON'T HAVE ANY, UM, COMMUNITIES THAT ARE BELOW THE 50% MARK FOR FIRST DOSE VACCINATION.
WHEN WE LOOK AT THE FULLY VACCINATED OR THE SECOND DOSE MAP, UM, A LITTLE MORE COLORFUL HERE, UM, WE DO HAVE THAT, UH, 50 BELOW 50% AND THAT 7, 8, 7 0 5 ZIP CODE.
AND THEN, UM, 6 1 7 2 1 5 3 4, 2 AND FOUR ONE ARE STILL IN THAT 50 TO 60% FULLY VACCINATED RANGE.
AND SO THAT BRINGS ME TO, UM, OUR VACCINE OPERATIONS, JUST AS A REMINDER TO THE COMMUNITY THAT WE DO OFFER WALKUP APPOINTMENTS.
UM, SO RATHER WE HAVE WALKUP CLINICS WHERE NO APPOINTMENTS ARE NECESSARY.
ALTHOUGH WE DO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT IF YOU MAKE AN APPOINTMENT, YOUR VISIT WILL GO A LITTLE BIT FASTER.
WE DON'T REQUIRE ANY, UM, IDENTIFICATION, AND THERE ARE NO FEES ASSOCIATED WITH THE VACCINES THAT WE GIVE OUT AT ANY OF THESE LOCATIONS.
AND SO WE'RE AT OUR STANDARD SITES OF THE SOUTHEAST LIBRARY, LITTLE WALNUT CREEK.
UM, THE DEPARTMENT IS HOLDING AN LGBTQ PLUS RESOURCE FAIR, AND WE WILL PROVIDE VACCINES AT THAT EVENT.
UM, WE'LL STILL BE AT THE PFLUGERVILLE LIBRARY, WE'RE AT THE DELCO ACTIVITY CENTER, SIMS ELEMENTARY,
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AND WE'LL BE AT ST.JAMES MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH, THIS SATURDAY, OTHER, UM, MOBILE EVENTS INCLUDE, UH, BEING OUT AT DECILE MIDDLE-SCHOOL PARK CREST, MIDDLE NORTH, EARLY NORTHEAST, EARLY COLLEGE ACADEMY.
AND SO, UM, WE USUALLY HAVE A SLIDE THAT GIVES ALL OF THE COMMUNICATION OUTLETS OR PLACES WHERE WE WE'VE SHARED OUR MESSAGING.
AND WE FELT IT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT THIS WEEK TO, UM, REMIND OUR ELECTEDS AS WELL AS OUR COMMUNITY.
THAT NO MATTER WHERE YOU SEE IT, THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO COMMUNICATE TO OUR, OUR, OUR COMMUNITY.
SO COMMUNITY TRANSMISSION RATE IS A CRITICAL PIECE OF INFORMATION THAT ALLOWS THE PUBLIC TO MAKE GOOD CHOICES, TO KEEP THEMSELVES AND OTHERS SAFE FROM COVID-19.
AND TO HELP US PERMIT ANOTHER SURGE, HANDS DOWN, GETTING VACCINATED IS THE BEST WAY TO PROTECT OURSELVES FROM ALL VARIANTS OF COVID-19.
MOST PEOPLE NOW, AS DR WACHS MENTIONED, CAN GET THEIR BOOSTERS AS WELL.
THAT GUIDANCE HAS BEEN UPDATED AND MASKING.
WE KNOW THAT MASKING IN PUBLIC WILL HELP REDUCE THE SPREAD OF COVID-19 AND PROTECT OUR HOSPITAL SYSTEM.
AND SOMETHING THAT DR WACHS SAID EARLIER REALLY RESONATED WITH ME THE EVERY TIME THAT THE VIRUS SPREADS TO AN UNVACCINATED PERSON, IT GIVES IT, IT GIVES IT RATHER THE OPPORTUNITY TO MUTATE.
SO IF YOU'RE A VACCINATED PERSON, YOU DO YOUR PART BECAUSE SHE SHOWED THAT OTHER THE SECOND TO LAST SLIDE WHERE 25% OF TRANSMISSION COMES FROM VACCINATED PEOPLE.
SO WE'RE WALKING AROUND AND WE'RE ALL SAFE, AND WE'RE GOOD, BUT IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT FOR OUR COMMUNITY THAT WE, WE TAKE THAT EXTRA MEASURE TO PROTECT THOSE WHO MIGHT BE IMMUNOCOMPROMISED, WHO MIGHT NEED THEIR BOOSTER, OR WHO ARE UNVACCINATED AND TAKING THAT EXTRA STEP.
WE DO OUR PART AND HELPING REDUCE THE APPEARANCE OF MORE VARIANTS OF CONCERN.
WHEN WE LOOK AT COMMUNITY OUTREACH, UM, OVER THE PAST FEW WEEKS, OVER A THOUSAND INDIVIDUALS WERE REACHED.
UM, WE WERE AT THE ST JOHN'S FALL FEST.
JAMES WE'RE AT THE BELLA VISTA APARTMENTS, THE RIVERSIDE TOWNHOMES, THE WILDWOOD APARTMENTS.
WE WERE AT THE RECONCILIATION RECONCILIATION CHURCH OF AUSTIN, AND ALSO AT GREATER LOVE BAPTIST CHURCH.
AND WHAT'S SIGNIFICANT ABOUT THESE AREAS IS THAT THEY'RE ALL IN ZIP CODES WHERE WE'RE SEEING THAT LAG IN VACCINATION RATES.
AND, UM, THEY'RE EITHER A HIGH PERCENTAGE OF RESIDENTS WHO PARTICIPATE IN WORSHIP SERVICES OR WHO LIVE IN THE RESIDENCES THAT FALL IN THOSE POPULATIONS THAT WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO FOCUS ON AND SUPPORT, UM, MAKING A CHOICE TO GET VACCINATED.
AND SO THEN AS USUAL, I LIKE TO END WITH A PICTURE OF OUR AWESOME TEAMS THAT WORK.
UM, SO THIS WEEK, NOT ONLY DO WE HAVE APH STAFF, WE ALSO HAVE STAFF FROM THE WATERSHED DEPARTMENT HELPING OUT WITH HANDING OUT PPE BAGS AND GIVING OUT INFORMATION ABOUT WHERE FOLKS CAN GO TO GET VACCINATED.
UM, AND WITH THAT, I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME THIS MORNING.
GOOD MORNING, JUDGE BROWN MAYOR ADLER COURT AND COMMISSIONERS.
I'M CHUCK BROTHERTON, TRAVIS COUNTY EXECUTIVE FOR EMERGENCY SERVICES, UH, HERE THIS MORNING TO PROVIDE Y'ALL JUST A BRIEF UPDATE, UH, OF THE ACTIVITIES THAT OUR MOBILE VACCINATION COLLABORATIVE, UH, HAVE BEEN DOING, UH, WHICH ARE SUPPLEMENTING THE WONDERFUL WORK THAT AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH IS CONTINUING TO DO IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UH, THE MOBILE VACCINE COLLABORATIVE CONTINUES, UH, DOING STRIKE TEAMS AND POP UP SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.
UH, WE ARE APPEARING ON WEEKENDS, OF COURSE, AT THE TRAVIS COUNTY EXPO CENTER ON SATURDAYS AND SUNDAYS FROM NOON TO FOUR.
AND THEN SIX DAYS A WEEK, MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY, WE ARE IN A VARIETY OF LOCATIONS, INCLUDING THE JD MARKETS, OTHER RETAIL LOCATIONS IN THE EASTERN CRESCENT.
UH, AND IN OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER, WE HAVE BEEN, UH, INTENSELY FOCUSING ON GETTING INTO OUR TITLE ONE SCHOOLS IN THE EASTERN CRESCENT TO VACCINATE THAT PEDIATRIC POPULATION AGES FIVE THROUGH 12, UH, HELPING US IN THAT EFFORT ARE, UH, THE UT SCHOOL OF NURSING, THE CENTRAL TEXAS ALLIED HEALTH INSTITUTE, UH, OUR LONGTIME PARTNER, ASCENSION SETON, OF COURSE, UH, AND, UH, TRAVIS COUNTY, CONSTABLE PRECINCT FOUR, CONSTABLE GEORGE MORALES.
SO YOU WILL HEAR THIS MORNING FROM, UH, TODD HAMILTON, WHO IS THE CENTRAL TEXAS ALLIED HEALTH INSTITUTES CAMPUS PRESIDENT, UH, AND ALSO FROM
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CONSTABLE MORALES.AND I WILL TURN IT OVER NOW TO CONSTABLE MORALES.
GOOD MORNING COMMISSIONERS COUNCIL MEMBERS, JUDGE MAYER.
WE CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON OUTREACH AND EDUCATION DOING THE WORK TO ENSURE THAT OUR STRIKE TEAMS ARE SUCCESSFUL.
OUR MOBILE VACCINE COLLABORATIVE GAVE A COMBINED SHOTS THIS PAST WEEK OF 1,620 SHOTS IN NOVEMBER FOR THE TOTAL, UH, MOBILE VACCINES GAVE A COMBINED SHOTS OF 4,695 FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER, UH, 1,408 OF THOSE WERE PEDIATRICS, UH, FIVE TO 11.
UH, AGAIN, UH, YOU HEARD, AS CHUCK SAID WITH THE HELP OF CENTRAL TEXAS ALLIED HEALTH, UH, UT SCHOOL OF NURSING SETON, AND OF COURSE WE DID A CLINIC WITH DELL'S CHILDREN.
UM, WE HANDED OUT A TOTAL OF 7,400 FLYERS, UM, TO OUR HIGHLY EFFECTED ZIP CODES ALONG WITH 1,673 PHONE CALLS.
UM, WE TARGETED THE AREAS OF 77 5 8 7 8 7 2 4 4 1 DEL VALLEY, AND THE 7 8 7 4 4.
WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH OUR ASD TITLE, ONE SCHOOLS THAT ARE IN A HIGHLY EFFECTIVE ZIP CODES.
UM, THIS WEEK WE'RE COMPLETING 48 CLINICS WITH FOUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN THE EASTERN CRESCENT, ALONG WITH OUR STATIC LOCATIONS WITH JDS SUPERMARKETS THAT ARE POLKA LOCALS.
UM, THESE SCHOOLS INCLUDE AISD DBIS D MAYNOR ISD AND PFLUGERVILLE ISD.
UM, AND THAT'S A TOTAL OF 24 SCHOOLS, UH, ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.
WE WILL ALSO BE WORKING WITH THE MEXICAN CONSULATE.
SO JUST A EVENTS THIS WEEK AT THE LOCAL DISTRICTS, UH, WE HAVE DEL VALLEY SCHOOLS POP THEM COLLINS, OH, HEDA DEL VALLEY ELEMENTARY DEL VALLEY, MIDDLE SCHOOL, HILLCREST DAILY SMITH DEL VALLEY OPPORTUNITY CENTER.
WE HAVE PFLUGERVILLE, WHICH IS WEILAND RIVER OAKS, TIMMERMAN, COPPERFIELD, RUTH BARRON, AND CALDWELL.
ALONG WITH MAYOR ISD, BLUE BONNET SHADOW, GLEN PINER CROSSING MAIN OR NEWTEK AND DECKER MIDDLE SCHOOL AS D WE WOULD DO A THREE WITH ALISON ELEMENTARY RILEY ELEMENTARY AND ASD PERFORMING ARTS.
AND I'LL TURN IT BACK OVER TO CHUCK, CONSTABLE.
UH, MR. HAMILTON, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO YOU TO HEAR AN UPDATE FROM CENTRAL TEXAS ALLIED HEALTH.
CENTRAL TEXAS ALLIED HEALTH INSTITUTE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER HAS COMPLETED 689 TOTAL SHOTS.
DURING THIS TIME, WE HAVE WORKED WITH TWO INDEPENDENTS, AUSTIN ISD AND MAYNOR ISD.
AND THEN WE HAD THE, WE DO HAVE OUR INDEPENDENT STATIC LOCATION LOCATED ON 1400 TILLERY.
THE 689 SHOTS HAVE BROKE IT DOWN TO 293 ADULTS, 396 PEDIATRICS WITH THE ISD.
IT BRINGS DOWN TO 86 ADULTS AND THEN 278 ADULTS.
WE'RE ALSO NICELY MAYNARD ISD, 98 ADULTS AND 81 PEDIATRICS.
AND AT OUR INDEPENDENT SITES, WE HAVE DONE 109 ADULTS AND 37 PEDIATRICS.
WE WORK DILIGENTLY TO TRY TO GET THE WORD OUT AROUND THE EASTERN CRESCENT AROUND OUR, AROUND A PEDIATRIC SITE, OR EXCUSE ME, AROUND OUR INDEPENDENT SITE, HANDING OUT FLYERS, GOING BUSINESS ARE GOING TO DIFFERENT BUSINESSES AROUND THE, AROUND THE COMMUNITY TO LET THEM KNOW THAT WE ARE THERE AND WE'RE THERE TO SERVICE THE AREA.
EVEN THOUGH WE ARE GOING TO RECONSTRUCTION REMODELING RIGHT NOW, WE ARE STILL OPEN AND WAITING FOR PEOPLE TO COME IN AT ANY TIME.
AND I'LL TURN IT BACK OVER TO THE 10TH.
UH, THANK YOU, MR. HAMILTON, JUDGE BROWN MAYOR ADLER.
THANK YOU ALL FOR ALLOWING US TO BE HERE THIS MORNING TO TURN IT BACK TO YOU FOR ANY QUESTIONS.
AND THANK YOU, TODD HAMILTON AND DIRECTOR STIRRUP AND DR.
UM, SO THIS TIME WE'RE GOING TO GO THROUGH THE QUESTION PART.
WE ARE BACK TO HAVING A HUGELY FULL AGENDA TODAY.
SO ASKING YOU FOLKS, IF YOU COULD TRY TO KEEP IT TO ONE QUESTION TO THE FOLKS WHO PRESENTED TODAY, AND I WILL START OFF ON OUR END WITH COMMISSIONER GOMEZ TO SEE IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS SAY Y'ALL GAVE TO CHILDREN POSSIBLE.
ARE YOU ABLE TO HEAR, I'M SORRY, I COULDN'T HEAR HER.
UH, HOW MANY SHOTS DID YOU GIVE? HOW MANY PEDIATRIC SHOTS DID Y'ALL GIVE 1,408 PEDIATRIC SHOTS.
UH, COMMISSIONER SHIFT, REALLY JUST A HUGE SHOUT OUT AND THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO'S ON BOARD AND REALLY THRILLED WITH THE, UM, THE RESULTS FROM OUR NEWEST, UH, PARTICIPANT WITH, UH, DR.
JERICHO THOMAS, UH, HOCKADAY'S GROUP.
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UM, I THINK WITH THE EMERGENCE OF THE, ON MACRON VARIANT, I HOPE THE PEOPLE WHO, FOR REASONS THAT I STILL DON'T UNDERSTAND ARE CLAIMING THIS ISN'T REAL, OR THAT MASKS ARE A HUGE INFRINGEMENT ON THEIR FREEDOM.WE'LL START TO UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S LARGELY IN THE UNVACCINATED POPULATION, THAT THIS VIRUS IS MUTATING.
YES, SOME BREAKTHROUGH, BUT THE MAJORITY IS IN THE UNVACCINATED POPULATION.
SO I JUST HOPE PEOPLE WILL GET THAT MESSAGE.
AND I, I, UM, I THINK WE NEED TO REINFORCE IT AS STRONGLY AS WE CAN, BUT THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR GREAT WORK.
CAN WE START TO REALLY GOOD? WELL, ONCE AGAIN, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THE, UH, FOR THE TREMENDOUS WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE, PARTICULARLY THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE, UH, TO WORK IN OUR TITLE, ONE SCHOOLS TO GO TO WHERE GO TO COMMUNITIES WHERE OUR FAMILIES ARE.
AND, UH, AND MY ONLY QUESTION IS AS IT RELATES TO, UH, THE WALK-UP CLINICS, HAVE WE, UM, ARE THESE CLINICS ON BUS LINES? AND IF SO, HAVE WE REACHED OUT TO CAPITAL METRO TO SEE IF WE PARTICULARLY, IF THEY'RE PICKUPS ZONES, UH, HAVE WE REACHED OUT TO CAPITAL METRO TO SEE IF THERE'S SOME WAY THAT WE CAN ARRANGE TRANSPORTATION FOR PEOPLE WHO HAD LIKED, WHO WOULD LIKE TO GET BOOSTERS, UH, BUT DON'T HAVE TRANSPORTATION TO GET THERE.
UH, I KNOW THAT THEY HAVE, THEY ARE WILLING TO WORK WITH US AS IT RELATES TO, UH, TO HELPING COMMUNITY FOLKS.
UM, HAVE WE REACHED OUT TO THEM TO SEE WHERE, UH, HOW CLOSE OUR OPERATION CENTERS ARE TO, UH, PUBLIC TRANSIT, UM, ZONES AND WHAT THEY MIGHT DO TO HELP US FACILITATE GETTING PEOPLE TO, AND FROM THE AREA WE HAVEN'T HAD THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITH CAP METRO RECENTLY, BUT THROUGHOUT THE PANDEMIC, ESPECIALLY IN THE EARLY STAGES, THEY WERE A VERY GOOD PARTNER.
SO I WILL ASK THE STAFF TO FOLLOW UP AND SEE WHAT PERHAPS WE CAN ARRANGE YANNIS BANKS IS THE PERSON THAT, AND I THINK THAT YOU OUGHT TO REACH OUT TO, AND IF HE IS NOT A PART OF THE COORDINATION, HE CAN GUIDE YOU TO THE FOLKS WHO WILL BE COMMISSIONER.
A LOT OF OUR STATIC LOCATIONS ARE ON BUS LINES AND WITHIN THE COMMUNITY, ALL THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS, WE DO MONITOR THAT AREA SO THAT IF A RIDES ARE NEEDED, WE CAN TAKE A SHOT TO THE HOME.
UM, WE ARE, UH, CONVINCED THAT, UM, WITH THE COMMUNICATION THAT WE HAVE WITH OUR CALL CENTERS, THAT, UH, SOME OF THAT STUFF IS BEING COMPLETED AS WE SPEAK, APPRECIATE YOUR HARD WORK.
AND, AND I GUESS THE ONLY OTHER QUESTION IS, IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE WE CAN DO TO BE HELPFUL IN THE PROCESS? IS THERE SOMETHING THAT YOU HAVE DISCOVERED SINCE WE MET LAST TIME THAT WE SHOULD BE DOING THAT MAYBE WE AREN'T DOING YET COMMISSIONER, WE ARE CONSTANTLY REVIEWING AND REFINING OUR OPERATIONS AND LOOKING FOR WAYS TO IMPROVE.
UH, I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TOP OF MIND, UH, UH, DIRECTOR STIRRUP MAY, BUT WE CERTAINLY, WHEN WE COME UP WITH AN IDEA, ANYBODY IN OUR COLLABORATIVE THAT COMES UP WITH AN IDEA, IT'S QUICKLY COMMUNICATED UP THE CHAIN AND WE WILL BRING IT TO YOU.
I APPRECIATE, UM, THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER HOWARD.
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE FOR YOUR HARD WORK.
WALKS OVER THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND.
I HEARD FROM THREE DIFFERENT FAMILIES WHO WERE NOT VACCINATING WITH THE JUSTIFICATION THAT THEY HAD HAD.
COULD YOU COMMENT ON THE NEED TO, FOR VACCINATION DESPITE HAVING HAD COVID CERTAINLY THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION.
UM, WE KNOW THAT WE, OUR BODIES DO MAKE ANTIBODIES WHEN WE HAVE BEEN ILL, UM, AND INCLUDING FROM THIS VIRUS THAT CAUSES COVID-19, HOWEVER, THOSE ANTIBODIES, UM, WE THINK DO NOT CONFER, UH, GIVE US PROTECTION FOR LONGER THAN ABOUT 90 DAYS, UM, MA AND AS WHAT THE RULE OF THUMB IS.
AND WE RECOMMEND THAT PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD COVID AS SOON AS THEY'VE BEEN, UM, TOLD THAT THEY'RE RECOVERED, WHICH FOR MOST INDIVIDUALS IS AFTER 10 DAYS, UM, UH, AFTER SYMPTOM ONSET THAT THEY GO AND HAVE THE VACCINATION FOR COVID-19.
THE VACCINE GIVES, UH, A MUCH STRONGER AND LONGER LASTING LEVEL OF PROTECTION FOR THE,
[00:50:01]
UH, COVID-19.AND IT'S IMPORTANT, PARTICULARLY WITH THIS NEW VARIANT THAT WE'RE ANTICIPATING WILL BE HERE SOON, UM, THAT EVERYBODY HAD THAT PROTECTION.
SO WE STRONGLY URGE THOSE WHO HAVE HAD COVID-19 TO GO AND GET THEIR VACCINE.
WILKES, I'M TRYING TO DO SOME MATH ON THE FLY, WHICH IS FLY, WHICH IS NEVER A GOOD IDEA, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE Y'ALL, WE COLLECTIVELY EVERYBODY IN TRAVIS COUNTY HAS VACCINATED 24% OF KIDS, FIVE TO 11, WHICH IS NOT WHERE WE WANT TO END UP, BUT I THINK WE'RE MAKING GOOD PROGRESS ON THAT.
I CAN'T TELL FROM THE STATE WEBSITE, WHAT THE POPULATION IS JUST FOR COMPARISON.
I SEE THAT STATEWIDE THEY'VE VACCINATED, TEXAS AS A WHOLE HAS VACCINATED 335,000 KIDS, FIVE TO 11, BUT I CAN'T FIND THE WHATEVER DENOMINATOR OF HOW MANY KIDS, FIVE TO 11 ARE IN TEXAS.
DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE STATEWIDE RATE IS BY ANY CHANCE? UH, THE LAST TIME I CHECKED WAS LAST WEEK AND IT WAS SOMEWHERE BETWEEN THREE AND 5%, BUT I CAN HAVE SOMEONE CHECK WHILE WE'RE ANSWERING QUESTIONS AND GET BACK TO YOU, SIR.
JUST KNOWING THAT COMPARISON, CAUSE IT LOOKS LIKE, AGAIN, MY MATH COULD BE OFF, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE DOING REALLY WELL COMPARED TO THE STATE AVERAGE, BUT WOULD LIKE TO FOLLOW THAT.
I WILL PASS IT ON OVER TO YOU.
WE'RE GOING TO START WITH THE MAYOR PRO TAM AND WORK OUR WAY TO DISTRICT TAN, A MAYOR PRO TEM YOU WITH US.
WE'LL COME BACK TO THE, TO THE MAYOR PRO TEM.
IF SHE JOINS US, I GO, SHE WAS HERE EARLIER, A COUNSELOR FOR THIS.
UH, MY QUESTION IS FOR DIRECTOR STIRRUP, I WANTING TO ASK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, RECENTLY AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL INVESTED IN COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS AND WE RECEIVED FEDERAL FUNDING TO ALSO EXPAND OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER WORKFORCE.
UM, AND THAT AS PART OF THAT FUNDING, WE'VE PARTNERED WITH COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AND, UH, WE'VE ALSO RECENTLY HAD A, UH, CAREER FAIR TO HIRE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS.
AND I BELIEVE LATER IN DECEMBER, WE'LL BE THE CITY WE'LL BE RELEASING AN RFP, UM, TO PARTNER WITH MORE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS WHO CAN HELP US WITH OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER STRATEGY.
UM, CAN YOU TALK US THROUGH, YOU KNOW, HOW THE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS ARE CURRENTLY HELPING WITH GETTING, UH, WITH FILLING THE GAP ON THE, ON GETTING FOLKS VACCINATED, UM, AND ALSO WITH THE BOOSTER, UM, STRATEGY AS WELL, AND, AND WITH KIDS, I MEAN, HOW ARE WE UTILIZING, UM, THAT PART OF OUR WORKFORCE TO HELP DURING THIS TIME, CERTAINLY.
AND THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION COUNCIL POINTERS AND WHERE YOU'RE UNWAVERING CHAMPIONING, CHAMPIONING OF COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS IN, IN OUR SPACE.
UM, THEY ARE DEFINITELY A VALUABLE RESOURCE WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BEHAVIOR CHANGE AND PERSONAL HEALTH.
AND A LOT OF THE, UM, INTERACTIONS THAT I TALKED ABOUT AT THE DIFFERENT CHURCHES WERE, UM, DONE BY COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS.
UM, I WAS IN THE OFFICE THE OTHER DAY AND TWO OF THEM CAME IN AND THEY WERE LIKE, CAN WE SEE WHAT YOU LOOK LIKE WITHOUT YOUR MASK? AND SO WE WERE TALKING AT A DISTANCE AND THEY WERE REALLY SHARING WITH ME ABOUT HOW, UM, FULFILLING IT WAS TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THOSE VERY PERSONAL CONVERSATIONS.
UM, AND THESE WERE TWO WOMEN AND THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT HOW THEY WERE CONVERSING WITH MOMS AND THEY WERE ABLE TO CONNECT, YOU KNOW, ON THAT BASIS OF WANTING TO PROTECT YOUR KIDS AND TRYING TO UNDERSTAND TO DO WHAT'S RIGHT.
AND THEY MANAGED TO GET A COUPLE OF PEOPLE TO SAY THAT THEY WOULD GO TO A SITE.
AND SO IT'S THOSE INCREMENTAL INTERACTIONS THAT ARE REALLY GOING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THOSE BEHAVIOR CHANGES AND SUPPORTING FOLKS AND, AND MAKING THAT NEXT STEP.
AND SO WE CONTINUE TO RECRUIT AND TO TRAIN THE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS.
UM, OUR DISEASE PREVENTION AND HEALTH PROMOTION UNIT WORKS WITH THE, JUST TO CREATE A TOOLKIT OF SORTS WHERE THEY CAN GO DOWN AND PICK OFF DIFFERENT FLYERS TO TAKE OUT WITH THEM, TO THEIR OUTREACH EVENTS.
THEY'RE ALWAYS ARMED WITH WHERE WE'RE GOING TO BE IN TERMS OF TESTING AND VACCINATION.
AND SO WE REALLY HOPE THAT AS WE, UM, GROW THAT WORKFORCE AND GET MORE FOLKS ON BOARD, THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO DEPLOY THEM AND TO ALL OF THE AREAS THAT WE TALK ABOUT EVERY OTHER WEEK THAT ARE, ARE LAGGING BEHIND, BUT THEY HAVE BEEN KEY FOR THAT PERSONAL INTERACTION.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING THAT TIDBIT.
I GREATLY APPRECIATE IT AND THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU'RE DOING.
AND, UH, IT'S GOOD TO, TO HEAR HOW THAT LEVEL OF INVESTMENT, UM, IS WORKING AND IT'S AN IMPORTANT AND CRITICAL PART OF OUR STRATEGY
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TO GET MORE FOLKS VACCINATED AND PROTECTED.UH, I GUESS MAYOR AND I JUST WANT TO ALSO SAY THANKS TO ALL THE OTHER PROVIDERS THAT ARE NOT VOLUNTEERS THEY'RE OUT THERE.
UH, I WENT DOWN THERE BY KEEP PAYING HIM LAST WEEK AND I SAW THAT THEY WERE ADMINISTERING VACCINES SHOTS HERE TOO, TO OUR PEOPLE.
I ALSO WANT TO REMIND THE PUBLIC THAT, YOU KNOW, THE COLD AND FLU SEASON IS HERE.
I KNOW THREE PEOPLE THAT HAVE JUST IMMEDIATELY AND MY FRIENDS AND FAMILIES THAT ARE ALREADY HAVE HAD CAUGHT THAT.
SO IT'S OUT THERE AND IT'S COMING AND I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE YOU GOT TO TAKE ALL THE PREVENTION AND, AND DON'T GO TO WORK SICK AND SHE JUST GOING TO GET YOUR COLLEAGUES SICK.
SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE THAT PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT.
SO CONSIDERING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TRYING TO GET THOSE PEDIATRIC NUMBERS UP.
CAN WE GET A STATUS REPORT ON HOW IT'S GOING WITH THE SCHOOL PERMISSION SLIPS AND SIGN-UPS SORT OF THE PROCESS OF, OF, OF CHILDREN GETTING AT SCHOOL JUST THROUGH THAT, YOU KNOW, SENDING US SLIP IN KIDS' BACKPACK.
SO FOR APH, I'M GOING TO HAVE TO, UM, ASK STAFF TO SEND ME THAT ANSWER.
I DON'T HAVE IT OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, BUT I DID GET THE ANSWER FOR THE FIVE TO 11 AND STATEWIDE WE'RE AT 12% OF OUR FIVE TO 11 YEAR OLDS THAT ARE VACCINATED OR HAVE RECEIVED ONE DOSE.
AND I WILL ASK STAFF TO GIVE ME THAT INFORMATION THEN CIRCLE BACK TO YOU.
THAT'S 11.6% STATEWIDE COMPARED TO 23.8% IN TRAVIS COUNTY.
DOES THAT SOUND RIGHT? THOSE TEAM MEMBERS? YES.
TH THEY ROUNDED UP FOR ME, BUT YES, HAVE 24%.
I WANT TO ADD MY, THANKS TO THE WORK THAT YOU ALL ARE DOING.
IT'S IT'S, UM, IT'S BEEN A LONG, UH, MARATHON AND REALLY APPRECIATE EVERYBODY'S EFFORTS, PARTICULARLY, UM, CONCERNED ABOUT THE KIDS RIGHT NOW.
SO I'M WONDERING, UM, I'M, I'M WONDERING, UM, IF WE DIRECT TO SERVE, HAVE WE REACHED OUT TO THE MEDICAID PROGRAMS, UM, IN THE CITY, THERE ARE, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, THOSE, A LOT OF THE PARTICIPANTS IN THOSE MEDICAID PROGRAMS ARE CHILDREN.
AND SO THEY, UM, I KNOW THAT THE MEDICAID PROGRAMS HAVE, HAVE DONE, UH, QUITE A BIT OF WORK IN THE PAST TO HELP MAKE SURE THAT THEIR MEMBERS ARE VACCINATED.
SO THERE MAY BE AN ALLY THERE FOR YOU IN TERMS OF REACHING OUT, UH, TO THE CHILDREN AND MAY HAVE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS AND, UM, CARE COORDINATORS THAT WORK WITH THESE FAMILIES AND KIDS.
SO IS THAT, THAT MAY BE SOMETHING YOU'RE ALREADY DOING.
I JUST WANTED TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION IF YOU HAD, UM, IT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT WE'RE DOING, BUT I COULD DEFINITELY, I WROTE IT DOWN ON MY LONG LIST OF THINGS TO FOLLOW UP ON AND WE CAN GET WITH THE STAFF TO SEE WHAT KIND OF HEADWAY WE CAN MAKE THERE.
YEAH, IF YOU NEED CONTACT, I'M HAPPY TO HELP WITH CONTEXT, IF THAT'S HELPFUL.
IT'S, UM, PARTICULARLY FOR, UM, I'M THINKING PARTICULARLY OF THE, OF THE CHILDREN, UH, THAT, UM, AND THE MEDICAID PROGRAMS WORK WITH OUR MOST VULNERABLE KIDS, UM, AND THEY MIGHT BE A GOOD WAY TO TRY TO HELP REACH THEM.
YES, MA'AM, WE'VE GOT, WE HAVE BEEN TALKING WITH OUR PARTNERS AT COMMUNITY CARES, UH, CENTRAL HEALTH AND, AND SOME OF THOSE LARGER GROUPS THAT ARE, UM, CARING FOR CHILDREN IN THAT POPULATION.
I'M ALSO THINKING OF THE ACTUAL MEDICAID PROGRAMS THEMSELVES IN ADDITION TO THE PROVIDERS.
ALL THOSE PARTNERSHIPS ARE REALLY WHAT WE NEED TO REACH INTO THE COMMUNITY, PARTICULARLY SINCE I, I HEARD YOU SAY THAT PART OF THE ISSUE, OR MAYBE IT'S ALL, MAYBE IT'S MOST OF THE ISSUE IS CONCERNS ON THE PART OF PARENTS.
IS THAT WHAT I HEARD YOU'RE HEARING? YES.
THERE'S SOME UNCERTAINTY WITH PARENTS ON THE SAFETY AND BELIEF THAT VACCINES ARE SAFE AND NECESSARY FOR CHILDREN.
IN THAT, UM, AGE GROUP, WE DID A SURVEY OF, UH, PARENTS IN AUSTIN AND AISD, AND THERE WAS A LARGE MAJORITY OF PARENTS WHO WERE STILL ON THE FENCE, BUT A LOT WHO WERE JUST KIND OF LIKE, EH,
[01:00:01]
I DON'T BELIEVE THAT'S NECESSARY AT THIS TIME.SO IT IS GOING TO TAKE A LOT OF COMMUNICATION, UM, AND, AND EDUCATION FOR FOLKS TO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS SAFETY AND THAT THE BENEFITS OUTWEIGH ANY OF THE RISKS.
UM, AND SINCE I'M ON THE MIC, IF I CAN GO BACK TO COUNCIL MEMBER KOSSAR'S QUESTION, IS THAT OKAY? OR, YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
THAT'S ALL THE QUESTIONS I HAVE.
THE ONLY OTHER QUESTION I HAD THAT YOU MIGHT SPEAK TO IS POINTLESS TO SOME DOCUMENTS OR INFORMATION THAT WE CAN USE TO SEND OUT TO OUR DISTRICTS.
I WILL HAVE THE, JUST CREATE A PACKAGE FOR EACH OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THE COMMISSIONERS WOULD LIKE AS WELL, I'LL SEND IT TO MR. BROTHERTON SO THAT EVERYONE WILL HAVE IT AVAILABLE, UM, FOR THE CLINICS FOR MOST OF THE CLINICS, PARENTS ARE ONSITE.
UM, SO THAT HASN'T BEEN AN ISSUE, BUT THERE ARE SOME CLINICS WHERE WE ARE PROVIDING THE PERMISSION SLIPS AHEAD OF TIME.
UM, AND UNFORTUNATELY THAT PROCESS IS, UM, HIT OR MISS.
AND SO AM WORKING WITH OUR SCHOOL-BASED PARTNERS.
THE STAFF FELT THAT IT'S, IT'S MORE VIABLE TO OFFER A CLINIC WHEN PARENTS CAN BE AVAILABLE BECAUSE THE SCHOOL CAN'T FORCE THE CHILD.
LIKE EVEN IF THE PARENT SIGNS OFF AND THE KID GETS INTO THE ROOM AND DECIDES NOT TODAY, FRIENDS, THERE'S NOT TOO MUCH THAT THAT PRACTITIONER CAN DO TO CONVINCE THEM.
SO WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO HAVE PARENTS ONSITE.
UM, HENCE THE HOURS THAT WE'RE, WE'RE MAKING THE CLINICS AVAILABLE SO THAT IT'S CAN BE PART OF THE PARENT'S WORK DAY OR AFTER THE PARENT'S WORK DAY, RATHER THAN THANKS FOR LAYING THAT OUT.
YOU KNOW, WE JUST HEARD FROM SO MANY, WELL, I JUST HEARD FROM MULTIPLE PARENTS IN SOME SIMILAR MEETINGS THAT IT WAS JUST, PEOPLE WORK ALL SORTS OF HOURS OR MULTIPLE JOBS AND NOT HAVING THAT OPTION AVAILABLE IS HELPFUL, BUT IT'S GOOD TO KNOW FROM EXPERIENCE WHAT'S WORKING AND WHAT ISN'T.
SO THANKS FOR CHECKING IN ON THAT.
I HAVE NO QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME.
THAT'S A RAPPORT YOU'RE MUTED.
I THINK I HEARD YOU SAY YOU DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME.
YOU WERE BREAKING UP A COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS.
I CERTAINLY APPRECIATE ALL THE HARD WORK THAT'S GOING INTO THIS TO MAKE SURE AS MANY FOLKS IN OUR COMMUNITY CAN BE VACCINATED AS POSSIBLE.
UM, I'VE REALLY ENJOYED SEEING THE PICTURES OF THE KIDS WHO ARE EXCITED TO GET THEIR VACCINATIONS.
IT'S REALLY EXCITING TO SEE THOSE YOUNG ONES WHO'VE HAD TO WAIT FOR SO LONG.
SO STUDENTS I'VE ASKED OVER MANY MONTHS WHEN THE UNDER 18 VACCINES WOULD OPEN.
NOW I'LL CHANGE MY QUESTION TO UNDER FIVE.
WHAT IS THE EXPECTATION? UM, WILL IT BE EVERYONE FROM NEWBORN TO FIVE? WILL IT BE TWO TO FIVE? OR WHAT KIND OF TIMELINES ARE WE LOOKING AT FOR ANYONE WHO'S NOT ELIGIBLE YET? UH, WE DON'T HAVE A TIMELINE AT THIS POINT.
THEY'RE STILL WORKING ON THAT AGE GROUP.
UM, HOPEFULLY IT WILL BE VERY SOON THAT WE DON'T KNOW AS OF YET.
WELL, I WILL, I WOULD JUST KEEP MY EYES AND EARS OPEN AND HOPE SOME MORE INFORMATION COMES OUT SOON, BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THE WORK GOING INTO THIS.
ALL OF OUR STAFF AND PARTNERS WHO ARE WORKING TO GET VACCINATIONS OUT YESTERDAY AT THE JOINT SUBCOMMITTEE MEETING COUNCIL MEMBER ALTAR AND I, AND SEVERAL OF THE COMMISSIONER, TRAVIS COUNTY COMMISSIONERS HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE OUTREACH TO OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND THE WAY IN WHICH THE PRE-EDUCATION PROGRAMS AT THOSE SCHOOLS ARE REALLY HELPING ANSWER SOME OF THE QUESTIONS AND SOME OF THE CONCERNS AND ADDRESS SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT FAMILIES HAVE.
SO THANK YOU FOR THAT APPROACH.
I THINK THAT SEEMS REALLY VERY SMART JUST IN, IN MY, UM, COMMUNICATIONS WITH SOME OF MY YOUNGER FAMILY MEMBERS.
I KNOW THEY HAVE SOME CONCERNS ABOUT VACCINATING THEIR, THEIR, UH, FIVE TO 12 YEAR OLDS.
AND, AND SO ADDRESSING THIS CONCERN SEEMS REALLY IMPORTANT TO MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE GETTING THOSE VACCINATIONS INTO THE ARMS OF OUR CHILDREN IN OUR COMMUNITIES, AND REALLY MAKING SURE THAT THERE IS SAFE AND AS PROTECTED AS POSSIBLE AGAINST THIS VIRUS.
UM, AND I THINK, UH, DIRECTOR STIRRUP, YOU SAID EARLIER IN, IN CONVERSATION ABOUT THE BOOSTER SHOT, THAT PEOPLE SHOULD CONTACT THEIR PRACTITIONER.
AND I JUST WANTED TO INVITE YOU TO, TO, UH, UM, DON'T HAVE THEIR OWN FAMILY DOCTOR AND THEY WANT OPTIONS BEYOND AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH.
UM, IT WAS MY EXPERIENCE THAT, THAT IT WAS VERY EASY.
IT WAS LESS THAN A 24 HOUR WAIT TO GET ONE AT, AT A LOCAL PHARMACY.
AND I KNOW MANY OF OUR PHARMACIES AND ADD OTHER PLACES AS WELL, OR OFFERING THOSE BOOSTER SHOTS FOR ADULTS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND I JUST WANTED TO INVITE YOU TO, TO VERIFY THAT, UM, AND TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE IN
[01:05:01]
OUR COMMUNITY KNOW THAT IF THEY DON'T HAVE THEIR, UH, THEIR OWN FAMILY DOCTOR AND ONE OF THE SITES IN AUSTIN, PUBLIC HEALTH, IT'S NOT A CONVENIENT, IT'S NOT CONVENIENT, OR IT'S NOT ON THEIR, UM, THEIR IMMEDIATE PATH HOME, UM, THAT THEY CAN PRETTY EASILY GET ONE WITH A VERY SHORT WAIT AT ONE OF OUR LOCAL, UH, PRIVATE, PRIVATE, UM, PARTNERS, INDEED.UM, AND SO IF YOU DON'T HAVE A PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN AND YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE VACCINE, YOU CAN CALL OUR NURSE LINE AT (512) 972-5560, AND YOU CAN GET THOSE QUESTIONS ANSWERED, AND THEN YOU'RE EXACTLY RIGHT.
YOU CAN GO TO ALMOST ANY RETAIL PHARMACY.
I MADE MINE AT A CVS AND WAS ABLE TO GET AN APPOINTMENT THE NEXT DAY.
THEY DO ASK FOR INSURANCE INFORMATION, BECAUSE I BELIEVE THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PROVIDERS TO RECEIVE REIMBURSEMENT, BUT THERE IS NO OUT OF POCKET COSTS, UM, FOR YOU TO RECEIVE THE VACCINE AT THE RETAIL PHARMACY.
AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE INSURANCE, THAT IS NOT A BARRIER AS WELL.
I GOT MY FLU AND MY, MY BOOSTER SAME DAY, SAME ARE.
UM, SO I ENCOURAGE THE COMMUNITY TO LOOK INTO ALL OF THE OPTIONS THAT ARE AVAILABLE.
AND JUST ONE OTHER THING, I KNOW, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER CASAR, I WILL JUST SAY, ANECDOTALLY, I NOTICED SEVERAL SCHOOLS THAT ARE SENDING HOME THE PERMISSION SLIPS FOR FLU VACCINATION.
SO I APPRECIATE YOU ASKING THE QUESTION ABOUT THE COVID VACCINATION, UM, BUT AT LEAST THE FLU IS GETTING OUT THROUGH, THROUGH PRIOR PERMISSION SLIPS.
UM, THANK YOU, MR. UP FOR RAISING THE, THE FLU QUESTION.
I THINK IT'S GREAT THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, OUR COMMUNITY CAN GET BOTH OF THOSE SHOTS AT ONCE.
IF THEY HAVEN'T ALREADY GOTTEN THEIR COVID VACCINE.
UM, MY QUESTION HAS TO DO WITH THE BOOSTER SHOTS AND FOR THOSE WHO ARE UNDER EIGHTEENS ON THE PARTICULARLY THE 12 TO 18 RANGE, SOME OF WHOM ARE NOW, YOU KNOW, THAT CERTAIN AMOUNT PERIOD AFTER THEIR SECOND VACCINE.
UM, WHEN DO WE ANTICIPATE AUTHORIZATION FOR BOOSTER SHOTS FOR THAT 12 TO UP TO 18 AGE RANGE? WE'VE NOT BEEN GIVEN GUIDANCE ON THAT YET.
I KNOW THERE'S DISCUSSION ABOUT IT.
UM, BUT WE STILL DON'T HAVE THAT GUIDANCE.
SO WE'RE JUST WAITING FOR IT FROM THE CDC AND FDA.
AND DO WE KNOW THAT THEY'RE, THEY'RE WORKING ON? I MEAN, THEY HAVEN'T GIVEN ANY SENSE OF A TIMELINE OF WHEN THEY WILL HAVE ANY OF THE STUDIES OR ANYTHING DONE? NO, NOT YET, BUT, UM, I'M ANTICIPATING THAT IT'S GOING TO BE TOP OF MIND, ESPECIALLY WITH THE COMING VARIANT.
HOW ARE WE DOING WITH RESPECT TO FLU RELATIVE TO NOT LAST YEAR, BUT THE YEARS BEFORE THAT WE STILL HAVE LOW NUMBERS OF FLU CASES.
UM, I DON'T HAVE A REPORT FROM LAST WEEK BECAUSE OF THE HOLIDAY, BUT THE PRIOR WEEK'S NUMBERS WERE LOW AND CONTINUED TO BE LOWER THAN, UM, PREVIOUS YEARS.
IF YOU COULD PUT THAT BACK INTO THE REPORT THAT YOU GIVE TO US SO THAT WE COULD SEE THAT THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
UH, I DO SEE THAT THE FOOD NUMBER, UH, IS ON THE, UH, WEBSITE OUT.
UH, I JUST COULDN'T FIND A CONTEXT FOR IT.
SO SOMEONE LOOKING AT IT SEES THE NUMBER, BUT DOESN'T KNOW WHAT IF THAT NUMBER IS HIGH OR LOW OR WHAT THAT NUMBER, UH, IS.
I DO WANT TO JUST ACKNOWLEDGE THE CHANGE IN THE, UH, WEBSITE.
I THINK THAT'S REALLY HELPFUL AS YOU'RE WORKING THROUGH THAT.
UH, ONE OF THE CHALLENGES WE HAVE WITH THE COMMUNITY RIGHT NOW, UH, IS, UH, AS MANY PEOPLE HAVE POINTED AT GETTING THE INFORMATION TO FOLKS SO THAT THEY RECOGNIZE THAT THE RISK ASSOCIATED WITH NOT GETTING THE BOOSTER, VACCINATING CHILDREN, THE RISKS ARE GREATER THAN THE POTENTIAL HARMS. WE NEED TO GET THAT INFORMATION OUT TO THOSE PEOPLE THAT, UH, WITH INFORMATION WOULD, WOULD MAKE A DIFFERENT DECISION OR WE'D MAKE A DECISION.
SO GETTING OUT THAT INFORMATION, IT'S REAL CRITICAL.
THE OTHER CHALLENGE THAT WE HAVE, UH, EVEN RECOGNIZING THAT WE'RE DOING SO MUCH BETTER THAN, THAN OUR PEERS AND SO MUCH BETTER THAN THE STATE AS A WHOLE, WHICH I THINK IS A TESTAMENT TO THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING AND APH IS DOING, AND THE COUNTY'S DOING, AND OUR PARTNERS MADE WE'RE DOING REALLY WELL RELATIVE TO THAT.
BUT WE, YOU LOOK AT THOSE NUMBERS WITH, YOU KNOW, 200,000 PLUS PEOPLE NOT VACCINATED, A HUNDRED PLUS THOUSAND PEOPLE NOT GETTING THEIR BOOSTER SHOTS.
SOME OF THOSE PEOPLE, WE CAN'T MOVE.
I THINK THAT WHAT PEOPLE ARE FEELING
[01:10:01]
APART IS THAT WE'RE DOING SO WELL.UH, PEOPLE ARE FEELING THAT NUMBER'S GOING DOWN, UH, THE NUMBERS FROM THE DASHBOARD FROM LAST WEEK, THIS WEEK I'M GONE DOWN.
UM, SO IT'S JUST REMEMBERING THE MESSAGING THAT, THAT IT'S GOOD THAT THEY GO DOWN.
BUT IF WE RELAXED, THEY'LL GO BACK UP AGAIN AND NOW IS THE TIME TO REALLY MAKE UP THE STAGGER SO THAT WE DON'T GO BACK UP AGAIN.
WHEN EVERYBODY ELSE DOES OTHER THREE WEEKS, FOUR WEEKS, WE COULD BE WISHING WE HAD DONE A BETTER JOB OVER THESE NEXT THREE WEEKS AND GETTING TO THAT PLACE.
UH, AND THAT'S THE HARD PART WITH MESSAGING WHEN THINGS ARE LOOKING BETTER, IF PEOPLE ARE FEELING BETTER, UH, IT'S REALLY NOT A TIME TO RELAX.
UH, WE NEED TO GET THE BOOSTERS TO GET THEM BACK SEATS SO THAT, UH, UH, UH, CHART, UH, THAT YOU HAVE THE MESSAGE BOARD POSTS THE DASHBOARD, WHICH WILL PROVIDE THAT EARLY WARNING SYSTEM, THE ADDITIONAL FACTORS THAT YOU HAVE PUT ON THERE.
NOW WE'LL GIVE IT EARLIER INDICATION WHEN THEY START GOING SIDEWAYS, IF THEY, IF THEY DO.
I, THAT DASHBOARD, IT GIVES ME THAT ADDITIONAL PROBATION, NOT ONLY SO PEOPLE CAN UNDERSTAND WHY IT IS.
WE'RE STAYING AT LEVEL THREE BECAUSE THERE IS AMBIGUITY OF THE DUBBERS, UH, BUT ALSO SO THAT PEOPLE COULD REALLY SEE THAT EARLY WARNING SYSTEM.
SO THANK YOU FOR, FOR THE WORK THAT'S PIGGED OUT THERE.
JOSH ALBERT, TO GO AHEAD AND TURN BACK TO YOU.
AND THANKS EVERYBODY FOR YOUR HARD WORK ON THIS.
SO WE WILL ADJOURN THE, OR RECESS, I GUESS WE'RE GOING TO RECESS OR ADJOURN.
ONE OF THE TWO THAT ARE MEETING FOR FIVE MINUTES.
SO WE'LL COME BACK AT, UH, WHAT, OR MAYBE SEVEN MINUTES, 10 30.
AND, UH, WITH THAT, UM, I'LL PASS IT OVER TO YOU, MARY, TO ADJOURN YOUR MEETING.
I WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND ADJOURN OUR MEETING HERE ON NOVEMBER 30TH, 2021, UH, 1123, OUR PORTION OF THE JOINT BD.
AND, AND COMMISSIONERS FOR LETTING US JOIN YOU IN THIS AND FOR OUR STAFF PARTICIPATING COLLEAGUES.
WE'LL RECONVENE ABOUT 10 30, UH, FOR OUR WORK SESSION ON HOUSING AFFORDABILITY OF HOUSING SUPPLY, UH, WITH THAT, UH, WHERE'S YOUR THANKS.
IT WILL BE ADJOURNED TILL 10 30.