* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.
          [00:00:04]
          AGAIN, IT'S TRAVIS COUNTY, 
          [1. Update on Covid-19 related matters.]
JUDGE ANDY BROWN CALLING TO ORDER THE MEETING OF THE TRAVIS COUNTY COMMISSIONER'S COURT. 
          IT'S JANUARY 4TH, 2022. 
          IT IS NOW 9:19 AM. 
          AND, UM, MAYOR, ARE YOU ON, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YEP. 
          I CAN HEAR YOU. 
          UH, WE HAVE A QUORUM AS WELL, SO WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND CONVENE THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL MEETING HERE ON JANUARY 4TH, 2022. 
          UH, WE'RE HERE. 
          UH, I'M HERE AT THE CITY HALL. 
          THE REST OF THE CORUM IS, UH, PARTICIPATING REMOTELY JUDGE OVER TO YOU. 
          THAT WAS GOOD MAYOR. 
          UM, I'VE A QUESTION. 
          KNOCK, KNOCK. 
          WHO'S THERE. 
          ABBY, ABBY WHO? ABBY, NEW YEAR PLASTIC. 
          UM, ALL RIGHT, SO NOW WE'LL TAKE UP ITEM ONE TO RECEIVE BRIEFINGS ON COVID-19 AND RELATED MATTERS. 
          UH, THINK WE HAVE ONE CALLER FOR THE JOINT SESSION, ART AND SHELBY. 
          IF WE COULD GO TO THAT ONE COLOR, PLEASE. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU, JUDGE. 
          WE DO, WE WILL NOW HEAR FROM JANICE BOOKOUT, MS. BOOKOUT, PLEASE GO AHEAD. 
          YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES. 
          GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE. 
          THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR WORK HAPPY NEW YEAR, AND I HOPE YOU WERE ABLE TO GET MUCH NEEDED REST DURING THE HOLIDAY. 
          ALTHOUGH I KNOW MANY OF YOU WORKED THROUGH IT, UM, GIVEN THAT WE'RE IN STAGE FIVE, BUT I HAVE TWO UPDATES IN TWO REQUESTS. 
          FIRST, UM, ORGANIZATION SERVING THE EASTERN CRESTA AND VULNERABLE POPULATION THROUGH THE FIVE COUNTY AREA THAT PARTICIPATE ON THE UNITED WAY. 
          COLLABORATIVE CALL ABOUT 30 ORGANIZATIONS HAVE BEEN ASKING ABOUT MAPPING POLICIES, INCENTIVES, AND OR PRESSURES ON BUSINESSES AND OTHER SUPPORTS FOR PREVENTING COVID SPREAD. 
          AND THEY'VE, UM, SAID THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE STRONGER POLICIES. 
          WE KNOW THAT TEXAS LAW PROHIBITS SOME ACTION. 
          SO OUR, MY FIRST REQUEST IS WE WOULD ASK THAT YOU DO AS MUCH AS YOU LEGALLY CAN TO ENFORCE POLICIES THAT MAKE SENSE DURING STAGE FIVE SECOND, UM, REGARDING VACCINATIONS AND PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, A GROUP OF EIGHT ORGANIZATIONS HAVE BEEN WORKING TOGETHER SINCE SATURDAY TO REACH AND SERVE PEOPLE AT THEIR ENCAMPMENTS. 
          UM, WE DID NOT DO A HOTEL INITIATIVE THIS TIME AS IT WASN'T ADVISABLE DUE TO TEMPERATURES NOT BEING AS LOW AS LAST YEAR AND THE IMPACT ON DISRUPTION DUE TO COVID AND ALSO THEIR EXPRESS PREFERENCE, UM, REGARDING THING AND THEIR CAMPS THIS TIME. 
          SO, UM, ANY THANKS TO CHARLES LOOSEN AT THE HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICE OR PROVIDING INSIGHT AND INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT THE CITY CAN AND CAN'T DO. 
          UH, RIGHT NOW WE'VE BEEN WORKING COLLABORATIVELY TO SERVE UP TO FIVE LOCATIONS AND DOWNTOWN REACHING BETWEEN 500 AND THOUSAND PEOPLE, UM, PROVIDING EMERGENCY BLANKETS, FORMING SUPPLIES, FOOD, AND INFORMATION, TRANSPORT TO SHELTER IF NEEDED. 
          UM, AND WE'VE BEEN FOLLOWING THE LEAD OF AN ORGANIZATION THAT WORKS BOOTS ON GROUND AND TWO ENCAMPMENTS. 
          ONE OF WHOM IS GETTING VACCINATIONS ON THURSDAY. 
          THE OTHER, UM, THE OTHER ONE IS ALMOST ENTIRELY NONWHITE AND WE'D LIKE THEY WOULD BENEFIT VERY GREATLY FROM BEING SERVED BY A STAFF THAT LOOKS LIKE THEM. 
          AND SO MY SECOND REQUEST IS THAT WE WOULD ASK THAT THE TRAVIS COUNTY STRIKE TEAM TO APPROVE CENTRAL TEXAS ALLIED HEALTH TO WORK, UM, A SMALL VACCINE EVENT ON THURSDAY AT THAT LOCATION. 
          UM, AND SO FINALLY, I'VE, I'VE, UM, I HAVE SOME REPORTS COMING TOO SOON FROM CRT ON THE WINTER STORM, VACCINE DISTRIBUTION AND INSIGHTS FROM THE UNHEALTH COMMUNITY COUNCIL, BUT WE WERE DELAYED ON THOSE BY THIS LAST INITIATIVE. 
          SO THEY'RE COMING SOON. 
          THAT'S EVERYTHING. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          THANKS, JONATHAN. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          SO WITH THAT, WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO OUR BRIEFING AND I, UH, LET'S SEE, DO WE HAVE DR. 
          WACHS AVAILABLE? CAN I ASK THE QUESTION? SO IT SEEMED THAT JANICE HAD A REQUEST ABOUT, UM, ALLIED HEALTH DOING VACCINES AT A CERTAIN LOCATION ON THURSDAY. 
          DO WE HAVE A ROLE IN THAT? WE DO. 
          AND I THINK WE CAN TALK TO CHUCK ABOUT THAT. 
          OKAY. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          FOR SOME REASON I DON'T SEE DOCTOR WALKS ON PROGRAM. 
          I ALSO DON'T SEE A P H OH, SHE YET. 
          THERE YOU ARE A YEAR. 
          EVERYONE. 
          GOOD MORNING. 
          WE ARE READY FOR YOUR BRIEFING IF YOU ARE. 
          I'M READY. 
          ALL RIGHT, GO AHEAD. 
          NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. 
          AS YOU CAN SEE, WE, UM, HAVE HAD A LOT OF CHANGE SINCE LAST TIME THAT WE MET, UH, TWO WEEKS AGO, OUR SEVEN DAY MOVING AVERAGE OF HOSPITALIZATIONS, UM, HAS, UH, GONE UP THROUGH 28 LAST MONDAY AND RISEN TO 66 
          [00:05:01]
AS OF YESTERDAY. 
          SO OUR COMMUNITY IS CROSSING THE THRESHOLD FOR OUR CURRENT, UH, RISK BASED GUIDANCE, UH, UH, STAGE FIVE. 
          UM, A CRIME IS THE REASON FOR ALL OF WHAT WE'RE SEEING RIGHT NOW. 
          UM, IT IS NOW 84.9% OF THE COVID-19 VIRUS AND THE VARIANT THAT IS CIRCULATING IN OUR COMMUNITY. 
          AND IT'S ASSOCIATED WITH 5.4, 1% OF FOUR FOLD, HIGHER RISK OF REINFECTION WHEN COMPARED TO DELTA. 
          SO THOSE WHO HAVE HAD, UH, COVID IN THE PAST AND ARE, UM, HOPING TO HAVE PROTECTION FROM, UH, ANY FURTHER COVID INFECTION ARE LIKELY TO BE REINFECTED. 
          AND THIS HAS BEEN WHAT WE'VE SEEN IN OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD, IN PARTICULAR, IN SOUTH AFRICA, WHERE IT WAS FIRST DISCOVERED, HEALTHY VACCINATED BOOSTED PEOPLE, UM, ARE UNLIKELY TO DEVELOP, DEVELOP SEVERE ILLNESS, UM, UH, AS, AS A RESULT OF ON THE CRON, UM, THEY'RE 15 TO 20% LESS LIKELY TO NEED ER CARE AND 40% LESS LIKELY TO NEED HOSPITALIZATION, BUT THAT'S UNAIDED. 
          THOSE TWO PEOPLE CAN DEVELOP MILD DISEASE FROM THIS VIRUS. 
          THE INCREASE IN HOSPITALIZATIONS HAS BEEN SEEN NATIONWIDE. 
          THERE'S BEEN A 33% NATIONWIDE INCREASE IN HOSPITALIZATIONS AND LOCALLY OUR INCREASE IN HOSPITALIZATIONS OR OUR CHANGE IN THE SEVEN DAY. 
          MOVING AVERAGE IS 28. 
          LAST WEEK, 2 66 YESTERDAY REPRESENTS 135% INCREASE. 
          NOW WE ARE COUNTING THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE ADMITTED FOR COVID RELATED ILLNESS AND THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE RELATED, WHO WERE ADMITTED FOR OTHER ILLNESS, WHO HAPPENED TO TEST POSITIVE. 
          THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON, UM, THROUGHOUT THE PANDEMIC, BUT WE ARE SAYING ANECDOTALLY THAT THERE ARE, UM, MORE PEOPLE THAT ARE IN THAT SECOND CATEGORY, PEOPLE WHO ARE ADMITTED TO BE TREATED FOR SOMETHING ELSE WHO ARE FOUND TO BE POSITIVE FOR COVID-19. 
          WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT THE IMPACT IS GOING TO BE, UM, ON THOSE WHO ARE HOSPITALIZED FOR OTHER THINGS WHO HAPPEN TO TEST POSITIVE FOR COVID. 
          SO THERE'S MORE TO COME ON WHAT THAT MEANS IN THE LONG RUN, BUT THE NUMBERS THAT WE'RE SEEING ARE, UM, IT'S NUMBERS THAT THE SAME SORTS OF NUMBERS WE'VE BEEN COUNTING AND REPORTING IN THE PAST. 
          THERE'S JUST BEEN A DIFFERENCE IN WHAT WE'RE SEEING AS A RESULT OF THE RESULT OF THE PROPORTION OF PEOPLE, UM, WHO ARE ADMITTED WITH COVID RELATED, UM, ADMISSIONS AS THEIR PRIMARY DIAGNOSIS AND THOSE WHO HAVE COVID AND OTHER THINGS GOING ON. 
          WHAT'S THE IMPACT. 
          IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE OF THE FLU ON THE SITUATION, AND WE'RE SAYING A, UM, AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF FLU CASES, PEOPLE DIAGNOSED WITH H THREE N ONE INFLUENZA A AS WHAT WE'RE SEEING PRIMARY PREDOMINANTLY, THERE'S ALSO BEEN AN INCREASE TESTING, UH, DURING THE WEEK OF WEEK 51. 
          UM, THAT'S ASSOCIATED WITH THIS INCREASE IN CASES AND THE POSITIVITY RATE IS SLIGHTLY LESS, UM, AND IT'S REPORTED AT 5.57% AT THIS POINT. 
          THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, PRIOR TO, UH, THE ARRIVAL OF ALMOND CRON IN OUR COMMUNITY, 60 TO 70% OF HOSPITALIZATIONS, UM, WITH REPORTED VACCINATION STATUS BEING KNOWN, UM, 60 TO 70% OF THOSE WERE UN-VACCINATED THIS REPORTING PERIOD, THAT NUMBER HAS DROPPED TO 50%. 
          SO AGAIN, WE'RE SEEING AN INCREASE IN HOSPITALIZATIONS OF THOSE WHO ARE VACCINATED. 
          UM, HOWEVER, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, 
          [00:10:01]
WE ARE SEEING PEOPLE WHO ARE BEING ADMITTED TO THE HOSPITAL FOR OTHER, UH, CONDITIONS WHO ARE VACCINATED AND ARE TESTING POSITIVE FOR COVID. 
          SO AGAIN, WE'RE TO COME ON WHAT THE IMPACT OF THAT PARTICULAR FINDING IS GOING TO BE 20% OF THE PATIENTS, UM, WHO WERE ADMITTED DURING THE LAST REPORTING PERIOD WERE FULLY VACCINATED AND HAD, UM, AN ADDITIONAL DOSE IN ICU, 13 OF THE P PATIENTS ADMITTED WERE FULLY VACCINATED AND HAD NOT RECEIVED A BOOSTER. 
          TWO WERE FULLY VACCINATED AND HAD RECEIVED A BOOSTER IN THE VENTILATED PATIENTS IN PATIENTS TWO ARE FULLY VACCINATED, UM, AND HAD NOT RECEIVED A BOOSTER. 
          SO THIS IS IN LINE WITH WHAT WE'VE BEEN HEARING AND WHAT'S BEEN REPORTED IN OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD AND OTHER PARTS OF OUR COUNTRY THAT VACCINATIONS ARE PREVENTING SEVERE ILLNESS AND HOSPITALIZATION. 
          UM, HOWEVER, UM, WE ARE SEEING THAT IN THOSE WHO'VE HAD CO-MORBIDITIES THAT THERE IS, UM, SOME DEVELOPMENT OF MORE SEVERE DISEASE, WHICH AGAIN, LEADS TO THE, UM, ADVICE THAT WE'RE GIVING, WHICH IS FOR PEOPLE TO BE FULLY VACCINATED. 
          AND FOR THOSE WHO ARE ELIGIBLE FOR BOOSTERS, UM, THEY SHOULD GO AND HAVE THEIR BOOSTER SHOTS TO IMPROVE THE PROTECTION THAT THEY GET FROM THIS VACCINE THAT WE HAVE YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          THE TOTAL ADMISSIONS THIS PAST WEEK WERE 375, AND THIS IS A DOUBLING OF THE NUMBER FROM THE PREVIOUS WEEK OF 1 78. 
          WE'RE SEEING THAT THERE IS CONTINUING A HIGHER REPRESENTATION, UM, OF THOSE IN THE BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITY. 
          AND WE'RE SAYING, UM, INCREASES, UM, GOING FORWARD IN THE, UM, UPDATE A 69 YEAR OLD AGE GROUP AND IN THOSE OF THE PEDIATRIC GROUP. 
          AND IF YOU MOVE TO THE NEXT SLIDE, THIS IS FURTHER BROKEN DOWN. 
          AND WE'RE SAYING THAT PEDIATRIC HOSPITALIZATIONS HAVE RISEN TO 42 AS COMPARED TO 11 IN THE LAST REPORTING PERIOD, WHICH REPRESENTS A 281% INCREASE IN PEDIATRIC HOSPITALIZATIONS FOR THOSE CASES WHERE AN ICU, NONE ON VENTILATORS AND NONE WERE VACCINATED. 
          NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          THIS IS, UH, UH, GREG CONCERN. 
          UM, BUT ALSO, UM, SHOWS THAT WE ARE HAVING THE DESIRED EFFECT WITH REGARDS TO PROTECTION FROM SEVERE ILLNESS, HOSPITALIZATION AND DEATH IN OUR ELDERLY POPULATION WHO RESIDE IN LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES IN THE PAST 14 DAYS, THERE'S BEEN AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF CASES, UM, AN INCREASE FROM 28 CASES TO 188 CASES, 151 OF THOSE STAFF MEMBERS OF THOSE STAFF MEMBERS, 77% OR 116 WERE FULLY VACCINATED. 
          AND ABOUT ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTEEN, THIRTY FIVE OR 30% HAD RECEIVED A THIRD DOSE OR BOOSTER DOSE. 
          NONE OF THOSE CASES, UM, WERE KNOWN TO HAVE BEEN HOSPITALIZED HER, UM, DIED AT THE TIME OF THIS REPORT OF THE 188 CASES. 
          37 WERE IN RESIDENTS 34 OR 90, NOR 92% OF THEM WERE FULLY VACCINATED. 
          AND OTHER 34, 25 OR 74% OF THEM HAD RECEIVED THEIR THIRD DOSE OR BOOSTER DOSE. 
          UM, AT THE TIME OF THIS REPORT, UM, ONE WAS KNOWN TO HAVE BEEN HOSPITALIZED AND THERE WERE NO DEATHS REPORTED. 
          THE REPORT OF THE 188 CASES WAS SAFE FROM 29 FACILITIES. 
          UM, YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. 
          WHEN WE LOOK AT BREAKTHROUGH CASES, VACCINE BREAKTHROUGH CASES WHERE THE YEAR, UM, WE'VE HAD 13,744 
          [00:15:02]
CONFIRMED BREAKTHROUGH CASES OF THOSE THREE THIRTY SEVEN HUNDRED AND SIXTY FOUR, UM, INDIVIDUALS WERE ABLE TO BE CONTACTED BY CASE INVESTIGATORS AND 90% OF THE CASES THAT WERE INVESTIGATED REPORTED HAVING SYMPTOMS 110 OF THE PATIENTS WERE HOSPITALIZED FOR COVID RELATED REASONS. 
          UH, 53 WERE MALE WERE FEMALES 57 WERE MALES. 
          THE AGE RANGE WAS FROM 21 TO 101 YEARS OF AGE WITH A MEDIAN AGE OF 70 YEARS OF THOSE VACCINE BREAKTHROUGH CASES. 
          UM, WE'VE SEEN 57 COVID 19 ASSOCIATED DEATHS. 
          AND IF YOU'LL GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, DURING THE PAST THE LAST YEAR 2021, WHEN WE DEPLOYED BACK SCENE, WE HAD A TOTAL OF 647, UM, DEATHS AND 57 OF THOSE WERE IN VACCINE BREAKTHROUGH CASES OF THOSE WHO DIED. 
          50.5% WERE HISPANIC, 58.4% WERE MALE. 
          AND THAT 57% 57 PERSONS WHO DIED REPRESENTS 8.8% OF THE TOTAL NUMBER OF COVID ASSOCIATED ADAPTS. 
          IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, I WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU THE BREAKDOWN AND, UH, THE CO-MORBIDITIES THAT WERE ASSOCIATED WITH THOSE WHO DIED FROM THAT HAD THE VACCINE BREAKTHROUGH. 
          AND YOU'LL SAY THAT HYPERTENSION, UM, WAS THAT THE TOPICAL LIST AT 25%, UM, OTHER REPRESENTS THE SECOND HIGHEST CATEGORY FOLLOWED BY DIABETES AT 13.5% CARDIAC DISEASE AT 11.5% IMMUNOCOMPROMISED DATA AT 8.1% KIDNEY DISEASE AT 6.8 AND OBESITY AT 6.8. 
          SO, UM, GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, IN CLOSING, THE OMNICON VARIAN HAS DEVELOPED AS A RESULT OF THIS VIRUS'S ABILITY TO MUTATE AND IN THOSE PEOPLE WHO INFECTS. 
          AND SO THE VACCINE AND PREVENTING SPREAD AN INFECTION IN OUR COMMUNITY REMAINS PARAMOUNT. 
          UM, TAKE HOME MESSAGE FROM WHAT I'VE SAID IN PRECEDING SLIDES IS THAT THIS OMNICON VARIANT IS EVADING, UM, SOME OF THE VACCINE PROTECTION THAT WE'VE HAD IN PREVIOUS SURGES. 
          UM, IT'S IMPORTANT TO THAT. 
          WE GET VACCINE ON BOARD WITH AN INITIAL SERIES OF VACCINATIONS. 
          FOR THOSE WHO'VE NOT BEEN VACCINATED AND BOOSTERS FOR THOSE WHO ARE ELIGIBLE FOR BOOSTERS. 
          THE REASON BEING IS THAT THIS VACCINE WILL PROTECT FROM SEVERE DISEASE AND ALLOW THOSE WHO ARE VACCINATED TO, UM, FOR THE MOST PART, UM, RECOVER AT HOME IN ISOLATION AND PROTECT YOUR SELF AND YOUR LOVED ONES, UM, FROM SPREADING THIS TO OTHER PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY AND IN PARTICULAR IN YOUR HOME TO KEEP IT FROM SPREADING IT TO OTHERS WHO MAY WITH WHOM YOU LIVE BY ISOLATING YOURSELVES AT HOME, THE HOSPITALS ARE EXPERIENCING STAFFING SHORTAGES, BUSINESSES, SCHOOLS, AND GOVERNMENT AGENCIES ARE ALSO EXPERIENCING STAFFING SHORTAGES. 
          AND AT THIS POINT WE ARE, UM, OVER THAT THRESHOLD FOR STAGE FIVE, HOWEVER, WERE WORKING TO AMASS ENOUGH INFLAMMATION TO CONVINCE OUR COMMUNITY, TO MOVE FROM THE STAGE TO BEHAVIOR THAT WE FIND OURSELVES IN RIGHT NOW THAT HAS LED US TO THE STAGE FIVE LEVEL OF CASES. 
          AND IT'S DIFFICULT BECAUSE THIS FACTS VIRUS IS MOVING SO QUICKLY THROUGH OUR COMMUNITY TO EXPLAIN, UM, AND CONVINCE, UM, THIS COMMUNITY THAT THEY HAVE TO MASK INDOORS, BUT VACCINES, DON'T NOT MAKE US AND DEFENSIBLE. 
          AND IT IS POSSIBLE TO GET SICK IF YOU'RE VACCINATED 
          [00:20:01]
AND AS SUCH, IT'S POSSIBLE FOR YOU TO SPREAD OUT TO SOMEBODY ELSE AND THAT SOMEBODY ELSE MAY NOT BE THE PERSON IN THE GROCERY STORE THAT YOU MAY NOT HAVE AS MUCH CONCERN FOR, BUT IT MIGHT BE YOUR GRANDMOTHER. 
          IT MIGHT BE YOUR PREGNANT WIFE. 
          IT MIGHT BE A COWORKER. 
          UM, AND AT THIS POINT WE HAVE TO OFFER A COMMUNITY IN POST SHUT DOWN. 
          THERE'S NO PLAN FOR MANDATING ANYTHING. 
          AT THIS POINT, WE ARE WORKING TOWARDS A COMMUNITY DRIVEN EFFORT TO STOP THE SPREAD OF THIS VIRUS. 
          AND IF WE WORK TOGETHER TO DO THAT, WE CAN ACCOMPLISH IT BECAUSE WE'VE DONE IT BEFORE. 
          SOMEBODY SAID TO ME, IT'S NOT PATRIOTIC TO SPREAD COVID TO YOUR GRANDMA. 
          IT'S REALLY NOT PATRIOTIC FOR US TO BE IN A POSITION WHERE WE HAVE TO BE TOLD WHAT TO DO. 
          UM, WE LIVE IN A COUNTRY OF FREEDOM AND IT'S TIME TO MAKE THE CHOICE TO WEAR MASKS INDOORS, UM, TO GET VACCINATED AND TO LET US MOVE ON, TO CONTINUE WITH OPENING OUR SCHOOLS, ALLOWING OUR CHILDREN TO HAVE IN-PERSON LEARNING AND TO ALLOW OUR BUSINESSES TO REMAIN OPEN. 
          AND WITH THAT, I'LL PASS IT ON TO DIRECTOR CERN. 
          THANK YOU, DR. 
          WACHS, UM, SOME RIVETING POINTS AND, UH, I WILL SPEND A FEW MOMENTS UPDATING ON COVID-19 OPERATIONS, UM, BECAUSE WE WILL HAVE ALL THE TOOLS YOU NEED TO PUT THOSE GOOD MEASURES INTO PRACTICE. 
          AND SO REALLY QUICKLY, WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR OPERATIONS, UM, FOR VACCINE FOR THE MONTH OF DECEMBER, WE GAVE OUT A TOTAL OF 1,285, UH, FIRST DOSES, 1,212 SECOND DOSES, 196 THIRD DOSES. 
          AND THE NUMBER THAT I'M REALLY THANKFUL FOR IS OVER 14,000 BOOSTER SHOTS. 
          UM, THIS WAS A GOOD MONTH FOR, UH, TESTING AS WELL FOR THE MONTH OF DECEMBER. 
          WE GAVE OUT NEARLY 10,000 OR ADMINISTERED RATHER EARLY 10,000 COVID-19 TESTS. 
          UM, 6,000 OF THOSE WERE OUT AT, UH, TRAVIS COUNTY EXPO, GRATEFUL FOR THE PARTNERSHIP THERE. 
          THAT IT'S AN AWESOME SITE FOR COMMUNITY 238, UM, WERE DELIVERED VIA MOBILE TESTING. 
          AND OUR DOVE SPRING SITE IN THE FOUR, FOUR CONTINUES TO SERVE FOLKS. 
          UM, BUT 3,400 TEST JUST WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT TO THANK THE STAFF, UM, AT THOSE TESTING SITES AND A LAST MINUTE CALL LAST WEEK, THURSDAY, THEY AGREED TO STAY AN EXTRA TWO HOURS AFTER STARTING THEIR DAY AT 7:00 AM TO MEET THE DEMANDS OF THE COMMUNITY. 
          SO MY APPRECIATION AND HATS OFF TO THE COUNTY AND CITY STAFF THAT PARTICIPATED IN THAT EFFORT, UM, WE ARE CONTINUING TO SEE AN INCREASED DEMAND FOR TESTING AFTER THE HOLIDAYS. 
          AND THAT'S ALL RIGHT. 
          UM, BECAUSE IF YOU TRAVELED AND YOU WERE WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS, OR YOU THINK YOU WERE EXPOSED, WE WANT YOU TO GET TESTED AS ALWAYS, IF YOU CAN'T COME TO US, WE WILL GLADLY COME TO YOU FOR IN-HOME TESTING APPOINTMENTS, PLEASE CALL 3 1, 1 OR FIVE ONE TWO NINE SEVEN FOUR, 2000. 
          OUR TESTS ARE FREE APPOINTMENTS, MAKE YOUR PROCESS A LITTLE BIT EASIER AND A LITTLE BIT QUICKER, BUT THEY ARE NOT REQUIRED. 
          WALK-UPS ARE WELCOME. 
          UM, APH IS AT THE GEORGE MIRALIS STUFF'S SPRINGS REC OR AT THE, AND WE CONTINUE TO PROVIDE SUPPORT, UM, WITH FACILITY TESTING, TO OUR LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES, HOMELESS SHELTERS, AND OTHER CONGREGATE SHELTER, UM, ENVIRONMENTS, IF YOU DO HAVE INSURANCE, THERE ARE PLENTY OF OPTIONS AVAILABLE IN COMMUNITY, UM, AT YOUR PHARMACY, YOUR LOCAL DOCTOR'S OFFICE, ALL OF THOSE PLACES ARE PROVIDING COVID-19 TESTS FOR FOLKS. 
          WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR, UM, VACCINATIONS BY A WEEK, UM, IN TRAVIS COUNTY, UM, WE'RE STILL AT THAT 70% FULLY VACCINATED FOR THOSE FIVE AND OLDER AND 81% OF THE ELIGIBLE POPULATION HAS RECEIVED AT LEAST ONE DOSE. 
          UM, WE'RE AT 1 MILLION, 207 FOLKS THAT ARE, UM, VACCINATED. 
          AND THAT INCLUDES THE PEDIATRIC POPULATION. 
          WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR VACCINATIONS BY AGE, UM, WE CAN SEE THE BREAKOUT HERE. 
          UH, I WILL ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE STATE WEBSITE IS REPORTING, UM, BOOSTERS FOR THE 25 TO 12 GROUP, BUT WE FEEL THIS IS 
          [00:25:01]
A DATA QUALITY ISSUE, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE WEBSITE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE INFORMATION IS UPDATED ACCURATELY. 
          UM, WE KNOW THAT THERE WAS INITIAL APPROVAL FOR, UM, UH, BOOSTER SHOTS FOR THE 12 AND UP GROUP. 
          AND WE'RE WAITING FOR THE, UH, FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS FROM ACEP. 
          BUT ONCE THAT COMES THROUGH, WE WILL BE READY AT ALL OF OUR SITES TO PROVIDE A BOOSTER DOSE TO EVERYONE WHO'S ELIGIBLE. 
          WHEN WE LOOK AT THE DEMOGRAPHICS BY RACE AND ETHNICITY OF THE PEDIATRIC VACCINE DISTRIBUTION, UM, WE SEE THAT IT'S, IT'S FOLLOWING WHAT WE'RE SEEING IN OUR, UM, ADULT POPULATION. 
          UM, WE ARE STILL NOT WHERE WE WOULD LIKE TO BE IN TERMS OF THE DISTRIBUTION, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO FOCUS OUR VACCINE EDUCATION AND POP-UP EFFORTS IN, UM, THOSE ZIP CODES AND COMMUNITIES, UH, WHERE IT MAKES SENSE TO HELP BOOST THOSE NUMBERS. 
          UM, AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE TRAVIS COUNTY RESIDENTS WHO HAVE NOT YET RECEIVED THEIR SECOND DOSE, THAT NUMBER IS HOVERING AT 116,000. 
          AND, UM, AGAIN, WE'RE CONTINUING TO WORK WITH OUR COLLABORATIVE TRAVIS COUNTY COLLABORATIVE PARTNERS TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE WHO WANTS A VACCINE HAS ACCESS TO ONE. 
          WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR DATA BY RACE AND ETHNICITY, UM, THE NUMBERS THAT I CONTINUE TO HONE IN ON, ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT OF THE INFORMATION THAT DR WALKS TO SHARED IS THAT WE SEE FOR OUR HISPANIC AND BLACK POPULATIONS. 
          IT CONTINUES TO FLAT. 
          THIS IS ALARMING WHEN YOU TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THE DEATH RATES, UH, FOR THOSE GROUPS ARE OVERREPRESENTED. 
          AND THEN WHEN WE LOOK AT THE COMORBIDITIES, THAT IS THE, UH, LOOKS LIKE THE TOP 10 LEADING CAUSES OF DEATH FOR BLACK AND HISPANICS IN AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY. 
          AND SO WE WILL NEED AS A COMMUNITY OF PROVIDERS TO MAKE A REALLY CONCERTED EFFORT TO PROVIDE THE RESOURCES, EDUCATION, ACCESS, AND SUPPORT, TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT WANTS A VACCINE HAS ACCESS TO IT. 
          AND THAT THEY HAVE THE LEVEL OF UNDERSTANDING, UNDERSTANDING AS TO WHY THIS VACCINE IS SO IMPORTANT TO THEIR OVERALL HEALTH. 
          WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR MAP THAT SHOWS, UM, OUR FIRST DOSE VACCINATION POPULATION, UM, ONLY A FEW SPOTS OF, OF BLUE REMAIN AND THAT BLUE IS THE, JUST UNDER 70% AND THAT'S IN THE FOUR ONE AND THE TWO ONE. 
          AND THEN WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR SECOND DOSE FULLY VACCINATED, UM, THERE'S STILL A LOT OF WORK TO DO, NOT ENOUGH, UM, GREEN AND DEFINITELY TOO MUCH YELLOW. 
          UM, AND THOSE AREAS OF FOCUS CONTINUED TO BE 7 8 6 1 7 4 2 4 1 2 1 5 3. 
          I THINK THAT SAYS FIVE, FOUR UNDER THERE. 
          SO OUR VACCINE OPERATIONS FOR THIS WEEK, JUST A REMINDER THAT APPOINTMENTS MAKE IT EASIER, BUT IT IS NOT NECESSARY. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S A DELICATE BALANCE IN, IN THE DESIRE FOR FOLKS TO GET BACK TO NORMAL. 
          AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT OUR COMMUNITIES ARE CLAMORING FOR IS, UM, FULL ACCESS TO A LIBRARY SERVICES. 
          UM, AND SO AUSTIN PUBLIC LIBRARY HAS GRACIOUSLY, UM, CONTINUED TO WORK WITH US. 
          AND NOW WE WILL BE THERE, UM, WEEKLY OFFERING CLINICS ON SATURDAYS FROM 10 TO TWO, UM, SAME THING IN PFLUGERVILLE. 
          UM, WE'RE NOT AT THE PFLUGERVILLE LIBRARY ANYMORE, BUT WE'RE AT PFLUEGER HALL AND THE DATES AND TIMES ARE LISTED THERE TUESDAYS AND WEDNESDAYS FROM TWO TO SEVEN, WE CONTINUE TO BE AT THE DELCO ACTIVITY CENTER AND SIMS ELEMENTARY. 
          IN ADDITION TO THESE STATIC LOCATIONS, UM, WE ARE CONTINUING TO PROVIDE POP-UP, UM, EVENTS THAT ARE A VARIETY OF LOCATIONS. 
          WE'LL BE AT THE MEXICAN CONSULATE, THE AUSTIN TRANSITIONAL CENTER CAP, METRO RIVERSIDE TOWNHOUSES, AGAIN AT CAP METRO, THE FALCON STRUCTURES, WAYSIDE SCHOOLS, HYATT, REGENCY, AND, UM, AST AISD, NORTHEAST EARLY COLLEGE ACADEMY. 
          UM, PARTNERS CAN REACH OUT TO US TO SCHEDULE THOSE CLINICS. 
          WE ARE, UM, TRYING TO BE AS STRATEGIC AND CREATIVE AS WE CAN TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE IN PLACES AND SPACES TO MAKE IT CONVENIENT FOR FOLKS TO, UH, ACCESS VACCINE. 
          SO WHAT DO WE WANT THE PUBLIC TO KNOW MASK UP REGARDLESS OF YOUR VACCINATION STATUS. 
          WE WANT YOU TO WEAR A MASK, EVEN 
          [00:30:01]
THOSE WHO ARE VACCINATED CAN STILL SPREAD THE VIRUS. 
          SO WHEN YOU'RE GATHERING WITH PEOPLE OUTSIDE OF YOUR HOUSEHOLD, IF YOU'RE TRAVELING DINING AND SHOPPING, PLEASE WEAR A MASK. 
          TESTING REMAINS AVAILABLE AT ALL APH SITES, AS WELL AS PROVIDERS THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY. 
          IF YOU'RE ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO LIKE YOUR DAY TO BE HIGHLY STRUCTURED, SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT TO SAVE ON WAIT TIME, BUT TESTING IS IMPORTANT. 
          I KNOW CEDAR FEVER IS UPON US, BUT THE WAY THAT I'M A CHRONIC SPREADING THROUGH OUR COMMUNITY, WE CANNOT HAVE A SNIP OR A COUGH OR A SNEEZE AND NOT KNOW WITHOUT A SHADOW OF A DOUBT, WHETHER OR NOT WE ARE CARRYING COVID AND LAST, BUT DEFINITELY NOT LEAST GET BAKST AND GET BOOSTED VACCINES AND BOOSTERS CONTINUE TO OFFER THE BEST PROTECTION FROM COVID-19 AND EXPERIENCE DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU'RE GOING TO BE 100% SAFE, BUT IT DOES MEAN THAT YOU HAVE A GREATER CHANCE OF NOT BEING HOSPITALIZED, VENTILATED, OR DYING FROM COVID. 
          SO PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE GET VACCINATED AND GET BOOSTED. 
          AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO SPREAD THIS MESSAGE, UM, NOT ONLY THROUGH THESE AVENUES, BUT, UM, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR DIFFERENT MEDIA OUTLETS IN THE MIDDLE SECTION THERE, UH, DR. 
          WACHS, UM, DID A DEMONSTRATION ON HOW TO, UH, ADMINISTER A AT, AT HOME TEST KIT. 
          UM, WE HAD FOLKS FROM OUR NEWS OUTLETS COME OUT TO THE EXPO TO VISIT THE TESTING SITE AND TO TAKE SOME FOOTAGE THERE. 
          AND SO WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT THE COMMUNITY IS NOT ONLY AWARE OF WHERE THEY CAN GET A TEST, BUT WHAT OTHER OPTIONS ARE AVAILABLE, SHOULD THEY NEED TO TEST FOR COVID-19 IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS, WE CONTINUE TO BE OUT IN THOSE PLACES IN SPACES, MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE PROVIDING EDUCATION AND INFORMATION. 
          UM, WE REACHED OVER A THOUSAND INDIVIDUALS DURING THE MONTH OF DECEMBER, UM, THROUGH THESE EFFORTS, SOME OF THE PLACES WHERE, UM, WE CONNECTED WHERE AT THE OAKS, THE ARROWHEAD APARTMENTS, SILVERSPRING APARTMENTS, THE BRIDGET STERLING VILLAGE AND CHASE VILLAGE. 
          AND SO THERE'S AN INTENTIONAL FOCUS, UM, ON FIVE THREE, UM, AND DURING THE UPCOMING WEEKS, WE WILL HAVE ADDITIONAL EFFORTS IN PFLUGERVILLE AND 7, 8, 6, 6, 4, WHERE, UM, WE HAVE A DE IDENTIFIED SIGNIFICANT NEED AND A LACK OF RESOURCES. 
          AND AS ALWAYS, I LIKE TO END WITH A PICTURE OF, UM, WORK IN ACTION. 
          AND JUST TO GO BACK TO SOMETHING THAT DR. 
          WACHS SAID, YOU KNOW, WE ARE AT A POINT WHERE WE'VE HAD ENOUGH INFORMATION, WE'VE WITNESSED ENOUGH DEATH. 
          WE HEARD ENOUGH OF THE STORIES THAT WE DON'T NEED ANYONE TO TELL US WHAT TO DO. 
          WE KNOW ALL THE RIGHT THINGS TO DO. 
          AND SO FOR ME, MY KIDDOS, THANK GOD ARE NOT THIS LITTLE, BUT IF MY KIDS, RIGHT, I'M GOING TO CONTINUE TO DO THE RIGHT THINGS FOR MY KIDS AND ROLE MODEL FOR THEM, THE THINGS THAT THEY NEED TO DO TO KEEP THEMSELVES AND THEIR FRIENDS SAFE. 
          SO FOR IF IT'S NOT FOR YOURSELF FOR YOUR LOVED ONE, WHOEVER HE OR SHE MAY BE, PLEASE REMEMBER TO MASK, TO STAY HOME. 
          IF YOU'RE SICK TO TEST AND TO GET BOOSTED AND GIVE VACCINATED. 
          I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME THIS MORNING. 
          THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION. 
          THANK YOU, DIRECTOR STIRRUP. 
          I JUST WANT TO CHECK IN CHECK. 
          ARE YOU GIVING A UPDATE TODAY WITH YOUR TEAM? GOOD MORNING, JUDGE. 
          YES, INDEED. 
          WE'VE GOT CONSTABLE MORALES, UH, WITH PRECINCT CORNER AND TODD HAMILTON WITH CENTRAL TEXAS ALLIED HEALTH INSTITUTE TO, UH, GIVE THE COURT AND COUNCIL THAT A QUICK UPDATE ON OUR VACCINATION COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS. 
          SO CONSTABLE MORALES, PLEASE GO AHEAD. 
          GOOD MORNING. 
          COMMISSIONERS COUNCIL MEMBERS, JUDGE AND MAYOR. 
          UH, AGAIN, OUR GOAL IS TO DO A LOT OF OUTREACH AND EDUCATION AND KIND OF BRING INFORMATION OF WHY WE'RE TAKING THE VACCINE INTO OUR COMMUNITY. 
          WE CONTINUE TO FOCUS OUR OUTREACH AND EDUCATION DOING WORK TO ENSURE THAT OUR STRIKE TEAMS ARE SUCCESSFUL. 
          OUR MOBILE VACCINE TEAMS GAVE A COMBINED SHOTS OF 587 SHOTS FOR THIS PAST WEEK. 
          A TOTAL VACCINES GIVEN OUT FOR THE MONTH OF DECEMBER WAS 8,832. 
          UH, WE WILL CONTINUE TO TARGET THE HIGHLY EFFECTED AREAS. 
          UH, THE 7 8 7 5 8 7 8 7 5 3 2 4 4 1 DEL VALLEY, AUSTIN CONLEY, AND THE 7 8 7 4 4. 
          AS WE CONTINUE TO, UH, AS WE RETURN TO THE SCHOOLS, WE WILL CONTINUE WORKING WITH AISD, UH, WITH SOME, OUR STATIC LOCATION, THE HUBS, WHICH WOULD BE MENDEZ MIDDLE SCHOOL, BLAZER AND PARADE IS MIDDLE SCHOOL. 
          [00:35:01]
WE WILL CONTINUE OUR STATIC LOCATIONS AT JED'S GROCERY STORES LIKE ME, GHANA MARKETS, EXPO CENTER, AND, UH, RANCHO IN LA FINCA STORES. 
          UM, AS WE RETURNED FROM THE HOLIDAY BREAK AGAIN, WE WILL BE INCLUDING NEW POP-UP LOCATIONS AND TRYING TO WORK WITH OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO GET MORE AND MORE OF OUR VACCINES OUT TO OUR COMMUNITY. 
          AT THIS TIME, I WILL TURN IT BACK OVER TO CHUCK. 
          THANK YOU, CONSTABLE MIRALIS. 
          UH, TODD HAMILTON, PLEASE GO AHEAD. 
          YES, SIR. 
          THANK YOU. 
          CHUCK CUSTOMER MIRALIS JUDGE AND COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OVER THE PAST, UH, HOLIDAY SEASON. 
          UH, WE CENTRAL TEXAS ALLIED HEALTH INSTITUTE HAS, UH, ISSUED OVER 417 VACCINES, UH, FOR, FOR, FOR, FOR THE PAST WEEK. 
          WE CONTINUE TO WORK THROUGHOUT OUR STATIC, UH, SITE HERE, UM, AS THE HOLIDAY SEASON PASS, ONCE THE HOLIDAY SEASON PASSES AND SCHOOLS OPEN THE ECHO SENTIMENTS OF, UH, CONSTABLE MORALES, WE WILL CONTINUE OUT INTO THE ISD AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO FOLLOW THE COALITION TO CONTINUE THE SERVICES MISSION THAT, UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          UH, JUDGE AND MAYOR COURT COUNSEL, JUST WANT TO QUICKLY SHARE MY SCREEN AND SHOW Y'ALL. 
          UH, PARDON ME, JUST ONE SECOND. 
          UH, JUST WHERE VACCINATIONS CAN BE FOUND, UH, VIA THE TRAVIS COUNTY, UH, TX.GOV WEBSITE, UM, THE HOMEPAGE, UH, ONE CLICK AWAY FROM THE HOMEPAGE CLICK ON THE COVID-19 INFORMATION LINK, AND YOU CAN QUICKLY GET TO VACCINE EVENTS DAY BY DAY, A CALENDAR OF EVENTS THAT ARE, UH, AUSTIN, PUBLIC HEALTH, TRAVIS COUNTIES, VACCINATION, COLLABORATIVE, CENTRAL, TEXAS ALLIED HEALTH, UH, EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE DOING DAY BY DAY, UH, UH, TUESDAY, JANUARY 4TH, YOU CAN SEE WHERE WE ARE. 
          WE'LL BE IN THE J AND J D SUPERMARKETS. 
          UH, CENTRAL TEXAS ALLIED HEALTH INSTITUTE HAS A NEW LOCATION, UH, BUT CLICK ON ANY ONE OF THESE LINKS AND YOU'LL FIND ALL OF THE RELEVANT INFORMATION TYPE OF VACCINE, UH, ADULTS, PEDIATRICS AVAILABILITY, UH, LOCATION, ET CETERA. 
          UH, ALSO RECEIVED INFORMATION THIS MORNING, AS YOU HEARD FROM DIRECTOR STIRRUP A MINUTE AGO, UH, AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH IS DOING VACCINATIONS IN PFLUGERVILLE AT PFLUEGER HALL. 
          UH, COVID TESTING IS AVAILABLE NEARBY PFLUEGER HALL, ADJACENT TO PFLUEGER HALL. 
          UH, PCR TESTING IS BEING DELIVERED BY A PRIVATE PROVIDER CURATIVE, AND I JUST WANTED TO SHARE THAT WEBPAGE I'M HOPEFUL. 
          THE CHILD CAN SEE THIS, UM, THE, THE CURATIVE, UH, PCR TESTING IS APPOINTMENT-BASED. 
          UH, AND SO THE LINK IS BOOK.CURATIVE.COM. 
          UH, AND YOU CAN FIND APPOINTMENTS TO GET PCR TESTS IN PFLUGERVILLE, AGAIN, ADJACENT TO PFLUEGER HALL WHERE AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH IS DOING. 
          THE VACCINATIONS TESTING IS, IS RIGHT NEARBY, AND IT IS APPOINTMENT BASED, UH, FOR THOSE WHO MAY NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THE INTERNET PHONE NUMBER TO SCHEDULE A PCR TEST VIA CURATIVE AT PFLUGERVILLE. 
          UH, THAT PHONE NUMBER IS (888) 702-9042. 
          AND JUDGE, AT THIS TIME, I WILL TURN IT BACK TO YOU AND THE MAYOR FOR QUESTIONS. 
          THANKS, CHUCK. 
          THANKS EVERYBODY. 
          UH, SO WE'RE GOING TO GO THROUGH THE QUESTIONS LIKE WE ALWAYS DO, AND JUST REMINDER WE'RE BACK TO HAVING A HUGE AGENDA WITH COURT LATER TODAY. 
          SO IF WE COULD TRY TO LIMIT OURSELVES TO ONE QUESTION EACH THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL. 
          SO WE'LL START WITH MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSIONERS COURT FIRST AND I'LL RECOGNIZE COMMISSIONER GOMEZ FOR ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS. 
          I THINK Y'ALL CAN HEAR ME CORRECT. 
          YEAH. 
          YEAH. 
          UM, I'M JUST, UH, CONTINUE TO BE VERY IMPRESSED WITH THE EFFORTS THAT ARE BEING MADE, EVEN THOUGH I THINK A LOT OF FOLKS ARE SAYING THAT THEY'RE EXHAUSTED AT THIS POINT, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T GIVE UP AND WE NEEDED TO REACH, UH, AS MANY PEOPLE AS WE CAN. 
          AND, UM, BUT, UH, VERY IMPRESSED WITH, WITH THE FACT THAT WE'RE NOT GIVING UP. 
          AND SO, UH, SO I THINK THAT TELLS ME THAT, THAT WE'RE VERY COMMITTED TO TRY TO, TO, UH, BRING THE VACCINE TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE. 
          UH, THE REPORTS, UH, I APPRECIATE THE REPORTS FROM APH, DR. 
          WALKER AND DR. 
          STIRRUP. 
          UM, THIS IS VERY GOOD INFORMATION FOR US TO BE ABLE TO SHARE WITH PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY. 
          THIS IS A SERIOUS THING. 
          IT'S NOT, IT HASN'T GONE AWAY. 
          AND, AND SO, UH, FOR THOSE OF US WHO WERE VACCINATED AND HAVE BOOSTERS, WE HAVE TO STILL BE VERY CAREFUL. 
          SO WE NEED TO GET THAT MESSAGE OUT. 
          ALL OF US NEED TO GET THAT MESSAGE OUT TO EVERYBODY THAT WE COME IN CONTACT WITH. 
          BUT THANK YOU ALL, UH, FOR 
          [00:40:01]
ALL OF YOUR, UH, CONTINUED CONSISTENT EFFORTS. 
          THANK YOU, MR. SHEA. 
          THANKS, JUDGE. 
          AND, UH, AGAIN, MY THANKS TO ALL OF OUR INCREDIBLE STAFF AT THE CITY AND THE COUNTY, UM, WHO CONTINUED TO, UM, REALLY DELIVER AMAZING SERVICE TO TRY AND KEEP OUR COMMUNITY SAFE. 
          UM, I AM CURIOUS TO KNOW FOR ME, THE DOCTOR WALKS OR DIRECTOR STIRRUP, HOW, HOW ARE PEOPLE SUPPOSED TO REPORT THE RESULTS OF THEIR, UH, AT-HOME TESTS IF THEY TEST POSITIVE FOR COVID? I KNOW WE'RE ABLE TO TRACK IT IN THE HOSPITALS, BUT MY SENSE IS I'M A CRON IS, IS JUST SPREADING LIKE WILDFIRE. 
          AND I DON'T KNOW HOW WE'RE CAPTURING THAT WHEN PEOPLE ARE DOING AT HOME TESTS, YOU RAISED AN EXCELLENT POINT. 
          WE ARE NUMBERS ARE, UM, GROWN, SLANDER, REPORTING PEOPLE OUT IN THE COMMUNITY WHO HAVE OMNICON. 
          OUR INTERNAL PERCENT POSITIVITY RATE AT APH IS RANGING AT 30%, WHICH MEANS ONE IN THREE PEOPLE, UM, ARE LIKELY TO HAVE, UM, A CRON. 
          SO, UM, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, PEOPLE CAN CALL, UM, APH AND MAKE A REPORT IN, UM, AND, UH, LET US KNOW. 
          UM, BUT WE KNOW THAT THAT'S NOT ALWAYS GOING TO HAPPEN. 
          SO, UH, WE'VE GIVEN PEOPLE, UM, INSTRUCTIONS FOR THOSE WHO PICKED UP THE, THE FREE TEST KITS THAT WERE MADE AVAILABLE PRIOR TO THE HOLIDAY SEASON. 
          AND WE HAVE ONLINE, UM, INFORMATION TO DIRECT PEOPLE ON WHAT TO DO WITH REGARDS TO ISOLATION AND WHEN THEY SHOULD SEEK FURTHER, UM, ATTENTION, UH, FROM, UH, MEDICAL PROVIDERS. 
          SO, UM, THERE ARE A COUPLE OF WAYS OF GETTING THAT INFORMATION AND, UM, HOPE THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION. 
          WELL, TO KEEP IT SIMPLE, CAN PEOPLE JUST CALL 3, 1, 1, IF THEY HAVE A, A POSITIVE RESULT TO REPORT IT TO THE RIGHT PLACE? I JUST THINK WE NEED TO KEEP THIS REALLY SIMPLE FOR THE PUBLIC. 
          YES, YES. 
          SECOND. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          YOU'RE WELCOME. 
          THAT'S SUCH A BRILLIANT, UM, UM, LIKE MY COLLEAGUES, I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY FOR THE EXCELLENT WORK THAT HAS BEEN DONE THUS FAR. 
          AND I JUST WANT TO REMIND US THOUGH THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES THE CON THE CONTEXT THAT WE HAVE TO REMEMBER IS THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT WE ARE REACHING OUT TO, WE REACHED OUT TO INFREQUENTLY AND I USED TO TALK INTO US, AND THEN I USED TO WORKING WITH US. 
          SO IT'S GOING TO BE IMPORTANT FOR US TO REDOUBLE OUR EFFORTS. 
          I, I BELIEVE THROUGH OUR TRUSTED COMMUNITY, WHAT DO I MEAN BY THAT? I WAS STRUCK BY THE PEOPLE WHO WERE IMPACTED, WHO HAD COMORBIDITIES, WHAT THAT TELLS ME, IS THERE A NUMBER OF HEALTH ISSUES THAT HAVE BEEN PREVALENT FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME THAT HAVE NOT BEEN ADDRESSED CONSISTENT? I THINK THAT SPEAKS TO A NEED FOR COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH INITIATIVES THAT ARE PUBLIC EDUCATION ORIENTED HEALTH INITIATIVES. 
          WE'VE REACHED EVERYBODY THAT WE COULD REACH EASILY. 
          WE'VE REACHED EVERYBODY. 
          WHO'S HAD A GOOD EXPERIENCE WITH US. 
          THE QUESTION IS HOW DO WE GET TO THOSE FOLKS WHO HAVE NOT HAD A GOOD EXPERIENCE WITH US AND, AND WHO DO NOT INTERACT REGULARLY WITH THE MEDICAL COMMUNITY? SO, UH, ONCE AGAIN, PROBABLY FOR A COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAM TO REACH OUT TO THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE, PROBABLY THROUGH PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICES, UH, FOR EXAMPLE, IN MY OFFICE, THROUGH OUR JUNETEENTH PROGRAM, WE HAVE A LIST OF EVERY, EVERY ORGANIZATION THAT PROVIDES SCHOLARSHIPS WITHIN THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY. 
          WE WANT TO SHARE THAT LIST WITH YOU BECAUSE IT HAS CONTACTS AND, AND, UH, OTHER RESOURCES IN COMMUNITIES SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE REACHING OUT TO THEM REGULARLY. 
          UH, WE WANT TO WORK SPECIFICALLY WITH THE ST JOHN REGULAR BAPTIST ASSOCIATION, BECAUSE THERE ARE 155 CHURCHES INVOLVED WITH THEM. 
          UH, WE HAVE TO GET INTO THE COMMUNITY THROUGH OUR TRUSTED NEEDS AND TO NOT ONLY TALK ABOUT VACCINATIONS, BUT HOW WE ADDRESS COMORBIDITIES AND ULTIMATELY, UH, HELPING TO, UH, KILL PEOPLE WHO, WHO ARE COMING IN TOUCH WITH COVID. 
          I THINK, UH, ONCE AGAIN, UH, THE WORK THAT HAS BEEN DONE HAS BEEN EXCELLENT, BUT I THINK THAT THERE IS A ANOTHER LEVEL OF, OF, UH, ANALYSIS AND ANOTHER LEVEL OF, UH, OF ACCESS THAT NEEDS TO BE PUSHED. 
          AND WE WANT TO HELP PLAN THAT OUTREACH IN OUR, IN OUR CHURCH COMMUNITY AND 
          [00:45:01]
IN OUR SCHOOL COMMUNITY. 
          AND WE'VE, AND I REALLY FEEL THAT THERE IS A NEED FOR A COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH INITIATIVE THAT USES, UH, TELEVISION RESOURCES, OUR SOCIAL MEDIA RESOURCES AND OUR WEBSITE, AND IT NEEDS TO BE CONSISTENT. 
          UH, THIS IS NOT GOING AWAY ANYTIME SOON. 
          AND WE HAVE GOT TO DEVELOP A SYSTEM OF CONTINUOUS CONTACT RATHER THAN TRANSACTIONS, NOT WITH SOME COMMUNITY INTERVIEWS. 
          SO I WANNA, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE VOLUNTEER TO HELP IN THAT EFFORT. 
          MY OFFICE WILL VOLUNTEER TO HELP IN THAT EFFORT. 
          I APPRECIATE THAT COMMISSIONER. 
          I KNOW YOU DIDN'T HAVE A ASK A QUESTION, BUT I WILL TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT. 
          I THINK YOU'RE EXACTLY RIGHT. 
          THE CITY AND THE COUNTY HAVE PARTNERED A LONG TIME ADDRESSING, UH, THOSE HEALTH DISPARITIES THAT YOU'VE MENTIONED IN THE CITY AND THOSE AREAS OF THE COUNTY, WHERE THERE IS A LACK OF MEDICAL CARE, GROCERY STORES, ALL OF THOSE THINGS THAT PROMOTE HEALTHIER LIVING. 
          I THINK WE HAVE TO BE MORE INTENTIONAL ABOUT MAKING THE CONNECTION ABOUT HOW THOSE OTHER, UM, DISEASE STATES OR CONDITIONS ARE EXACERBATING COVID IN THE COMMUNITY AND HELP FOLKS UNDERSTAND THAT THEIR RISK IS, IS GREATER. 
          UM, SO I APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT AND I LOOK FORWARD TO CONNECTING WITH YOU ON THAT FURTHER, THANK YOU EVERYBODY HAPPY NEW YEAR, AND THANKS FOR THE HARD WORK THAT CONTINUED DURING THE HOLIDAYS AND IS NEEDED GOING FORWARD. 
          I'D ECHO COMMISSIONER CIVILIANS OFFER TO HELP AND VOLUNTEER. 
          UM, I WAS GOOGLING AROUND IT JUST FOR LOOKING AT CHURCHES AND WHO'S OPEN AND, YOU KNOW, HAVING IN-PERSON SERVICES AND WHO'S NOT. 
          AND I THINK TECHNOLOGY, YOU KNOW, NEEDS, UH, TECHNOLOGY CAPACITY DIFFERS FROM CHURCH TO CHURCH, BUT MAYBE WE COULD DO SOME MORE INFO SESSIONS, THREE VIRTUAL CHURCH SERVICES. 
          UM, I CAN, I CAN RELATE TO THE FRUSTRATION AT THE FLAT NUMBERS, UM, AND I JUST WOULD OFFER TO DO WHATEVER I COULD TO HELP SEE THOSE, YOU KNOW, THAT VACCINATION NUMBER INCREASE IN COMMUNITIES WHERE IT NEEDS TO. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER. 
          UM, I'VE GOT, UH, TWO THINGS, ONE JUST, AGAIN, WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO EVERYONE. 
          WHO'S GETTING OUR KIDS VACCINATED. 
          UH, THE PEDIATRIC RATE HERE IN TRAVIS COUNTY AND AUSTIN IS I THINK ABOUT 32% FOR ONE SHOT, WHICH AGAIN, GREATLY OUTPACES THE STATEWIDE EFFORTS. 
          SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR EFFORTS. 
          UH, THERE, UM, I DO WANT TO HIGHLIGHT AND KIND OF ASK ONE QUESTION. 
          SO AISD, IT LOOKS LIKE DID A FREE TESTING CLINIC FOR STUDENTS AND STAFF RECENTLY, AND OF THE 1200 THAT WERE TESTED ABOUT ONE THIRD OF THEM TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID. 
          AND SO JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I DON'T KNOW, DIRECTOR STIRRUP OR DR. 
          WALKS, OR IS THERE ANYTHING MORE THAT WE CAN BE DOING TO HELP THE, THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS OR THE SCHOOLS IN GENERAL IN AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY? YOU KNOW, MY KIDS STARTING ON WEDNESDAY AND AN AISD PUBLIC SCHOOL, OBVIOUSLY A LOT OF KIDS ARE DOING THAT ON WEDNESDAY. 
          ANY THOUGHTS THERE DIRECTLY RELATED TO THAT ISSUE? YES, UH, YESTERDAY THE SUPERINTENDENTS EXPRESSED A CONCERN THAT THEY DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO ADEQUATE QUANTITIES OF TEST KITS OR TESTING SERVICES. 
          SO, UM, I BELIEVE THAT, UH, CHUCK IS GOING TO BE WORKING WITH THEM ALONG WITH MYSELF TO, UM, HELP THEM IDENTIFY THOSE RESOURCES. 
          UM, AND YOU'RE RIGHT. 
          AISD DID SOME, UH, TESTING CLINICS YESTERDAY, AND I THINK THEY'RE GOING TO BE DOING SOME MORE TODAY SO THAT THEY CAN IDENTIFY, UM, PEOPLE THAT ARE RETURNING WHO MAY, UM, BE POSITIVE FOR COVID SO THAT THEY CAN STAY HOME AND, UM, THEY CAN GET OFF TO A GOOD START, UH, WITH, UM, UH, ISOLATING THOSE CASES. 
          UM, AND THERE ARE OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS THAT WILL LIKE TO DO THE SAME, UM, BUT THEY NEED THOSE RESOURCES. 
          AND THEN I JUST WANTED TO SAY, THANK YOU, DR. 
          WACHS. 
          UH, THE ISD IS, ARE DEPENDING ON, UH, VEA AND THE STATE, UH, JUST LIKE WE'RE, DEPENDING ON THE STATE TO FILL REQUESTS FOR ADDITIONAL TESTING KITS, THERE IS A SHORTAGE ACROSS THE COUNTRY, UH, BUT WE'RE CONTINUING TO WORK AND TRYING TO HELP THE ISD IN ANY WAY THAT WE CAN, UH, PRIVATE PROVIDERS, LIKE THE ONE I MENTIONED A LITTLE WHILE AGO, CURATIVE, UH, ARE AVAILABLE, UH, AND APPARENTLY STILL 
          [00:50:01]
HAVE ACCESS TO TEST KITS. 
          UH, AND SO I HAVE MADE, MADE THAT CONNECTION BETWEEN CURATIVE AND THE ISD IS AS WELL, SO, SO THAT THEY CAN, THEY CAN TRY AND PITCH IN. 
          THANK YOU. 
          AND JUST TO CLARIFY, WHETHER YOU'RE AN AUSTIN ISD DEL VALLEY INS ISD, ANY SCHOOL HERE IN AUSTIN, THERE IS A MASK MANDATE AND KIDS, STUDENTS, UH, TEACHERS, FACULTY, ANYONE VISITING THE SCHOOLS IS REQUIRED TO WEAR EYE MASK, UH, WEDNESDAY TODAY, WHENEVER THEY GO TO A PUBLIC SCHOOL OR A SCHOOL. 
          IS THAT CORRECT? PUBLIC SCHOOL. 
          DR. 
          WALKS, SORRY. 
          YES. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UH, I WILL HAND IT OVER TO YOU MAYOR FOR Y'ALL'S QUESTIONS. 
          THANK YOU, JUDGE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          WE'RE GOING TO GO THROUGH COLLEAGUES, UH, BEGINNING WITH, UH, UH, DISTRICT, UH, UH, ONE AND WORK OUR WAY UP TO A TAN, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER, MADISON. 
          OKAY, THANK YOU, MARY. 
          I APPRECIATE IT. 
          HI, EVERYBODY. 
          HAPPY NEW YEAR. 
          UM, I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS I'D LIKE TO ECHO MY COLLEAGUES APPRECIATION DEEP APPRECIATION FOR ALL THE EFFORT THAT HAS GOTTEN US TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY. 
          AND MY COMMENTARY IS MORE OF A DEEP CONCERN. 
          I THINK I'LL ECHO THE JUDGE'S SENTIMENT ABOUT MY CONCERNS WITH OUR CHILDREN RETURNING TO SCHOOL. 
          I'M JUST VERY CONCERNED. 
          MOST OF THE, MOST OF MY KIDS, PEERS AREN'T ELIGIBLE FOR BOOSTERS YET. 
          AND SO, UM, IT'S REALLY STARTING TO FEEL VERY MUCH LIKE NOT IF WE'LL GET THE, A CRANBERRY ANT, BUT WHEN, UM, IN WHICH CASE I, MAYBE THAT IS A QUESTION, YOU KNOW, IS THAT, IS THAT THE KIND OF THING THAT WE SHOULD JUST AS FAMILIES BE PREPARING FOR? BECAUSE SO MANY OF THE VARIABLES ARE OUT OF OUR CONTROL. 
          SHOULD WE JUST ANTICIPATE THAT SOMEBODY IN OUR FAMILY IS GOING TO GET SICK AND JUST START PUTTING IN SAFEGUARDS INTO PLACE FOR HAVING WHEN WE QUARANTINE? AND, UM, AND I GUESS MAYBE THE QUESTION EMBEDDED THERE IS WHAT THINGS SHOULD FAMILIES BE PREPARING FOR, UM, WITH THIS VARIANT AND IF, AND WHEN WE SHOULD BE PREPARING FOR ANOTHER ONE TO COME QUICKLY ENOUGH TO WHERE WE, AS, AS FAMILIES DON'T HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO PREPARE. 
          I'LL START WITH THE LAST QUESTION. 
          UM, TOO, AT THIS POINT, UM, THE ONLY THING WE'RE HAVE BEFORE US IS THE OMNICON AND THEN SOME RESIDUAL DELTA, UM, WITH REGARDS TO PREPARATION, UM, IT IS, IT IS A SITUATION THAT WE FIND OURSELVES IN WHERE IT'S A VERY LIKELY THAT IF YOU'RE NOT WEARING THIS IN PUBLIC PLACES, WHEN YOU'RE AROUND PEOPLE, YOU DON'T LIVE WITH THAT, YOU, UM, MAY COME IN CONTACT WITH SOMEONE WHO HAS, UM, A CRON, UM, ONE IN THREE, ONE IN FOUR PEOPLE HAVE, UM, UM, A CRON AT THIS POINT. 
          AND SO IF YOU'RE NOT WEARING A MASK, YOU'RE LIKELY TO GET THE DISEASE AND IF YOU DO, AND YOU'RE NOT VACCINATED, UM, AND YOU MAY HAVE, UM, UM, MORE THAN A MILD CASE OF THE DISEASE, BECAUSE, UM, YOU'RE NOT VACCINATED. 
          IF YOU ARE VACCINATED, UM, THE LIKELIHOOD OF, AND YOU'RE HEALTHY, YOU MAY, UM, YOU MAY JUST HAVE A MILD FORM OF THE ILLNESS, HOWEVER, UM, YOU MAY PASS IT ON TO SOMEONE, UM, IN THE EVENT THAT YOU'RE ASYMPTOMATIC AND THAT PERSON MAY NOT BE HEALTHY AND THEY MAY END UP WITH SEVERE ILLNESS. 
          SO PREPARATION WOULD BE TO WHERE MASS, UM, PREPARATION W WOULD BE TO GET VACCINATED OR GET YOUR BOOSTER SHOT. 
          AND, UM, MAKING SURE THAT YOU TALKED TO YOUR CHILDREN WHO WERE OLD ENOUGH TO, UM, FOLLOW THE GUIDANCE OF WEARING A MASK AND, AND, AND, AND REINFORCED TO THEM THAT THEY SHOULD WEAR A MASK WHEN THEY GO TO SCHOOL. 
          UM, AND, AND THOSE THINGS WILL HELP, UH, PROTECT YOU AND YOUR FAMILY FROM GETTING THEM A CRIME. 
          THANK YOU, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER FOR THIS, THANK YOU. 
          MORNING, EVERYONE, HAPPY NEW YEAR. 
          UM, ALSO WANT TO JOIN IN AND SHARE MY GRATITUDE TO OUR HARDWORKING STAFF WITH, WITH THE CITY AND THE COUNTY AND ALL OF THE, UM, INDIVIDUALS INVOLVED WITH OUR RELIEF EFFORTS. 
          I EXTREMELY APPRECIATE YOUR DEDICATION, ESPECIALLY OVER THE HOLIDAYS. 
          I WANTED TO HONE IN ON OUR TEST SUPPLIES STRATEGY. 
          IF YOU COULD TALK US THROUGH WHAT PREPARATION DID WE DO TO ENSURE THAT WE HAD SUFFICIENT TEST KITS AVAILABLE TO 
          [00:55:01]
OUR COMMUNITY. 
          I WANT TO THANK JUDGE BROWN FOR, UH, STANDING UP THE TRAVIS COUNTY TOP-UP SITES TO GET OUT TEST KITS, UH, TO OUR COMMUNITY AMIDST THE HOLIDAYS. 
          I KNOW THAT THEY, UH, THERE WAS A HUGE INFLUX OF INDIVIDUALS NEEDING THOSE TEST KITS, AS THEY'RE PREPARING TO GO HOME, SPEND TIME WITH THEIR FAMILIES. 
          UM, AND, BUT I KNOW THAT THEY WERE GO RUN OUT WITHIN HOURS. 
          UM, SO AS A POLICY MAKER, I WAS EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED TO SEE THE LEVEL OF TEST KITS AVAILABLE IN OUR COMMUNITY. 
          UM, AND ALSO A PLAN FOR ALTERNATIVES. 
          WE KNEW THAT OUR STATIC SITES WERE GOING TO BE CLOSED FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS, AMID THE HOLIDAYS. 
          UM, WHEN I ASKED WHAT ALTERNATIVES CAN I SUGGEST TO MY COMMUNITY TO GO GET TESTED, UH, ESPECIALLY AMID NEW YEAR'S EVE HOLIDAY. 
          UM, I WAS TOLD TO SHARE THE 3, 1, 1 HOTLINE. 
          I CALLED 3 1 1 PERSONALLY, TO SEE, OKAY, I WANT TO KNOW IF I'M A RESIDENT OF AUSTIN. 
          I WANT TO KNOW WHERE I CAN GO GET TESTED. 
          I WAS ON HOLD FOR AN HOUR AND A HALF. 
          I'D DROPPED OFF THE CALL AFTER AN HOUR AND A HALF. 
          NOW, MOST AUSTINITES CAN NOT SPEND AN HOUR AND A HALF OF THEIR DAY WAITING ON HOLD TO FIND OUT WHERE THEY CAN GO TO THE NEAREST TEST SITE. 
          UM, SO I WANT TO GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT WERE EFFORTS TO PREPARE FOR COVID TESTS, KNOWING THE RISE OF ALMA MACRON, UM, AS WELL AS WHAT ARE WE CURRENTLY WAITING ON RIGHT NOW? I KNOW WE HAVE A HUGE REQUEST OUT TO THE STATE OF TEXAS TO OUR TESTIFY, UH, BUT I WANT TO GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHEN WE, UM, EXPECT TO HAVE A RESPONSE TO WHAT LEVEL OF SUPPLIES WILL WE GET FROM THE STATE OF TEXAS. 
          UM, AND AS WELL AS EFFORTS TO ENGAGE PRIVATE VENDORS, UH, I WILL START ABOUT, UM, TALKING ABOUT APHS TESTING SITES. 
          UM, I THINK THAT WE HAVE MORE THAN ENOUGH, UM, PCR TESTS AT THIS POINT TO ADMINISTER TO FOLKS. 
          I DO BELIEVE THE PREPARATION WAS THE CONSISTENT MESSAGING AND THE AVAILABILITY, UM, OF OUR CLINICS IN THE WEEKS LEADING UP TO THE HOLIDAYS. 
          UM, IN HINDSIGHT, PERHAPS WE COULD HAVE BEEN A BETTER PREDICTOR OF HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND PEOPLE WAITING UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE, BUT AS FAR AS HAVING, UM, A PCR TEST AVAILABLE, IF, UH, IF A RESIDENT WAS SEEKING A PCR TEST TO CONFIRM THEIR PLANS FOR NEW YEAR'S EVE FRIDAY WOULD HAVE BEEN WAY TOO LATE BECAUSE IT TAKES TIME FOR THOSE TESTS TO COME BACK. 
          AND SO OUR EFFORTS WERE FOCUSED ON, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE MAKING A PLAN, PROVIDING THE INFORMATION, SO THAT LEADING INTO THE HOLIDAYS, THEY WOULD BE WELL-PREPARED, UM, TO CELEBRATE, UM, WITH THEIR FRIENDS AND FAMILIES. 
          UM, EVERY EVENT PROVIDES US THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN AND GROW. 
          UM, WE DO NOT HAVE CONTROL OVER THE SUPPLY OF THE AT-HOME TEST KITS. 
          WE HAVE PRICED OUT BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE COUNTY, UM, WHAT IT WOULD COST FOR US TO PURCHASE KIDS DIRECTLY FROM A VENDOR. 
          AND WE'RE WORKING THAT THROUGH. 
          WE HAVE BEEN WORKING DILIGENTLY WITH OUR CORPORATE CORPORATE PURCHASING TO HAVE A TESTING CONTRACT FOR TURNKEY PCR TESTING, TO EXPAND THE CAPACITY THAT'S IN OUR CURRENT COMMUNITY. 
          AND SO THOSE ARE THE, THE STEPS THAT WE ARE CONTINUING TO TAKE. 
          THANK YOU, DIRECTOR. 
          AND AGAIN, I DO WANT TO REITERATE THAT I AM VERY APPRECIATIVE OF THE WORK THAT OUR TEAMS ARE DOING, UM, KNOWING THAT THERE ARE THINGS IN MOTION, UM, BUT HOW IMPORTANT THOSE RAPID TESTS ARE TO, UH, TO OUR COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE KNOW THEY'RE GONNA BE SPENDING TIME WITH FAMILY AND THAT WE'RE IN THE SURGE. 
          UM, ANY EFFORTS THAT WE CAN DO TO INCREASE THE SUPPLY OF AT HOME TESTS, UH, WOULD BE APPRECIATED. 
          AND COMMISSIONER SHAY, YOU ASKED A BRILLIANT QUESTION ABOUT, WELL, IF YOU DO TEST POSITIVE WITH ONE OF THOSE RAPID AT HOME KIDS, HOW DO WE KNOW, HOW ARE THEY REPORTING? SO IF WE CAN HAVE A DEDICATED, UH, COMMUNICATION CAMPAIGN TO GETTING OUT THE WORD THAT IF YOU TEST POSITIVE, PLEASE CALL THROUGH ON ONE, LET US KNOW. 
          UM, SO THAT WE HAVE AN ACCURATE DEPICTION OF THE PREVALENCE OF ALMA CRON IN OUR COMMUNITY. 
          UM, AND THE LAST QUESTION I HAVE IS AROUND, UH, THE EXPIRATION DATE ON THESE KIDS. 
          CAN YOU TOUCH ON, I KNOW THERE'S BEEN, UM, SOME QUESTIONS AROUND IF PEOPLE WHO HAVE AT HOME TEST KIDS AND IT SAYS IT'S EXPIRED AT A CERTAIN DATE, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE IT MIGHT BE, UM, STILL USABLE, UH, A FEW MONTHS AFTERWARDS. 
          UM, CAN YOU, UM, WHAT THE COMMUNITY KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR WITH THOSE EXPIRATION DATES? I'M GOING TO DEFER TO YOU DR. 
          WALKS ON THAT 
          [01:00:01]
ONE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          YES. 
          UM, THE, UH, EUA FOR THE TEST KITS HAS EXTENDED THEIR SHELF LIFE. 
          AND AS THOSE KITS WERE, UM, DISTRIBUTED, UM, THOSE WHO RECEIVED THE KIDS WERE GIVEN THE INFORMATION THAT THEY WERE, UM, RECEIVING KITS THAT WOULD EXPIRE AT THE END OF JANUARY. 
          UH, THERE ARE SOME OF THE KITS THAT WE'VE, UM, RECEIVED THAT MAY HAVE FURTHER EXTENSION OF THEIR HALF OF THEIR SHELF LIFE, DEPENDING ON THE DECISIONS MADE BY THE FDA. 
          AND AS THAT INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE, WE'LL POST IT ON OUR WEBSITE AND ALSO PUBLICIZE IT SO THAT THOSE WHO MAY HAVE, UM, SOME OF THOSE KIDS STILL AVAILABLE WE'LL KNOW THAT THEY'RE STILL, UM, ABLE TO BE USED. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          YES. 
          ANY EFFORTS WE CAN DO AROUND GETTING, UM, SOME GOOD MESSAGING AROUND THE EXPIRATION DATE WOULD BE GOOD. 
          THANK YOU AGAIN. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, CAUSE REMEMBER AT 30 YET, THANK YOU MAYOR AND HAPPY NEW YEAR ALSO TO ALL I, IF SOMEONE WOULD CALL THE OVERTIME VIRUS, YOU KNOW, I, UH, KOBE, UH, YOU KNOW, I, I WOULD VERY, I WENT OUT AND WENT TO ONE ACTIVITY, ONE POLITICAL BAND, YOU KNOW, THEY WERE PROVIDING DINNER, TOOK MY MATH OFF. 
          PEOPLE CAME OVER THERE AND TALKED TO ME AND I ENDED UP GIVING UP. 
          AND, UH, LET ME TELL YOU THAT SYMPTOMS ARE, DON'T COME RIGHT AWAY AND YOU'RE ALREADY INFECTED. 
          YOU ARE GOING TO PASS IT OFF TO ALL YOUR FAMILIES, YOU KNOW, AND THEN, UH, YOUR FEELINGS, ALL YOUR FAMILY'S GONNA GET SICK. 
          UM, I GOT MY, UH, MY SON, HIS WIFE, HIS TWO KIDS, THEY ALL HAVE IT, YOU KNOW, UH, THEY'RE RECOVERING LUCKY. 
          THEY'RE ALL GOT THEIR SHOTS. 
          UH, MY SON DIDN'T GET HIS BOOSTER TO THE, THE NEXT DAY AFTER CHRISTMAS. 
          AND HE THOUGHT MAYBE HE HAD IT, GOT IT THROUGH THERE. 
          BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, SHE WAS ONLY ONE THAT HAD THE MOST SEVERE SYMPTOMS, BUT THE REST OF US HAPPIER WITH SCRATCHY THROAT, BODY ACHES, YOU KNOW, UH, I TOOK ONE OF THOSE COVID TESTS CAME OUT POSITIVE AND I FEEL FINE NOW I TOOK THE CHEST AND I'M STILL POSITIVE. 
          SO, I MEAN, IF I GO OUT THERE WITH, AND TAKE MY MASK IN FRONT OF ANYONE, THEY'RE GOING TO GET IT, IT'S TAUGHT. 
          THAT'S HOW CONTAGIONS IS THING IS IT'S VERY CONTAGIOUS. 
          AND, AND I'M REALLY GLAD THAT, UH, UH, UH, ONE OF THE COMMISSIONERS MENTIONED ABOUT THE TESTS, YOU KNOW, CAUSE IT DID THE ONES THAT YOU PASSED OUT TO US AT CITY COUNCIL OFFICE DOES SHOW THAT HAD BEEN EXPIRED, UH, UH, IN JULY. 
          BUT I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT YOU CAN STILL CHECKS, TAKE IT IN. 
          IT'S STILL, UH, AFFECTED. 
          BUT, UH, I JUST WANTED TO LET Y'ALL KNOW THAT THIS DAY HERE IS, I MEAN, NONE OF MY KIDS HAVE REPORTED. 
          NONE OF MY IN-LAWS HAVE REPORTED ANY OF THIS BECAUSE THERE IS NO INFORMATION OUT THERE. 
          THERE WERE NO INFORMATION TILL TODAY ABOUT CALLING IT 3, 1, 1, IT JUST WASN'T OUT THERE AVAILABLE TO THE PEOPLE. 
          AND, AND LET ME TELL YOU ALL MY FAMILY THAT'S HAD IT INTUITED. 
          MY SON-IN-LAW, THE TEACHER, UM, MY OTHER SON THAT, UH, WORKS AT ATB AS A MANAGER, THEY ALL CAUGHT IT. 
          AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CATCHING THIS THING RIGHT BEFORE THANKSGIVING. 
          THAT'S HOW LONG IT'S BEEN GOING ON. 
          AND, UM, I'M SURE THERE'S MORE THAN A THIRD OF OTHER PEOPLE HAVE GOTTEN INFECTED BECAUSE I TALKED TO SOME OF MY NEIGHBORS AND THEY SAID THEY RECOVERED FROM IT, BUT IT'S VERY CONTAGIOUS. 
          LET ME TELL YOU JUST TALKING, THAT'S IT, YOU KNOW, DROPPING YOUR MASK DOWN AND TALKING TO SOMEONE, EVEN IF THEY ALREADY GOT THEIR BOOSTER SHOT, YOU CAN CATCH IT FROM THAT PERSON. 
          DO YOU KNOW YOUR FAMILY MEMBER? MIGHT'VE BEEN OUT THERE TO TALK TO ME WHEN SOMEONE ELSE HAS IT COMES, COME HOME, THEY'RE GOING TO GET IT. 
          IF HE HAS IT, YOU'RE GOING TO GET AFFECTED WITH IT. 
          SO, UH, I, I, MY PREPAREDNESS AND I SAID, IT'S IT, IT'S, IT'S UP WITH YOUR UPPER THROAT. 
          MAYBE YOU HAVE A SORE THROAT AND THAT'S THE WORST PART OF IT, YOU KNOW? AND IT CAN GET INTO YOUR NASAL AND HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF CONGESTION, YOU KNOW, JUST TAKE IT AS MUCH. 
          I WENT THERE AND GOT THE BEST, UH, COKE LICENSERS. 
          AND, UH, JUST FOR THE, JUST FOR THE DISCOMFORT, YOU KNOW, BUT YEAH, IT IS REALLY GOING AROUND AND I MADE ONE FATAL MISTAKE. 
          I WENT TO AN 
          [01:05:01]
INDOOR ACTIVITY, POLITICALLY ACTIVITY, AND, UH, THERE WAS A BIG MISTAKE I'D MADE, I SHOULD'VE STAYED, STAYED HOME, BUT HE SAID, BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT CARDING ANYBODY, THEY WERE NOT CHECKING TO SEE IF YOU HAD YOUR VACCINATION AT THAT TIME. 
          SO, UH, JUST AWARDING TO THE PUBLIC. 
          UH, IF YOU GO TO ONE OF THESE EVENTS OR TO A BAR OR TO A PARTY, YOU BETTER NOT TAKE YOUR MASK OFF BECAUSE YOU ARE GOING TO GET IT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          MA'AM THEY BE A CANCER CANCER. 
          THANK YOU FOR SHARING COUNCIL MEMBER IDENTITY. 
          AND I'M GLAD YOUR FAMILY'S FEELING STARTING TO FEEL BETTER. 
          I WANT TO QUICKLY MAKE SURE THAT I GOT THE REST OF THE INSERT OF WHAT COMES TO REMEMBER WHEN DEZ ASKED, I THINK YOU ADDRESSED THE BIG PART OF IT, DIRECT YOUR STRIP, BUT NOW THAT THE HOLIDAYS HAVE PASSED, DO WE ANTICIPATE THAT ANYTIME IN THE NEAR FUTURE DEMAND IS GOING TO CONTINUE TO OUTSTRIP OUR SUPPLY AND AVAILABILITY OF BEING ABLE TO PROVIDE PEOPLE TESTS? I, I, I DON'T, I DON'T BELIEVE WE HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION TO REALLY ASSESS IF IT IS A SUPPLY AND DEMAND ISSUE. 
          UM, HAD WE BEEN OPEN FOR A FULL WEEK OF SERVICE THAT MIGHT'VE BEEN DIFFERENT? UM, WE ARE WATCHING THE TRENDS TO SEE IF IT TRULY WAS PEOPLE TRYING TO PREPARE TO TRAVEL AND PARTY, AND THEN BEING CONCERNED AFTERWARDS ABOUT GOING BACK TO WORK IN SCHOOL. 
          UM, WE ARE WORKING WITH PURCHASING, AS I SAID TO FAST TRACK THE SUPPLEMENTAL TESTING CONTRACTS. 
          SO WE CAN HAVE ADDITIONAL OPTIONS IN COMMUNITY. 
          ANECDOTALLY, WHAT I'M HEARING FROM THE CALL CENTER STAFF IS THAT PEOPLE WANT TO TEST AND THEY WANT IT NOW. 
          SO IT'S NOT THAT THERE IS A LACK OF ACCESS TO TESTING. 
          IT'S A LACK OF ASK ACCESS TO SAME DAY TESTING. 
          OUR PHARMACIES ARE STILL OFFERING TESTS AS WELL AS OUR, UM, OTHER CARE PROVIDERS. 
          BUT DEPENDING ON WHEN YOU CALL THERE MIGHT BE A ONE TO TWO WEEK WAIT. 
          UM, AND SO THAT'S WHY I'M, I'M HESITANT TO, TO SAY IF THIS IS TRULY A SUPPLY AND DEMAND ISSUE WITH THE PCR TESTING, HANDS DOWN WITH THE AT-HOME KIDS, THERE DOES SEEM TO BE AN ISSUE WITH THOSE. 
          THERE WERE ONCE UPON A TIME THAT WERE READILY AVAILABLE AT ANY CVS OR PHARMACY OR ATB OR OTHER GROCERY CHAIN, BUT THAT DOESN'T SEEM TO BE THE CASE. 
          UM, AND WE WERE WORKING WITH OUR PARTNERS THAT HE SEEMED TO GET A HANDLE ON WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE, BUT AS FAR AS THE PCR TESTING AVAILABILITY, NOT SURE THAT THERE'S A TRUE ISSUE THERE, BUT WE ALL HAVE MORE INFORMATION AS WE WATCHED THE TRENDS IN THIS WEEK AND THE WEEKS TO COME. 
          THAT COULD BE, THAT COULD BE REALLY HELPFUL. 
          YOU KNOW, UM, I MEAN, PART OF WHAT WE ALL SAW WAS THE PERSON SHARING, TEXTING TO THEIR GROUP OF FRIENDS OR POSTING THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD LIST THAT THIS PARTICULAR CVS HAD 30 OR 40 RAPID TESTS. 
          AND SO THEN EVERYBODY WOULD GO THERE. 
          UM, AND THEN PEOPLE WOULD GO LOTS OF OTHER PLACES AND NOT FIND ANYTHING. 
          AND OF COURSE, ONE THING IS FOLKS WANTING TO TRAVEL, WHICH IS AN IMPORTANT THING FOR PEOPLE TO DO. 
          AND THEN OTHER THINGS, PEOPLE FEELING SYMPTOMS AND NOT KNOWING WHAT TO DO AND WHETHER TO BE IN A SEPARATE ROOM FOR THEIR FAMILY, OR GET A HOTEL ROOM OR NOT, UH, THAT THEY MIGHT NEED THAT IMMEDIATE SERVICE. 
          UM, SO I THINK GIVEN HOW MUCH BREAKTHROUGH THERE CAN BE WITH A MACRON GIVEN WHAT IT IS WE JUST EXPERIENCED. 
          I THINK WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS WE CAN HAVE TO LET PEOPLE KNOW LIKE WE HAVE WITH VOTING LOCATIONS, HOW LONG YOU MIGHT HAVE TO WAIT TO BE REALLY TRANSPARENT ABOUT THAT. 
          IF WE CAN WORK WITH PRIVATE INDUSTRY TO SHOW WHERE IT IS THAT PEOPLE CAN GET RAPID TESTS, IF THEY NEED ONE BADLY. 
          AND IF THERE'S ANY WAY, WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT THERE ARE ENOUGH FOR THE PEOPLE THAT ARE FEELING SYMPTOMS, ESPECIALLY. 
          UM, I THINK THAT WOULD ALL BE REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT. 
          UM, I KNOW THAT STORES ARE LIMITING HOW MANY IT IS. 
          YOU CAN TAKE HOME WITH YOU, WHICH I THINK IS ONE IMPORTANT STEP TO PREVENT PEOPLE FROM CREATING THEIR OWN MARKET OF THEM, UM, OR, OR TAKING TOO MANY. 
          UM, BUT I THINK ESPECIALLY FOR THE PEOPLE WHO ARE FEELING SICK, BEING ABLE TO PROVIDE AS CLOSE TO SAME DAY OF TESTING AS POSSIBLE IS IMPORTANT. 
          I MEAN, WE CAN TELL PEOPLE IF YOU FEEL SICK, ISOLATE FROM YOUR FAMILY, BUT PEOPLE WOULD REALLY LIKE TO KNOW, ESPECIALLY IF IT MIGHT BE A WEEK WAGE OR MORE. 
          SO IF WE CAN HAVE A BETTER CLEARING HOUSE THAT SHOWS WHERE THERE ARE TESTS AVAILABLE, IF WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT 
          [01:10:01]
FOR SYMPTOMATIC PEOPLE, WE HAVE, UM, THOSE CONTRACTS FOR RAPID TESTS. 
          I THINK THAT WOULD BE ALL REALLY IMPORTANT, UM, SO THAT MAYBE IN A NOT HOLIDAY SETTING, BUT IF WE CONTINUE TO SEE A SURGE, WE CAN, WE CAN BETTER HANDLE IT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, A KITCHEN. 
          UM, I WANTED TO, FIRST OFF, I DO WANT TO, TO THANK, THANK EVERYONE INVOLVED IN, IN THIS. 
          THIS HAS BEEN A HARD TIME AND THERE'S JUST SO MUCH CONTINUED, UH, WORK TO DO. 
          IT'S ALSO DISAPPOINTING FOR ALL OF US IN THE PUBLIC, I THINK TO BE, UM, TO BE ON TO NOW BE IN ANOTHER SEARCH JUST WHEN WE WERE BEGINNING TO FEEL LIKE WE COULD, UM, GET OUT AGAIN. 
          AND I THINK THAT'S WHY YOU'RE SEEING THE BEHAVIOR THAT YOU MENTIONED, DR. 
          WACHS IS PEOPLE HAVE GOTTEN BACK TO, IN TO ENJOYING AND APPRECIATING THE BILL ABILITY TO BE OUTSIDE OR TO BE WITH THEIR FRIENDS WITH THAT. 
          SO, UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT, THAT THAT'S, UH, THAT'S DIFFICULT FOR FOLKS. 
          UM, I DO WANT TO TALK SOME MORE ABOUT THE TESTING THOUGH. 
          UM, AND I HAVE TWO DIFFERENT QUESTIONS. 
          THE FIRST THING IS THE PCR TEST BEING AVAILABLE AT ONE TO TWO WEEKS IS ACTUALLY ABSOLUTELY NOT USEFUL, UH, BECAUSE IT'S TOO LATE. 
          SO, AND SO THAT, GIVEN THAT IN THE CONTEXT THAT AS WE SAID EARLIER, UM, WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS AVOID MORE COMMUNITIES SPREAD IN A WAY THAT DOESN'T REQUIRE US TO GO BACK TO, TO STAGE FIVE IF I UNDERSTOOD YOU ALL CORRECTLY. 
          SO I'M TRYING, I'M STRUGGLING WITH HOW WE'RE GOING TO DO THAT. 
          UM, AND WHAT'S COMING TO MIND IN MY QUESTION IS IT SOUNDS TO ME LIKE PEOPLE JUST, AND I THINK I'M HEARING YOUR MESSAGING, THAT PEOPLE JUST NEED TO WEAR A MASK. 
          THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO WEAR A MASK EVERYWHERE BECAUSE YOU DON'T KNOW. 
          AND, AND I WANT TO THANK, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER RENTERIA FOR SHARING YOUR EXPERIENCE. 
          THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE NEED TO BE DOING. 
          I WANT TO THANK DR. 
          WACHS FOR YOUR, THE MESSAGE THAT YOU ALL YOU GAVE US AND DIRECTOR STIRRUP FOR THE MESSAGE YOU GAVE US ALSO. 
          SO I JUST WANT TO REITERATE GIVEN THE LEVEL OF COMMUNITY SPREAD THAT'S GOING ON RIGHT NOW, GIVEN THE FACT THAT YOU IS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO GET AN IMMEDIATE PCR TEST. 
          UM, AND GIVEN THE FACT THAT THE AT-HOME TESTS ARE VERY USEFUL, BUT THEY'RE NOT TOTALLY FOOLPROOF. 
          IT SOUNDS TO ME LIKE WE REALLY, AS A COMMUNITY TO SLOW THIS DOWN AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, WE ALL JUST NEED TO BE WEARING MASKS WHEN WE'RE OUT IN PUBLIC. 
          UM, AND SO I WANT TO CONFIRM THAT I'M HEARING THAT CORRECTLY, BOTH FROM YOU, DR. 
          WACHS AND FROM YOU DIRECTOR STIRRUP. 
          THAT IS EXACTLY THE MESSAGE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          YES. 
          THANK YOU. 
          OKAY. 
          ALL RIGHT THEN. 
          UM, AND SO I JUST WANT TO REITERATE IT. 
          WE HAVE TO WEAR A MASK. 
          I DON'T CARE IF WE'RE VACCINATED OR BOOSTED OR WHAT WE HAVE TO WEAR A MASK BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW FOR SYMPTOMATIC. 
          WE CAN'T TEST OURSELVES EVERY DAY. 
          THE AT-HOME TEST ARE USEFUL AND SHOULD BE USED, BUT THEY'RE NOT TOTALLY DEFINITIVE, UH, WITH THIS HOMER CONDUCT, UH, UM, WITH THIS ALMA CRON, UM, VARIANT. 
          SO MY SECOND QUESTION IS JUST, YOU KNOW, WE'VE TALKED IN THE PAST ABOUT PROJECTIONS THAT I, OR MODELING MODELING, I GUESS, IS THE RIGHT TERM THAT UT HAD DONE IN THE PAST. 
          DO WE HAVE ANY KIND OF MODELING ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR SURGE OR D AND DO WE HAVE ANY IDEA ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR SURGE IN TERMS OF WHAT WE CAN EXPECT IN TERMS OF ITS DURATION, UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE'S NOTHING FOR SURE, BUT CAN YOU KIND OF TALK WITH US ABOUT THAT, DR. 
          WACHS, WOULD THAT BE FOR YOU? WE DO. 
          WE DO HAVE MODELING. 
          UM, AND WE HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT THAT MODELING AND UNDERSTANDING THAT WE MAY NEED TO MAKE SOME ADJUSTMENTS BECAUSE THE VIRUS THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH, THE VARIANT OF THE VIRUS THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH RIGHT NOW HAS SOME CHARACTERISTICS ABOUT IT THAT ARE NOT, UM, LIKE THOSE THAT WE'VE SEEN BEFORE. 
          SO THE MODELING SHOWS THAT WE WILL LIKELY HAVE A SURGE THAT LASTS UNTIL POSSIBLY THE END OF FEBRUARY EARLY MARCH TIMEFRAME. 
          UM, HOWEVER, WITH WHAT WE'RE SEEING IN SOUTH AFRICA, WHERE THERE WAS A INCREASE IN CASES, AND THEN JUST AS ABRUPT DECREASE IN CASES, UM, WHERE WE NEED TO WAIT AND SEE, 
          [01:15:01]
UM, WHAT PROGRESSES IN THE NEXT SEVERAL WEEKS, UM, WHEN WE'RE ANTICIPATING THAT THE KENTUCKY CASE NUMBERS WILL GO UP BECAUSE SCHOOLS SCHOOL'S GETTING READY TO START AGAIN. 
          SO, UM, THERE'S MORE TO COME WITH. 
          WHAT WILL THE IMPACT OF THE HOLIDAYS BE AND WHAT WILL THE IMPACT OF THIS CHILDREN RETURNING TO SCHOOL? THEY, SO, UM, BUT WHAT WE KNOW NOW IS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT AT LEAST UNTIL THE END OF FEBRUARY EARLY MARCH. 
          OKAY. 
          WELL, WE SEE OUR ARBORS RESOLUTION OF THIS. 
          OKAY. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, AND THEN THE LAST, VERY LAST QUESTION IS JUST TO, TO, TO GIVE A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL FOR FOLKS. 
          SO IN ADDITION TO WEARING MASK, WHICH WE JUST TALKED ABOUT, SOMEONE FEELS THAT THEY HAVE BEEN, UM, OR LEARNS THAT A FRIEND OR, OR SOMEONE THEY'VE BEEN AROUND HAS CONFIRMED POSITIVE, UM, THAT INDIVIDUALS SHOULD QUARANTINE. 
          IF I'M UNDERSTANDING CORRECTLY, WHILE THEY'RE TRYING TO GET TESTED, CAN YOU GIVE US SOME MORE DETAILS ABOUT WHAT PEOPLE SHOULD BE DOING IF THEY LEARN THAT A FRIEND OR A FAMILY MEMBER HAS, HAS TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID? SO FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE FULLY VACCINATED WITHIN SIX MONTHS, OR LESS THAN SIX MONTHS OF THAT CLOSE CONTACT WITH A POSITIVE, UH, PATIENT, UM, THEY ARE, UH, OR THOSE WHO HAVE JUST RECEIVED AT THEIR BOOSTER, UM, THOSE INDIVIDUALS, UM, ARE NOT REQUIRED TO, UM, QUARANTINE, BUT THEY ARE REQUIRED, ARE REQUIRED TO WEAR A MASK FOR 10 DAYS. 
          AND FOR THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE ELIGIBLE FOR A BOOSTER, BECAUSE IT'S BEEN LONGER THAN SIX MONTHS, THAT THEY'VE THEIR INITIAL SERIES OF THE MRI AND A MODERNER PFIZER OR TWO MONTHS SINCE THEY'VE RECEIVED J AND J UM, LONGER THAN TWO MONTHS SINCE THEY'VE RECEIVED J AND J THOSE INDIVIDUALS ARE ASKED TO QUARANTINE, UM, AT HOME, UH, FOR FIVE DAYS. 
          AND IF THEY DON'T HAVE ANY SYMPTOMS, UM, THEY CAN RETURN TO WORK, UH, OR TO THE, TO THE PUBLIC, BUT THEY MUST WEAR A MASK AT ALL TIMES WHEN THEY'RE AROUND OTHER INDIVIDUALS. 
          AND THOSE ARE THE, UM, NEW GUIDANCES FROM THE CDC, THE GUIDANCE FOR SCHOOLS AND CHILDCARE CENTERS, UM, ARE DIFFERENT. 
          UM, THEY'VE REDUCED THE QUARANTINE TIME FROM 14 TO 10 DAYS, AND THEY MAY MAKE SOME ADDITIONAL CHANGES IN THE COMING DAYS, BUT RIGHT NOW THEY ONLY CHANGED THAT WE'VE GOTTEN FOR THOSE AREAS IS PRODUCTION OF THE QUARANTINE TIME FROM 14 TO 10 DAYS. 
          OKAY. 
          SO, UM, OKAY. 
          SO IN OTHER WORDS, THE QUARANTINE, IF SOMEONE IS, IS, IS TRYING TO GET A TEST BECAUSE THEY KNOW THEY'VE BEEN AROUND SOMEONE WHO TESTED POSITIVE, THEY DON'T NEED TO QUARANTINE. 
          IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? THEY JUST NEED TO, IF THEY'VE BEEN BOOSTED THAT YOU WEAR A MASK WHILE THEY'RE WAITING TO GET TESTED. 
          YES. 
          OKAY. 
          THAT, THAT CONCERNS ME ABOUT THE SPREAD BECAUSE THAT PERSON DOESN'T KNOW IF THEY'RE SPREADING IT, BUT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS THE MASK TEXTS, THE SPREAD, THE WAY IT'S READING IS AT THIS POINT, THAT THAT'S WHAT THE NEW GUIDANCES. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU, CATHERINE. 
          KELLY. 
          OKAY. 
          UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH TO EVERYONE WHO'S BEEN PUTTING IN SO MUCH HARD WORK AND EFFORT IN ORDER TO HELP THE COMMUNITY DURING THE SPREAD OF THIS. 
          I WAS CURIOUS IF YOU COULD HELP US UNDERSTAND THAT OUTREACH THAT WE'RE DOING TO OUR NEIGHBORS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS DURING THIS TIME, AND THEN ALSO OTHER VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES. 
          AND SO WE CONTINUE TO WORK WITH OUR PARTNERS AT COMMUNITY CARE, UM, IN TERMS OF, UH, DOING OUTREACH, UM, THE COLOR JANICE BOOKOUT MENTIONED THE WORK OF THE HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICE TO, UH, CONNECT WITH DIFFERENT INCUMBENTS. 
          SO IT'S HAPPENING AT A VARIETY OF PLACES, UM, THROUGH THE PARTNERSHIP WITH COMMUNITY CARE, UM, UNDER INITIATIVES WITH THE HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICE, 
          [01:20:01]
AND THEN OUR HEALTH EQUITY UNIT HAS BEEN INVOLVED, UM, WITH CERTAIN PARKS IN IMMEDIATE SERVICE AREA, WORKING WITH THE PATH TEAM TO CONNECT, UM, CLIENTS X OR PERSONS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS WITH SERVICES, INCLUDING COVID TESTING AND VACCINATION, IF THEY ARE, UM, WILLING. 
          SO THAT'S, WE'RE TRYING TO HAVE A MULTI-PRONGED APPROACH AND THOSE EFFORTS, AS FAR AS OUR OTHER, UM, POPULATIONS OF FOCUS, UM, THE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS THAT WE'VE HIRED AS PART OF THE, UH, BUDGET AMENDMENT, AS WELL AS THOSE THAT WE BROUGHT ON THROUGH THE VARIOUS GRANTS ARE CONTINUING TO WORK IN THOSE, UM, PRIORITIES, ZIP CODES THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED. 
          UM, WE'VE MADE SPECIFIC ERA EFFORTS TO RECRUIT INDIVIDUALS WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE AND WHO ARE REFLECTIVE OF THE POPULATIONS THAT WE ARE TRYING TO SERVE. 
          AND WE CONTINUE TO WORK WITH OUR PIO TEAMS TO DEVELOP MATERIALS THAT ARE NOT ONLY, UM, EASILY TRANSLATED INTO OTHER LANGUAGES, BUT ARE CULTURALLY RELEVANT AS WELL. 
          AND SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE OTHER EFFORTS THAT WE'RE DOING TO CONNECT AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE HAVING FOCUS IN THE AREAS THAT THE DATA IS DIRECTING US TO. 
          THANK YOU FOR THAT. 
          COULD YOU MAYBE TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE OUTREACH TO SKILLED NURSING HOMES, ASSISTED LIVINGS, AND MAYBE EVEN INDEPENDENT LIVINGS WHERE THERE'S A HIGHER POPULATION OF 55 AND OVER THAT ARE MORE VULNERABLE OR SUSCEPTIBLE TO THIS? I WILL DEFER TO DR. 
          WACHS FOR THAT ANSWER. 
          UM, WE HAVE A TEAM OF, UH, EPIDEMIOLOGISTS WHO ARE IN REGULAR COMMUNICATION WITH ALL OF OUR SKILLED NURSING, UM, NURSING HOMES, ASSISTED LIVING CENTERS AND GROUP HOMES TO ASSIST THEM WITH, UH, THEIR DIRECTION CONTROL ISSUES. 
          UM, THEY, THE CASES THAT ARE IDENTIFIED ARE REPORTED TO THIS GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS. 
          UM, WE HAVE DOCTORS WHO ARE IN REGULAR COMMUNICATION WITH MYSELF AND THE TEAM OF EPIDEMIOLOGISTS TO, UH, LET US KNOW WHAT IS HAPPENING ON THE GROUND. 
          AND WE MEET WEEKLY WITH OUR LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES, ASSISTED LIVING CENTERS AND GROUP HOMES TO DISCUSS ANY OF THEIR NEEDS RESOURCE NEEDS AND, UM, TO ADDRESS, UM, THE ONGOING SITUATION THAT WE FIND OURSELVES IN WITH REGARDS TO OMNICOM IN THAT COMMUNITY. 
          RIGHT. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          YOU'RE WELCOME. 
          THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER POOL, AND THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH ME TODAY. 
          YOU BET. 
          HAPPY TO BE HERE AND JUST MY CONTINUED DEEP APPRECIATION TO OUR STAFF FOR THEIR CONTINUING DILIGENCE AND, UH, HARDCORE EX. 
          OKAY. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS. 
          THANK YOU, MAYOR. 
          I WOULD LIKE A LITTLE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE STATE OF TEXAS IS REQUEST, UM, FOR MORE FEDERAL ASSISTANCE IN SOME OF THE MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES OR OTHER TESTS. 
          UM, AND WOULD THIS BE SOMETHING THAT ENDS UP WHERE PEOPLE CAN BUY THE AT-HOME TEST OFF THE SHELF, OR ARE ALL OF THESE MATERIALS EXPECTED TO COME THROUGH THE PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT OR THROUGH THE COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENTS? I WILL START OFF BY ADDRESSING THE QUESTION ABOUT THE MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES. 
          UM, THE MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES ARE BEING DISTRIBUTED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND WE RECEIVE THE ALLOCATIONS BASED UPON, UM, DETERMINATION. 
          AND IT'S DONE FROM, UH, AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL. 
          AND WE, UM, DON'T HAVE EYES ON WHAT THAT'S GOING TO BE. 
          UM, AT THIS POINT, UM, WE FIND OUT WHEN IT GETS HERE AND WE WORK WITH IT ACCORDINGLY WITH REGARDS TO THE TESTS. 
          UM, RIGHT NOW WE ARE, UM, WHEN WE'VE BEEN SPEAKING ABOUT MAKING REQUESTS RESOURCE REQUESTS FROM THE STATE, UM, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN ONGOING AS WE NEEDED RESOURCES THROUGHOUT THIS PANDEMIC RESPONSE. 
          WE'VE REACHED OUT TO THE STATE TO, UM, ASK FOR THE ASSISTANCE THAT WAS ASSISTANCE AND RESOURCES THAT ARE NEEDED AT ANY GIVEN TIME. 
          UM, AND WE'RE GIVEN THOSE THINGS AS THEY ARE AVAILABLE. 
          UM, THE FEDERAL PLANS FOR TEST KITS, UM, TO MY KNOWLEDGE THAT, UH, THAT WON'T NECESSARILY GO THROUGH THE STATE, BUT THE ACTUAL PROCESS, UM, IS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE YET TO LEARN ON ABOUT 
          [01:25:01]
WHAT EXACTLY IS GOING TO HAPPEN. 
          I BELIEVE THAT FOLKS WILL BE ABLE TO BUY KITS, UM, COMMERCIALLY AND, UM, THERE'S A GET REIMBURSEMENT, UM, AFTER THAT PURCHASE HAS MADE. 
          UM, BUT I THINK THERE'S MORE TO COME ON HOW THAT'S GONNA ROLL OUT, UM, ULTIMATELY TO ADDRESS ACCESS ISSUES, UM, FOR THOSE WHO DON'T HAVE INSURANCE OR THE MEANS WITH WHICH TO BUY A KIT COMMERCIALLY. 
          SO THANK YOU FOR THAT INFORMATION. 
          AND IS THERE ANY UNDERSTANDING OF THE TIMELINE BY WHICH THAT INFORMATION MIGHT BE AVAILABLE, EVEN IF IT'S NOT THE PRODUCTS BEING AVAILABLE, BUT JUST THE INFORMATION OF WHEN THE GUIDANCE IS GOING TO COME OUT? I HAVEN'T RECEIVED THAT INFORMATION, UM, AS OF YET, AND WE HAVE REGULAR CALLS WITH, UM, SOME OF OUR FEDERAL PARTNERS. 
          SO I THINK THAT CADENCE WILL INCREASE NOW THAT THE HOLIDAYS HAVE PASSED. 
          AND AS SOON AS WE HAVE THAT INFORMATION, WE'LL MAKE IT KNOWN TO THE PUBLIC. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          AND THEN JUST ONE FOLLOW UP QUESTION. 
          UM, I'VE SEEN THE REPORTS THAT THERE HAS BEEN TESTING GOING ON FOR STUDENTS AND STAFF AT SCHOOLS. 
          AND IT SEEMS LIKE, UM, 1200 TESTS HAD BEEN COMPLETED AND A THIRD OF THEM WERE COMING BACK POSITIVE. 
          CAN YOU CONFIRM THAT THOSE NUMBERS ARE STILL ACCURATE? I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF PARENTS WORRIED AS SCHOOL IS GOING TO START AGAIN, EVEN WITH MASKING FOR THOSE GOING TO SCHOOL THAT, UM, THAT THOSE NUMBERS ARE JUST REALLY CONCERNING. 
          CAN YOU CONFIRM THE ACCURACY OF THOSE OR, OR IF THOSE ARE UPDATED, I DON'T HAVE THE FINAL NUMBERS, UM, AT THIS POINT. 
          UM, BUT WE CAN GET BACK TO YOU WITH THOSE AS SOON AS WE GET THAT INFORMATION. 
          OKAY. 
          THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL. 
          THANK YOU. 
          AND I REALLY DO APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK AND GOING THROUGH THIS HEADING INTO TWO YEARS ON TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE HEALTHY, HEALTHY, AND SAFE DURING THIS PANDEMIC. 
          SO I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL OF, ALL OF THE ONGOING EFFORTS YOU'RE MAKING. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, MY COLLEAGUES, THANK YOU FOR THAT. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER. 
          TOBO. 
          YEAH. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANKS TO EVERYONE ON THE CALL FOR YOUR CONTINUED HARD WORK OF TWO CLARIFICATION'S I'D LIKE TO REQUEST ONE IS ABOUT WHEN BOOSTERS, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE A PARENT OF A CHILD WHO FALLS BETWEEN 12 AND 15 AS I AM, HOW QUICKLY CAN YOU TAKE YOUR CHILD TO GET A BOOSTER SHOT? UM, BOTH AT APH, BUT ALSO OUT IN THE COMMUNITY. 
          I THINK THERE'S, THERE IS ALREADY SOME CONFUSION ABOUT THAT. 
          AND I'VE GOTTEN A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS THIS MORNING, INCLUDING FROM ONE OF, ONE OF MY DAUGHTERS WHO FALLS WITHIN THAT RANGE. 
          UM, SO NOW THAT NOW THAT THERE IS THE APPROVAL, WAS IT JUST A MATTER OF SHOWING UP AT A SITE, UM, OR IS THERE MORE WORK THAT NEEDS TO, NEEDS TO HAPPEN LOCALLY? UM, AND I DID UNDERSTAND DIRECTOR STIRRUP THAT, THAT BEAR THAT APH IS NOT THAT OUR SITES ARE NOT READY FOR THOSE BOOSTER SHOTS, UM, QUITE YET, BUT IF YOU COULD, AGAIN, JUST CLARIFY WHAT , I DIDN'T MEAN TO, UM, LET ME TRY AGAIN. 
          I THINK YOU GOT THAT POINT, UM, THAT QUESTION, AND THEN SECONDLY, SORRY, I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT'S GOING ON HERE. 
          SO I'LL MAKE MY QUIT, MY SECOND CLARIFICATION, VERY, VERY QUICK, WELL, A REQUEST, UM, THERE IS KIND OF A MYTHOLOGY DEVELOPING AROUND THE OMNICON OMNICON VIRUS, THAT IT IS NOT DETECTABLE ON RAPID TESTS EITHER AT HOME OR THE WALK-IN TO THE EXTENT THAT EARLIER VARIANTS WERE. 
          CAN YOU PLEASE, UH, DR. 
          WACHS ADDRESS THAT IF YOU HAVE TAKEN A RAPID TEST AT A WALK-IN CLINIC OR SOME OF YOUR AT HOME TESTS, HOW RELIABLE ARE THOSE? SO THEY ARE, THEY DO HAVE THE ABILITY TO PICK UP, UH, THE POSITIVE CASES IN, UM, MOST INSTANCE INSTANCES. 
          HOWEVER, THE ABILITY FOR THE TRUE NEGATIVE TO BE NEGATIVE IS A LOW IN THE 70% RANGE. 
          AND THAT IS WHY PARTICULARLY WHEN PEOPLE HAVE HAD AN EXPOSURE OR IF THEY HAVE SYMPTOMS THEY'RE, UM, ADVISED TO TAKE A SECOND TEST WITHIN 24 TO 36 HOURS OF TAKING THAT FIRST TEST TO MAKE SURE THAT IT IS INDEED NEGATIVE. 
          UM, AND 
          [01:30:01]
PARTICULARLY IF THERE'S SOMEONE WHO HAS SYMPTOMS, THEIR URGE TO STAY HOME AND, UM, GET A CONFIRMATION TEST OF A PCR, UM, WEAR A MASK, WENT AROUND OTHERS. 
          AND IF THERE'S BEEN AN EXPOSURE TO CONTINUE TO WEAR A MASK AND AGAIN, REPEAT THE TEST OR GET ANOTHER PCR TEST TO CONFIRM THAT THEY ARE TRULY NEGATIVE. 
          SO, UM, THEY, THEY HAVE THEIR PLACE, THEY HAVE UTILITY, BUT THEY ARE NOT AS ACCURATE AS PCR. 
          IF, UH, IF A PERSON HAS EITHER HAS BEEN EXPOSED OR HAS SYMPTOMS AND HAS TESTED NEGATIVE ON AN AD FROM RAPID TEST, RECONFIRMS IT WITH ANOTHER RAPID TEST, ARE THEY ON PRETTY SOLID GROUND? I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY YOU DON'T HAVE A CRYSTAL BALL INTO HOW EVERYONE HOW'S EVERYONE, UM, SITUATION MIGHT BE, BUT IF THEY'VE DONE MULTIPLE IT, FROM WHAT I HEAR YOU SAYING, UM, THE RAPID TESTS ARE NOT AS ACCURATE AS THE PCR, BUT THERE IS STILL A HIGH DEGREE OF ACCURACY, ESPECIALLY IF ONE IS GETTING A POSITIVE RESULT WHERE THEY, WHERE THEY LAG A BIT IS THE TRUE NEGATIVES AND FALSE NEGATIVES. 
          THOSE FALSE NEGATIVES CAN BE ELIMINATED WITH REPEATING THE TEST TEST. 
          IS THAT, IS THAT ABOUT RIGHT? YES, THAT IS CORRECT. 
          OKAY. 
          I APPRECIATE THAT CLARIFICATION. 
          THANK YOU. 
          YOU'RE WELCOME. 
          THANK YOU. 
          AND THEN I HAD ASKED, AND I THINK THIS IS FOR DIRECTOR STIRRUP. 
          IF SHE COULD CLARIFY THE BOOSTER SHOT ISSUE FOR 12 TO 15 MONTHS, WE'RE STILL WAITING FOR THE ACEP RECOMMENDATION ON THE EXPANDED ELIGIBILITY FOR BOOSTERS FROM 1215. 
          WHAT I BELIEVE WAS APPROVED WAS AN ADDITIONAL DOSE FOR FIVE, TILL 11 YEAR OLDS WHO ARE IMMUNOCOMPROMISED. 
          AND SO ONCE THE ACEP, UM, COMMITTEE DOES A REVIEW AND GIVES THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE 12 TO 15, THEN WE'LL KNOW HOW TO WE'LL BE READY. 
          SO IT'S FDA APPROVAL, CDC ACEP FINAL, NOT FORGET TO GO. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          THANK YOU, COLLEAGUES. 
          UH, UH, MAYOR PRO TEM ALTAR, NOT WITH US, UH, TODAY, UH, HAD SOME, UH, TRAVEL ISSUES, UH, COMING BACK. 
          UH, I'M GOING TO RAPID FIRES AND THINGS HERE REAL FAST. 
          I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY FOR THE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING, UH, AS ALWAYS, UH, OUR RESPONSE HERE LOCALLY IS JUST REALLY STRONG, WHAT IT SPECIFICALLY MENTIONED, UH, UH, UH, THE HOMELESSNESS OFFICE, UH, GOING BACK TO THE QUESTION THEY ASKED BY COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY, AND I HAD THE CHANCE TO BE OUT AT SOME SITES AND AT THE, UH, UH, WARMING CENTER, UH, UH, GATHERING SPOT. 
          UH, AND WE HAD EMS OUT THERE. 
          WE HAD, UH, DIANA GRAY AND THE HOMELESSNESS OFFICE, AND NOT ONLY WERE THEY RECEIVING PEOPLE, BUT THEY WERE SCREENING PEOPLE FOR SYMPTOMS, UM, MANAGED TO GET, UH, UH, AT LEAST ONE PERSON TO AN ISOLATION FACILITY, BUT THEY'RE ALSO GIVING VACCINATIONS TO PEOPLE THAT ARE, THAT ARE SHOWING UP THAT, UH, HAVEN'T HAD IT AND, UH, WANNA WANT TO GET IT. 
          AND I JUST WANTED TO THANK STAFF FOR TAKING ADVANTAGE OF EVERY ONE OF THOSE OPPORTUNITIES THAT PRESENTED ITSELF TO, TO HELP PEOPLE GET THE, THE VACCINES IN THEIR, IN THEIR ARMS. THERE WERE A LOT OF QUESTIONS THAT CAME UP TODAY WITH RESPECT TO THE MODEL. 
          UH, AND I APPRECIATE, UH, DR. 
          WACHS, IT, UH, YOU GUYS ARE TAKING ANOTHER LOOK AT THAT. 
          I'VE SPOKEN WITH YOU ABOUT IT AND WITH, UH, UH, UH, DR. 
          MYERS, UH, ABOUT THAT COLLEAGUES, WHAT ONE OF THE ISSUES IS THAT WHEN WE ORIGINALLY SET UP THE MODEL, WE WERE USING THE NUMBER OF HOSPITALIZATIONS AS AN EARLY WARNING SIGN OF WHAT WE THOUGHT THE ICU, UH, UH, CENSUS WOULD BE. 
          IT GAVE US A REALLY EARLY INDICATION OF WHERE WE WERE GOING TO END UP WITH FILLED UP ICU'S AND WE COULD FIGURE OUT WHAT THAT RELATIONSHIP WAS BETWEEN HOSPITALIZATION AND ICU, SO THAT WE WOULD KNOW EXACTLY WHAT WE WERE TRIGGERED AND NEEDED TO DO SOMETHING MORE, MORE DRAMATIC IN THIS INSTANCE. 
          NOW, UNLIKE ALL THE OTHER PEAKS WE'VE HAD EARLIER, HOSPITALIZATIONS ARE GOING UP AT THE SAME TIME. 
          ICU ARE NOT GOING UP IN THE SAME PROPORTION THEY WERE GOING UP IN THE PAST. 
          SO THERE'S SOME, UH, STUDY THAT HAS TO TAKE A LOOK AT NOW AS TO WHETHER THAT THOSE TRIGGERS ARE IN FACT, BEING PREDICTIVE OF THE ICU NUMBERS THAT WE'RE, UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHY THAT'S THE, WHY THAT'S THE CASE. 
          UM, PART OF IT, UH, MY UNDERSTANDING IS IS THAT, UM, THIS VIRUS JUST IS, IS LESS SEVERE, BUT THEN OTHER ELEMENT THAT DR WACHS TALKED ABOUT IS OBVIOUSLY REALLY IMPORTANT AS WELL. 
          [01:35:01]
AND THAT IS, THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE IN THE HOSPITALS FOR THINGS OTHER THAN THE VIRUS, BUT WHEN THEY'RE IN THE HOSPITAL, THEY'RE GETTING A TEST. 
          AND AS THIS IS SO MANY PLACES IN OUR COMMUNITY RIGHT NOW, UH, THE TEST IS SHOWING A POSITIVE RESPONSE. 
          SO WE'RE SHOWING A LOT MORE PEOPLE IN THE HOSPITAL WITH A POSITIVE RESPONSE THAN PERHAPS WE WERE SHOWING BEFORE WHEN WE HAD THE SAME POLICIES, BUT NOT THE SAME INFECTIVITY. 
          SO THOSE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE THAT ARE IN THE HOSPITAL FOR A BROKEN ARM OR SOMETHING ELSE ARE SHOWING UP AS A POSITIVE WITHOUT, UH, AN ASSOCIATED ICU RISK FOR SOMEONE THAT HAS COVID. 
          SO THEY'RE TAKING A LOOK AT THOSE NUMBERS RIGHT NOW, BUT THE HOSPITALS ARE TALKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW ARE THREE THINGS. 
          IT COMES DOWN TO STAFFING AS, AS WE'RE HAVING TROUBLE WITH BUS DRIVERS, UH, IN THE CITY, UH, NOW, BUT, BUT STAFFING AND HOSPITALS, OBVIOUSLY A KEY ISSUE, WHAT THE HOSPITALS ARE TALKING TO IS MOSTLY ABOUT WITH RESPECT TO STAFFING OR THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT ARE SHOWING UP IN EMERGENCY ROOMS TO GET ASYMPTOMATIC TESTING. 
          AND THEY'RE REALLY ASKING THE PUBLIC NOT TO GO TO A HOSPITAL TO GET AN ASYMPTOMATIC TEST, GO TO THE HOSPITAL IF YOU'RE SICK. 
          UH, BUT, UH, WE NEED TO FIND, UH, THE ALTERNATIVE, UH, TESTING OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE SO THAT OUR HOSPITAL EMERGENCY ROOMS ARE NOT BEING OVERLOADED WITH PEOPLE THAT ARE LOOKING FOR TESTS, WHICH GOES TO THE QUESTIONS THAT MY COLLEAGUES AND THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS GO. 
          WE'RE ASKING THERE'S BACK THE, HOW DO WE GET MORE TESTS TO MORE PEOPLE MORE RAPIDLY? UM, I LIKE THE, THE QUESTIONS THAT  ASKED WITH RESPECT TO TRYING TO, TO LET PEOPLE KNOW WHERE TESTS ARE. 
          MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THERE WERE TESTS THAT WERE AVAILABLE OUT AT EXPO CENTER, UH, SUDDENLY GO IN AND THERE WAS GREATER AVAILABILITY THAN THERE WAS DEMAND. 
          I KNOW I SAW A LINE IN SOUTH AUSTIN AND A PRIVATE TESTING FACILITY THAT SEEMED TO GO ON FOR HALF A MILE, BUT THE PRIVATE TESTING THAT WAS GOING ON AT THE LONG CENTER, UH, YESTERDAY MORNING JUST HAD, UH, 10 CARS, UH, IN THE LINE. 
          SO I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S A WAY FOR US TO SET UP A CLEARING HOUSE THAT HAS BOTH APH AND COUNTY AND PRIVATE TESTING SO THAT PEOPLE CAN SEE WHERE IT ALL IS. 
          AND BOY, IF THERE'S A WAY TO INCORPORATE INTO THAT KIND OF THE WEIGHT COLOR INDICATIONS THAT WE HAVE FOR VOTING LOCATIONS, THAT WOULD BE, THAT WOULD BE PRETTY PHENOMENAL. 
          I AM INTERESTED IN KNOWING ABOUT THE SURGE QUESTION THAT CAT'S MEMBER KITCHEN ASKED ABOUT THE EARLY MODELING, SHOWING THIS GOING INTO FEBRUARY OR MARCH, UH, BASED ON THE RECENT DATA THAT WE'RE SEEING IN OTHER PLACES WHERE IT'S COMING DOWN MUCH MORE QUICKLY. 
          I'VE ALSO HEARD IT COULD BE, UM, TOWARD THE END OF JANUARY THAT WE START SEEING IT COME BACK DOWN. 
          SO I KNOW THAT'S PART OF THE MODELING THAT'S BEING, UH, UH, LOOKED AT RIGHT NOW. 
          I THINK THAT, UH, DR. 
          WALKS ACT ACCURATELY SAID THAT, YOU KNOW, THE MASKING IS IMPORTANT. 
          UH, THAT'S REALLY, THE BIG TAKEAWAY MESSAGE IS AS COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN POINTED OUT A REAL GOOD PIECE OF EVIDENCE FOR THAT IS THE FLU NUMBERS THAT WE HAVE LAST YEAR. 
          UH, YOU CAN SEE ON THAT CHART THAT THE FLU, UH, INFECTION RATE, UH, MUCH LOWER THAN IT HAD BEEN IN THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS. 
          AND I UNDERSTOOD THAT DR. 
          WACHS, I THINK I'VE HEARD YOU SAY THAT ONE OF THE CHIEF REASONS FOR THAT IS THAT SO MANY PEOPLE WERE MASKING AS WE WERE IN LAST DECEMBER BECAUSE OF COVID. 
          IT HAD THE, THE ADDITIONAL BENEFIT OF REALLY STOPPING FLU IN ITS TRACKS AND THE NUMBER OF WHATEVER WENT UP HERE. 
          WE ARE, AGAIN, IN ANOTHER CAESAR, WE'RE NOT WEARING MASKS AS MUCH, AND YOU CAN SEE THAT THE FLU NUMBERS ARE STARTING TO DO RISE YET. 
          ANOTHER INDICATION OF WHY IT IS AND HOW IT IS THAT ASKING IS SOMETHING THAT IS IN FACT EFFECTIVE AND SOMETHING THAT WE CAN ALL BE DOING. 
          IT SHOULD BE DOING ALMOST REGARDLESS OF WHAT TESTING MAY SHOW OR NOT SHOW. 
          AND AS DR. 
          WACHS SAID, THE BEST THING IS TO HAVE THE COMMUNITY DO THIS ON THEIR OWN FOR BUSINESSES TO ASK THEIR CUSTOMERS, TO WEAR MASKS, THEIR EMPLOYEES, TO WEAR MASKS FOR PEOPLE TO WEAR MASKS WHEN THEY GO INTO STORES IN THE LIGHT, NOT ONLY TO PROTECT THEMSELVES, BUT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE WORKING IN THOSE STORES, BECAUSE THIS IS BIG PAST SO WELL. 
          AND THE HOPE IS THAT EVERYBODY WILL DO THIS VOLUNTARILY ON THE ROAD. 
          OBVIOUSLY, IF THAT'S NOT THE CASE, THEN WE HAVE TO TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT OTHER TOOLS MIGHT BE AVAILABLE TO US. 
          UM, BECAUSE THERE IS SUCH A DRAMATIC, ACTUAL IMPACT OF PEOPLE WEARING MASKS OR NOT WEARING MASKS. 
          AND IT GOES BEYOND INDIVIDUAL CHOICES WE'RE MAKING FOR OURSELVES, UH, WHEN WE STARTED HAVING MORE AND MORE PEOPLE IN HOSPITALS. 
          UM, AND WHEN WE SEE PEOPLE IN THE HOSPITALS WITH THE MOST SEVERE CONDITIONS 
          [01:40:01]
BEING THE, THE PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT PAST OUR INDIVIDUAL CHOICES ARE HAVING AN IMPACT ON THE LEVEL OF CARE THAT WE CAN GIVE TO THE COMMUNITY. 
          UM, UH, UH, GENERALLY, UH, I DO WANT TO THANK THE STATE FOR HELPING US WITH STAFFING SUPPORT. 
          UH, SO THE, THE STATE AND, AND THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE AND, UH, TEXAS HEALTH ARE MOVING FORWARD TO, UH, UH, BRING ADDITIONAL STAFFING TO OUR HOSPITALS. 
          AND I THINK THAT ACTUALLY GETS INITIATED TODAY, OR THEY'RE BOUNCING. 
          UH, I WANT TO BE THANKFUL AND APPRECIATIVE OF THAT, UH, AS, UH, AS WELL. 
          AND JUDGE WITH THAT, I WILL, UH, TURN, TURN IT BACK TO YOU IF THERE'S NOTHING ELSE, UH, WE'LL GET OUT OF YOUR HAIR. 
          IT'S 11 O'CLOCK. 
          UH, AND, UM, UH, WE COULD, IF THERE'S NOTHING ELSE, JUDGE, UH, UH, AND THE, UH, CITIES PARTICIPANT JOINING THE MEETING, UH, COLLEAGUES WERE GOING TO COME IMMEDIATELY RIGHT BACK TO, UH, OUR SECOND SPECIAL CALL JUST FOR A FEW MINUTES TO, TO TAKE CARE OF SOME ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS RELATED TO THE ELECTION, UH, COMING UP AT THE END OF THE END OF THE MONTH, UH, TODAY, JANUARY 4TH, UH, 20, 22 TIME 11 O'CLOCK JUDGE. 
          I'LL TURN IT BACK OVER TO YOU. 
          THANKS MAYOR. 
          UM, AND THANKS EVERYBODY FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF WEEKS IN PARTICULAR. 
          UM, I DO WANT TO ON A SOMEWHAT LIGHTER NOTE, RECOGNIZE DR. 
          JERICA HOCKADAY FOR BEING FEATURED ON SEASON SIX OF QUEER EYE, AND SHE IS THE CO-FOUNDER AND I BELIEVE, UH, RUN THE CENTRAL TEXAS ALLIED HEALTH, UH, INSTITUTE. 
          WHO'S GIVEN OUT A TON OF VACCINES HERE LOCALLY HAS BEEN A GREAT PARTNER THROUGHOUT THIS ENTIRE FIGHT AGAINST COVID, UH, IS NOW DOING A LOT OF TESTING. 
          SO CHECK THAT OUT ON NETFLIX, IF YOU WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HER AND HER WORK. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          AND WITH THAT. 
          SO WE ALSO WILL, UH, ADJOURN HERE, THE JOINT SESSION AT 11:01 AM, AND WE'LL COME BACK HERE. 
          WE GOT TO GET COOKING. 
          SO WE'LL COME BACK AT 11:06 AM WITH, WITH OUR REGULAR MEETING. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          MARIN COUNCIL MEMBERS 
* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.