* 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. [00:00:07] GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE. I'M SYDNEY BENCHER WITH AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH. WE APPRECIATE YOU JOINING US FOR TODAY'S NEWS CONFERENCE MEDIA Q AND A SPANISH INTERPRETATION IS AVAILABLE FOR YOU ON ATX. AND THREE FIRST, TODAY, WE'RE GOING TO HEAR REMARKS FROM DR. WALKS AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY HEALTH AUTHORITY FOLLOWED BY OUR GUEST TODAY. DOUGLAS HARAN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE CAPITAL AREA OF TEXAS REGIONAL ADVISORY COUNCIL. AND WE HAVE JANET PICHET AUSTIN, PUBLIC HEALTH, CHIEF EPIC CHIEF EPIDEMIOLOGIST, THEN KASSANDRA DE LEON AUSTIN, PUBLIC HEALTH ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER FOR DISEASE PREVENTION AND HEALTH PROMOTION DIVISION. FINALLY, ADRIAN STIRRUP DIRECTOR OF AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH. TODAY, WE'RE GOING TO BEGIN WITH DR. WACHS. GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE. WE'RE HERE TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ABOUT THE SITUATION OF THAT WE'RE SEEING IN OUR COMMUNITY WITH REGARDS TO COVID-19 IN PARTICULARLY ALMA CRON, VARIANT. IT'S SPREADING QUICKLY THROUGH OUR COMMUNITY, FINDING THOSE WHO ARE VULNERABLE, THE ELDERLY AND OUR CHILDREN. AND WE'RE SEEING MORE CASES IN SCHOOLS, WHICH, UH, IS NECESSITATING CLOSURE OF CERTAIN SCHOOL CAMPUSES. THIS IS HAPPENING BECAUSE WE HAVE STAFF AND STUDENT ABSENCES AND THESE ABSENCES ARE BEING SEEN ACROSS OUR COMMUNITY AND BUSINESSES ALL OVER, UH, IT'S AFFECTING, UH, RESTAURANTS AND IT'S AFFECTING OUR HOSPITAL, UH, SYSTEMS AND OUR CLINICS AND, AND PLACES WHERE YOU GO TO DO BUSINESS ON A REGULAR BASIS. UM, THIS IMPACT IS BEING FELT MOST DEFINITELY BECAUSE WE'RE SEEING, UM, PEOPLE WHO ARE GETTING MILDER DISEASE. UM, MOSTLY THOSE THAT ARE VACCINATED, BUT WE STILL HAVE A LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO ARE UNVACCINATED AND UNBOOSTED, AND THEREFORE NOT PROTECTED WHO ARE ENDING UP IN OUR EMERGENCY ROOMS FOR CARE AND WHEN NEEDED, THEY'RE HAVING TO BE HOSPITALIZED. ALL OF THIS IS HAVING A PROFOUND IMPACT ON OUR HEALTH CARE SYSTEM. AND WE'VE ASKED OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FROM THE CAPITAL AREA, UH, OF TEXAS REGIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO COME TO SPEAK TO DOUGLAS, HAVE RUN. AND WITH THAT, I'LL PASS IT ON TO DOUGLAS. THANK YOU, DR. WACHS, I APPRECIATE THE INVITATION AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK THIS WEEK. OUR EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS ARE BITE SATURATED. UM, YESTERDAY ALL OF OUR MAJOR TRAUMA CENTERS WERE SATURATED OR BEYOND THE SATURATION THRESHOLDS. AND ON TUESDAY, THOSE WERE MORE THAN DOUBLE OUR SATURATION THRESHOLD. SOME OF THE HIGHEST SCORES WE'VE SEEN IN OUR REGION, UM, EVER IN OUR HISTORY, UM, TO PUT THAT IN PERSPECTIVE ON WEDNESDAY, WE HAD 281 OLDS IN OUR EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT, WHICH MEANS PATIENTS WHO WERE ADMITTED OR WAITING IN THE HALLWAYS OR WAITING IN THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT FOR INPATIENT BEDS. 36 OF THOSE WERE ICU PATIENTS. THIS IS ALL PART OF OUR CONTINUED ISSUE WITH HOSPITALS, STAFFING AND SHORTFALLS WITHIN OUR HEALTHCARE SYSTEM. UM, THE OMNICON BUYER, UM, VARIANT IS DIFFERENT THIS WAY. UM, IN THAT IT'S IMPACTING OUR STAFF AND OUR HOSPITAL STAFF, UM, MUCH MORE AND WE'RE SEEING MUCH HIGHER, UM, CALL-OUT RATES. UM, HOSPITALS ARE FOLLOWING OUR CDC CONTINGENCY STAFFING GUIDELINES, AND WE'RE ALSO STARTING TO EXPERIENCE THE SAME TYPE OF STAFFING, UH, CIRCUMSTANCES IN OUR EMS SYSTEM, IN OUR AMBULANCE SYSTEM THROUGHOUT THE REGION. SO THE BOTTOM LINE IS, YOU KNOW, WE WERE ASKING OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO DO THEIR PART IN PREVENTING, UM, UH, ADMISSIONS TO THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS OR VISITS TO THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT THAT ARE PREVENTABLE AND DOING SO BY WEARING YOUR SAFETY BELT, UM, NOT DRIVING AIRED, DON'T TEXT AND DRIVE AND PROTECT YOURSELF FROM EXPOSURE TO DISEASE. AND THE BOTTOM LINE IS IF YOU NEED THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT, THEY'RE THERE TO SERVE YOU. UM, BUT DO YOU EXPECT WHEN YOU VISIT, IT WILL BE A VERY, VERY BUSY EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT AND THERE WILL BE LIMITATIONS ON, ON VISITORS AND BE PREPARED FOR VERY LONG WAIT TIMES IF YOU DO REQUIRE ADMISSION OR A TRANSFER. AND WITH THAT IN MIND, I THANK YOU AND I'LL TURN IT OVER TO AUSTIN'S PUBLIC HEALTH. UM, CHIEF EPIDEMIOLOGIST, JENNIFER SHIFT. THANKS DOUGLAS AND GOOD MORNING, AUSTIN. UM, AS YOU'VE HEARD BOTH FROM DOUGLAS AND FROM, UH, DR. WALKS, AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY HAS SEEN VERY WIDESPREAD COMMUNITY TRANSMISSION OF COVID CURRENTLY, UH, WE ARE SEEING UNPRECEDENTED NUMBERS OF POSITIVE CASES ON A WEEKLY BASIS. JUST THIS WEEK TO DATE WE'VE SEEN OVER OR RECEIVED OVER 22,000 POSITIVE CASE REPORTS OF COVID-19. UM, OUR APH STAFF HAS WORKING TIRELESSLY TO TRY TO PROCESS THOSE CASES. THEY'RE WORKING FROM 7:00 AM TO 10:00 PM AND ON WEEKENDS EACH DAY [00:05:01] TO PROCESS THOSE CASES AND THE, THE, THE DEMAND IS JUST OVERWHELMING. UM, TODAY YOU'LL SEE, YOU'RE GOING TO SEE A LARGE JUMP ON THE DASHBOARD. AS FAR AS THE NUMBER OF CASES REPORTED. THIS IS THE RESULT OF, UH, AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH AND OUR HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SYSTEM, AND OUR EPIDEMIOLOGISTS WORKING TOGETHER TO TRY TO AUTOMATE THE DATA FEED FROM OUR ELECTRONIC LAB, REPORTING INTO OUR DISEASE SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM, OUR, UH, OUR SYSTEM OF RECORD FOR COVID-19 CASES. AND SO WE'RE GOING TO BE REPORTING OUT POST TO 5,000 CASES TO JUST TODAY ALONE, UH, WHICH WILL BE SIGNIFICANTLY UP FROM WHAT YOU'VE SEEN THE REST OF THE WEEK. I WAS ALSO SEEING TEST POSITIVITY RATES FROM OUR REGIONAL PARTNERS THAT ARE ABOUT 40%. THIS IS HIGHER THAN WHAT CDC IS REPORTING OUT, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW WHAT WE'RE S WE'RE SEEING IN OUR OWN TESTING SITES, BASED ON PEOPLE WHO ARE COMING TO GET TESTED AND, AND THOSE TESTING, UH, LOCATIONS THAT WE HAVE CONNECTIONS TO, UH, OUT IN THE COMMUNITY, UH, THAT TEST POSITIVITY RATE IS VERY HIGH. SO FOR EVERY 10 PEOPLE THAT ARE TESTING FOR COVID, FOUR OF THEM ARE POSITIVE. SO IT'S JUST AN EXAMPLE OF HOW PEOPLE, IF YOU ARE OUT AND ABOUT IN THE COMMUNITY, AGAIN, IT'S A REMINDER THAT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING ALL THOSE THINGS THAT WE SAID TO MITIGATE DISEASE, TRANSMISSION RISKS IN THAT IS MAKING SURE THAT YOU'RE MASKING APPROPRIATELY, MAKING SURE YOUR MASK IS WELL-FITTED AND ON YOUR FACE PROPERLY, MAKING SURE THAT YOU'RE SOCIALLY DISTANCING. AND IF YOU'RE SICK BY ALL MEANS, STAY HOME. AND WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO CASSIE DELI ON, THANK YOU, JANET. GOOD MORNING. WE KNOW THAT WE'RE IN THE SEARCH. UM, BUT WE'RE ALSO ENCOURAGED BECAUSE WE'VE SEEN SO MANY PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY ACTUALLY GET THE VACCINE RIGHT NOW, WE'RE AT 71% OF OUR ELIGIBLE POPULATION, FULLY VACCINATED. AND THAT'S HELPING ALL OF THOSE THAT MAY STILL CONTRACT COVID-19 THAT HAVE HAD VACCINE TO SUFFER LESS DISEASE, AND HOPEFULLY KEEP THEM OUT OF THE HOSPITAL AND ULTIMATELY PREVENT THEM FROM DYING. WE KNOW THAT VACCINE HAS BEEN AN IMPORTANT TOOL, AND WE WANT TO ENCOURAGE FOLKS WHO STILL HAVE NOT RECEIVED THEIR VACCINE TO CONSIDER GETTING IT. WE WANT TO CONSIDER PARENTS. WE WANT PARENTS WHO ARE, UM, OF THOSE AGES, FIVE TO 11, WHO ARE STILL CONSIDERING, UM, WANTING TO DO MORE RESEARCH OR THINK ABOUT GETTING THEIR CHILD VACCINATED. THIS IS AN IMPORTANT TIME TO GET THEIR CHILD VACCINATED. WE ALSO KNOW THAT BOOSTERS ARE AVAILABLE FOR EVERYONE WHO IS 12 AND OLDER, AND WE WANNA ENCOURAGE THOSE WHO, UM, WHO IT'S BEEN FIVE MONTHS SINCE THEY'VE RECEIVED THEIR MRN, A VACCINE, WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN PFIZER OR MEDINA TO GO AND GET THAT BOOSTER OF THE POPULATION THAT'S ELIGIBLE TO GET A BOOSTER. ONLY 40% OF HAVE RECEIVED THAT BOOSTER. SO WE KNOW THAT THAT'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET BOOSTED. WE ALSO KNOW THAT RESEARCH HAS INDICATED THAT WHEN YOU GET YOUR BOOSTER EFFECTS AND THE PROTECTIONS OF THAT BOOSTER START IMMEDIATELY, SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT TWO WEEKS, YOU'LL HAVE THAT FULL PROTECTION. WE KNOW THAT THOSE PROTECTIONS BEGIN UPON RECEIVING THAT, THAT DOSE. SO THAT'S ALSO VERY ENCOURAGING, KNOWING THAT IF YOU GET BOOSTED, YOU'LL HAVE THAT PROTECTION. WE KNOW THAT THIS IS AN IMPORTANT TOOL, AND WE REALLY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE CONTINUE TO VALUE VACCINE. WE KNOW OUR COMMUNITY HAS BEEN VERY STRONG IN GETTING VACCINE, AND WE NEED TO CONTINUE THAT EVEN THOUGH SOME FOLKS MAY BE FULLY VACCINATED, MAYBE BOOSTED AND CONTRACT COVID-19 KNOW THAT HAVING THAT VACCINE ON BOARD IS GIVING YOU THAT PROTECTION, THAT EXTRA IMMUNITY TO HELP FIGHT OFF THAT VIRUS TO HELP YOU STAY HEALTHY, TO HELP YOU STAY OUT OF THE HOSPITAL. AND WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO ADRIAN. THANK YOU, CASSIE. GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE. UM, I THINK MY COLLEAGUES HAVE SAID EVERYTHING THAT THERE IS TO SAY, YOU KNOW, AND SO TO BOIL IT DOWN, WE'RE IN STAGE FIVE, OUR COMMUNITY TRANSMISSION RATE IS INCRED QUADRUPLE DIGITS. UM, AND SO WE NEED PEOPLE TO DO THE BASIC THINGS THAT WE HAVE BEEN SAYING. YOU KNOW, WE'RE SEEING IMPACTS ON ALL INDUSTRIES, NOT JUST HOSPITAL WORKERS, BUT I MEAN, DID YOU GET THAT REMIND NOTICE ASKING IF YOU COULD VOLUNTEER AT YOUR CHILD'S SCHOOL OR THE NOTIFICATIONS THAT THE BUS ROUTES WERE BEING CONDENSED BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH DRIVERS. ARE YOU GOING TO YOUR FAVORITE GROCERY STORE? AND YOU STILL CAN'T FIND A TROPICAL STORE ON CAPRISA. AND WE ARE SEEING THESE IMPACTS EVERYWHERE, BUT WE KNOW WHAT WE CAN DO. WE CAN GET VAXXED, WE CAN GET BOOSTED. WE CAN STAY HOME. IF WE ARE SICK, [00:10:01] I HAD A FRIEND TELL ME THE OTHER DAY SHE WENT TO WORK. SHE THOUGHT IT WAS ALLERGIES. SHE WASN'T FEELING WELL. SOMEONE AT WORK GAVE HER A TEST. SHE HAS COVID. SO STAY HOME. IF YOU'RE SICK, IF YOU ARE SICK TEST. AND I KNOW THERE'S BEEN, YOU KNOW, SOME CONCERNS ABOUT US NOT HAVING AFTER WORK HOURS. WE DON'T WANT YOU TO COME TO GO TO WORK. WE WANT YOU TO COME STRAIGHT TO OUR TESTING SITE. IF YOU ARE EXPERIENCING SYMPTOMS, WASH YOUR HANDS, SOCIALLY DISTANCE, WEAR YOUR MASK. AND WITH THAT, I WILL OPEN US UP FOR QUESTIONS. POOR REPORTER TODAY IS HEATHER OSBORN FROM THE AUSTIN AMERICAN STATESMAN. SHE'S GOING TO ASK QUESTIONS ON BEHALF OF NEWS OUTLETS, HEATHER. HI EVERYONE. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME TODAY. UH, THE FIRST QUESTION IS FROM THE AUSTIN AMERICAN STATESMAN, THE AUSTIN AREA DID NOT JUST BREAK PANDEMIC RECORDS UNDER OMICRON THESE PAST WEEKS, THE CITY AND COUNTY SMASHED THEM. SO WHAT KIND OF PACE CAN WE EXPECT WHEN THE SURGE FINALLY SUBSIDES? GREAT QUESTION, HEATHER. UH, IT REALLY DEPENDS ON WHAT THE COMMUNITY TAKES FROM WHAT WE'VE BEEN SAYING TODAY AND HOW THEY RESPOND TO THE CALL TO ARMS, TO PUT THEIR MASKS ON AND GO OUT THERE AND GET THEIR VACCINES, UH, THEIR, UH, THEIR PRIMARY SERIES COMPLETED, OR A BOOSTER DOSE. ALL OF THOSE THINGS WILL HELP US CURB THE SPREAD OF THIS DISEASE AND HELP US GET BACK TO A STATE WHERE, UH, WE HAD A STABLE NUMBER OF CASES. THE NEXT QUESTION IS FROM K X, A N WHAT DO YOU PERCEIVE AS A REASON, PARENTS ARE NOT VACCINATING THEIR ELIGIBLE CHILDREN HAS APH ANY SURVEYS WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS. WE KNOW THAT, UM, EARLY ON, THERE WERE MANY PARENTS WHO WERE READY, WILLING, AND OUT THERE GETTING THEIR KIDS VACCINATED. AND THEN THERE WERE SOME THAT WERE WAITING TO SEE HOW THINGS WENT. WE'VE NOW DELIVERED MILLIONS OF DOSES OF VACCINE TO CHILDREN IN A SAFE, UM, WAY. AND WE KNOW THAT WE ARE SEEING, UM, 90% PROTECTION FROM HOSPITALIZATION AND SEVERE ILLNESS AND CHILDREN WHO ARE VACCINATED. THEY'RE, THEY'RE BEING PROTECTED. THEY'RE ALSO SHOWING IN RECENT STUDIES THAT THIS VACCINE WILL HELP KEEP CHILDREN FROM NEEDING ICU CARE AND, UM, LIFE SUPPORTIVE CARE. SO NOW WE HAVE THE DATA, NOW'S THE TIME TO GET YOUR CHILDREN VACCINATED SO THAT THEY CAN BE PROTECTED FROM THIS VARIANT OF COVID-19 OMNICON, WHICH IS SPREADING SO QUICKLY. AND, UH, WE DO TRY TO LOOK AND SEE WHAT IS THE LOCAL CONTEXT AND WHAT ARE THE PARENTS OF OUR CHILDREN, PARTICULARLY THAT FIVE TO 11 YEAR OLD POPULATION, UH, FEELING ABOUT GETTING VACCINATED. AND SO AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH DID WORK WITH ALL OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS, UH, TO DISTRIBUTE A, UM, PARENT AND CAREGIVER VACCINE. UM, FROM THAT WE HAD, UH, 85 DIFFERENT ZIP CODES REPRESENTED FROM THE RESPONSES AND REPRESENTING OVER 10,000 CHILDREN THAT WERE IN THAT AGE RANGE AND WHAT WE SAW AS OTHER PEOPLE THAT RESPONDED, THEY WERE VERY MUCH IN FAVOR OF GETTING THEIR CHILD VACCINATED OVER 60, 63% SAID YES, THAT THEY WERE WILLING AND PLANNING TO GET THEIR CHILD VACCINATED. BUT WE ALSO KNOW IS AT THE NATIONAL LEVELS SURVEYS HAVE INDICATED THAT PARENTS, UM, ABOUT A QUARTER OF PARENTS WITHIN THAT CHILD AGE RANGE WERE WILLING TO GET THEIR VET CHILD VACCINATED, UM, IMMEDIATELY. AND THAT OTHERS WERE WANTING TO WAIT TO KIND OF SEE, UH, WHAT THE, UM, IMPACT OF THE VACCINE WOULD HAVE. WHAT WE'RE SEEING LOCALLY IS THAT WE'RE AHEAD OF THAT. UH, 36% OF OUR FIVE TO 11 YEAR OLDS HAVE ALREADY RECEIVED THEIR FIRST DOSE. SO WE'VE ALREADY SEEN PARENTS GO OUT IMMEDIATELY AT A HIGHER RATE THAN WHAT WE WERE SEEING NATIONALLY, AND THAT 26% ARE ALREADY FULLY VACCINATED AND THAT'S REALLY ENCOURAGING. UM, BUT WE DO KNOW THAT PARENTS HAVE THOSE CONCERNS. UM, I THINK THIS IS AN IMPORTANT MOMENT TO REALLY LOOK AT THE IMPACT THAT THIS VIRUS IS HAVING, PARTICULARLY ON THOSE CHILDREN WHO HAVE HAD NO IMMUNITY, UM, AND THAT THE VACCINE GIVES THAT PROTECTION. BUT WE'RE SEEING OUT IN THE HOSPITALS IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO, TO, FOR PARENTS TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION AND TO KNOW THAT THEIR CHILD IS VULNERABLE. UM, AND TO THINK ABOUT, UH, THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET THEIR CHILD THAT PROTECTION, BUT WE'VE ALSO HEARD FROM PARENTS IS THAT THEY FEEL LIKE THIS DISEASE IS MILD AND WON'T HAVE AN EFFECT ON THEIR, ON THEIR, UM, THEIR CHILD. AND SO THAT'S PART OF WHY THERE'S, THEY'RE HESITANT TO GET IT BECAUSE THEY DON'T FEEL LIKE THE VACCINE IS REALLY NEEDED, BUT WE'RE SEEING THAT THAT'S NOT THE CASE. AND AS A PARENT, I DON'T WANT TO TAKE THAT RISK WITH MY CHILD. [00:15:01] UM, BUT THEY WOULD SUFFER MILD DISEASE AND END UP POTENTIALLY IN THE HOSPITAL. UM, I WOULD BE VERY UPSET IF THAT HAPPENED. AND SO I WOULD OPT TO GET THE VACCINE AND HAVE OPTED TO GET THE VACCINE FOR MY KIDS. UM, SO I THINK, UH, FOR US, WE JUST CONTINUE TO LOOK AT THAT PRELIMINARY DATA. AND THEN WE DO A LOT OF EDUCATION OUTREACH TO THOSE DISTRICTS AND TO THOSE PARENTS SO THAT THEY HAVE ALL OF THE INFORMATION, ALL THE TOOLS THEY NEED TO MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION I'LL ADD AS WELL, THAT, UM, THROUGHOUT OUR 29 COUNTY REGION LOOKING AT PEDIATRIC ADMISSIONS FOR COVID AT OUR HIGHEST POINT IN DELTA, WE HAD 36 ADMISSIONS FOR COVID TODAY. WE HAVE 46 CHILD ADMISSIONS FOR COVID THROUGHOUT OUR HOSPITALS. THANK YOU. THE NEXT QUESTION IS CA IS FROM KVU HAS APH CONSIDERED RECOMMENDING SCHOOLS SWITCH TO VIRTUAL LEARNING? WHAT DOES THE CASE COUNT OR HOSPITALIZATION NUMBERS NEED TO BE BEFORE IT IS RECOMMENDED? WE KNOW THAT 91% OF THE CHILDREN WHO ARE HOSPITALIZED IN LOCAL AREA, PEDIATRIC FACILITIES ARE UN-VACCINATED. AND THAT, WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT WE NEED TO CONTINUE MESSAGING THE IMPORTANCE FOR VACCINATIONS. UM, THE IMPORTANCE OF KEEPING YOUR CHILDREN AT HOME, IF THEY'RE ILL, UM, GETTING HEALTHCARE, UM, ADVICE FROM YOUR DOCTOR PEDIATRICIAN AND CONTINUING TO DO THE THINGS THAT WE'VE SAID FROM THE OUTSET OF THIS PANDEMIC COACHES, UM, MASKING, UM, SOCIAL DISTANCING HAND-WASHING SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO KEEP OUR CHILDREN SAFE AND SO THAT WE CAN KEEP OURSELVES AND THOSE WHO LIVE IN THE HOUSEHOLD SAFE AND BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO THRIVE AND GO TO WORK. THE NEXT QUESTION IS FROM K O O P RADIO. DOES APH HAVE ANY IDEA HOW THE VIRUS IS ENTERING OUR SCHOOLS? HAS APH SEEN ANY PATTERNS? CAN NTIS OVERCOME THIS CURRENT DANGEROUS TREND OF CONTAGION AND SPREAD? WELL, START OFF BY, UH, SAYING, UH, YOU KNOW, HOW IT'S ENTERING OUR SQUIRRELS AND OTHER LOCATION. WE HAVE WIDESPREAD COMMUNITY TRANSMISSION OUT THERE. UH, IF YOU GO OUT INTO THE GENERAL PUBLIC AND YOU'RE UNMASKED OR UNPROTECTED, UM, YOU'RE LIKELY GOING TO COME ACROSS SOMEBODY WHO HAS COVID, WHETHER YOU BE IN THE GROCERY STORE, WHETHER YOU'RE IN A SCHOOL SETTING, WHETHER YOU'RE IN THE WORK SETTING, IT'S ALL OVER THE PLACE. UH, AS FAR AS NON-PHARMACEUTICAL INTERVENTIONS, YES, THEY WERE, THEY'D BEEN SHOWN TO WORK, YOU KNOW, FOR YEARS, CENTURIES, PROBABLY, UM, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WHO WE'VE SEEN THAT PEOPLE WHO DO NON-PHARMACEUTICAL VENTURE INTERVENTION, SUCH AS MASKING, UH, IT CREATES A BARRIER. UH, IT CONTAINS ILLNESS IF YOU ARE SICK. SO YOU'RE NOT SPREADING IT ABOUT, UH, MASKING IS AN EFFECTIVE TOOL THAT WE HAVE OTHER NON PHARMACEUTICAL INTERVENTIONS, DISTANCING, KEEPING YOUR BEING SOCIALLY USING SOCIAL DISTANCING, AND VARIOUS TO, TO SEPARATE YOU FROM OTHER PEOPLE, HELP ELIMINATE DISEASE, TRANSMISSION RISKS, AND OTHER ONES THAT ARE PROBABLY RIGHT NOW THE MOST IMPORTANT IS IF YOU ARE SICK AND YOU HAVE SYMPTOMOLOGY THAT ARE, UH, AN INDICATION OF COVID LIKE ILLNESS OR FLU, LIKE ILLNESS OR ALLERGIES, UH, YOU PROBABLY NEED TO STAY HOME AND ISOLATE YOURSELF FROM OTHER INDIVIDUALS SO THAT YOU'RE NOT SPREADING OR EXPOSING THEM TO THAT PARTICULAR VIRUS. UH, AND THEN THE FOURTH NON-PHARMACEUTICAL INTERVENTION THAT I ALWAYS THINK OF IS MAKING SURE THAT YOU'RE WASHING YOUR HANDS FREQUENTLY, MAKING SURE YOU'RE AVOIDING TOUCHING YOUR FACE, UH, AND THOSE TYPES OF THINGS, BUT NON-PHARMACEUTICAL, CO-INFECTION INTERVENTIONS DEFINITELY WORK. AND I JUST LIKE TO LAYER ON THAT LAST SCHOOL YEAR WHEN WE WERE DOING THOSE NON-PHARMACEUTICAL INTERVENTIONS AND THAT JANET JUST OUTLINED IN THE FACE OF NOT HAVING THE AVAILABILITY OF VACCINE, WE WERE ABLE TO CONTAIN OUR CASE NUMBERS. SO IT IS IMPORTANT FOR US TO CONTINUE THOSE THINGS THAT WE KNOW WORK. AND WITH THE ADDITION OF THE PROTECTION AFFORDED US BY BEING VACCINATED, WE CAN MAKE THIS [00:20:01] SPREAD DECREASE AND, AND GET BACK TO A STABLE STATE. THE NEXT QUESTION IS FROM UNIVISION, AUSTIN, WHAT IS BEING DONE TO HIRE MORE MEDICAL STAFF THAT COULD HELP HOSPITALS IN OUR AREA WITH COVID-19 PATIENTS? SURE. I'LL BE HAPPY TO TAKE THAT. UM, SO OUR HOSPITALS ARE DOING A MYRIAD OF ACTIVITIES TO RECRUIT AND RETAIN STAFF. AS, AS WE'VE SEEN IN THE NEWS REPORTS AND WHATNOT. WE HAD A SHORTAGE IN HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS, BOTH IN OUR PREHOSPITAL PARAMEDIC PROVIDERS, AS WELL AS OUR NURSING STAFF PRIOR TO THE PANDEMIC. THE PANDEMIC IS CERTAINLY WORSE THAN TO THAT. WE'VE SEEN A LARGE NUMBER OF STAFF MOVE TO TRAVEL. AND SO THERE'S A CHURN AND A DISRUPTION WITHIN THE HEALTHCARE WORKFORCE. HOSPITALS ARE, ARE COMBATING THAT WITH ACTIVE RECRUITMENT ACTIVITIES, UM, OFFERING AGENCY CONTRACTS, ET CETERA, AND CONTINUE TO ONBOARD STAFF ON A REGULAR BASIS. IN ADDITION, UH, WE HERE AT THE REGIONAL LEVEL HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH OUR STATE PARTNERS AND IT BROUGHT IN MORE THAN, UH, THE NUMBERS, ABOUT 500 STAFF MEMBERS. AND MOST OF THOSE ARE REGISTERED NURSES AND AREAS OF PEDIATRICS AND LABOR AND DELIVERY, EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT, ICU, MED SURGE, ET CETERA, AS WELL AS A NUMBER OF RESPIRATORY THERAPISTS. AND THOSE ARE DEPLOYED THROUGHOUT OUR REGIONS, HOSPITALS, AND SUPPORT, UH, UM, THOSE STAFFING SHOVELS. THE NEXT QUESTION IS FROM CBS. AUSTIN ARE MOST OF THE PEDIATRIC HOSPITALIZATIONS ORIGINATING AS COVID INFECTIONS, OR IS COVID BEING DIAGNOSED AFTER THE CHILDREN ARE ADMITTED. HOW SEVERE ARE THE COVID CASES, CHILDREN ARE BEING EVALUATED AND TESTED, UM, FOR A NUMBER OF RESPIRATORY ILLNESSES RIGHT NOW TIS THE SEASON FOR RESPIRATORY ILLNESSES IN THE PEDIATRIC WORLD. AND SO MANY ARE BEING DIAGNOSED, NOT ONLY WITH COVID, BUT WITH OTHER RESPIRATORY ILLNESSES LIKE RESPIRATORY SYNCYTIAL VIRUS OR RSV AND HUMAN NUT AND PNEUMO VIRUS. SO THERE'S A LOT OF, UH, VIRAL SPREAD IN OUR COMMUNITY, INCLUDING THE FLU. AND YOU'VE HEARD US TALK ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF FLU VACCINATIONS. UM, THE SEVERITY OF ILLNESS IS LESS IN THOSE CHILDREN WHO HAVE HAD VACCINATIONS FOR THOSE VACCINE PREVENTABLE ILLNESSES, LIKE THE FLU AND COVID-19, AND IN THOSE CHILDREN WHO HAVE NOT BEEN VACCINATED ILLNESS CAN BE MORE SEVERE AND REQUIRE HOSPITALIZATION, PARTICULARLY IN THOSE CHILDREN WHO HAVE OTHER MEDICAL CONDITIONS THAT AFFECT THEIR IMMUNITIES. SO IT'S A COMPLEX PROBLEM WITH A SOLUTION THAT WE KNOW WORKS, WHICH IS GETTING VACCINATED, WHERE VACCINES ARE AVAILABLE AND USING THOSE NON-PHARMACEUTICAL INTERVENTIONS LIKE MASKING, HAND-WASHING NOT TOUCHING YOUR FACE, SOCIAL DISTANCING AND STAYING HOME WHEN YOU'RE ILL TO PROTECT OTHERS FROM BECOMING ILL. AND JUST TO FOLLOW UP WITH THAT QUESTION, I THINK THEY ASKED IF THE CHILDREN WHO ARE BEING HOSPITALIZED WITH COVID, ARE THOSE CHILDREN ALREADY IN THE HOSPITAL AND TESTING POSITIVE, OR ARE THEY COMING INTO THE HOSPITAL WITH COVID-19 CYST SYMPTOMS AND BEING HOSPITALIZED? DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? WE HAVE, UH, A LOT OF TESTS THAT OCCUR WHEN PEOPLE ARE BEING EVALUATED IN THE EMERGENCY ROOMS. SO THEY ARE BEING DIAGNOSED MOST OFTEN IN THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT WITH COVID-19. UM, OCCASIONALLY THAT MAY, IT MAY BE THAT THAT TEST IS DONE AFTER THEY'VE BEEN ADMITTED TO THE FLOOR, BUT THE MAJORITY OF THE DIAGNOSES ARE OCCURRING WHEN THEY'RE DURING THEIR INITIAL EVALUATIONS FOR THE RESPIRATORY ILLNESS. THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION. THE NEXT QUESTION IS FROM COMMUNITY IMPACT, HOW DOES THE PEDIATRIC HOSPITALIZATION RATE COMPARED TO THE OVERALL HOSPITALIZATION RATE, HAS THIS SPIKE BEEN HIGHER FOR THE PEDIATRIC SEGMENT OF THE POPULATION? I'M GOING TO, UM, HAVE DUCK HAVE RON SPEAK TO THE NUMBERS FOR THE REGION? I THINK THERE'LL BE MORE, UM, MEMORABLE AND IMPACTFUL FOR THIS CONVERSATION. SURE. UM, SO AT THE HIGHEST POINT IN OUR DELTA SURGE, WE HAD 36 PEDIATRIC COVID ADMISSIONS TODAY WE'VE [00:25:01] HAVE 46 PEDIATRIC COVID ADMISSIONS AS COMPARED TO THE OVERALL POPULATION OF, UM, ADMISSIONS. I DON'T HAVE THOSE STATISTICS FROM WHAT WE DO KNOW IS THAT AS OF YESTERDAY, WE HAD 28 CHILDREN IN HOSPITAL WITH A DIAGNOSIS OF COVID 19, NONE AS OF YET, UH, AS OF THAT REPORT DATE IN ICU, UM, NONE WERE VACCINATED AND THAT'S BEEN THE TREND FOR THE LAST SEVERAL WEEKS, AS WE'VE SEEN CONTINUED INCREASES IN THE NUMBERS OF PEDIATRIC CASES THAT HAVE BEEN REPORTED TO APH. THANK YOU. UH, NOW WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO OUR SECOND ROUND OF QUESTIONS. WE'RE BACK TO THE AUSTIN AMERICAN STATESMAN. HOW HAS AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH GETTING TESTS TO PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT ON THE INTERNET OR HAVE ONLINE ACCESS GO AHEAD AND START OFF. UM, SO, UH, YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE, UH, OUR NURSE HOTLINE, UH, THAT CAN HELP ASSIST ANYBODY WHO DOESN'T HAVE INTERNET ACCESS AND EITHER MAKING APPOINTMENTS AVAILABLE TO THEM, OR IF ELIGIBLE GETTING A MOBILE TESTING OUT TO THEIR HOME. UH, SO THAT'S ONE WAY WE DO IT. UH, THOSE LINES ARE, UH, MANAGED BY PEOPLE WHO CAN SPEAK THEIR LANGUAGE TO THEM AS WELL IN, IN THEIR OWN LANGUAGE. SO, UH, UM, WE HAVE TRIED TO THINK OF EVERY WAY POSSIBLE TO REACH OUR COMMUNITY, MAKE SURE THAT TESTING IS AVAILABLE TO THEM IF POSSIBLE. AND I JUST LIKE TO ADD THAT WE'RE ONE OF THE ONLY OPERATIONS IN TOWN THAT'S ACCEPTING WALK-UPS TO, UM, HAVE PEOPLE TESTED WITHOUT APPOINTMENTS. SO WE ARE MAKING OURSELVES AVAILABLE TO PROVIDE THAT RESOURCE FOR OUR COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. THE NEXT QUESTION IS FROM KVU WITH THE HOSPITAL WORKFORCE SHRINKING, HOW IS THAT IMPACTING CARE FOR PEDIATRIC COVID 19 PATIENTS? SO WE HAVE HAD, UM, YOU KNOW, A DISRUPTION IN OUR STAFFING OR WITHIN THE HOSPITAL SYSTEM. LIKE I SAID EARLIER, WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF BRINGING IN ADDITIONAL STAFF, STATE LEVEL STAFF AND HAVE SUPPLEMENTED THAT WITH MORE THAN 500 IN THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS, EXCUSE ME. AS FAR AS THE CARE, UH, IS CONCERNED, THE CARE THAT'S BEING DELIVERED AT OUR HOSPITAL FACILITIES IS STILL THE SAME QUALITY, UH, CARE THAT YOU'RE ACCUSTOMED TO, THAT YOU MAY HAVE TO WAIT LONGER, AS DOUGLAS SAID EARLIER, BECAUSE WE HAVE STAFF SHORTAGES. THANK YOU. THE NEXT QUESTION IS FROM K X, A N AMONG THE FOLKS IN THE HOSPITAL FOR COVID-19 AND WHAT THEY MEAN BY THAT IS PEOPLE WHO ARE COMING INTO THE HOSPITAL FOR COVID-19 SYSTEM SYMPTOMS AND NOT ALREADY IN THE HOSPITAL FOR OTHER REASONS, AND TESTING POSITIVE FOR COVID. WHAT IS THE BREAKDOWN OF VACCINATED VERSUS UNVACCINATED? HOW DOES THAT COMPARE TO PREVIOUS SURGES? TAKE A LITTLE BETTER ADMITTED WITH COVID 19 RELATED ILLNESS ARE STILL LARGELY UN-VACCINATED AND THAT HAS BEEN THE TREND THROUGHOUT THIS PERIOD OF TIME WHEN VACCINES WERE AVAILABLE. UM, AS A RESULT OF THAT, THE PROTECTION AFFORDED BY VACCINE IS NOT PRESENT IN THOSE INDIVIDUALS AND THEIR COURSE OF GETTING BETTER IS LENGTHENED, AND THAT'S IMPACTING OUR SYSTEMS BY, UM, HAVING THOSE BEDS OCCUPIED LONGER. UM, AND THOSE STAFF THAT ARE NEEDED TO PROVIDE THAT CARE BEING, UM, ASSIGNED TO THAT PARTICULAR INDIVIDUAL FOR A LONGER PERIOD OF TIME. AND AS THOSE NUMBERS INCREASE, YOU CAN SAY HOW THAT THEN, UH, BECOMES A ISSUE IN AUSTRALIAN ON THE SYSTEM. THE NEXT QUESTION IS FROM K O O P RADIO, IF NEWS COVERAGE AND ANECDOTAL INFORMATION SUGGESTS THAT ALMA CRON IS LESS DANGEROUS AND PRIMARILY [00:30:01] UPPER RESPIRATORY, WHY ARE ICU AND VENTILATOR NUMBERS SO HIGH RIGHT NOW, WHEN WE HAVE PATIENTS WHO HAVE UNDERLYING MEDICAL CONDITIONS THAT MAKE THEIR ABILITY TO HEAL, UM, UH, STRAINED, UM, BY LESS IMMUNE RESPONSE AND LESS RESERVE TO FIGHT OFF INFECTION, UM, THE IMPACT OF THIS VIRUS BECOMES MORE OF A, UH, A PROBLEM. AND IN INSTANCES, FOR INSTANCE, WHERE SOMEONE HAS LUNG DISEASE UNDERLYING OR UNDERLYING HEART FAILURE, UM, THAT IMPACTS THAT SYSTEM, THOSE SYSTEMS THAT RELY ON THE, UM, USE OF, UH, ORGANS THAT AREN'T FUNCTIONING PROPERLY AND REQUIRE THOSE LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEMS LIKE VENTILATORS AND REQUIRE ICU CARE. SO IN SHORT, UM, EVEN THOUGH THIS VIRUS FOR SUN, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO ARE ON ARE VACCINATED, FULLY VACCINATED AND BOOSTED, UM, PRODUCES MILD DISEASE FOR PEOPLE THAT HAVE A REALLY COMPLICATED HEALTH PICTURE. UM, IT IT'S IMPACT IS MUCH GREATER. AND, AND THAT'S WHEN WE SAY THAT WE NEED THOSE LIFE SUPPORT MEASURES AND THE USE OF OUR ICU BEDS. I'LL ADD TO THAT. UM, IT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT DURING THE DELTA WAVE, OUR ICU NUMBERS ARE MUCH HIGHER, BUT THAT SAID, I TALKED EARLIER ABOUT THE HOLDS WITHIN OUR EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS. TODAY, WE HAVE 36 PATIENTS HOLDING EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS, WAITING FOR ICU BEDS. SO THEIR ICU CAPACITY IS FULL, UM, AS, AS OUR HOSPITAL CAPACITY OVERALL THANK YOU. THE NEXT QUESTION IS FROM UNIVISION, AUSTIN, HOW HAS APH ADDRESSING THE NEED FOR MORE COVID-19 TESTING IN OUR AREA SINCE THE DEMAND FOR THEM HAS BECOME SO HIGH? SO OUR TESTING OPERATIONS HAVE BEEN SURGING LATELY, UH, YOU KNOW, AND SO THERE'VE BEEN A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT WE HAVE DONE, UH, TO KIND OF HELP ENHANCE AND, UH, GET TESTING AVAILABLE TO THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE. ONE IS, UH, WE HAVE REACHED OUT AND EVEN WHILE I WAS ON THIS CALL, I HEARD FROM, UH, FEMA WHO WILL BE, UH, DROPPING IN A TEAM TO HELP SUPPORT AND EXPAND OUR TESTING OPERATIONS IN THE AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY COMMUNITY. UH, WE ARE ALSO WORKING ON OTHER CONTRACTS TO, UH, YOU KNOW, EXPAND OUR TESTING OPERATIONS, UH, IN THE COMMUNITY AS WELL AS, UH, WE HAVE REQUESTED AND ARE IN THE PROCESS OF SECURING CONTRACTS TO PURCHASE A RAPID ANTIGEN TESTS THAT CAN BE DISTRIBUTED TO THE COMMUNITY THROUGH SOME OF OUR COMMUNITY OUTREACH EVENTS. THANK YOU. AND THE VERY LAST QUESTION IS FROM CBS, AUSTIN, COVID CONTINUES TO BE PLATEAUING AND MORE CITIES AND STATES AS AUSTIN SCENE AND THE INDICATIONS THIS IS HAPPENING OR IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN IN CENTRAL TEXAS. WE ARE WATCHING VERY CLOSELY WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OTHER COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES AND ALSO IN THE UNITED KINGDOM AND THE OTHER COUNTRIES, UH, BECAUSE WE ARE SEEING THAT THOSE AREAS OF THE COUNTRY AND THE WORLD ARE SEEING A DRAMATIC DECREASE IN CASES JUST AS QUICKLY AS IT INCREASED. UM, I'D LIKE TO THINK THAT THINGS ARE STARTING TO LEVEL OFF A BIT. OUR TESTING NUMBERS HAVE, UH, DECREASED SLIGHTLY OVER THE LAST WEEK. HOWEVER, WE ARE STILL SEEING, AS I MENTIONED, HIGH TEST POSITIVITY RATES IN THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE COMING IN FOR TESTS. SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I LIKE TO THINK THAT WE'RE GETTING CLOSE TO THE PEAK OF WHERE WE ARE AND THAT THINGS WILL GET BETTER OVER THE NEXT WEEK OR SO. THAT'S WHAT THE PROJECTIONS, UH, SEEM TO SHOW. I WANT TO REMAIN OPTIMISTIC AND THINK THAT, UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, WITHIN THE NEXT WEEK OR TWO, WE WILL BEGIN TO START SEEING THE DECLINE THAT THINGS ARE PRETTY STEADY RIGHT NOW. UH, WE'RE STILL SEEING INCREASED DEMAND. UH, YOU CAN SEE [00:35:01] BASED ON WHAT DOUGLAS HAS MENTIONED AND WHAT DR. WACHS HAS MENTIONED THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, HOSPITALS ARE STILL CONTINUING TO BE IMPACTED. SO, UM, WHEN I START SEEING NUMBERS, UH, AS FAR AS LABS RECEIVED THAT TEND TO FLATTEN OUT, I WILL GET IT. I'LL BE A LITTLE BIT MORE OPTIMISTIC THAT WE'RE ON THE DOWNHILL SLIDE. AND I JUST LIKE TO ADD THAT OUR COMMUNITIES AND THE DRIVERS SAY, UM, EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN DO TO DECREASE SPREAD OF THIS DISEASE, UM, MASKING IN PUBLIC, UM, HAND-WASHING STAYING HOME WHEN SICK AND GETTING VACCINATED. AND PARTICULARLY THOSE THAT HAVEN'T HAD THEIR BEYSTER GO AND GET YOUR BOOSTER. IT GIVES YOU IMMEDIATE PROTECTION. ALL OF THOSE THINGS WILL HELP THIS CURVE HEAD IN THE DIRECTION THAT WE WANTED TO, WHICH IS DOWNWARD. UM, AND I KNOW WE CAN DO IT. WE'VE DONE IT BEFORE. UM, WE JUST HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER TO GET US BACK TO WHERE WE WANT TO BE AND THAT IS ALL WE HAVE TODAY. WE WANT TO THANK OUR GUESTS, DOUGLAS HARAN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE CAPITAL AREA OF TEXAS REGIONAL ADVISORY COUNCIL HEALTH AUTHORITY, DR. WACHS, APH DIRECTOR, ADRIAN STIRRUP NOTICE WE'VE DROPPED THE INTERIM BIG CONGRATULATIONS TO DIRECTOR STIRRUP, CHIEF EPIDEMIOLOGIST, JANET PICHET, CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER FOR DISEASE PREVENTION AND HEALTH PROMOTION. CASANDRA DID LIAM AND TO OUR POOL REPORTER TODAY, HEATHER OSBORN FROM THE AUSTIN AMERICAN STATESMAN. WE APPRECIATE EVERYONE JOINING US, HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND. * 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.