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[1. Update on Covid-19 related matters.]
COUNTY COMMISSIONER'S COURT TODAY IS MARCH 1ST, 2022.WE'RE MEETING HERE AT 700 LAVACA WITH COMMISSIONERS GOMEZ, J 2 MILLION HOWARD AND MYSELF HERE IN PERSON.
AND, UM, I WILL END IT NOW OVER TO, I BELIEVE PRO TIM ALTER ACTUALLY I'M HERE, JUDGE.
MAYOR, UH, IN CITY COUNCIL, CHAMBERS, UH, CALLING TO ORDER THE, UH, AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL PORTION OF THIS JOINT MEETING ON MARCH 1ST, 2022, UH, TIME, UH, 9 0 8.
UH, WE HAVE A QUORUM PRESENT, JUDGE.
ALL RIGHT, SO I'LL CALL TO ORDER THE JOINT MEETING OF THE TRAVIS COUNTY COMMISSIONER'S COURT AND THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL.
AND, UM, LET'S SEE, A COUPLE OF THINGS.
ONE THING IS, UH, YOU CAN VOTE HERE AT 700 LAVACA TODAY.
I'LL BET YOU CAN ALSO VOTE OTHER PLACES Y'ALL CAN TALK ABOUT.
UM, JUST WANT TO REMIND EVERYONE IT'S ELECTION DAY.
UM, WE ALSO ARE GOING TO TAKE UP OUR PROCLAMATION LATER THIS MORNING THAT REFLECTS THE TRAVIS COUNTY LEADERSHIP STANDS IN SOLIDARITY WITH OUR TRANS YOUTH AND THEIR FAMILIES.
I UNDERSTAND THAT THE CITY IS ALSO GOING TO TAKE UP A SIMILAR MEASURE LATER THIS WEEK OR EARLY NEXT WEEK, AND WE'LL HOST A JOINT EVENT IN SOLIDARITY WITH OUR TRANS COMMUNITY AND THEIR FAMILIES NEXT WEEK.
UM, BUT I JUST WANTED TO TAKE A MOMENT TO NOTE THAT BOTH THE CITY COUNCIL AND TRAVIS COUNTY ARE LOOKING AT THOSE ITEMS, UH, IN UPCOMING MEETINGS.
UM, NOW I WILL GO AHEAD AND TAKE UP ITEM ONE, RECEIVED BRIEFINGS ON COVID-19 RELATED MATTERS AND, UH, LOOKS LIKE WE MAY HAVE ONE COLOR SHELBY, IF YOU WANT TO GO TO THE COLOR.
AS OF NOW WE HAVE ONE COLOR ON THE PHONE.
MRS. SYNOVIA, JOSEPH, MS. JOSEPH, PLEASE GO AHEAD.
THANK YOU, JUDGE COMMISSIONER, MAYOR, AND COUNCIL ON AS ENOVIA JOSEPH.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE A FEW COMMENTS SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO COVID-19 AND THE SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH AS I HAVE IN THE PAST.
WELL, LET ME FIRST THINK THE DIRECTOR STIRRUP FOR REMOVING THE BOB PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT ON KCI THE ANNOUNCEMENT.
NOW PLEASE FACTUAL INFORMATION AND GIVE THE AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH EMAIL ADDRESS AND WEBSITE.
I WANTED TO ASK SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE VISA CARD PROGRAM.
I WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE THAT BACK ON AUGUST 9TH, 2021, THERE WAS ACTUALLY ON CA K X A N AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH TO OFFER $100 IN GIFT CARDS FOR COVID-19 VACCINATIONS.
THAT WAS ACTUALLY WHEN THERE WAS $50 PER, BUT THIS $100 VISA CARD IS ALMOST LIKE CRACKER JACK GETTING A SURPRISE AT THE END OF THE SERIES OF GETTING YOUR SHOT.
SO I WOULD JUST ASK FOR MORE TRANSPARENCY THAT YOU WOULD ACTUALLY ANNOUNCE HOW THIS PROGRAM WORKS AND MOVING FORWARD, WHETHER INDIVIDUALS WHO RECEIVE THE FIRST OR SECOND DOSE WILL STILL RECEIVE THE A HUNDRED DOLLARS CARD.
IF THERE'S A MOBILE UNIT THAT GIVES THEM THE SHOT, I JUST WANTED TO CALL TO YOUR ATTENTION.
THERE'S A DISCONNECT ARE BORN.
SOME ARE A TUNNEL GAVE OUT SHOTS ON FEBRUARY 18, 20, 22, BUT THE NEXT DOSE WILL BE MARCH 11TH, WHICH IS TOO EARLY FOR PEOPLE TO GET THE SECOND DOSE.
SO I'M JUST CALLING REALLY TO ASKING TO ALIGN THE FIRST DOSE WITH THE TIMEFRAME THAT'S REQUIRED FOR THE INDIVIDUAL TO GET THE SECOND DOSE.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, ELWIN SMART TUNNELS.
THE NEXT CLINIC SHOULD BE SCHEDULED MARCH 18TH OR LATER, SO THAT YOU CAN INCENTIVIZE INDIVIDUALS TO GET THE SECOND DOSE, SENDING THEM A TEXT MESSAGE TO TELL THEM ABOUT THE MARCH 11TH CLINIC WILL NOT INCENTIVIZE THEM BECAUSE IT'S TOO EARLY FOR THEM TO GET THE SECOND SHOT.
I LASTLY WANT TO CALL TO YOUR ATTENTION, THE NEED FOR YOU TO UNDERSTAND PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION AS A SOCIAL DETERMINANT OF HEALTH, ROUTE 3, 3 9 IS INTERLINE MEANING IT'S CONNECTED WITH THE COUNTY'S ROUTE 2 37.
THAT GOES TO COMMUNITY FIRST VILLAGE.
THAT BUS ROUTE IS BEING DELAYED, NOT ONE HOUR, BUT TWO HOURS BECAUSE CAPITOL METRO IS CANCELING SOME OF THE ROUTES.
I'LL TELL YOU SPECIFICALLY, ON FEBRUARY 18, I WENT TO CHECK MY MAIL AT CROSS PARKING EXCHANGE FROM ACROSS FROM THE NORWOOD WALMART GOING THE BUS WAS DELAYED BY AN HOUR BECAUSE IT WAS CANCELED RETURNING.
IT WAS DELAYED BY ANOTHER HOUR AND THERE'S NO OTHER BUS ROUTE THAT GOES TO THAT AREA.
IT'S INTERLINE WITH THE BUS THAT GOES DOWNTOWN NUMBER SIX.
SO YOU LITERALLY HAVE THREE ROUTES
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FOR ONE BUS THAT IMPACT THE PEOPLE THAT ARE BLACK AND NORTHEAST AUSTIN, AND ALSO SOME OF THE LOW INCOME INDIVIDUALS.AND SO YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT MAY BE A DETERRENT TO GOING TO GET THE SHOTS.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'LL GLADLY ANSWER THEM AT THIS TIME.
ANY OTHER CALLERS? NOT AT THE MOMENT, JUDGE.
SO WE'LL TURN IT OVER NOW TO, UH, DR.
WALKS AND DIRECTOR STIRRUP AND OTHERS FOR A BRIEFING.
THE I'M A CONCERT IS SUBSIDING.
UM, THANKS TO THE AVAILABILITY OF VACCINES, UM, AND OUR COMMUNITY'S RESPONSE TO BEING VACCINATED.
UM, WE HAVE HAD A DECREASE IN HOSPITALIZATIONS DOWN TO 87%.
UM, ANOTHER CONTRIBUTING FACTOR, UM, THAT WE'VE SEEN IN THIS, UM, PROCESS THROUGHOUT THE PANDEMIC IS THAT OUR COMMUNITY HAS RESPONDED WHEN WE'VE ASKED THEM TO SOCIALLY DISTANCE AND TO MASK AND TEST AND STAY AT HOME WITH THEIR ILL.
OUR SEVEN DAY MOVING AVERAGE FOR HOSPITALIZATIONS HAS DECREASED FROM 35 LAST MONDAY TO 20 AS OF YESTERDAY.
AND, UM, THERE HAVE BEEN, UM, DURING THE SURGE, A THIRD OF THOSE THAT WERE HOSPITALIZED, HIS VACCINE STATUS WAS KNOWN, UM, THAT WERE UNVACCINATED.
SO WE STILL HAVE SOME WORK TO DO IN OUR COMMUNITY TO GET THOSE WHO ARE VACCINATED VACCINATED, AND THANK YOU TO THE CALLER TO POINT OUT SOME THINGS THAT WE CAN DO TO HELP WITH THAT EFFORT.
UM, WE GO OVER A WEEK, OUR HOSPITALIZATION NUMBERS HAVE DECREASED AND, UM, WE CONTINUE TO SEE THAT TREND.
AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, THEN MITIGATION STRATEGIES OF MASKING AND VACCINATION HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO WHERE WE ARE NOW IN THIS PART OF THE AMR CRON SURGE.
UM, WE'RE IN A MUCH BETTER POSITION NOW THAN EVER BEFORE TO FIGHT COVID-19 INCLUDING PREVENTION OF SIGNIFICANT ILLNESS BY, UM, USE OF THERAPEUTICS, UM, MINIMIZING THE BURDEN ON OUR HEALTHCARE SYSTEM WITH THE USE OF THESE MEASURES THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, AND WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO PROTECT THEM AS VULNERABLE IN OUR COMMUNITIES THROUGH VACCINES AND THE TREATMENTS AND PREVENTION MEASURES THAT WE'VE TAKEN REGARDING MASKING.
THE AMERICAN CONFERENCE OF GOVERNMENTAL INDUSTRIAL HYGIENISTS HAVE SHOWN, UM, THAT BOTH WHEN AN INFECTED PERSON AND AN UNINFECTED PERSON BOTH WEAR A GOOD FITTING AND 95 MASK, MEANING THERE'S NO SPACE BETWEEN THE MASK AND THE FADES, UM, NO LEAKING OF AIR THAT THERE'S A PROTECTION FROM THE NON UNINFECTED PERSON GETTING INFECTED FOR 25 HOURS WHEN ONLY ONE PERSON IN THE GROUP, AN INFECTED PERSON, WHEREAS A GOOD FITTING IN 95 MASKS, THERE'S SIX HOURS OF PROTECTION.
SO WE KNOW THAT MASKING STOPS THE SPREAD OF COVID-19 AND CAN PROTECT THE WEAR.
AND WE'RE ASKING OUR COMMUNITY TO CONTINUE MASKING, UM, DURING THIS NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS DURING THE MARCH BREAK, THE FALL FESTIVAL SEASON TO PREVENT THE S A SURGE IN CASES, UM, THAT WE'VE, AS WE'VE SEEN IN PREVIOUS TIMES AFTER BREAKS AFTER TIMES WHEN, UM, PEOPLE HAVE TRAVELED, UM, AND GATHERED IN CROWDS AND TO TEST PRIOR TO VISITING FRIENDS AND FAMILY WHO ARE AT RISK AND TO TEST WHEN YOU RETURNED FROM THE MARCH BREAK ACTIVITIES AND, AND, UM, TRAVEL SO THAT YOU CAN PROTECT YOUR CLASSMATES AND COLLEAGUES.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, VACCINATIONS WORK.
UM, HOSPITALIZATIONS ARE 44 TIMES HIGHER, AND UN-VACCINATED ADULTS THAT ARE 18 YEARS OR OLDER, 30 TIMES HIGHER AND UNVACCINATED ADULTS THAT ARE 18 TO 49 AND 55 TIMES HIGHER IN ADULTS THAT ARE 65 YEARS AND OLDER.
THE RED LINE ON THIS GRAPH REPRESENTS THE HIGHER NUMBER OF UNVACCINATED PEOPLE WHO'VE BEEN HOSPITALIZED NATIONALLY.
THE BLUE LINE, DARK BLUE LINE SHOWS THOSE WHO ARE FULLY VACCINATED AND THE LOWER LIGHT BLUE LINE, UM, ARE
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THOSE, WHO'VE BEEN, UM, RECIPIENTS OF THE BOOSTER DOSES.SO LAST WEEK, THE CDC, UM, RELEASED A NEW GUIDANCE FOR NATIONAL CONSIDERATION.
UM, IT LOOKS AT WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH REGARDS TO CASES IN COMMUNITIES, AND IT ALSO TAKES A LOOK AT THE HOSPITAL METRICS.
THIS IS VERY MUCH LIKE WHAT WE'VE USED THROUGHOUT THIS PANDEMIC, WHERE WE LOOKED AT HOSPITAL, UH, NATURE, SIX OF SEVEN DAY MOVING AVERAGE OF HOSPITALIZATIONS TO SHOW WHAT THE IMPACT WAS ON OUR HEALTH CARE SYSTEM, WHICH AT THE OUTSET OF THIS PANDEMIC, WE RECOGNIZED AS THE THING THAT WE NEEDED TO PRESERVE AND PROTECT SO THAT WE COULD CARE FOR PATIENTS THAT BECAME SEVERELY ILL AND NEEDED HEALTH CARE MEDICAL CARE.
A FEW MONTHS AGO, WE ADDED THE COMMUNITY TRANSMISSION RATE TO OUR CONSIDERATION OF METRICS BECAUSE WE RECOGNIZED THAT IT WAS A, AN EARLY WARNING SIGN SIGNAL, IF YOU WILL, OF WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN THE COMMUNITY AND WOULD ALLOW US TO, UM, LOOK AHEAD AT WHAT WOULD BE HAPPENING IN TWO TO THREE WEEKS TIME.
IF THERE WERE INCREASES IN CASES IN 10 TO 14 DAYS, IT WAS ANTICIPATED THAT THOSE WHO WERE AT RISK FOR SEVERE ILLNESS WOULD THEN NEED HOSPITALIZATION.
AND SO WE COULD RAMP UP AND RIDE THE WAVES OF THE SURGES THAT WE'VE SEEN THROUGH THIS PANDEMIC.
SO BRIEFLY THAT THE PACKAGE THREE METRICS FOR EVERY COUNTY IN THE U S THE NEW COVID-19 HOSPITAL ADMISSIONS OVER THE PREVIOUS WEEK, HER HUNDRED THOUSAND POPULATION, AND THE PERCENTAGE OF HOSPITAL BEDS OCCUPIED BY COVID PATIENTS, UM, IN THE PREVIOUS SEVEN DAYS.
AND THEN THE NEW CASES PER A HUNDRED THOUSAND POPULATION FROM THE PREVIOUS WEEK THAT WERE ADMITTED TO THE HOSPITAL AND THIS NEW GUIDANCE PERTAINS TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC AND SCHOOLS.
AND IT DOES NOT PERTAIN, OR IT'S NOT GOING TO BE THE GUIDING, UM, GUIDANCE IS USED FOR CONGREGATE SETTINGS, SUCH AS NURSING HOMES, HOSPITALS, SHELTERS, AND OTHER CONGREGATE SETTINGS.
THE SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, DR.
MIGUEL CARDONA ON FEBRUARY THE 25TH IN A LETTER STATED THAT THE CDC NOW RECOMMENDS UNIVERSAL MASKING FOR SCHOOLS LOCATED IN AREAS WHERE THERE ARE HIGH LEVELS OF COVID IN THE COMMUNITY IN EARLY CHILDCARE AND EDUCATION CENTERS LOCATED IN AREAS WHERE THERE ARE HIGH, UM, COMMUNITY LEVELS OF COVID, AND ALSO IN SCHOOL BUSES AND SCHOOL, UM, EARLY CHILDHOOD AND EDUCATION CENTERS IN THE SAME AREAS.
SO THIS GUIDANCE, UM, SHOWS THREE LEVELS, UM, LOW, MEDIUM HIGH, AND THEN METRICS THAT ARE LISTED HERE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE ARE CONSIDERING, UM, AND MAKING, UM, AN ANALYSIS OF, TO, UM, USE AN UPDATE, OUR STAGING AND GUIDANCE.
AND WE'LL BE RELEASING THESE IN THE COMING DAYS TO, UM, REFLECT ALIGNMENT WITH THE GUIDANCE THAT'S BEEN PROVIDED BY THE CDC AND IN, SO DOING ALSO REFLECT THE ASPECTS THAT ARE DIFFERENT IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT, UM, NEED TO BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT.
I WANT TO ADD THAT AT EVERY LEVEL THAT THIS GUIDANCE, UM, UM, IS SHOWING LOW, MEDIUM AND HIGH, UM, PEOPLE CAN WEAR A MASK BASED ON PERSONAL PREFERENCE.
HOWEVER, IN THE HIGH LEVEL, REGARDLESS OF YOUR, UM, BRISK OR VACCINATION STATUS, UH, MASKING IS RECOMMENDED.
AND OF COURSE, ANYONE WHO HAS SYMPTOMS OR TEST POSITIVE, UM, SHOULD WEAR A MASK AND FOLLOW THE GUIDANCE ACCORDINGLY.
SO WE ARE MOVING TO STAGE THREE, AS OF TODAY
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ARE MOVING AVERAGE.YESTERDAY WAS 20 ON THE SEVEN DAY MOVING AVERAGE FOR HOSPITALIZATIONS.
AND, UM, ACCORDING TO OUR CURRENT GUIDANCE, THAT WOULD, UM, RECOMMEND MASK WEARING AN INDOOR PUBLIC SPACES, UM, AND S AS SHOWN HERE, AS WE ALIGN OURSELVES, UM, WITH THE CDC GUIDANCE, UM, AND TAKE INTO ACCOUNT OUR UNIQUE CIRCUMSTANCES, WE REALIZED THAT AUSTIN WELCOMES HUNDREDS OF EVENTS, RACES, AND INTERNATIONAL FESTIVALS.
UM, AND WE ARE STRONGER, STRONGLY RECOMMENDING INDOOR MASKING UNTIL THE END OF THE SPRING FESTIVAL SEASON THROUGH MARCH 20TH.
UM, THIS WE'RE REQUIRING, OR ACTUALLY RECOMMENDING, UM, IN AN EFFORT TO PROTECT OUR HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY, WHICH PLAYS AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND HAS ALSO BEEN HIT VERY HARD DURING THIS PANDEMIC.
MANY MEMBERS OF THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY COME FROM MULTI-GENERATIONAL HOUSEHOLDS.
THEY MAY LIVE WITH OTHERS WHO ARE AT HIGHER RISK FOR SEVERE DISEASE, OR THEY LIVE WITH SOMEONE WHO'S NOT ELIGIBLE FOR VACCINE AT THIS POINT.
SO WE'RE ASKING THAT OUR COMMUNITY CONSIDER ITSELF AND ITS NEIGHBORS AND HELP US TO STAY OPEN AND KEEP OUR COMMUNITIES SAFE.
DURING THIS TIME, WE'LL BE LOOKING AT OUR NUMBERS, MONITORING THE SITUATION AND LOOKING AT THE IMPACT ON OUR SCHOOLS, UM, AND AREAS THAT HAVE LOWER VACCINATION RATES AND MAKE DECISIONS ACCORDINGLY.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, WE'VE BEEN PROTECTING, UM, THOSE AREAS OF OUR SOCIETY THAT HAVE, UM, CONGREGATE SHELTER, UM, LIVING IN SHELTERING, SUCH AS NURSING HOMES.
AND, UM, WE LOOKED AT OUR SCHOOLS SYSTEMS AND BEEN WATCHING, UM, AND GUIDING, UH, THROUGHOUT THIS PANDEMIC THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING THERE, UH, MONITORING FOR OUTBREAKS AND CLUSTERS.
AND WE'VE ALSO BEEN LOOKING AT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR BUSINESS INDUSTRIES.
UM, AND WE'VE WORKED TO PROTECT OUR HOSPITAL AND HEALTHCARE SYSTEM BY DOING THESE THINGS TO MONITOR FOR CLUSTERS.
UM, IN THESE AREAS WE'VE SUCCESSFULLY VACCINATED OVER 70% OF THE POPULATION.
AND WHEN WE INCLUDE THE TRANSIENT THAT, UM, WE HAVE WITH NATURAL IMMUNITY AS WELL, WE HAVE APPROXIMATELY 85% OF COMMUNITY IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AT THIS POINT, VACCINATIONS HAVE PROVEN TO PROTECT THOSE WHO ARE VULNERABLE, UM, AND ARE IN AN IMPORTANT LAYER OF PROTECTION TO THOSE WHO'VE HAD COVID 19.
IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THEM TO GET THAT BOOSTER BOOSTED PROTECTION BY GETTING VACCINATED, AS SOON AS THEY RECOVER MOST RECENTLY, THOSE WHO WERE VACCINATED AND GOT SICK DURING THE ALMA CRON SEARCH DEVELOPED MILD DISEASE, EVEN ELDERLY RESIDING IN NURSING HOMES, UM, WERE, UH, PROTECTED BY VACCINE HAD ASYMPTOMATIC TO MILD DISEASE.
THERE WERE VERY FEW WHO WERE HOSPITALIZED AND, UM, AND THE NUMBERS OF DEATHS WERE REDUCED TO A VERY SMALL NUMBER WITH THE BRI INSTITUTION OF MASKING AND ONGOING VACCINATION PROGRAMS ARE ESSENTIAL.
FRONTLINE RESTAURANT BAR WORKERS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO HOST LARGE EVENTS IN OUR CITY AND HELP OUR RECOVERY WITH CHILDREN VACCINATED.
THOSE WHO GOT COVID DURING THE RECENT SURGE, UM, IN OUR SCHOOLS, UM, OFTEN HAD MILD DISEASE AND WERE SPARED HOSPITALIZATION.
SO OUR METHODS HAVE WORKED, WE HAVE WORKED TOGETHER, UM, AND WE HAVE ACHIEVED MUCH TO GET US TO WHERE WE ARE NOW WITH THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
THE IMPACT OF OUR EFFORTS FOR THE GUARDS TO MASKING HAVE ALSO, UM, SHOWN TRUE IN OUR FIGHT AGAINST SPREADING OTHER VIRUSES, WHICH INCLUDES THE FLU AND RSV.
UM, WE'VE SEEN THAT WE'VE HAD A MUCH MILDER FLU SEASON
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AS A RESULT OF THE MASKING EFFORTS THAT WE'VE HAD IN OUR COMMUNITY HAND-WASHING AND THE VACCINE PROGRAMS THAT HAVE BEEN ONGOING.DESPITE THE CIRCULATION OF WHAT'S BEEN TERMED THE STEALTH, UM, A CRON BA 0.2 SUB LINEAGE THAT'S BEEN REPORTED IN OUR COMMUNITY.
WE'VE HAD THREE POSITIVE RESULTS COME BACK.
UM, OUR VACCINATION, UM, INDOOR MASKING AND OTHER MEETUP MITIGATION STRATEGIES IN OUR COMMUNITY HAVE, UM, SHOWN THAT WE'VE WON THE BATTLE.
WE HAVE A DECLINE IN CASES THAT DECLINE IN HOSPITALIZATIONS, AND DESPITE THIS MUCH MORE TRANSMISSIBLE, UH, SUB LINEAGE OR OF THE VARIANT OF CALMER CRON, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO SEE AN LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL, UH, THE DECREASE IN THE NUMBER OF CASES AND THE END OF THIS SURGE.
NEXT SLIDE, WE'VE HAD BREAKTHROUGH CASES, VACCINE BREAKTHROUGH CASES, AS I'VE MENTIONED, AND, UM, 29,000 PLUS, UM, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO REACH AND IDENTIFY AND TALK TO FOUGHT 5,200 OF THOSE CASES.
UM, AND 88% REPORTED SYMPTOMS. UM, WE'VE HAD, UH, DEATHS IN THESE, UM, PEOPLE WHO'VE HAD VACCINE BREAKTHROUGH CASES AND ALL OF US WHO'VE DIED HAVE HAD, UM, OTHER MEDICAL CONDITIONS THAT COMPLICATED THEIR COURSE, THE MOST COMMON OF THESE BEING HYPERTENSION, DIABETES, AND HEART DISEASE.
AND THAT, UH, SLIDE THAT YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU HAS PART OF THAT CUTOFF.
SO I WILL, UM, SEND THE SLIDE WITH THE FULL, UM, GRAPH OF THE CO-MORBIDITIES ON IT AFTER THIS SESSION.
ONE OF THE LAGGING INDICATORS IN A SEARCH AND IN THIS PANDEMIC IS THE LOSS OF LIFE AND OUR RISK BASED GUIDANCE CHART.
UM, LIKE THE NEW CDC COMMUNITY LEVEL, UM, GUIDANCE THAT SPIN PROPOSED FOR NATIONALLY IS, UM, LOOKS AT CA COMMUNITY CASE RATES AND HOSPITAL INDICATORS AND PROJECTS OUT WHAT HOSPITAL ADMISSIONS I SEE UTILIZATION AND DEATHS WILL BE, UM, BETTER THAN USING A SINGLE MEASURE.
OUR COMMUNITY HAS BEEN ABLE TO PROTECT ITSELF DURING THIS PANDEMIC AND MINIMIZE THE LA LIVES LOST, UM, A TOTAL OF 1,350 PEOPLE HAVE DIED IN TRAVIS COUNTY, UM, AS A RESULT OF, UH COVID-19.
UM, AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE ALL, UM, STAND TOGETHER AND MOURN WITH THOSE WHO HAVE LOST LOVED ONES.
WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO PROTECT AND PREVENT THE LOSS OF LIVES AND KEEP THIS VIRUS FROM SPREADING.
SO AS WE LOOK AT THE NEW GUIDANCE AND, UM, LOOK AT THE DATA AND, UM, DEVELOP THRESHOLDS, WE WILL NOT COMPROMISE THE SUCCESS THAT WE'VE HAD, AND WE WILL, UM, IN THE COMING DAYS, UM, BRING THAT, UH, TO THE ATTENTION, UM, OF THIS GROUP AND RELEASE TO THE PUBLIC, UH, WHAT THE NEW GUIDANCE WILL BE AND CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE SITUATION.
UM, AND IF WE SAY THAT THERE ARE ADJUSTMENTS THAT NEED TO BE MADE AS WE HAVE IN THE PAST, WE'LL DO SO AND CONTINUE FORWARD AND, AND FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT.
I'LL PASS IT OVER TO DIRECTOR STIRRUP.
UM, TODAY I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO TAKE A LITTLE TIME TO TALK ABOUT HEALTH EQUITY.
UM, WE KNOW THAT WITH THE NEW GUIDANCE, THE CDC CONTINUES TO, UM, STRESS THE IMPORTANCE OF HEALTH EQUITY AS A CONSIDERATION IN ADOPTING GUIDELINES.
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AND IT LOOKS LIKE THE TEAM GOT CREATIVE TODAY, AND THERE ARE ANIMATIONS.AND SO I'M GONNA SEE IF I CAN GET THESE TO COME OUT.
SO OUR, OUR GOALS ARE TO INCREASE THE VACCINATION RATES AMONG OUR PAPA, OUR PRIORITY POPULATIONS TO REDUCE THE DISPROPORTIONATE BURDEN OF COVID-19 AMONG POPULATIONS AT INCREASED RISK FOR INFECTION, SEVERE ILLNESS AND DEATH.
AND LASTLY, UM, TO ADDRESS HEALTH DISPARITIES AND INEQUITIES RELATED TO COVID-19 WITH A HOLISTIC AND COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH, JUST FOR REFERENCE, WE DEFINE OUR PRIORITY POPULATIONS IN AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY, AS FOLLOWS RACIAL AND ETHNIC MINORITY POPULATIONS, SPECIFICALLY BLACK AND HISPANIC PEOPLE, EXPERIENCING POVERTY, PEOPLE LIVING WITH CHRONIC DISEASES.
AND, UM, WHAT WE HAVE TENDED TENDED TO, UH, IDENTIFY AS ARE HARD TO REACH POPULATIONS.
AND THAT INCLUDES, BUT IS NOT LIMITED TO PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, REFUGEES AND OUR LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENT POPULATIONS.
SO TO REMIND EVERY ONE OF OUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES AND METHODS, WE WILL CONTINUE TO BE DATA-DRIVEN.
AND I THINK WE'VE SHOWN THAT, UM, AS WE CONTINUE TO PROVIDE OUR INFORMATION ABOUT VACCINE UPTAKE BROKEN DOWN BY RACE AND ETHNICITY, WANT TO MAKE THAT ALL OF OUR OPERA, OUR OPERATIONS HAVE A RACIAL EQUITY FOCUS, AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE FOCUSING ON HUMAN, EXCUSE ME, CENTERED ENGAGEMENT.
SO WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? IT'S FANCY WAY OF SAYING ALL OF THE TOOLS THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IN THE PAST, WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO, TO PUT, TO USE.
SO WE WILL CONTINUE TO USE VACCINATION UPTAKE, ZIP CODE LEVEL DATA, AS WELL AS THE, UM, THE SURVEYS THAT WE'VE PUT OUT IN COMMUNITY TO HELP DESIGN OUR, OUR PROGRAM INITIATIVES.
WE KNOW THAT, UM, THERE IS A NEED TO FOCUS ON RACIAL EQUITY, AND WE DO THAT THROUGH OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER PROGRAMS. THAT'S JUST ONE EXAMPLE, MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE HIRING FOLKS THAT ARE REFLECTIVE OF THE COMMUNITIES THAT WE'RE SEEKING TO SERVE.
AND ALSO THAT HUMAN CENTERED ENGAGEMENT.
WE KNOW THAT THIS IS A VERY PERSONAL HEALTH DECISION, UM, FOR, FOR MOST IN THIS, DURING THIS TIME OF GUIDANCE, I THINK THAT'S GOING TO BE MORE IMPORTANT BECAUSE A LOT OF COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE RELIED ON MASKING BECAUSE THEY WERE UNSURE ABOUT THE VACCINE WILL NEED TO BE SUPPORTED IN MAKING THAT NEXT STEP TO BE, UH, FULLY COVERED BY VACCINATIONS.
AND SO I THANK THE CALLER FOR BRINGING THIS UP.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE LOOK AT IS OUR SOCIAL VULNERABILITY IN THAT INDEX.
UM, AND SO WE USE THIS INDEX TO TRACK AND MAP 15 SOCIAL FACTORS THAT CAN INCREASE THE COMMUNITY'S RISK.
AND THOSE FACTORS ARE GROUPED INTO FOUR CATEGORIES.
AS YOU SEE ON YOUR SCREEN, THEIR SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS, HOUSEHOLD COMPOSITION AND DISABILITY, MINORITY STATUS AND LANGUAGE HOUSING TYPE IN TRANSPORTATION.
AND I BELIEVE THE COLOR TOUCHED ON TWO OF THOSE IN HER COMMENTS TODAY, ONE TALKING ABOUT ACCESS TO TRANSPORTATION THAT WOULD TAKE HER TO A LOCATION, UM, WHERE SHE COULD GET A VACCINE.
AND WE TRY TO, UM, ADDRESS THAT BARRIER WITH OUR MOBILE VACCINE PROGRAMS. AND THEN THE OTHER ONE WAS SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS.
AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS SEVERAL TIMES IN THIS SPACE, HOW THERE ARE SOME IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT DON'T HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY WITH THEIR JOB TO BE ABLE TO, UM, TAKE TIME OFF, TO GET A TEST OR A VACCINE.
AND SO HAVING THOSE INCENTIVES, SO SOMEONE MISSES WORK THAT THEIR HOPE, UM, IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
UM, AND MS. JOSEPH MUST'VE BEEN SNEAKING AROUND THE HALLWAYS OF APH BECAUSE WE ARE REVAMPING OUR GIFT CARD PROGRAM TO MAKE SURE THAT WE SUPPORT, UM, ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS IN BEING UP TO DATE.
SO ANYONE WHO GETS A FIRST SECOND OR BOOSTER DOSE IS ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE ONE OF THOSE GIFT CARDS.
ANOTHER THING THAT WE KEEP IN MIND, UM, WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR, OUR PROGRAMS IS THAT, UM, RACISM AS A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS IN OUR CITY OF AUSTIN COUNCIL, UM, HAD A RESOLUTION IN THE SPRING THAT ARE FOCUSED ON THAT.
UM, AND SO WE KNOW THAT ALONG THIS CONTINUUM OF THINGS THAT OUR COMMUNITIES OF COLOR EXPERIENCE, THEY CAN OFTEN LEAD TO HELP OUT OUR POOR HEALTH OUTCOMES.
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RESEARCH SHOWS THAT CENTURIES OF RACISM IN THIS COUNTRY HAS HAD A PROFOUND AND NEGATIVE IMPACT ON COMMUNITIES OF COLOR.THE IMPACT IS PERVASIVE AND DEEPLY EMBEDDED IN OUR SOCIETY AFFECTING WHERE ONE LIVES LEARNS, WORKS WORSHIPS IN PLACE AND CREATING INEQUITIES IN ACCESS TO A RANGE OF SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC BENEFITS, SUCH AS HOUSING, EDUCATION, WEALTH, AND EMPLOYMENT.
THESE FACTORS WE OFTEN REFER TO AS THE SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH ARE KEY DRIVERS OF HEALTH INEQUITIES, BUT THEN COMMUNITIES OF COLOR PLACING THOSE WITHIN THESE POPULATIONS AT GREATER RISK FOR POOR HEALTH OUTCOMES.
SO AGAIN, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF JARGON, REAL LIFE, EXAMPLES OF THAT ECONOMIC STABILITY, DR.
WACHS TALKED ABOUT, UM, MANY OF OUR RESIDENTS WHO ARE IN THE SERVICE INDUSTRY WERE DOUBLY IMPACTED BY, COVID NOT ONLY EXPERIENCING HIGHER RATES OF DISEASE AND DEATH, BUT ALSO IN TERMS OF THEIR, THEIR ECONOMIC STABILITY, BEING ABLE TO GO TO WORK.
SO I'M SICK AND I'M STRUGGLING MORE FINANCIALLY BECAUSE OF, OF COVID, UM, THE SOCIAL AND COMMUNITY CONTEXT, UM, THAT SPEAKS TO, AGAIN, THE ACCESS TO RESOURCES, THE ACCESS TO RESOURCES THAT ARE ACCESSIBLE TO YOU IN TERMS OF CULTURAL RELEVANCE IN TERMS OF LANGUAGE ARE REALLY IMPORTANT.
WE'VE STRUGGLED WITH THE LACK OF BUILT RESOURCES IN THE EASTERN CRESCENT, EASTERN CRESCENT, BUT WE'VE RALLIED AS A COMMUNITY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THOSE MOBILE OPTIONS TO ADDRESS SOME OF THESE, UM, NEEDS.
AND SO THEN WE'LL LOOK AT THE DATA A LITTLE BIT THAT I TALKED ABOUT THAT WE'RE ALWAYS MAKING SURE WE'RE POINTING TO OUR NORTH STAR WHEN WE'RE PUTTING TOGETHER, UM, ANY OF OUR PROGRAMS. AND I THOUGHT IT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT TO SHARE SOME OF THOSE SLIDES ABOUT THE HEALTH EQUITY STRATEGIES, SO THAT YOU COULD SEE IT CONCRETELY.
UM, AND SO FOR APH, AS OF THE 28TH, WE HAVE ADMINISTERED 5,604 DOSES OF THE PEDIATRIC VACCINE.
THE GRAPH IN THE SLIDE REPRESENTS THE RACIAL AND ETHNIC DISTRIBUTION OF THOSE DOSES.
AND, UM, ACTUALLY I'VE ONLY 5,000 OF THE DOSES.
THERE'S A DELAY IN, UM, DATA ENTRY.
SO THE, THE TOTALITY IS NOT REFLECTIVE ON THIS GRAPH, BUT WHAT'S NICE IS THAT, UM, FOR APH IS DISTRIBUTION.
WE CONTINUE TO BE PRETTY CLOSE TO THE MAKEUP OF THAT POPULATION IN AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY.
UM, WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR PEDIATRIC VACCINATION RATES BY COUNTY AND COMPARE OURSELVES, UM, BOTH NATIONALLY AND TO OTHER COUNTIES IN TEXAS, YOU CAN SEE FOUR PRIMARY SERIES, UM, 42%, NOPE, I'M READING THAT WRONG.
42% HAVE HAD AT LEAST ONE DOSE OF THE PEDIATRIC VACCINE.
UM, AND 32% HAVE COMPLETED THE PRIMARY SERIES.
AND WHEN WE LOOK, UM, JUST FLAT DATABASE BY COUNTY, WE'RE DOING PRETTY GOOD COMPARED TO OUR NEIGHBORS AND NATIONALLY.
UM, WHEN WE LOOK AT THAT BREAKDOWN BY RACE AND ETHNICITY, AGAIN, WE SEE THAT THERE ARE SOME, SOME GAPS THERE THAT WE CONTINUE TO WORK ON.
AND THEN WHEN WE LOOK AT THE RACE ETHNICITY, DEMOGRAPHICS TO A TRAVIS COUNTY VACCINE DISTRIBUTION, UM, THE, WE HAVE THE, THE CENSUS PIE CHART.
SO YOU CAN SEE WHERE WE ARE AS A COUNTY, WHAT OUR MAKEUP IS ON ONE SIDE.
AND THEN THE OTHER CHART, UM, INCLUDES THE FULLY VACCINATED POPULATION BY RACE AND ETHNICITY FOR TRAVIS COUNTY.
AND SO, UM, THE FULLY VACCINATED CHART DEMONSTRATES THAT THE OTHER, THE OTHER CATEGORY IS OVERREPRESENTED COMPARED TO THE OTHER CATEGORY PROVIDED BY THE TRAVIS COUNTY CENSUS ESTIMATE.
UM, ADDITIONALLY, THE UNKNOWN CATEGORY ACCOUNTS FOR 4% OF THE TOTAL FULLY VACCINATED POPULATION, THE OTHER, AN UNKNOWN CATEGORY ACCOUNT FOR A TOTAL OF 27% OR TWO HUNDRED AND THIRTY SEVEN, SEVEN HUNDRED AND FIFTY NINE INDIVIDUALS WITHIN THE OVERALL FULLY VACCINATED POPULATION.
WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR VACCINE DATA BY RACE AND ETHNICITY, AGAIN, COMPARING US TO, UM, OTHER COUNTIES IN TEXAS AND NATIONALLY, UM, WHERE WE NEED TO WORK IS IN OUR BLACK POPULATION.
WE HAD THE LOWEST VACCINATION RATE, UM, THERE WITH, UH, 8% GAP COMPARED TO THE NATIONAL AND IN OUR HISPANIC POPULATION WITH THE GAP BEING 10%.
[00:35:01]
SO THESE ARE THINGS THAT WE WE'VE TALKED ABOUT AND WE ALREADY KNOW, BUT JUST TO SHOW YOU THAT WE CONTINUE TO LOOK AT HOW WE'RE DOING, NOT ONLY WITHIN OUR COUNTY WITH OUR NEIGHBORS AND NATIONALLY.SO WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR VACCINATION IN TRAVIS COUNTY BY WEEK, UM, LAST WEEK, AGAIN, OVER 5,000 VACCINES WERE PROVIDED IN TRAVIS COUNTY.
72% OF TRAVIS COUNTY IS FULLY VACCINATED FOR THOSE FIVE AND OLDER AND ALMOST 84% OF THE ELIGIBLE POPULATION.
THAT'S FIVE AND OVER HAS RECEIVED AT LEAST ONE DOSE, INCLUDING THE FIVE.
AND UP AGAIN, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS ADDS 114,000 KIDS TO THE ELIGIBLE ELIGIBLE POPULATION.
AND AS I TALKED ABOUT EARLIER, 42% HAVE THE FIRST DOSE AND 33% ARE FULLY VACCINATED JUST TO TOUCH ON REALLY BRIEFLY.
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT, UM, EQUITY STRATEGIES FOR PRIORITY POPULATIONS, WE CONTINUE TO SUPPORT COLD WEATHER RESPONSE, UM, BY OFFERING TESTING AS WELL AS COVID VACCINATIONS.
LOOKING AT THIS CHART AGAIN, UM, FOR THE TOTAL CUMULATIVE VACCINE DISTRIBUTION IN TRAVIS COUNTY BY AGE, UM, THE FIVE TILL 11 IMMUNOCOMPROMISED POPULATION HAS BEEN RECOMMENDED FOR A THIRD DOSE, 20 DAYS AFTER COMPLETING THE VACCINE SERIES.
UM, BUT THE FIVE TO 11 POPULATION AS A WHOLE NOT BEEN APPROVED FOR BOOSTERS.
SO THAT'S WHY YOU SEE SOME NUMBERS THERE, UM, WHERE FOR PEOPLE WITH THIRD DOSE IN THAT FIVE TO 11 CATEGORY.
SO THIS SLIDE IS REFLECTIVE OF THE VACCINE DISTRIBUTION ACROSS ALL EL ELIGIBLE POPULATIONS.
AND AGAIN, UM, 32% OF ALL TRAVIS' RESIDENTS, FIVE AND UP HAVE RECEIVED BOOSTERS OR THIRD DOSES.
AND 44% OF THE FULLY VACCINATED POPULATION HAS RECEIVED A BOOSTER DOSE AS OF THE 28TH OF THIS MONTH.
AND SO THIS PIE CHART, UM, TALKS ABOUT, UM, RESIDENTS THAT ARE UP TO DATE WITH VACCINES.
AND SO WE KNOW THAT UP-TO-DATE INCLUDES COMPLETION OF THE PRIMARY SERIES, PLUS YOUR ADDITIONAL BOOSTER DOSE MOVING ALONG WHERE WE'RE LOOKING AT THE MAPS ALL, BUT ONE ZIP CODE HAS ACHIEVED THE 70% OF THE POPULATION TO RECEIVE THE FIRST DOSE OF VACCINATION.
AND WHEN WE LOOK AT THE SECOND DOSE, UM, POPULATION, WE ONLY HAVE ONE ZIP CODE IN THE YELLOW, WHICH IS FOR ONE IN ONE ZIP CODE IN THE RED OH FIVE.
UM, ONE OF OUR ZIP CODES HAVE MOVED FROM THE BLUE, FROM BLUE INTO THE BLUE, FROM YELLOW, MEANING THAT 6 1 7 HAS REACHED THE 60% MARK OF SECOND DOSE.
AND JUST, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, TO SHOW YOU ALL THE DIFFERENT DAYS THAT WE RUN THE DATA, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT THE ZIP CODES WITH LOW VACCINATION RATES, AND THIS IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE THAT POINTS TO OUR STRATEGY OF WHERE WE NEED TO BE WITH OUR MOBILE VACCINE TEAMS, WHERE WE NEED TO BE WITH OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS, PROVIDING OUTREACH AND EDUCATION AND SUPPORT.
AND SO THEN REALLY QUICKLY JUST TO SEE THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY, UM, THE OVERVIEW ONLY 3000 VACCINES, OUR CHARGE AS A COMMUNITY WILL BE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE SUPPORT EVERYONE IN BEING UP TO DATE.
UM, WHEN WE LOOK AT THE TESTING NUMBERS THERE HASN'T BEEN A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN, UM, THE DEMAND FOR TESTING WITH US GIVING ONLY 1,251 TESTS OVER THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY, THE TESTING OPERATIONS REMAIN THE SAME.
UM, WE'VE TAKEN OVER THE STATE RUN SITE AND APH TEAMS WILL BE OUT THERE FROM 11 TO SEVEN.
UM, AND WE CONTINUE TO PROVIDE MOBILE AND IN-HOME TESTING.
IF YOU ARE SICK, YOU NEED TO GET TESTED.
IF YOU WERE EXPOSED, IF YOU NEED TO GET TESTED, IF YOU'RE JUST NOT SURE, AND YOU NEED TO GET TESTED AND YOU CAN'T GET OUT, CALL US AT (512) 972-5560.
AND WE WILL ARRANGE A TEST FOR YOU.
UM, THE VACCINE OPERATIONS, AGAIN, CONTINUING TO HAVE THAT LOW BARRIER ACCESS AT ALL OF OUR SITES.
WE HAVE, UM, INTERPRETATION AVAILABLE.
UM, WE'RE AT THE SIMS ELEMENTARY, UM, BECAUSE WE DEMOBILIZE DELCO AS OF THE 25TH OF THE MONTH AND WE'RE AT PFLUEGER HALL.
UM, AND WE IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT WE'RE NO LONGER AT THE EAST LIBRARY.
SO AT SIMS AND AT PFLUEGER HALL, THOSE ARE OUR TWO STATIC SITES WHERE YOU CAN COME
[00:40:01]
AND GET A VACCINE.UM, AND JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF THE MOBILE OPERATIONS THAT ARE PLANNED FOR MARCH, YOU CAN SEE, WE HAVE HOME VISITS ON THERE, A VARIETY OF APARTMENT COMPLEXES, BUSINESSES, SCHOOLS, CHURCHES, AND OTHER PLACES IN COMMUNITY WORK, FOLKS GATHER.
AND MORE IMPORTANTLY ARE IN THE ZIP CODES THAT WE HAVE IDENTIFIED OF NEEDING ADDITIONAL SUPPORT OR PROVIDE SERVICES TO THOSE PRIORITY POPULATIONS THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED.
SO WHAT ARE OUR MESSAGES THAT WE WANT YOU TO HELP SHARE, GET UP TO DATE WITH YOUR VACCINES IN ALL OF THE CDC GUIDANCE.
AND FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO WILL GO ON THE WEBSITE AND CLICK THROUGH, YOU'LL NOTICE THAT EACH LEVEL, IT TALKS ABOUT MASKING BEING AN ADDITIONAL LAYER OF PROTECTION THAT, UM, SOMEONE CAN, UM, USE.
AND SO THAT WE'RE GOING TO FOLLOW ON THAT LAYER OF YOUR PREVENTION STRATEGIES.
SO YOU'RE GOING TO STAY UP TO DATE.
YOU'RE GOING TO TEST WHEN YOU'RE SICK AND YOU'RE GOING TO WEAR MASKS TO MAXIMIZE YOUR PROTECTION FROM COVID-19.
UM, AND THE LAST MESSAGE STAY HOME.
IF YOU'RE ILL, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE FEELING SICK IN ORDER TO PROTECT, TO PROTECT YOUR COWORKERS, YOUR FRIENDS, FAMILY, AND LOVED ONES, STAY HOME AND GET TESTED ON THIS SLIDE JUST BRIEFLY GOES OVER OUR COMMUNICATION EFFORTS.
YOU SEE THE LOVELY DOCTOR WALKS WAS ON GOOD DAY, AUSTIN.
UM, WE WERE AT A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT COMMUNITY EVENTS.
WE CONTINUED TO HAVE OUR SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS.
THIS SLIDE HERE TALKS ABOUT THE COMMUNITY OUTREACH ACTIVITIES FOR THE MONTH OF, UM, FEBRUARY.
AND YOU CAN SEE THE DIFFERENT PLACES THAT WE WERE.
UM, I THOUGHT I HAD, OH, I DON'T HAVE ANOTHER SLIDE.
SO I'M JUST GOING TO TALK THROUGH THIS ONE, UM, PICTURED HERE ON MY TRADITIONAL THANK YOU SCREEN IS THE MATERNAL INFANT OUTREACH PROGRAM.
UM, AND THEY WERE AT AN EVENT, UM, AT THE, UH, EMPTY SUPERMARKET.
AND I THINK WHAT'S WONDERFUL ABOUT THIS PICTURE BECAUSE OF THE MATERNAL INFANT OUTREACH PROGRAM IS STAFFED BY COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS THAT ARE REFLECTIVE OF THE TARGET POPULATION.
WHEN WE'RE TRYING TO IMPROVE MATERNAL AND INFANT HEALTH OUTCOMES.
WE KNOW THAT BLACK MOMS LIVING IN AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY OFTEN HAVE A HIGHER INCIDENT OF, UM, HAVING A SEVERE OUTCOME AFTER GIVING BIRTH OR BLACK BABIES ARE MORE LIKELY TO DIE BEFORE REACHING ONE YEAR OF AGE.
AND SO UNDERSTANDING PART OF THAT FULL CIRCLE OF SUPPORT THAT WE GIVE IN SUPPORTING YOU THROUGH PREGNANCY AND THE BABY'S FIRST YEAR OF LIFE, WE KNOW THAT VACCINE COVERAGE IS IMPORTANT.
AND SO WE LAYER ON THOSE MESSAGING FOR OUR, UM, PRIORITY POPULATIONS.
THE OTHER SLIDE THAT, UM, INADVERTENTLY GOT OMITTED IS THE CONVERSATION ABOUT, UM, THE TRAVIS COUNTY AND CITY OF AUSTIN, UM, ILA.
UM, SO THE TEAMS, THE CROSS AGENCY TEAMS HAVE CONTINUED TO MEET ON A BI-WEEKLY BASIS TO DATE.
WE HAVE, UM, IRONED OUT THE TERMS OF WHAT OUR NEXT AGREEMENT WILL COVER.
AND THAT IS, UM, DECEMBER 31ST, 2021 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2022.
SO THAT'LL BRING US THROUGH THE END OF THIS FISCAL YEAR.
UM, AND WE CONTINUE TO LOOK AT EXPENSES BECAUSE THE GOAL HERE IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE MAXIMIZING OUR ABILITY AS A COMMUNITY, UM, TO GET REIMBURSED FOR THE SERVICES THAT WE'VE PROVIDED THUS FAR.
AND SO WE ARE STILL AT THE STAGE WHERE WE ARE, UM, CAREFULLY ANALYZING AND ASSESSING THOSE EXPENSES TO DATE AND PUTTING THEM IN CATEGORIES, UM, TO HELP STRUCTURE WHAT THE, THE CONTENT OF THE ILA WILL LOOK LIKE.
AND JUST TO, TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE OF TWO EASY THINGS, WE KNOW THAT, UM, THE TECHNOLOGY BUILD OUT FOR SALESFORCE THAT WILL CONTINUE TO HELP US, UM, TRACK, UM, COVID AS WELL AS OTHER COMMUNICABLE, THESE DISEASES MAY NOT BE REIMBURSABLE THROUGH PUBLIC ASSISTANCE.
AND SO THAT'S ONE OF THE CLEAR THINGS THAT WE KNOW WILL GO IN THE, IN THE COUNTY ILA, BECAUSE AS A COMMUNITY, WE KNOW HAVING THAT ACCESS AND THAT CAPABILITY IS IMPORTANT.
UM, AND SO THE NEXT TIME THAT WE'RE TOGETHER ON THE 29TH, WE SHOULD HAVE, UM, A MORE DETAILED UPDATE TO PROVIDE TO THIS BODY.
AND WITH THAT, UM, I THANK EVERYBODY FOR THEIR TIME TODAY AND I TURN IT BACK OVER TO THE JUDGE.
I THINK WE'RE GOING TO HIT IT OVER.
I KNOW WE'VE GOT, UH, CHUCK, DO YOU WANT TO LEAD INTO THE, THE, I THINK WE HAVE JUDGE CLIFF BROWN AND MAYBE OTHERS TALK ABOUT OPENING BACK UP THE COURTHOUSE, BUT I'LL TURN IT OVER TO YOU, CHUCK TO THE
[00:45:01]
THANK YOU.JUDGE BROWN MAYOR ADLER, I'M CHUCK BROTHERTON COUNTY EXECUTIVE FOR EMERGENCY SERVICES.
UH, WE ARE HERE TODAY TO UPDATE, UH, THE COURT AND THE COUNCIL ON THE ACTIVITIES OF OUR COUNTY VACCINATION COLLABORATIVE.
UH, WE WILL HEAR FROM CONSTABLE GEORGIA, MIRALIS WITH FRISEE PRECINCT FOR, UH, AND TODD HAMILTON WITH OUR CENTRAL TEXAS ALLIED HEALTH INSTITUTE.
WE ALSO HAVE, UH, THE HONORABLE AMY CLARK MEACHAM, UH, WITH OUR CIVIL DISTRICT COURT, AS WELL AS THE HONORABLE GLYPH BROWN WITH OUR CRIMINAL DISTRICT COURT, UH, AND JUDGES MEACHAM AND BROWN ARE HERE TODAY TO VISIT WITH YOU ALL ABOUT THE RESUMPTION OF JURY TRIALS, UH, IN OUR DISTRICT COURTS IN THE COUNTY, UH, WE WILL GET STARTED WITH AN UPDATE FROM CONSTABLE MORALES.
GOOD MORNING COMMISSIONERS COUNCIL MEMBERS, JUDGE, AND MAYOR.
THE GOAL OF THE MOBILE VACCINE TEAM IS TO CONTINUE TO OFFER BARRIER FREE VACCINES, OUTREACH EDUCATION, TO OUR MOST VULNERABLE ZIP CODES AND HARD TO REACH POPULATIONS THIS WEEK DUE TO INCLEMENT WEATHER, WE HAD TO CANCEL A FEW CLINICS, BUT WE, OUR TEAMS WERE STILL OUT THERE MUSCLING IT OUT WITH THE WEATHER AND MOTHER NATURE, AND WE WERE ABLE TO DO 301 VACCINES.
UM, FOR TOTAL VACCINES, UH, AS TODAY WOULD BE 10,265 VACCINES AFTER THE FIRST OF THE YEAR, UH, WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO SHOTS IN OUR HIGHLY EFFECTED ZIP CODES OF 7 8 7 4 1 4 4 5 8 5 3 DEL VALLEY, AUSTIN COLONY.
AND, UH, I THINK I SAID TWO, FOUR.
UM, WE WILL BE CONTINUING OUR WORK WITH THE INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICTS, UH, SPORES DEL VALLEY, ASD AND MANER.
UM, WE ARE, UH, TARGETING CHARTER SCHOOLS, UH, TO INCLUDE HARMONY IDEA WAYSIDE, AND I THINK AUSTIN ACHIEVE, UM, WE WILL CONTINUE STATIC LOCATIONS AT JDS GROCERIES AND LAMI GHANA STORES.
UH, ALSO THE EXPO HAS BEEN CLOSED THAT WE MOVED TO 40 11 MCKINNEY FALLS PARKWAY FOR OUR DRIVE-THROUGH.
UM, AND WE HAVE UPCOMING EVENTS AT AUSTIN FC.
UH, THE WELLNESS FAIR FOR MAYNOR MEXICAN COUNCIL.
IT RIGHT IS MIDDLE SCHOOLS AND SOUTHWEST KEYS.
AND I'LL TURN IT BACK OVER TO CHUCK.
THANK YOU, CONSTABLE, UH, MR. HAMPTON, IF YOU'D PROCEED.
GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE COMMISSIONERS, JUDGE.
UM, WE ARE CENTRAL TEXAS ALLIED HEALTH INSTITUTE ADDED TO THE NUMBERS OF WHAT CONSTABLE JUST REPORTED HAVE DONE 45, UH, VACCINATIONS FOR THIS WEEK.
UM, LARGELY DUE TO THE LOW NUMBER IS BECAUSE OF THE INCREMENT WEATHER.
AS PRIVILEGED AS PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED, WE CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THE COUNTY COALITION UNDER THE DIRECTION OF CHUCK AND I'M COMFORTABLE FOLLOWING THEIR LEAD AND CONTINUE TO, UH, VACCINATE MUSCLING OUT, UH, WHERE, WHERE, WHERE WERE THEY PERSON? WE HAVE EXTENDED OUR EFFORTS TO NOT ONLY BE AT THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN FOUNDATION, BUT TO A PARTNERSHIP WITH SOUTHWEST KEYS, UH, CONTINUING ALONG THE EASTERN CRESCENT TO, UH, TO CONTINUE TO GIVE VACCINATIONS TO THE PEOPLE WHO ARE IN NEED AND, UH, FOR THE PEOPLE WHO CAME AT GIVE TO NECESSARILY WHERE SOME OF THE STATIC LOCATIONS ARE AT.
THANK YOU, TODD, UH, JUDGE AND MAYOR, UH, AT THIS TIME I WILL TURN IT OVER TO Y'ALL FOR ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT WANT TO ASK OF APH OR THE COLLABORATIVE JUDGE BROWN.
I'LL LEAVE IT TO YOU TO LEAD THE CONVERSATION WITH JUDGES, MEACHAM AND BROWN.
I SEE A DISTRICT JUDGE, CLIFF BROWN.
SO, UM, WHY DON'T WE GO TO YOU AND THERE, I SEE JUDGE MEACHUM AS WELL.
SO BASICALLY JUST WANTED TO THANK Y'ALL.
I KNOW THAT Y'ALL HAVE BEEN WORKING REALLY HARD WITH DR WALKS AND, AND A LOT OF OTHER FOLKS TO, UH, GET JURIES, UH, UP AND RUNNING AND KEEP THEM UP AND RUNNING.
AND JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU ALL A CHANCE TO GIVE US AN UPDATE OR GIVE THE COMMUNITY AN UPDATE ON EITHER EFFORTS.
SO, UM, I JUDGE, UH, BROWN, SINCE I SEE YOU THERE FIRST, DO YOU WANNA, WOULD YOU MIND GIVING US AN UPDATE ABOUT WHERE WE ARE? I THINK YOU'RE, I THINK YOU'RE MUTED, SORRY TO BE HERE.
APPRECIATE COUNCIL, UM, AND COMMISSIONERS.
UM, AND SO JUST WANTED TO GIVE A BRIEF UPDATE ON WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING HERE IN THE DISTRICT COURTS IN TERMS OF WORKING OUR WAY BACK, UH, TO HAVING JURY TRIALS AND THE FIRST THING I'M, I'M PLEASED TO REPORT THAT WE ARE BACK ACTIVE, UH, HAVING TRIALS.
IN FACT, OUR FIRST TWO TRIALS, UH, BEGAN ON YESTERDAY.
UM, AND SO AS FATE WOULD HAVE IT, OUR TWO MOST SENIOR, UM, JUDGES, UH, JUDGE, UH, KENNEDY AND JUDGE , UH, ARE, UH, PRESIDING OVER THOSE TRIALS, WHICH I THINK WILL MAKE FOR A VERY, UH, SMOOTH PROCEEDING.
AND SO, UM, THE PLAN THAT WE PUT IN PLACE, UH, WAS EFFECTIVE AS OF YESTERDAY 2 28, AND I HAVE TO APPRECIATE,
[00:50:01]
UM, FIRST OF ALL, JUDGE BROWN, UM, AND WALKING WITH US THROUGH OUR ENTIRE PLAN.AND THEN OF COURSE I HAVE TO APPRECIATE DR.
WACHS, WE'VE WORKED STEP BY STEP WITH DR.
WACHS, UM, AND, UH, DIRECTOR STIRRUP.
UM, WE'VE MET WITH THEM TIME AGAIN AND TRYING TO BE, UH, IN ACCORD WITH ALL OF THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND, UM, AND SO THE PLAN, UH, THAT WAS TO BEGIN AS OF YESTERDAY, THE DIP BEGIN, UM, IS TO, UH, HAVE TWO JURY TRIALS, UM, HER, UH, WEEK.
UM, AND WE WILL HAVE TWO BACKUPS.
UM, WE DON'T WANT TO OVER RUN THE FACILITY WITH A BUNCH OF PEOPLE BY HAVING ALL THE COURTS UP AND RUNNING.
AND SO WE WANT TO COME BACK IN A MEASURED, A MEASURED WAY.
UM, AND SO, UM, THE PLAN HAS BEEN, UH, TO BRING IN PANELS IN A MUCH SMALLER INCREMENTS BECAUSE TYPICALLY WE WOULD HAVE PANELS AS MANY AS 75 PEOPLE.
AND SO WORKING WITH THE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM, UM, DR UH, WALKS AND THE APH, UH, WE DECIDED TO, UH, BRING IN SMALLER PANELS AND TO, UH, PICK JURIES IN AS MANY AS IT COULD BE UP TO THREE DAYS.
UH, BUT AS IT TURNS OUT, UH, I AM HAPPY TO REPORT THAT BOTH THE COURTS THAT BEGAN YOUR X-FILES ON YESTERDAY, UM, WILL, UH, IN ALL LIKELIHOOD BE ABLE TO, UH, COMPLETE THE JURY SELECTION BY TODAY ON THE SECOND DAY.
SO THE PLAN IS ABSOLUTELY WORKING.
UH, THE JURORS ARE MASKED WITH, UH, BEING ASKED SOCIALLY DISTANCE AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE WE'RE BRINGING THEM IN, IN MUCH SMALLER NUMBERS.
UM, AND WE, UH, ARE MASKING THEM.
AND WHEN THE TRIAL ACTUALLY BEGINS, AS OPPOSED TO BEING IN THE JURY BOX, THE YOURS WILL BE IN THE GALLERY WHERE THE PUBLIC WOULD BE.
AND THE, UM, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY IN A SOCIALLY DISTANCE MANNER.
AND THEN AS FAR AS, UH, ACTUAL DELIBERATIONS, THE DELIBERATIONS WILL BE IN THE COURTROOM, UH, OPPOSITE THE COURTROOM WHERE THE TRIAL IS BEING HELD.
SO THEY'LL ALSO BE ABLE TO BE IN A VERY SOCIALLY DISTANT MANNER.
UM, AND SO, UM, OUR, OUR IN, IN SIMILARLY, THE COUNTY COURTS ARE IN A VERY SIMILAR, UM, PLAN, UH, BUT MUCH SMALLER.
THEIR NEEDS ARE DIFFERENT IN THAT THE JURY, THE NUMBER OF JURORS IS A MUCH SMALLER, UH, BUT IT'S A VERY SIMILAR PLAN.
AND SO, UM, WE ARE HAPPY THAT, UH, WE ARE IN STAGE FOUR WERE HAPPY THAT WE ANNOUNCED THE BEING STAGE THREE TODAY.
AND, UH, PART OF THE PLAN HAS BEEN AS WELL.
UM, THAT WAS, UH, BROUGHT TO US BY JUDGE BROWN.
AND I'M HAPPY TO REPORT THAT ANYTIME JUDGE BROWN GETS INVOLVED, THINGS SEEM TO HAPPEN IN A VERY, UH, EXPEDITIOUS FASHION, SO THAT THAT'S BEEN VERY HELPFUL.
UM, AND I WANT TO GIVE AN APPRECIATION ALSO TO ACCEPT ROBINSON BECAUSE, UM, PART OF THE PLAN TO, UM, BEGIN, UH, WITH JURY TRIALS AGAIN, WAS RAISED, UM, AS THE POSSIBILITY OF TESTING JURORS NOW, UM, TUCK HAS BEEN EXTREMELY HELPFUL IN STRATEGIZING ORGANIZING FOR US TO ACTUALLY, UH, YOU KNOW, PERHAPS INTEGRATE THAT INTO OUR PLAN.
UM, THE COST IS COST IS QUITE A BIT.
UM, AND SO WE'RE HERE SAYING THAT, UM, AND WE APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK THAT CHUCK AND HIS TEAM, UM, HAS, UH, YOU KNOW, LAID OUT IN ORDER TO GET US TO THIS PLACE WHERE WE ACTUALLY KNOW WHAT THE COSTS WOULD BE, AND THE COST IS QUITE SIGNIFICANT.
AND SO, UM, WE HAVEN'T VOTED AS A BODY WHETHER OR NOT WE'RE GOING TO INTEGRATE THE, UH, TESTING YET.
AND SO, UM, IT'S AN OPTION, UM, THAT WE CAN INTEGRATE AT ANY TIME.
UH, BUT, YOU KNOW, WITH THE GOOD NEWS OF US BEING A STAGE THREE NOW WITH THE GOOD NEWS OF HOW SMOOTHLY THINGS HAVE GONE WITH THE TWO CASES THAT HAVE BEEN BROUGHT TO TRIAL, UH, WE'LL WAIT, WE'LL SEE.
AND, UM, WE'LL, UH, DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT, UM, IT IS SOMETHING THAT, UH, WE WANT TO DO IN TERMS OF ASKING THE COUNTY TO MAKE THESE TYPES OF EXPENDITURES FOR SOMETHING THAT MAY BE A VERY SHORT TERM THING.
AND I KNOW, AND JUDGE MEACHAM IS GOING TO UPDATE YOU ALL ON THE, UM, THE, UH, CIVIL DISTRICT COURTS.
AND I KNOW THEY'RE DOING SOME TESTING, BUT I'LL JUST NOTE THAT OUR NEEDS ARE, ARE DIFFERENT IN THAT, UH, OUR, OUR SITUATIONS ARE DIFFERENT.
WE HAVE, UH, UH, WAY MORE, UH, NUMBERS OF PERSONS THAT WE ARE ASKING TO COME AND NOT JUST ASKING.
AND SO THE NEEDS ARE DIFFERENT.
WE HAVE A, IT'S A LOT OF MORE PEOPLE.
AND, UM, SO AGAIN, WE'RE GOING TO KEEP EVERYTHING ON THE TABLE, UH, WITH THE HOPES THAT WE WILL, UM, KIND OF GET TO A PLACE WE'LL BE ABLE TO,
[00:55:01]
YOU KNOW, BEGIN A NORMAL PROCEEDING, BUT I'LL TELL YOU THAT, UH, WHAT WE ARE GOING TO DO IS FOLLOW THE BEST RECOMMENDATION OF THE AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH AUTHORITY AS WE MOVE FORWARD, UM, AND, UH, CONTINUE TO MASK UP AND TO BE AS SAFE AS POSSIBLE WITH OUR CITIZENS.THANK YOU VERY MUCH, JUDGE BROWN REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.
I KNOW EVERYBODY HERE REALLY APPRECIATES ALL THE, ALL THE WORK THAT YOU AND YOUR TEAM HAVE DONE TO GET THOSE JURY TRIALS GOING.
UM, I'D SEE, JUDGE AMY CLARK MEACHAM.
HOW ARE YOU DOING TODAY? THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
HOW'S IT LOOK ON THE CIVIL SIDE.
I'M UM, IT IS EXACTLY CORRECT.
WHAT JUDGE BROWN JUST SAID ABOUT THE CIVIL AND THE CRIMINAL, UH, HAVING VASTLY DIFFERENT, UM, NEEDS AND STAKEHOLDERS, AND ALSO THE CHALLENGES THEY'VE HAD BRINGING THINGS BACK IN PERSON, BUT I WANT TO TAKE A STEP BACK, UM, BEFORE I DO THANK YOU TO JUDGE BROWN, THANK YOU TO MAYOR ADLER COMMISSIONER'S COURT AND CITY COUNCIL FOR HAVING ME HERE TODAY.
AND I WANT TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF A QUICK, IT'S NOT GOING TO BE LONG BACKGROUND OF HOW, YOU KNOW, WHETHER THE COVID STORM HERE WITH THE CIVIL AND FAMILY COURTS AND KIND OF WHAT OUR PROCESS IS GOING FORWARD IN 2022.
SO AS Y'ALL REMEMBER, IN MARCH OF 20 22, 20 20, UM, WE TALKED FOR ABOUT SHUTTING DOWN FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS AND THE IN-PERSON OPERATIONS, AND HERE WE ARE 24 MONTHS LATER.
UM, BUT WHILE THE IN-PERSON OPERATIONS AT THE CIVIL AND FAMILY COURTHOUSE HAVE BEEN LIMITED, OUR JUDGES AND COURT STAFF HAD WORKED MORE THIS PAST TWO YEARS THAN ANY TIME ON MY, IN MY 11 YEARS ON THE BENCH.
UM, THE BAR HAS BEEN INCREDIBLE AT ADAPTING TO THE CHANGING LEGAL LANDSCAPE AND THE PUBLIC LITIGANTS AND STAKEHOLDERS HAVE BEEN VERY RESPONSIVE, RESPONSIVE, AND APPRECIATIVE TO THE EFFORTS WE'VE MADE AND ADJUSTED WITH THE TIMES WE HAVE REACHED AND NOW EXCEEDED HEARING NUMBERS FROM OUR PRE PANDEMIC DOCKETS ALL WHILE MOSTLY REMAINING VIRTUAL AND KEEPING THE PUBLIC SAFE FROM EXPOSURE TO THE CORONAVIRUS.
THIS HAS BEEN A REMARKABLE FEAT, AND I AM REALLY PROUD OF ALL THE WORK THAT ALL THE JUDGES AND OUR STAFF, AS WELL AS THE CONSTABLES AND THE CLERK'S OFFICE HAVE PUT IN TO MAKING THAT HAPPEN.
WE ACTUALLY CONDUCTED MORE HEARINGS ON OUR CIVIL AND SHORT DOCKETS, UM, AND ON OUR FAMILY DOCKETS IN 2021.
SO IN SOME, OUR CIVIL COURTS HAVE BEEN OPERATING AT HIGHER THAN PRETENDED CAPACITY IN THE VIRTUAL PLATFORM.
AND WE'VE BEEN DOING BEST IN ALL AREAS, EXCEPT JURY TRIALS.
WE HAVE CONDUCTED DURING THIS TIME 30 VIRTUAL JURY TRIALS AND HAVE BEEN HAVING IN-PERSON TRIALS.
WHEN THE COUNTY HAS BEEN BELOW STAGE FIVE, IT'S HARD TO RAMP UP FOR JURY TRIALS IN PERSON.
AND SO WE ARE ACTUALLY ON OUR FOURTH ONE THIS WEEK, AND WE HAVE FOUND SOMETHING INTERESTING THAT WHEN WE HAVE OFFERED TO THE BAR AND WE HAVE OFFERED TO THE PUBLIC THAT IN-PERSON TRIALS AND VIRTUAL TRIALS, WE ACTUALLY HAVE SOME PEOPLE CHOOSING VIRTUAL.
UM, WE DON'T KNOW YET IF THAT'S GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT CONTINUES BEYOND COVID, BUT WE HAVE PUT SO MUCH EFFORT AND WORK INTO THIS VIRTUAL JURY TRIAL.
UH, PEOPLE LIKE JUDGE KAREN CRUMP AND JUDGE MY HARA GAMBLE, JUDGE SOYFER, WHO'S TRYING ONE RIGHT NOW, IF YOU ACTUALLY WANT TO GO TO HER WEBSITE AND WATCH HER TRYING A CASE VIRTUALLY, UM, DOING THIS WORK THAT WE HAVE PEOPLE SELECTING VIRTUAL OVER IN PERSON.
NOW, WE ALSO KNOW THAT THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE WHO WANT TO BE BACK IN PERSON.
AND OUR NEW PLAN IS TO HAVE JURY PANELS AVAILABLE FOR FIVE JURY TRIALS, STARTING AT THE END OF MARCH THREE IN PERSON AND TWO VIRTUAL EVERY WEEK FOR THE REMAINDER OF EVERY JURY WEEK FOR THE REMAINDER OF SPRING AND SUMMER, WE WORK WITH DR.
WACHS, WE HAVE KIND OF A, UM, A LOWER DOLLAR TESTING OPTION THAT WE'RE PILOTING TODAY AS PART OF OUR PILOT PROGRAM FOR IN-PERSON TRIALS.
I DON'T HAVE A FULL PICTURE OF HOW IT WORKED OR NOT.
WE WERE ACTUALLY HAD SOME, UM, SOME LVNS HELPING US THAT WE HAVE, UH, ON A CONTRACT WHO ARE HANDING OUT RAPID ANTIGEN TESTING TO THE PANELS.
AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE SOME INFORMATION LATER TODAY.
IT'S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW ABOUT HOW THAT WORKED OR DIDN'T WORK OUR FOR YESTERDAY.
AND IT WAS SUPPOSED TO GO FORWARD SETTLED AT THE LAST MINUTE.
SO THAT HAPPENS A LOT ON THE CIVIL SIDE AS WELL.
SO THERE'S GREAT NEWS ON THE HORIZON.
I'M GOING TO LET YOU KNOW, AS WE TAKE THIS OUT FOR THE REST OF 2022, ALL OF YOU KNOW, THIS, YOU MIGHT'VE REMEMBERED THAT WE'RE IN A 91 YEAR OLD BUILDING AND PRE PANDEMIC.
THE VENTILATION WAS CHALLENGED.
UM, WE HAD A LOT OF SPACING ISSUES WAS ALSO DAMAGED PRETTY SIGNIFICANTLY LAST YEAR DURING THE WINTER STORM.
AND BECAUSE WE'RE MOSTLY VIRTUAL, WE'RE JUST NOW GETTING BACK INTO ALL OF THOSE, UH, UPDATES AND CHANGES, BUT WE WANT TO BE VERY MINDFUL OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS WITH OUR GREAT NEW COURTHOUSE AROUND
[01:00:01]
THE CORNER.SO WE ARE GOING TO, UH, WORK WITH YOU ALL WORK WITH OURSELVES AND PLAN FOR WHAT HAS TO BE BACK IN PERSON IN A VERY MEASURED WAY AND WHAT WE NEED TO GET BACK USING THE BUILDING CORRECTLY, GIVING AS MUCH IN PERSON AS WE CAN, BUT ALSO BEING MINDFUL OF THE TAXPAYER DOLLARS AND OUR GREAT, EXCITING NEW BUILDING RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER, UM, BY JANUARY OF 2023.
SO I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT AND HELPING US THROUGH THIS TIME.
UM, OUR PLANNING RIGHT NOW IS FIGURING OUT HOW WE CONTINUE TO MEET THE DEMANDS OF OUR FAR AND OUR PUBLIC AND KEEP PEOPLE SAFE ALONG WITH THE HELP OF DR.
WACHS AND, UH, THE LEADERSHIP IN THIS COUNTY AND CITY.
SO THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME HERE THIS MORNING, AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
UH, AND THANK YOU AGAIN, JUST CLIFF BROWN.
SO RIGHT NOW, I GUESS, CHUCK, SHOULD WE TURN IT OVER TO THE QUESTIONS FROM COMMISSIONERS AND COUNCIL MEMBERS? OR DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE, JUDGE? I THINK IT'S TIME FOR QUESTIONS.
SO, UM, WE'RE, WE'LL GO THROUGH THE NORMAL ORDER TODAY.
I KNOW THAT, UH, TODAY IS ELECTION DAY AND EVERYBODY WANTS TO GO VOTE AFTERWARDS.
SO I THINK ON OUR SIDE, WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO KEEP IT TO ONE QUESTION EACH AND, UM, Y'ALL MAY WANT TO DO THE SAME.
UH, I WILL START OUT WITH, UH, COMMISSIONER GOMEZ AT SEE IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS AND THEN GO OVER TO THE CITY AFTER OUR, I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, JUST A, I'M REALLY GLAD TO HEAR THE REPORTS THAT WE'RE MAKING PROGRESS AND TRYING TO GO BACK TO STAGE THREE.
IT'S STILL, I THINK, CALLS FOR REAL BEING REAL CAREFUL ABOUT MASKING.
UH, AND, AND SO, UM, I THINK WE ALL NEED TO KIND OF MAKE THAT DECISION FOR OURSELVES, UH, USE SOME COMMON SENSE AND, UM, AND TO TRY TO DEFEAT THIS IS THIS ISSUE, UM, THE COLLECTIVE, UH, TEAM, UM, I'M STILL VERY PROUD OF, OF THE WORK THAT THEY ARE DOING TIRELESSLY AND IT SOUNDS LIKE OUR COURT SYSTEM IS REALLY WORKING, UH, WELL WITH, WITH, UH, OTHER FOLKS THAT ARE ANOTHER COLLABORATIVE.
AND SO THAT WE COULD KIND OF, UM, MAKE IT EASIER FOR PEOPLE TO CO TO START PARTICIPATING IN THE PROCESS THAT, THAT, UH, BRINGS BETTER CRIMINAL JUSTICE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HANGING IN THERE AND CONTINUING TO DO THE GOOD WORK.
I MEAN, OUR, UH, OUR STAFF ACROSS THE CITY AND THE COUNTY HAD JUST DONE HEROIC WORK AND, UM, IT'S A, IT'S A SOMBER UPDATE TO HEAR THAT A TOTAL OF 1,350 PEOPLE HAVE DIED FROM COVID.
SO, UM, ALL OF THE PRECAUTIONS, ALL OF THE URGES TO CONTINUE, YOU KNOW, MASKING WHERE, WHERE YOU THINK THERE'S ANY, UH, YOU KNOW, POTENTIAL, UM, ISSUES OR, OR DANGER, UM, AND MAKING SURE THAT YOUR, THAT YOU GET YOUR BOOSTERS, IF THEY RECOMMEND AN ADDITIONAL BOOSTER, UM, CLEARLY THE VACCINES HAVE WORKED AND HAVE SAVED LIVES.
SO THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR WORK.
UM, I JUST WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY, UH, FOR, UH, FOR THE FANTASTIC WORK THAT THEY HAVE DONE ON A CONSISTENT BASIS AND THE SACRIFICE THAT THEY'VE MADE, UH, TO, TO HELP BUILD A DELIVERY SYSTEM AS A PUBLIC DELIVERY SYSTEM, WHEN THE PRIVATE DELIVERY SYSTEM, UH, DID NOT SERVE AS WELL AS IT COULD HAVE.
UM, MY QUESTION IS GOING TO BE, UM, YOU KNOW, LAST WEEK WE HAD OUR TEAM PUT TOGETHER A LESSONS LEARNED REPORT AFTER STORM URI, AND WE GOT THE REPORT AND IT GAVE US A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE SHOULD DOCUMENT REMEMBER AND USE IF WE HAVE THAT TYPE OF SITUATION.
AGAIN, I'M WONDERING WHETHER WE HAVE PUT THE SAME TYPE OF LESSONS LEARNED REPORT WITH OUR COVID EXPERIENCE TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE LEARNED, WE, UH, WE KNOW THAT WE'RE GOING THROUGH A PERIOD NOW WHERE THE NUMBERS ARE GOING DOWN, AND THAT IS WONDERFUL.
HOWEVER, I DON'T THINK THAT THIS PROCESS IS OVER NOW.
I THINK IT'S GOING TO IMPACT POOR PEOPLE CONTINUALLY.
AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN WE LEARN LESSONS FROM THE PROCESS THAT WE DOCUMENT THEM SO THAT THEY CAN BE A SOURCE OF THAT INFORMATION, THAT KNOWLEDGE BASE, UH, CAN BE USED IN THE FUTURE.
UH, IF WE HAVE ANOTHER INSTANCE WHERE THE RATE OF INFECTION INCREASES AGAIN.
SO I GUESS THE QUESTION IS, HAVE WE DEVELOPED A LESSONS LEARNED GUIDE FOR COVID WHAT'S THAT FOR CHILD, FOR SOMEONE TO ANSWER IT? I SEE, I SEE ADRIAN TALKING, BUT I'LL, I'LL TAKE A FIRST, GO AHEAD, ADRIAN.
ADRIAN, I'LL TAKE A FIRST CRACK.
AND THEN, THEN YOU, SO COMMISSIONER TREVELYAN, IT'S AN
[01:05:01]
EXCELLENT QUESTION.UH, THE AFTER ACTION REVIEW PROCESS, THE OVERALL AFTER ACTION REVIEW PROCESS FOR OUR COVID RESPONSE ON THE COUNTY SIDE, UH, HAS NOT YET BEGUN THAT WE CERTAINLY ARE TALKING ABOUT IT.
AND WE HAVE DONE SOME SMALL AFTER ACTION THINGS ABOUT SOME OF THE, SOME OF THE PARTICULAR ACTIVITIES SUCH AS THE, THERE WAS AN AAR DONE, I BELIEVE FOR THE FIRST ALTERNATE CARE SITE ACTIVATION.
AND THAT HAPPENED LAST YEAR AT THE AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER.
BUT AS WE LOOK AT THE AAR PROCESS AND THAT'S THE AFTER ACTION REVIEW PROCESS, WE KNOW THAT IT WILL BE AN ENORMOUS UNDERTAKING THAT IT WILL INVOLVE BOTH CITY AND COUNTY AND A MULTIPLE AGENCIES ACROSS BOTH OF THOSE ORGANIZATIONS, AS WELL AS OUR PARTNER AGENCIES.
SO WE ARE PLANNING TO BEGIN AT SOON, UH, UH, AND WE WILL BE LOOKING AT WHAT IT'S GOING TO TAKE IN TERMS OF HIRING SOME OUTSIDE ASSISTANCE TO HELP US GET THAT DONE.
AND JUST TO ADD ON TO THAT, UM, WE DID WORK WITH HAGGERTY THROUGH HAYSOM TO DO A MID INCIDENT AFTER ACTION, UM, IN 2021 TO, TO LOOK AT LESSONS LEARNED UP TO THAT POINT, AND THAT DID INCLUDE LOOKING AT OPERATIONS LIKE THE ALTERNATE CARE SIDE AND IDENTIFYING TRIGGERS, UM, TO, UH, FOR A LEVELS OF ELC ACTIVATION, AS WELL AS RESPONSE INTERNALLY.
UM, IN APH, WE HAVE, UH, CONTRACTED WITH, UH, JOHN TO HELP US DO EXACTLY THAT THROUGH SURVEYING OF STAFF AND LOOKING AT ALL THE DATA THAT WE'VE COLLECTED.
WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT WE'VE LEARNED? WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO, YOU KNOW, CONTINUOUS QUALITY IMPROVEMENT ADD INTO THE SOUP.
AND, UH, ONE ARE THE THINGS WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT FOR THE NEXT TIME.
SO THAT HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROCESS FOR THE DEPARTMENT IN TERMS OF OUR RESPONSE ACTIVITIES.
AND IF THAT DOCUMENT IS SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN SHARE WITH US, I CERTAINLY WOULD LIKE TO, TO GAIN LOOK AT, I THINK WE CAN PUT TOGETHER A HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW OF THE WORKING DOCUMENT AND SHARE WITH THIS BODY.
THANK YOU, JUDGE AMY AND JUDGE CLIFF.
I KNOW Y'ALL, HAVEN'T REALLY SLOWED DOWN AT ALL OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS, BUT IT'S SO IMPORTANT TO ALL OF US TO, YOU KNOW, RESUME IN PERSON TRIAL SO THAT PEOPLE CAN JUSTICE CAN BE HAD.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR WORKING SO HARD.
A DOCTOR WALKS ON THE MASK THING.
I THINK YOU'RE SAYING INDOORS COUNTY POLICY SHOULD BE THAT PEOPLE STILL WEAR MASKS, BUT WE SEEM TO BE INTERPRETING IT THAT WE CAN ALL MAKE OUR OWN DECISION ABOUT WEARING A MASK.
NO, ONE'S WEARING A MASK EXCEPT FOR US ELECTED OFFICIALS.
SO I JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT GOOD IT'S DOING TO HAVE THAT BR COUNTY POLICY, LIKE, ESPECIALLY FOR THE FESTIVALS.
I MEAN, THE ERWIN CENTER WAS PACKED LAST NIGHT AND THERE WERE A DOZEN PEOPLE WITH MASKS ON.
SO I'M JUST NOT SURE WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO.
SO W W AT THIS POINT WE ARE LOOKING AT THRESHOLD AND WE'RE ASKING THE COMMUNITY TO MASK INDOORS BECAUSE WE'RE ANTICIPATING A LARGE INFLUX OF PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE COUNTRY AND DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE WORLD AND ASKING FOR MASKING INDOORS TO HELP PROTECT, UM, OUR COMMUNITY AND THOSE THAT ARE VISITING OUR COMMUNITIES.
AND WE'RE LOOKING AHEAD AT, IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS, UM, TO ADOPT THE NEW GUIDANCE, UM, WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT, UM, THAT NEW GUIDANCE IS MORE OF A, AN INDIVIDUAL BASED GUIDANCE.
UM, AND WE'RE PROVIDING FROM A PUBLIC HEALTH STANDPOINT, NOT ONLY INDIVIDUAL BASED GUIDANCE, BUT ALSO, UM, LOOKING AT OUR COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE ITS UNIQUENESS.
THE THINGS THAT WE'RE SEEING, UM, THAT ARE, ARE GOING TO BE OCCURRING IN OUR COMMUNITY AND PROVIDING GUIDANCE FROM THE HEALTH AND SAFETY PERSPECTIVE TO PROTECT AND PREVENT SPREAD OF DISEASE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
I, I UNDERSTAND AND AGREE WITH YOU.
UM, THE NEW GUIDANCE WILL, UM, SUPPORT PEOPLE WHO CHOOSE TO WEAR A MASK WHO ARE AT RISK.
UM, IT ALSO CLEARLY TALKS ABOUT HAVING PEOPLE REMAINED UP TO DATE AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS WILL BE FASHIONED IN THE NEW GUIDANCE THAT WE PRODUCE IN THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS.
UM, AND WE'RE USING OUR CURRENT GUIDANCE TO, UM, CONTINUE ON FOR THESE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS UNTIL WE GET THE DATA IN THE NEW THRESHOLD, UM, WORKED OUT.
[01:10:01]
IN PRACTICALITY, THE ARE WHAT SO PEOPLE GATHERING IN A CONFERENCE ROOM DURING SOUTH BY OUR EXPECTATION WILL BE THAT THEY WILL ALL WEAR A MASK IN THAT CONFERENCE ROOM.WACHS, UH, OR IF YOU'RE TALKING YOU'RE MUTED, WE'VE GOT A LITTLE, CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? YES.
THE ORGANIZERS FOR SOUTH BY ARE, UM, REQUIRING MASKING IN, UM, VENUES THAT ARE ON CITY PROPERTY AND RECOMMENDING MASKING IN VENUES THAT ARE NOT ON CITY PROPERTY.
AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT THEY'RE CHOOSING TO DO BECAUSE THEY ARE PARTNERS WITH OUR, OUR CITY AND THEY WANT TO PROVIDE THAT LAYER OF PROTECTION FOR OUR CITIZENS AND OUR COMMUNITY.
I KNOW WE'VE TALKED A LOT OVER THE WEEKEND AS WITH, UH, THE MAYOR AND THE CITY MANAGER AND FOLKS FROM THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND EVERYTHING.
CAUSE I KNOW THAT THIS IS HARD AND I JUST WANT TO TAKE A SECOND TO RECOGNIZE THE WORK THAT YOU HAVE DONE AND THE GUIDANCE YOU AND MARK SCOTT HAVE GIVEN US, DR.
S SCOTT PREVIOUSLY THAT HAS LED TO, IF MY NUMBERS ARE RIGHT, SOME PRETTY, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT, THAT LOOKS VERY GOOD FOR TRAVIS COUNTY.
SO IT'S A GRIM SET OF STATISTICS, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE IN, BASED ON THE NEW YORK TIMES SORT OF NUMBERS, ONE OUT OF 764 PEOPLE HAVE DIED OF COVID IN TRAVIS COUNTY.
DOES THAT SOUND LIKE A RIGHT NUMBER, AN ACCURATE NUMBER? DR.
WILKES SOMEWHERE AROUND THERE? I THINK I'M HOPEFULLY NOT QUOTING SOMETHING OFF, BUT WHEN YOU COMPARE THAT TO ONE OUT OF 341 IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, SO IT'S, IT'S ABOUT HALF THE RATE HERE IN TRAVIS COUNTY.
AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT OTHER COUNTIES AROUND US, I I'VE YET TO FIND A COUNTY WITH, WITH A LOWER DEATH RATE FRANKLY THAN TRAVIS COUNTY.
EL PASO IS ONE OUT OF 232 KIRK COUNTY, ONE OUT OF 301 HARRIS COUNTY, ONE OUT OF 442 DALLAS COUNTY, ONE OUT OF 420 HAYES WENT OUT OF 4 77.
YOU CAN BEAR THAT EVEN TO OTHER STATES.
I THINK LET'S SEE, CALIFORNIA IS ONE OUT OF 462.
SOMETIMES THE METHODS THAT YOU AND ME AND THE MAYOR AND OTHERS HAVE RECOMMENDED, AND THIS COMMISSIONER'S COURT AND THE CITY COUNCIL HAVE RECOMMENDED.
IT'S NOT, THIS IS NOT SOMETHING WE'VE ALL DONE BEFORE.
UH, BUT I, I JUST WANT TO COMMEND THE COLLECTIVE EFFORTS OF THESE TWO BODIES AND AUSTIN, PUBLIC HEALTH AND OTHERS, UH, FOR ALL THE EFFORTS THAT WE'VE DONE COLLECTIVELY TO KEEP FRANKLY, THAT, THAT NUMBER IN A BETTER PLACE THAN IT WOULD HAVE BEEN.
IF WE HADN'T DONE ALL OF THESE REALLY SOMETIMES UNPLEASANT AND TOUGH THINGS.
SO I JUST, I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU, UH, TO YOU AND THE TEAM AND WITH THAT I'LL, I'LL PASS.
I DON'T REALLY HAVE A QUESTION THAT YOU CAN RESPOND TO IF YOU WANT, BUT, UM, HOPEFULLY MY NUMBERS THAT I CITED WEREN'T COMPLETELY WRONG.
UH, MAYOR, I'LL HAND IT OVER TO YOU.
UH, COLLEAGUES, WE'RE GOING TO START WITH A DISTRICT ONE, WORK OUR WAY UP TO A DISTRICT 10 A AND I'LL REMIND YOU THAT THE JUDGE HAS ASKED US TO TRY TO LIMIT TO ONE QUESTION, UH, SO THAT, UH, HE AND THE COURT AND OTHERS CAN, CAN GET OUT TODAY ON ELECTION DAY.
SO WE'LL GO AHEAD AND BEGIN WITH COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER, MADISON.
I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, SO, OKAY.
UH, CATHERINE, FOR THIS, THANK YOU.
UM, FIRST, YOU KNOW, JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO AUSTIN, PUBLIC HEALTH STAFF FOR ALL OF YOUR HARD WORK AND TO OUR COUNTY COLLABORATIVE.
UM, WE I'VE BEEN SO THRILLED THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO KEEP A VACCINE AND A TESTING SITE AND THE FOUR, FOUR ZIP CODE AS WELL AS IN DEL VALLEY, UM, THROUGH TARGETED EFFORTS THROUGH POP-UP CLINICS.
AND I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU, UM, FOR ALL OF YOUR HARD WORK THAT THROUGHOUT THIS PANDEMIC.
I KNOW THAT WE DEMOBILIZE, UH, THE VACCINE SIDE AT THE PUBLIC LIBRARY BECAUSE THE COMMUNITY WANTED TO HAVE THEIR LIBRARY BACK ON SATURDAYS.
WE WERE ABLE TO, TO IDENTIFY, UH, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE COUNTY, UM, ON ALTERNATIVES AND I STILL WANT TO STRESS THAT FOR COMMUNITIES LIKE MINE.
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC HEALTH RACISM, BEING A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS COMMUNITIES LIKE MINE DON'T HAVE THAT BUILT ENVIRONMENT THAT WAS REFERENCED.
SO WE HAVE ONE STANDALONE PHARMACY IN THE 44 ZIP CODE, AND THEY'RE NOT OFFERING VACCINES, MY TEAM CALLED AND CHECK.
AND SO THEY WOULD KEEP MAKING SURE THAT APH HAS A SAFETY NET IS GOING TO BE CRITICAL FOR US MOVING FORWARD.
[01:15:01]
UM, I DID HAVE, I GUESS I'LL HAVE ONE QUESTION, BUT I WANTED IT BEFORE I MOVE INTO MY QUESTION.I KNOW, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER VELA IS GOING TO BE ASKING SOME QUESTIONS AROUND OUR SHELTERING CAPACITY, UM, AND EFFORTS TO, TO INCREASE OUR, UH, BED CAPACITY OR TO UTILIZE THE BEDS IN OUR SHELTERS.
I'M, I'M FULLY SUPPORTIVE THAT.
AND LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT CONVERSATION, UH, MY QUESTION IS ABOUT, UM, SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST.
UM, WHAT IS, WHAT ARE WE DOING KNOWING THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE HAVING MANY, UM, TOURISTS IN TOWN, UH, AS WELL AS OUR COMMUNITY WILL BE OUT IN FULL FORCE, ENJOYING THE ACTIVITIES.
UM, WHAT IS OUR PLANS FOR, UM, EDUCATIONAL MITIGATION? UM, HOW WILL WE ENSURE THAT FOLKS, UH, WHO NEED IT OR WANT IT, UM, GET THAT SECOND DOSE, GET THAT BOOSTER AND, OR GET TESTED.
ARE WE OFFERING, UM, LIKE WILL APH HAVE A PRESENCE AT SOUTH BY AND OFFERING RAPID TEST KITS? I MEAN, WHAT, WHAT IS THE CITY DOING ON THAT END? AT THIS TIME, WE DON'T HAVE A PLAN TO BE PRESENT AT SOUTH BY TO OFFER TESTING, BUT THAT DEFINITELY IS A CONVERSATION THAT WE CAN HAVE WITH THE ORGANIZERS.
UM, LEADING UP TO THE EVENT JUST AS WE ARE TRYING TO PREP THE COMMUNITY FOR SPRING BREAK TRAVEL, WE ARE GOING TO REITERATE THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING UP TO DATE WITH THE VACCINES.
UH, WE WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE OUR MOBILE TEAMS BE IN, IN PLACES WHERE IT MAKES SENSE ACCORDING TO THE DATA AND WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT, UM, THE USE OF MASKING.
UM, SO ALL OF THOSE THINGS, THAT LAYERED PROTECTION STRATEGY THAT WILL KEEP COMMUNITIES SAFE, MAKING SURE THAT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT INDIVIDUAL RISK, PEOPLE KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS FOR THEM INTIMATELY, SO THEY CAN MAKE GOOD DECISIONS.
UM, BUT DEFINITELY OPEN TO ANYTHING THAT DR.
WACHS WOULD LIKE TO ADD TO THAT THE ORGANIZERS ARE PLANNING TO HAVE A TESTING VENDOR AVAILABLE FOR THE PARTICIPANTS, UM, OF THE FESTIVALS.
SO, UM, THEY WILL HAVE THAT AVAILABLE THERE.
AND AS DIRECTOR STIRPES SAID, WE WILL HAVE OUR, UM, USUAL, UM, STATIC SITES AND POP-UP VENUES.
AND AS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT FOR OUR CONTINUING TO SUPPORT INDOOR MASKING AND, UH, IN THE CITY DURING THIS TIME OF FALL FESTIVALS, WE HAVE BEEN THANK YOU.
I, UM, YOU KNOW, TO A LARGE EXTENT THAT WE'RE, WE'RE SHARING ABOUT, UM, THE PROGRESS THAT WE'VE MADE AS A COUNTY.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT AS WE HAVE VISITORS TO OUR CITY, THAT WE'RE ABLE TO SHOWCASE, YOU KNOW, HOW WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO KEEP AUSTIN HEALTHY AND SAFE.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, ENSURING THAT, UM, TO THE EXTENT THAT THE ORGANIZERS HAVE, UM, TESTING OPPORTUNITIES, YOU KNOW, THAT MAY, IS, DOES THAT MEAN LIKE ONE LOCATION? I THINK WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO NEED MULTIPLE SPOTS THROUGHOUT, UM, OUR DOWNTOWN AREA, UH, TO MAKE IT EASILY ASSESSABLE.
UM, JUST KNOWING THAT WE WANT TO SLOW THE SPREAD AND EVERYONE IS SUPER EXCITED ABOUT BEING IN STAGE THREE THAT I'D HATE TO LOSE IT A FEW WEEKS FROM NOW.
AND, UM, ALSO THANK YOU, UH, DR.
WALKS, I THINK YOU'D LIKE THIS I'M WEARING MY, UM, KEEP AUSTIN HEALTHY MASK.
AND SO IN SUPPORT OF OUR STAGE THREE AND LOOKING FORWARD TO GOING EVEN LOWER.
IS A COUNCIL MEMBER AT THE RIO WITH US.
I KNOW HE HAD AN EVENT THIS MORNING.
WHAT ABOUT, UM, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER VELA.
THANK YOU, UH, FOR THE PRESENTATION, VERY HEARTENED TO, UH, TO HEAR THE, THE GOOD NEWS ON, UH, COVID.
UH, I DID WANT TO ASK ABOUT WHAT THE PLANS ARE WITH REGARD TO, UH, INCREASING THE SHELTER CAPACITY, UH, IN PARTICULAR AT THE, UH, AT THE ARCH.
UH, I UNDERSTAND THAT WE'RE AT ABOUT 50%, UH, CAPACITY AND THERE HAVE BEEN A NUMBER OF, UH, OF CAMP ENCAMPMENT REMOVALS, AND, EH, AND AGAIN, BECAUSE OF A, OF, OF PROP B, THOSE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE AND I AM ANXIOUS TO GET ADDITIONAL CAPACITY, ADDITIONAL SHELTER AVAILABLE, UH, FOR OUR HOMELESS POPULATION.
AND I JUST WANTED TO SEE WHAT Y'ALL ARE THINKING WITH REGARD TO INCREASING SHELTER CAPACITY AND WHAT TRIGGERS WE'RE LOOKING FOR, UH, TO, UH, INCREASE, UH, UH, UH, THE, UH, CITY OF AUSTIN SHELTER CAPACITY.
[01:20:01]
COUNCIL MEMBER VELA.WE ARE, UM, IN THE PROCESS OF ASSESSING THE, UM, THE SHELTER HAS UNDERGONE SOME RENOVATION THAT'S NOW COMPLETED.
SO WE ANTICIPATE THAT THERE WILL BE AVAILABLE SPACE TO INCREASE CAPACITY, AS YOU ARE KNOW, IN A CONGREGATE SETTING.
UM, THERE IS AN INCREASED RISK OF SPREAD OF VIRUS, UM, PARTICULARLY AS WE, UM, HAVE A SITUATION WHERE WE HAVE, UH, UH, POPULATION HAS VACCINE STATUS WERE ON CLEAR ABOUT AND UNABLE TO ASCERTAIN UNLESS IT'S GOOD INFORMATION HAS GIVEN VOLUNTARILY.
SO THAT PROPOSES, UM, A LIMITATION, UM, ON UNFORTUNATELY, HOWEVER, WITH THE EXPANSION THAT'S LIKELY TO BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS NEW SPACE THAT'S AVAILABLE.
UM, WE'RE HOPEFUL THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO INCREASE OUR CAPACITY AND WE'RE CONTINUING TO CON TO ENCOURAGE VACCINE, UM, VACCINATIONS TO THE PEOPLE THAT ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS THAT ARE, UM, USING THE SHELTER.
AND WE'RE ALSO, UM, HAVE OFFER OFFERING.
WE ARE OFFERING TESTING SO THAT, UM, THAT FACILITY HAS, UM, IS ABLE TO MAXIMIZE ITS CAPACITY AND ALSO REMAIN, UM, FREE OF AN OUTBREAK.
UM, WE CURRENTLY HAVE AN ISO FACT OR ISOLATION FACILITY FOR THOSE WHO, UH, HAS POSITIVE AS WE MOVE THROUGH THIS TRANSITION, UM, FROM A SURGE TO A BREAK IN THAT SEARCH.
UM, WE'LL BE DISCUSSING DIVA NOVELIZATION PLANS.
SO THAT'S ANOTHER FACTOR THAT WILL WEIGH IN BECAUSE, UM, THOSE GROUPS TESTED POSITIVE AT THE SHELTER HAS BEEN ISOLATING AT THE ISOLATION FACILITY.
UM, SO THAT'S THE FACTOR THAT WILL WEIGH IN.
AND, UM, SO THERE ARE MANY THINGS THAT WE'LL BE LOOKING AT AND, UM, WE WILL DEFINITELY KEEP YOU APPRISED OF OUR PROGRESS AND, AND, UM, REBELS WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO EXPANDING CAPACITY.
AND, UM, UH, THE FOLLOW-UP, IF WE MADE THE DECISION AND ANNOUNCED THE DECISION, UM, MY OTHER CONCERN IS, IS THE ARCH READY TO GO IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, STAFFING RESOURCES TO ADD, LET'S SAY, YOU KNOW, 30, 40, UH, SHELTER BEDS, WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE.
UH, ANY THOUGHTS ON THAT AND ANYTHING THAT THE CITY CAN DO THAT WE CAN DO TO FACILITATE IT SO THAT WHEN THERE IS AN ANNOUNCEMENT OF ADDITIONAL SHELTER CAPACITY, WHERE IMMEDIATELY READY TO OPEN THE DOORS AND GET PEOPLE IN THERE, THOSE WHO CHOOSE TO, UH, TO, UH, GO TO THE SHELTER.
YEAH, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND THE TEAM OVER AT FRONT STEPS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IT, WHAT CHALLENGES OR GAPS THEY HAVE BEFORE WE COMMENT ON THEIR ABILITY TO, TO STAND UP QUICKLY.
AND SO IF YOU WILL, UH, GIVE US SOME TIME TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION, WE CAN GLADLY REPORT BACK TO YOU.
WELL, AGAIN, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
I APPRECIATE IT, UH, EXCITED IN MY KIND OF VIEW, UH, AND THROUGH CONVERSATIONS THAT I'VE BEEN HAVING.
I FEEL LIKE THE, THE KIND OF AN, I UNDERSTAND THAT THE HOMELESS ARE A VULNERABLE POPULATION, A LOT OF PREEXISTING CONDITIONS, UH, BUT THE BALANCE SEEMS TO BE KIND OF THAT HOMELESSNESS IS MAYBE MORE OF A DANGER TO INDIVIDUALS RIGHT NOW.
UH, IT'D BE COMPLETELY UNSHELTERED THAN IT WOULD BE TO BE IN A CONGREGATE SHELTER SETTING.
AT LEAST THAT'S HOW, YOU KNOW, MY, UH, MIND IS, IS, IS GOING.
AND, UH, I LOOK FORWARD TO TALKING TO YOU ALL MORE ABOUT THIS.
ONE QUESTION IN TWO VERY QUICK COMMENTS.
UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR, UH, QUESTION COUNCIL MEMBER VAILA.
I WOULD SUGGEST THAT AS WE MOVE TOWARDS OPEN UP SHELTERS, THAT WE REALLY PUT IN PLACE, SOME TESTING, I THINK THAT'S GOING TO BE REALLY IMPORTANT.
I WOULD ALSO SAY THE SAME ABOUT TESTING WITH SOUTH BY AND THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER WINCES FOR YOUR COMMENTS AT THAT? UM, I THINK, I THINK BOTH OF THE THINGS THAT ARE GOING TO BE IMPORTANT, UM, AND HERE'S MY QUESTION, UM, FOR DR.
WACHS, THERE'S BEEN SOME CONVERSATION IN THE COMMUNITIES ABOUT OUR, OR IN THE NATION ABOUT, UH, THE ADVISABILITY OF SECOND BOOSTERS FOR PEOPLE THAT LIKE RECEIVE THE BOOSTER LAST SUMMER OR THAT IMMUNOCOMPROMISED
[01:25:01]
FOLKS THAT RECEIVED THE BOOSTERS EARLY ON.CAN YOU, UH, SPEAK TO THE LATEST STATUS, UM, ON THE THINKING AROUND A SECOND BOOSTER? SO THERE IS A BOARD SHOT RECOMMENDED FOR ANY COMPROMISED, AND WE'VE NOT HEARD ANY GUIDANCE FOR THOSE WHO ARE NOT, UM, AS YET, BUT, UM, MORE TO COME ON THAT, AND WE ARE OFFERING THAT SERVICE AT APH.
UM, SO WE HOPE THAT THOSE WHO WERE ELIGIBLE FOR BOOSTERS, THE, UM, THAT HAVE NOT DONE SO YET.
WELL, WE'LL TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT.
UM, AND THOSE WHO ARE IMMUNOCOMPROMISED WOULD COME AND GET THAT FOURTH SHOT.
IF I HEARD YOU CORRECTLY, THOSE THAT ARE IMMUNOCOMPROMISED IS THERE HAVE TO BE A CERTAIN TIME PERIOD BETWEEN THE THIRD SHOT AND THE FOURTH SHOT IT'S BASED UPON, UM, WHAT YOUR, UH, LAST SHOT WAS.
AND IT'S USUALLY A 28 DAY PERIOD.
UH, BUT THAT IS SOMETHING THE CITY IS OFFERING RIGHT NOW FOR THE, FOR THOSE THAT MEET THAT.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION TODAY.
UM, THE WORK THAT OUR CITY STAFF AND COUNTY STAFF DOES IS VERY IMPORTANT TO THE CITY AND TO THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE HERE.
I HAVE A QUESTION RELATED TO THE ISO FACTS.
UM, I WAS WONDERING IF WE STILL HAD TO IN OPERATION, AND I KNOW THAT WE'VE DISCUSSED A LITTLE BIT EARLIER ABOUT THE DEMOBILIZATION, BUT I WAS WONDERING WHAT THAT PROCESS WOULD ENTAIL.
UM, WE ARE ACTIVELY HAVING THAT CONVERSATION, COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY ABOUT DEMOBILIZATION.
I SUSPECT, UM, OPERATING, UM, AS OF THE END OF FEBRUARY, UM, WE WERE DOWN TO ONE, UM, DURING THE SEARCH, BOTH OF THOSE FACILITIES WERE, UM, OCCUPIED ALMOST TO FULL CAPACITY ON, ON SEVERAL DAYS.
UM, AND WE'RE GOING TO BE TAKING A LOOK IN THE COMING WEEKS AS DEMOBILIZATION, UM, OF THE EXISTING.
UM, I SAID FACTS, ITS ABILITY AND, UM, PLANNING, UM, THE LOGISTICS OF WHAT HAPPENS IF WE HAVE NO ICE EFFECT FACILITY AND, UM, WHAT OUR NEEDS MAY BE GOING FORWARD AND, UM, USING THE METRICS THAT WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO RAMP UP AND DEMO.
UM, WHEN WE SAY, UM, SURGE IS APPROACHING, UM, SO THAT THOSE ARE CONVERSATIONS THAT WERE IN THE MIDST OF HAVING RIGHT NOW, BUT WE ARE, WE DO HAVE ONE, I SAID THAT OPEN AND THAT'S GOING TO BE AVAILABLE DURING THE MONTH OF MARCH WITH THE ANTICIPATION THAT WE MAY HAVE SOME INCREASE IN CASES, GIVEN THE MOBILITY AND SOCIAL INTERACTION.
THAT'S ABOUT TO OCCUR WITH MARCH BREAK AND THE FALL, THE SPRING FESTIVAL SEASON.
THANK YOU FOR THAT INFORMATION.
I WAS WONDERING IF HE MIGHT BE ABLE TO TELL ME THE CAPACITY OVER THERE, REMIND THE COMMUNITY THE CAPACITY AND HOW MANY ROOMS ARE CURRENTLY TAKEN.
UM, YESTERDAY AT THE WEEK WE HAD FOUR, UM, OCCUPANTS AND WE HAD SIX DAY LEARNS AND, UM, UH, SEVERAL ROOMS THAT WERE BEING DESCANT, THINK 10 ROOMS IN DAY CON.
UM, AS ALWAYS MY DEEP APPRECIATION FOR THE CONTINUED DILIGENCE FROM OUR STAFF.
IT REALLY, YOU GUYS ARE, WE'VE CALLED YOU HEROES BEFORE.
WE DIDN'T NEED TO CALL YOU THAT.
IT REALLY HAS BEEN AN EXTREMELY TRYING TIME AND IT'S STILL GOING ON.
UM, AND YET YOU GUYS ARE STILL THERE AND YOU'RE STILL HOLDING UP YOUR END AND OUR COMMUNITY IS SO MUCH HEALTHIER AND STRONGER FOR IT.
AND THEN JUST AS A POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE TO THOSE OF YOU, WHOSE NAMES ARE ON THE BALLOT, UM, GOOD LUCK TODAY AND, UH, GOING FORWARD AND, AND WE'RE GLAD TO GET ANOTHER ELECTION UNDER OUR BELT AND TO MOVE BEYOND THAT, BUT GOOD LUCK TO ALL OF YOU WHO HAPPENED TO BE RUNNING AT THE MAINLY THE COUNTY LEVEL.
CAUSE I DON'T THINK ANY OF US ARE ON THE BALLOT.
[01:30:01]
COUNCIL MEMBER, ALICE, THANK YOU, MAYOR.UM, MY QUESTION IS GOING TO BE ABOUT SOME OF THE KIDS THAT ARE UNDER FIVE AND NOT OLD ENOUGH.
UM, I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF FAMILIES THAT MAY HAVE ONE CHILD WHO'S NOT OLD ENOUGH TO BE VACCINATED.
AND ONE THAT IS AND IS GOING TO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
CAN YOU OFFER ADVICE FOR VACCINATIONS, BOOSTERS AND MASKING FOR PEOPLE IN THAT SITUATION? YEAH.
UM, AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO SAY IT.
UM, THE, THERE, THE CONCERN IS ALWAYS THAT THOSE WHO ARE VULNERABLE AND AT RISK AND, AND VACCINATED, UM, THE PROTECTED.
SO ANYBODY WHO IS LIVING WITH SOMEONE IN THAT CATEGORY, INCLUDING CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF FIVE, UM, WOULD BE RECOMMENDED BY OUR CURRENT GUIDANCE AND BY THE NEW CDC GUIDANCE TO, UM, WEAR MASKS, GET VACCINATED, GET THIS DUDE IF YOU'RE ELIGIBLE FOR BOOSTING.
UM, AND HAS TO, BEFORE YOU GO TO VISIT THOSE INDIVIDUALS, IF YOU DON'T ACTUALLY WORK WITH THEM SO THAT YOU'RE NOT BRINGING COVID INTO A HOME WHERE THERE'S SOMEONE AT RISK, LIKE A CHILD WHO'S ON VACCINATED.
UM, WHEN THAT, WHEN SOMEONE IS WEARING A WELL-FITTING, UM, HIGH QUALITY MASK, THAT'S COMFORTABLE AND CAN BE WORN CONSISTENTLY, UM, THAT OFFERS PROTECTION TO THE WEARER FROM INFECTION.
AND IF IT'S, UM, AN N 95 OR A CAM 95, UM, BEING WORN, UM, YOU CAN HAVE UP TO SIX HOURS OF PROTECTION IF YOU'RE THE ONLY PERSON IN THE ROOM WEARING THAT LAST.
SO, UM, WE ARE, UM, WORKING WITH OUR, UM, PARTNERS IN SCHOOLS AND THEY ARE WORKING ON, UM, REACHING OUT TO AT-RISK FAMILIES THAT THAT'S IDENTIFIED AND KNOW ABOUT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE ACCESS TO TESTS, MAKE SURE THEY HAVE ACCESS TO PPE AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY, UM KNOW ABOUT, UM, MASS FITTING AND, UM, TAKE ALL OF THOSE PRECAUTIONS IN MIND UNTIL WE DO HAVE THE VACCINE COVERAGE FOR THOSE THAT ARE UNDER FIVE AND OUR COMMUNITY.
IS THERE A TIMELINE EXPECTED FOR THE UNDER FIVES? I KNOW WE GOT CLOSE AND THEN IT SEEMS LIKE MAYBE IT NEEDED A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME BEFORE THAT WAS GOING TO BE AUTHORIZED.
UM, I DON'T HAVE A DATE, UM, THAT I CAN GIVE YOU AT THIS POINT.
THEY HAD TO GO BACK AND DO SOME MORE, UM, RESEARCH ON THE THOSE THINGS.
SO, UM, WE'RE HOPING THAT IT'LL BE IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS.
AND QUICKLY ON ANOTHER NOTE, I KNOW THAT, UM, SOME OF THE EVENT ORGANIZERS IN TOWN HAVE BEEN DOING SOME, SOME GREAT WORK OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS TO TRY TO MITIGATE THE SPREAD OF THE VIRUS ON THEIR OWN.
I KNOW SEL FEST ORGANIZERS WERE ABLE TO HAVE A SUCCESSFUL TWO WEEKENDS OF CONCERTS AND ANY EVENTS THAT, UM, THAT DID NOT CREATE SPREAD BECAUSE THEY WERE REQUIRING PROOF OF VACCINATION AND ONSITE TESTING FOR THOSE WHO WEREN'T VACCINATED.
AND I KNOW SOME OF OUR LOCAL CONCERT VENUES ARE ALSO TAKING THOSE MEASURES.
AND SO I HOPE THAT IS SOMETHING THAT OUR EVENT ORGANIZER COMMUNITY, UM, TAKES TO HEART MOVING FORWARD, JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO ENJOY LIVE MUSIC IN AUSTIN.
AND THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR WORK.
I REMEMBER TIMBO GS AND I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS, BUT I WAS JUST WORKING MY WAY DOWN THROUGH THE DISTRICTS, BUT I DON'T I'M DISTRICT NINE THERE.
UM, SO I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS.
I'LL ASK OFF THE DIOCESE IN THE INTEREST OF TIME TODAY, BUT I DID WANT TO ASK, I WANTED TO ASK, THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER, BELLA, FOR RAISING THE QUESTION ABOUT THE SHELTER.
I KNOW WE'VE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY IN OUR PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEE TO TALK ABOUT THAT A FEW TIMES AND I WONDER DIRECTOR STIRRUP, IF YOU COULD, UM, LET US KNOW WHAT SOME OF THE, SOME OF THE CONVERSATIONS HAVE BEEN LIKE WITH SALVATION ARMY, WHO PARTNERS WITH US TO RUN THE WOMEN AND THE CITY'S WOMEN AND CHILDREN'S SHELTER, UM, WHETHER THEY ARE LOOKING AT CAPACITY INCREASES AND ALSO, UH, AT THEIR OWN SHELTERS, THE DOWNTOWN SHELTER AND THE WRATH GAVE HER FAMILY CENTER.
SO IT IS NOT, YOU KNOW, I THINK I HAVE TWO QUESTIONS.
ONE IS WHAT IS THE SALVATION? WHAT IS THE SALVATION ARMY'S, UM, POLICY RIGHT NOW AT THEIR OWN SHELTERS THAT THEY OWN AND OPERATE? AND WHAT IS THEIR POLICY AT, AT THE SHELTER THAT THEY RUN FOR THE CITY OF BOSTON AND IN THE CASE WHERE WE HAVE THOSE PARTNERS FRONT STEPS AT THE ARCH AND THE SALVATION ARMY AT THE CITY OF AUSTIN WOMEN AND CHILDREN'S SHELTER WHOSE DECISION IT, UH, WHETHER TO INCREASE THAT CAPACITY, IS IT THE CITIES OR
[01:35:01]
IS IT OUR, OUR NONPROFIT PARTNER? AND SO I DON'T HAVE THE INFORMATION IN FRONT OF ME ABOUT, UM, THE DOWNTOWN SHELTER OR WOMEN AND CHILDREN'S, SO I WILL HAVE TO GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT.OUR RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE THAT THE SHELTERS FOLLOW PUBLIC HEALTH GUIDANCE.
UM, AND SO TO TALK ABOUT THE ARTS SPECIFICALLY, BECAUSE THOSE ARE THE CONVERSATIONS WE'VE HAD MOST RECENTLY THAT INVOLVES US LOOKING AT THE FLOOR PLAN, UM, TO SEE HOW MANY, UM, GUESTS WE CAN SHELTER SAFELY, UM, AND THEN MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO THE ARCH OR TO FRONT STEPS, UM, ABOUT HOW TO PROCEED.
IT GETS TRICKY ABOUT WHOSE DECISION IT IS.
AND, UM, THAT'S A CONVERSATION THAT I WOULD PREFER TO HAVE IN A DIFFERENT SETTING, UM, ON, ON THE FACE CONTRACTUALLY, WE COULD AMEND THE AGREEMENT TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE THOSE, UH, REQUIREMENTS MORE STRINGENT, BUT IN THE SPIRIT OF PARTNERSHIP AND, UM, WANTING TO SUPPORT GOOD PUBLIC HEALTH PRACTICE, WANTING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE NOT MAKING A DECISION THAT HAS AN UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCE ON THOSE WHO ARE HOMELESS AND PARTICULARLY BECAUSE IN TRAVIS COUNTY, 40 MORE THAN A 48% OF OUR HOMELESS, UH, POPULATION IS BLACK OR LATIN MIX.
SO I'D WANT TO BE ABLE TO WEIGH ALL THOSE THINGS CAREFULLY WITH THE GOOD PUBLIC HEALTH GUIDANCE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT CAUSING UNDUE BURDEN IN ANY COMMUNITY.
UM, AND SO IT'S A VERY CAREFULLY NUANCED CONVERSATION THAT WE WILL HAVE TO HAVE.
AND I APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT YOU AND, UH, DIRECTOR HADEN BEFORE YOU, AND, UH, AND DIANA FROM OUR HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICE HAS DONE WORKING WITH ALL OF OUR SHELTERS, THOSE THAT THE CITY OWNS AND PARTNERS TO RUN, AS WELL AS THOSE THAT THE SALVATION ARMY OWNS AND RUNS.
UM, THIS IS, UH, FOR THE REASONS YOU SUGGESTED AND THE REASONS COUNCIL MEMBER OF ELA, UH, RAISED A REALLY IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION.
SO THANKS FOR, THANKS FOR, UM, THE COMPLEXITY AND THE, ON THE APPROACH THAT YOU'VE TAKEN.
STIRRUP, YOU SPOKE BRIEFLY ABOUT THE ILA WITH THE COUNTY AND WHERE THOSE NEGOTIATIONS ARE.
I RAISED US, I THINK, AT ONE OF OUR LAST SESSIONS AND RAISED IT WHEN WE APPROVED THE ILA.
UM, UM, I'M REALLY INTERESTED IN ENOUGH MAKING, UM, CONCRETE PROGRESS ON COUNTY CONTRIBUTIONS TOWARDS THE WORK THAT WE HAVE BEEN DOING.
UM, FINANCIALLY IT'S NOT PART OF THE AGREEMENT, UM, THAT WE'VE HAD, AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH MOMENTUM.
YOU TOUCHED ON THAT BRIEFLY, BUT IT WAS SO FAST.
I DIDN'T GET A FULL GRASP OF IT.
UH, WE KNOW YOU'RE TRYING TO COVER A LOT, SO I WANTED TO ASK IF YOU COULD, UM, COULD GO OVER THAT AGAIN AND ELABORATE A BIT, PLEASE.
UM, SO IN, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE RESOLUTION WE HAVE SET UP OR A WRECK, WELL, WE ALREADY HAD A REGULAR MEETING SCHEDULE IN PLACE.
UM, WE WILL BUILD IN MORE, UM, FREQUENT UPDATES TO BOTH THESE BODIES ABOUT THE PROCESS WHERE WE ARE TO DATE IS THAT WE'VE AGREED UPON THE TERM, WHICH WILL BE DECEMBER 31ST, 2021 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2022.
UM, WE'VE AGREED AT A VERY HIGH LEVEL ON THE CATEGORIES OF EXPENSES THAT WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE COST SHARING ILA.
UM, WE'VE ENGAGED THE COUNTY AUDITOR AND THE LEGAL TEAMS FROM BOTH THE CITY AND THE COUNTY.
AND THE NEXT STEP IN THE PROCESS IS, UM, CAN WE HAVE A MEETING ON THE BOOKS FOR NEXT, SORRY, THERE'S LOUDEST OUT HERE, UM, ON THE BOOKS FOR NEXT FRIDAY AND THE HOMEWORK IN THE MEANTIME IS FOR THE FINANCE, UH, CITY OF BOSTON FINANCE TEAM TO GET WITH THE COUNTY, UM, THE DETAILS ON THE EXPENSE CATEGORIES THAT WE'VE AGREED UPON.
AND THAT'LL BE THE MEAT OF DISCUSSION FOR THE MEETING THAT'S ON THE 11TH.
SO CAN YOU CLARIFY WHAT'S HAPPENING FOR 2021? IF I, I MAY BE MISREMEMBERING, BUT I HAD THOUGHT WE HAD ONLY, UM, TRUED THINGS UP THROUGH DECEMBER OF 2020, AND IT IS NOW 2022.
AND YOU SAID FROM DECEMBER, 2021, I JUST WANTED TO CHECK ON THAT GUESS ONE SMALL CORRECTION, ADRIAN.
THE AGREED UPON TERM IS DECEMBER 31ST, 2020 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2022 COUNCIL.
AND I'M SURE THERE WILL BE A LOT OF PROGRESS.
IT'S JUST, IT'S CHALLENGING FOR US TO MAKE OTHER PLANS OF THINGS THAT WE WANT TO MAKE INVESTMENTS IN THAT WOULD BE OF JOINT INTEREST WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO, TO, TO COUNT ON THE CONTRIBUTIONS, WHICH I'M SURE WILL BE FORTHCOMING, UM, FROM THE COUNTY TOWARDS THIS BROADER, BROADER
[01:40:01]
EFFORT THAT WE HAVE, HAVE PARTNERED AND COLLABORATED WITH.AND OBVIOUSLY THE MOST IMPORTANT FOCUS HAS BEEN DELIVERING, UM, THE PUBLIC HEALTH, UM, RESPONSE.
UM, BUT WE DO ALSO NEED TO BE MINDFUL OF THE OTHER END OF THINGS, WITH RESPECT TO OUR RESPONSIBILITIES, TO OUR CONSTITUENTS.
UM, JUDGE, I WANT TO JUST REITERATE THE POINT THAT YOU STARTED OFF WITH, UH, YOU KNOW, AT THE END OF THE DAY WE HAVE A COMMUNITY THAT'S BEEN WORKING REALLY HARD AND, UH, MY NUMBER IS CORROBORATE THE ONES THAT YOU HAVE, I'M LOOKING AT, UH, A STATISTIC THAT CALM, AND IT HAS THE, UH, STATE, UH, DEATH RATE FOR COVID AT SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 270 AND 293 PER A HUNDRED THOUSAND, DEPENDING ON WHAT NUMBERS WITH RESPECT TO DEATHS YOU USE.
UH, AND TRAVIS COUNTY IS AT A A HUNDRED TO 120, SO IT'S TWO OR THREE TIMES A GREATER RATE IN THE STATE.
AND I THINK PEOPLE SHOULD BE PROUD OF THAT HERE.
AND IT WAS ALSO A REFLECTION THAT WE'VE DONE THE HARD WORK, WHICH GOES TO, UM, THE COMMISSIONER'S OBSERVATION THAT FEWER AND FEWER PEOPLE ARE WEARING MASKS IN THE CITY.
YOU, YOU TRACK MASK MASK USAGE IN TRAVIS COUNTY, DON'T YOU DR.
AND THAT NUMBER HAS BEEN GOING DOWN, UH, HERE RECENTLY AS EVERYBODY, AS EVERYBODY SEES, I THINK EVERYBODY'S EXCITED ABOUT THE CDC NUMBERS AND THE CDC REPORT THAT NOW THEY'RE SAYING WE DON'T HAVE TO WEAR MASKS AND EXCUSE ME, DON'T HAVE TO WEAR MASKS INSIDE.
AND WE SEE OTHER STATES AND OTHER JURISDICTIONS MOVING TO RULES THAT SAY, DON'T WEAR MASKS INSIDE.
UH, BUT THE MESSAGE COMING FROM YOU TODAY IS THAT IN AUSTIN, THERE ARE SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES THAT WOULD HAVE US WEARING MASKS FOR ANOTHER 19 DAYS, THE CDC REGULATIONS THAT THEY'VE COME OUT, UM, THEY, THEY ALLOW FOR, UH, LOCAL JURISDICTIONS TO, UH, TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THEIR PARTICULAR AREA IN SETTING THEIR RULES AND NUMBERS.
AND THEN FOR THAT UNIQUENESS TO BE REFLECTED IN THE PUBLIC HEALTH POLICY.
MY RECOLLECTION IS HAVEN'T WE SEEN, UH, JUMPS IN OUR NUMBERS FOLLOWING THIS SPRING PERIOD WHERE WE HAVE EVENTS OR WHERE WE, UH, HAVE SPRING BREAKS.
SO WHILE OBVIOUSLY WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO BE HAPPENING AND THERE COULD BE ANOTHER VARIANT FOR ALL WE KNOW THAT COMES UP IN THE NEXT 19 DAYS.
MY UNDERSTANDING IS, AND I THINK WHAT'S BEING REPORTED IN THE MEDIA RIGHT NOW FROM YOU HAVING SPOKEN EARLIER TODAY IS THAT WE'RE, WE'RE ASKING PEOPLE TO, UM, TO, TO WEAR MASKS INDOORS IF THEY CAN, UH, THROUGH THE END OF, UH, SOUTH BY WHICH IS, UH, MARCH 20TH, THAT'S AN EVENT THAT BRINGS IN, YOU KNOW, A HUNDRED THOUSAND PEOPLE FROM AREAS THAT DOESN'T JUST DRAW FROM OUR COMMUNITY.
AND WHILE OUR TRANSMISSION RATE HERE MIGHT BE, UH, LOW, THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE GONNA BE COMING INTO THE COMMUNITY FOR THAT FESTIVAL, OTHER FESTIVALS OVER THE NEXT, UH, TWO, TWO AND A HALF WEEKS COMING FROM AREAS THAT DON'T HAVE THE SAME KIND OF LOW NUMBERS THAT, THAT, THAT WE HAVE.
AND YOU POINT OUT SOMETHING THAT I JUST WANT TO RE PUSH ON THAT I THINK IS IMPORTANT IS THAT YOU SPEAK SPECIALLY TO THE PEOPLE IN OUR HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY.
THIS IS A PART OF OUR COMMUNITY THAT WAS HARDEST HIT BY THIS VIRUS GOING BACK TWO YEARS AGO, UH, BOTH ECONOMICALLY, UH, AND, AND ALSO FROM COMMUNITIES THAT ARE HISTORICALLY VULNERABLE.
WE NOW HAVE A WAVE OF PEOPLE COMING INTO OUR COMMUNITY DURING THIS FESTIVAL SEASON.
AGAIN, WE HAVE THAT COMMUNITY THAT IS ON THE, ON THE FRONT LINES FOR, FOR THIS YET AGAIN, UM, I AGREE WITH COMMISSIONER THAT I'VE WALKED INTO A LOT OF ROOMS, I THINK WHERE I'M THE ONLY ONE WEARING THE MASK, UNLESS I SEE A, THE COUNTY JUDGE ACROSS THE ROOM, UH, AND THEN WE WAVE AT EACH OTHER.
UH, I KNOW THAT IT'S, I KNOW THAT IT'S HARD AND HARD FOR EVERYBODY, BUT TO WHATEVER DEGREE WE CAN HELP PROTECT PEOPLE MOST VULNERABLE
[01:45:02]
FOR, FOR 19 DAYS.UM, I APPRECIATE IT FROM A PUBLIC HEALTH PERSPECTIVE THAT YOU'RE ADVISING THIS COMMUNITY, THAT THAT'S THE BEST WAY FOR US TO PROTECT PEOPLE, INCLUDING OUR CHILDREN UNDER FIVE, THAT THEY CAN'T GET VACCINATED.
AND THAT'S A HARD POSITION TO TAKE GIVEN EVERYTHING THAT'S HAPPENING.
AND I JUST WANT TO COMMEND YOU ON STILL FOLLOWING THE SCIENCE AND THE DATA AND GIVING OUR COMMUNITY THE, YOUR BEST ASSESSMENT OF WHAT WE COULD DO TO KEEP OURSELVES AND OUR COMMUNITY THE SAFEST.
THANK YOU FOR THE COURT WITH THAT, JUDGE.
I'M GOING TO TURN IT BACK OVER TO YOU.
AND I JUST WANT TO THANK AGAIN, JUDGE CLIFF BROWN AND JUDGE AMY MEACHAM FOR GIVING US AN UPDATE.
AND FOR ALL THEY'RE DOING TO HELP OUR, UH, COURT SYSTEMS CAN, UH, GET BACK UP AND RUNNING FULLY AND FUNCTION THROUGHOUT THIS PANDEMIC.
SO THANK YOU ALL AGAIN FOR BEING HERE.
UH, WE WILL, UM, ALSO I MAY HAVE MISSED THE LAST MEETING, BUT JUST WANTED TO SAY HI TO A COUNCIL MEMBER, TITO AVAILA.
HADN'T NOTICED YOU ON THE JOINT SESSION BEFORE, SO, UH, WELCOME TO THE, TO THE GROUP.
AND THANKS FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
UH, WE WILL, I GUESS, ADJOURN HERE AND THEN WE'LL RECESS UNTIL, UH, WELL, I'D LIKE TO POWER GROUP BECAUSE WE GOT TO GIVE IT FIVE MINUTES TO SWITCH.
SO WE'LL DO THE SHORTEST POSSIBLE.
WE DO THE FIVE MINUTES SWITCH AND COME BACK AT 11:00 AM.
AND I'LL PASS IT OVER TO YOU MAYOR TO DO THE SAME.
UH, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND, UM, UH, ADJOURN, OUR PORTION OF THE JOINT CITY COUNCIL MEETING YEAR ON MARCH 1ST, 2022.
UH, THE TIME BEING 10 54 COLLEAGUES, I WOULD SUGGEST WE COME RIGHT BACK AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN TO GIVE EVERYBODY A QUICK BREAK, BUT LET'S MEET BACK HERE AT 11 AND WE'LL OPEN UP OUR CITY COUNCIL MEETING.