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I'M CALLING TO ORDER THIS MEETING OF THE TRAVIS COUNTY COMMISSIONER'S COURT.
AND WE ARE MEETING AT 700 LAVACA TODAY.
WE HAVE, UM, COMMISSIONERS, UM, HOWARD AND MYSELF IN PERSON COMMISSIONER GOMEZ IS VIRTUAL AND, UH, COMMISSIONER TREVELYAN WILL BE AS ARRIVING RIGHT NOW, COMMISSIONER TRILLIONS IN THE HOUSE.
UH, AND I'M GOING TO HAND OFF TO, UM, MAYOR ADLER, UH, TO CALL, TO ORDER THE MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL.
UH, THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER SHAY.
I'M CHAIRING THE MEETING TODAY FROM CITY HALL AND I SEE SIX OF MY COLLEAGUES.
HOW ARE YOU? UM, I SAY SIX OF MY COLLEAGUES ON THE DIOCESE.
I'LL CALL THIS MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL TO ORDER AT 9 0 8.
[1. Update on Covid-19 related matters. ]
WE'LL TAKE UP ITEM ONE TO RECEIVE A BRIEFING ON COVID-19 RELATED MATTERS IN, UM, WE HAVE ONE CALLER ON THE LINE THAT I AM AWARE OF.SO, UM, LET'S GO TO THE COLOR QUICKLY FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER SHEA, SYNOVIA.
UM, SO FROM THERE, I'M GOING TO BE A NEW, BUT I JUST WANTED TO ADD ONE
I DID A LITTLE BIT IN COMBINATION.
I PUT ACH VISA CARDS COVID AND THE 2,101 INFORMATION STILL WHAT COMES UP IN THE SEARCH ENGINE FROM KSU AND KX A N I WONDER IF THIS IS GOING TO APPLY TO BOOSTERS IN THE FUTURE.
IF IT'S PARTNERS LIKE YOUTH HARVEST FOUNDATION AND MET ELEMENTARY SCHOOL LOCATIONS, WHICH IS OFTEN MENTIONED ON THIS PAGE, YOU SEE IF THIS IS WHERE INDIVIDUALS ARE GETTING THE CARD, I JUST DON'T SEE ANYTHING TRANSPARENT.
I ALSO LOOKED ON THE AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH WEBSITE AND I DON'T SEE IT.
SO IT APPEARS THAT THIS IS A NICE REWARD ONCE INDIVIDUALS GET THEIR SHOTS, BUT IT DOESN'T APPEAR TO BE A PROACTIVE EFFORT TO INFORM THE PUBLIC THAT THE INCENTIVE EXISTS.
SO SHE COULD JUST MENTION THAT.
AND I WOULD JUST ASK YOU TO RECOGNIZE THEM ONCE AGAIN, THE SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH RECOGNIZE THAT INDIVIDUALS NEED TRANSPORTATION TO GET TO THE HEALTH CLINICS.
ALTHOUGH I DO RECOGNIZE THAT FOR THE BOOSTERS AND FOR THE SHOTS THAT AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH WILL GO TO AN INCIDENT OF HIS PLACE OF RESIDENCE, BUT I JUST WANT TO REITERATE THE NEED FOR TRANSPORTATION.
SO SAME DAY, THIS IS NORTH AND THAT PICKUP SERVICE IS NOT THE LEAST DISCRIMINATORY ALTERNATIVE BECAUSE IT ONLY RUNS 7:00 AM TO 7:00 PM.
SO IF AN INDIVIDUAL NEEDS CARE AFTER OR BEFORE THAT TIME, THEY HAVE TO WALK 10 BLOCKS FROM METRIC TO THE HOSPITAL.
AND SO I DID ASK, I WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE THAT THE SYSTEM IS INFREQUENT UNRELIABLE DISCONNECTED, ROUTE TWO 40 RUTLAND USED TO SERVE THAT AREA.
AND I WOULD ASK COLLABORATIVELY FOR YOU TO RECOGNIZE THE NEED TO FILL THE GAP WITH THE REMAINING OFFICE FUNDS.
I HAVE DONE MY RESEARCH AND MUCH OF THE FUNDING THAT $6.6 MILLION THAT WENT TO WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS IS GOING TO TELL YOU, IN ADDITION TO THE $6.7 MILLION FROM THE COUNTY, THAT'S OVER $13 MILLION AND WE HAVE OVER 4,000 PEOPLE FACING EVICTION, AND THESE ARE SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH AS WELL.
AND SO I WAS JUST ASKING YOU TO RECOGNIZE THAT THE COUNTY HAS TO PAY THE CITY FOR THE SERVICES RELATED TO AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, BUT THE COUNTY HAS COMMITTED $110 MILLION FOR HOMELESS.
I WOULD JUST WRAP UP BY SETTING MORE COLLABORATIVES AND THEN TRANSPARENCY IS NEEDED.
AND IF YOU COULD JUST EXPLAIN THE INCENTIVE, I WOULD APPRECIATE IT.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER CALLERS, IF NOT, WE'LL PROCEED TO ITEM ONE, RECEIVE BRIEFINGS ON COVID-19 RELATED MATTERS AND I'M NOT SURE WHO'S GOING TO START FIRST, DR.
YES, MA'AM GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE.
AND IF YOU COULD GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
UM, WE HAVE, UH, BEEN ABLE TO ONCE AGAIN, GET THROUGH ANOTHER SEARCH AND, UM, WE'VE SEEN OUR CASE NUMBERS DROP, UM, ALMA CRON, UH, CHALLENGED
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US WITH THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF CASES THAT WE'VE SEEN THUS FAR IN A SURGE.UM, WE HAD, UH, FEWER HOSPITALIZATIONS.
THERE WERE, THERE WAS MILD OR DISEASED, BUT WE CERTAINLY HAD THOUSANDS OF CASES AND SOME UNDER-REPORTING AS WE KNOW, BECAUSE WE HAD SEVERAL THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WHO DID HOME TESTS THAT, UM, WEREN'T CAPTURED IN THE DATA THAT WE COLLECT.
UM, AS A FRIDAY, OUR SEVEN DAY MOVING AVERAGE IN HOSPITALIZATIONS WAS AS LOW AS FOUR OVER THE WEEKEND AT HIS CREPT UP.
AND WE ARE NOW, UM, AS OF YESTERDAY, OUR SEVEN DAY MOVING AVERAGE WAS SEVEN.
UM, WE HAD 41 COVID POSITIVE PATIENTS IN HOSPITAL, UM, 11 IN ICU AND TWO ON VENT.
WALKS, IF YOU'RE SPEAKING, WE'VE LOST YOUR SOUND.
I CAN'T TELL IF YOU'RE SPEAKING STILL, BUT WE'VE LOST YOUR SOUND, UH, MEDIA OR WHOEVER HELPS WITH THIS, THESE ISSUES IS CAN SOMEONE ASSIST US? IT APPEARS WE'VE LOST.
DOCTOR WALKS IS SOUND IN THE MEANTIME, UM, DIRECTOR STIRRUP.
CAN SOMEONE ELSE STEP IN, PERHAPS WALK US THROUGH WHAT WE'RE SEEING? UM, DR.
WACHS, COULD YOU PLEASE STOP? IT SOUNDS LIKE THE COURTROOM IS UNABLE TO HEAR YOU.
THERE'S A MEDIA ASSISTANCE ON THE CITY'S SIDE OR IN HER OFFICES.
IT LOOKS LIKE WE'VE LOST VIDEO AS WELL.
WE LOST YOU FOR A BRIEF PERIOD THERE.
SO IF YOU KEEP TALKING, WE MISSED WHATEVER YOU WERE SAYING.
DO YOU, WHERE DID YOU LOSE ME WHEN I WAS TALKING ABOUT THE, AS YOU WERE STARTING ON THIS PAGE, I THINK YOU WERE SEVEN.
YOU JUST RE SAYING SOMETHING ABOUT, I THINK, WHO, WHO WERE ON VENTILATORS.
SO OUR SEVEN DAY MOVING AVERAGE INCREASED OVER THE WEEKEND FROM FOUR ON FRIDAY TO SEVEN YESTERDAY.
SO WE'RE STARTING TO SEE US A SLOW INCREASE IN THE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE BEING ADMITTED TO THE HOSPITAL AND, UM, THE COMMUNITY TRANSMISSION OF COVID-19.
UM, WE HAVE NOW ALSO ON THE LEFT-HAND SIDE, ALSO SEEN AN INCREASE IN THE VARIANT, UM, REPRESENTED BY, UH, B A TWO IN THE GOLD PORTION OF THE BAR GRAPH.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE FAR RIGHT SIDE OF THIS, UH, BAR GRAPH ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE PAGE, YOU'LL SEE THAT WE NOW HAVE 30% OF BA TWO, UM, WHICH IS THAT MORE TRANS EASILY TRANSMISSIBLE, UM, SUB LINEAGE OF AMAA CRIME, AND NOW CIRCULATING IN OUR COMMUNITY.
WE'RE PICKING THIS UP ALSO IN WASTEWATER, IT'S STARTING TO INCREASE AS WELL IN OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD WHERE WE ARE HAVE MANY COUNTRIES IN EUROPE AND THE UK THAT HAVE HIGH VACCINATION LEVELS, WHERE THEY'RE ALSO SEEING AN INCREASE IN CASES AND SURGING AS A RESULT OF BA TWO.
SO I BRING THIS UP TO SAY THAT WE'RE NOW TAKING A BREAK AS IT WERE, BECAUSE WE'RE IN A LOWER STAGE, BUT WE STILL NEED TO BE MINDFUL OF WHAT HAS WORKED IN THE PAST TO OUR CASE NUMBERS DOWN.
THAT BEING SOCIAL DISTANCING, HAND-WASHING CLEANING OF REGULAR, UM, OFF SURFACES THAT ARE REGULARLY TOUCHED AND MASKING.
UM, WHEN WE'RE IN SITUATIONS WITH INDIVIDUALS THAT WE DON'T LIVE WITH, ESPECIALLY IF WE'RE, UM, AT RISK FOR SEVERE COVID-19 OR UN-VACCINATED OUR COST NUMBERS CONTINUE TO DECREASE, AND THAT'S A GOOD THING, BUT WE WANT TO MAINTAIN THIS LOW IN ACTIVITY.
AND SO, UM, I WANT EVERYBODY TO BE MINDFUL OF HOW WE CAN CONTINUE THIS TREND, GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
THE INFLUENZA CASES IN OUR COMMUNITY ARE INCREASING AS WE RELAX MASKING, UM, WHICH IS ONE OF THOSE MITIGATION FACTORS WE'VE USED TO CONTROL THE SPREAD OF COVID.
WE'RE ALSO SEEING AN INCREASE IN OUR FLOOD CASES.
WE'RE NOW AT 20% ON OUR PERCENT POSITIVITY FOR WEEK 11.
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UM, THIS IS NOT AS HIGH AS WE'VE SEEN IN YEARS PAST WHEN WE'VE HAD FLU EPIDEMICS AND 40%, UM, POSITIVITY RIGHTS.BUT IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE REMEMBER THAT FLU IS MITIGATED BY THE VACCINE, UH, WASHING HANDS, UM, AND FACE COVERINGS ARE COVERING YOUR COUGH AS WE'VE, UM, TALKED ABOUT IN MANY OF OUR PREVIOUS FLU CAMPAIGNS.
WHEN YOU, UM, LOOK BACK AT OUR JUST RECENTLY, UH, ENJOYED FEST FESTIVAL SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST REOPENING AFTER TWO YEARS, UM, WE LOOK AT WHAT THE IMPACT OF THAT WAS ON OUR COMMUNITY AND HAPPY TO REPORT THAT THE EFFORTS THAT WE TOOK TO PROTECT OUR HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY WERE AXE SUCCESS.
UM, THIS SHOWS THAT IN THE JANUARY TIMEFRAME, WE HAD, UH, A PEAK IN CASES DURING THE OMNICON SEARCH, BUT IN THE RECENT WAKES DURING SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST, WE DIDN'T SEE THAT INCREASE IN CASES THAT, UM, WE WERE HOPING TO AVERT.
AND THAT WAS BECAUSE OF THE COMMUNITY'S EFFORTS TO PROTECT OUR COLLEAGUES THAT, THAT DO THE WORK OF WELCOMING GUESTS TO AUSTIN.
UM, BEFORE I GO TO THIS NEXT SLIDE, I WANT TO ALSO MENTION THAT, UM, OUR CASE INVESTIGATORS AS A RESULT OF LOOKING AT THE IMPACT OF SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST TO SEEMED A LITTLE OVER A HUNDRED CASES THAT WERE RELATED TO SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST IDENTIFIED.
UM, SO THE IMPACT OF HAVING, UH, OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND INDIVIDUALS VISIT OUR CITY WAS MINIMAL, UM, AND MITIGATION EFFORTS WERE SUCCESSFUL, UM, ON THIS SLIDE THAT IS NOW CURRENTLY BEING SHOWN.
UM, WE HAVE OUR NURSING HOME CASES, UM, DEPICTED, AND THERE WERE FOUR CASES IN THE LAST 14 DAYS DOWN FROM 11 IN THE PREVIOUS 14 DAYS, AGAIN, SHOWING THE SUCCESS OF VACCINATIONS AND BOOSTERS IN THIS POPULATION, THOSE WHO, UM, DEVELOPED COVID-19 IN THOSE FOUR CASES WERE VACCINATED AND BOASTED HAD MINIMAL DISEASE, MILD DISEASE, AND DID NOT REQUIRE HOSPITALIZATION IN OUR NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
UM, JUST TAKING A LOOK AT VACCINE BREAKTHROUGH CASES, WE'VE HAD OVER A MILLION PEOPLE VACCINATED IN OUR COMMUNITY AND ONLY 39,000, UM, A LITTLE OVER 39,000 VACCINE BREAKTHROUGH CASES HAVE BEEN REPORTED TO APH.
UM, OF THESE 185 WERE HOSPITALIZED AND THERE WERE 126 STEPS.
UM, WE SEE THAT THERE WERE SOME MORE, THE LARGEST NUMBER OF VACCINE BREAKTHROUGH CASES DURING THE OMNICON CRON SURGE.
UM, HOWEVER, AGAIN, THERE WERE OVER A MILLION, UH, VACCINATIONS THAT WERE GIVEN, UM, SINCE THE END OF DECEMBER OF 2020.
SO OUR VACCINES HAVE PROVED TO STAND THE TEST OF TIME, UM, AND HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DECREASE HOSPITALIZATIONS AND DEATHS AND SEVERE ILLNESS ON THE NEXT SLIDE.
UM, WE TAKE A LOOK AT THE CO-MORBIDITIES ASSOCIATED WITH THOSE WHO HAD VACCINE BREAKTHROUGH AND THEY TOP, UM, MEDICAL CONDITIONS THAT WERE ASSOCIATED WITH VACCINE BREAKTHROUGHS WERE HYPERTENSION, UH, CARDIAC DISEASE, DIABETES, AND IMMUNOCOMPROMISED TO SAY A STATE SUCH AS, UH, CANCER, SOMEBODY ON MEDICATIONS TO TREAT, UM, SOME VARIOUS ILLNESSES, UM, THAT REQUIRE MEDS THAT WOULD DECREASE YOUR ABILITY TO RESPOND TO AN INFECTION.
UM, THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, IF WE LOOK AT RE-INFECTION IN OUR COMMUNITY, UM, WE'RE NOW, WELL OVER 240,000, UM, CASES OF COVID-19 THAT HAVE OCCURRED IN OUR COMMUNITY AND OF THESE WE'VE HAD, UM, 3,896 RE INFECTIONS.
AND I SHOW THIS TO SHOW THAT, UM, THERE ARE SOME THAT ARE, HAVE HAD COVID 19, WHO ARE RELYING ON THE NATURAL IMMUNITY OF HAVING HAD THE INFECTION.
AND I WOULD ASK THEM TO CONSIDER GETTING THE COVID 19 VACCINATIONS TO GIVE THEM THAT EXTRA AMOUNT OF PROTECTION.
UM, BECAUSE AS WE SEE IN THIS SLIDE, UM,
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THE NATURAL IMMUNITY IS NOT AS EFFECTIVE AT PROTECTING THEM FROM OMNICON NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.AND, UM, AGAIN, WE'RE LOOKING HERE AT, UM, THE OVERALL DEATHS FROM, UM, THAT HAVE OCCURRED IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, AS OF FRIDAY, WE HAD 1,459 DEATHS AND THE LEADING CO-MORBIDITIES, AGAIN WERE HYPERTENSION, DIABETES, AND CARDIAC DISEASE.
WE'VE MOVED INTO NEXT SLIDE, A NEW PHASE OF OUR PANDEMIC, AND THE CDC HAS LAUNCHED SEVERAL WEEKS BACK, NEW RISK-BASED GUIDANCE, AND WE ARE ALIGNING OURSELVES WITH THAT GUIDANCE, UM, WITH THE CURRENT, UM, CHANGING OUR CURRENT RISK BASED GUIDANCE CHART TO REFLECT, UM, THAT ALIGNMENT.
WE CURRENTLY HAVE FIVE STAGES FOR OUR, UM, PANDEMIC RESPONSE, UM, GUIDELINES.
AND WE ARE MOVING TO THREE, UM, LO WHICH IS, UH, THE CDC COVID-19 COMMUNITY LEVEL OF LOW WOULD BE QUITE A, TO OUR STAGE TWO MEDIUM COVID-19 COMMUNITY LEVEL WOULD QUITE TO OUR STAGE THREE AND HIGHQ COVID-19 COMMUNITY LEVEL, UM, EQUATES TO OUR STAGE FIVE, UM, IN THE LOW LEVEL OF COMMUNITY, UM, OF COVID-19 COMMUNITY LEVEL, WE WOULD, UM, HAVE MASKING OPTIONABLE.
UM, WE'D ASK EVERYONE AT ALL STAGES, UM, TO GET VACCINATED IF THEY'VE NOT ALREADY BEEN VACCINATED, UM, GET THEIR BOOSTER, IF THEY'RE ELIGIBLE FOR ONE, UM, MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE, UH, MASKING AND OTHER PPE AVAILABLE, UM, TO BE PREPARED FOR ANY SURGE IN CASES.
UM, IF YOU'RE IMMUNOCOMPROMISED TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT MEAN, UM, UM, EVER SHELTER, WHICH IS A MONOCLONAL ANTIBODY THAT CAN BE GIVEN TO PEOPLE WHO DON'T MOUNT A GOOD RESPONSE TO VACCINE, UM, IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S AVAILABLE FOR CANCER PATIENTS, UM, PEOPLE WHO ARE IMMUNOCOMPROMISED.
UM, SO TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR ABOUT THAT.
UM, AND SO JUST GET PREPARED IN THIS STAGE.
AND OF COURSE, AT ANY LEVEL, ANYONE WHO DECIDES TO USE A MASS FOR EXTRA PROTECTION, CERTAINLY GOING TO BE SUPPORTED IN THAT DECISION IN THE MEDIUM STAGE, OR WHICH EQUATES TO OUR STAGE THREE, UM, MASKING ENDORSED FOR THOSE WHO ARE AT RISK FOR, UM, POOR OUTCOMES FROM COVID-19 WOULD BE RECOMMENDED WHEN SOCIAL DISTANCING IS NOT POSSIBLE.
UM, AND AGAIN, ALL OF THOSE THINGS THAT I MENTIONED FOR BEING PREPARED WOULD ALSO BE ENCOURAGED.
AND THEN IN THAT HIGH COMMUNITY LEVEL OF COVID-19, UM, MASKING INDOORS DOORS, REGARDLESS OF VACCINATION STATUS, UM, IS RECOMMENDED GOOD IN THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
LIKEWISE, WE ARE GOING TO BE UPDATING OUR DASHBOARD AND, UM, IT WILL SHOW OUR CURRENT, UM, DAILY, UM, HOSPITAL NUMBERS, UM, TO HELP THE COMMUNITY UNDERSTAND WHAT'S HAPPENING ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS LOCALLY.
UM, AND THOSE NUMBERS WILL BE, UM, DISPLAYED ON THE BOTTOM OF THE DASHBOARD.
THE GRAPHIC REPRESENTATION HERE IS SHOWING THE SEVEN DAY MOVING AVERAGE FOR, UM, HOSPITALIZATIONS, UM, ICU AND VENTILATE VENTILATOR UTILIZATION.
UM, THE TOP PORTION OF THE GRAPH, UM, SHOWS THE NEW COMMUNITY LEVELS THAT THE CDC HAS MOVED TO.
THERE'S A LINK THAT WILL, UM, TAKE PEOPLE TO THE CDC, UH, PAGE TO LOOK FURTHER AT THEIR, UM, EXPLANATIONS AND DETAILS ABOUT THE COMMUNITY LEVELS.
THE NEW CU COMMUNITY LEVELS ARE MADE UP OF, UM, SIMILAR ELEMENTS AS TO WHAT WE'RE USING RIGHT NOW.
IT LOOKS AT THE CASES PER A HUNDRED THOUSAND POPULATION SIMILAR TO OUR COMMUNITY TRANSMISSION RATE, UM, TELLS US WHAT'S GOING ON IN OUR COMMUNITY, WHICH WE KNOW IS AN EARLY INDICATOR FOR WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH REGARD TO SPREAD OR SURGING IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND THEN THE HOSPITAL PARAMETERS, WHICH ARE SEEN LATER AFTER PEOPLE BECOME ILL AND THEN PROGRESSED TO NEEDING,
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UM, REQUIRING HOSPITALIZATION.UM, THOSE HOSPITAL INDICATORS WOULD BE THE NUMBER OF, UM, STAFFED PERCENTAGE OF STAFFED BEDS THAT ARE BEING OCCUPIED, AND THEN THE NUMBERS OF ADMISSIONS AND SEVEN DAYS PER A HUNDRED THOUSAND POPULATION.
SO IT'S VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT WE HAVE, UM, CURRENTLY, UM, WE'RE ALIGNING SO THAT WE CAN ALL BE ON THE SAME PAGE AS IT WERE FINALLY.
I'D JUST LIKE TO REITERATE THAT APH LOCAL STATE AND NATIONAL HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS AND PUBLIC HEALTH WORKERS SUPPORT ANYONE WHO WEARS A MASK AS AN EXTRA LAYER OF PROTECTION.
WE DON'T NEED A MANDATE TO PROTECT OURSELVES AND OUR HEALTH CARE SYSTEM.
AND WITH THAT, I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
I'LL PASS IT ON TO DIRECTOR SYRUP.
BEFORE I JUMP INTO MY PRESENTATION, I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT NEXT WEEK IS NATIONAL PUBLIC HEALTH WEEK.
SO IF YOU KNOW, A PUBLIC HEALTH PROFESSIONAL, WHETHER, UH, BY TRADE OR HONORARY CAUSE COUNCIL, CONSTABLE MORALES HAS BEEN IN GRIND MODE WITH THE REST OF US, PLEASE STOP NEXT WEEK THIS WEEK, IF YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE YOUR MOTIVE BANKS OR YOUR A NOTE OF, THANKS, NOT ONLY HAVE THESE TEAMS BEEN INVOLVED IN COVID RESPONSE FOR THE PAST TWO PLUS YEARS, EACH AND EVERY DAY, YOU KNOW, FROM CHECKING MOSQUITO TRAPS, TO CHECKING OUT YOUR FAVORITE RESTAURANT, UM, TO TAKEN US THROUGH RADIATION EVENT ACTIVITIES SO THAT WE'RE PREPARED TO RESPOND TO THE COMMUNITY'S NEEDS AND ANY TYPE OF EVENT WE ARE HERE FOR YOU.
100%, THE FOLKS BEHIND THE SCENES, THE IT, THE PEOPLE WHO PAY THE BILLS AND KEEP THE LIGHTS ON THE FOLKS THAT DO THE TRANSLATIONS.
AND SO I AM SO APPRECIATIVE OF THIS PUBLIC HEALTH COMMUNITY, AND I, I HOPE THAT WE ALL TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY NEXT WEEK TO SHARE OUR THINGS AS WELL.
NOW, JUMPING INTO THE PRESENTATION.
UM, LAST TIME I WAS BEFORE YOU, WE TALKED ABOUT OUR HEALTH EQUITY STRATEGY, AND I'M JUST GONNA REVISIT THAT A LITTLE BIT AND THEN GIVE YOU SOME, UM, A LITTLE MORE MEAT ABOUT THE SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES THAT WE ARE, UM, UNDERTAKING TO BRING THIS STRATEGY TO FRUITION.
SO THE FIRST OFF IS OUR GOALS TO INCREASE THE VACCINATION RATES AMONGST OUR PRIORITY POPULATIONS.
AND IF YOU RECALL, THOSE ARE PEOPLE LIVING WITH CHRONIC DISEASE, PEOPLE EXPERIENCING PROB POVERTY, UM, OUR HARD TO REACH POPULATIONS.
AND USUALLY THOSE ARE, UM, PEOPLE WITH LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENCY OR, UM, REFUGEES, AND ALSO OUR RACIAL AND ETHNIC MINORITIES.
OUR SECOND GOAL IS TO REDUCE THE DISPROPORTIONATE BURDEN OF COVID-19 AMONG POPULATIONS AT INCREASED RISK FOR INFECTION, SEVERE ILLNESS AND DEATH.
AND IF YOU, YOU REMEMBER THAT COMORBIDITY CHART THAT, UM, DR.
WACHS SHOWED US, THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT, YOU KNOW, THE HIGHEST AMOUNT OF PEOPLE WITH, UM, BREAKTHROUGH CASES, CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE, WHERE THOSE WERE THE TOP THREE, AND THEN THE LAST GOAL TO ADDRESS HEALTH DISPARITIES AND INEQUITIES RELATED TO COVID-19 WITH A HOLISTIC AND COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH.
AND SO, AGAIN, THE STRATEGIES THAT WE TAKE DO THAT VACCINE ACCESS, MAKING SURE THAT THAT CONTINUES TO EVOLVE SO THAT WE'RE REACHING OUR COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE THE LOWEST VACCINE RATES.
FOR EXAMPLE, OUR LATIN X COMMUNITY IS ONLY AT 49% FULLY VACCINATED.
AND OUR BLACK COMMUNITY IS ONLY AT 35% FULLY VACCINATED.
SO ALL OF OUR OUTREACH EFFORTS WILL BE INTENTIONAL TO REACH THOSE POPULATIONS.
THE SECOND STRATEGY IS TO ADDRESS THE SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH.
AND THIS IS WHAT THE CALLER WAS SPEAKING ABOUT.
WE KNOW THOSE FACTORS WHERE WE LIVE, WORK IN PLAY HAVE A GREAT IMPACT ON OUR HEALTH.
AND SO MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE IN ENVIRONMENTS WHERE PEOPLE FEEL COMFORTABLE, THAT ARE ON THEIR NATURAL PATHS AND THAT WE'RE THERE EITHER TO PROVIDE ACTUAL SERVICES OR INFORMATION TO HELP THEM MAKE A GOOD CHOICE, UM, ABOUT GETTING VACCINATED.
AND I WILL ADDRESS THE GIFT CARD QUESTION WE LEARNED AT OUR FIRST ITERATION OF THE GIFT CARDS.
IT WAS OUT THERE A HUNDRED DOLLARS COME, COME GET YOUR SHOT.
UM, WHAT WE FOUND WAS THAT THE, THE IMPACT OF OUR INTENT WAS NOT WHAT WE DESIRED.
WE HAD PEOPLE CALLING UP SAYING, WELL, I'M GOING TO CANCEL MY APPOINTMENT WITH MY DOCTOR OR AN AGVS, OR I CAN COME GET THIS GIFT CARD.
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AND WHAT WE REALLY WANTED TO DO WAS TO TAKE CARE OF PEOPLE WHO COULD NOT READILY TAKE OFF TIME FOR WORK, HAD TO MAKE A DECISION BETWEEN A DOLLAR TO FEED MY FAMILY AND TIME TO GET A COVID SHOT.AND WE WANTED TO, TO OFFER THAT OPPORTUNITY TO PEOPLE WHO HAD TO MAKE THOSE HARD CHOICES SO THAT THEY CAN COME TAKE CARE OF THEIR PERSONAL HEALTH AND STILL BE HOME.
AND SO THE GIFT CARD PROGRAM IS STILL IN EFFECT.
UM, IT IS ELIGIBLE FOR ANY LEVEL OF SHOTS.
SO YOUR PRIMARY, YOUR SECOND, YOUR ADDITIONAL, OR YOUR BOOSTER, THE FOCUS IS WITHIN THOSE COMMUNITIES THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED THROUGH OUR DATA, THROUGH OUR ZIP CODES.
AND SO, UM, ANYONE COMING UP TO ONE OF THOSE, UM, ACTIVITIES THAT ARE IN THOSE SPECIFIC AREAS CAN FILL OUT A SURVEY AND THEN BE ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE A VACCINE FOR GETTING THEIR SHOT.
AND SO, UM, WHAT IS BEING PRESENTED AS A LACK OF TRANSPARENCY IS REALLY AN EVOLUTION OF THE PROGRAM.
WE WANT IT TO BE FOR THE PEOPLE THAT WE INTENDED, AND WE ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE KEEPING OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR, OUR PUBLIC HEALTH STAFF SAFE, UM, AND NOT GIVING THE IMPRESSION THAT AT EVERY PLACE, THERE ARE PEOPLE WALKING AROUND WITH A HUNDRED DOLLARS GIFT CARDS THAT WOULD, THAT WILL LEAVE PEOPLE VULNERABLE.
SO THERE IS A VERY STRUCTURED PROCESS IN PLACE, UM, FOR PEOPLE TO, TO GET THOSE, THOSE GIFT CARDS.
AND THEN THE LAST STRATEGY IS TRANSFORMING OUR, OUR PUBLIC HEALTH SYSTEM.
UM, COVID AS AN OPPORTUNITY AS, AS MUCH AS IT IS, IS THE BANE OF OUR EXISTENCE WHILE IT HAS EXACERBATED ALL OF THE THINGS THAT WE KNEW TO BE TRUE ABOUT OUR COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE HISTORICALLY SUFFERED FROM HEALTH DISPARITIES.
UM, IT IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD BETTER, STRONGER, AND A MORE RESILIENT PUBLIC HEALTH SYSTEM THAT'S, UM, PREPARED FOR FUTURE PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCIES, AND SO ACCESS AND OUTREACH.
SO ACCESS, WE HAVE THOSE CLINIC LOCATIONS AND HOURS AGAIN, AND EVOLUTION.
WE HEARD THE COMMUNITY LOUD AND CLEAR WE'RE SLIDING HOURS, SO THAT WE'RE ABLE TO GET PEOPLE WHO WORK A NINE TO FIVE.
AND WE ALSO HAVE WEEKEND HOURS.
UM, WE HAVE THE IN-HOME OPTIONS AVAILABLE, AND WE HAVE PARTNERSHIPS WITH COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS.
WE REALLY BELIEVE IN THAT, UM, PROVERB, IT TAKES A VILLAGE.
WE KNOW WE'RE NOT THE END ALL BE ALL.
UM, THERE ARE PLENTY OF PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO ARE DOING THIS GIRL, GOOD WORK, SHOUT OUT AGAIN TO KOUNTABLE MORALES AND HIS TEAM.
SO MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE IN LOCK STEP WITH OTHER AGENCIES THAT CAN, CAN DO THIS WORK ALONGSIDE OF US, UM, REMOVING BARRIERS, AGAIN, GETTING RID OF THE PAPERWORK, HAVING THOSE ONLINE OPTIONS, HAVING A CALL CENTER TO, TO BE ABLE TO HAVE SOMEONE REACH OUT AND HEAR A VOICE AND ASK QUESTIONS AND HAVING THOSE WALK UP OPTIONS.
AND THEN OUR OUTREACH, MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE BOTH CULTURALLY AND LINGUISTICALLY APPROPRIATE, MAKING SURE AGAIN, THAT WE'RE IN THOSE SPACES IN PLACES THAT ARE, UM, WITHIN SOMEONE'S NORMAL DAY.
AND AGAIN, CONTRACTING WITH THOSE, UM, TRUSTED COMMUNITY PARTNERS.
AND, AND WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO ACHIEVE OUT OF ALL OF THIS IS THAT 70% VACCINATION RATES ACROSS ALL PRIORITY POPULATIONS, NGS GEOGRAPHIC AREAS WILL BE ACHIEVED.
LET ME READ THIS SINCE NOVEMBER OF 2021, WE HAVE REACHED OVER 75,000 PEOPLE IN A VARIETY OF SETTINGS FROM CHURCHES, GROCERY STORES, SCHOOLS, APART IN APARTMENT COMPLEXES.
SO GOING BACK TO WHAT THE CALLER SPOKE ABOUT THOSE SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH, THIS BEING AT THE CORE OF EVERYTHING THAT WE DO, WE UNDERSTAND, UM, THAT EVEN THOUGH THESE ARE THINGS THAT WE CAN'T CONTROL AS A PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT, THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION.
UM, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE 20% OF A PERSON'S HEALTH IS CONTRIBUTED BY HEALTHCARE ACCESS.
THE OTHER 80% IS THE WORK THAT WE DO, THE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT WE LIVE IN, THE FOOD THAT WE EAT, THE AIR THAT WE BREATHE AND THE RACISM THAT WE MIGHT FACE IN ACCESSING THOSE SERVICES.
AND SO LOOKING AT THOSE THINGS, AGAIN, HOUSING, TRANSPORTATION, NEIGHBORHOODS, EDUCATION, JOBS, OPPORTUNITIES, LANGUAGE LITERACY SKILLS, MAKING SURE THAT ALL OF OUR PLANS TAKE THESE POTENTIAL BARRIERS INTO CONSIDERATION.
AND, YOU KNOW, JUST TO MAKE A PLUG PROGRAMMING ONLY GO SO FAR, HAT'S OFF TO, UH, CITY COUNCIL AND COMMISSIONER COMMISSIONER'S COURT FOR SUPPORTING THOSE PROGRAMS, NOT ONLY WITH RESOURCES, BUT POLICIES THAT ENABLE THE PROGRAMS TO HAVE THE BREADTH AND THE REACH THAT THEY NEED TO.
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AGAIN, OUR PLANS TO ADDRESS THE SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH, WE HAVE, UM, GRANT FUNDED CHWS AS WELL AS CHWS THAT WE RECEIVED IN THE, IN THE BUDGET PROCESS THAT WE HAVE DEPLOYED IN ALL OF OUR COMMUNITY LOCATIONS.UM, WE'RE TRAINING THOSE CHWS TO WORK AT, UM, FIVE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UM, PRO UH, LOCATIONS, AS WELL AS OUR FQHC.
AND THEN THE CHWS ARE DOING THAT WORK IN COMMUNITY.
WE'VE DESIGNED AN ASSESSMENT TO HELP US BETTER UNDERSTAND, UM, NEEDS OF THE PARTICULAR COMMUNITIES THAT WE'RE TRYING TO SERVE, OR EVEN THAT INDIVIDUAL THAT, UM, THEY MIGHT'VE ENCOUNTERED THAT DAY.
AND THEN THAT, THAT SURVEY, THAT ASSESSMENT ENABLES THEM TO MAKE A PERSONALIZED REFERRAL TO A PARTNER AGENCY SO THAT PERSON CAN GET, UM, THE BEST AX ACCESS TO THE, UM, RESOURCES THAT RESOURCES THAT THEY NEED.
AND AGAIN, THE ONGOING EDUCATION ON PROGRAMS TO SUPPORT THAT BASELINE THAT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT COVID, DOESN'T RECAP BACK ON OUR LIVES, THAT HEALTHY EATING, THAT PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, THAT TOBACCO PREVENTION AND THAT DIABETES MANAGEMENT AND THE OUTCOMES THAT WE WOULD LOVE TO SEE WITH THIS IN THIS STRATEGY IS THAT WE ADDRESS THE ROOT CAUSES OF HEALTH DISPARITIES ADDRESS, CHRONIC DISEASE FACTORS, AND HAVE A ROBUST, AND WELL-TRAINED COMMUNITY WORK HEALTH WORKER HUB FOR HEALTH TRANSFORMATION AND FOR FUTURE EMERGENCY RESPONSES.
AND WE'RE REALLY EXCITED BECAUSE THIS PAST WEEK WE RECEIVED OUR AUTHORIZATION FROM THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES TO BE A TRAINING LOCATION FOR CHWS RIGHT HERE IN AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY.
UM, AND WE HOPE THAT WE'LL EXPAND THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHWS THAT ARE CURRENTLY IN THE FIELD, NOT ONLY TO GET THAT INITIAL TRAINING, BUT TO BE ABLE TO, UM, ACCESS FREE AND LOCAL COURSES TO KEEP UP THEIR CPU'S.
AND THEN OUR LAST GOAL TRANSFORMING THE PUBLIC HEALTH SYSTEM.
WE GOT TO DIVERSIFY OUR WORKFORCE.
IT'S GOOD TO HAVE THE, THE, THE PUBLIC HEALTH, UM, THE FOLKS IN THE FIELD BE REFLECTIVE, BUT AT ALL LEVELS THAT'S IMPORTANT, RIGHT? THAT'S WHAT, UM, THE NATIONAL CLASS STANDARDS TALK ABOUT.
AND THE CLASS STANDS FOR CULTURALLY AND LINGUISTICALLY APPROPRIATE SERVICES.
SO IN YOUR GOVERNANCE, IN YOUR LEADERSHIP, AND THEN YOUR DIRECT SERVICE, MAKING SURE THAT THERE'S THAT REPRESENTATION, UM, WE'VE DEVELOPED A RACIAL EQUITY AND DIVERSITY INCLUSION PLAN, AND THAT'S GOING TO BE THE BASIS OF HOW WE OUT OF THE GATE, HOW WE RECRUIT STAFF, HOW WE, UM, TRAIN STAFF AND THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE TO RE RETAIN THEM AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE EQUIPPED TO DO THIS WORK.
UM, AND THEN THE LAST THING, UM, IS THE DATA.
RE-IMAGINING HOW OUR DATA IS COLLECTED, HOW IT'S SHARED AND HOW IT'S USED WILL BE KEY IN THAT TRANSFORMATION.
AND SO JUST TO LET YOU INSIDE OF THE HEAD OF THE TEAM, THAT'S DOING THIS WORK AS WE CONTINUE THIS PROCESS OF QUALITY IMPROVEMENT, THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE REFLECT UPON.
HOW CAN WE CONTINUE TO ADDRESS THE CONDITIONS IN WHICH PEOPLE LIVE, WORK, AND PLAY IN ORDER TO TRANSFORM PUBLIC HEALTH OUTCOME? HOW DO WE CONTINUE TO ADDRESS THE ROOT CAUSES OF INEQUITIES, INCLUDING RACISM, AND HOW DO WE, AS A COMMUNITY SEIZE THIS MOMENT TO TRANSFORM OUR PUBLIC HEALTH SYSTEM, WHAT ARE THE INVESTMENTS THAT WE CAN MAKE? AND NOW WE'LL GET INTO THE NUTS AND BOLTS, NITTY GRITTY TYPE STUFF.
UM, HERE IS OUR VIEW OF SERVICES FOR THE MONTH OF MARCH.
UNFORTUNATELY, THE NUMBERS ARE NOT WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE.
WE'VE ONLY GIVEN OUT 1,267 VACCINES FOR THE MONTH.
YOU CAN SEE THE BREAKDOWNS THERE BETWEEN DOSE, UM, AND PEDIATRIC AND ADULT OR TESTING.
UM, WE'VE SEEN A 90% DECREASE IN THE, THE AMOUNT OF TESTING OVER THE LAST MONTH AT METS, WHERE WE ONLY DID ABOUT 589, AND WE ONLY HAD 19 REQUESTS FOR MOBILE TESTING.
UM, WE STILL HAVE THOSE OPTIONS AVAILABLE.
NOW THAT'S OUR ONLY STATIC LOCATION FOR TESTING.
UM, WE HAVE MOBILE AND IN-HOME TESTING.
YOU CAN CALL THAT NUMBER (512) 972-5560.
AND OF COURSE, WE CONTINUE TO SUPPORT OUR SENIOR LIVING FACILITIES, HOMELESS SHELTERS, AND OTHER FACILITIES.
SO EVEN IN THIS LOW STAGE, IF YOU ARE A THICK, PLEASE GET TESTED.
IF YOU WERE EXPOSED TO SOMEONE WHO THINKS THEY WERE POSITIVE, PLEASE GET TESTED.
AND IF YOU DID NOT SURE PLEASE GET TESTED.
SO OUR VACCINE OPERATIONS, UM, OUR ONLY STATIC SITE IS AT SIMS ELEMENTARY
[00:35:01]
IN ACCORDANCE TO, TO NEED, AND TO ALSO BEING FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE, WE CONTINUE TO ANALYZE OUR OPERATIONS AND THE CURRENT COMMUNITY NEED AND ADJUST ACCORDINGLY.AND SO WE NOW HAVE THE ONE STATIC SITE AT SIMS. UM, THE OTHER THREE SITES WERE DEACTIVATED.
THE DATES ARE THERE ON THE SCREEN FOR YOU.
AND, BUT WE DO CONTINUE TO HAVE OUR MOBILE OPERATIONS.
SO NOW WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE SLIDING IN LEANING INTO THAT SPACE, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE LOVE TO BE IN THAT SAFETY NET.
AND THAT'S WHERE THE MOBILE OPERATIONS ARE GOING TO COME IN.
AND SO ON THE SCREEN, THERE, YOU HAVE A LIST OF LOCATIONS THAT WE WILL BE OVER THE NEXT MONTH AND ALL OF THE LOCATIONS ARE BASED ON THAT DATA THAT WE TALKED TO YOU ABOUT EARLIER, THE VACCINE RATES IN OUR ZIP CODES, WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT SOCIAL DETERMINES OF HEALTH AND WHAT WE'VE HEARD FROM OUR POLICYMAKERS AND OUR COMMUNITY.
AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT VACCINATIONS BY WEEK IN TRAVIS COUNTY, UM, YOU CAN SEE THIS STEADY DECLINE.
SO FAR AS A COMMUNITY OVER 2 MILLION DOSES HAVE BEEN ADMINISTERED.
UM, WE ARE AT 72% FULLY VACCINATED FOR THOSE FIVE AND OLDER AND 83 80 4% OF THE ELIGIBLE POPULATION HAS RECEIVED AT LEAST ONE DOSE.
ANOTHER WAY OF SLICING AND DICING THE INFORMATION WE HAVE THE, UH, COUNTY INFO BY AGE.
AND YOU CAN SEE HERE WHAT THE PROGRESS IS IN EACH OF THOSE AGE GROUPS.
UM, 32% OF ALL TRAVIS COUNTY RESIDENTS, FIVE AND UP HAVE RECEIVED BOOSTERS OR THIRD DOSES.
AND 44% OF THE FULLY VACCINATED POPULATION HAS RECEIVED A BOOSTER DOSE AS A, UM, THE END OF FEBRUARY.
AND AGAIN, THIS IS JUST ANOTHER WAY OF LOOKING AT THE DATA AND WE CAN SEE THAT THAT 73% THAT'S COMPLETED THE PRIMARY SERIES AND THE BREAKOUT BASICALLY TELLS US THAT WE HAVE WORK TO DO IN THE BOOSTER CATEGORY.
UM, AND WE'RE STILL TRYING TO, TO GET INFORMATION TO REALLY FINE TUNE WHERE WE NEED TO BE AND HOW WE NEED TO BE, TO INCREASE THOSE BOOSTER LEVELS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND SO, AGAIN, 32% OF THE TOTAL ELIGIBLE POPULATION HAS RECEIVED A THIRD DOOR DOSE OR BOOSTER.
AND 44% OF THE FULLY VACCINATED POPULATION HAS RECEIVED A THIRD DOSE OR BOOSTER.
OH, AND I APOLOGIZE FOR, UM, THE VISUALS OF THE SLIDE, BUT THIS IS THE BREAKDOWN BY RACE AND ETHNICITY.
AND SO AGAIN, THE PIE CHART ON THE RIGHT INCLUDES THE FULLY VACCINATION VACCINATED POPULATION BY RACE AND ETHNICITY.
AND THE OTHER PIE CHART JUST SHOWS YOU WHAT, UM, OUR CENSUS TELLS US OUR COMMUNITY BREAKDOWN BY RACE AND ETHNICITY IS, AND AGAIN, LOOKING AT THE VACCINATION STATUS BY RACE AND ETHNICITY, AND YOU KNOW, WHAT THIS TELLS THE TEAM IS THAT WE STILL HAVE WORK TO DO IN THOSE POPULATIONS THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED EARLIER.
AND SO THE LARGER CHART SHOWS THE BREAKDOWN OF BY DOSE AND THEN THE SMALLER TABLE GIVES YOU THE NUMBERS.
IF YOU'RE THAT PERSON WHO LIKES TO GEEK OUT ON THE DATA, YOU CAN SEE THE TOTAL NUMBERS OF THE ELIGIBLE ELIGIBLE POPULATION.
AND THEN AGAIN, I SHOWED THIS SLIDE LAST WEEK, YOU KNOW, WE, WE, OR COMPETITIVE HERE IN AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY.
AND, UM, WHAT IT SHOWS US IS THAT, UM, THE, THE COMMUNITIES THAT WERE DOING WELL AND OUR ASIAN COMMUNITY AND OUR WHITE COMMUNITY, BUT AGAIN, IN THAT, THAT BLACK AND HISPANIC POPULATION STILL NEEDING TO DO BETTER, THERE'S BEEN SOME IMPROVEMENT FOR THE UNITED STATES.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE MEASURE FOR ME.
I WANT TO BE BETTER THAN WHAT'S GOING ON NATIONALLY.
AND SO THE TREND IS CLEAR YOU'RE THERE, THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE CAN, UH, ATTACK PROGRAMMATICALLY, BUT IN THOSE COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, THOSE ISSUES THAT ARE SIMILAR IN TERMS OF SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH AND THE IMPACT ON COMMUNITIES OF COLOR AND HEALTH DISPARITIES IS A TREND THAT WE'RE CONTINUING TO ADDRESS.
I'M IN CONVERSATION WITH MY PEERS, BOTH IN TEXAS AND NATIONALLY ABOUT NEW INNOVATIONS AND STRATEGIES THAT THEY'RE USING, WE BRING THOSE THINGS TO THE TABLE.
UM, SO WE CAN CONTINUE TO TRY TO, TO MEET THAT GAP.
AND SO THE MAP, UM, I BELIEVE IT'S THE ONLY CHANGE IS THAT, THAT YELLOW.
AND WE KNOW THAT THAT'S PROBABLY A DATA ISSUE WITH OUR UT STUDENTS, BUT ALL, BUT ONCE THE CODE HAS RECEIVED, UH, ACHIEVED
[00:40:01]
THE 70% POPULATION RECEIVING THE FIRST DOSE.AND WHEN WE LOOK AT THE SECOND DOSE FULLY VACCINATED, NOW WE ONLY HAVE ONE ZIP CODE IN THE YELLOW, ONE IN THE ONE IN THE RED.
SO WE'RE CONTINUING TO MAKE THAT SLOW AND STEADY PROGRESS TOWARDS, UM, GETTING OUR POPULATION TO COMPLETE THEIR PRIMARY SERIES.
AND THEN AGAIN, JUST TO, YOU KNOW, TO SHOW YOU ALL THE WAYS THAT WE LOOK AT THE DATA, THIS IS JUST A SIMPLE TABLE THAT SHOWS YOU, UM, ZIP CODE RATES OR ZIP CODES WITH LOW VACCINATION RATES.
AND, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE THE AREAS THAT OUR TEAMS ARE FOCUSING ON.
THESE ARE THE PLACES WHERE WE'RE HONING OUR PARTNERSHIPS WITH DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS, SCHOOLS, AND CHURCHES, SO THAT WE CAN HAVE A MOBILE PRESENCE THERE.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, I CAN'T END A PRESENTATION WITHOUT AMPLIFYING OUR MESSAGES.
SO REALLY IMPORTANT TO, UM, IN YOUR SPHERES OF INFLUENCE, TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE, TO GET UP TO DATE WITH THEIR VACCINES, UM, GET TESTED IF YOU'VE TRAVELED DURING SPRING BREAK, IF YOU WORK, YOU KNOW, OUT AND ABOUT, AND YOU GOT A LITTLE SNIFFLE MAKE, JUST GET TESTED AND BE SURE, AND, YOU KNOW, STAY HOME.
IF YOU'RE FEELING ILL, REALLY PROTECT YOUR COWORKERS, YOUR FRIENDS, AND YOUR LOVED ONES.
IF YOU HAVE ANY SYMPTOMS, YOU KNOW, OTHER WAYS THAT WE'VE CONTINUED TO AMPLIFY OUR MESSAGING, UM, WE ARE CONTINUING OUR MEDIA PRESENCE.
UM, WE'RE SHARING INFORMATION THROUGH, UH, COMMUNITY NEWSLETTERS THAT HAVE, UH, THOUSANDS OF SUBSCRIBERS.
WE CONTINUE TO HIGHLIGHT OUR VACCINE CLINICS WITH FLYERS, SOCIAL MEDIA, CALENDAR EVENTS.
UM, AND ONE OF THE LITTLE SHOTS THAT I LIKED, UM, ON, ON FACEBOOK WAS A PROFILE OF THE APA STAFF.
YOU KNOW, SO PEOPLE REMEMBER THAT, YOU KNOW, THESE, THESE ARE PEOPLE TOO, WHO ARE DELIVERING THESE SERVICES, AND IT'S REALLY GOOD TO HEAR THAT THE PERSPECTIVE FROM FOLKS WHO ARE ON THE FIELD AND WHY THEY DO THIS WORK.
AND BEFORE I CLOSE OUT, I WILL, UM, GIVE A BRIEF UPDATE ON WHERE WE ARE WITH THE COST SHARING ILA.
UM, THE CITY AND COUNTY TEAMS HAVE ESTABLISHED A REGULAR MEETING CADENCE TO TALK ABOUT, UM, THE OUTSTANDING ISSUES WHERE WE ARE CURRENTLY IS THAT WE'VE AGREED TO THE 21 MONTH TERM.
UM, THE TRAVIS COUNTY AND CITY AUSTIN LEGAL TEAMS ARE PREPARING THE BOILER PLATE DOCUMENTS.
UM, AFTER REVIEWING THE EXPENSES SUBMITTED, UM, BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN, WE'VE COME TO AN AMOUNT OF JUST OVER 42.9 MILLION THAT'S ELIGIBLE FOR COST SHARING.
SO REMEMBER THIS MEANS TAKING OUT EVERYTHING THAT WE'VE DECIDED THAT WE WERE GOING TO PURSUE FEMA REIMBURSEMENT FOR, AND THIS IS THE POT THAT'S, THAT'S LEFT, THAT'S ELIGIBLE FOR COST SHARING.
AND AT THIS POINT, THE COUNTY'S, UM, ESTIMATED SHARE IS ABOUT 10.9.
AND NOW I HAVE ASTERISKS, UH, BY THESE TWO NUMBERS BECAUSE, UM, AS THE CONVERSATIONS PROGRESSED, THOSE COULD CHANGE, IT COULD INCREASE, OR IT COULD DECREASE.
AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WILL INFLUENCE THAT NUMBER THAT ARE, UH, FOR FUTURE DISCUSSION OR SOME POLICY CONSIDERATIONS, UM, AROUND, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS A SPECIFIC CITY OF BOSTON, UH, PROGRAM, UM, FURTHER ANALYSIS OF THE COUNTY INVESTMENT.
ARE THERE PLACES WHERE THE CITY LAID OUT MONEY AND THE COUNTY MADE A SIMILAR INVESTMENT AND THEN FURTHER CONSIDERATION OF THE 75, 25 METHODOLOGY? AND WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT WE USING, UH, 20, 20 CENSUS DATA, UM, REALIZING THAT 75% OF THE COUNTY LIVES IN AUSTIN PROPER AND THAT OTHER 25% IT'S COUNTY OUTSIDE OF AUSTIN.
AND SO THAT'S THE HISTORICAL WAY THAT WE'VE DETERMINED THE SPLIT FOR THE COST SHARING.
UM, WE WILL CONTINUE TO, TO, TO MEET AND IRON OUT THESE TERMS. UM, AND WITH THAT, HERE'S MY LOVELY CLOSING PICTURE SLIDE.
I TOLD THE TEAM THERE'S TOO MUCH DOCTOR WALKS IN THERE.
I NEED A PICTURE OF ME SLID UP IN THERE, BUT WITH THAT, I WILL END MY REPORT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH DIRECTOR STIRRUP.
UM, FACT, WE, UH, HAVE A REPORT FROM YOU NEXT.
COMMISSIONER SHAY MEMBERS OF THE COURT MAYOR ADLER COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I'M CHUCK BROTHERTON COUNTY EXECUTIVE FOR EMERGENCY SERVICES.
AND AS CUSTOMARY, UH, WOULD LIKE TO JUST GIVE YOU ALL A BRIEF UPDATE FROM OUR STRIKE TEAM LEADERSHIP, CONSTABLE GEORGE MIRALIS A PRECINCT FOR TODD HAMILTON IS THE CAMPUS PRESIDENT WITH CENTRAL TEXAS ALLIED HEALTH INSTITUTE.
BOTH OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS HAVE BEEN CRUCIAL IN OUR ONGOING STRIKE TEAM VACCINATION
[00:45:01]
EFFORTS.AND AT THIS POINT I WILL TURN IT OVER TO CONSTABLE MORALES FOR A BRIEFING GOOD MORNING, UH, COMMISSIONERS COUNCIL MEMBERS, JUDGE AND MAYOR, AGAIN, AS I SAY EVERY WEEK, THE GOAL OF THE MOBILE VACCINE TEAMS IS TO CONTINUE TO OFFER BARRIER FREE VACCINES, OUTREACH, AND EDUCATION TO OUR MOST VULNERABLE ZIP CODES AND HARD TO REACH COMMUNITIES.
UM, THIS WEEK, THIS PAST WEEK, WE DID A TOTAL OF 268 SHOTS.
UH, THE MOBILE VACCINE COLLABORATIVE DID A COMBINED SHOT FOR THE MONTH OF MARCH, 1,651 SHOTS.
AND FOR THE YEAR WE DID A TOTAL OF 12,017 SHOTS.
UM, AS WE CONTINUE ON AGAIN, UH, WE JUST SAW WITH, WITH, UH, UH, DIRECTOR STIRRUP, THE HIGHLY EFFECTIVE ZIP CODES, UM, OURS ARE VERY SIMILAR TO THE 77 5 8 5 3 2 4 2 1 4 1 DEL VALLEY, AUSTIN COLONY, AND COURSE THE 77 44, CONTINUING TO WORK WITH AISD SCHOOLS, DEL VALLEY SCHOOLS, MAYNOR INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT AND OUR CHARTER SCHOOLS, UH, IN AND AROUND AUSTIN.
UH, WE WILL CONTINUE AT OUR STATIC LOCATIONS.
NOW WE WOULD LIKE TO INCREASE, UH, AN OUTPUT AT PRECINCT FOUR CONSTABLE'S OFFICE.
WE HAVE A DRIVE-THROUGH THERE.
SO FOLKS, WE DID MOVE FROM THE EXPO OVER HERE.
SO WHEN YOU COME BACK FOR YOUR BOOSTER OR SECOND DOSE, MAKE SURE YOU COME SEE US AT PRECINCT FOR TRAVIS COUNTY CONSTABLE'S OFFICE.
UM, THANK YOU TO OUR COMMISSIONERS AND OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS AND ESPECIALLY OUR, UM, UH, JUDGE WHO LET US GO HOME EARLY ON TUESDAY, UH, DUE TO THE TORNADOES THAT HIT CENTRAL TEXAS.
I WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO THE MEDIA WHO DID A GREAT JOB OF TRYING TO KEEP OUR COMMUNITY SAFE.
UH, WE DO HAVE SOME UPCOMING EVENTS, UH, BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB PARADE IS MIDDLE SCHOOL, GILBERT ELEMENTARY FAMILY, FUN NIGHT HOUSTON'S HILTON, AND THE MEXICAN CONSULATE.
CHUCK I'LL TURN IT BACK OVER TO YOU CONSTABLE.
THANK YOU, MR. HAMILTON, IF YOU WOULD GIVE THE COURT A BRIEFING, GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, WE AT CENTRAL TEXAS ALLIED HEALTH INSTITUTE THIS WEEK ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR 42 VACCINATION SHOTS.
WE CONTINUE TO WORK UNDER THE DIRECTION OF COSTUMER MORALITIES AND CHUCK BROTHERTON, UH, IN TRAVIS COUNTY.
AND IT'S RAM ITALIANS AROUND IN ORDER TO TRY AND GET MORE BOOSTERS AND MORAL BOOSTERS AND SHOTS INTO ARMS. UM, WE'RE HERE FOR THE DURATION OF THE EVENT AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO FIGHT UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE COUNTY, BUT THANK YOU, TODD COMMISSIONERS AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UH, WE WILL CONTINUE OUR STRIKE TEAM VACCINATION EFFORTS, UH, AT THIS POINT THROUGH, UH, THE END OF JUNE, UH, THAT IS OUR CURRENT PLAN, BUT AS LONG AS NEEDED AND AS LONG AS THE COURT DIRECTS US TO, TO SUSTAIN THE EFFORT, UH, WE HAVE A CALENDAR, A PUBLIC FACING CALENDAR ON THE TRAVIS COUNTY, TX.GOV, UH, CLICK ON THE COVID LINK IN THE UPPER LEFT CORNER OF THE HOMEPAGE.
AND THIS CALENDAR WILL BE MAINTAINED AND KEPT CURRENT AGAIN, AT LEAST THROUGH JUNE, POSSIBLY LONGER, DEPENDING ON, ON NEED AND DEPENDING ON DIRECTION FROM THE COURT.
UH, AND ON THIS CALENDAR, YOU CAN SEE THE DAY BY DAY STRIKE TEAM LOCATIONS, UH, TRAVIS COUNTY, UH, UH, AFRICAN-AMERICAN YOUTH HARVEST FOUNDATION IS CENTRAL TEXAS ALLIED HEALTH, OLD SIMS ELEMENTARY ON WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY.
THAT IS AN AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH LOCATION.
UH, CLICK ON ANY ONE OF THESE AND BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB, FOR EXAMPLE, ON WEDNESDAY, SEE THE LOCATION, THE ADDRESS HOURS OF OPERATION TYPE OF VACCINE AVAILABLE.
ALL OF THESE ARE, UH, APPOINTMENT FREE.
UH, UH, AND WE DO ENCOURAGE OUR VIEWERS, ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS TO CONTINUE WORKING, TO GET FULLY VACCINATED.
UH, AT THIS POINT I WILL STOP SHARING, UH, COMMISSIONER SHEA, MAYOR ADLER, TURN IT BACK TO Y'ALL FOR QUESTIONS.
UH, THANKS SO MUCH, UM, CHECK, UM, WE'LL GO TO QUESTIONS AND JUST A REMINDER, WE'D ASK EVERYONE TO LIMIT THEMSELVES TO ONE QUESTION AT A TIME PERMITS.
WE'LL COME BACK FOR A SECOND ROUND OF QUESTIONS AND, UM, WE'LL GO FIRST TO THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT.
UM, I'LL START WITH, UM, COMMISSIONER GOMEZ.
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? UM, NO, I DO NOT HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, BUT JUST SIMPLY SAY A BIG THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY, FOR CONTINUING WITH, UM, GETTING THE INFORMATION OUT FOR CONTINUING TO GO OUT, TO MEET PEOPLE, UH, AND TO EDUCATING THEM TO GET THE VACCINE.
AND SO, UH, THAT'S UM, THE NUMBERS ARE STILL VERY GOOD.
AND, AND SO, UM, SO THAT'S, THAT'S A VERY, VERY, UM, UM, VERY GOOD INFORMATION FOR ME.
IT MAKES ME FEEL VERY GOOD ABOUT US.
UM, I ALSO, UH, WANT TO JOIN MY COLLEAGUES AND, AND, UH, THANK THE TEAM FOR THE WORK THAT IT'S DONE AND ALSO FOR, UH, GATHERING INFORMATION
[00:50:01]
IN A, IN A WAY, UH, THAT, THAT WE CAN, UH, DOCUMENT BEST PRACTICES AND IDENTIFY THE THINGS THAT, THAT WE HAVE TO DO MOVING FORWARD.UM, I WAS VERY INTERESTED IN THE SLIDES ABOUT, UH, SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH.
UM, UM, I'M INTERESTED BECAUSE PARTICULARLY A LOT OF YOUNG PEOPLE, UH, GET THEIR NEWS AND INFORMATION ON THEIR PHONES AND NOT NECESSARILY FROM THE NEWS, NOT EVEN NECESSARILY FROM THE RADIO, BUT FROM THEIR PHONES.
AND, AND I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT, UM, MY 21 YEAR OLD HAS EVER SAID SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH, UH, UH, GIVEN THAT FACT, UH, YOU KNOW, GIVEN WHERE PEOPLE GET THEIR INFORMATION AND GIVEN THE, UH, THE, UH, NECESSITY TO REACH OUT TO PARTICULARLY OUR YOUNG, YOUNGER COMMUNITY AND INFORM THEM ABOUT WHAT IS, UH, ABOUT HOW VACCINES WORK AND HOW THEY CAN BE HELPED.
UH, WHAT ARE WE DOING TO DEVELOP A STEADY FLOW OF INFORMATION OF COMMUNITY EDUCATION ORIENTED INFORMATION, AS WE TALK ABOUT NOT ONLY VACCINES, BUT SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH, I'M INTERESTED IN, FOR EXAMPLE, THERE WAS A SMOKING CAMPAIGN, UH, YEARS AGO, WHERE WE TAUGHT KIDS, UH, WHAT YOUR PARENTS' LUNGS LOOKED LIKE OVER A PERIOD WOULD LOOK LIKE OVER A PERIOD OF TIME IF THEY SMOKED.
AND THAT WAS A VERY EFFECTIVE CAMPAIGN.
I THINK, UH, WHAT ARE WE DOING TO BUILD A CAMPAIGN THAT IS GOING TO REACH, UH, FOLKS WHO ONLY GET INFORMATION FROM THEIR PHONE AND WHO, AND WHO GET THEIR INFORMATION FROM AREAS THAT ARE NOT CONSIDERED MAINSTREAM? THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION, COMMISSIONER, UH, I'LL START AND THEN INVITE MY COLLEAGUES TO, TO CHIME IN AS WELL.
I THINK THAT'S WHERE THE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER PROGRAM COMES IN BECAUSE THOSE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE ON THE STREET IN PLACES AND SPACES WHERE FAMILIES AND YOUNG PEOPLE ARE.
UM, THE SECOND THING IS THAT WE, UM, HAD TO OPT TO THE JOINT INFORMATION, VERY STRONG SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE.
UM, THEY'RE, THEY'RE POSTING ON FACEBOOK, THEY'RE, THEY'RE TWEETING, UM, WE'VE EVEN USED SOME OF THE POPULAR DATING APPS TO GET INFORMATION OUT ABOUT, UM, VACCINE AND THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING BOOSTED.
UM, AND AS FAR AS OUR BASE WORK ABOUT CHRONIC DISEASE, OUR DEPARTMENT HAS HAD A STRONG RELATIONSHIP WITH LOCAL SCHOOLS ON, YOU KNOW, HEALTHY FOOD CHOICE, SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL.
UM, WE'VE PARTNERED WITH PAR TO HELP ACTIVATE PARKS.
AND SO I THINK IT'S KIND OF THAT SCATTERSHOT APPROACH THAT WE'LL HAVE TO CONTINUE TO HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE REACHING ALL OF THE AREAS AND HAVING THAT, THAT LEVEL OF INFLUENCE THAT MAYBE THERE'LL BE ONE POINT WHERE WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL CATCH SOMEONE AND GET THAT INFORMATION, BUT IT IS IT'S CASTING A WIDE NET.
I KNEW IF I TALK LONG ENOUGH, THE WORD TO ME.
UM, SO WE'LL CONTINUE TO CAST THAT WIDE NET IN THOSE DIFFERENT SPACES, BUT IF YOU HAVE ANY, UM, SUGGESTIONS, UM, WE'RE HAPPY TO, TO HEAR THEM WELL, WE'D LOVE TO SIT AND WORK WITH YOU.
AND MAYBE IF WE, IF WE HAVE FOR THE MEETING AND ASSETS AND ASSET MAP, JUST WHAT WE'VE DONE SO FAR, SO WE CAN TAKE A GOOD LOOK AT IT AND SEE WHETHER WE CAN, UH, PULL DOWN ANY RELEVANT DATA FROM IT.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER HOWARD.
UM, I WANTED TO THANK EVERYBODY FOR THEIR HARD WORK.
IT SEEMS LIKE WE'VE COME THROUGH ANOTHER TRIAL AND LOOKING PRETTY GOOD.
UM, ADRIAN, WHEN YOU WERE GOING THROUGH YOUR SLIDES AND YOU WERE SO QUICK TO NOT USE THE WORD CITY, BUT USE THE WORD COMMUNITY IN RESPONSE OR IN TALKING ABOUT THE SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH.
AND I WANTED TO UNDERSCORE THAT IT IS SO IMPORTANT TO ME AND TO THE PEOPLE I REPRESENT THAT WE WORK TOGETHER, THE CITY AND THE COUNTY, AND THAT AS WE LOOK AT NEEDS AND GAPS THAT WE'RE WORKING TOGETHER TO FILL THOSE GAPS.
AND SO I JUST, AGAIN, APPLAUD YOUR QUICKNESS IN YOUR DELIVERY TO US.
UM, I, UH, HAVE A QUICK COMMENT AND THEN A QUESTION, UM, I'M REALLY GLAD TO HEAR, UH, DIRECTOR STIR THAT THERE IS A PLAN TO INVEST IN UPGRADING THE PUBLIC HEALTH, UM, SYSTEMS, I GUESS.
I THINK EVERYBODY WAS HORRIFIED WHEN WE HEARD AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PANDEMIC THAT WE WERE, WE WERE RECEIVING THE DATA ABOUT THE INFECTION RATES BY FAX, AND THEN WE HAD TO MANUALLY REENTER THE, INTO THE COMPUTERS.
AND EVEN WHEN THE SYSTEM, I GUESS WHEN THE STATE GOT A SIMILAR DATA BASE, THEY DIDN'T TALK TO EACH OTHER.
[00:55:01]
AND WHAT I HEARD FROM SO MANY PEOPLE IS THAT THIS IS THE RESULT OF DECADES OF, UM, A LACK OF INVESTMENT IN OUR PUBLIC HEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE.AND I THINK THE VALUE OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH SYSTEM WAS, UM, W W W WAS MORE VISIBLE TO PEOPLE DURING THE PANDEMIC.
THEY PERHAPS DEVELOPED A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF JUST WHAT THE PUBLIC HEALTH SYSTEM IS, WHICH IS MAINTAINING A BROAD PUBLIC HEALTH, UH, THROUGH THROUGHOUT TIME, INSTEAD OF JUST HAVING PRIVATE HEALTH SYSTEMS WHEN SOMEONE GETS SICK.
UM, THERE'S MORE TO IT THAN THAT.
BUT ANYWAY, I JUST WAS GLAD TO SEE THAT WE'RE INVESTING IN UPGRADING THE SYSTEM, BECAUSE IT CLEARLY NEEDS THOSE KINDS OF INVESTMENTS.
UM, I I'M, UH, CONTINUING TO STRUGGLE WITH WHAT TO TELL PEOPLE WHEN THEY GET AN IN-HOME TEST THAT SHOWS THAT THEY'RE, UH, POSITIVE FOR COVID W WHERE DO THEY REPORT THAT I'VE GOTTEN CONFLICTING INFORMATION? SO WHAT DO WE TELL THE PUBLIC ABOUT WHERE TO REPORT IT? BECAUSE I PERSONALLY KNOW OF A NUMBER OF INCIDENCES DURING SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST, WHERE PEOPLE GOT COVID.
UM, SO I WAS SURPRISED AND CLIPPING THE HOWARD FAMILY, THE ENTIRE HOWARD FAMILY AND ALL THEIR OUT OF TOWN.
BUT I KNOW THREE PEOPLE WHO WERE, UM, VOLUNTEER CREW, AND THAT'S JUST A, I THINK, A SURFACE SCRATCH ON THAT.
SO WHERE DO PEOPLE REPORT IT IF THEY'RE DOING IN HOME TESTS? SO WE, WE DID SET UP AN IN EMAIL, UM, ADDRESS FOR, TO REPORT THE DIFFICULTY WITH THAT IS THE, FROM AN EPIDEMIOLOGICAL.
I PROBABLY SAID THAT WRONG STANDPOINT, THE DATA IS NOT, UM, RELIABLE.
AND SO THE IMPORTANT THING THAT WE WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW WHEN THEY TEST AND IT'S POSITIVE, THEY NEED TO STAY HOME, THAT THEY SHOULD, UH, ISOLATE AND PROTECT THEM.
THEIR FAMILY, THE CDC IS UPDATING THEIR WEBSITE WITH A TRACKER THAT TELLS YOU HOW LONG YOU HAVE TO ISOLATE AND QUARANTINE, AND THAT THEY SHOULD NOT BE AROUND OTHERS UNTIL THAT PERIOD HAS PASSED.
UM, AND IF THEY'RE EXPERIENCING SEVERE SYMPTOMS, THEY NEED TO CALL 9 1 1 OR THEIR MEDICAL PROVIDER.
SO THE IMPORTANT THING AT THIS POINT, UM, FOR US, FROM, FROM A PUBLIC HEALTH PERSPECTIVE IS NOT SO MUCH THE REPORTING OF THE HOME TESTS, BUT THAT PEOPLE KNOW WHAT THEY SHOULD DO.
IF THEY GET A POSITIVE TEST AND YOU CAN CALL 3, 1, 1, AND THEY WILL TRANSFER YOU TO THE EQUITY LINE AND THEY WILL WALK YOU THROUGH ANY OF THOSE THINGS.
IF YOU DON'T HAVE COMPUTER ACCESS, WE'LL TALK YOU THROUGH WHAT YOU SHOULD DO FOR ISOLATION, HOW LONG YOU SHOULD ISOLATE AND QUARANTINE AND, AND HELP YOU DECIDE, WELL, I CAN, MAYBE YOU SHOULD GO SEE A DOCTOR, OR MAYBE YOU SHOULDN'T GO GET A PCR TEST.
IF, IF SOMEONE ELSE IN YOUR HOUSE IS EXPERIENCING SYMPTOMS AND THEIR HOME TEST IS STILL POPPING UP NEGATIVE, BUT, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE POSITIVE.
WE WOULD PROBABLY RECOMMEND THAT THAT PERSON GO GET A PCR TEST.
SO, SO FOR US, IT'S THE ACTIONS THAT PEOPLE TAKE ONCE THEY'RE POSITIVE VERSUS THE ACTUAL REPORTING OF THAT HOME TEST? WELL, NO, AND I GET THE IMPORTANCE OF THOSE ACTIONS AND HAVING A CLEAR MESSAGE AROUND THAT.
SO IT SOUNDS LIKE 3, 1, 1 LEAST IS THE NUMBER TO CALL, BUT THEN HOW DO WE KNOW OUR INFECTION RATE? WE HAVE NO WAY OF REALLY TRACKING, UH, WITH ANY ACCURACY, OUR INFECTION RATE, CORRECT.
PEOPLE ARE DOING HOME TESTS AND WE DON'T REALLY HAVE A GOOD MECHANISM FOR THEM.
SELF-REPORTING WE DON'T THINK THAT DATA IS, YOU KNOW, A HUNDRED PERCENT RELIABLE.
I THINK IT'S FAIR TO SAY WE DO NOT HAVE, UH, WITH COMPLETE CONFIDENCE AND ACCURATE STATUS OF THE INFECTION RATES.
CAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A GOOD WAY TO TRACK THEM.
THAT WOULD BE FAIR TO SAY, YES, IT'S JUST NOT GOOD.
I SEE DARK ROCK, PUT HER CAMERA ON.
DO YOU WANT TO ADD TO THAT? WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT THAT THIS MORNING IN OUR EXECUTIVE TEAM MEETING, DO YOU WANT TO ADD TO THAT? DR.
COMMISSIONER SHEA AND THAT'S HAPPENING ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
UM, THE HOME TESTS, THE DO SERVE TO HELP PEOPLE TO KNOW WHETHER THEIR SYMPTOMS REPRESENT HAVING COVID AND THE MESSAGES FOR THEM TO ISOLATE AS, UM, DIRECTOR SURP SAID, AND PROTECT THEMSELVES OR PROTECT THEIR FAMILY AND, UM, COLLEAGUES FROM GETTING THE DISEASE.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S THE TAKE HOME MESSAGE.
SYRUP SAID, THERE IS A NEW CALCULATOR ON THE CDC WEBSITE THAT HELPS PEOPLE KNOW WHEN THEY CAN STOP THEIR ISOLATION PERIOD AND GET BACK OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY WITH A MASK, UM, AT SIX DAY, DAY SIX, IF THEIR SYMPTOMS HAVE IMPROVED AND THEY DON'T HAVE A FEVER, UM, AND EAT AND THEY SHOULD AVOID GOING INTO PLACES WHERE MASKING WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE, SUCH AS RESTAURANTS DURING THAT ISOLATION PERIOD.
I CAN SEE ALL KINDS OF PROBLEMS WITH, YOU KNOW,
[01:00:01]
PEOPLE WHO HAVE TO WORK, WHO CAN'T AFFORD TO BE AWAY FROM WORK FOR EMPLOYERS WHO SAY, LOOK, I NEED EVIDENCE THAT YOU'VE GOT IT.UH, PEOPLE AREN'T, PEOPLE ARE SUPPOSED TO QUARANTINE AND NOT GO INTO A DOCTOR'S OFFICE.
I JUST THINK WE, WE GOT MORE WORK TO DO TO GET THIS ONE FLAT.
SO WE ACTUALLY KNOW OUR INFECTION RATE.
UM, I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO, UM, THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
I'M GOING TO START WITH COUNCIL MEMBER POOL AND THEN MOVE ON TO COUNCIL MEMBER QUINTUS.
I KNOW THAT'S OUT OF ORDER, BUT BOTH OF THEM HAVE TO LEAVE EARLY.
UM, I WAS CURIOUS ABOUT THE FOURTH DOSE OR THE SECOND BOOSTER, UM, AND, UH, ARE THEY AVAILABLE AT CONSTABLE FOR, AND, UH, ARE THEY, ARE THOSE AVAILABLE ANYWHERE ELSE? SO ARE THEY RECOMMENDED UNDER WHAT CONDITIONS AND WHERE CAN WE GO GET THEM? WE HAVE NOT GOTTEN THE FINAL WORD ON THIS AS YET.
UM, WHEN THEY DO, THEY'LL BE AVAILABLE THROUGH APH AND OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE COMMUNITY WHERE VACCINES ARE BEING PROVIDED CURRENTLY.
COUNCIL MEMBER FRONT IS THANK YOU.
AND FIRST I WANTED TO START OFF BY SAYING HAPPY NATIONAL PUBLIC HEALTH WEEK.
I KNOW THAT, UM, WE ARE IT'S NEXT WEEK, BUT I'M NOT SURE IF WE'RE MEETING NEXT WEEK.
SO I WANTED TO SHARE THAT AND EXTEND MY GRATITUDE FOR ALL OF OUR PUBLIC HEALTH WORKERS FOR BEING SUCH AN INTEGRAL PART OF OUR COMMUNITY RESPONSE AND RECOVERY.
UM, I'M APPRECIATE TODAY'S PRESENTATION DIRECTOR STIR UP, ESPECIALLY THAT YOU SHARED SOME REFLECTIONS AND GIVING US SOME INSIGHT AS TO, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S ON YOUR MIND AND VISION AND DIRECTION FOR AS WE ENTER THIS NEXT STAGE OF THE PANDEMIC.
AND CERTAINLY, YOU KNOW, PLEASE, UM, COUNT ON MY SUPPORT IN THAT EFFORT.
AND I'M VERY HAPPY TO SEE THE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS HIGHLIGHTED AS AN INTEGRAL KEY PIECE OF OUR RECOVERY AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
AND I KNOW JUST HOW IMPORTANT THE INCREDIBLE WORK THAT THEY DO AND IN OUR COMMUNITY AND PROVIDING THAT CRITICAL ACCESS TO HEALTH AND SERVICES.
SO WE JUST WANTED TO EXTEND MY APPRECIATION AND I LOOK FORWARD TO CELEBRATING WITH YOU ALL NEXT WEEK.
I BELIEVE COUNCIL MEMBER TOBO IS BRINGING FORWARD A PROCLAMATION THAT I AM THRILLED TO SUPPORT.
AND SO WE'LL HAVE MORE, MORE OF THAT, UM, APPRECIATION TIME NEXT WEEK.
SO MY QUESTION IS, UM, REGARDING A CONVERSATION THAT WE HAD LAST TIME WITH OUR SHELTER CAPACITY, YOU KNOW, NOW THAT WE'RE IN STAGE TWO, UH, WE KNOW THAT OUR, UM, SHELTERS THAT PROVIDE TEMPORARY HOUSING FOR OUR UNHOUSED HAVE BEEN OPERATING AT LIMITED CAPACITY BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC.
AND I WANTED TO SEE IF YOU, UH, DIRECTOR WALK, I MEAN, DOCTOR WALKS OR DIRECT STRIP HAD ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AS TO ANY CHANGES IN THE GUIDELINES IN LIFTING THE RESTRICTION SO THAT WE'RE ABLE TO EXPAND OUR CAPACITY SO THAT, UM, OUR UNHOUSED NEIGHBORS HAVE ADDITIONAL, UH, SHELTER SPACES TO, TO GET TO, YES, WE'VE ASSESSED THE SITUATION AT THE SHELTER, THE ARCH SHELTER, AND THEY, UM, ARE NOW ABLE TO INCREASE THEIR CAPACITY.
ANY, UM, INSIGHT WITH THE OTHER SHELTERS, THE SALVATION ARMY, UM, FRONT STEPS, OR I GUESS, UM, ANY OF THE OTHER SHELTERS THAT WE HAVE, UM, AND IF WE NEED TO CONTINUE THIS CONVERSATION OFFLINE, I'M HAPPY TO, I KNOW THAT COUNCILMAN RUBELLA IS ALSO INTERESTED IN THIS INFORMATION.
SO I HAVE ASKED THE STAFF THAT, UM, DO THE CONTRACTING WORK WITH THOSE VARIOUS SHELTERS TO SEND OUT THE NEWEST, UH, WELL, THE GUIDANCE, BECAUSE WE STILL WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES FOR SOCIAL DISTANCING AND TO, TO GIVE THOSE GUIDELINES AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO SHELTERS AND TALK THROUGH, UM, ANY CONCERNS THEY MIGHT HAVE AND JUST GET A TEMPERATURE CHECK OF, OF WHERE THEY ARE IN TERMS OF STAFFING AND GETTING BACK UP TO THAT A HUNDRED PERCENT CAPACITY.
SO WE ARE BEGINNING TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR PARTNERS.
WHAT, WHAT IS THE ARCH, WHAT IS FRONT STEPS AT THE ARCH INCREASING THEIR CAPACITY TO, ARE YOU ABLE TO SAY THE LAST CONVERSATION I HAD, UM, WAS 75%.
UM, THERE HAVE BEEN SOME, UH, ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES.
AND SO I NEED TO CIRCLE BACK, UH, WITH THE CURRENT LEADERSHIP TO SEE WHERE THEY ARE ON THAT PROCESS AND GET THEM TO THE A HUNDRED PERCENT MARK, BUT THE FORMER, UM, THE PREVIOUS CONVERSATIONS THAT I HAD, THEY FELT COMFORTABLE WITH GETTING UP TO THAT 75% AND THEN THE A HUNDRED PERCENT.
THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO TEM HOLDER.
[01:05:01]
REIMBURSEMENT PORTION FOR OUR FUNDING.WE TALK ABOUT WANTING TO, UM, ATTEND TO THE SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH, UM, HERE AT THE CITY.
I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO TAKE STEPS THAT WE MIGHT WANT TO TAKE, UM, BECAUSE WE HAVE THIS LARGE UNCERTAINTY OVER HOW MUCH MONEY WE'RE GOING TO BE RECEIVING FROM THE COUNTY, UH, WITH RESPECT TO THE COUNTY'S CONTRIBUTIONS TOWARDS FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS, TOWARDS OUR COVID, UM, RELIEF EFFORTS AND OUR COVID HEALTH RESPONSES WHERE THE, WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED FUNDING FROM THE COUNTY SINCE DECEMBER OF 2020.
UM, I UNDERSTAND THIS IS COMPLICATED.
I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF DIFFICULTIES AND FIGURING OUT WHAT IS, UM, REIMBURSABLE.
UM, SO A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS ON THIS.
SO AS I UNDERSTOOD IT TODAY, YOU'VE IDENTIFIED THAT WE PHOBIA THAT WE HAVE $43 MILLION, THAT WE CAN'T GO TO ANYBODY AND GET REIMBURSED.
SO THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT EVERYTHING ELSE IS GOING TO GET REIMBURSED, BUT THAT WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE THIS $43 MILLION POT.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHAT KINDS OF THINGS ARE NOT REIMBURSABLE? UH, AND, UH, COUNSELOR, I'LL TRY.
I REALIZED THIS IS A COMPLICATED ISSUE AND WE ALL PROBABLY WANT MORE DETAIL ON IT.
SO PERHAPS WE SHOULD ACTUALLY SCHEDULE A TIME FOR A MORE COMPLETE DISCUSSION.
UM, I THINK WE CAN GET SOME OF IT TODAY, BUT WE PROBABLY WON'T HAVE TIME TO GET INTO ALL OF WHAT WE ALL WOULD WANT TO KNOW.
UH, I THINK THAT WOULD BE A GREAT IDEA.
UM, COMMISSIONER SHEA, UM, IF I COULD JUST ASK A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS, THAT WOULD BE GREAT KNOWLEDGE.
AND, AND AGAIN, THIS IS, YOU KNOW, SO THAT WE CAN TAKE THE STEPS TO MAKE THOSE OTHER INVESTMENTS FEEDING.
WE NEED TO FIND A RESOLUTION, UM, SOON, SO WE CAN DO THOSE THINGS.
SO, UM, MR. COULD YOU, UM, TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT IS NOT REIMBURSABLE.
I'LL START AND I'LL INVITE CHECK, UM, TO, TO MR. BROTHERTON.
UM, SO WHEN YOU SAY NOT REIMBURSABLE, DO YOU MEAN NOT ELIGIBLE FOR COST SHARING? YES.
UM, SO I BELIEVE THAT'S WHAT YOU SAID, THE 43 MILLION, RIGHT? THOSE, SO THE, WE STARTED WITH ALL THE THINGS THAT THE CITY AND COUNTY, LIKE, THERE'S A BIG NUMBER OUT THERE.
WE KNOW THE MAJORITY OF THAT IS GOING TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR FEMA REIMBURSEMENT.
SO THEN THE THINGS THAT ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR FEMA REIMBURSEMENT, LIKE THE GIFT CARDS, UM, LIKE ALL OF THE EPI FUNCTIONS, UM, LIKE SOME OF THE DATA PIECES, THE BUILD-OUT OF, OF THE SALESFORCE, LIKE THE COMMUNITY DISTRIBUTION OF TEST KITS, LIKE THE PPE, SOME STAFF COSTS THAT ARE NOT ELIGIBLE.
THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE, WE LOOKED AT IN BUCKETS AND, UM, AND COMPARING WHAT THE CITY LAID OUT AND TO ALSO TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION THE INVESTMENTS THAT THE COUNTY MADE FOR SIMILAR SERVICES CAME UP WITH THAT 40, 42 $0.9 MILLION NUMBER THAT WAS ELIGIBLE FOR COST SHARING.
AND SO OF, OF THAT THE COUNTY SHARE IS THAT 25%, WHICH IS REPRESENTED BY THE 10.9 MILLION AND CHECK, DO YOU, MR. BROTHERTON, DO YOU WANT TO ADD SOME DETAIL TO THAT? UH, ADRIAN, I THINK, I THINK YOU'VE PRETTY WELL COVERED IT.
I ACTUALLY USED THE ONE TITLE IT'S MERE PRO TIM.
UH, WE WERE PROVIDED INFORMATION ON THE CITY'S EXPENDITURES, UH, UH, WITH THE CITY, UH, PROVIDING, UH, YES, YOU'RE GOOD.
I'M HEARING CROSSTALK APOLOGIZE.
YEAH, I'M NOT SURE WHAT THAT WAS, BUT, BUT WORKING WITH INFORMATION PROVIDED TO US BY, UH, CITY, UH, WE IDENTIFIED THOSE CATEGORIES WITH THE CITY SAYING WE WE'VE IDENTIFIED CITY EXPENDITURE CATEGORIES THAT WE ASSUME WILL BE FEMA REIMBURSABLE.
WE'VE IDENTIFIED OTHERS THAT WE ASSUME WILL NOT BE REIMBURSABLE BY FEMA PUBLIC ASSISTANCE.
SOME OF THE CATEGORIES THAT THE CITY ASSUMES WILL NOT BE REIMBURSABLE OR PROGRAMMATIC EXPENDITURES THAT COUNTY HAS ESSENTIALLY MIRROR PROGRAMS, RENTAL ASSISTANCE, FOOD ASSISTANCE, ASSISTANCE FOR CHILDCARE PROVIDERS.
UH, THOSE KINDS OF THINGS THAT THE CITY HAS SPENT SIGNIFICANTLY ON THE COUNTY LIKEWISE HAS SPENT SIGNIFICANTLY ON.
SO WE'VE DONE THIS ANALYSIS TO GET TO A METHODOLOGY AND, AND AGAIN, WE'VE, WE'VE MET SEVERAL TIMES COUNTY AND CITY, EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP, OPERATIONAL FOLKS, UH, BUDGET FOLKS, UH, TO WORK ON THE VARIOUS CATEGORIES IS ESSENTIALLY,
[01:10:01]
UH, GETTING TO A TERM FOR THE AGREEMENT, A METHODOLOGY FOR CALCULATING THE SHARED COST, UH, AND SO FORTH.SO AS, AS DIRECTOR STIRRUP INDICATED, THERE IS OPPORTUNITY FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION.
THERE MAY BE OPPORTUNITY FOR SOME POLICY DECISIONS AT THE ELECTED LEADERSHIP LEVEL.
UH, BUT WE ARE WORKING DILIGENTLY DILIGENTLY ON THIS, AND WE DO HAVE A REGULAR MEETING CADENCE OF ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS INVOLVED.
I, I DO FEEL LIKE WE NEED TO HAVE SOME MORE, UM, INFORMATION BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WHEN I PUT TWO THINGS TOGETHER, WE NORMALLY HAVE A 75% CITY COUNTY SPLIT.
UM, BUT IN THE CASE OF THE ARPA MONEY, WE BOTH THE CITY AND THE COUNTY GOT MONEY TO COVER CITY PEOPLE.
UM, SO IN THE CASE OF THE CARES ACT, THEY WERE KIND OF SET MORE SEPARATE POTS, UM, WITH ARPA AS MY, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, THE COUNTY RECEIVED MONEY TO COVER THE CITY AS WELL.
AND THAT MONEY WAS FIRST AND FOREMOST SUPPOSED TO BE GOING TO COVID RELIEF RESPONSE EFFORTS.
UM, AND SO I WOULD REALLY QUESTION WHETHER THE 25 75 SPLIT IS THE MOST APPROPRIATE, UM, WAY FORWARD FOR THIS PERIOD WHEN WE ARE LARGELY TRYING TO SPEND, UM, OUR BA DOLLARS.
UM, AND IT, YOU KNOW, IT'S PRETTY STRIKING IF YOU, IF YOU JUST TAKE THAT AND YOU DO THE 25% SPLIT, UM, YOU KNOW, RELATIVE TO WHAT THE COUNTY WOULD BE PAYING, IF THEY WERE JUST COVERING THE POPULATION AMOUNT OF THAT AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WOULD GO TO THE COUNTY, THEN YOU'RE CONTRIBUTING ONLY $2 MILLION ROUGHLY TOWARDS THE CITY EXPENSES WHEN YOU WERE PAID, YOU KNOW, TO COVER ALL OF THE CITY AND THE COUNTY WITH THE ARPA, UM, FOR THAT FUNDING.
AND THERE'S A LOT OF MISSING PIECES IN HERE.
AND I, I DON'T HAVE ALL OF THE INFORMATION ABOUT HOW ALL THE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS ARE MATCHED, ET CETERA.
BUT IF YOU WERE JUST TO DO THE MATH THAT WAY, WHICH IS EFFECTIVELY WHERE WE COME OUT WITH YOUR $10 MILLION IS TO TAKE THAT 43 MILLION AND, AND MAKE IT, UM, ABOUT THE 25%.
I THINK IT'S EVEN BEEN EVEN LESS THAN THAT.
UM, IT'S, IT'S, UM, I I'M HAVING TROUBLE WITH THAT.
AND, AND I WOULD LIKE TO DIVE, DIVE DEEPER.
AND MY GOAL IS SO THAT WE CAN SPEND THIS MONEY, YOU KNOW, EITHER ON MORE HEALTHCARE OR OTHER SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH THINGS, OR MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ADJUSTING ANY BUDGET ISSUES THAT WE HAVE.
UM, IT'S NOT TO GO, YOU KNOW, BUT WE CAN'T MAKE THOSE INVESTMENTS UNTIL WE GET, GET SOME RESOLUTION.
AND, AND I THINK THAT THE, THE ASSUMPTION THAT WE'VE USED IN THE PAST ABOUT THE SPLIT, UM, WITH COVID FOR THIS PERIOD OF TIME, I'M REALLY UNCOMFORTABLE WITH.
UM, SO I HOPE WE CAN HAVE THOSE CONTINUED CONVERSATIONS AND COMMISSIONER SHAG WELCOME YOUR IDEA OF DIVING IN DEEPER TO SEE WHERE THERE ARE POLICY, UM, WAYS FORWARD.
AND IF I MIGHT SUGGEST, AND MAYBE THIS IS SOMETHING JUDGE BROWN AND MAYOR ADLER AND MAYOR PRO TEM CAN THINK ABOUT FOR OUR NEXT JOINT MEETING, PERHAPS THAT SHOULD BE THE FOCUS OF OUR NEXT JOINT MEETING WITH THE, WITH TRAVIS COUNTY.
SO THAT I THINK THERE IS A LOT OF INTEREST IN THIS SUBJECT, AND THAT MIGHT PROVIDE US WITH ENOUGH TIME TO REALLY DIVE INTO THE DETAILS ON IT.
UM, AND ACCOUNT THERE'S A LOT OF VALUE IN THAT.
AND I WOULD, I WOULD SAY THAT THERE'S PROBABLY ADDITIONAL, UH, ISSUES RELATED TO SHARED REVENUE THAT, UH, OR FUNDS THAT WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT.
AND IT WOULD BE PARTICULARLY HELPFUL IF WE ARE GOING TO STRUCTURE OUR CONVERSATION LARGELY AROUND THAT ISSUE WOULD BE GREAT TO GET SOME OF THIS INFORMATION IN ADVANCE, YOU KNOW, WELL, IT, SEVERAL DAYS IN ADVANCE SO THAT WE CAN REALLY REVIEW IT AND BE THE, UM, READY FOR THAT CONVERSATION IN PUBLIC.
I'M SORRY I TALKED OVER SOMEBODY, MAYBE IT WAS, YOU MAY RATHER CONTINUE.
I WANTED TO MAKE SURE I WAS UNDERSTANDING CORRECTLY.
WACHS SAY THAT WE ARE IN FACT DOING WASTEWATER TESTING FOR THIS NEW VARIANT? YES, MA'AM, IT'S A PILOT PROGRAM THAT'S BEING DONE AND IT BEING REPORTED OUT, UM, ON THE CDC WEBSITE, AS WELL AS ANOTHER LINK, WHICH I CAN SHARE WITH THE GROUP.
UM, AFTER THIS MEETING, THAT'S GREAT TO HEAR.
UM, IT DID COME ONTO MY RADAR THAT THE CDC WEBSITE WASN'T SHOWING AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY IS DOING THAT WORK.
SO I'M NOT SURE IF SOMETHING MAY NEED TO BE UPDATED.
UM, BUT ALSO, CAN YOU TELL ME WHO IS DOING THAT WORK? IS, IS IT AUSTIN WATER? IS IT A, IS IT PUBLIC HEALTH OR A DIFFERENT ENTITY? AUSTIN
[01:15:01]
WATER.UH, NEXT STEP COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN, PLEASE.
SHE MAY HAVE STEPPED OFF FOR A MINUTE.
UH, AND SO THAT LEAVES US WITH YOU MAYOR.
A COUPLE OF FORWARD LOOKING THINGS FIRST.
UM, THE NUMBERS ARE WAY, WAY DOWN, UH, BUT MY UNDERSTANDING IS WE'RE LOOKING AROUND THE WORLD.
WE SEE OTHER PEOPLE'S SPIKING, SO WE'LL KEEP OUR FINGERS CROSSED.
UH, BUT JUST FOR THE, FOR THE COMMUNITY TO, TO BE AWARE IT, COULD WE FOLLOW OTHERS.
AND WHAT THAT MIGHT MEAN IS WE ALL HAVE TO PUT ON MASKS FOR ANOTHER, UH, TWO OR THREE WEEKS UNTIL WE GET PAST THAT.
BUT, UH, CERTAINLY ISN'T POTENTIALLY OVER RIGHT NOW.
SO WE HAVE TO KEEP THAT IN MIND.
SECOND, UH, REALLY EXCITED TO SEE THE PRESENTATION FOR DR.
STIR UP ON THE, UH, WORKING TO, TO, TO REALLY IMPROVE THE PUBLIC HEALTH SYSTEM THAT PICKED UP BY COMMISSIONER SHAY AND, AND OTHERS.
AS WE WENT INTO THE PANDEMIC, IT WAS JUST REAL APPARENT THE, UH, THE CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE, AND WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO, TO MOVE FORWARD ON A LOT OF THOSE THINGS.
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE GETTING INSTITUTIONALIZED FINALLY, WITH RESPECT TO THE FUTURE CALENDAR, UH, OBVIOUSLY A NEED FOR US TO PERHAPS GET TOGETHER, UH, UH, AND WE'LL VISIT ON THE ISSUE OF COST SHARING.
UM, BUT OTHER THAN THAT, UH, I NEED TO TALK TO THE JUDGE.
I'M NOT SURE WE NEED TO HAVE THE SAME KIND OF MEETING NOW ON A WEEKLY BASIS, UH, GIVEN WHERE WE ARE WITH, UH, WITH NUMBERS.
SO WE'LL HAVE THAT CONVERSATION, JUDGE, A DOCTOR WALKS, AND THEN FINALLY, UM, JUST WANT TO REALLY THANK EVERYBODY FOR TWO YEARS NOW.
UH, THE, THE, THE LEADERSHIP, UH, THE MANAGER OF THE COUNTY JUDGE, DR.
WACHS HAD BEEN OUT OF CALLS, UH, MYSELF, UH, AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK.
UH, THERE'VE BEEN CALLS WITH, UH, 50 TO 80 PEOPLE, ALL THE HOSPITALS, UH, EVERYONE IN THE HOUSE, EVEN PERIPHERALLY INVOLVED IN THIS, UH, UP TO THREE TIMES A WEEK NOW FOR, FOR TWO YEARS, UH, IT'S BEEN JUST AN INCREDIBLE EFFORT.
I JUST WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY AND MAKE SURE THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, WE, WE THINK THAT AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, WE THINK THE COUNTY, WE THINK THAT PEOPLE THAT YOU SEE ON THIS CALL, UH, THAT THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF PEOPLE DOING A LOT OF WORK IN A LOT OF PLACES, UH, FOR A REALLY LONG PERIOD OF TIME.
SO I THINK THAT WRAPS UP OUR CITY COUNCIL QUESTIONS.
AND SO THAT'S THE LAST ITEM, I THINK WE'RE READY TO ADJOURN COMMISSIONER SHAY.
WHAT, WHAT DO YOU SEE FROM YOUR ANGLE? UH, I THINK THAT, UH, WE'RE DONE HERE AS WELL.
UM, SO, UM, THANKS AGAIN TO EVERYBODY, ALL OF OUR, UM, UH, HEALTH WORKERS AND ALL OF OUR STAFF THAT CONTINUE TO DO REALLY REMARKABLE WORK TO KEEP OUR COMMUNITY SAFE.
UM, AND ON THAT, UM, I BELIEVE WE WILL CLOSE OUR PORTION OF THE, UM, COMMISSIONER'S COURT MEETING AND I'LL PASS IT OVER TO, UM, COMMISSIONER, THE COUNCIL MEMBER
UM, AND I KNOW THE FOLKS AT THE, THE CITY AND SHERRY HAVE WORKED TOGETHER VERY HARD.
UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT.
WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A SPECIAL, UM, BOTH RESOLUTION, UM, ACKNOWLEDGING SHERRY FLEMING'S LONG SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY AND, UM, UH, RECEPTION, WHICH YOU'RE ALL WELCOME TO, BUT I KNOW SO MANY OF YOU HAVE WORKED WITH HER IN SOME CASES FOR A VERY LONG TIME, AND, UM, IT IS APPROPRIATE TO ACKNOWLEDGE HER LONG SERVICE AND IN PARTICULAR GRATITUDE THAT WE HAVE FOR HER, IT MIGHT BE A GOOD, BE A GOOD PLACE FOR, FOR, UH, FOR US TO SAY JUST FOR A SECOND, UM, WHAT WE FEEL ABOUT SHARING, UH, AND IT CAN BE, I THINK WE NEED TO CONVENE THE JOINT MEETING BECAUSE WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A SPECIAL RESOLUTION FOR SHARING WHERE WE RECOGNIZE WHERE THE COUNCIL, IF ANYONE ELSE WANTS TO SAY ANYTHING FROM THE CITY SIDE, WE, UM, WE JUST, WE LOVE SHARING.
WE'RE REALLY SAD TO SEE HER RETIRE, BUT I KNOW SHE'S, SHE'S READY TO RETIRE, SO WE CAN'T KEEP HER AND FORCE HER TO STAY.
WE HAVE A SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT CAKE, WE CAN'T KEEP IT.
UM, I'VE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF WORKING WITH YOU.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TREMENDOUS WORK AND LEADERSHIP THROUGH THESE YEARS AT THE COUNTY.
[01:20:01]
AND, UH, THANK YOU TO ALL THE OTHER STAFF, UM, FOR ALL YOUR TREMENDOUS CONTINUED WORK.THE CITY COUNCIL STANDS ADJOURNED AT 10:28 AM.