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MY NAME IS GEORGE ORTEGA AND I WILL BE YOUR MODERATOR.
THIS NEWS CONFERENCE IS TO DISCUSS THE NEWLY RELEASED AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY COVERT 19 RISK-BASED GUIDELINES WITH US TODAY OR AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH DIRECTOR, STEPHANIE HAYDEN, WHO WE'LL SEE A FEW WORDS ALL BY AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY, INTERIM HEALTH AUTHORITY, DR. MARQUEZ SCOTT.
AFTER THAT, WE'LL OPEN IT UP TO QUESTIONS.
OUR POOR REPORTER FOR TODAY IS BETTY CROSS FROM CBS AUSTIN.
I'D LIKE TO NOW HAND IT OVER TO DIRECTOR HAYDEN.
AS WE LOOK AT THE RISK LEVELS, WE MUST CONSIDER OUR PERSONAL HEALTH AND RISK AND OUR WELLBEING AS A WHOLE.
WE KNOW THIS VIRUS IS ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS TO THOSE WITH UNDERLYING HEALTH CONDITIONS AND WE WANT TO PROTECT THOSE POPULATIONS.
AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH HAS PROGRAMS AND PARTNERSHIPS AND WE HAVE RESOURCES FOR THOSE WORKING AND UNEMPLOYED.
WE WANT TO ENSURE THAT YOU STAY HEALTHY AND MEET YOUR BASIC NEEDS.
IT IS SO IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO KEEP THAT IN MIND DURING THIS ECONOMIC AND OF UNCERTAINTY.
IT IS IMPORTANT FOR THE SERVICES THAT WE OFFER TO BE CULTURALLY AND LINGUISTICALLY APPROPRIATE AND HAVE AN EQUITY LENS.
WE ARE WORKING THROUGH OUR EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER AND WE HAVE ESTABLISHED A SOCIAL SERVICES BRANCH AND WE ARE WORKING WITH PRIORITY POPULATIONS AND SWELL AS ENSURING THAT THESE SERVICES ARE BEING PROVIDED.
FOR EXAMPLE, OUR WOMEN, INFANTS AND CHILDREN SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILIES.
OUR NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERS ARE CONTINUING TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE BY PHONE AND CAN ASSIST YOU WITH FOOD, UTILITY AND RENTAL ASSISTANCE.
WE HAVE CHILDCARE SUBSIDIES, SUBSIDIES THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO ESSENTIAL WORKERS.
OUR FAMILIES CONNECT PROGRAM ALLOWS THE ABILITY FOR YOU TO RECEIVE A VISIT FROM A NURSE OR YOUR NEWBORN.
WE KNOW THAT WHEN WE THINK ABOUT HEALTH, WE'VE GOT TO THINK ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH.
WE WANT TO THINK ABOUT OUR WHOLE HEALTH AND AS WE THINK ABOUT THAT WE HAVE PARTNERING.
WE HAVE PARTNERED WITH INTEGRAL CARE AND THEY ARE AVAILABLE 24 SEVEN TO PROVIDE MENTAL HEALTH ASSISTANCE.
WE HAVE PARTNERS THAT ARE ASSISTING WITH VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
WE KNOW THAT THAT THAT IS OCCURRING IN OUR COMMUNITY AND AS WE KNOW THERE ARE SEVERAL OF YOU THAT ARE UNEMPLOYED.
WE ARE PARTNERING WITH WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS TO ENSURE THAT THERE IS CONNECTION TO EMPLOYMENT.
WE REALLY CANNOT EMPHASIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF TESTING.
WE HAVE FREE TESTING AVAILABLE FOR THOSE WITH SYMPTOMS. WE WILL NOT ASK ABOUT YOUR IMMIGRATION STATUS AT THIS POINT.
I AM GOING TO TURN IT BACK OVER TO OUR HOST AND THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.
DR. SCOTT, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME.
UH, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT OUR NEW RISK BASED GUIDELINES AND I THINK THIS IS THE RIGHT TIMING FOR THIS BECAUSE I KNOW LIKE MANY PEOPLE, WHEN I GO HOME AT NIGHT, MY WIFE AND DAUGHTER EVERY SINGLE DAY ASKED ME, CAN I GO SHOPPING? CAN I GET MY HAIR DONE? CAN I GET MY NAILS DONE? IN THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION FOR PEOPLE ACROSS THE COMMUNITY IS DIFFERENT.
IT'S DIFFERENT BASED UPON THEIR INDIVIDUAL RISKS.
IT'S DIFFERENT BASED UPON THE RISK IN THEIR HOUSEHOLD.
SO I'M GOING TO PULL UP OUR SLIDES RIGHT NOW AND SHOW YOU THE, THE RISK GRID, WHICH GOES THROUGH SOME OF THESE PROCESSES, HOW PEOPLE CAN DECIDE WHAT THEY SHOULD DO FOR THEMSELVES AND THEIR FAMILY.
I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF CONFLICTING INFORMATION OUT THERE GOING ON.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, I THINK WE ALL WANT THE SAME GOAL.
IT DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU'RE DEMOCRAT, REPUBLICAN, STATE GOVERNMENT, LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
WE HAVE TO CARE ABOUT BOTH THINGS.
WE HAVE TO CARE ABOUT PUBLIC HEALTH AND WE HAVE TO CARE ABOUT THE ECONOMY.
AND THIS WILL HELP US GET THROUGH THOSE SITUATIONS.
IT WILL HELP US ANSWER THE QUESTIONS THAT NEED TO BE ANSWERED SO WE CAN CONTINUE TO, UH, HELP THE ECONOMY WHILE PROTECTING PUBLIC HEALTH.
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SO, UH, YOU KNOW, I WANT TO THANK OUR LARGE GROUP WHO'S BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR SEVERAL WEEKS NOW.THIS INCLUDED OUR EXPERT PANEL.
IT INCLUDED OUR PARTNERS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AND INCLUDED OUR, OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS.
AND THIS IS WHAT WE'VE COME UP, THIS COMP WITH.
THIS IS OUR FIRST ITERATION THERE COULD BE CHANGED IN THE FUTURE.
UH, SO I WANT PEOPLE TO BE AWARE OF THAT.
UH, BUT CURRENTLY, UH, THIS IS THE MODEL THAT WE'VE CREATED AND THROUGH OUR REVIEW IN THE EXPERT PANEL AND THE STAKEHOLDERS, WE'VE IDENTIFIED THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY IS AT A STAGE THREE.
UH, IT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT DIFFERENT JURISDICTIONS ACROSS THIS STATE AND ACROSS THIS COUNTRY ARE GOING TO BE AT DIFFERENT STAGES OF THIS PANDEMIC AT DIFFERENT TIMES.
UH, THIS IS NOT DESIGNED TO BE A POLICY DOCUMENT.
THIS IS DESIGNED TO BE A GUIDE FOR INDIVIDUALS TO ASSESS THEIR RISK BASED UPON WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THEIR COMMUNITY.
UH, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE ASKED ME WHAT ARE THE TRIGGERS, HOW ARE WE GOING TO DETERMINE HOW WE MOVE FROM STAGE THREE TO STAGE TWO OR STAGE THREE TO STAGE FOUR? AND THE ANSWER IS WE ARE WORKING ON THAT.
UH, TENTATIVELY WE ARE LOOKING AT HOSPITALIZATION RATES, UH, THE ADMISSION RATES OF NEW PATIENTS AND HOW THAT CHANGES ON A ROLLING SEVEN DAY AVERAGE.
UH, BUT THERE ARE OTHER COMPONENTS.
WE AS MUCH AS WE'D LIKE TO IDENTIFY ONE HIGHLY RELIABLE TRIGGER, THERE ARE LOTS OF TRIGGERS.
SO WE WILL BE LOOKING AT HOSPITALIZATION RATES AND WE'LL BE LOOKING AT DOUBLING TIME.
WE WILL BE LOOKING AT ARE, ARE NOT OR THAT REPRODUCTIVE NUMBER AS WELL AS SOME OTHER ITEMS. IF WE CAN FIND A MAGIC FORMULA TO SHARE WITH YOU, WE WILL SHARE THAT WITH YOU.
OTHERWISE, IT WOULD BE BASED UPON EXPERT OPINION, LOOKING AT MULTIPLE DIFFERENT FACTORS TO MAKE THE DETERMINATION OF WHAT STAGE WE ARE IN.
UM, I, I WILL SAY THAT, UM, THAT, THAT THESE GUIDELINES ARE, ARE VARIABLE BASED UPON THE INDIVIDUAL'S RISK.
SO FOR INSTANCE, AT STAGE THREE RIGHT NOW, UH, WE RECOMMEND THAT EVERYBODY PRACTICE GOOD HYGIENE, STAYING HOME IF THEY'RE SICK, AVOIDING SICK PEOPLE.
AS YOU CAN SEE, THAT PARTICULAR SET OF GUIDELINES IS CONSISTENT THROUGHOUT THIS.
NOW WE'RE ALSO ADVISING EVERYONE TO MAINTAIN SOCIAL DISTANCING.
WE'RE ADVISING EVERYBODY TO WEAR FACIAL COVERINGS.
UH, WE'RE ADVISING THOSE WHO ARE AT HIGHER RISK TO BE A BIT MORE CAUTIOUS WHEN IT COMES TO GATHERINGS AND DINING AND SHOPPING.
SO WE'RE ASKING THEM TO AVOID SOCIAL GATHERINGS AND GATHERINGS GREATER THAN 10.
WE'RE ASKING THEM TO AVOID, UH, NON ESSENTIAL TRAVEL.
WE'RE ASKING THEM TO AVOID DINING AND SHOPPING UNLESS IT'S ESSENTIAL FOR THEM.
SO IF THEY CAN GET GROCERIES, FOR INSTANCE, UH, IF THEY CAN'T HAVE SOMEBODY ELSE CAN GET THEM FOR THEM, THEN THEY NEED TO DO THAT.
BUT DO THAT IN A PROTECTED WAY.
AND AGAIN, UH, ON LOW RISK INDIVIDUALS, THEY CAN TAKE A BIT MORE RISK BECAUSE THE RISK OF COMPLICATIONS, THE RISK OF HOSPITALIZATION, THEIR RISK OF DEATH IS LOWER SUBSTANTIALLY THAN THOSE WHO ARE AT HIGHER RISK.
SO FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS, WE WANT THEM TO, UH, TO BE ABLE TO GO OUT.
YOU KNOW, THEY CAN, UH, THEY CAN DO SOCIAL GATHERINGS BUT THEY CAN ALSO GO INTO MORE NONESSENTIAL TRAVEL, THE SHOPPING, THE DINING.
BUT WHEN THEY DO SO THEY NEED TO DO IT WITH APPROPRIATE PRECAUTIONS.
AGAIN, ALL OF US PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS, GOVERNMENTAL OFFICIALS, THE COMMUNITY ITSELF WANT TO HAVE A HEALTHY ECONOMY BUT ALSO WANT TO HAVE PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY.
AND IF WE CAN EMBRACE THOSE TWO CONCEPTS TOGETHER, THEN WE CAN STAY OPEN AND WE CAN DO IT SAFELY WITHOUT RISKING THAT SUBSTANTIAL SURGE.
I DO WANT TO SHOW YOU A FEW OTHER SLIDES IN ADDITION TO THIS.
UM, YOU KNOW, STAGE ONE THROUGH STAGE FIVE, WE'RE GOING TO DEFINE THOSE A LITTLE BIT LATER AS YOU CAN SAY A STAGE FIVE AS IS AKIN TO OUR SHELTER IN PLACE OR STAY HOME WORKS TODAY.
STAGE ONE IS A PERIOD OF TIME WHERE WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY NEW CASES.
IT'S STILL AROUND, BUT IT'S NOT AROUND IN THIS COMMUNITY RIGHT NOW.
AND THAT'S WHY YOU SEE PROGRESSIVE LIFTING OF RESTRICTIONS OR BY LIFTING OF OF THE, THE CAUTIONS WE'RE ADVISING PEOPLE TO TAKE AS THE STAGE NUMBER DECREASES.
SO WHEN I TALKED BEFORE I, I TALKED ABOUT SOME OF THE FACTORS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT AND WHAT YOU CAN SEE ON THIS SLIDE IS THREE THINGS.
NUMBER ONE, YOU CAN SEE OUR CUMULATIVE RATE.
THAT'S ALWAYS GOING TO BE GOING UP, RIGHT? IT'S A CUMULATIVE NUMBER.
THE YELLOW ARE THE NEW CASES PER DAY IN THE GREEN IS THE PERCENT CHANGE COMPARED TO THE PREVIOUS DAY.
SO WHAT THIS IS SHOWING US IS THAT AS WE'VE PROGRESSED OVER TIME, OUR RATE OF INCREASE CONTINUES TO DECLINE.
UH, SO WHERE WE HAD A DOUBLING RATE EVERY DAY, EARLY ON,
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NOW OUR DOUBLING RATE IS AROUND 23 DAYS.SO THIS IS A GOOD SIGN FOR US.
THIS IS WHY WE ARE WILLING TO ACCEPT MORE RISK, BE MORE LIBERAL WHEN IT COMES TO THINGS LIKE DINING AND SHOPPING AND GOING OUT.
UH, THIS IS A GRAPH OF OUR COVERT 19 NEW CONFIRMED CASES.
SO THIS IS, THIS IS FROM THE GRAPH I SHOWED YOU BEFORE THE YELLOW BARS BUT MAGNIFIED A BIT AND ONCE YOU'VE SEEN AS A SEVEN DAY ROLLING AVERAGE OF NEW CASES, AS YOU CAN SEE HERE, THAT NUMBER HAS BEEN RELATIVELY STEADY FOR AROUND SIX WEEKS.
SO AGAIN, WE HAVE FLATTENED THE CURVE.
THIS IS EVIDENCE OF THAT FLATTENING OF THE CURVE.
BUT AGAIN, WE HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT THE FLATTENING OF THE CURVE HAPPENED BECAUSE OF ACTIONS THAT ALL OF US HAVE TAKEN.
THE STAYING HOME, THEY'RE BEING CAUTIOUS, THE SOCIAL DISTANCING, THE PERSONAL HYGIENE, THE WEARING OF FACIAL COVERINGS.
THIS DOES NOT MEAN WE ARE CURED OF COVEN 19.
I SEE PATIENTS IN THE ER ALL THE TIME.
SOMETIMES I'LL SEE A PATIENT WHO COMES IN, LET'S SAY FOR SOMETHING LIKE SEIZURES AND YOU KNOW THEY COME IN BECAUSE THEY HAVE ANOTHER SEIZURE AND YOU KNOW I ASKED HIM, HAVE YOU BEEN TAKING YOUR SEIZURE MEDICATION? AND THE ANSWER SOMETIMES IS NO.
AND THE REASON IS IS BECAUSE WHEN SOMEBODY HAS SOMETHING AND THEY DON'T HAVE THAT SOMETHING FOR A WHILE, LIKE A SEIZURE, THEY THINK THEY'RE CURED OF THE EPILEPSY, BUT WHAT THEY'RE EXPERIENCING IS AN EFFECT OF THE TREATMENT.
SIMILARLY, WHAT WE ARE SEEING IN THE FLATTENING OF THE CURVE AS AN EFFECT OF THE TREATMENT AND THAT TREATMENT IS THAT SOCIAL DISTANCING, THAT PERSONAL HYGIENE AND THOSE FACIAL COVERINGS.
THE TREATMENT HAS TO CONTINUE.
WE HAVE TO CONTINUE THIS EFFORT BECAUSE WE ARE NOT CURED OF COVERT 19 AND WE WILL NOT BE IN A SITUATION TO BE CURED OF COVEN 19 AT LEAST UNTIL WE HAVE AN EFFECTIVE VACCINATE VACCINE, WHICH IS AVAILABLE PUBLICLY.
THE NEXT SLIDE IS IS THAT THE CASES BY WEEK, SO THESE ARE NEWLY DIAGNOSED CASES THAT WE'VE SEEN ON A WEEK BY WEEK BASIS.
AGAIN, YOU CAN SEE THAT THE NUMBERS WHILE THEY'RE INCREASING A LITTLE BIT NOW HAVE BEEN RELATIVELY STEADY OVER THE PAST SIX WEEKS.
SOME OF THIS INCREASE THAT WE'RE SEEING IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS MAYBE ATTRIBUTABLE TO UH, OUR INCREASED TESTING THAT WE'RE HAVING THROUGH OUR, OUR PUBLIC TESTING SITE AS WELL AS INCREASED TESTING THROUGH OUR PARTNERS AT COMMUNITY CARE AND OTHERS IN THE COMMUNITY, LIKE OUR HOSPITAL SYSTEMS, LIKE AUSTIN REGIONAL CLINIC AND OTHERS.
SO WE LOOK AT HOSPITALIZATIONS BECAUSE THERE'S SOME VARIABILITY AND IN THE RATE OF DETECTION OF CASES ACROSS COMMUNITIES.
AND WHAT WE SEE HERE IS THAT WHILE WE'RE, WE'VE HAD A STEADY INCREASE IN THE CUMULATIVE NUMBER OF HOSPITALIZATIONS.
THAT'S THE UH, THE LINE IN THE GRAY.
IT'S BEEN SLOW AND IT'S BEEN CUMULATIVE OVER TIME.
SO LET ME GIVE YOU A LITTLE CLOSER VIEW ON THE NEW HOSPITALIZATION RATE.
SO THE BLUE IS NEW HOSPITALIZATIONS BY DAY IN OUR FIVE COUNTY MSA.
THE YELLOW IS THAT ROLLING OR MOVING IN THE SEVEN DAY AVERAGE.
AND YOU CAN SEE THAT THAT'S BEEN OSCILLATING BETWEEN ABOUT SEVEN AND 10 HOSPITALIZATIONS ON THAT MOVING AVERAGE FOR MANY WEEKS.
NOW AGAIN, THE HOSPITALIZATION CURVE IS FLAT, BUT THAT'S A RESULT OF THE EFFORTS THAT ALL OF YOU AT HOME HAVE BEEN DOING TO FLATTEN THIS CURVE.
IF WE STOPPED DOING THOSE CAUTIOUS THINGS, IF WE STOPPED THE SOCIAL DISTANCING AND THE PUBLIC MASKING AND THE ATTENTION TO PERSONAL HYGIENE, IT WILL NOT BE FLAT ANYMORE.
AND AGAIN, WHAT WE ALL WANT IS TO KEEP IT FLAT SO WE CAN KEEP THINGS OPEN.
AND FINALLY I WANT TO REMIND EVERYBODY THAT AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH HAS FREE ASSESSMENT AND FREE TESTING FOR COBRA 19 UH, ANYBODY WHO IS SYMPTOMATIC IS GETTING TESTED.
ANYBODY WHO HAS AN EXPOSURE TO COVERT 19 WHO'S ASYMPTOMATIC IS GETTING TESTED AND IT'S ALL FREE THROUGH THIS WEBSITE, THE AUSTIN, TEXAS.GOV FORWARD SLASH COBRA 19.
WE ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO GO TO THIS SITE TO SIGN UP TO SCHEDULE TESTING.
WE WANT PEOPLE TO GET TESTED OR SCHEDULE TESTING THE SAME DAY THEY FIRST DEVELOPED SYMPTOMS SO THAT WE CAN GET, GET THEM TESTED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
WE CAN IDENTIFY IF THERE WERE POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AND WE CAN HELP TO ISOLATE THEM SO THAT THE EXPOSURE DOESN'T HAPPEN TO OTHERS.
AND WE CAN CONNECT PEOPLE TO OUR ISOLATION FACILITY, WHICH IS A FREE HOTEL ROOM WITH MEALS PROVIDED WITH INTERNET PROVIDED WITH TELEVISION PROVIDED SO THAT THEY CAN ISOLATE AWAY FROM THEIR FAMILIES.
WE HAVE SEEN RECENTLY INCREASES IN THE NUMBERS OF HOUSEHOLD
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TRANSMISSIONS, SO FROM ONE MEMBER OF A HOUSEHOLD TO OTHERS.SO IT IS REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US TO SEPARATE PEOPLE EFFECTIVELY SO THAT WE CAN PREVENT THAT TRANSMISSION OF HOUSEHOLD.
AND SO THAT INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE COBIT 19 POSITIVE CAN PROTECT THEIR FAMILIES.
WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO BETTY FOR QUESTIONS.
THANKS FOR TAKING THIS TIME WITH US WITH US THIS MORNING.
AND BETTY CROSS WITH CBS AUSTIN.
AND OUR FIRST QUESTION IS FROM BRIDGET SPENCER AT FOX SEVEN.
SHE SAYS, UM, I THINK THIS IS PROBABLY FOR YOU, DR S SCOTT.
WHERE ARE WE WHEN IT COMES TO TESTING CAPACITY? SO BUDDY, OUR, OUR TESTING CAPACITY HAS BEEN INCREASING.
AGAIN, WE HAVE THE CAPACITY RIGHT NOW TO TEST AT LEAST 2000 PEOPLE A DAY OR A WEEK, SORRY, THROUGH AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, BUT WHAT'S ALSO BEEN INCREASING AS OUR TESTING WITH OUR PARTNERS, UH, COMMUNITY CARE, AUSTIN REGIONAL CLINIC, OUR HOSPITAL SYSTEMS ARE TESTING, UH, MORE FREQUENTLY NOW THEY'RE TESTING PREOPERATIVE PATIENTS.
WE'RE TESTING NURSING HOME, UH, RESIDENTS AND STAFF.
WE'RE TESTING AT CONSTRUCTION SITES AND WE INTEND TO, UH, NOT ONLY CONTINUE OUR EFFORTS AT ADVISING PEOPLE TO SIGN UP FOR THAT COBRA 19 DRIVE THROUGH TESTING, BUT ALSO SOME MORE TARGETED TESTING TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE PROVIDING DIRECT OUTREACH AND TARGETED TESTING TO THOSE INDIVIDUALS AND COMMUNITIES WHO ARE AT HIGHER RISK FOR TRANSMISSION.
WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THAT DIRECT TESTING, ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT BY ZIP CODE? ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT BY LET'S SAY CONSTRUCTION WORKERS OR GROCERY STORE WORKERS? THE PEOPLE WHO YOU HAVE SAID IN THE PAST ARE A HIGHER RISK GROUP.
WE ARE WORKING WITH A COLLABORATIVE OF, OF INDIVIDUALS FROM ACROSS OUR COMMUNITY, UH, SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO TESTING SO THAT WE CAN BRING THE DATA TOGETHER.
UH, AS YOU SAW, UH, WHEN THE MAYOR ISSUED HIS NEW ORDER THAT REQUIRED ALL INDIVIDUALS DOING TESTING, ALL ENTITIES DOING TESTING, UH, TO REPORT THAT DAILY TO, UH, TO THE LOCAL HEALTH AUTHORITY AND TO THE STATE.
UH, THAT WAS REITERATED YESTERDAY BY COMMISSIONER HELLER STEP.
SO RIGHT NOW WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS TO BRING ALL THESE DATA SETS TOGETHER FROM THESE DIFFERENT ENTITIES SO THAT WE CAN BETTER IDENTIFY WHERE WE'RE TESTING WELL AND WHERE THE GAPS ARE IN TESTING SO THAT WE CAN BETTER TARGET TESTING FOR THOSE WHO ARE NOT CURRENTLY BEING REACHED.
THE NEXT QUESTION IS FROM KUT IS WHAT IS TO BE DETERMINED ABOUT GUIDANCE FOR SIZE, SIZES OF GATHERINGS FOR LOWER RISK INDIVIDUALS UNDER STAGE ONE.
SO BETTY, UH, THE, THE, TO BE DETERMINED REALLY DEPENDS ON THE SITUATION OUTSIDE OF AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY.
UH, AGAIN, THEY, THE LARGE GATHERINGS WHERE THE FIRST THING THAT WE CLOSED DOWN AND WILL BE THE LAST THING TO OPEN UP AGAIN.
BUT I IMAGINE THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN IN A PROGRESSIVE PROCESS.
SO YOU SEE THAT WE'VE, WE'VE PUT THE LIMITATION OF 25 AND STAGE TWO, UH, AS THE SITUATION CHANGES IMPROVES LOCALLY IN OUR REGION AND OUR STATE WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE THAT CAP SO THAT WE CAN HAVE EVENTS, WE CAN HAVE, UH, LARGER GATHERINGS AS THE SITUATION BECOMES SAFER.
IN ADDITION TO THIS, OUR, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SERVICES GROUP IS WORKING ON SOME PROJECTIONS FOR LARGE EVENTS GOING THROUGH THE END OF THIS YEAR SO THAT WE CAN HAVE A BETTER IDEA OF WHAT WE THINK AT THIS STAGE IS, IS GOING TO BE FEASIBLE AND WHAT'S REALLY OFF THE TABLE WHEN IT COMES TO LARGE GATHERINGS, UH, FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE.
THIS IS A QUESTION FROM CBS AUSTIN.
I KNOW YOU SAID, UM, DURING THE PRESS CONFERENCE PART THAT YOU DON'T HAVE EXACT TRIGGERS YET.
DO YOU FEEL LIKE MAYBE THE STAGE, THE STAGES ARE PREMATURE WITHOUT SPECIFIC TRIGGERS TO MOVE BETWEEN THEM? I MEAN, DO YOU FEEL LIKE IT COULD BECOME SOMEWHAT ARBITRARY, BUT YEAH, I, I DON'T THINK IT'S ARBITRARY.
UH, BUT AGAIN, AS WE'VE SAID BEFORE, THIS, THIS FORECASTING THAT WE'RE DOING FOR COBRA 19 IS REALLY UNPRECEDENTED IN TERMS OF, OF INFECTIOUS DISEASE SPREAD OF THIS MAGNITUDE.
UH, SO YOU KNOW, SIMILAR TO WEATHER FORECASTING, UH, YOU KNOW, FORECAST WEATHER BASED ON ONLY ON DEWPOINT OR ONLY ON WIND SPEED.
IT'S A COMBINATION OF FACTORS THAT, THAT UH, THAT ARE INVOLVED IN, IN CREATING THAT FORECAST.
SIMILARLY, WE'RE LOOKING AT MULTIPLE DIFFERENT FACTORS AND UH, THOSE FACTORS ARE BEING DISCUSSED BY THAT EXPERT PANEL TO MAKE A DETERMINATION.
IT'S BASED UPON THE EXPERTS THAT WE HAVE, UH, THAT WE BROUGHT TOGETHER WHO ARE INTERPRETING THIS DATA TO PROVIDE AN OPINION ABOUT WHERE WE THINK WE ARE.
UH, AGAIN, IF WE IDENTIFY A COMBINATION THAT IS VERY PREDICTIVE
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OF RISK, THEN THEN WE WILL SHARE THAT AND CERTAINLY WE WANT TO BE AS OBJECTIVE AS POSSIBLE WHEN IT COMES TO PROVIDING GUIDANCE REGARDING THE STAGES.THE NEXT QUESTION IS FROM ASTONIA.
IT SAYS IF THERE IS A SURGEON CASES, ARE CITY OFFICIALS ABLE TO RECOMMEND OR IMPLEMENT A SECOND SHUTDOWN OR WOULD THAT HAVE TO COME FROM GOVERNOR RAPID THAT WE ARE WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE STATES, UH, ON, ON THIS COBRA 19 RESPONSE.
UM, YOU KNOW, I, I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT THE GOVERNOR, THE STATE GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES WANT TO PROTECT THE COMMUNITY JUST AS MUCH AS WE DO.
UH, SO THIS IS A DIALOGUE BETWEEN LOCAL AND STATE GOVERNMENT.
UH, WHEN IT COMES TO ASSESSING THE NEED FOR FURTHER RESTRICTIONS.
THIS DOCUMENT IS NOT DESIGNED TO GUIDE POLICY.
THIS DOCUMENT IS DESIGNED TO GUIDE INDIVIDUAL BEHAVIOR BASED UPON THEIR RISK.
ULTIMATELY, THE RISK IS GOING TO BE DIFFERENT FOR DIFFERENT MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY, DIFFERENT HOUSEHOLDS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
REGARDLESS OF WHAT POLICY CHANGES CAN BE MADE, WE CAN STILL MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING THE COMMUNITY RISK THAT PEOPLE HAVE FOR THEMSELVES, FOR THEIR HOUSEHOLDS SO THAT THEY CAN INTERPRET WHAT THEY NEED TO DO PERSONALLY, UH, TO, TO HELP PREVENT THE SPREAD.
THIS QUESTION IS FROM KX SANS.
HAVE YOU SEEN A SIGNIFICANT SPIKE IN HOSPITALIZATIONS OR OTHER EVIDENCE THAT REOPENING THE ECONOMY HAS BEEN BAD FOR PUBLIC HEALTH? SO W W WE HAVEN'T SEEN A SIGNIFICANT SPIKE.
UH, YOU KNOW, I SHOWED YOU ON ONE OF MY GRAPHS, THERE WAS AN UPTICK IN HOSPITALIZATIONS LAST WEEK.
UH, THAT'S COME BACK DOWN AGAIN.
THAT AGAIN, IT TAKES A WHILE TO SEE THE IMPACT OF POLICY CHANGE AT LEAST THREE WEEKS TO FOUR WEEKS TO REALLY SEE IF THERE'S UH, IF IF OPENING THE WINDOW HAS BEEN TOO MUCH OR JUST RIGHT.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE PLENTY OF HOSPITAL CAPACITY STILL.
UH, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW WE ARE UH, WE ARE WORRIED ABOUT TWO THINGS.
WE'RE WORRIED ABOUT THE PUBLIC HEALTH, UH, IMPACT.
WE'RE, WE'RE WORRIED ABOUT THE ECONOMIC IMPACT WHICH HAS PUBLIC HEALTH EFFECTS AS WELL.
UH, SO WE ARE, WE ARE, WE ARE TRYING TO MANEUVER BETWEEN TWO THINGS TO ENSURE THAT AS WE OPEN THE ECONOMY MORE, AS WE OPEN THAT WINDOW MORE, WE'RE DOING IT AS SAFELY AS WE CAN.
THIS QUESTION IS FROM COMMUNITY IMPACT.
WILLIAMSON COUNTY'S FAMILY EMERGENCY ROOM IS OFFERING FREE COVER CORONA VIRUS TEST FOR FOLKS WITHOUT SYMPTOMS. AND WITHOUT KNOWN EXPOSURE TO THE VIRUS, ASYMPTOMATIC TESTING IS A KEY TO REACHING ADEQUATE TESTING LEVELS.
WHEN DO YOU EXPECT AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY CAN BEGIN OFFERING SUCH TASK? ESPECIALLY WITH APH TESTING UNDER ITS CURRENT CAPACITY? SO AGAIN, WE ARE, UH, WE ARE DOING ASYMPTOMATIC TESTING RIGHT NOW BUT IN, IN GROUPS THAT ARE AT HIGHER RISKS.
SO NURSING HOMES, UH, NURSING HOME RESIDENTS, NURSING HOME STAFF, CONSTRUCTION WORKERS AS I DESCRIBED BEFORE.
UM, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW OUR DRIVE THROUGH TESTING OF PEOPLE WITH SYMPTOMS, UH, HAS A LOW POSITIVE RATES.
SO WE, UH, WE WANT TO TEST MORE PEOPLE BUT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THE RIGHT PEOPLE ARE BEING TESTED ALSO.
AND THAT'S WHERE, UH, THAT COLLABORATIVE IS COMING TOGETHER TO BETTER IDENTIFY THOSE PARTS OF OUR COMMUNITY THAT AREN'T CURRENTLY BEING TESTED ADEQUATELY.
SO WE CAN PROVIDE OUTREACH AND POTENTIALLY ASYMPTOMATIC TESTING IN A TARGETED WAY.
CAVE ASKS OUR LOCAL HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS PREPARING FOR OR ANTICIPATING ANY SURGEON CASES IN THE COMING WEEKS WITH STATE BEGINNING TO REOPEN.
UH, CERTAINLY WE ARE ON HIGHER ALERT, UH, AS THAT WINDOW OPENS, THE RISK OF, OF A SUDDEN INCREASE INCREASES.
AND OUR HOSPITALS ARE AWARE OF THAT.
UH, WE MEET WITH THEM SEVERAL TIMES A WEEK.
THEY, THE EXECUTIVES FROM EACH OF THE HOSPITAL SYSTEMS AND UH, AND WE HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS WHERE WE REVIEW THE DATA AND WE MAKE, WE MAKE DETERMINATIONS, UH, REGARDING REGARDING THE, THE RISK AND THE PROJECTION.
UH, WE ARE VERY LUCKY TO HAVE OUR PARTNERS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AND THE DELL MEDICAL SCHOOL, UH, WHO FEED INFORMATION DAILY FROM THE HOSPITALS INTO THE MODELS SO THAT WE CAN ANTICIPATE, UH, WHAT THE PROJECTIONS LOOK LIKE FOR THE NEXT TWO OR THREE WEEKS.
UH, PART OF THE, THE, UH, THE, THE, THE PREDICTION THAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS TO MAKE SURE THAT IF WE NEED TO MAKE CHANGES IN SUGGESTIONS OR POTENTIALLY CHANGES IN POLICY, BASICALLY MOVING DOWN ON THE, UH, THE STAGING THAT IF WE DO THAT, IT IS IN TIME FOR US TO PREVENT OVERWHELMING THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM.
AND THAT'S REALLY THE, THE, THE OPTIMIZATION THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR HERE.
WE KNOW DISEASES GOING TO SPREAD.
WE KNOW COBRA 19 IS NOT GOING AWAY, BUT WHAT WE NEED TO MAKE
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SURE THAT WE PREVENT IS OVERWHELMING OUR HEALTHCARE SYSTEM.AND ITS ABILITY TO CARE FOR PEOPLE.
AND THE NEXT QUESTION, I'M INTERESTED IN THIS ONE VERY MUCH AS WELL.
HOW IS THE CITY PLANNING ON ANNOUNCING CHANGES TO THE GUIDELINES STAGE NUMBER? SO THEY, THEY, THEY STAGE WILL BE LOCATED ON OUR DASHBOARD EVERY SINGLE DAY.
UH, IF THERE ARE UPDATES ON THE STAGING, IT WILL BE UPDATED THERE.
AND, AND UH, I IMAGINE WE WILL BE SENDING OUT A PRESS NOTICE, UH, IN RELATION TO CHANGES.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE'LL SEND OUT STUFF THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA AND OTHER DIGITAL MEDIA PLATFORMS. UH, W WE WANT FOLKS TO BE VERY AWARE OF WHAT THAT STAGE OF RISK IS EVERY SINGLE DAY SO THAT THEY CAN MAKE A DETERMINATION FOR THEMSELVES OR THEIR HOUSEHOLDS HOW THEY NEED TO ACT THAT DAY TO PROTECT THEMSELVES AND PROTECT THEIR FAMILY.
AND TO KIND OF FOLLOW UP ON THAT, DO YOU FEEL LIKE THIS IS SOMETHING THAT COULD CHANGE ALMOST DAILY OR DO YOU FEEL LIKE THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE MAYBE EVERY FEW DAYS OR EVEN EVERY FEW WEEKS? UH, I IMAGINE IT'S GOING TO CHANGE, UH, LESS FREQUENTLY THAN DAILY.
UH, I, I WOULD IMAGINE THAT THAT ONCE A WEEK, UH, YOU KNOW, ONCE EVERY FEW WEEKS IT MAY CHANGE.
AGAIN, PART OF THAT DEPENDS UPON, UH, OUR COMMUNITY'S ABILITY TO MAINTAIN THOSE, THOSE SAFE PRACTICES, THAT SOCIAL DISTANCING, THAT PERSONAL HYGIENE, THE WASHING THE HANDS, THEY'RE NOT TOUCHING THE FACE AS WELL AS THE PUBLIC MASKING.
UH, YOU KNOW, IF WE CAN DO THAT WELL AND CONTINUE TO DO THAT WELL, THEN WE CAN MAINTAIN THE SAME STAGE FOR WEEKS OR MONTHS.
UH, BUT IT REALLY DOES REQUIRE INDIVIDUALS, UH, TO BE RESPONSIBLE AND TO DO THOSE THINGS, WHICH ARE VERY, I KNOW THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF CONTROVERSY REGARDING MASKS.
UH, THERE'S BEEN CHALLENGES, YOU KNOW, UH, CONCERNS THAT IT, IT VIOLATES PEOPLE'S CIVIL LIBERTIES.
UH, YOU KNOW, QUITE FRANKLY, I THINK THAT'S RIDICULOUS.
UH, I THINK IT IS A SMALL STEP THAT INDIVIDUALS CAN, UH, CAN TAKE TO PROTECT OTHER PEOPLE, TO PROTECT THEMSELVES.
AND IT IS REALLY SOMETHING THAT IS CRITICAL THAT WE CONSIDER IF WE REALLY WANT TO KEEP BUSINESSES OPEN, IF WE WANT TO PROTECT WORKERS OF THOSE BUSINESSES, IF WE WANT TO PROTECT OURSELVES AND OUR FAMILIES, IT'S A SMALL STEP THAT, THAT WE SHOULD ALL BE WILLING TO TAKE IN ORDER TO KEEP US AS SAFE AS POSSIBLE AND AS OPEN AS LONG AS POSSIBLE.
WE'RE GOING TO START WITH SECOND QUESTIONS NOW.
AND THIS IS THE SECOND QUESTION FROM FOX SEVEN.
IT'S AFTER ABBOTT'S ORDER TO TEST ALL NURSING HOME OCCUPANTS.
WHERE ARE WE WITH THAT AND HAVE WE ALREADY STARTED DOING SO? UH, I'M GOING TO PASS THAT ONE TO STEPHANIE, UH, WHO'S BEEN WORKING WITH THE NURSING HOME TASK FORCE AND HAS THE DATA, UH, SOME OF THE DATA RELATED TO THE NURSING HOME TESTING.
UM, CURRENTLY WE HAVE TESTED, UM, NINE NURSING HOME FACILITIES INCLUDING THE RESIDENTS AND THE STAFF.
THIS WAS BEFORE, UM, THE GOVERNOR, UM, IMPLEMENTED HIS ORDER AND WE ARE GOING TO COLLABORATE WITH THE STATE MOVING FORWARD, UM, TO ENSURE THAT ALL OF THE TESTS DOES HAPPEN.
SO WE ARE IN THE PLANNING STAGES TO, UM, TO FINISH, TO IMPLEMENT THAT.
THE STATE WILL PROVIDE THE TESTING KIDS AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN WILL UTILIZE OUR EXISTING TEAM TO DO THOSE TESTS.
DO YOU HAVE A TIMEFRAME ON THAT? ARE YOU EXPECTING THAT TO HAPPEN WITHIN DAYS OR WOULD IT BE MORE LIKE WEEKS? WELL, WE'RE ANTICIPATING THAT THAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS.
THE NEXT QUESTION IS FROM KUT.
IS IT ENVISIONED THAT THE COMMUNITY WILL EVER BE BELOW STAGE ONE? IN OTHER WORDS, IS THERE A CHANCE WE'LL JUST EVER GO BACK TO NORMAL? SO, BETTY, I, I, I CERTAINLY HOPE SO.
UH, AND I, I THINK SO, YOU KNOW, REALLY TO GO BEYOND BEYOND STAGE ONE, WE REALLY NEED A VACCINE THAT'S, THAT'S BROADLY AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO REACH HER TO IMMUNITY, UH, TO, TO REALLY BE IN A MUCH SAFER SITUATION.
WE REALLY NEED TO IDENTIFY EFFECTIVE TREATMENT THAT CAN BE GIVEN EARLY IN THE COURSE OF ILLNESS, SIMILAR TO WHAT WE HAVE WITH INFLUENZA IF WE WANT TO BE IN A SAFER PLACE.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, I, I THINK THAT'S GOING TO TAKE SOME TIME.
I THINK THE EARLIEST THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO, UH, TO, TO HAVE A VACCINE WOULD BE, UH, CLOSER TO A YEAR FROM NOW.
AND, YOU KNOW, QUITE FRANKLY, THERE ARE, THERE ARE SOME BEHAVIORS THAT REALLY ARE NOT EVER GOING TO CHANGE OR SHOULD NOT CHANGE THAT ATTENTION TO PERSONAL HYGIENE, THAT STAYING HOME WHEN YOU'RE SICK, THAT AVOIDING SICK PEOPLE, UH, IS,
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IS GENERAL GUIDANCE THAT WE SHOULD ALL FOLLOW.UH, WE, WE, WE SEE INFLUENZA ACROSS THIS COUNTRY EVERY SINGLE YEAR.
THE SAME INTERVENTIONS THAT WE ARE RECOMMENDING NOW ARE INTERVENTIONS THAT ARE EFFECTIVE FOR FLU AND OTHER RESPIRATORY VIRUSES THAT, UH, THAT WE REALLY NEED TO INCORPORATE INTO OUR, INTO OUR SOCIETY TO REALLY MITIGATE THE SPREAD OF DISEASE.
THE NEXT QUESTION IS FROM OSTEOPENIA IS, ARE WE SEEING ANY NEW CASE CLUSTERS DEVELOP OR IS APH MOSTLY MONITORING THOSE EXISTING CLUTCH CLUSTERS SUCH AS THE 16 IDENTIFIED AT LONGTERM CARE FACILITIES? SO OUR EPIDEMIOLOGY CAME AS CONTINUING TO MONITOR, UH, CLUSTERS, UH, PARTICULARLY AS THEY RELATE TO FACILITIES.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE SEEN SOME OF THOSE, THOSE CLUSTERS GROW.
UH, WE'VE SEEN MANY OF THEM STAY STABLE OVER A PERIOD OF WEEKS AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE SITUATION.
UH, WE HAVE A LARGE TEAM THAT'S WORKING HARD TO, UH, TO TRACK DOWN CASES.
THESE ARE OUR DISEASE INVESTIGATORS AND, UH, THEY WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO.
UH, WE, WE ALSO ARE REALLY FOCUSED ON PREVENTING THE INTRODUCTION OF DISEASE INTO THESE FACILITIES, PARTICULARLY NURSING HOMES BECAUSE WE'VE SEEN OVER AND OVER AGAIN, BOTH LOCALLY AND ACROSS THE STATE AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY THAT ONCE COVEN 19 GETS IN AND TAKES HOLD, IT'S REALLY VERY DIFFICULT TO PREVENT FURTHER SPREAD.
UH, SO WE'RE GONNA BE, UH, FOCUSED HEAVILY ON HELPING TO CONTINUE TO REINFORCE THOSE NURSING HOMES IN PARTICULAR AND TO STRENGTHEN THEIR DEFENSES TO ENSURE THEY HAVE APPROPRIATE PPE AND PRACTICES AND, UH, AND REALLY PREVENT THE INTRODUCTION.
UH, TH AGAIN, THIS IS A COOPERATIVE EFFORT BETWEEN US, BETWEEN THE STATE AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, UH, WHO ARE NOW ALSO VERY FOCUSED ON, ON THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE.
THIS IS A QUESTION FROM CBS AUSTIN.
ONE OF THE INTERESTING THINGS, THERE WERE QUITE A FEW OF THEM, BUT ONE OF THE INTERESTING THINGS YOU TALKED ABOUT WAS THE INCREASE IN HOUSEHOLD TRANSMISSIONS.
WHAT DOES THAT SAY? WHAT DOES THAT SPIKE LOOK LIKE? AND IS THAT NOT EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO ADDRESS? BETTY? UH, WE'RE WORKING ON A DATA SET SO THAT WE CAN GRAPHICALLY DISPLAY SOME OF THIS INFORMATION.
UH, BUT TALKING TO OUR, UH, OUR EPIDEMIOLOGY TEAM, UH, YOU KNOW, IN OUR DISCUSSIONS THEY'VE SEEN, UH, INCREASING RATES OF HOUSEHOLD TRANSMISSION AND THIS IS SOMEWHAT TO BE EXPECTED AS DISEASE TRANSITIONS INTO COMMUNITIES THAT, UH, THAT ARE MORE CONGESTED IN THE HOUSEHOLD.
UM, AND, AND, AND THIS IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE CONTINUE TO STRESS THE IMPORTANCE OF PEOPLE ISOLATING THEMSELVES OUTSIDE OF THEIR HOME.
USING THAT ISOLATION FACILITY, THAT HOTEL, UH, TO, UH, TO RECOVER HIM IS GOING TO BE VERY HELPFUL AT PREVENTING FURTHER SPREAD WITHIN THAT HOUSEHOLD.
UH, THE MORE CONGESTED THE HOUSEHOLD, THE HIGHER THE, THE RISK OF, OF SPREAD TO OTHER HOUSEHOLD MEMBERS.
WE SAW THIS IN THE WU HAN CHINA OUTBREAK.
WE'VE SEEN IT ACROSS THE GLOBE AND OTHER OUTBREAKS, UH, THAT IS, UH, THAT HOUSEHOLD SPREAD IS SIGNIFICANTLY ENHANCED BY, BY HAVING MULTIPLE GENERATIONS IN PARTICULAR OF FOLKS IN ONE HOUSEHOLD.
THIS IS A QUESTION FROM KX A MAN.
WHY ARE YOU RELEASING THIS CHART NOW? ARE THERE ANY CONCERNS ABOUT THIS CAUSING EVEN MORE CONFUSION FOR PEOPLE WHEN IT COMES TO WHAT GUIDELINES TO FOLLOW AND WHAT TO DO? AGAIN, WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR SEVERAL WEEKS NOW AND W W WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS TO FIND SOME CLARITY.
THERE'S A, YOU KNOW, THERE'S BEEN SOME, UH, SOME CHANGES IN POLICY AT THE STATE LEVEL, UH, WHICH HAS LIMITED OUR ABILITY TO CHANGE POLICY AT THE LOCAL LEVEL.
BUT ULTIMATELY WHAT WE NEED IS, IS, IS NOT NECESSARILY ONLY POLICY CHANGE.
WE'VE BEEN SAYING ALL ALONG THAT THE, THE, THE MOST IMPACTFUL THING THAT WE CAN DO TOGETHER IS INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY.
SO THIS IS A WAY FOR US TO COMMUNICATE WHAT WE THINK AS PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS, AS MEDICAL EXPERTS FROM OUR EXPERT PANEL THINK YOU SHOULD BE DOING RIGHT NOW AT THIS STAGE TO PROTECT YOURSELF, PROTECT YOUR FAMILY, AND PROTECT THIS COMMUNITY.
AND I THINK THIS IS THE RIGHT TIME FOR THAT COMMUNITY.
THIS IS OUR SECOND TO LAST QUESTION AND THIS IS FROM COMMUNITY IMPACT.
WHEN WILL WE HAVE OCCUPATIONAL DATA ON THE CORONA VIRUS CASES? OUR TEAM IS WORKING ON THAT OCCUPATIONAL DATA NOW.
UH, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, SOMETIMES OCCUPATIONAL INFORMATION IS, IS CHALLENGING TO, TO BRING TOGETHER, UH, FOR ANYBODY WHO'S DONE A OCCUPATIONAL SURVEY.
FOR PEOPLE LIKE ME, IT'S, IT'S A BIT DIFFICULT.
DO YOU CHOOSE HEALTH CARE? DO YOU CHOOSE GOVERNMENTAL EMPLOYEE? HOW DO YOU CLASSIFY YOURSELF? UH, SO THEY'RE WORKING
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THROUGH THAT DATA, TRYING TO PUT IT TOGETHER IN A MEETING FOR WAY SO THAT WE CAN SHARE THAT PUBLICLY.MY HOPE IS THAT WITHIN THE NEXT WEEK OR SO, WE'LL BE ABLE TO SHARE THAT GRAPHICALLY AND FOLLOW THAT OVER TIME.
AND OUR LAST QUESTION AND LET ME PREFACE IT BY SAYING THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, BOTH OF YOU.
AND OUR QUESTION IS, WHAT PLANS DOES THE CITY HAVE FOR EDUCATING RESIDENTS OF LOW INCOME OR PUBLIC HOUSING OR COMMUNITY MEMBERS FROM AFFLICTED GROUPS ABOUT THE NEW GUIDELINES? WAIT, WE HAVE A, A SOCIAL SERVICES BRANCH THAT IS WORKING WITH OUR EQUITY OFFICE TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE PROVIDING THIS OUTREACH AND EDUCATION.
WE ARE GOING TO UM, PARTNER WITH THE HOUSING AUTHORITY AS WELL AS UM, OTHER PARTNERS, SOCIAL SERVICE PROVIDERS THAT ARE CONTINUING TO PROVIDE SERVICE IN THIS SPACE.
AND SO WE, WE KNOW THAT THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO UM, THE PEOPLE, UM, IN AT PARTS, UM, AND, AND IN THOSE SPACES AS WELL.
AND SO WE ARE GOING TO BE PARTNERING WITH, UM, OUR OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS TO BE ABLE TO GET OUT TO PARKS AND PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE ARE GOING TO UM, HAVE SOME, UM, OTHER MEDIA AVAILABILITY TO BE ON RADIO SHOWS AS WELL AS SOME PRINTED MEDIA AND USE OUR, UM, SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS TO GET THAT INFORMATION OUT IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR US TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE REACHING THOSE VULNERABLE POPULATIONS AND IT IS IMPORTANT FOR US TO ENSURE THAT OUR WORK IS CULTURALLY AND LINGUISTICALLY APPROPRIATE.
THANK YOU AGAIN TO OUR SPEAKERS AND OUR POOL REPORTER.
UH, I'D LIKE TO NOW ASK OUR SPEAKERS IF THEY HAVE ANY FINAL THOUGHTS.
IT IS IMPORTANT FOR OUR COMMUNITY TO KNOW THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE RESOURCES OR EMPLOYED AS WELL AS UNEMPLOYED.
WE WANT TO KNOW, WANT EVERYONE TO KNOW THAT WE ARE HERE TO SUPPORT YOU.
WE HAVE DEVELOPED PARTNERSHIPS TO ENSURE THAT OUR SERVICES ARE CULTURALLY APPROPRIATE AND THEN WE ARE, UM, PARTNERING TO ENSURE THAT THE SERVICES ARE PROVIDED THROUGH AN EQUITY LANCE.
AND SO WE JUST DON'T WANT INDIVIDUALS TO, IF YOU HAVE BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH COBIT 90 AND YOU'RE REQUIRED TO, UM, TO STAY HOME FOR 14 DAYS, WE WANT YOU TO STAY HOME FOR 14 DAYS.
WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO CONNECT YOU TO STAFF THAT CAN PROVIDE YOU, UM, CONNECTION TO RENTAL ASSISTANCE, UM, TO PROVIDE YOU FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE BECAUSE IT IS IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO STAY HOME AND YOU GET HEALTHY AND BE HEALED.
AND SO WE CANNOT EMPHASIZE, UM, THE AVAILABILITY BUT AVAILABILITY OF THESE SERVICES AND WE ENCOURAGE OUR COMMUNITY TO CALL THREE, ONE ONE TO INQUIRE ABOUT THE SERVICES THAT ARE AVAILABLE EITHER THROUGH THE CITY OF AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT OR OUR PARTNERS IN THE COMMUNITY.
THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO, TO SHARE THIS INFORMATION.
YEAH, I THINK THERE ARE THREE THINGS WHICH ARE REALLY IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND ABOUT WHAT THIS DOCUMENT IS THAT WE'VE SHARED.
THIS HAS GUIDELINES BASED ON RISK.
THIS IS NOT A CHANGE IN POLICY.
THIS IS NOT A CONFLICT WITH WHAT THE GOVERNOR'S ORDERS.
IN FACT, I BELIEVE IT'S, IT'S COMPLIMENTARY TO THE GOVERNOR'S ORDERS.
UH, WHAT THIS IS, IS A GUIDE FOR INDIVIDUALS, UH, TO ASSESS THE RISK AND TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY NEED TO DO TO PROTECT THEMSELVES AND THEIR FAMILY.
WE BROKEN THAT DOWN INTO HIGH RISK INDIVIDUALS AND LOW RISK INDIVIDUALS.
IT'S IMPORTANT FOR FOLKS TO REMEMBER THAT IF THEY HAVE A HIGH RISK INDIVIDUAL IN THEIR HOUSEHOLD, THEY SHOULD BEHAVE MORE LIKE THE HIGH RISK INDIVIDUAL THEMSELVES BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANT TO RISK BRING INFECTION HOME.
THAT INDIVIDUAL WHO IS MORE LIKELY TO EXPERIENCE COMPLICATIONS, HOSPITALIZATION, AND DIE FROM COBIT 19 FINALLY, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I THINK WE'RE ALL ENGAGED IN THE SAME MISSION.
FINDING THE RIGHT BALANCE BETWEEN PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY AND KEEPING OUR ECONOMY OPEN AND STRONG.
AND IF WE CAN FIND THAT BALANCE, IF WE CAN OPEN THINGS UP IN A SAFE WAY AND MAINTAIN OUR PERSONAL SAFETY, WE CAN KEEP A LID ON THIS.
WE CAN KEEP FLATTENING THE CURVE AND WE CAN STAY OPEN.
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YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.WE LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING MORE DISCUSSIONS WITH YOU ON THE FUTURE.
AND THAT CONCLUDES TODAY'S PRESS CONFERENCE.
THANK YOU ONCE AGAIN TO EVERYONE.