[00:00:04]
OH, I HAVE TO, BUT WE WANT TO GET TO DR.
UH, I DON'T SEE HER YET ON THIS, BUT SHE SHOULD BE JOINING US, UM, TO BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT THE MODELS AND WHAT SHE'S SEEING IN TERMS OF BEHAVIORS.
UH, WHEN SHE'S DONE THEN, UH, DR.
S SCOTT, DARREN CAN TALK ABOUT THOSE MODELS OR WHATEVER INFORMATION HE THINKS IT'S RELEVANT TO THE COUNCIL IN TERMS OF WHERE WE ARE AND RISK LEVELS AND WHAT WE NEED TO DO WHEN HIS RECOMMENDATION IS.
UM, AND THEN WE'LL HAVE, UM, UH, A DIRECTOR HAYDEN, UH, GIVE HER OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT, UH, AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH CONTINUED, UM, RESPONSE TO THE ENDEMIC.
I'VE ASKED HER, GIVEN THE CONVERSATIONS, JUST TO TOUCH ON, UH, A RESPONSE FOR THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY, UH, AMONG THE THINGS THAT SHE TALKS ABOUT, UH, WHEN WE'RE DONE WITH THAT.
UH, THE OTHER THING THAT'S ON OUR, WE HAVE OUR BRIEFING IN TERMS OF SCHEDULING.
WE HAVE TWO IFCS THAT ARE UP, UH, THAT, UH, I GIVE US ADDITIONAL GROUNDS TO ENFORCE OUR ORDER AND THE GOVERNOR'S ORDER AT THIS POINT.
UM, UH, AND, UH, I GOT A LETTER FROM THE GOVERNOR THAT I PUT INTO BACKUP, UH, EXPRESSING, UH, HIS, UH, UH, APPROVAL FOR US TO, TO MOVE IN THIS DIRECTION, WHICH IS GOOD FOR US TO YET IN ORDER FOR US TO VOTE ON THAT, OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE TO OPEN UP FOR PUBLIC DISCUSSION.
WE HAVE 30 PEOPLE THAT HAVE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK.
UM, WE ALSO WANT TO GIVE PEOPLE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO ASK THE PEOPLE, DOING THE BRIEFING QUESTIONS, UH, AND, UH, WE NEED TO EAT LUNCH OR GIVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THAT.
AND THEN THERE'S A PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE MEETING THAT'S STARTING TO, SO MY SENSE IS WE GET TO GO UNTIL ONE AND THEN WITH AN HOUR BREAK SO THAT PEOPLE CAN GET READY FOR THE PUBLIC SAFETY.
UM, IF WE WERE GOING TO, UH, UH, HAVE THE BRIEFING, THOSE BRIEFINGS USUALLY TAKE US LONGER THAN AN HOUR.
AND AS PEOPLE ASK QUESTIONS, BUT SAY AN HOUR, HOUR AND A HALF, IF YOU KNOW THAT FOR THEIR BRIEFING, UH, AND THEN IT WOULD BE MY INTENT TO CALL THE SPEAKERS TO SPEAK.
YOU MIGHT INTEND TO GIVE EACH SPEAKER TWO MINUTES TO SPEAK, UH, SO THAT WE CAN THEN VOTE AND CONSIDER THE IFCS IN TIME TO TAKE A BREAK, TO HAVE LUNCH FOR THE PUBLIC SAFETY MEANING.
SO IF ANYBODY DOESN'T HAVE ANY OBJECTION TO THAT, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND PROCEED THAT WAY.
MYERS, ARE YOU WITH US? WE'RE GET TO YOU IN JUST ONE SECOND.
UH, SO I WANT TO GIVE, UM, OTHER MANAGER SECOND AND SAY HELLO, AND THE DOCTOR HAS GOT, AND THEN I'M GOING TO INTRODUCE DR.
THANK YOU, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I JUST WANTED TO START BY APPRECIATING THE LEADERSHIP AND SUPPORT THAT OUR MAYOR AND OUR COUNCIL HAS BEEN GIVING OUR PUBLIC HEALTH PROFESSIONALS.
AS WE NAVIGATE THROUGH THIS PUBLIC HEALTH, UH, PANDEMIC.
WE KNOW THAT IT'S GOING TO TAKE OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY TO GET THROUGH THIS.
UH, WE'VE SEEN SOME THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN POSITIVE, AND WE'VE ALSO THINGS THAT SEEM, SOME THINGS I'VE BEEN CHALLENGING.
UM, BUT IN ORDER TO MOVE FORWARD, WE'RE ALL GOING TO HAVE TO DO THIS TOGETHER.
AND I JUST WANT TO THANK AND APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK THAT IS GOING ON IN OUR CITY, BUT WE KNOW THAT THERE'S MORE WORK TO BE DONE, UH, WITH THAT.
[1. Briefings: Briefing and discussion on matters related Covid-19]
DR.SCOTT, YOU ON FACE TO FACE BRIEFLY BEFORE WE GET TO DR.
UH, OBVIOUSLY WE'RE AT A CRITICAL SITUATION RIGHT NOW, UH, IN TRAVIS COUNTY AND CITY OF AUSTIN, AS WELL AS ACROSS THE STATE OF TEXAS.
AND NOW'S THE TIME THAT WE REALLY NEED TO TURN TO THE SCIENCE AS WE HAVE DONE THROUGHOUT THIS PANDEMIC TO, TO HELP US DECIDE THE NEXT STEPS.
AND I APPRECIATE YOU AND THE COUNCIL AND THE CITY MANAGER.
WE'RE ALWAYS LISTENING TO THE SCIENCE, LISTENING TO THE, THE, THE MEDICAL AND PUBLIC HEALTH PROFESSIONALS TO HELP GUIDE THE DECISION MAKING REALLY FORWARD TO THE OPPORTUNITY TO, TO SHARE MORE INFORMATION TODAY.
COLLEAGUES IS YOUR RECALL, UH, THREE WEEKS AGO, OR WE WERE GETTING PRESENTATIONS FROM THE SCIENTISTS AND THE DOCTORS AND WHAT WE WERE LEARNING THEN WAS THAT ON THE TRAJECTORY THAT WE WERE ON, WE WOULD BE OVERWHELMING OUR INTENSIVE CARE UNITS ABOUT NOW, UH, IN THE, IN THE CITY, UNLESS THERE WAS SUBSTANTIAL CHANGE IN BEHAVIOR.
[00:05:01]
UM, TO CHANGE SOME BEHAVIORS, WE'LL SEE SOME NUMBERS HERE IN A SECOND, BUT AS WE GET INTO THIS, I THINK THE OVERARCHING MESSAGE COMING FROM TODAY'S MEETING IS WE CAN'T TAKE THE FOOT OFF THE GAS.UH, WE ARE STILL IN A PRETTY DANGEROUS AND PRECARIOUS PLACE, UH, AND IT MAY REQUIRE US TO TAKE ACTION BEYOND WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW.
AND FURTHER BEHAVIOR CHANGES IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UH, OUR COMMUNITY SEEMS TO BE RESPONDING WHEN WE ASK I'M APPRECIATIVE OF THE GOVERNOR, UH, LETTING US, UH, UH, BAN MASKS, UM, WISH IT DIDN'T HAPPEN EIGHT WEEKS, SOONER, FOUR WEEKS SOONER.
UH, BUT HAPPY TO SEE THAT THAT HAPPENED.
I THINK THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THE BEHAVIOR CHANGE.
UH, THERE'S GOING TO BE A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT ASK OF THE STATE.
I THINK COMING OUT OF THE MEETINGS TODAY, BECAUSE IF WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO SUSTAIN OUR, WE NEED STACKING ASSISTANCE, UH, AND, AND WE NEED TO KNOW REALLY HOW THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN, BECAUSE AT THE SAME TIME WE'RE ASKING FOR STAFFING ASSISTANCE IN THE ICU.
SO AS YOU STINT IN DALLAS AND SAN ANTONIO, SO I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE BIG TAKEAWAYS FROM MOBILE DOWN HERE.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT, UH, UPFRONT, UM, UM, WE NEED TO KEEP OUR FEET ON THE GAS.
WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO WATCH THESE, WATCH THESE NUMBERS.
SO, UH, WITH THAT SAID, UH, WE'RE ON YEARS, DR.
MILES, WE'RE GOING TO START WITH YOU.
WHAT, UH, FROM YOUR VANTAGE POINT, YOU WANT TO TELL US WHAT YOU THINK WE SHOULD BE SING.
AND THANK YOU FOR COMING BACK.
AND AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU HAVE BEEN DOING.
UH, YOU KNOW, IN A LOT OF WAYS WHEN I TALKED OUT OF MAYORS AROUND THE COUNTRY, EVEN AROUND OUR STATE WHERE WE HAVE BETTER, I THINK DATA THAN MOST OTHER PLACES DO IN PART BECAUSE OUR HOSPITALS ARE GIVING US BETTER DATA THAT HOSPITALS ARE GIVING TO THEIR LOCAL COMMUNITIES AND SO MANY OTHER PLACES.
AND BECAUSE WE HAVE ONE OF THE NATION'S LEADING PEOPLE HELPING US THROUGH THAT DATA.
UM, IS IT POSSIBLE FOR ME TO SHARE MY SCREEN OR MY SLIDES? I'M NOT ABLE TO USE THAT BUTTON.
UM, AND I WOULD JUST ECHO WHILE, WHILE I'M WAITING FOR YOU, YOU'LL DO THAT.
I'LL JUST ECHO WHAT THE MAYOR SAID.
UM, AND DOCTOR, AS SCOTT SAID, FIRST, WE ARE, UM, WE REALLY ARE IN A UNIQUE, UH, CITY WHERE THERE'S UNPRECEDENTED, I THINK REALLY UNUSUAL, UH, DAILY, ALMOST COLLABORATION BETWEEN CITY LEADERS, UH, RESEARCHERS AND, AND HEADS OF HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS. AND ALSO, I WANT TO ECHO THAT WE ARE IN A REALLY, I WOULD SAY PRECARIOUS AND UNCERTAIN MOMENT, UM, WITH RESPECT TO THE PANDEMIC.
AND I'M GOING TO SHOW YOU SOME SLIDES THAT KIND OF JUST, JUST HELP US TO THINK THROUGH WHAT THE DATA ARE TELLING US.
IF I CAN, I'M STILL NOT ABLE TO SHARE CONTENT.
UM, DO OUR TECH PEOPLE HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS HERE? SURE.
MYERS EMAIL, HER SLIDES TO ATTACK THE PERSON.
UM, YEAH, THE CONTROL, IF CONTROL, SHIFT KEY MA'AM AND THEN AN ARROW POINTING UP.
IF HE HADN'T SEEN THAT CONTROL SHIFT Q AND A BOX WITH AN ARROW, ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT TO QUIT ALL APPLICATIONS? I DON'T THINK I WANT TO DO THAT AND LOG OUT.
UM, SO THERE'S A LITTLE ICON IN THE MIDDLE OF MY SCREEN THAT SAYS, SHARE CONTENT RIGHT NEXT TO LIKE HOW I CAN TURN ON MY VIDEO ON MY, MY, UM, MY AUDIO.
AND FOR SOME REASON THAT BUTTON IS GRAYED OUT.
IT'S JUST NOT GIVING ME PERMISSION TO SHARE CONTENT, I GUESS CAN SHOW YOU WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE.
IF YOU CAN SEE ON THE BROADCAST IT'S RIGHT HERE.
DO YOU HAVE THAT AVAILABLE IN YOUR I'M SORRY.
I'M NOT KNOWING, I DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M SUPPOSED TO BE SAYING.
I'M SHOWING A CONTROLS ON THE BROADCAST.
YEAH, I JUST, I, IF I GO UP TO SHARE, IT JUST DOESN'T LET ME, IT MAY BE THAT I NEED A SPECIAL PERMISSION AND THEN THE RETURN BUTTON IS ALSO GREAT OUT ON MY SCREEN AS WELL.
WELL, I'M NOT SURE IT'S A FUNCTIONALITY THAT'S BEEN MADE AVAILABLE.
YOU HAVE A SLIDE DECK THAT YOU'RE COMING OFF OF.
YEAH, I'M TRYING TO, I'M GOING TO, I'M TRYING TO EXPORT IT TO A PDF AND SEND IT HERE, SEND IT OUT JUST TO MAKE SURE IT LOOKS OKAY.
WHO SHOULD I SEND THIS SLIDE DECK TO YOU? I CAN SEND THIS AS A PDF.
[00:10:18]
OKAY.I JUST HIT SEND, HOPEFULLY IT'LL ARRIVE IN YOUR EMAIL BOX IN JUST A SECOND.
UM, AND IN THE MEANTIME, I CAN, I CAN START TO TALK ABOUT THINGS.
LET ME JUST PULL MY SLIDES UP.
UM, AND THEN ONCE YOU GET THEM, LIKE WHEN YOU SEE THE PICTURE, SO, UM, MY FIRST SLIDE ACTUALLY JUST HAS TEXT ON IT.
AND SO I'M GOING TO START WITH JUST, UM, JUST SOME COMMENTS.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, THINGS HAVE CHANGED, UM, I'M SURE FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE, BUT CERTAINLY FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, AS I'M LOOKING AT THE DATA AND THE MODELS SINCE THE LAST TIME WE SPOKE, UM, AND THERE ARE TWO THINGS THAT HAVE CHANGED.
I THINK REALLY MEANINGFULLY ONE IS THAT, UM, WE HAVE JUST BECOME AWARE IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS THAT OUR CRITICAL LIMITING RESOURCE, FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND CONTROLLING THE PANDEMIC AND MINIMIZING MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY IS OUR LOCAL ICU CAPACITY FOR COVID-19 PATIENTS.
UM, IF YOU'LL RECALL THE PROJECTIONS I'VE SHOWN YOU IN THE PAST, THE THRESHOLDS THAT WE HAVE RECOMMENDED FOR THE KEY INDICATORS DASHBOARD THAT INDICATE WHEN WE MIGHT WANT TO GO FROM YELLOW TO ORANGE, TO RED, THAT ANALYSIS, THOSE PROJECTIONS WERE ALL FOCUSED ON TOTAL HOSPITAL CAPACITY AS BEING THE LIMITING RESOURCE.
SO WE DESIGNED THOSE TRIGGERS TO ENSURE THAT AUSTIN DOES NOT EXCEED A COVID-19 HOSPITAL CAPACITY OF 1500 BEDS.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S HOW WE WERE OPERATING UNTIL ABOUT, YOU KNOW, A WEEK AGO.
UM, WHAT WE'VE LEARNED OVER THE LAST FEW DAYS IS THAT THE ICU CAPACITY IS A MORE LIMITING RESOURCE AND THAT IN AUSTIN, OUR ICU CAPACITY FOR COVID-19 PATIENTS IS PROBABLY SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 331 AND 474 BEDS.
AND WHERE WE ARE IN THAT RANGE, REALLY, I THINK DEPENDS ON WHETHER HOSPITALS ARE ABLE TO ACQUIRE ADDITIONAL ICU RESOURCES, INCLUDING PERSONNEL.
UH, SO WE MAY BE DOWN AT THREE 31, WHICH IS WHAT WE I'VE GATHERED IS SORT OF WHAT HOSPITALS CAN DO IF WITHOUT ADDITIONAL RESOURCES.
UM, BUT THAT MAY NOT BE SUFFICIENT.
UM, SO WHEN WE COMPARE WHAT WE WERE THINKING BEFORE, WHEN WE WERE IN, YOU KNOW, THINKING THAT WE REALLY JUST HAVE TO AVOID EVER GETTING TO 1500 TOTAL COVID-19 HOSPITALIZATIONS TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY, WHERE WE WERE, WE MAY BE IN A SITUATION WHERE WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE NEVER EXCEED 331 ICU PATIENTS, ICU PATIENTS.
UM, WE'RE REALLY THINKING ABOUT NOW, BASICALLY IT'S IT'S AS IF OUR HEALTHCARE CAPACITY, FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF MODELING AND PROTECTION MAY HAVE BEEN REDUCED BY UP TO 45% RELATIVE TO WHAT WE WERE THINKING WHEN WE WERE SORT OF IN THE WORLD WHERE WE COULD GO UP TO 1500 BEDS.
SO, UM, SO WE'RE IN A SITUATION WHERE THERE'S A LOT OF UNCERTAINTY.
AGAIN, IT DEPENDS, ARE WE REALLY AT THE THREE 31 CAPACITY OR WITH FOUR 74 CUSTODY OR SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE IN A SITUATION WHERE NOW WHEN WE LOOK AT THE PROJECTIONS, IT FEELS LIKE WE'RE, WE'RE GETTING MUCH MORE PRECARIOUSLY CLOSE TO WHERE WE CAN PROVIDE A SAFE AND EFFECTIVE CARE, NOT ONLY TO HOSP NOT ONLY TO COVID PATIENTS, BUT TO ALL PATIENTS.
SO, UM, YEAH, THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE DR.
AND SO THAT'S THE FIRST THING IS THAT WE ARE, WE ARE LOOKING AT A KIND OF A TIGHTER SYSTEM.
WE HAVE LESS BREATHING ROOM, WE'RE COMING MORE RAPIDLY UP TO A POINT WHERE WE MAY BE WORRIED ABOUT THE SAFETY AND, AND TEGRITY OF OUR HEALTHCARE SYSTEM.
THE SECOND BIG CHANGE SINCE THE LAST TIME WE SPOKE, UH, AND THIS IS THE SLIGHTLY POSITIVE DIRECTION IS WE DO SEE EVIDENCE THAT AS OF A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, TRANSMISSION MAY BE SLOWING TRANSMISSION OF THE COVERT VIRUS MAY BE SLOWING IN AUSTIN.
WHEN WE LOOK AT, AND AS, AS WE SAID BEFORE, THE WAY WE ARE SORT OF TRACKING THE SPREAD ESTIMATING, HOW QUICKLY IT'S SPREADING MAKING PROJECTIONS, WE'RE LOOKING ON A DAILY BASIS AT THE NUMBER OF NEW COVID-19 HOSPITAL ADMISSIONS AND THE NUMBER OF COVID-19 HOSPITAL DISCHARGES.
AND WE USE THOSE TO SORT OF INDIRECTLY TRACK HOW GOOD THE VIRUS IS SPREADING.
AND SO WHEN WE LOOK AT THE DATA TODAY, WE HAVE A, WE CAN GET AN ESTIMATE, SORT OF A GOOD ESTIMATE OF HOW FAST IT WAS SPREADING ABOUT 10 DAYS AGO.
SO LOOKING AT THAT DATA, WE DETECT THAT THE TRANSMISSION OF THE VIRUS STARTED SLOWING PERHAPS IN THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS OF JUNE LIKELY CORRESPONDING TO
[00:15:01]
CHANGES IN POLICY CHANGES IN MESSAGING CHANGES, SORT OF, I WOULD SAY KIND OF JUST AN INCREASING CULTURE OF CAUTION IN AUSTIN AND AROUND TEXAS.UM, WHETHER THAT IS ENOUGH TO KIND OF AVERT UNMANAGEABLE, SURGES AND HOSPITALIZATIONS IS, IS YET UNCLEAR.
UM, AND, AND I WOULD SAY, AND I'LL, AND I'LL SHOW YOU SOME FIGURES IF I, IF I CAN, BUT I WOULD SAY THAT, UH, I MEAN, IT IS VERY, VERY UNCERTAIN AND IT IS DEFINITELY, WE SHOULD NOT EVEN COME CLOSE TO THINKING IT'S TIME TO LET UP.
IF ANYTHING, WE SHOULD BE REINFORCING THIS CULTURE OF CAUTION, REINFORCING THE FACT THAT RECENT CHANGES IN BEHAVIORS HAVE BEEN GOOD, BUT WE'VE GOT TO DO EVEN MORE IN ORDER TO GET OURSELVES AT A SAFE PLACE.
OUR STAFF, HAVE THEY GOTTEN THE EMAIL FROM DR.
CAUSE THAT WILL BRING ME TO MY FIRST SLIDE.
SO THAT'S, THAT IS SORT OF THE INTRODUCTION, THE PROJECTIONS I'M GOING TO SHOW YOU IN THESE SLIDES, THEY'RE REALLY KIND OF TWO THINGS LIKE ONE IS SORT OF SITUATIONAL AWARENESS.
WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE, UH, ON THE GROUND TODAY, UH, THROUGH THE MODELS AND THROUGH, THROUGH, THROUGH THE DATA WE'RE LOOKING AT AND SOME SHORT TERM PROJECTIONS FOR WHERE WE MIGHT BE GOING IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS WITH RESPECT TO HOSPITAL ADMISSIONS, HOSPITALIZATIONS, AND ICU PATIENTS.
SO THE FIRST SLIDE, THAT'S REALLY JUST, I CAN REPEAT THIS BECAUSE IT'S JUST REALLY THE POINTS THAT I MADE.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S TWO THINGS THAT HAVE CHANGED OUR CRITICAL LIMITING RESOURCES, THE ICU CAPACITY, UH, OUR, OUR KEY INDICATOR TRIGGERS WERE DESIGNED THINKING ABOUT TOTAL BED CAPACITY, BUT REALLY WE'RE PROBABLY NOW IN A SITUATION WHERE WE HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER CAPACITY THAN WE FIRST THOUGHT.
AND THE OTHER THING THAT RECENTLY CHANGED IS, UM, THAT IT APPEARS THAT TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN SLOWING SINCE IN JUNE.
SO LET ME, UH, AND SO TO THAT SECOND POINT, WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE AND I'LL SHOW YOU, UM, SHOW YOU SOME ESTIMATES FROM THE DATA, UH, IF YOU'D PLEASE ADVANCE THE NEXT SLIDE TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO, UM, WHAT YOU SEE ON THE LEFT IS A GRAPH SHOWING OUR ESTIMATE FOR THE REPRODUCTION NUMBER OF, UH, COVID-19 IN AUSTIN.
AND, UM, YOU MAY BE FAMILIAR WITH THIS QUANTITY.
UH, THE REPRODUCTION NUMBER ROUGHLY TELLS US HOW QUICKLY THE VIRUS IS SPREADING.
AND, UM, THERE'S A HORIZONTAL LINE AT THE VALUE R T EQUAL TO ONE.
AND IF THE REPRODUCTION NUMBER IS GREATER THAN ONE, WE EXPECT A PANDEMIC TO CONTINUE TO SPREAD, AND WE EXPECT TO SEE THIS SORT OF STEREOTYPICAL PANDEMIC CURVES OR WAVES.
AND IF WE CAN BRING THE REPRODUCTION NUMBER LESS THAN ONE, WE EXPECT THAT THE PANDEMIC WAVE WILL SLOWLY BURN ITS WAY OUT, OR MAYBE QUICKLY, DEPENDING ON HOW LOW WE BRING THE REPRODUCTION NUMBER.
SO BASED ON THE HOSPITALIZATION DATA THAT WE'VE BEEN TRACKING SINCE, UH, SINCE MARCH, UM, WE WE'VE SEEN CHANGES IN THE REPRODUCTION NUMBER PRIOR TO THE STAY HOME MEASURES AND THE CLOSING OF SCHOOLS IN AUSTIN, WE ESTIMATE THAT THE REPRODUCTION NUMBER WAS, WAS QUITE HIGH.
UM, PERHAPS AS HIGH AS FOUR, I'M NOT SHOWING YOU THAT ON THE GRAPH, I'VE CUT OFF THE TOP OF THE GRAPH.
UH, BUT FOLLOWING THE STATE HOME ORDER, WE'VE VERY RAPIDLY SLOWED THE TRANSMISSION OF THE VIRUS.
WE BROUGHT THE REPRODUCTION NUMBER, WE'D LIKELY BROUGHT THE REPRODUCTION NUMBER BELOW ONE.
AND IF WE HAD HELD ONTO THE STEADY HOME ORDER, WE MIGHT'VE EVENTUALLY SEEN THE, THE, THE, UM, THE PANDEMIC WAVES SUBSIDE.
UM, HOWEVER, WE STARTED RELAXING MEASURES AROUND MAY 1ST.
AND YOU CAN SEE IN THIS GRAPH THAT SORT OF IN MID MAY, YOU START TO SEE THE CONSEQUENCES OF THAT, OF, OF PEOPLE, UM, YOU KNOW, INTERACTING IN PUBLIC WITHOUT TAKING PRECAUTIONS.
AND YOU SEE THAT THE TRANSMISSION RATE STARTED TO INCREASE.
UM, WE GOT TO QUITE A HIGH POINT IN EARLY JUNE, AND THEN THIS MORE RECENT DECREASE SINCE MID JUNE IS WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT ON THE LAST SLIDE.
THIS IS SORT OF SOME INITIAL EVIDENCE THAT THE REPRODUCTION NUMBER, THE TRANSMISSION OF THIS VIRUS IS SLOWING.
HOWEVER, UH, IT DOES NOT APPEAR THAT IT'S, IT'S, UH, THERE'S NO EVIDENCE YET, OR I'M SORRY, LET ME SAY THAT.
AS OF TODAY, THE REPRODUCTION NUMBER, OUR SORT OF NINA ESTIMATE IS RIGHT AROUND ONE, BUT IT'S VERY POSSIBLE THAT WE ARE STILL CONSIDERABLY ABOVE ONE.
YOU CAN SEE THAT WITH THAT GRAY SHADING, UM, AND IT IS POSSIBLE THAT WE ARE BELOW ONE AS WELL.
UH, WE, WE, IT, IT SEEMS CLEAR THAT WE'RE NOT YET, UH, NEAR THE POINT THAT WE WERE AT DURING THE STAY HOME ORDER, BUT MAYBE WE ARE APPROACHING THAT.
UM, SO, SO THIS IS SORT OF CAUTIOUS OPTIMISM THAT THINGS ARE SLOWING, BUT ALSO A BELIEF THAT THEY'RE NOT, THAT THE TRANSMISSION RATE HAS NOT BEEN REPRESSED TO THE POINT THAT IT WAS IN EARLY APRIL.
[00:20:01]
AND REALLY IT'S A COMPLETE UNCERTAINTY, WHETHER, UM, THE, THE LEVEL OF TRANSMISSION NOW, THE LOWERING OF THE TRANSMISSION RATE, THE MEASURES WE'RE TAKING IS, IS GOING TO BE SUFFICIENT TO PREVENT UNMANAGEABLE SURGES.AND IN ICU CASES AND HOSPITALIZATIONS, WHAT I'M SHOWING YOU ON THE RIGHT, YEAH.
CAUSE I THINK THIS WILL BE RELEVANT TO WHAT MAYBE DR.
ASCOT TALKS ABOUT IN A MOMENT.
UH, THE GOVERNOR TOOK US INTO HIS PHASE ONE AT THE BEGINNING OF MAY, AND THEN HE TOOK US INTO PHASE TWO, UH, ABOUT, UM, UH, MIDWAY MID MAY.
IT WAS ABOUT TWO WEEKS INTO, INTO MAY WHEN WE MOVED INTO PHASE TWO.
UH, AND THAT'S WHEN RIGHT AFTER THAT IS WHEN YOU REALLY START SEEING THE NUMBER MOVE ABOUT THE ARE NOT ONE.
YOU JUST MAY NOT BE HERE LATER WHEN WE ACTUALLY START LOOKING AT POLICY CHANGES.
SO THE, UM, THE GRAPH ON THE RIGHT IS, UH, OUR ESTIMATE OF THE DOUBLING TIME OF CASES.
SO THAT IS HOW MANY DAYS BETWEEN, FOR EXAMPLE, HAVING 100 NEW CASES IN AUSTIN AND HAVING 200 NEW CASES IN AUSTIN.
SO, UM, AND, AND WE'RE NOT LOOKING DIRECTLY AT THE CONFIRMED CASE DATA THAT'S ON THE CITY DASHBOARD BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF SORT OF UNCERTAINTY ABOUT THAT DATA.
UM, GIVEN LAGS AND REPORTING, GIVEN THAT NOT EVERYBODY WHO'S INJECTED IS ABLE TO, UH, UM, IS ABLE TO, OR CHOOSES TO BE TESTED.
UH, AND SO THERE'S A LOT OF, THERE'S A LOT OF WHAT WE CALL NOISE IN THAT DATA.
SO THESE ESTIMATES OF THE INFECTION DOUBLING TIME ARE BASED ON MODEL OUR MISSION ON OUR MODELS, WHERE WE'VE USED THE HOSPITALIZATION DATA TO ESTIMATE HOW FAST THE VIRUS IS SPREADING.
AND WE USE THAT TO PROJECT WHAT THE DOUBLING TIME IS ON, UH, OVER, OVER THE PAST FEW WEEKS, OR IF YOU, UH, SINCE EARLY JUNE IN THIS GRAPH.
AND SO IT'S A GOOD THING WHEN THE DOUBLING TIME INCREASES.
THAT MEANS IT'S A LONGER PERIOD OF TIME, UH, BETWEEN HAVING A HUNDRED NEW CASES AND HAVING 200 NEW CASES.
AND SO YOU EXPECT THIS TO SORT OF MOVE IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION FROM THE REPRODUCTION NUMBER.
YOU CAN SEE WHEN THE VIRUS WAS SPREADING FASTEST, WE HAD A DOUBLING TIME THAT WAS, UH, ESTIMATED TO BE BELOW 10 DAYS.
YOU KNOW, MAYBE IT'S AS SHORT AS A WEEK.
AND NOW THAT DOUBLING TIME IS RISING.
UM, AS OF A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO, WE ESTIMATE THAT THE DOUBLING TIME, UH, IS PROBABLY SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 20 AND 30 DAYS.
UM, SO THOSE ARE JUST BOTH LOOKS AT, UH, WHAT'S HAPPENING KIND OF ON THE GROUND, HOW QUICKLY THE VIRUS IS SPREADING.
UM, AND AS YOU ARE PROBABLY AWARE, YOU KNOW, IT, THE TRANSMISSION RATE TODAY TRANSLATES INTO DIFFERENCES IN HOSPITALIZATIONS, 10 DAYS, TWO WEEKS OUT FROM NOW, AND DIFFERENCES IN NUMBERS OF DEATHS THREE, FOUR, OR MORE WEEKS OUT FROM NOW.
SO THIS IS SORT OF THE LEADING INDICATOR OF WHAT'S GOING MAY HAPPEN IN OUR HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS. OKAY.
SO NOW I'M GOING TO SHIFT TO MY NEXT SLIDE.
IF YOU COULD PLEASE ADVANCE THE SLIDE.
I JUST WANNA POINT OUT TO THE COLLEAGUES ON JUNE 22ND WAS THE DAY THAT WE IMPLEMENTED THE ORDER REQUIRING BUSINESSES TO REQUIRE MASKS.
DID YOU GO BACK TO THE PRIOR PAGE, JEANETTE ON THE GRAPH ON THE RIGHT JUNE 22ND WAS WHEN WE CHANGED OUT OF WATER.
AND SO, UM, RIGHT, AND, AND, UH, JUST ON, ON THAT NOTE, I THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S TEMPTING TO LOOK AT OUR CASE CONFIRMED CASE DATA AND SAY, OH, YOU KNOW, WE SEE UPS AND DOWNS.
AND I THINK SOMETIMES IT'S HARD.
IT'S HARD TO DO THAT BECAUSE OF THE NOISE IN THE DATA.
BUT I THINK THE SORT OF INFERENCE THAT THE MAYOR WAS JUST MAKING, WHERE WE SEE, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE LOOK AT THESE SORT OF MORE ROBUST ESTIMATES FOR, FOR HOW QUICKLY THE VIRUS IS SPREADING, I THINK IT, IT'S SORT OF THESE ESTIMATES SENSIBLY REFLECT WHAT WE THINK IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING.
RIGHT? YOU SEE THE REPRODUCTION NUMBER DRAMATICALLY DROP AFTER, STAY HOME, YOU SEE IT START TO CREEP UP STARTING IN MAY.
AND THEN, AND THEN YOU SEE THAT REVERSION, UM, UH, AT, AT SORT OF AN APPROPRIATE LAG AFTER, UM, WE WERE ABLE TO ENACT DIFFERENT POLICIES AND, AND COME OUT WITH STRONGER MESSAGING.
SO I THINK THAT'S, YEAH, IT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE.
SO NOW I'M GOING TO SHOW YOU SEVERAL SLIDES THAT ARE MAKING SHORT TERM PROJECTIONS BASED ON, UM, UH, THE HOSPITAL ADMISSIONS DATA AS A, AND THESE ARE SORT OF CORRESPOND TO, UM, WHAT I SHOWED YOU ON THE LAST SLIDE, AS FAR AS WHAT WE'RE ESTIMATING THE TRANSMISSION RATE TO BE IN AUSTIN.
SO I JUST WANT, I'VE SHOWN YOU FIGURES LIKE THIS, BUT I JUST WANT TO EMPHASIZE A COUPLE OF THINGS ABOUT THESE FIGURES.
SO, UM, I BELIEVE THAT THE PROJECTION HERE
[00:25:01]
STARTS AROUND MAYBE JULY SIX.I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT THE LAST DAY IS EXACTLY, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, UP TO UP WHERE YOU SEE THOSE RED DOTS, THOSE ARE THE ACTUAL, UM, OBSERVED VALUES OR REPORTED VALUES.
SO FOR THIS FIRST GRAPH, WE'RE LOOKING AT THE SEVEN DAY AVERAGE NUMBER OF COVID-19 HOSPITAL ADMISSIONS.
SO THE RED DOTS, THE SEVEN DAY AVERAGE, UM, AND THEN WHEN YOU GO BEYOND THE LAST POINT WHERE YOU SEE AN OBSERVED POINT, THOSE ARE PROJECTIONS AND THOSE PROJECTIONS ASSUME THAT BEHAVIOR DOES NOT CHANGE GOING FORWARD.
SO IN OTHER WORDS, THE BEHAVIOR THAT WE ESTIMATED ON JULY 6TH, THAT IS THE BEHAVIOR WE'RE ASSUMING, AND THE TRANSMISSION RATE WE ARE ASSUMING WILL CONTINUE TO HOLD THROUGH THE END OF OUR PROJECTION PERIOD THROUGH THE FIRST WEEK IN AUGUST.
IF IN FACT, WE ARE SEEING A DOWNWARD TREND IN TRANSMISSION RATE, IF PEOPLE ARE TAKING MORE AND MORE PRECAUTIONS AND THINGS GET BETTER THAN THIS, THESE PROJECTIONS WILL BE AN OVERESTIMATE.
UM, IF THINGS GET WORSE, IF PEOPLE BEGIN TO GET MORE RELAXED ABOUT TAKING PRECAUTIONS, AND THESE WILL BE AN UNDERESTIMATE OF WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS.
SO, YOU KNOW, IMPORTANTLY, THIS IS WHY I WRITE ON THIS GRAPH PROJECTIONS, WITHOUT BEHAVIOR CHANGE.
THESE PROJECTIONS ARE ASSUMING THAT OUR BEHAVIOR TODAY WILL STAY THE SAME GOING FORWARD, AND THE TRANSMISSION RATE WILL NOT CHANGE FROM TODAY.
THE OTHER THING THAT I WANT TO MENTION IS THAT YOU SEE A LOT OF WHAT WE CALL SPAGHETTI LINES OR TREND LINES.
THERE'S ALL THESE LITTLE GRAY LINES.
EACH ONE OF THOSE PROJECTED TRENDS IS EQUALLY POSSIBLE.
THERE'S A LOT OF UNCERTAINTY IN OUR MODEL BECAUSE OF ALL THE THINGS THAT WE, WE, WE CAN'T SEE PERFECTLY, WE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY HOW PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BEHAVE.
WE HAVE APPROXIMATIONS OF THAT.
WE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE INFECTED TODAY.
WE HAVE APPROXIMATIONS OF THAT.
SO, SO THE FACT THAT YOU SEE LOTS OF DIFFERENT FUTURES REFLECTS THE FACT THAT THERE ARE, THERE ARE CERTAINLY THINGS WE CAN KNOW, BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS WE CAN'T KNOW.
AND WE TRY TO TAKE INTO THAT ACCOUNT, THAT UNCERTAINTY, WHEN WE'RE MAKING PROJECTIONS GOING FORWARD.
SO EACH ONE OF THOSE TREND LINES IS EQUALLY POSSIBLE WHERE YOU SEE THAT DASHED LINE, THAT'S SORT OF OUR MIDDLE PROJECTION, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN IT'S OUR MOST LIKELY PROJECTION.
IT'S JUST SORT OF WHERE THE MIDDLE OF THOSE TREND LINES ARE.
UM, AND IT, AND IT ALSO SORT OF SHOWS YOU THAT MORE OF THOSE TREND LINES ARE POINTING UPWARDS THAN DOWNWARDS.
SO, SO IF YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU HAD TO, IF YOU HAD TO GUESS, IT'S MORE LIKELY AT THIS POINT THAT THINGS ARE GOING TO GO UP BEFORE THEY GO DOWN.
SO, UM, WHAT YOU SEE ON THE SLIDE IS, UM, IS THE, UH, CURRENT AND PROJECTED, UM, SEVEN DAY AVERAGE OF HOSPITAL ADMISSIONS AND THAT RED LINE GOING ACROSS THE MIDDLE CORRESPONDS TO A SEVEN DAY AVERAGE OF 70 NEW ADMISSIONS FOR A NEW COVERT ADMISSION COVID-19 ADMISSIONS IN OUR HOSPITALS, IN THAT METROPOLITAN AREA.
AND IF YOU RECALL, THAT WAS THE ONE OF THE EARLY TRIGGERS, ONE OF THE EARLY THRESHOLDS WE DERIVED, UM, AND UNDER A SCENARIO WHERE, UH, WE WERE ASSUMING THAT THE VIRUS WAS SPREADING FAIRLY QUICKLY, UH, ABOUT HOW QUICKLY IT WAS SPREADING IN EARLY JUNE.
AND THIS WAS THE THRESHOLD WE DERIVED THAT TOLD US WHEN WE WOULD WANT TO GO INTO A STAY HOME ORDER UNDER THE ASSUMPTION THAT THERE WAS NOTHING IN BETWEEN THAT IT WAS, WE WERE EITHER GOING TO BE IN YELLOW OR RED.
AND SO WE DIDN'T HAVE THE OPTION TO, TO TAP ON THE BRAKES.
THE ONLY OPTION WAS TO SLAM ON THE BRAKES.
AND SO WE SAID, WE WOULD PAUSE WHEN WE GOT TO 70, WHICH IS WHERE WE ARE TODAY.
WE'RE NOW ABOUT 75 AND ASK OURSELVES, DID WE MANAGE TO SLOW THINGS? DID WE MANAGE TO GO INTO ORANGE OR ARE WE STILL IN YELLOW? ARE THINGS STILL SPREADING VERY QUICKLY? AND IF THEY ARE STILL SPREADING QUICKLY, THIS MIGHT BE A TIME WE WOULD WANT TO CONSIDER A REINSTATING, VERY STRICT MEASURES.
SO WE ARE PAUSING AND WE'RE LOOKING AND WHAT THAT DATA, WHAT THE DATA ARE TELLING US, UM, FROM THAT LAST SLIDE IS THAT IT LOOKS LIKE WE MAY HAVE SLOWED THINGS A LITTLE BIT.
SO WE MAY BE ABLE TO WAIT A MOMENT BEFORE CONSIDERING A STAY HOME MEASURE OR VERY STRICT MEASURES.
UM, HOWEVER, THERE IS A LOT OF UNCERTAINTY, SO I JUST WANT TO REMIND YOU OF THAT.
SO, SO TENTATIVELY, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T KNOW REALLY HOW MUCH THINGS HAVE SLOWED, BUT THERE'S, THERE'S AN INDICATION THAT MAYBE, MAYBE WE CAN WAIT, MAYBE WE DON'T HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, GOING BACK TO OUR ORIGINAL, OUR ORIGINAL PLAN THAT WE WOULD LOOK AT 70, UH, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE CAN WAIT BECAUSE OF THE PROMISING INDICATION THAT RECENT MEASURES ARE SLOWING TRANSMISSION, BUT AGAIN, A LOT OF UNCERTAINTY.
AND I JUST WANTED TO REMIND YOU THAT WE ARE PAST THAT ORIGINAL THRESHOLD OF 70, WHERE WE NEED TO DO A HARD ACCOUNTING.
SO I'M GONNA MOVE ON TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
SO NOW I'M, I'M PLOTTING A RECENT CURRENT AND PROJECTED TOTAL NUMBER OF COVID-19
[00:30:01]
PATIENTS IN HOSPITALS, UH, IN THE FIVE COUNTY METROPOLITAN AREA.UM, SAME IDEA HERE, RED DOTS ARE REPORTED NUMBER OF HOSPITALIZATIONS.
UM, GREAT PROJECTIONS ARE EQUALLY PLAUSIBLE.
FUTURE TRENDS, LACK LINE IS SORT OF A MIDDLE PROJECTION.
UM, THESE ALL ASSUME THAT THERE IS NO BEHAVIOR CHANGE FROM THIS DAY FORWARD.
SO SAME TRANSMISSION RATE FROM TODAY THROUGH EARLY AUGUST, AND THERE'S TWO RED LINES AND SHADING IN BETWEEN.
SO THE RED LINE AT THE TOP IS THAT 1500, THAT ORIGINAL CAPACITY.
AND THAT IS, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE DERIVE THE ORIGINAL THRESHOLDS, THESE ORIGINAL TRIGGERS.
AND THAT IS WHAT WE THOUGHT WE WERE TRYING TO PREVENT WITH THE POLICY THAT SHADED AREA IS, IS SHOWING YOU SORT OF WHAT, WHAT THE UPDATED CAPACITY IS.
SO WE ESTIMATE THAT, UM, ON AVERAGE, ON A TYPICAL DAY, SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 30 AND 40% OF COVID-19 PATIENTS IN OUR HOSPITALS ARE IN ICU BEDS.
SO, AND, AND, AND IT RANGES AND THERE'S SOME UNCERTAINTY, BUT SO GIVEN THAT RANGE, THAT SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 30 AND 40% OF COVID PATIENTS GOING TO NEED ICU CARE, OR I'M SORRY, 30 TO 40% PATIENTS IN A HOSPITAL IN A DAY ARE ACTUALLY RECEIVING ICU CARE.
AND GIVEN THAT WE DON'T KNOW WHAT OUR TRUE CAPACITY IS FOR ICU BEDS, SOMEWHERE BETWEEN THREE 30, ONE AND FOUR 74, UM, WE MAY REALLY BE FACING A CAPACITY THAT'S CLOSER TO THAT LOWER RED LINE.
THAT'S CLOSER TO, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, 800 OR 900 BEDS TOTAL.
SO, SO THAT IS SO DEPENDING ON WHERE WE ARE, UH, THE FUTURE LOOKS A LITTLE BIT MORE OR LESS ALARMING.
UM, AND, AND SO WHEN I SAY WE CAN PAUSE AND LOOK AT THINGS, I THINK WE REALLY HAVE TO REALIZE THERE'S A LOT OF UNCERTAINTY AND IT IS VERY POSSIBLE THAT WE WILL HIT OUR LOWER ESTIMATES FOR ICU CAPACITY SOON.
AND IT WAS ALWAYS BEHIND MY EYES BECAUSE LET ME, I'D LIKE TO, UM, GO AHEAD AND ADVANCE TO THE NEXT SLIDE, WHICH IS PROJECTING THIS DIRECTLY FOR ICU CAPACITY.
SO IN THIS SLIDE, UH, IT'S, IT'S ALMOST IDENTICAL TO THE LAST SLIDE, EXCEPT INSTEAD OF LOOKING AT TOTAL NUMBER OF COVID-19 PATIENTS IN HOSPITALS, WE'RE LOOKING AT, UM, TOTAL NUMBER OF COVID-19 PATIENTS IN ICU BEDS, AND THE PROJECTIONS LOOK THE SAME IN THIS CASE.
WE'RE ASSUMING THAT ROUGHLY 5% OF HOSPITALIZED TO COVID PATIENTS ARE IN ICU BEDS.
UM, THERE'S THE RANGE OF OUR CAPACITY SOMEWHERE BETWEEN THE THREE 31 AND A FOUR 74.
AND WE PROJECT THAT IT IS, IT IS VERY PLAUSIBLE THAT WE WILL HIT THE LOWER END OF THAT RANGE.
AND EVEN THE HIGHER END OF THAT RANGE, UH, BY EARLY AUGUST, IF THE TRANSMISSION RATE DOESN'T SLOW MORE THAN IT ALREADY HAS.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THESE GRAPHS BEFORE I MOVE ON TO THE FINAL, THE FINAL COMMENT I WANT TO MAKE? HUH? IT'S KITCHEN, I THINK.
AND JUST SO I UNDERSTAND, SO WHEN YOU SAY WITHOUT THE CHANGE, DO YOU MEAN BUILDING, HAVE YOU BUILT INTO THE, UM, THE, UM, THE, UM, I THINK YOU SAID THAT WE WERE SEEING SOME, SOME REDUCTIONS IN THE, IN THE, UM, TRANSMISSION RATE RIGHT NOW, HAVE YOU BUILT THAT ASSUMPTION THAT THAT WOULD CONTINUE INTO THIS? WHAT, WHAT THIS ASSUMES IS THAT THE REDUCTION WE'VE ACHIEVED SO FAR IS MAINTAINED GOING FORWARD, BUT WE DO NOT ASSUME THAT IT IS REDUCED FURTHER.
SO IT'S SORT OF, IT'S GONE DOWN.
YOU KEEP THE REDUCTIONS WE'VE ACHIEVED SO FAR FLAT AND THAT'S, THAT'S BUILT INTO, INTO THIS CONTENT.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, IF WE ARE ON ACTUALLY A DOWNWARD TREND AND, AND, AND LET ME REMIND YOU, I MEAN, THIS TOOK AN OPTIMISTIC LOOK IF WE'RE REALLY, REALLY ABLE TO ESTIMATE THE TRANSMISSION RATE AS OF 10 DAYS AGO, BECAUSE WE'RE LOOKING AT HOSPITALIZATION DATA AND WE'RE NOT LOOKING AT ACTUALLY WHO WAS INFECTED TODAY.
SO THERE MAY BE AN ADDITIONAL REDUCTION TRANSMISSION WE'RE NOT ABLE TO DETECT IN WHICH CASE THIS WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, SORT OF A, AN OVERESTIMATE, BUT, BUT IT COULD ALSO BE WORKING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION.
SO, YOU KNOW, JUST BECAUSE WE DON'T REALLY KNOW, AND WE CAN'T PUSH THE PROJECT, THE FUTURE, WE JUST ASSUME WE'VE SEEN WHAT WE'VE SEEN AND IT'S GOING TO BE FLAT GOING FORWARD
[00:35:01]
THERE, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT THE FIGURES? AND I'M NOT ABLE TO SEE PEOPLE'S HANDS RAISED MY HANDS RAISED CANCELING, AND WE'RE HOPING MADISON HERE QUICKLY.UM, SO QUICK QUESTION, I WAS READING OVER SOME INFORMATION AND IF YOU COULD JUST OFFER ME SOME CLARITY, IT LOOKED LIKE, UM, WHAT THIS PARTICULAR PIECE WAS SAYING WAS THAT, UM, THE DISEASE IS BECOMING LESS DEADLY, BUT MORE CONTAGIOUS.
COULD YOU OFFER ME SOME CLARITY THERE? UM, SO THERE HAVE BEEN SOME REPORTS, UH, SOME BASED ON LIKE EPIDEMIOLOGICAL INFORMATION WHERE THEY'RE JUST COUNTING HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE REPORTED, INFECTED, HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE DYING.
UM, AND THERE'VE ALSO BEEN SOME, UM, MOLECULAR BIOLOGICAL STUDIES WHERE THEY'RE ACTUALLY LOOKING AT THE EVOLUTION OF THE VIRUS GENOME AND SEEING CHANGES, UM, THAT HAVE SUGGESTED THAT THE VIRUS THAT IS SPREADING WIDELY IN THE UNITED STATES, MAYBE SLIGHTLY, UH, MORE CONTAGIOUS THAN THE EARLY VIRUS THAT WAS SPREADING IN MOHAN.
IT IS ACTUALLY NOT CLEAR FROM THAT STUDY, WHETHER THE VIRUS IS LESS DEADLY, SO THAT, SO THAT SORT OF GENETIC STUDY SUGGESTED THAT.
UM, BUT THERE, UM, BUT WHAT WE'RE SEEING, SO WHAT IS SO, SO I WOULD SAY IT'S FROM, FROM THE PUBLISHED REPORTS, I WOULD SAY, UH, THERE'S NOT YET DEFINITIVE EVIDENCE THAT THIS VIRUS HAS CHANGED IN SOME FUNDAMENTAL WAY THAT MAKES IT LESS DEBBIE, BUT THAT SAID THAT'S A THAT I ASK DR.
BECAUSE THAT'S NOT PART OF THE MODELS THAT DR.
I MEAN, I WILL SAY ONE THING ABOUT THAT, BECAUSE IN LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, IN, IN, IN LOOKING AT THE HOSPITALIZATION DATA TO BUILD THESE MODELS, WE ARE LOOKING AT THE MORTALITY RATE AND I'LL SAY A FEW THINGS ABOUT WHAT WE SEE WHEN WE SEE THE MORTALITY RATE AND, AND DR.
SCOTT CAN CORRECT ME IF I'M SAYING SOMETHING THAT'S INCONSISTENT WITH WHAT HE'S SEEING IN THE DATA.
BUT SO ONE IS THAT BECAUSE OF THE LAG BETWEEN GETTING INFECTED, ENDING UP IN THE HOSPITAL AND DYING, AND BECAUSE WE WERE ABLE TO KEEP PEOPLE ALIVE LONGER, WE ACTUALLY REALLY JUST DON'T HAVE ENOUGH DATA YET BECAUSE YOU KNOW, THE DEATHS THAT ARE GOING TO HAPPEN FOR PEOPLE IN THE HOSPITAL HAVEN'T HAVEN'T REALLY HAPPENED YET.
BECAUSE WE'RE JUST RECENTLY SEEN THAT SEARCH.
SO, SO PART OF THE ANSWER IS THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, FORTUNATELY BECAUSE NOT THAT MANY PEOPLE HAVE DIED YET, WE CAN'T DEFINITIVELY SAY, BUT FROM THE LITTLE DATA THAT WE HAVE SEEN, WE HAVE SEEN A REDUCTION IN THE FRACTION OF PEOPLE WHO ENDED UP IN THE HOSPITAL, WHO DIED FROM COVID.
I HAVE, BUT, UM, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT COULD BE DRIVING THAT ONE IS THAT WE ARE SEEING A DEMOGRAPHIC SHIFT IN, WHO IS, UH, ENDING UP IN THE HOSPITAL.
SO WE'RE SEEING YOUNGER, YOUNGER PEOPLE, A HIGHER PROPORTION OF YOUNG PATIENTS IN HOSPITALS AND YOUNGER PEOPLE HAVE LOWER FATALITY RATES.
AND SO IF YOU SEE OVERALL A LOWER DEATH RATE IN THE HOSPITAL, AND IT MAY NOT BE THAT INDIVIDUAL PEOPLE'S DEATH RATE IS CHANGING, BUT IT JUST MAY BE THAT WE'RE SEEING YOUNGER PEOPLE, UM, IN THE MORE YOUNGER PEOPLE IN THE HOSPITALS.
BUT WE ALSO DO KNOW THAT, UM, THERE HAVE BEEN, UH, CHANGES INNOVATIONS IN THE TYPES OF CARE THAT ARE BEING PROVIDED TO COVID-19 PATIENTS THAT ARE REDUCING THE FATALITY IN HOSPITALS, TO SOME EXTENT, UM, AND, AND DOCTORS CAN SPEAK TO THIS BETTER THAN I CAN, BUT THIS INCLUDES, UM, NEW STEROID TREATMENT THAT WAS ESTIMATED TO LOWER THE FATALITY RATE, UM, BY, UH, BY A MEANINGFUL AMOUNT.
UM, UH, JUST KNOWING HOW BETTER TO, UH, THERE'S SOME VERY, SOME EARLY THINGS THAT WERE LEARNED IN THE HOSPITALS IN NEW YORK TO PRONE PATIENTS TO PROVIDE OXYGEN EARLIER, ET CETERA.
SO THERE, THERE ALSO IS SOME EVIDENCE THAT SINCE MARCH THROUGH TIME, WE ARE ABLE TO BETTER KEEP PEOPLE ALIVE IN HOSPITALS.
SO IT COULD BE A COMBINATION OF THOSE TWO THINGS.
IN MY OPINION, IT'S LESS LIKELY THAT ANY TRENDS WE'RE SEEING IS BECAUSE THERE'S BEEN SOME MUTATION TO THE VIRUS, THE LESS DEADLY, THANK YOU.
UH, I'M GOING RECOGNIZE ANN AND THEN RECOGNIZE ALISON IT'S 10 40.
UM, WE ALSO STILL NEED TO HEAR FROM DR.
ASCOT TO, UH, ANNE AND THEN ALICE.
I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE ASSUMPTIONS RELATED TO THE ICU BEDS, THE THREE, THE RANGE, THE THREE 31 TO FOUR SEVEN, FOUR 74.
UM, I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S HARD TO PREDICT IF WE'RE TALKING 30%, 35%, 40%, BUT, UM, IT'S LESS CLEAR TO ME WHY WE, WHY WE THINK THERE'S THAT RANGE IN AVAILABLE ICU BEDS.
[00:40:01]
UNDERSTAND THAT, UM, PART OF IT, OR MAYBE IT'S ALL OF IT HAS TO DO WITH THE DEGREE THAT THERE'S STAFFING AVAILABLE FOR THE BEDS.BUT MY QUESTION IS, DO WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE STAFFING AVAILABLE FOR 331 ICU BEDS IN OUR COMMUNITY NOW? AND IS IT THE POTENTIAL FOR FOUR 74 BEDS IF WE'RE AVAILABLE, IF WE HAVE STAFFING, IS THAT HOW WE SHOULD VIEW THESE NUMBERS? AND THE REASON I'M ASKING IT SEEMS TO ME THAT WE WOULD KNOW HOW MANY BEDS WE HAD WITH EXISTING STAFFING AND THAT THE UNKNOWN WOULD BE, HOW MANY COULD WE STAFF, BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY HOW MANY STAFFING, SO IS THAT THE WAY SHOULD I, I SHOULD LOOK AT THIS, THAT WE THINK WE ARE, WE, WE KNOW WE HAVE THREE 31 WITH STAFFING AND WE COULD GET AS HIGH AS FOUR 74, IF WE GET ADDITIONAL STAFFING, IS THAT THE CORRECT WAY FOR ME TO LOOK AT THOSE NUMBERS? I THINK THAT QUESTION HAS TO BE ASKED OF THE HOSPITALS AND DR.
SCOTT AND THE MAYOR THAT IS COMMUNICATED TO ME.
I MEAN, THAT IS ESSENTIALLY WHAT I HAVE LEARNED, BUT I'M, YEAH, I'M NOT THE PERSON TO ASK TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION.
WELL, WE CAN ANSWER IT LATER IF NEED BE MAYOR.
THE HOSPITAL TO SAY THAT THEY CAN PHYSICALLY GET UP TO FOUR 71, BUT THEY CAN'T STAFF WITHOUT ADDITIONAL HEALTH.
AND THERE ARE SEVERAL DIFFERENT PLANS.
THEY HAVE TO BE ABLE TO SEARCH THE HELP.
UH, BUT IN THE CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM, THERE SEEM TO BE MUCH CERTAINTY WITH RESPECT TO THE 340 NUMBER.
I'M SORRY, WHAT WAS THE LAST PART OF WHAT YOU SAID? TALK ABOUT THAT.
MYERS, I WANTED TO ASK YOU A QUESTION AND I'D LIKE ALSO AN ANSWER FROM DOCTOR S AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME.
UM, WE ALL WISH WE HAD MORE CERTAINTY ABOUT THE DECISIONS THAT WE WERE MAKING AND, UM, REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR MODELING AND THE WAY THAT YOU'RE PRESENTING IT FOR US, UM, TO BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND BOTH THE UNCERTAINTY INVOLVED, BUT ALSO SOME OF THE VARIABLES AND HOW THEY'RE CHANGING.
UM, I'M HEARING SOME CONCERNED ABOUT THE SHIFTING OF, OF THE DATA THAT WE'RE USING TO MAKE DECISIONS.
AND FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, I THINK IT'S FULLY RATIONAL THAT WE'RE UPDATING, UM, THE TRIGGERS THAT WE'RE USING AS WE HAVE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT HOW THE DISEASE EVOLVES.
UM, BUT CAN YOU JUST SPEAK TO KIND OF BROADLY WHY WE'RE UPDATING THE TRIGGERS AND, AND HOW THAT'S, HOW THAT'S PART OF USING THEM MORE OF THE DATA AND MORE OF THE INFORMATION WE HAVE AND, AND HOW THAT HELPS US TO ADDRESS THE UNCERTAINTIES AND PROJECT WHERE WE'RE GOING IN DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT WAYS, BECAUSE, UM, I'M HEARING THAT FOLKS ARE GETTING FRUSTRATED WITH THE SHIFTING OF THE GOALPOSTS, BUT, UM, SO I THINK WE NEED TO COMMUNICATE WHY WE'RE, WHY WE'RE CHANGING THESE.
SO, UM, LET ME THINK HOW TO ANSWER THIS.
SO, SO FIRST OF ALL, I MEAN, THERE, THERE REALLY HAS BEEN A FUNDAMENTAL SHIFT IN OUR UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THE CONSTRAINTS ARE, WHAT THE GOALS ARE.
UM, AS OF A WEEK AND A HALF AGO, WHEN WE REALIZED THAT WE WERE GONNA RUN UP AGAINST ICU CAPACITY MUCH EARLIER THAN WE'RE GONNA RUN UP AGAINST THE, THE 1500 BED CAPACITY THAT WE HAD BEEN THINKING ABOUT WHEN WE DESIGN THOSE TRIGGERS.
SO I WOULD SAY, UM, YOU KNOW, WHETHER OR NOT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT UPDATING TRIGGERS, YOU KNOW, WE ARE IN A MOMENT WHERE, UM, WE SUDDENLY HAVE A HURDLE THAT WE WEREN'T EXPECTING, AND WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT HOW CLOSELY, YOU KNOW, LIKE WHAT WE NEED TO DO IN ORDER TO ENSURE THAT WE DON'T END UP WITH AN UNMANAGEABLE SURGEON IN ICU BED.
SO, SO I THINK WHETHER WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UM, WHETHER WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TRIGGERS OR JUST WHAT WE'RE PROJECTING AND WHAT WE'RE COMPARING OUR PROJECTIONS TO THAT IS REALLY FUNDAMENTALLY SHIFTED FROM MY PERSPECTIVE OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS WITH THIS AWARENESS, THAT THAT ICU IS GONNA BE A LIMITING FACTOR, UM, WITH THE TRIGGERS THEMSELVES.
I MEAN, WE, UM, I'M NOT ACTUALLY OFFERING ANY NEW TRIGGERS TODAY.
I'M, I'M BASICALLY SAYING, UM, WE'RE SORT OF PAST THE TRIGGER, RIGHT? WE ALREADY ESTABLISHED THIS TRIGGER OF 70, UH, 70 DAILY ADMISSIONS.
AND WE SAID AT THIS POINT, WE'RE, WE'RE GOING TO EVALUATE WHERE WE ARE AND IF THINGS LOOK OKAY, THEN WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO JUST KIND OF WAIT A WHILE.
AND IF THINGS DON'T LOOK OKAY, WE MIGHT NEED TO CHANGE POLICY, CHANGE BEHAVIOR, ET CETERA.
SO I THINK WHAT WE'RE DOING TODAY IS SORT OF CONSISTENT WITH THE PLANS THAT WE LAID A FEW WEEKS AGO.
UM, AND, UM, AND IT HAPPENS TOO.
IT HAPPENS TO COINCIDE WITH A MOMENT WHERE WE REALIZED THAT THERE'S A SHIFT IN THE SYSTEM WITH THE ICU.
UM, AND I THINK, UM, AND SO NOW WE'RE LOOKING AND WE HAVE, WE HAVE, WE HAVE DIFFERENT GOALS, WE HAVE DIFFERENT CONSTRAINTS.
UM, AND WE ALSO HAVE SOME EVIDENCE THAT THINGS THAT TRANSMISSION
[00:45:01]
IS SLOWING.AND I THINK WHAT WE'RE, WHAT WE'RE DOING IN THIS MOMENT IS SAYING, UH, WE'RE NOT, AT LEAST TODAY, I'M NOT PRESENTING A NEW TRIGGER.
I'M JUST PROJECTING, PRESENTING WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.
WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE MIGHT HAPPEN IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS? AND DOES IT SEEM LIKE WE NEED TO CHANGE POLICY? UH, I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT'S A QUESTION FOR YOU, UH, UM, AMASS RESOURCES, UH, YOU KNOW, WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO, IF ANYTHING, I'M HOPING THAT THESE SMELLS WILL HELP YOU THINK THROUGH WHAT DO YOU NEED TO DO AS FAR AS POLICY, AS FAR AS RESOURCES, ET CETERA, IN ORDER TO KIND OF ENSURE THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF OUR COMMUNITIES.
ALISON, IS THAT THERE ARE LOTS OF VARIABLES THAT YOU COULD ENTER THIS.
MEYERS IS CONSTANTLY CHANGING.
HER ANALYSIS IS THERE'S GREATER INFORMATION FOR THE VARIABLES.
AND A GOOD EXAMPLE OF THAT IS THE ESTIMATED TIME THAT PEOPLE ACTUALLY STAY IN AN ICU OR STAY IN THE HOSPITAL.
SO AS WE GET GREATER DATA, BECAUSE NOW WE'RE NOT DEALING WITH JUST FOUR WEEKS OF THE VIRUS, BUT 12 WEEKS OF THE VIRUS, UH, DR.
MYERS IS CONSTANTLY CHANGING THE VARIABLES TO REFLECT THE PRACTICE AND THE FACTS THAT REGARD.
IN FACT, I'M, I SHOULD HAVE MENTIONED THAT ONE OF THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SOME OF THE MODELS THAT WE PUT OUT, UM, YOU KNOW, A MONTH AGO AND THE, AND THE PROJECTIONS WE'RE MAKING TODAY IS EXACTLY WHAT THE MAYOR MENTIONED.
WE'VE ACTUALLY SEEN WHEN WE LOOK AT THE HOSPITALIZATION DATA THROUGH TIME IN AUSTIN, THAT THE DURATION OF HOSPITAL STAYS HAS GOTTEN NOTICEABLY SHORTER THROUGH TIME.
AND SO WE'RE ACTUALLY, WE'RE ACTUALLY ACCOUNTING FOR THAT CHANGE.
AND THAT'S IMPORTANT WHEN WE'RE THINKING ABOUT HOW MANY HOSPITAL BEDS YOU NEED, IF PEOPLE ARE STAYING IN A SHORTER AMOUNT OF TIME IS AN EFFECT MORE CAPACITY.
UM, I APPRECIATE, UH, YOUR RESPONSES AND THE MAYORS, AND HOPEFULLY WHEN, UH, DR.
ASCOT SPEAKS, HE CAN ALSO ADDRESS THAT BECAUSE I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE AVOIDING CONFUSION, BECAUSE I THINK, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'RE REALLY DOING HERE IS USING THE DATA THAT WE HAVE ON THE GROUND AND ADJUSTING OUR MODELS SO THAT WE CAN MAKE THE BEST POLICY DECISIONS, UM, THAT WE CAN, UM, AND I DON'T WANT THERE TO BE ANY CONFUSION, UM, IN THE PUBLIC OVER THAT AS, AS THINGS EVOLVE NECESSARILY WITH WHAT'S ON THE GROUND, UM, MOVING FORWARD.
MYERS, DO YOU WANT ME TO HIT YOUR LAST SLIDES TO TALK ABOUT SCHOOLS REAL FAST? ABSOLUTELY.
AND I'LL JUST SAY ONE OTHER THING.
I THINK THE WAY, UM, UH, MS. ALTER EXPLAINED IT WAS REALLY, IT WAS REALLY EXCELLENT.
JUST LIKE, YOU KNOW, YOU SORT OF SUMMARIZE THEM THE USE OF MODELS TO, TO KIND OF MAKE SENSE OF WHAT'S HAPPENING ON THE GROUND.
AND I WOULD SAY THAT IS, I MEAN, THAT'S EXACTLY SORT OF WHAT THE MODELS ARE DOING FOR US TODAY.
RIGHT? WE HAVE THIS REALLY NOISY DATA.
WE HAVE KIND OF IMPERFECT INFORMATION ON THE GROUND AND THE MODELS SORT OF BRING A SCIENTIFIC LENS TO THE DATA THAT ALLOW US TO MAKE SENSE OF IT AND TO DERIVE UNDERSTANDING AND PROJECTIONS THAT ARE SORT OF, THAT CAN HELP US MOVE FORWARD.
SO THEN WE CAN MOVE ON TO MY LAST SLIDE OR MY SECOND TO LAST SLIDE, ACTUALLY.
SO THIS IS ON A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT TOPIC OR RELATED, BUT IT'S A DIFFERENT FOCUS.
UM, AND THAT IS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHERE MIGHT WE BE AROUND AUGUST 18TH IN AUSTIN WITH RESPECT TO BEING ABLE TO SAFELY FEASIBLY OPEN SCHOOLS.
AND THIS IS A GRAPH THAT I MADE IN RESPONSE TO A QUESTION THAT THE MAYOR POSED.
UM, AND SO LET ME ORIENT YOU HERE, UM, THAT THERE, ALONG THE X AXIS AND LEFT TO RIGHT, THERE'S THREE DIFFERENT SCENARIOS.
UM, THE LEFTMOST ONE IS IMAGINE WE OPENED SCHOOLS TODAY WITH THE CURRENT PREVALENCE OF COVID-19 IN THE COMMUNITY.
THE MIDDLE ONE IS IMAGINE THAT, UM, THE VIRUS CONTINUES TO SPREAD AT THE RATE THAT IT IS SPREADING TODAY, AND WE DO NOT SLOW TRANSMISSION AT ALL.
IT'S EXACTLY WHERE IT IS TODAY, AS I WAS TALKING ABOUT EARLIER THIS PRODUCTIONS, UM, AND WE, WE, WE OPEN A SCHOOLS ON AUGUST 18TH AND THEN THE LAST IS A VERY EXTREME SCENARIO WHERE WE IMAGINED WE ACTUALLY ENACT REALLY STRICT MEASURES, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING MAYBE A FULL ON STAY HOME OR OTHER MEASURES THAT EFFECTIVELY SLOW TRANSMISSION TO THE LEVEL THAT WE WERE ABLE TO SLOW IT TO IN MID APRIL.
AND THEN WE RELAX AT RIGHT WHEN KIDS ARE SUPPOSED TO GO TO SCHOOL ON AUGUST AROUND AUGUST 18TH.
SO, UM, AND THEN WHAT, SO THOSE ARE THREE DIFFERENT SCENARIOS.
AND IN EACH ONE OF THOSE, YOU'LL SEE THREE DIFFERENT BOXES, THREE DIFFERENT BARS.
AND WHAT I'M SHOWING YOU ON THE Y AXIS, THE HEIGHT OF THOSE BARS IS, UM, THE PROJECTION FOR THE EXPECTED NUMBER OF KIDS WHO ARE GOING TO SHOW UP INSPECTED AT SCHOOL.
CAUSE THEY'VE BEEN INFECTED OUT IN THE COMMUNITY IN THE FIRST WEEK OF SCHOOL.
AND SO THEN WITHIN EACH OF THOSE GROUPS, I'M MODELING THIS, OR I'M PROJECTING THIS FOR THREE DIFFERENT SCHOOL SIZES.
GREEN IS IF YOU HAVE A HUNDRED KIDS IN YOUR SCHOOL, ORANGES, IF YOU HAVE 500 KIDS IN
[00:50:01]
YOUR SCHOOL AND PURPLES, IF YOU HAVE A THOUSAND KIDS IN YOUR SCHOOL.SO IF WE WERE TO OPEN SCHOOLS TODAY, AND THESE ARE THE LEFT BARS, UM, AND WE HAVE A SCHOOL WITH ABOUT 500 CHILDREN IN IT, YOU WOULD EXPECT IN THE FIRST WEEK THAT AROUND FOUR KIDS WOULD COME TO SCHOOL INFECTED, EVEN IF IT'S OUT IN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, IF WE DON'T, IF TRANSMISSION DOESN'T SLOW OVER THE NEXT FIVE, SIX, AND WE CONTINUE TO SEE RISES IN COVID-19, WHICH IS WHAT WE WILL SEE IF TRANSMISSION DOESN'T SLOW FROM TODAY, UH, THEN THERE'LL BE, IT'LL BE MUCH MORE PREVALENT IN OUR COMMUNITY IN AUGUST 18TH.
UM, AND THAT'S LIKE, LET'S LOOK AT NOW AT THE MIDDLE ORANGE BAR FOR A SCHOOL OF 500 KIDS, WE WOULD EXPECT THAT SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 15 AND 20 WOULD ARRIVE INFECTED IT AT FIRST WEEK OF SCHOOL.
UM, AND IF WE WERE TO ENACT VERY STRICT MEASURES TODAY, THAT SLOWED TRANSMISSION TO THE POINT OF THE STAY HOME ORDER, THEN I'M GOING TO SHOW YOU WITH MY HANDS.
WHAT WE WOULD EXPECT IS THAT, YOU KNOW, EVEN IF YOU SLAM ON THE BRAKES TODAY, ESSENTIALLY WE'LL STILL SEE A RISE IN CASES BEFORE WE SEE IT START TO SUBSIDE BECAUSE THERE'S SORT OF PENT UP INFECTION IN OUR COMMUNITY IN A SENSE.
AND SO WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IS WE'D SORT OF SEE THE RISE, BUT THAT STAY HOME ORDER WOULD START TO CURB THINGS.
AND BY THE TIME WE GET TO AUGUST 18TH, THE PREVALENCE WOULD BE A LITTLE BIT LOWER THAN IT IS TODAY.
AND WE WOULD PROJECT THAT IT WOULD BE MORE FEASIBLE TO OPEN SCHOOLS.
UM, UNDER THAT SCENARIO IN A SCHOOL WITH 500 KIDS, WE ESTIMATE THAT MAYBE THREE WOULD SHOW UP IN THE FIRST WEEK WITH COVID-19.
AND SO, UM, AND THIS IS REALLY JUST LOOKING AT THE FEASIBILITY.
IF, YOU KNOW, IF SCHOOLS ARE PLANNING THAT THEY WILL QUARANTINE CLASSES OR QUARANTINE GRADES, OR EVEN SHUT DOWN SCHOOLS TEMPORARILY, WHEN THERE ARE CASES, UH, IDENTIFIED IN THE COMMUNITY AND THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY OR AMONG THE STUDENTS, THEN THIS IS JUST SHOWING, THIS IS SORT OF AN INDICATION OF HOW QUICKLY THEY WILL HAVE TO RAISE TO QUARANTINE OR SHUT DOWN, OR CONVERSELY HOW EASILY IT WILL BE EASY.
IT WILL BE FOR THEM TO KIND OF MAINTAIN THE INTEGRITY OF THE PROGRAM.
UM, SO THAT'S, THOSE ARE JUST SOME SCENARIOS JUST TO KIND OF HELP THINK THROUGH, UH, YES.
UM, I THINK, I, I THINK I HEARD YOU SAID THIS, I JUST WANT TO BE SURE THAT I, UM, SO I HAVE TWO QUESTIONS, SO, SO THIS DATA AND, UH, UH, INCLUDES THE, UM, THE DATA THAT YOU TALKED ABOUT EARLIER, UM, THE, AT A FLATTENED, RIGHT? IN OTHER WORDS, IT DOESN'T ASSUME IT GOING UP OR DOWN, IT KEEPS IT AT THE FLATTEN RATE THAT, THAT, THAT WE HAVE SEEN.
THAT'S WHAT THE MIDDLE CURVES ASSUME.
SO EVEN THOUGH IT'S A FLAT RATE OF TRANSMISSION.
BUT IT'S A FLAT YOU'RE INTO THIS, THE FLAT RATE OF TRANSMIT.
AND THEN THE SECOND QUESTION IS, UM, THIS USES THE TERM STAY HOME.
SO WHAT ASSUMPTIONS ARE YOU BUILDING IN? ARE YOU BUILDING IN THE RATE OF TRANSMISSION THAT WE SAW WHEN, WHEN WE HAD THE STAY HOME ORDER? IS THAT WHAT YOU MEAN WHEN YOU SAY NO, STAY HOME OR STAY HOME? THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT.
SO FOR, FOR THE, THE, THE MIDDLE SCENARIO, NOTHING CHANGES AS FAR AS TRANSMISSION FROM TODAY WITH THE 35, WHAT I'M CALLING A 35 DAY STAY HOME.
THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT YOU DESCRIBED, WHICH IS WE WENT BACK AND WE SAID, HOW FAST WAS IT SPREADING IN THE SECOND WEEK OF APRIL, WHICH WAS SORT OF BEST WEEK FOR CONTROLLING SPREAD.
AND IMAGINE NOW WE HAVE THAT RATE OF TRANSMISSION FOR THE NEXT 35 DAYS.
SO YOU'RE, YOU'RE JUST, SO THAT'S THE USE OF THE TERM, STAY HOME IS A, IS A PROXY, UH, OR NOT PROXY, BUT IT'S, IT'S USING THE DATA FOR WHAT WE EXPERIENCED DURING THE SECOND WEEK OF APRIL.
AND IF WE ARE ABLE TO TAKE MEASURES THAT SLOW TREND, MAYBE NOT FULL STAY HOME MEASURES, BUT IF WE'RE ABLE TO ENCOURAGE BEHAVIOR AND OTHER STEPS TO SLOW TRANSMISSION, WE MAY BE ABLE TO GET CLOSE TO THAT WITHOUT A STAY HOME.
THE ONLY REASON I'M SAYING THAT IS BECAUSE THERE, THERE IS SOME CONCERN ABOUT STAY HOME AND I'M NOT EXPRESSING AN OPINION WHETHER WE NEED IT OR NOT.
I'M JUST SAYING THAT, UM, WE'RE, THIS DOESN'T MAKE THE CONCLUSION THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE STAY HOME IN ORDER TO REACH THIS RATE.
WHAT THIS DOES IS IT USES THE DATA THAT WE HAD AT THAT TIME.
SO I'M JUST WANTING TO MAKE THAT CLEAR FOR PEOPLE SINCE WE HAVEN'T HAD THE POLICY DISCUSSION YET ABOUT STAY HOME VERSUS OTHER THINGS.
AND I DON'T MEAN TO IMPLY THAT WE NEED TO STAY HOME TO OPEN SCHOOLS.
I'M JUST TRYING TO ILLUSTRATE WHAT THE DIFFERENT SCENARIOS ARE.
IF WE WERE ABLE TO SLOW TRANSMISSION OR NOT.
AND I WOULD SAY ALSO THAT EVEN IF WE'RE IN THIS SORT OF MOST REPAIR PRESS SCENARIO OF REPRESS, THE TRANSMISSION BOAST OVER 35 DAYS, WE'RE STILL IN A SITUATION WHERE SCHOOLS ARE GOING TO SEE SEVERAL KIDS SHOWING
[00:55:01]
UP.IT'S STILL, IT'S NOT, IT'S STILL NOT NECESSARILY THE MOST FEASIBLE SCENARIO.
AND THE LONGER WE'RE ABLE TO TAKE STEPS, WHETHER IT'S, YOU KNOW, PARTIAL MEASURES OR JUST PEOPLE INDIVIDUALLY DECIDING TO TAKE PRECAUTIONS, THE LAW, THE MORE EFFECTIVE THOSE MEASURES ARE.
AND THE LONGER WE HOLD ONTO THOSE MEASURES, UH, THE, THE LOWER, THE PREVALENCE WILL BE IN, YOU KNOW, THE EASIER IT WILL BE TO GET BACK TO SCHOOL AND, AND OTHER ASPECTS OF OUR LIFE.
THANKS FOR THAT CLARIFICATION.
I'M NOT EXPRESSING AN OPINION ONE WAY OR THE OTHER SHOULD DO.
I JUST WANTED TO, I DON'T WANT THE PUBLIC TO MISUNDERSTAND BECAUSE OF THE USE OF THE TERMS ON THIS PARTICULAR SLIDE.
I THINK THAT THE REVERSE A RELATED QUESTION, JUST FOR CLARIFICATION AGAIN, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE BEHAVIORS THAT YOU'RE SEEING AND THE RATES THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH, UH, ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE BEHAVIORS THAT ARE, PEOPLE ARE EXHIBITING TODAY, OR THE BEHAVIORS THAT PEOPLE WERE EXHIBITING 10 DAYS AGO THAT YOU CAN SEE TODAY? UM, I AM TALKING ABOUT, I, THIS IS A LITTLE BIT TECHNICAL, BUT WHEN I WENT WITH THE NO STAY HOME I'M CONDO STATE HOME THAT THE CURRENT ESTIMATE FOR TRANSMISSION, IT IS ACTUALLY AN ESTIMATE FOR, WELL, THIS WAS DONE TWO DAYS AGO.
IT WAS ACTUALLY AN ESTIMATE FOR THE TRANSMISSION RATE THAT DAY.
UM, BUT IT'S, AND SO IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF A PROJECTION.
IT'S WHAT WE COULD, WHAT WE CAN SEE TODAY, WHICH TELLS US SOMETHING ABOUT HOW FAST IT WAS TRANSMITTING 10 DAYS BEFORE TODAY, ROUGHLY.
BUT THEN, BECAUSE WE CAN ALSO SEE THE SAFE GRAPH MOBILITY DATA, WE MAKE SOME PROJECTIONS FORWARD TO TODAY.
SO IN A SENSE IT'S TODAY, BUT THERE'S SOME, THERE'S SOME UNCERTAINTY BUILT IN THERE BECAUSE WE'RE, WE'RE PROJECTING FROM 10 DAYS AGO BASED ON MOBILITY DATA.
SO MY QUESTION IS, SO THERE, THERE ARE TWO THINGS THAT HAPPEN WITHIN THE LAST 10 DAYS.
ONE THING IS, IS THAT WE HAVE AN ORDER THAT SAID EVERYBODY HAS TO WEAR MASKS, AND THAT WOULD HAPPEN ON JULY 2ND, WITHIN 10 DAYS.
SO IT'S POSSIBLE THAT WE SEE MORE MASKING TODAY THAN WE HAD IN EXISTENCE ON JULY 1ST OR JULY 2ND, UH, THAT MAY OR MAY NOT IMPACT MOBILITY.
PEOPLE COULD STILL BE TRAVELING CAUSE IT'S IN SHOW UP ON, UH, IN ORDER TO KNOW WHAT THE REAL TRANSMISSION WAS JULY 2ND, THIRD, FOURTH, FIFTH, SIXTH, SEVENTH.
THAT'S THE INFORMATION THAT WE REALLY WON'T BE ABLE TO SEE UNTIL UNTIL NEXT WEEK.
IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
AND IF YOU, IF YOU GO BACK THAT'S, THAT'S ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
AND WE MAY, WE DON'T KNOW WHERE WE ARE TODAY.
AND IF YOU GO BACK AND YOU LOOK AT, IF YOU HAVE THEM IN FRONT OF YOU, IF YOU LOOK AT MY, I GUESS IT WAS THE THIRD SLIDE IN THE DECK WOULD SHOW THOSE ESTIMATES FOR THE REPRODUCTION NUMBER.
YOU'LL SEE THAT OUR CURRENT, OUR MOST RECENT ESTIMATE, EVEN THOUGH THE DARK BLACK LINE IS RIGHT AROUND ONE, THE AEROBARS GO BOTH FAR ABOVE AND FAR BELOW ONE.
SO WHICH IS CAPTURING THAT UNCERTAINTY.
IT MAY BE THAT BECAUSE OF MASKING AND CHANGES IN BEHAVIOR IN THE LAST WEEK, WE MAY BE AT THE LOWER END OF THAT BAND.
THE OTHER THING THAT THIS DOES NOT SHOW IS WHETHER OR NOT THERE WAS A SPIKE ON JULY 4TH.
SO WE DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED THAT WEEKEND IN TERMS OF WHAT WE MIGHT SEE NEXT WEEK, A COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN, OR JUST ONE OTHER POINT THAT I, I THINK WOULD BE THE CASE HERE.
MYERS IS THIS, THIS IS, UM, THIS DOESN'T ACCOUNT FOR THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF OUR STUDENTS.
IT WOULD THAT BE CORRECT? BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE ARE A SCHOOL DISTRICT AISD ANYWAY, IS A SCHOOL DISTRICT THAT IS, UM, IS, UH, LOWER INCOME.
SO, UM, PERHAPS, UM, WE HAVE A LARGER PROPORTION OF STUDENTS THAT ARE, UM, COME FROM FAMILIES WITH FRONTLINE WORKERS.
AND THEN OF COURSE WE HAVE DEMOGRAPHIC DEMOGRAPHIC DIFFERENCES, AS YOU SAID EARLIER, IN TERMS OF WHAT WE'RE SEEING IN INFECTION RATES.
SO WOULD, SO THIS DATE OF ONE WOULDN'T INCORPORATE ANY OF THAT WITHIN OR, OR DOES IT, IT REALLY DOESN'T, UM, IN ANY MEANINGFUL WAY, THE ESTIMATES FOR PREVALENCE DO ACCOUNT FOR, YOU KNOW, THE PROJECTIONS.
WE MAY DO ACCOUNT FOR THE DEMOGRAPHIC MAKEUP OF AUSTIN, PRETTY PROPORTION OF PEOPLE IN HIGH RISK CATEGORIES.
BUT THIS IS REALLY MEANT TO BE ALMOST A CARTOON FOR PURPOSE OF ILLICIT, UM, THAT WE WILL PROBABLY HAVE STILL SIGNIFICANT PREVALENCE OF VIRUS IN AUSTIN WHEN IT COMES TIME TO MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT SCHOOLS, MEANING THAT THAT SCHOOLS ARE GOING TO HAVE TO THINK ABOUT HOW THEY'RE GOING TO HANDLE THE FACT THAT, UM, THAT PEOPLE MAY COME, YOU KNOW, BOTH STAFF AND STUDENTS WILL COME TO SCHOOL INFECTED, UM, AND THAT IT COULD, THE MORE WE DO TO SLOW TRANSMISSION,
[01:00:01]
UH, UP TILL AUGUST 18TH, THE MORE FEASIBLE IT WILL BE TO OPEN SCHOOLS.AND IT'S REALLY JUST MEANT TO BE GIVE, TO ILLUSTRATE THAT AT A VERY HIGH LEVEL.
MARSH, DID YOU SAY YOU HAVE ONE MORE? I DO HAVE ONE MORE SLIDE AND IT'S JUST SOME CONCLUDING THOUGHTS.
SO THESE ARE SOME TAKEAWAYS FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, UM, THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC MAY SOON THREATEN THE SAFETY AND INTEGRITY OF AUSTIN'S HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS. UH, COVID-19 HEALTH CARE NEEDS ARE QUICKLY APPROACHING LOCAL ICU CAPACITY.
THE COVID-19 TRANSMISSION RATE SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN SLOWING SINCE EARLY JUNE.
HOWEVER, IT IS UNCLEAR WHETHER CURRENT BEHAVIORAL AND POLICY CHANGES WILL BE SUFFICIENT TO PREVENT UNMANAGEABLE HOSPITAL IN ICU SURGES.
THIS IS JUST THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT REALLY CRITICAL UNCERTAINTY IN THIS MOMENT TO AVERT OVERWHELMING COVID-19 HEALTHCARE DEMANDS, AUSTIN SHOULD CONTINUE TO DO WHAT IT'S DOING AND EVEN DO MORE TO SLOW THE SPREAD OF THE VIRUS, UH, YOU KNOW, INCLUDING DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO CULTIVATE A CULTURE OF CAUTION SO THAT PEOPLE MAKE GOOD DECISIONS.
THEY MAKE THE DECISION TO WEAR FACE MASKS.
THEY MAKE THE DECISION TO KEEP THEIR DISTANCE.
THEY MAKE THEIR DECISION TO STAY HOME.
IF THEY DON'T NEED TO GO OUT, THEY ESPECIALLY MAKE THE DECISION TO STAY HOME IF THEY HAVE EVEN THE MILDEST SYMPTOM OR HAVE BEEN POTENTIALLY EXPOSED TO SOMEBODY WHO DOES.
UM, AND THE OTHER THING WE CAN DO TO, UH, ENSURE THAT WE ARE, UH, THE, THE INTEGRITY AND SAFETY OF OUR HEALTHCARE SYSTEM IS, IS TO COME UP WITH STRATEGIES TO POTENTIALLY EXPAND ICU CAPACITY.
AND THEN THE LAST TAKEAWAY BASED ON THAT LAST GRAPH WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS, YOU KNOW, THE MORE WE DO TO CURB TRANSMISSION IN THE NEXT FIVE WEEKS, THE MORE FEASIBLE OPENING SCHOOLS WILL BE.
THAT COMPLETES MY PRESENTATION.
DO YOU TO SAY SOMETHING BEFORE WE GO TO DOCTOR? YEAH.
I HAVE A QUESTION BACK ON THE SLIDES.
I HAD A SIMILAR QUESTION ABOUT THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF THE SCHOOL, SORRY, THE SCHOOL SLIDE.
UM, AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO BRING IT UP.
UM, BECAUSE I, I BELIEVE AISD IS A MAJORITY LATINO DISTRICT NOW, WHICH MEANS, YOU KNOW, WE ARE SEEING THEIR, UM, OUTCOMES IN A VARIETY OF WAYS, BUT ESPECIALLY IN THE SPREAD AND THE HOSPITALIZATION, BUT MORE BUT MORE SPECIFICALLY THE STATEMENT ABOUT IT MAKES IT MORE FEASIBLE OPENING SCHOOLS.
I MEAN, IS THERE, IS THERE ANY SCENARIO WHERE, I MEAN, I GUESS ANY SCENARIO IS ALWAYS POSSIBLE, BUT, UM, WHERE WE OPEN SCHOOLS IN FIVE WEEKS AND THERE, BECAUSE I THINK WHAT PEOPLE ARE THINKING IS I'VE HEARD A LOT OF, UM, YOU KNOW, I I'M GOING TO, I WOULD SEND MY KIDS BACK AND I'LL JUST TAKE MY CHANCES, BUT I THINK PEOPLE THINK MORE THAT NOBODY'S GOING TO ON DAY ONE, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE THE SCENARIO DOESN'T EXIST.
THAT, THAT, THAT IS IN FACT, THE CASE THAT ON DAY ONE AND TEACHERS ARE GOING TO BE GOING TO SCHOOL INFECTED, IS THAT RIGHT? YES.
THAT'S, IT'S, THAT'S LIKELY THE CASE, RIGHT.
THAT, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST IN, I MEAN, IT, IT, IT'S A DEPENDS ON THE NUMBERS.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE PROBABLY AT A POINT NOW WHERE MAYBE, UM, 1% OF PEOPLE ARE INFECTED TODAY IN AUSTIN AND, YOU KNOW, YOU JUST THINK ABOUT THE NUMBERS, RIGHT? HOW MANY KIDS ARE GOING TO SHOW UP, UM, AND IN THE SCHOOLS AND IF 1% OF PEOPLE ARE INFECTED, THERE'S, THERE'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKELY THAT 1% THAT HE BELIEVES, YOU KNOW, ROUGHLY SPEAKING, 1% OF THE PEOPLE WHO GO TO SCHOOLS ARE INFECTED.
SO IT, IT DEPENDS WHERE WE ARE IN TERMS OF THE COMMUNITY PREVALENCE WHEN SCHOOLS OPEN.
AND SO, UM, SO SCHOOLS ARE JUST GOING TO HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, SUPPOSED TO HAVE TO THINK ABOUT HOWARD, IF THAT'S THE WORLD WE'RE OPENING AND HOW DO WE DO THAT SAFELY AND FEASIBLY COLLEAGUES, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GO ON TO GET DR.
MYERS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT INFORMATION.
AND THANK YOU TO TALK TO US ABOUT, YES, MA'AM.
I SENT SOME SOUNDS OVER AND I'LL PULL THOSE UP AND GO THROUGH THEM QUICKLY.
I DO ALL THAT'S COMING OUT IN ONE DAY, UH, COMMENT ON, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER HARBOR.
MADISON'S QUESTION ABOUT LESS DEAD LANE.
I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH, UH, DR.
MEYER'S ASSESSMENT, UH, YOU KNOW, THE TEMPTATION IS FOR FOLKS TO LOOK AT DASHBOARDS LIKE OURS AND SAY, ALL RIGHT, THE NUMERATOR IS DEATHS.
THE DENOMINATOR IS THE TOTAL NUMBER OF CASES.
UH, THAT'S SIMPLY NOT THE CASE.
THE FACT IS THAT IN AUSTIN AND HOUSTON AND SAN ANTONIO AND DALLAS, A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF THOSE CASES HAPPENED IN THE LAST TWO TO THREE WEEKS.
SO THOSE PEOPLE HAVE NOT HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HOSPITALIZED AND IN THE ICU AND DIE, THIS IS WHY WE HAVE TO LOOK A MONTH OR TWO MONTHS BACK TO GIVE THOSE THE NATURAL COURSE OF THE DISEASE TIME TO MANIFEST BEFORE
[01:05:01]
WE MAKE ASSESSMENTS OF THINGS LIKE CASE FATALITY RATE.AND I WAS THE OTHER THING THAT I'LL MENTION IS THAT WHEN WE LOOKED AT THAT WITH OUR DATA BACK IN OUR MARCH AND APRIL CASES, WE FOUND OUR CASE FATALITY RATE ABOUT 3.6%, BUT THERE'S THE ARE IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S NOT HOMOGENOUS WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THE CASE FATALITY RATE OF OUR NURSING HOMES.
WE LOOKED AT CASE FATALITY RATE OF OUR COMMUNITY 1.7%.
SO WE SEE LOTS OF VARIATIONS ACROSS THE WORLD, UH, IN THE CASE FATALITY RATE, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE DETAILS, IT GENUINELY HAS A LOT TO DO WITH HOW IMPACTED NURSING HOMES AND HOW IMPACTED OTHER LONGTERM CARE FACILITIES IN ELDERLY COMMUNITIES, UH, UH, ARE, ARE REALIZED IN THAT PARTICULAR JURISDICTION.
SO I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY EVIDENCE THAT IT'S LESS DEADLY OVERALL.
THERE'S JUST VARIATION, UH, IN WHERE IT'S IMPACTING AT THE TIME.
SCOTT, CAN I ASK REAL QUICK, ARE WE FLIPPING THROUGH THE SLIDES OR ARE WE STAYING ON THIS FIRST ONE? UH, THIS IS THE WRONG SLIDE SET SET.
THERE SHOULD BE ONE DATED JULY 7TH OR JULY NINE.
I'D JUST LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR OFFERING ME THAT POINT OF CLARITY.
IT'S A QUESTION THAT I HAD BASED ON SOME INFORMATION THAT I READ, AND IT'S A QUESTION THAT SOME OF OUR CONSTITUENTS HAVE AND MUCH LIKE MAYOR PRETEND POINTED OUT, UM, FOLKS WHO ARE TRYING TO MAKE THE MOST INFORMED DECISIONS POSSIBLE.
I THINK PEOPLE WITHOUT KIDS, UM, DEFINITELY DON'T RECOGNIZE THE DIFFICULTY OF PUTTING PLANS INTO PLACE, UM, FOR CHILDCARE, FOR GOING BACK TO WORK YOURSELF OR SENDING YOUR KID TO SCHOOL OR FINDING A TUTOR.
IF YOU'RE NOT SENDING YOUR KID TO SCHOOL, THERE'S A LOT OF PARENTS WHO ARE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO BECOME FULL TIME EDUCATORS IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, HAVING THEIR KIDS, HAVING THEIR SCHOLARS LEARN FROM HOME, BUT THEY SIMULTANEOUSLY HAVE A FULL TIME JOB.
THERE'S A LOT OF PLANNING AND PREPARATION THAT PEOPLE NEED TO PUT INTO PLACE AND GETTING INFORMATION AT THE LAST MINUTE IS NOT GOING TO HELP THEM AT ALL.
SO ALL THE INFORMATION AROUND SCHOOLS AND THEN JUST HAVING PEOPLE TRULY UNDERSTAND THERE'S SO MUCH DATA TO CONSUME, AND THERE'S SO MUCH INFORMATION, SO MANY HAPPENED.
SO MANY ARTICLES, SO MANY MEDICAL JOURNALS, AND SOME OF THE INFORMATION JUST VARY SO WILDLY THAT PEOPLE REALLY ARE JUST TRYING TO FIND THE BEST INFORMATION SO THEY CAN MAKE THE MOST INFORMED DECISIONS, UH, FOR THEIR FAMILY.
SO THANK YOU FOR THAT POINT OF CLARITY.
WE'RE GONNA LET YOU GO THROUGH YOUR SIDES SO THAT YOU CAN GET THROUGH TO THAT.
SO WHAT YOU'RE SEEING HERE IS THE GRAPH OF THE NEW CASES, UH, CONFIRMED BY DAY.
UH, YOU CAN SEE THAT, UH, THAT OVER THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND, WE HAD A SUBSTANTIAL DECREASE IN THE NUMBER OF CASES REPORTED.
UH, THE CONCERN FOR US WAS THAT THIS WAS DUE TO, UH, LABS, NOT OPERATING AT NORMAL LEVELS AS WELL AS, UH, ONGOING, UH, CHALLENGES WITH TURNAROUND TIMES.
AND, UH, WE WERE, WE WERE VERY CAUTIOUS INTERPRETING THAT AS A, A SIGNIFICANT SHIFT IN OUR DISEASE BURDEN.
IN FACT, YESTERDAY NOW WE REALIZED THAT THAT WAS THE CASE WHEN WE HAD A RECORD NUMBER OF NEW CASES, UH, AGAIN, THE, THE, THE, THE CHALLENGES THAT WE'RE FACING ACROSS TEXAS AND THE SOUTHERN UNITED STATES IN RELATION TO THE, THE TESTING DATA IS THAT IT'S, IT'S NOT GOING TO BE A GREAT REPRESENTATION OF, OF OUR DISEASE BURDEN, UH, BECAUSE OF THAT LAB TURNAROUND TIME, BECAUSE OF THE, THE CHALLENGES WITH, WITH SCALING REASONABLY AND, UH, AND BEING ABLE TO GET THAT THOSE RESULTS IN A TIMELY FASHION TO INTERPRET THEM.
THAT'S WHY WE'VE, WE'VE, UH, TURNED TO DR.
MYERS AND HER GROUP AT UT TO MODEL THE HOSPITALIZATION INFORMATION AS OUR PRIMARY, OUR KEY INDICATORS, BECAUSE THAT'S LESS, UH, LIKELY TO BE, UH, IMPACTED BY THINGS LIKE LAB TURNAROUND TIMES AND SO FORTH, BECAUSE WE DO HAVE MORE RAPID TESTING IN HOSPITALS, AND WE DO HAVE THE ABILITY TO DETECT ALL OR ALMOST ALL OF THE INDIVIDUALS HOSPITALIZED WITH COVID-19.
MEYERS ALSO SAID, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'VE SEEN AN IMPACT ON THE DOUBLING TIME BASED UPON THE CHANGE IN OUR CASE VOLUMES, PARTICULARLY THE ONES THAT WE SAW OVER THE WEEKEND.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAD A, A BEST, UH, 44 DAYS BACK ON JUNE THE SEVENTH, UH, OUR WORST.
IT WAS ABOUT 12 DAYS NOW WE'RE ABOUT 25 DAYS.
UH, SO RELATIVELY CONSISTENT WITH, UH, THE MODELING THAT DR.
MEYERS DID IN RELATION TO HOSPITALIZATIONS.
UH, SO WE DO HAVE, UH, SOME CONSISTENCY THERE.
WE THINK THAT THE DUBLIN TIMES, ABOUT 25 DAYS RIGHT NOW, NEXT
[01:10:01]
SLIDE, PLEASE.SO THIS IS A GRAPH OF OUR NEW ADMISSIONS IN THE, UH, AUSTIN MSA, UH, AS WAS DISCUSSED EARLIER, WE HAD TO MODIFY THE, THE NUMBERS PARTICULARLY OVER THE LAST 10 DAYS OR SO.
AND THAT'S BECAUSE WE SWITCHED DATA STREAMS. SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT THE DATA THAT'S BEING PROVIDED TO US FROM THE HOSPITALS HAVING IT HAS NEVER EXISTED BEFORE.
IN FACT, IN MOST JURISDICTIONS, IT STILL DOESN'T EXIST.
SO WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR OUR HOSPITALS IN THAT THEY'RE PROVIDING US DAILY DATA IN RELATION TO THE, THE HOSPITAL BEDS BEING UTILIZED, BUT FOR COVID-19 PATIENTS, THE NUMBER OF MISSED ADMISSIONS DISCHARGES, UH, AND THE ICU AND VENTILATOR USE.
UH, BUT WE NEED TO DO ADJUST IT BECAUSE IT WASN'T REFLECTING THE TOTAL ADMISSIONS THAT WERE HAPPENING FOR COVID-19 SOME OF THOSE INDIV.
UH, SO WHAT WAS REPORTING BEFORE WAS THE NUMBER OF NEW ADMISSIONS THAT CAME IN THE DOOR THAT DAY.
BUT WHAT HAPPENS IS SOMETIMES THE RESULTS OF THAT COVID-19 D TESTS DON'T COME BACK THE SAME DAY, THAT THE PERSON WHO WAS ADMITTED, THEY COME BACK THE NEXT DAY OR TWO DAYS LATER.
SO THEY WEREN'T ACCOUNTING FOR THOSE IN THE, UH, IN THE REPORTING THAT WE HAD BEFORE, WHICH IS WHY WE MADE THE ADJUSTMENT TO BALANCE IT OUT, TO ENSURE THAT THE INCREASE IN TOTAL HOSPITALIZATIONS REFLECTED, UH, THE ADMISSIONS MINUS THE DISCHARGES.
SO THAT'S THE CHANGE THAT YOU SAW NOW, YOU CAN SEE THAT THE SLOPE DOES SEEM TO BE CHANGING A LITTLE BIT, UH, RIGHT NOW THAT MOVING A SEVEN DAY MOVING AVERAGE OF NEW ADMISSIONS IS 75, WHERE IT'S BEEN FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS NOW.
AND AGAIN, WE ARE HOPEFUL THAT THAT WILL AT LEAST PLATEAU AND HOPEFULLY FALL.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, THE NEXT WEEK OR SO IS GOING TO BE, UH, A PRIME TIME FOR US TO SEE WHAT'S HAPPENING AND TO SEE IF WE ARE SEEING A, UH, A REAL CHANGE IN TRENDS.
SO THIS GRAPH IS SHOWING US THREE THINGS.
THE BALLOON WAS HOSPITALIZATIONS, THE ORANGE IS THE ICU BEDS BEING UTILIZED IN THE GRAY IS THE VENTILATORS BEING UTILIZED.
UH, YOU CAN SEE THAT YESTERDAY WE HAD A, A, A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE OR A DROP IN THE NUMBER OF TOTAL HOSPITAL BEDS BEING UTILIZED FOR COVID-19 PATIENTS.
UH, THAT GIVES US A SEVEN DAY MOVING AVERAGE OF 444 IN THE HOSPITAL.
THE ICU, UH, HAS HAD A DROP OVER THE WEEKEND, ONLY INCREASED BY ONE YESTERDAY, UH, WHICH GIVES US A SEVEN DAY MOVING AVERAGE OF 149 ICU BEDS BEING UTILIZED FOR COVID-19.
UH, AND THE, UH, THE VENTILATOR USES IS STILL INCREASING, BUT THE SLOPE IS MUCH LOWER THAN IT IS FOR, UH, FOR ICU USE AND FOR HOSPITALIZATIONS WITH A SEVEN DAY MOVING AVERAGE OF 75 FOR THAT AS WELL.
UH, THIS IS AN UPDATE REGARDING OUR, OUR DEMOGRAPHICS.
UH, YOU CAN SEE THE GREEN LINE AT THE TOP IS OUR, UH, MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY THAT HAVE, UH, IDENTIFIED AS HISPANIC.
WE HAD A DECREASE THIS WEEK TO 57.6%.
UH, WE HAD AN INCREASE IN OUR WHITE NON HISPANIC GROUP AND AN INCREASE IN OUR, UH, AFRICAN-AMERICAN THAT GROUP AS WELL.
UH, AGAIN, LOOKING OVER TIME, THEY'VE BEEN RELATIVELY STEADY, UH, AND CERTAINLY OUR AFRICAN AMERICAN, UH, POPULATION AND OUR LATIN X POPULATION REMAIN OVERREPRESENTED IN TERMS OF HOSPITALIZATIONS LAST WEEK.
UH, YOU CAN SEE THAT THE DARK BLUE LINES THAT'S AT THE TOP ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE IS OUR 50 TO 59 AGE GROUP.
UM, JUST BELOW THAT IN GRAY IS OUR 60 TO 69.
AND YOU CAN SEE THAT ARE THE LIGHT BLUE AND THE YELLOW LINES REPRESENTING OUR YOUNGER AGE, THAT 20 TO 29 AND 30 TO 39 HAVE BEEN, BEEN DECREASING OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF WEEKS.
UH, LUCKILY OUR YOUNG FOLKS WHO ARE LESS THAN THE AGE OF 19 OR 19 OR LESS, UH, HAVE RELATIVELY LOW RATES OF HOSPITALIZATION, WHICH HAS BEEN MAINTAINED FOR THE DURATION OF THE PANDEMIC.
OBVIOUSLY AS MORE INDIVIDUALS IN THOSE AGE GROUPS GET INFECTED, WE CAN ANTICIPATE THAT THEY NUMBER OR PERCENTAGE OF HOSPITALIZATIONS, UH, RELATIVE TO THOSE INDIVIDUALS WILL GO UP AS WELL.
UM, LUCKILY EARLY ON IN THE PANDEMIC, WE DIDN'T SEE MUCH DISEASE TRANSMISSION IN THAT AGE GROUP, BUT WE HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT SCHOOLS WERE CLOSED.
ACTIVITIES ARE CLOSE PLACES WHERE THEY CONGREGATE WERE CLOSED.
SO THERE WASN'T AN OPPORTUNITY FOR INFECTION TO SPREAD IN THOSE GROUPS.
[01:15:01]
AS SUMMER HAS GONE ALONG, WE'RE SEEING MORE INFECTION SPREAD IN THOSE GROUPS.AND CERTAINLY WHEN WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE SCHOOL YEAR, UH, WE CAN ANTICIPATE THAT THAT KIND OF ENVIRONMENT WILL ALSO LEAD TO INCREASED SPREAD AMONGST THE SCHOOL AGED CHILDREN.
NEXT SLIDE IS SO I'VE GOT TWO SLIDES HERE SHOWING YOU, UH, TWO DIFFERENT WEEKS OF OUR AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, UH, PUBLIC ENROLLMENT TESTING.
UH, THIS IS SHOWING YOU BOTH TRAVIS COUNTY AND WILLIAMSON COUNTY.
UH, SO RIGHT NOW OUR TESTING ENROLLMENT THAT WE PUT TOGETHER IS NOW OFFERED IN WILLIAMSON COUNTY.
AND AS OF THIS WEEK IN BASTROP COUNTY AS WELL.
UH, SO THE TWO SLIDES I'M GONNA SHOW YOU ARE JUST WILLIAMSON AND TRAVIS COUNTY, OVERALL 9.6% POSITIVITY RATE.
UH, TWO WEEKS AGO, YOU CAN SEE THAT WE HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER RATES OF INFECTION IN OUR AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY.
BACK THEN 11.7% AND 15.2, UH, FOR OUR HISPANIC POPULATION.
THIS DATA IS SHOWING YOU ARE, UH, THE SAME RATES, BUT FOR THE FIRST WEEK OF JULY.
SO WE'RE OVERALL POSITIVITY RATE DECREASED TO 8%, OUR ASIAN POPULATION, OR 1% WHITE ON HISPANIC 5.6, BUT SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN OUR AFRICAN-AMERICAN RATE OF POSITIVITY AS WELL AS SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN THE NUMBER OF TESTS PERFORMED IN THAT COMMUNITY.
SO 12.9%, 12.7% FROM OUR, OUR LATIN NEXT COMMUNITY.
UH, AGAIN, THIS IS NOT REPRESENT ALL OF THE TESTING BEING DONE IN TRAVIS COUNTY.
IT'S A SMALL PORTION OF IT, BUT IT'S THE PORTION OF IT THAT WE HAVE THE BEST DATA FOR.
UH, WE ARE BRINGING IN THE ELECTRONIC FEEDS FROM, UH, OTHER TESTERS THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY.
AND WE'RE HOPEFUL THAT, UH, THAT OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS, WE'LL BE ABLE TO SHARE A BROADER VIEW BECAUSE WE CERTAINLY SEE MUCH DIFFERENT AND MUCH MORE CONCERNING RATES.
WHEN WE LOOK DIRECTLY AT THE, UH, COMMUNITY CARE TESTING, FOR INSTANCE, WHICH ARE SHOWING RATES AROUND 30% OR HIGHER, UH, FOR THE INDIVIDUALS THEY'RE TESTING.
WHEN WE LOOK AT THE POSITIVE CASES FOR THE FIRST WEEK OF JULY, WE CAN SEE THAT WE'VE SEEN SOME LEVELING OUT IN TERMS OF THE AGE GROUPS THAT ARE BEING IMPACTED.
UH, SO FOR THE PREVIOUS TWO WEEKS, WE SAW THAT THE MAJORITY OF INDIVIDUALS INFECTED WERE IN THAT 20 TO 29 OR 30 TO 39 AGE GROUP.
WE CAN SEE THAT 40 TO 49 IS STARTING TO COMPETE WITH THOSE TWO AGE GROUPS.
SO WE ARE SEEING A, UH, A BROADER DISTRIBUTION OF CASES IN THE COMMUNITY.
UH, LUCKILY THE PERCENTAGES OF, UH, CASES THAT ARE ATTRIBUTABLE TO THOSE WHO ARE 65 OR OLDER IS SMALLER AND CONTINUES TO BE SMALLER, BUT WE ALSO MUST REMEMBER THAT THEY REPRESENT A SMALLER PORTION OF OUR COMMUNITY AS COMPARED TO THE YOUNGER AGE GROUPS.
UH, AGAIN, UH, THE, THE FACT THAT FOLKS ARE IN THESE LOWER AGE GROUPS STILL IS SOMEWHAT PROTECTIVE OF OUR HOSPITAL SYSTEMS BECAUSE WE EXPECT THAT LESS OF THEM WILL NEED TO BE HOSPITALIZED AS COMPARED TO THE OLDER AGE GROUPS.
HOWEVER, AS THE DISEASE SPREADS FROM THOSE AGE GROUPS TO THE OLDER AGE GROUPS, THE RATE OF HOSPITALIZATION OVERALL IN THE COMMUNITY WILL INCREASE, WHICH IS WHY WE MUST BE VERY PROTECTIVE OF THOSE WHO ARE OLDER, PARTICULARLY OVER THE AGE OF 65.
AND THOSE WHO LIVE IN INSTITUTIONALIZED SETTINGS LIKE LONGTERM CARE FACILITIES, SUCH AS NURSING HOMES AND ASSISTED LIVING FACILITIES.
THIS IS AN UPDATE, UH, IN RELATION TO OUR LONGTERM CARE FACILITIES.
UH, AGAIN, AS WE'VE SEEN DISEASE SPREAD IN THE COMMUNITY INCREASE, WE'RE SEEING AN INCREASE IN OUR LONGTERM CARE FACILITIES WITH AN INCREASE OF 48 NEW CASES, UH, OVER THE PREVIOUS WEEK.
SO THE WEEK BEFORE THAT IT WAS 30 THE WEEK BEFORE THAT IT WAS 10, UH, SO SUBSTANTIAL AND GROWING INCREASES IN CASES RESULTING IN, UH, THE REQUEST FOR NURSING HOME STRIKE TEAMS TO BE DEPLOYED, UH, TO A NUMBER OF THESE FACILITIES.
UH, AGAIN, AS DR. MYERS SPOKE IN RELATION TO THE CHALLENGES OF STAFFING ICU, THERE'S ALSO CHALLENGES STAFFING NURSES INTO THESE NURSING HOME STRIKE TEAMS, BECAUSE THERE HAS BEEN A, A DRAW OF, UH, HEALTHCARE PERSONNEL TO OTHER PARTS OF THE STATE AND OTHER PARTS OF THE UNITED STATES DUE TO SURGE AND OTHER AREAS.
SO THE SAME RESOURCES WE DEPENDED UPON BEFORE THE SAME CONTRACTORS, ALL RIGHT, ALREADY DEPLOYED AT OTHER PLACES, WHICH IS MAKING IT HARDER AND HARDER FOR US TO GAIN CONTROL BY DEPLOYING THESE TEAMS TO,
[01:20:01]
UH, TO LONGTERM CARE FACILITIES.WE ARE CONTINUING TO WORK WITH OUR CONTRACTORS AND THE STATE TRY IDENTIFY RESOURCES SO THAT WE CAN HELP SUPPLEMENT THESE FACILITIES AND ENSURE THAT WE CAN LIMIT THE SPREAD.
SO FINALLY, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT STAGING, UH, AS DR. MEYER SAID, AND WOULDN'T DISCUSS BEFORE THE TRANSITION TO STAGE FIVE IS REALLY THAT 70 TO ONE 2030.
UH, WE HAD THE 70 AS THE PLACEHOLDER FOR HAVING THIS DISCUSSION BECAUSE IT REPRESENTED THE MINIMUM, UH, THRESHOLD WHERE WE MAY NEED TO TRIGGER A RECOMMENDATION FOR A STAY HOME ORDER.
UH, BUT AS DR. MEYERS ALSO SAID, THERE ARE SOME REASSURING, UH, UH, THERE'S A REASSURING INFORMATION THAT HAS COME OVER THE PAST WEEK, WHICH MAY SUGGEST TO US THAT WE DON'T NEED TO PULL THE TRIGGER ON THAT YET, BUT WE DO NEED TO TAKE A MORE CAUTIOUS TONE RIGHT NOW, UH, BECAUSE THERE IS SO MUCH UNCERTAINTY.
UH, YOU KNOW, WHEN I LOOK AT, AT THE SPAGHETTI LINES THAT, UH, THAT ARE REPRESENTED IN THE PROJECTIONS, I THINK OF, OF HURRICANES AND THE PROJECTED PATHS, IT'S A MATTER OF TAKING A BUNCH OF DATA, PUTTING IT INTO A SUPER COMPUTER AND MAKING ESTIMATIONS ON WHAT THE FUTURE COULD LOOK LIKE, WHERE THAT HURRICANE COULD GO.
UH, I THINK IT WOULD BE ON WISE FOR US TO ASSUME THAT THIS HURRICANE IS GOING TO, TO VEER OFF AND GO BACK OUT INTO THE GULF.
I THINK IT'S SAFER FOR US TO ASSUME THAT WE MAY BE SUBSTANTIALLY HIT, THAT WE MAY NEED TO TAKE FURTHER ACTIONS RIGHT NOW TO PUT OURSELVES IN A BETTER POSITION.
IF WE DO SEE A BOUNCE FROM JULY 4TH, UH, IF WE DO SEE, UH, OUR HOSPITALIZATIONS INCREASING OVER THE NEXT WEEK, I THINK NOW'S THE TIME THAT, THAT WE NEED TO CONSIDER DIALING THINGS BACK FURTHER, NOT QUITE TO READ, BUT TO REALLY PUT US IN THAT STAGE FOR, TO REALLY, UH, DO WHAT WE INTENDED TO DO WITH STAGE FOUR, WHICH IS DIAL IT BACK TO 75%.
SO 75% SOCIAL DISTANCING, UH, MORE EQUIVALENT TO THE PHASE ONE, UH, REOPENING OF THE GOVERNOR'S PLAN.
UH, WHEN WE LOOK BACK AT THE DATA, AND UNFORTUNATELY I CAN'T PROJECT THAT FOR YOU HERE, BUT ON OUR DASHBOARD IS SOMETHING CALLED THE EPI CURVE IN THE EPIC CURVE, SHOWS US WHEN DISEASE ONSET HAPPENED.
THEN WE WENT FROM, FROM A SHELTER IN PLACE TO PHASE ONE REOPENING, AND WE LOOK 14 DAYS IN THE FUTURE.
THERE WAS, THERE WAS LITTLE CHANGE AT ALL.
AND THE RATE OF DISEASE TRANSMISSION, THE NUMBER OF NEW CASES, UH, BEING DETECTED OR DEVELOPING SYMPTOMS, UH, ON A PARTICULAR DAY, WHEN WE LOOK AT PHASE TWO AND WE LOOK TWO WEEKS IN THE FUTURE, EXACTLY, WE, YOU SEE A DRAMATIC INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF DISEASE ONSET THAT DAY.
WHEN WE LOOK AT MEMORIAL DAY, WHICH ABOUT A WEEK LATER, AND WE LOOKED 14 DAYS IN THE FUTURE FROM THAT WE SEE ANOTHER DRAMATIC INCREASE IN THE RATE OF TRANSMISSION.
SO IT'S CLEAR TO ME THAT THESE POLICY IMPACTS THESE, THESE ACTIVITIES IN OUR COMMUNITY DO IMPACT THE SPREAD OF DISEASE.
IF WE CAN DIAL THINGS BACK TO LOOK MORE LIKE PHASE ONE OF THE GOVERNOR'S REOPENING, I BELIEVE IT WILL PUT US IN A MORE PROTECTIVE SITUATION.
IT WILL ALLOW US TO, TO OFFER SOME BREATHING ROOM AND A LITTLE BIT MORE CERTAINTY THAT WE CAN HANDLE THE SURGE THAT'S COMING.
AND, UH, I WANT TO POINT OUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE THREE 31 AND FOUR 74 IN RELATION TO ICU BEDS, THREE 31 IS, IS WHAT THE HOSPITAL SYSTEMS HAVE INDICATED TO US.
THEY CAN MANAGE WITH INTERNAL STAFFING, SHIFTING FOLKS AROUND IT IS NOT NORMAL OPERATIONS IN THE HOSPITAL.
WE'RE STILL TALKING ABOUT STRETCHING OUT THE NURSING TO PATIENT RATIOS.
SO NURSES ARE HAVING TO LOOK AFTER MORE PATIENTS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HAVING NON ICU DOCTORS, HAVING TO LOOK AFTER ICU PATIENTS.
SO HOSPITALISTS EMERGENCY MEDICINE PHYSICIANS, HAVING TO STAFF THOSE ICU, BECAUSE THERE'S NOT GOING TO BE ENOUGH ICU DOCTORS.
NOW THERE'S STILL BE ICU DOCTORS AND ICU NURSES OVERSEEING THOSE TEAMS, BUT AS A DIFFERENT STANDARD OF CARE THAN WHAT WE'RE USED TO, UH, WHEN WE LOOK AT THE STRETCH TO FOUR 74, THERE'S A GREAT DEAL OF UNCERTAINTY ABOUT THE STAFFING RIGHT NOW, A LOT OF THAT STAFFING IS GOING TO SOUTH TEXAS SOUTH OF
[01:25:01]
UH, RIGHT NOW THERE'S NO DISCUSSION WITH MY COLLEAGUES FROM SAN ANTONIO TO AUSTIN.THERE'S NO ANTICIPATED NEED TO SHIFT PATIENTS FROM THOSE JURISDICTIONS TO AUSTIN OR DALLAS IN THE SHORT TERM.
BUT IF THE SITUATION CONTINUES TO WORSEN IN OTHER PARTS OF TEXAS, WE CAN EXPECT THAT THOSE REQUESTS FOR TRANSFERS ARE GOING TO INCREASE THEY'RE HAPPENING.
NOW, IN DISCUSSIONS WITH OUR HOSPITAL PARTNERS, THEY ARE GETTING REQUESTS NOW FOR AUSTIN POP HOSPITALS TO RECEIVE PATIENTS FROM OTHER PARTS OF TEXAS, BECAUSE THEY SIMPLY DON'T HAVE THE ROOM NOW.
UH, SO AGAIN, IN MY OPINION, AT THIS STAGE, I'D RECOMMEND THAT WE TRANSITION TO A DARKER SHADE OF ORANGE, THE TRUE SHADE OF ORANGE THAT WE ANTICIPATED, AND THAT WOULD BE GOING BACK TO A PHASE, ONE OF THE GOVERNOR'S REOPENING PLAN.
AND WITH THAT, I'D BE HAPPY TO TAKE QUESTIONS.
SCOTT? I'VE GOT ONE COUNCIL MEMBER, COUNSEL MEMBER.
UM, DO WE HAVE, UM, ANY THOUGHTS ON WHAT HAPPENS IF AUSTIN ACCEPTS THE TRANSFERS FROM OTHER PARTS OF THE STATE? BECAUSE THEY CAN'T HANDLE THEM, BUT THEN OUR NUMBER SPIKE AND WE DON'T HAVE BEDS, UM, WHAT SORT OF A CONVERSATION HAVE WE HAD AROUND THAT? UH, WELL, YOU KNOW, THIS IS UP TO THE INDIVIDUAL HOSPITAL SYSTEMS, WHETHER OR NOT THEY ACCEPT THOSE PATIENTS.
UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE HAVE TO BE GOOD NEIGHBORS.
I THINK IF WE HAVE SPACE AND WE HAVE ICU SPACE AND VENTILATORS, THEN THESE ARE OUR, OUR FELLOW TEXANS.
WE HAVE TO, WE HAVE TO CARE FOR THEM, BUT WE DO NEED TO ANTICIPATE THAT THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN AND WE CAN'T IGNORE WHAT'S HAPPENING IN SAN ANTONIO OR HOUSTON OR DALLAS, OR EVEN IN EDINBURG BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO AFFECT US EVENTUALLY.
UM, YOU KNOW, I TH I THINK WE'VE SEEN DRAMATIC INCREASES ACROSS THE STATE OF TEXAS IN RELATION TO, UH, TO COVID-19 CASES.
WE'VE SEEN, UH, UH, SURGES IN, IN TERMS OF ICU LIMITATIONS, UH, STAFFING LIMITATIONS ACROSS THE STATE OF TEXAS.
AND I THINK NOW'S THE TIME FOR THE STATE TO DIAL THINGS BACK.
UM, I KNOW IT'S A TOUGH DECISION, BUT, YOU KNOW, THE FACT IS IT'S NOT ONLY TEXAS, IT'S FLORIDA, IT'S, IT'S MANY OTHER STATES RIGHT NOW.
AND THEY, THEY, THEY PLANS THAT WE DEPEND ON FOR DISASTER MANAGEMENT.
IT DOESN'T MATTER IF IT'S A HURRICANE OR A FLOOD OR WILDFIRES IS FIRST PULLING RESOURCES FROM OTHER PARTS OF THE STATE.
IF THOSE RESOURCES ARE EXHAUSTED AND THE STATE PULLING RESOURCES FROM OUTSIDE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS, THE PROBLEM IS WE HAVE FIRES BURNING ACROSS THE UNITED STATES RIGHT NOW, AND WE SIMPLY DO NOT HAVE THE REDUNDANCY TO BE ABLE TO PUT THEM ALL OUT RIGHT NOW.
WE REALLY HAVE TO, I THINK, ENCOURAGE THE GOVERNOR TO, TO HELP US OUT HERE AND TO DIAL THINGS BACK FURTHER.
SO WE CAN BE IN A BETTER CIRCUMSTANCE, UH, IN TALKING TO OUR, OUR PHYSICIANS AND NURSES IN THE HOSPITALS, THEY'RE STRESSED, THEY'RE TIRED.
UH, THEY'RE TAKING CARE OF VERY SICK PEOPLE.
UH, THEY'RE EXPOSED THEMSELVES AS THE DISEASE CONTINUES TO TRANSMIT IN THE COMMUNITY.
WE HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT OUR FIRST RESPONDERS, OUR NURSES, OUR DOCTORS, OUR TEXTS ARE PART OF THAT COMMUNITY.
OUR STAFF WORKING IN NURSING HOMES ARE PART OF THAT COMMUNITY.
SO WHEN DISEASE SPREADS IN THE COMMUNITY, IT SPREADS TO THEM AS WELL, WHICH IMPACTS OUR ABILITY TO CARE FOR AND PROTECT, UH, THE REST OF THE COMMUNITY.
I DO THINK THAT THE ANALOGY THE HURRICANE, UM, DOES FAIL BECAUSE THIS VIRUS IS AFFECTING EVERYBODY STATEWIDE AND THE HURRICANES WERE ISOLATED ALONG THE COAST, AND WE WERE ABLE TO BRING PEOPLE IN AND GIVE THEM SHELTER AND, AND A HARDY WELCOME AND ASSISTANCE.
IN THIS INSTANCE, I THINK IT IS REALLY, AS YOU SAY, REALLY IMPORTANT FOR THE GOVERNOR TO STEP UP AND, AND TALK ABOUT IT EVEN MORE ROBUSTLY THAN HE, THAT HE HAS BEEN ABOUT EVERYBODY PITCHING IN AND WEARING THE MASKS AND SUBPAR AND TEENAGE SO THAT WE DON'T END UP IN A SITUATION WHERE WE MAY BE ABLE TO HELP IN AUSTIN FOR A TIME THOSE CITIES OR TOWNS CAN'T HELP, BUT THEN WE HAVE SOME LATE BREAKING SURGES, AND THEN WE NEED TO CARE FOR FOLKS IN AUSTIN.
AND THERE ARE NO BEDS ANYWHERE BECAUSE THEY'RE ALL FILLED UP.
SO THIS REALLY IS A SITUATION WHERE IT IS A HUNDRED PERCENT ALL HANDS ON DECK.
I HAVE A QUICK QUESTION FOR YOU ABOUT
[01:30:01]
PEOPLE ON RESPIRATORS.UM, WHEN YOU GET ON, I UNDERSTAND THAT PUTTING IN A RESPIRATOR IS, UM, VERY DISRUPTIVE PHYSICALLY.
I ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT, UM, BODY FIGHTS IT FOR THOSE REASONS.
I THINK THAT PUTTING SOMEONE ON A RESPIRATOR IS USUALLY AT A LATE STAGE IN THE, UM, IN THE VIRUS ATTACKING THE BODY.
IS THAT RIGHT? AND IF SO, THEN HOW OFTEN, WHAT IS THE SURVIVAL RATE PEOPLE ON RISK IS IF YOU CAN SPEAK TO THAT.
YEAH, THERE'S, IT REALLY DEPENDS ON THE AGE GROUP AND THE UNDERLYING HEALTH CONDITIONS.
UH, BUT IT'S, IT'S, IT'S NOT GREAT.
UH, AND THERE'S A LOT OF VARIABILITY.
WE'RE STILL DOING THE CALCULATIONS ON OUR DATA SET, UH, FROM, FROM MARCH AND APRIL TO GIVE A BETTER IDEA OF THAT.
UM, BUT IT'S, IT'S, IT'S CERTAINLY A VERY CONCERNING TREND.
MINER'S MENTIONED THAT WE HAVE PROGRESSED IN TERMS OF IDENTIFYING TREATMENTS, WHICH, WHICH ARE HELPING, UH, THAT'S PRIMARILY RIGHT NOW, THREE THINGS, UH, THERE'VE BEEN DESERT VERE, UH DEXAMETHAZONE, WHICH IS A STEROID AND THE CONVALESCENT PLASMA.
UH, BUT RIGHT NOW, TODAY, WE'RE IN A SITUATION WHERE TWO OR THREE OF THOSE THINGS, OR MORE ARE IN SHORT SUPPLY.
UH, THE ROOM DESERT VEER, YOU KNOW, SOME OF OUR HOSPITALS HAVE TWO TO THREE WEEKS SUPPLY, UH, BUT IT'S SUFFICIENTLY SHORT THAT THEY CAN'T GIVE IT AS EARLY AS THEY'D LIKE TO PATIENTS.
UH, THE CONVALESCENT PLASMA, WE USED TO GIVE, UH, TWO DOSES TO AN INDIVIDUAL EARLY IN THE COURSE TO TRY TO PREVENT THE NEED FOR ICU AND VENTILATOR USE.
NOW THEY GET ONE DOSE AND IT'S LATER IN THE COURSE.
UH, SO THERE ARE IMPACTS ALREADY ON THE ABILITY TO PROVIDE THE HIGHEST QUALITY CARE POSSIBLE BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES NOW FOR THIS TO WORK WELL, WE NEED THE SPACE, WE NEED THE STUFF, AND WE NEED THE STAFF.
AND RIGHT NOW WE'VE GOT THE SPACE, WE'VE GOT THE EQUIPMENT.
WE'RE FAIRLY CONFIDENT THAT WE HAVE PLENTY OF VENTILATORS AND, AND, AND BEDS AND OPTIONS SUPPLIES, BUT WE'RE LIMITED ON SOME OF THOSE NEW TREATMENTS.
AND WE'RE CERTAINLY LIMITED ON THE STAFF PIECE.
UH, SO THIS IS A COMPLEX SITUATION AND, AND, UH, AND I THINK THIS COMMUNITY HAS TO PITCH IN AND UNDERSTAND THE REALITY OF THE SITUATION IS THAT RIGHT NOW WE ARE NOT OPERATING AS NORMAL RIGHT NOW, OUR HOSPITALS CAN'T PROVIDE THE OPTIMUM CARE FOR FOLKS BECAUSE WE HAVE LIMITATIONS, UH, IN, UH, IN THOSE THINGS THAT I MENTIONED, A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT RAISE THEIR HANDS TO ASK QUESTIONS, AND THAT'S ALL I'M GONNA KEEP MOVING US THROUGH.
AND I WOULD URGE EVERYBODY TO KEEP THEIR QUESTIONS SHORT AND THEIR ANSWERS SHORT, UH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, UPPER MADISON WITH ALL DUE RESPECT CHAIR, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN HAD HER HAND UP BEFORE I DID.
SO I'LL FOUR OR FIVE DIFFERENT PEOPLE THAT HAVE THEIR HANDS UP.
SO MY QUESTION IS MORE ALONG THE LINES OF, UM, DR.
S GOD, WHERE I FIND THAT WE ARE, UM, PRETTY REGULARLY BATTLING, UM, EITHER MISINFORMATION OR JUST OUTRIGHT SUBVERSION.
UM, AND I WONDER IF YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR HOW WE CAN ANSWER QUESTIONS IN A PURELY SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION, UM, DELIVERY WAY, AS OPPOSED TO CONTINUING, TO ATTEMPT TO BATTLE THE NARRATIVE.
THAT COVID-19 IS A HOAX THAT IT'S LIKE A FLU, IT'S LIKE A COLD, UM, EVERYBODY CAN CONTINUE THEIR ACTIVITIES WITHOUT BEING MASKED, WITHOUT TAKING AN ABUNDANCE OF CAUTION.
UM, I JUST, I'M FINDING MYSELF AT A LOSS AND WOULD LIKE VERY MUCH FOR YOU TO BOTH HERE IN THIS FORUM AND IF POSSIBLE AFTERWARDS, JUST REALLY GIVE US MORE IN THE WAY OF GUIDANCE TO ASSURE PEOPLE THAT THIS IS SOMETHING WE NEED TO TAKE SERIOUSLY.
UM, THEN THE SECOND HALF OF THAT QUESTION IS, UM, YOU KNOW, I HAD SOMEBODY SENDING ME OVER THE COURSE OF THE WEEKEND AND SOME PHOTOGRAPHS OF PARTY BUSES, PICKING GIANT GROUPS OF YOUNG ADULTS UP, NONE OF THEM WEARING MASKS, GOING TO GOD KNOWS WHERE, AND THEN COMING BACK IN THE EVENINGS AGAIN, NOT WEARING MASKS.
AND SO ANY ADVICE THAT YOU HAVE THERE FOR HOW WE CAN APPEAL TO THOSE, UM, PARTY BUS COMPANIES TO SORT OF SUSPEND THEIR ACTIVITIES AND, AND DATA THAT I CAN PROVIDE THEM.
UH, SO COUNCIL MEMBER, LET ME SAY THAT, THAT THERE'S, THERE IS A LOT OF, UH, POLITICAL ACTIVITY GOING ON THIS, THIS VIRUS RIGHT NOW.
[01:35:01]
WHEN WE LOOK AT WHO TO LISTEN TO, WE NEED TO LOOK WHERE THE SCIENCE AND THE PERSON SPEAKING ARE ALIGNED.AND IN SITUATIONS WHERE YOU SEE A CONFLICT BETWEEN THOSE TWO THINGS, YOU'VE GOT TO WONDER WHETHER OR NOT THIS IS A, A SOURCE OF INFORMATION THAT I SHOULD TRUST.
UH, NONE OF US WANT THIS TO BE REAL, BUT IT IS, UH, NONE OF US WANT TO, UH, YOU KNOW, TALK ABOUT DIALING THINGS DOWN FURTHER BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT HURTS PEOPLE.
ALSO, WE KNOW THAT HURTS OUR ECONOMY.
WE KNOW IT, AND IT INFLUENCES JOBS, BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT IF WE DON'T DO SOMETHING FURTHER, THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE PLACED IN A SITUATION THAT'S GOING TO COST LIVES.
AND AT SOME STAGE IT'S NOT GOING TO BE SOMEBODY ELSE'S FAMILY.
AND, AND THAT'S THE REALITY THAT FOLKS REALLY HAVE TO GET THEIR HEADS AROUND IT.
IT'S ALWAYS EASY TO BE CAVALIER ABOUT THINGS WHEN IT HASN'T AFFECTED YOU YET, BUT WE WILL GET TO A SITUATION WHERE EVERY PERSON IN THIS COMMUNITY HAS PERSONALLY BEEN IMPACTED BY IT, OR KNOWS SOMEBODY WHO HAS BEEN PERSONALLY IMPACTED BY COVID-19 EITHER BEING HOSPITALIZED OR HAS DIED.
WE HAVE MEMBERS OF OUR OWN STAFF AT PUBLIC HEALTH.
WHO'VE LOST FAMILY MEMBERS FROM THIS, AND THE SAME IS TRUE FOR MANY OF OUR DEPARTMENTS ACROSS THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
UH, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE EVERY FAMILY.
THOSE SIMPLE STEPS CAN BE PERSONALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT HAPPENS TO OUR NEIGHBORS.
AND ONE THING THAT REALLY SHOULD NOT BE A CONTROVERSY RIGHT NOW IS MASKING.
IT SHOULDN'T BE A CONTROVERSY AT THE GROCERY STORE.
IT SHOULDN'T BE A CONTROVERSY AT THE SCHOOL.
IT SHOULDN'T BE A CONTROVERSY ON THE BUS.
IT IS A SIMPLE STEP THAT WE CAN TAKE TO HELP OUR NEIGHBORS.
AND WE MUST AT ALL COSTS STOP THE DEBATE ABOUT MASKING.
IT DOES NOT VIOLATE SOMEBODY'S INDIVIDUAL LIBERTIES TO HELP PROTECT ONE ANOTHER.
WE'RE GOING TO GIVE EVERYBODY A CHANCE TO ASK ONE QUESTION AS WE KIND OF ROTATE THROUGH THE GROUP.
IT'S EFFECTIVE CAP METRO FAMILY AS WELL.
WE JUST UNFORTUNATELY LOST ANOTHER DRIVER.
SCOTT HAS THE DEFINITION OF CLUSTER BEEN, UM, STANDARDIZED? IS IT A PERCENTAGE OF HOW HAS, HOW HAS THE CLUSTER, I REMEMBER WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT NURSING HOMES, WAS IT FOUR OR MORE OR FIVE REPORTS? WHAT'S, WHAT'S THE DEFINITION IT'S THREE OR MORE.
AND SO JUST QUICKLY WANT TO UNDERSTAND, AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SCHOOLS OPENING, AND I'M SURE YOU'RE IN, YOU'RE IN DISCUSSIONS WITH OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE IF THEY OPEN ON DAY, EVEN UNDER THE BEST CASE SCENARIO, THEY WILL BE OPENING WITH A CLUSTER ALREADY HAVING HAPPENED.
AND SO THIS MAY BE A POLICY DISCUSSION FOR LATER, BUT HOW WE TALK ABOUT WHAT WE CAN DO ON THE POLICY SIDE, WHEN AI MAKES WHATEVER AND DEL VALLEY AND ALL THE ISD IS MAKE WHATEVER DECISION THAT THEY MAKE.
AND, AND, AND LET ME SAY THAT IF THERE SHOULDN'T BE THE EXPECTATION THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE A SCHOOL WITHOUT A CLUSTER, IT'S SIMPLY GOING TO HAPPEN, PARTICULARLY IF, IF THE RATE OF SPREAD, UH, CONTINUES, UH, MUCH LONGER, UH, IT MAY DIE DOWN, SLOW DOWN FOR A WHILE.
UH, SO REALLY, YOU KNOW, FROM, FROM THE SCHOOL PERSPECTIVE, WE'VE GOT TO POINT OUT WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN WHEN WE KNOW THIS HAPPENS WITH FLU AND WE HAVE THRESHOLDS FOR FLU.
UH, YOU KNOW, GENERALLY WHEN, WHEN THE PREVALENCE OF FLU IN A SINGLE SCHOOL GETS ABOVE 10%, IT IMPACTS ENOUGH OF THE STAFF AND ENOUGH OF THE STUDENTS TO HACK START HAVING THE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT CLOSING DOWN THE SCHOOL FOR A PERIOD OF TIME.
AND THESE ARE THE KINDS OF DISCUSSIONS THAT, THAT I HOPE ARE STILL HAPPENING AT THE STATE LEVEL WITH TEA AND DSHS, SO THAT WE HAVE CLEAR GUIDANCE FOR THE EXPECTATION, UH, FOR OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS, UH, YOU KNOW, LEAVING THIS UP TO INDIVIDUAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS IS NOT THE RIGHT THING.
NOW WE DO NEED STATE LEADERSHIP ON THIS TO HELP MAKE THOSE DECISIONS.
UH, MAYOR MY, MY FIRST QUESTION, DR.
SCOTT, LET ME KNOW IF THIS SHOULD ACTUALLY JUST GET SENT TO DR.
MYERS, UM, AND MAYOR JUST AS A NOTE, NEXT TIME THAT I APPRECIATE THIS FORMAT WITH DR.
SCOTT, IF WE COULD TRY TO GET TO THE SAME WITH OTHERS SO THAT YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH TIME THERE ARE FOR QUESTIONS, UH, NO KIND OF PARTICULAR COUNCIL MEMBERS FAULT, BUT OBVIOUSLY MANY OF US COULDN'T ASK A QUESTION THERE.
SCOTT, CAN YOU, IF YOU CAN'T ANSWER THIS AND I HAVE A DIFFERENT QUESTION FOR YOU, BUT DOCTOR BUYER'S PRESENTATION SHOWED US OVERWHELMING
[01:40:01]
THE ICU BEDS BECAUSE IT WAS MODELED ON PREVIOUS BEHAVIOR.NOW WE HAVE POTENTIALLY FLATTEN THE CURVE SOME, BUT SHE HAD NO MODEL SHOWING THAT WE HAD FLATTENED IT SUFFICIENTLY.
SO I UNDERSTAND THAT WE'RE WORKING UNDER IN A WORLD OF UNCERTAINTY, BUT HOW CAN WE MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T ACT TOO LATE, THAT WE DON'T ACT TOO OPTIMISTICALLY THAT WE FLATTENED IT SUFFICIENTLY? I JUST LIKE, WE ALL WISH THAT THE VIRUS WASN'T REAL.
I KNOW WE ALSO ALL WISH THAT WE FLATTEN THE CURVE ENOUGH TO NOT HAVE TO CLOSE MORE THINGS.
SO HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT THIS POTENTIALLY GOOD NEWS DOESN'T MAKE, MAKE US MISS THE MARK AND OVERWHELM THE ICU? WHY ARE WE SO CONFIDENT RIGHT NOW WITH SAYING, LET'S ASK FOR PHASE ONE AND, AND WAIT.
WELL, A COUNCIL MEMBER IN, IN DISCUSSION WITH, UH, W WITH HOUSTON AND SAN ANTONIO, UH, THIS MORNING, UM, WE'RE ALL KIND OF IN THE SAME POSITION.
UH, THINGS ARE LOOKING A LITTLE BIT BETTER, BUT WE'RE REALLY CONCERNED.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THE DISCUSSION HAS TO BE, DID ANY OF THE THREE HEALTH OFFICIALS BELIEVE WE NEED TO SLAM ON THE BRAKES RIGHT AT THIS MOMENT.
UH, AND THE OVERWHELMING DISCUSSION WAS IF THAT'S NOT CLEAR RIGHT NOW, UH, WHAT IS CLEAR IS THAT, THAT WE HAVE TO AT LEAST MAINTAIN AND HOPEFULLY DECREASE FURTHER THAT, THAT TRANSMISSION RISK.
AND I THINK QUITE FRANKLY, THERE'S, THERE'S TWO THINGS THAT WE CAN DO.
NUMBER ONE IS, UH, PRETTY WELL THE ITEMS ON THE AGENDA TODAY AND THE OTHER IS, IS TO HAVE THAT DISCUSSION WITH THE STATE, UH, IS NOW THE TIME, UH, THAT WE CAN ALL AGREE THAT GOING BACK TO PHASE ONE, WELL, TAP THE BRAKES ENOUGH TO SLOW THINGS DOWN SO THAT WE CAN AVOID SHUTTING DOWN.
NONE OF US WANT TO SHUT DOWN, BUT NONE OF US ARE ABSOLUTELY CLEAR THAT WHAT WE'RE DOING SO FAR IS SLOWING THINGS ENOUGH TO AVOID EXCEEDING CAPACITY.
UH, SO I THINK IT'S TIME TO TAP THE BRAKES AGAIN.
AND I KNOW I'M NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO ASK THE OTHER QUESTION NOW, BUT WE'D LOVE IF HE ENDED UP HAVING TIME TO HEAR ABOUT TESTING LEAD TIMES AND WHAT WE HAVEN'T BUMPED INTO THERE, BUT I'LL, I'LL DEFER FOR THE NEXT PERSON COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS.
S SCOTT, CAN YOU GIVE AN UPDATE ON CONTACT TRACING THING, AND IF THAT'S GETTING EASIER, MORE DIFFICULT, OR IF YOU'RE NEEDING ANY ASSISTANCE FROM MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO MIGHT HAVE A BACKGROUND IN CONTACT TRACING, HOW THAT'S WORKING RIGHT NOW? UH, SO COUNCIL MEMBER, THE FACT THAT THE, THE CASE NUMBERS ARE DECREASING, IT IS HELPING THAT EFFORT.
UH, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE STILL IN THE PROCESS OF PRIORITIZING, UH, THE CONTACT TRACING AND CASE INVESTIGATIONS.
UH, BECAUSE AGAIN, YOU KNOW, UH, YESTERDAY OR TWO DAYS AGO, I RECEIVED 289 FAXES, UH, FOUR CASES THAT WERE LARGELY TESTED ON JUNE 26.
UH, SO, YOU KNOW, 14 DAYS SINCE THE PERSON DEVELOPED SYMPTOMS, CASE INVESTIGATION AND CONTACT TRACING AT THAT PHASE IS, IS, IS POINTLESS.
UH, SO WE ARE BEING MORE JUDICIAL WITH, WITH HENRY, UH, WE CONTACT TRACE.
SO WE'RE NOT WASTING TIME ON INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE ALREADY RECOVERED AND REALLY FOCUSING ON WHERE WE CAN, UH, WE ARE IN DISCUSSIONS WITH THE STATE.
THE STATE DOES HAVE A 209 $93 MILLION CONTRACT FOR CONTACT TRACING.
SO THAT SERVES AS OUR RELIEF, VAL, UH, IF WE, IF WE NEED TO UTILIZE THEM TO DO ADDITIONAL SERVICES, WE HAVE THAT EVENT.
SO ARE YOU ACCEPTING ANY APPLICATIONS FROM THE PUBLIC AT THIS POINT, OR IS THAT ON HOLD? UH, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION FOR DIRECTOR HAYDEN.
I'M NOT SURE I WILL ASK THAT QUESTION, DR.
HAYDEN, WHEN SHE COMES UP, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, YES, UH, UH, DR.
SCOTT, YOU KNOW, WE WERE WITH, THERE'VE BEEN SOME DISCUSSIONS ABOUT, UH, USING THE, UM, THE, THE, UH, UH, THE, UH, PLATINUM AUDITORIUM OR CALA SANDWICH AS AN OVERFLOW.
AND I'M VERY CONCERNED BY YOUR COMMENTS AND THAT WE'RE HAVING STAFFING PROBLEMS RIGHT NOW AT, AT OUR HOSPITALS AND OUR PERSONNEL.
THEY'RE VERY TIRED AND OVERWORKED.
WE HAVE ENOUGH IF WE GET TO THAT POINT, WHICH I PRAY THAT WE DON'T, ARE WE GOING TO HAVE ENOUGH PERSONNEL TO STAFF, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO COUNCIL MEMBER ARE OUR, UH, ALTERNATE CARE SITE TEAM FOR THE CONVENTION CENTER, UH, IS WORKING ON EXECUTING CONTRACTS.
UM, AND, UH, ALSO LOOKING AT HOW WE CAN FURTHER SUPPORT THE HOSPITALS IF NEEDED, UH, DUE TO STAFF SHORTAGES.
UH, SO THAT'S STILL A WORK IN PROCESS, AGAIN, AT THE SAME TIME.
[01:45:01]
I'VE PERSONALLY RECEIVED EMAILS FROM OTHER JURISDICTIONS ASKING FOR MY PHYSICIAN SERVICES TO STAFF ACS.AND SO WE'RE SEEING REQUESTS, UH, ALL OVER.
UH, MY HOPE IS THAT THAT IF WE NEED TO, WE WILL SEE ADDITIONAL FEDERAL ASSISTANCE.
UH, WE HAVE SEEN, UH, MILITARY PERSONNEL, HEALTHCARE PERSONNEL BEING DEPLOYED TO TEXAS.
UH, WE'VE SEEN THE DEPLOYMENT OF DISASTER MEDICAL ASSISTANCE TEAMS, UH, WHICH IS ANOTHER FEDERAL RESOURCE, UH, DEPLOYED TO TEXAS AND HAVE VISITED HERE AS WELL.
UH, SO THERE, THERE ARE PEOPLE BEING MOBILIZED AND I'M HOPEFUL.
YOU KNOW, WE STILL HAVE A COUPLE OF WEEKS LEFT BEFORE WE ANTICIPATE, UH, THE EARLIEST TIME THAT WE WOULD NEED TO OPEN THAT, THAT ALTERNATE CARE SITE AND THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO SECURE ENOUGH RESOURCES TO DO THAT.
AGAIN, WE'LL START TALKING ABOUT THE INITIAL OPENING.
WE DON'T INTEND TO CARE FOR 1500 PEOPLE.
NOW THAT FIRST, UH, ALLOTMENT WOULD BE 150 PATIENTS IF NEEDED AND BUILDING FROM THERE AS MORE AND MORE RELIEF AS NEEDED FOR THE HOSPITALS.
SO THE CARE, THE GREATEST, UH, STAFFING NEEDS ARE THE MOST CRITICAL CARE.
SO IT'S THE EXTRA CARE UNIT PHYSICIANS AND NURSES, AND JEEZ, UH, THE CONVENTION CENTER WOULD HANDLE CASES OF LESS, UH, UH, AND THERE'S, THERE'S MORE OPTIONS FOR STAFFING.
WELL, I JUST HOPE THAT OUR CITIZENS SAID HERE'S THIS AND TAKE IT REAL SERIOUS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, ONCE WE GET TO THAT STAGE, IT WOULD BE VERY, VERY, YOU KNOW, UH, VERY BAD FOR US AND, AND THE ECONOMY ALSO.
SO I HOPE YOUNG PEOPLE I'VE SEEN THEM OR THEIR KIND OF CARE WITH HER.
SEE, I'M COMING BY HERE BECAUSE I LIVE SO CLOSE TO THE LAKE AND THEY ALL COME IN DOWN THERE AND, AND KAYAKING AND, AND NO MASS.
SO I JUST HOPE THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT THESE YOUNG PEOPLE THAT REALLY TAKE THIS SERIOUS.
OKAY, I'M GONNA MOVE IT CAPS ON OUR KITCHEN.
I HAVE SOME OTHER QUESTIONS, BUT DID YOU SAY DIRECTOR HAYDEN IS GOING TO BE SPEAKING TO US AND WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ASK QUESTIONS? YES, WE'LL GET TO HER IN JUST A SECOND.
SO, UM, I'M JUST WONDERING, UM, IF, AND THIS MIGHT JUST BE AN IDEA TO SHARE THAT YOU COULD RESPOND TO LATER, BUT, UM, I HAD, AT LEAST I HAD ONE OF MY CONSTITUENTS EXPLAINED TO ME THAT SHE, SHE ENGAGED IN SOME INDIVIDUAL CONTACT TRACY HERSELF, UH, TO TRY TO HELP THE SITUATION WHEN SHE DISCOVERED THAT SHE WOULD TESTED, TESTED POSITIVE.
SO I'M JUST THINKING THAT PERHAPS TO SOME EXTENT, BECAUSE OF ALL THE DIFFICULTIES THAT WE HAVE WITH RESOURCES, FOR CONTENT PRICING, THAT PERHAPS SOME GUIDANCE TO PEOPLE MIGHT BE HELPFUL IF THEY COULD PARTICIPATE IN HELPING WITH THAT SITUATION.
SO, UM, THE OTHER QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE ARE FOR DOCTOR A COUNSELOR, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP.
UH, AND I SPOKE ABOUT THIS A BIT LAST WEEK, UH, BUT WE REALLY HAVING THAT CROWDSOURCING OF, OF CONTACT TRACY WOULD BE VERY, VERY HELPFUL.
AND WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS IF YOU'RE SICK WITH COVID-19 SYMPTOMS DURING COVID-19 SEASON, WHICH WE'RE IN, YOU SHOULD ASSUME THAT YOU'RE COVID-19 POSITIVE.
AND AT THAT STAGE, WHEN YOU FIRST DEVELOPED SYMPTOMS THAT ARE CONCERNING FOR COVID-19, IF YOU CALL EVERYBODY THAT YOU'VE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH OVER THE PAST TWO DAYS AND LET THEM KNOW, HEY, I'M NOT SURE YET IT MIGHT BE, BUT YOU NEED TO PROTECT YOURSELF, PROTECT YOUR FAMILY, SEPARATE YOURSELVES FROM THEM.
UH, THAT WOULD BE VERY, VERY HELPFUL.
AGAIN, WE LOSE A LOT OF VALUABLE TO EVEN IN THE BEST CIRCUMSTANCES, WE LOSE A LOT OF VALUABLE TIME WAITING ON TEST RESULTS AND, UH, ENGAGE IN THE COMMUNITY.
UH, LIKE THAT WILL BE VERY, VERY HELPFUL FOR US.
I THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER ALTERED ARMY.
ASCOT ON THAT POINT THAT YOU JUST RAISED, UM, I HAVE BEEN CORRESPONDING WITH THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE ABOUT OUR RULES FOR OUR CITY EMPLOYEES, UM, WITH RESPECT TO RESPONSE TO COVID, AND I'M HEARING SOME CONCERNS, UM, THAT WE MIGHT NEED TO BE TAKING SOME ADDITIONAL STEPS TO SAFEGUARD OUR EMPLOYEES AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING TO STOP COMMUNITIES SPREAD THERE.
UM, IN THAT CORRESPONDENCE, UM, I REVIEWED A MEMO FROM THAT HAS OUR GUIDELINES FOR OUR EMPLOYEES.
UM, AND IT DOESN'T APPEAR THAT THAT HAS BEEN UPDATED SINCE MARCH.
UM, THE EXAMPLE THAT YOU JUST GAVE THOUGH IS NOT AMONG THE RULES THAT WE HAVE
[01:50:01]
PROVIDED TO OUR OWN EMPLOYEES.SO IF THEY ARE TOLD THAT THEY'VE COME INTO EXPOSURE WITH SOMEBODY, AND IT'S NOT SOMEBODY THAT THEY'RE LIVING WITH AND CARING FOR WITHIN THEIR OWN HOME, THE GUIDANCE THAT WE'RE PROVIDING THEM IS NOT TO STAY AT HOME.
UM, SO CAN YOU SPEAK TO HOW WE NEED TO ADJUST THINGS AMONG OUR OWN EMPLOYEES THERE? UM, AND IF IT'S NOT, YOU, MAYBE THE CITY MANAGER CAN SPEAK TO HOW IT CAN, WE CAN UPDATE THESE RULES.
UM, SO THEY REFLECT OUR CURRENT KNOWLEDGE RATHER THAN OUR KNOWLEDGE IN MARCH.
UH, COUNCILMAN, I BELIEVE WE ARE IN THE PROCESS, UH, AND DIRECTOR HAYDEN MAY HAVE MORE TO COMMENT ON THIS LATER IN THE PROCESS OF REVIEWING THAT GUIDANCE FOR, UH, FOR CITY STAFF.
AGAIN, THERE'S A LOT OF ASTERISKS INVOLVED IN, IN THE GUIDANCE I JUST GAVE.
UH, SO IT DEPENDS ON THE CLOSENESS OF CONTACT, THE DURATION OF THE CONTACT.
UH, YOU KNOW, SO IT'S NOT, NOT SIMPLY IF YOU WERE IN THE SAME ROOM WITH A PERSON NOW, IT REQUIRES SOME FURTHER, UH, DETECTIVE WORK TO DETERMINE THE LEVEL OF RISK AND THE, THE ADVICE FOR THE INDIVIDUAL.
UM, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE ARE, WE ARE HAPPY TO CONTINUE THAT DISCUSSION WITH, WITH HRD AND WITH THE CITY MANAGER OFFICE TO ENSURE THAT OUR STAFF HAVE THE MOST UP TO DATE GUIDANCE.
SO, SO I THINK THERE ARE A NUMBER OF ISSUES THERE, AND YOU MAY NOT BE THE MOST APPROPRIATE PERSON TO LEAD THAT DISCUSSION THAT MAY BE MORE OF THE CITY MANAGERS OR HRD.
UM, I HAVE SOME CONCERNS ABOUT, UM, WHAT I'M HEARING ABOUT, UM, THE LIBRARY IN PARTICULAR WITH OUR CURBSIDE PICKUP.
AND, UM, I WILL, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THESE MAY BE MORE RELATED TO ITEM THREE, UM, AND THE NEED FOR SOME ADDITIONAL MEASURES BY THE HEALTH AUTHORITY.
I'D LIKE TO CONTINUE THAT CONVERSATION AND, UM, CITY MANAGER AND DR.
ASCOT, I'D LIKE YOU TO BRING, UM, ASKED ME INTO THE CONVERSATIONS TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THE SPECIFIC, UM, CONCERNS.
I'M NOT SURE THAT A FORUM LIKE THIS IS GOING TO ALLOW US TO DIG DEEP ENOUGH, UM, INTO THE QUESTIONS TO GET AT THE ANSWERS.
UM, BUT I THINK WE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ASKING THE COMMUNITY, UM, TO LIMIT THE SPREAD AND I THINK WE NEED TO BE MAKING SURE WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN, UM, WITH RESPECT TO OUR EMPLOYEES TO KEEP OUR EMPLOYEES SAFE, BUT ALSO TO PREVENT COMMUNITY SPREAD.
AND I DON'T KNOW THAT THERE'S A WIDESPREAD ISSUE, BUT I THINK THERE IS DEFINITELY A LACK OF CLARITY ON POLICY AND PROCEDURES.
UM, GETTING DOWN TO FOLKS WHO MAY NOT HAVE COMPUTER ACCESS, LIKE SOME OF OUR JANITORS, ET CETERA, UM, AND CONCERN THAT EMPLOYEES HAVE ABOUT HOW THIS IS ROLLING OUT AND THE MESSAGES THAT WE ARE SENDING.
SO, UM, CITY MANAGERS THAT A DISCUSSION THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE I'M MOVING FORWARD, ABSOLUTELY COUNCIL MEMBER.
AND WE DO HAVE OUR DIRECTOR OF HR HERE ON THE LINE IF WE WANT TO GET INTO IT.
BUT I THINK IN THAT MATTER, IN THE INTEREST OF TIME, WE CAN, WE CAN TAKE THIS OFFLINE.
OR IT CAN COME BACK UP FOR ITEMS TWO AND THREE.
I DON'T WANT TO TAKE A MAJOR DETOUR RIGHT NOW, BUT, UM, SINCE DR.
I, SCOTT HAD, HAD RAISED THAT, UM, WITH RESPECT TO WHAT YOU SHOULD DO, IF YOU'VE BEEN EXPOSED, UM, I WANTED TO, TO HIGHLIGHT THAT MAYBE WE CAN, WE CAN TAKE IT UP AGAIN WITH ITEMS TWO AND THREE AS APPROPRIATE.
AND CERTAINLY THE POINTS ABOUT TAKING THE, UH, DR.
ASTRONAUT APH NEED TO UPDATE DIRECTIONS, BUT YES, I THINK NOT SOMETHING WE'RE GOING ON A LITTLE WORKED OUT IN THIS FORUM HERE, ANYTHING BEFORE WE GO TO DIRECTOR HAYDEN KITCHEN THERE, I HAVE A QUESTION AS WELL.
I JUST WANTED TO ECHO WHAT COUNCILMEMBER ULTRA SAID.
I, I AM CONCERNED ALSO ABOUT, UM, UH, ABOUT WHAT WE'RE HEARING RELATED TO EMPLOYEES.
AND SO WE'D LIKE TO, TO BE KEPT ABREAST OF THAT.
AND I'M ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT I'M HEARING RELATED TO LIBRARY IMPORTANCE.
UM, I WANNA, I WANTED TO JUST ASK, I KNOW, CITY MANAGER OFFLINE ABOUT THE PROCEDURES AND, UM, INVOLVING HUMAN, OUR HR DEPARTMENT.
AND I'M, I'M QUITE INTERESTED IN THAT TOO.
SO I WOULD JUST ECHO COUNCIL MEMBER AUTHOR'S SUGGESTION THAT IF IT, IF POSSIBLE THAT WE TRY TO TAKE IT UP TODAY OR AT LEAST DO SO IN A, IN A FORUM WHERE WE CAN ALL PARTICIPATE, I'M STRUGGLING AND SAYS COMMUNITY MEMBERS AS COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, ON THE CONVERSATION AROUND SCHOOLS, MAYOR PRO TEM GAZA, AND COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER, MADISON ADDRESS THIS AS WELL.
BUT, YOU KNOW, AS PARENTS OF SCHOOL AGED CHILDREN, WE'RE SOON TO MAKE A DECISION ABOUT WHETHER IT LOOKS AS IF THE OPTION, AT LEAST IN AIS, IT'S GOING TO BE YOUR PERCENT ONLINE OR A HUNDRED PERCENT PERSON.
YOU KNOW HOW I GUESS I WOULD ASK WHEN AND HOW CAN WE HAVE A, AND THAT MAYBE
[01:55:01]
OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT IN A BLUR, KATHY, YOU'RE GOING IN AND OUT, YOU'RE BREAKING UP TOO.AND SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, THESE THINGS ARE SO SORRY, YOU CAN'T OKAY.
MAYOR, DID YOU LOSE ME ON ALL OF IT OR JUST THAT LAST PART WE LEARNED THAT THAT'S THE LAST PART.
IT WAS WHILE YOU WERE JUST THIS LAST TOPIC, WHEN YOU WERE SAYING, YOU THINK WE SHOULD, I THINK YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT CONCERTS.
I WAS GOING TO SUGGEST THAT WE LOOK TO HAVING SOME KIND OF BROADER COMMUNITY CONVERSATION INVOLVING OUR POLICYMAKERS AT CITY AT OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND OUR HEALTH PROFESSIONALS, AND DO SO IN A FORMAT THAT IS REALLY PARENT FRIENDLY, UM, SO THAT WE CAN, YOU CAN LAY OUT THE INFORMATION THAT PARENTS NEED TO REALLY EVALUATE WHAT THE BEST CHOICES FOR THEIR CHILD.
I MEAN, AS, AS A PARENT, I'M NOT SURE MYSELF, ESPECIALLY AFTER TODAY'S PRESENTATION.
UM, AND, AND MAYOR PRO TEM GARZA IS CLARIFYING QUESTION THAT REALLY IDENTIFIES, YOU KNOW, AT THE PROJECTIONS SUGGESTING THAT ON DAY ONE, THERE WOULD BE CLUSTERS THAT SOME OF OUR SCHOOLS POTENTIALLY.
SO JUST SUGGESTION, BUT AGAIN, SINCE MANY PARENTS ARE THINKING THROUGH THESE ISSUES RIGHT NOW AND NEEDING TO MAKE SOME DECISIONS, IS THERE ANY ADVICE THAT YOU WOULD OFFER, UM, AS THEY, AS THEY MAKE THOSE DECISIONS ABOUT, ABOUT SCHOOL AND HOW SAFE IT WILL BE HERE IN A MONTH COUNCIL MEMBER, WE HAVE HAD SOME, WHY DO YOU THINK THE DISCUSSIONS WITH, WITH THE SUPERINTENDENTS FROM AROUND TRAVIS COUNTY? UH, AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK THEY'VE HAD SOME INDIVIDUAL CONVERSATIONS WITH THEIR CONSTITUENTS, UH, AND QUITE FRANKLY, IT'S, THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF VARIABILITY IN TERMS OF, OF THE RISK FOR INDIVIDUAL STUDENTS, UH, AND, AND FACULTY AND STAFF.
UM, YOU KNOW, SOME FOLKS ARE GOING TO HAVE FAMILIES AT HOME THAT DON'T HAVE ANY RISK FACTORS, UH, AND THAT'S GOING TO BE A DIFFERENT SITUATION THAN HAVING A PARENT AT HOME THAT HAS CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE OR, OR LUNG DISEASE OR DIABETES.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, I'M ENCOURAGED THAT HE, THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO PROVIDE OPTIONS SO THAT THAT PARENTS CAN CHOOSE BASED UPON THEIR, THEIR RISK OR THEIR RISK TOLERANCE, UH, FOR, FOR COVID-19, UH, YOU KNOW, WE ARE WEAR YOUR SHIRT SOMEWHAT BY THE FACT THAT, UH, SO FAR WE HAVEN'T SEEN A LARGE IMPACT IN TERMS OF HOSPITALIZATION AND DEATH AMONGST SCHOOL AGED CHILDREN.
BUT OBVIOUSLY AS WE HAVE THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS GOING BACK TO SCHOOL, UH, AND POTENTIALLY THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS CONTRACTING COVID-19, THEN UNFORTUNATELY, SOMETIMES WHEN WE DISCOVER THAT THE RARE, THE THINGS THAT SEEM MORE RARE, THAT TURNED OUT TO BE LESS RARE, UH, BECAUSE NOW WE HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, A LARGER NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS INFECTED IN THAT AGE GROUP.
SO THERE IS A LOT OF UNCERTAINTY, AND I THINK THAT'S THAT WE'D BE HAPPY TO PARTICIPATE IN, IN DISCUSSIONS.
UM, BUT, BUT OFTENTIMES IT'S GOING TO BE, UH, AN INDIVIDUAL DECISION FOR HOUSEHOLD INDIVIDUAL DECISIONS FOR FACULTY AND STAFF, AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, MAKING DETERMINATIONS OF HOW TO PROTECT THEMSELVES.
I WILL SAY QUITE CLEARLY, IF WE WANT TO BE AS SAFE AS WE CAN BE.
AND IF WE WANT TO KEEP SCHOOLS OPEN, OPEN, AS LONG AS POSSIBLE, THAT MUST INVOLVE MASKING.
THAT MUST INVOLVE THE PERSONAL HYGIENE, THE HAND SANITIZER AND THE HAND WASHING IN AS MUCH PHYSICAL DISTANCING AS IS PRACTICAL AFTER ASCOT.
AND I, I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING ABOUT THE INDIVIDUAL CIRCUMSTANCES THAT WILL DICTATE A DECISION IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.
AND I THINK THOSE ARE PRETTY CLEAR PROBABLY FOR SOME OF OUR FAMILIES AND LESS CLEAR FOR OTHERS.
AND SO I GUESS MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBER ALTAR, YOU AND I ALL ALL ARE THE COUNCIL APPOINTEES TO THE JOINT SUBCOMMITTEE.
AND I'M THINKING THAT MAY BE, THAT MAY BE ONE PLACE WHERE WE WANT TO THINK ABOUT FACILITATING A BROADER CONVERSATION.
THAT INCLUDES OUR HEALTH PROFESSIONALS, DISTRICT REPRESENTATION AND, AND IN A FORMAT THAT WOULD BE REALLY AIMED AT AT COMMUNITY.
UM, SO PERHAPS WE CAN TALK OFFLINE ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF, OF DOING THAT.
AND I APPRECIATE IT, OF COURSE, ALL THE WORK DR.
S SCOTT, YOU'RE DOING, WORKING INDIVIDUALLY WITH THOSE LEADERSHIP.
AND I APPRECIATE IT, THE DISTRICT LEADERSHIPS SOLICITATION OF FEEDBACK, I KNOW WE'VE GOTTEN SURVEYS AND THINGS.
I'M JUST THINKING, PULLING IT ALL TOGETHER INTO ONE COMMUNITY-BASED PRESENTATION, UM, MIGHT BE, MIGHT BE OF USE HERE PRETTY QUICKLY AS PEOPLE ARE, ARE ACTIVELY TRYING TO MAKE THAT DECISION.
THAT'S I, OCTOBER I WOULD JOIN IN, THEN I THINK THAT WOULD BE A REALLY GOOD, YEAH.
MYERS TO PRESENT THAT SLIDE TODAY,
[02:00:01]
JUST BECAUSE I DIDN'T HEAR THE CONVERSATIONS HAPPENING OUT IN THE COMMUNITY AND IT WASN'T EXACTLY SURE HOW TO DAYLIGHT IT.SCOTT HAS MADE HERSELF AVAILABLE TO VARIOUS OFFICIALS ARE SO THAT THEY HAVE THE DATA, BUT HAVING THAT FORUM, I THINK IS A REALLY GOOD IDEA.
IF YOU WOULD TAKE THE LEAD ON TRYING TO HELP SET THAT UP, WORKING WITH STAFF, I'M SURE THAT, UH, SHE WOULD PARTICIPATE IN AND I WOULD APPRECIATE THAT.
MERRILL LIKELY NEED SOME, SOME HELP FROM SOME OF MY, MY COHORTS ON, ON THIS.
UM, BUT, BUT WE WILL, WE'LL DEFINITELY DO THAT.
I'M READY TO HELP COUNSEL MR. HALTER, AND THEN WE'LL GO TO DIRECTOR HAYDEN.
I'M HAPPY TO HELP WITH THAT AS WELL.
AND, UM, I THINK THAT, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE BEEN HEARING LATELY FROM, FROM MY KIDS IS A DESIRE TO GO BACK TO SCHOOL AND A DESIRE FOR EVERYONE IN THE CITY TO WEAR THEIR MASKS.
SO THE KIDS CAN GO BACK TO SCHOOL.
UH, WE'VE BEEN TALKING A LOT ABOUT THE HOSPITAL CAPACITY, UM, BUT THE REALITY IS IF EVERYONE WEARS THEIR MASKS, OUR KIDS HAVE A BETTER CHANCE OF GETTING BACK INTO SCHOOLS QUICKER AND MORE SAFE.
UM, AND I'D BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T, UM, COMMUNICATE THAT DESIRE THAT I HAD BEEN HEARING REALLY STRONGLY IN MY OWN HOUSEHOLD.
UM, YOU KNOW, AS WE'RE THINKING ABOUT THE RESPONSIBILITIES WE HAVE, UM, WITH WEARING THE MASKS, AND I HOPE WE CAN, WE CAN MAYBE ADD THAT TO SOME OF OUR, OUR MESSAGING OF HOW WE ARE, HOW WE ARE THINKING ABOUT WHAT THE INDIVIDUAL STEPS WE TAKE, UM, RIGHT NOW, UM, CAN DO FOR WHERE WE CAN BE AS A CITY, UM, IN, IN THE COMING MONTHS.
AND I THINK ONE OF THE LESSONS COMING FROM DR. MYERS IS IF WE'RE GOING TO PRIORITIZE THAT FOR STORES, WE MAY ACTUALLY WANT TO GO FARTHER THAN WE MIGHT HAVE OTHERWISE GONE.
IF OUR GOAL IS TO TRY AND PUT SCHOOLS IN DR.
HAYDEN DIRECTOR, HAYDEN, ARE YOU STILL WITH US? GOOD MORNING CAN.
AFTER TWO, IT IS AFTER THAT, WE STILL WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU.
AND THEN WE HAVE THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE SIGNED UP TO SPEED.
SO LET'S CONTINUE TO MOVE THROUGH THIS.
AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I WILL PROBABLY ENCROACH A LITTLE BIT INTO THE ONE O'CLOCK HOUR, UH, SO THAT WE CAN FINISH THIS MEETING IN TIME FOR PEOPLE TO GET A QUICK BREAK BEFORE THEY DO THE PUBLIC SAFETY, UH, HIDDEN.
UM, HOW'S IT LOOK FROM WHERE YOU'RE SITTING.
UM, OUR SALESFORCE SYSTEM UPDATE IS WORKING REALLY WELL.
UM, OUR TEAM USERS ARE USING THE SYSTEM FROM OUR EPIDEMIOLOGIST AND SURVEILLANCE AREA.
AS YOU ALL KNOW, THAT SYSTEM HAS BEEN ACTIVE SINCE THE 26TH.
UM, WE ARE EMPHASIZING, UM, THE AVAILABILITY OF THE ISO FACTS TO CLIENTS THAT TEST POSITIVE, BECAUSE WE REALLY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE WAITING FOR THOSE POSITIVE TEST RESULTS ARE, WHO HAVE BEEN, UM, NOTIFIED THAT THEY ARE POSITIVE TO, UM, UTILIZE THAT ISO FAXED FACILITY.
UM, YES, WE ARE CONTINUING TO HIRE CONTACT TRACERS.
SO I WANTED TO, UM, LET YOU ALL KNOW THAT AS WELL.
AND SO, UM, INDIVIDUALS CAN PROBABLY BE JUST EASIER, JUST SEND ME AN EMAIL.
UM, AND SO IF YOU KNOW, ANYONE JUST, JUST CONNECT THEM TO ME AND I WILL WORK WITH THEM FROM THERE.
UM, WE ALSO WANTED TO JUST LET EVERYONE KNOW THAT, UM, WE CONTINUE TO HAVE TWO SHIFTS WORKING TO COMPLETE DATA ENTRY OVER THE HOLIDAY.
WE HAD A SKELETON CREW WORKING, BUT WE WANTED TO ENSURE WE CONTINUED.
UM, OUR REPORTS FOR THE PUBLIC.
OUR TEAM IS WORKING UNTIL 11, 11:00 PM AT NIGHT.
AND OUR GOAL IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE LOG THOSE REPORTS WITHIN 24 HOURS.
SOME OF THOSE REPORTS DO COME IN, UM, AFTER OUR TEAM LEAVES.
AND SO THE MORNING STAFF WERE ABLE TO GET TO THOSE AT OUR, UM, EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER.
OUR TESTING GROUP, UM, IS REVIEWING ADDITIONAL TEST SITES, AS YOU ALL KNOW, UM, WE HAVE, UM, STOOD UP THIS WEEK.
OUR WALK SITES BEGAN AT DOVE SPRINGS AND, UM, WALNUT CREEK IN RUBBER.
AND THEN ON MONDAY THE 13TH, WE WILL BE AT GIVENS, UM, IN THE PARK BECAUSE THE PARK, UM, REALLY NEEDED SOME ADDITIONAL SUPPORT.
UM, WE HAD TO START THAT SITE A LITTLE LATER.
WE ARE LOOKING AT OTHER ZIP CODES.
WE HAVE SENT STAFF OUT TO LOOK AT SOME FACILITIES FOR FEASIBILITY.
AND SO WE WILL CONTINUE TO LOOK AT OTHER COMMUNITY SITES IN, UM, SEVERAL
[02:05:01]
ZIP CODES.SO THAT WORK IS STILL UNDERWAY.
WE HAVE BEEN USING, UM, VENDORS TO ASSIST US WITH TESTING IN THOSE COMMUNITIES, AND WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO USE THOSE VENDORS, UM, TO HELP US TO BE ABLE TO EXPAND OUT MORE WITH OUR NURSING HOME AND LONGTERM CARE FACILITIES.
UM, WE ARE CONTINUING TO, UM, PROVIDE THAT TESTING, UM, AT OUR NURSING HOMES AND LONGTERM CARE FACILITIES AND PROVIDE THAT SUPPORT.
I TEAM CONTINUES TO MEET WITH THEM WEEKLY AND PROVIDE GUIDANCE AND ASSISTANCE.
WE ARE, UM, WORKING WITH WILLIAMSON AND HAYES COUNTY ON A COUPLE OF SITES THAT WOULD BE ABLE TO, UM, SEND PATIENTS TO, FROM OUR NURSING HOME AND LONGTERM CARES, AND THAT WILL HELP OUR, UM, HOSPITALIZATIONS AND JUST ASSIST TO BE ABLE TO MOVE PATIENTS AS WE NEED.
WE'VE DEPLOYED FOUR STRIKE TEAMS, UM, THIS WEEK TO OTHER, UM, OUR NURSING HOMES AND TO OUR AT LONGTERM CARE FACILITIES.
SO WHEN WE HAVE THOSE CLUSTERS, AS WE CONTINUE TO DO THOSE THAT TESTING, UM, WE ARE OPERA OPERATIONALIZING AND SENDING THOSE STRIKE TEAMS AS WE NEED THEM.
AND SO THEY WILL BE AT OUR COMPETE IN OUR COMMUNITY AT LEAST 10 MORE DAYS WITH HOMELESSNESS.
ALL FOUR OF OUR PROJECTS ARE FULL.
WE ARE WORKING WITH ALL OF OUR PARTNERS THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES, BUT WE'RE ALSO WORKING TO MOVE OUR, UM, OUR, OUR HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS FROM THAT SITE INTO PERMANENT HOUSING.
AND SO WE ARE WORKING ON, ON THAT ABOUT SEVEN AND SEVEN INDIVIDUALS ARE GETTING THEM HOUSED INTO PERMANENT HOUSING.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, UM, WITH OUR, UM, TESTING OF HOMELESS PEOPLE THAT ARE IN SHELTERS AND ENCAMPMENTS, UM, OVER 500 INDIVIDUALS HAVE BEEN TESTED AND WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO, UM, USE THAT PROCESS IF THEY ARE POSITIVE.
UM, WE ARE REFERRING THEM TO THE ISO FAC WITHOUT CHILDCARE FACILITIES.
WHAT WE ARE REALLY STARTING TO SEE NOW IS WE ARE STARTING TO SEE AN INCREASE IN WITH EVERYONE RETURNING BACK TO WORK AND THE INCREASED NEED FOR CHILDCARE.
UM, WE ARE GONNA MOVE FORWARD AND SET UP A SMALL INCIDENT COMMAND STRUCTURE FOR THAT AREA.
WE'VE DONE THAT FOR HOMELESSNESS AND NURSING HOMES AND LONGTERM CARE.
AND SO WE'RE GOING TO SET UP A MAILBOX FOR THAT AREA, AS WELL AS, UM, HAVE, UM, EPIDEMIOLOGISTS THAT WILL WORK WITH THE CHILDCARE AREAS.
SO AS CHANGES HAPPEN AT THE STATE AND LOCAL LEVEL, WE WILL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS AND GIVE THAT TRAINING AS WE NEED.
IT WE'LL WORK WITH INDIVIDUALS AT THE STATE LEVEL TO ENSURE THAT THEY ARE RECEIVING THE GUIDANCE THAT THEY NEED.
AND AS WE MOVE THROUGH THE SUMMER FOR OUR AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS STAFF, OR PROVIDING THAT ASSISTANCE TO THEM ON THE 29TH, UM, THE DEPARTMENT PROVIDED THE COUNCIL UPDATES ON, UM, ON WHAT, AS A CITY WE HAVE BEEN PROVIDING AS FAR AS SERVICES TO THE LATIN X COMMUNITY ON, UM, IN THAT MEMO, WE, UM, INFORMED COUNCIL MAYOR AND COUNCIL THAT MARIANNA SAID CHAZ, UM, IS THE IDENTIFIED INDIVIDUAL THAT IS GOING TO BE OUR REPRESENTATIVE ON JUNE 13TH.
UM, MARIO LED A FACEBOOK LIVE EVENT.
AND, UM, BASED UPON THE ANALYTICS FROM THAT EVENT OVER 50,000 PEOPLE AND 847 INTERACTIONS WERE NOTED.
UM, WITH THAT MEETING SINCE THE BEGINNING OF OUR OUTREACH EFFORTS, THE SMILE AND MINORITY BUSINESS RESOURCE DEPARTMENT HAS ONGOING COMMUNICATIONS WITH 8,400 VENDORS.
SO AS, AS NEW INFORMATION IS DEVELOPED, UM, THEY ARE SITTING THAT INFORMATION OUT TO, TO THEIR MAILBOX TO ENSURE THAT, UM, THE INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE A CONTRACT WITH US OR INDIVIDUALS THAT, UM, HAVE, UM, FOUND IT TO BE ON THEIR EMAIL ADDRESS, THEY ARE SENDING THAT INFORMATION OUT.
STAFF HAVE MET WITH, UM, LEADERS FROM SEVERAL ORGANIZATIONS FROM THE LATIN X COMMUNITY TO REQUEST SUPPORT, UM, SUPPORT FOR US AND LOOKING AT WAYS OF HOW WE CAN WORK TOGETHER WITH OUR, UM, PRIORITIZATION.
WE WILL CONTINUE TO PRODUCTS PRIORITIZE, UM, SPANISH TRANSLATION,
[02:10:01]
41% OF OUR STAFF THAT ARE EITHER OUR CONTACT TRACERS ARE, UM, AND OUR NURSES, UM, AS WELL AS OUR STAFF THAT ARE PROVIDING SERVICES IN OUR WIC CENTERS, OUR NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERS, 41% OF THOSE ARE SPANISH SPEAKERS.SO WE ARE, WE ARE REALLY COMMITTED TO ENSURING THAT THE SERVICE THAT WE ARE PROVIDING, THAT WE ARE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE AND PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES AND OUR, UM, WE GO KIND OF BACK AND FORTH BECAUSE WE'RE STILL OUT RISE.
NUMBER ONE, AT THIS POINT, WE ARE 60% OF THOSE CLIENTS HAVE RECEIVED RISE.
FUNDING HAS GONE TO OUR LATIN X POPULATION, 18% OF INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE STAYED AT THE PROLOGIS HAVE IDENTIFIED AS HISPANIC OR LATINO.
UM, 48%, UM, FROM THE ISOLATION FACILITIES HAVE, UM, IDENTIFIED AS HISPANIC OR LATINO.
WE HAVE PROVIDED SOME, UM, UM, MASK AND HAND SANITIZER, UM, OTHER, UM, PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT TO, UM, SOME OF OUR PROVIDERS IN THE COMMUNITY.
WE DEFINITELY KNOW WE WANT TO DO MORE OF THAT.
AND SO, UM, LOOKING AT HOW OUR SYSTEM IS SET UP AND MAKING IMPROVEMENTS TO THAT ON YESTERDAY, YOU RECEIVED A DOCUMENT WE SENT OUT FOR REVIEW.
WE, WE SENT THAT, UM, DOCUMENT OUT TO SOME, UM, SOME OF OUR COMMUNITY LEADERS OVER THE WEEKEND, UM, JULY 3RD, BUT WE ALSO SENT THAT OUT FOR YOU YESTERDAY, ALONG WITH THE PRESS RELEASE AND FORWARD THAT SURVEY OUT UT DELL MED, UM, WORK WITH OUR, UM, A STRIKE TEAM OF FOLKS OF AUSTIN, PUBLIC HEALTH, THE EQUITY OFFICE, UM, AND COMMUNITY CARE.
AND IN THE DOCUMENT, AS YOU CAN SEE, THEY ADDRESSED FOUR AREAS OF OUTREACH PREVENTION AND COMMUNICATION TESTING, CONTACT TRACING, ACCESS TO QUALITY, UM, CLINICAL RESOURCES, ECONOMIC AND EMPLOYMENT SUPPORT.
IN THIS PLAN, WE HAVE 15 GOALS AND 53 STRATEGIES OF THE 53 STRATEGIES 29 HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTED.
SO BASICALLY WE GO BACK TO, UM, ONCE WE INITIALLY MOBILIZED, INSTEAD OF THE OSI FROM MARCH MOVING FORWARD, 29 OF THESE HAVE ALREADY BEEN IMPLEMENTED.
NOW THERE ARE 24 OF THEM THAT NEED MORE PLANNING AND FOLLOW UP.
AND WE ALSO KNOW WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU PUT A PLAN IN PLACE, YOU NEED TO GO BACK AND MAKE SOME QUALITY IMPROVEMENTS WITHIN, UM, THE STRIKE TEAM RECOMMENDATION.
UM, THEY RECOMMENDED AN ADVISORY BOARD TO REPRESENT, UM, THE LATIN X POPULATION TO ASSIST.
WE HAVE TYPICALLY, UM, ESTABLISHED CHECK TASKFORCE AND STRIKE TEAMS THROUGHOUT THIS RESPONSE FOR VARIOUS OBJECTS, UM, AND GOALS.
FOR EXAMPLE, WE STILL HAVE OUR NURSING HOME TASK FORCE, FOR EXAMPLE, AND WE HAVE SERVED THOSE UP.
THEY HAVE ESTABLISHED GOALS AND OBJECTIVES, AND THEY HAVE HELPED US THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS.
FOR EXAMPLE, LAST NIGHT, UM, OUR, UM, MEDICAL OFFICIALS, UM, EXPERTS MET LAST NIGHT, THEY CONTINUE TO MEET AND THE DEPARTMENT WILL MOVE FORWARD TO STAND UP WHAT WE ARE CALLING A FULL OPIATE 19 TASKFORCE UNDER THE EMERGENCY OPERATION CENTER.
AND THIS IS THE SAME WAY WE HAVE SET UP.
IT WILL NOT BE A BOARD OR A COMMISSION, SO IT'S NOT SUBJECT TO THOSE RULES, BUT THE OVERALL TASK FORCE WILL HAVE MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY FROM THE CITY AND THE COUNTY TO WORK WITH OUR COMMUNITY ON OVERALL COVID-19 STRATEGY FOR COMMUNITIES OF COLOR THAT ARE USED DURING, AND AFTER THIS RESPONSE HAS ENDED, WE WOULD ADD THREE STRIKE TEAMS, LATIN X, AFRICAN AMERICAN, AND ASIAN, EACH STRIKE TEAM WILL DEVELOP STRATEGIES TO SUBMIT TO THE OVERALL PLAN TO THE FULL TASK FORCE.
AND SO HOW WE ARE ENVISIONING THIS IS, IS THAT WE WILL, WE WILL PULL TOGETHER THE INFORMATION THAT WE'VE PUT OUT IN THE COMMUNITY OR ALL OF THE COMMUNITIES OF COLORS, BUT WE WANT TO IMMEDIATELY BEGIN TO STAND UP THESE TASKFORCE.
AND SO WE WILL ASSIGN A, A STAFF COLLEAGUE TO WORK WITH A COMMUNITY MEMBER TO BE THAT CHAIR WITH A COMMUNITY MEMBER AND A CITY OF AUSTIN PERSON.
AND THEN FROM THERE DUE TO THE URGENCY OF THE RESPONSE, WE KNOW THAT THERE'S PARTS OF THE PLAN THAT WE'RE GOING TO IMPLEMENT AS SOON AS WE
[02:15:01]
CAN.AND THEN, UM, WE KNOW THAT THERE'S OTHER AREAS THAT WE'LL, WE'LL CONTINUE TO, THAT WE NEED TO REFINE AND CONTINUE TO WORK ON.
WE WILL REACH OUT TO LEADERS, UM, AS SOON AS POSSIBLE TO STAND UP THIS PROCESS.
UM, THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION.
OH, ONE OTHER THING FOR COUNCIL MEMBER ALTAR.
UM, JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW, UM, I ACTUALLY HAVE, UH, A MEETING THIS AFTERNOON AT 3:00 PM WHEN ASKED ME, I HAVE, UM, I'VE HAD ONE MEETING WITH THEM THUS FAR DURING THE RESPONSE.
UM, AND THEY REACHED OUT TO ME FOR A FOLLOWUP MEETING AND I WILL BE MEETING WITH THEM THIS AFTERNOON AT 3:00 PM.
SO I AM AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS.
WE DO ALSO HAVE DIRECTOR HAYES ON THE LINE.
HAYNES, DO YOU MIND JUST EXPANDING ON THAT LAST POINT, THAT DIRECTOR HAYDEN MADE? SURE.
UH, JUST WANT TO CLARIFY THAT OUR WEBSITE HAS CONTINUED TO STAY UPDATED IN OUR EMPLOYEE.
ONLY SECTION WE REACH OUT TO THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT ON A BIWEEKLY BASIS TO ENSURE THAT THE DIRECTIONS WE'VE PROVIDED RELATIVE TO SANITATION PROTOCOLS FOR EMPLOYEES REMAINS UPDATED, UM, DURING OUR RE-INTEGRATION PLAN, UM, LAST MONTH, ALL DEPARTMENTS WHERE WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR CREATING SANITATION PROTOCOLS TO ENSURE THE SAFETY EMPLOYEES THAT RETURN TO WORK.
UM, THOSE PROTOCOLS WERE SENT OUT BY JUNE 29TH.
SO I JUST WANT TO SPEAK DIRECTLY TO COUNCIL MEMBER ALTERING COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN'S CONCERNS ABOUT SANITATION PROTOCOLS, THEY ARE IN PLACE.
UM, AND EVEN THOUGH WHEN THE NUMBERS WENT BACK UP, WE WENT BACK TO A FULL TELECOMMUTE, OKAY.
OR ESSENTIAL WORKERS THAT COME TO WORK.
THOSE SANITATION PROTOCOLS ARE STILL IN PLACE.
AND IF THERE ARE ANY DEPARTMENTS FOR WHAT YOU'D LIKE TO SEE, WE CAN PROVIDE THOSE TO YOU RELATED TO YOUR DIRECT QUESTIONS OF THE LIBRARY DEPARTMENT.
WE WEREN'T TOLD TO ASK ME ON YESTERDAY, I MET WITH CAROL AND WE DISCUSSED THE CONCERNS.
WE WALKED HER THROUGH WHAT OUR PROTOCOLS WERE.
WE EXPLAINED THAT ANYTIME WE DO RECEIVE A CASE OF AN EMPLOYEE GETTING IT, WE DO REACH OUT TO APH.
UM, AND IF THOSE EMPLOYERS ARE IN THE WORKPLACE, WE WORK WITH APH FOR NOTIFICATION.
I THINK IN TALKING TO CAROLINE YESTERDAY, MANY EMPLOYEES DON'T WANT TO JUST KNOW ABOUT THE EMPLOYEES THEY'VE COME IN CONTACT WITH, THEY WANT TO BE NOTIFIED FOR ANY EMPLOYEES IN THEIR SPACE THEY'RE BUILDING.
AND SO I THINK WE HAVE TO CLARIFY TO EMPLOYEES THAT OUR NOTIFICATION IS BASED ON ENGAGEMENT AND CONTACT, UM, TO MINIMIZE, UH, FEAR, UH, TO EMPLOYEES WHO HAVE NOT COME IN CONTACT WITH THOSE EMPLOYEES.
IF WE HAVE SPACES THAT WE FEEL WE'VE HAD MORE THAN ONE EMPLOYEE THAT MAY ENGAGE, WE HAVE BEEN SHUTTING DOWN THOSE SPACES, DOING FULL SANITATION PROTOCOLS AND NOT BRINGING THOSE EMPLOYEES BACK.
UH, WE RECEIVED VERY MINIMAL COMPLAINTS FROM EMPLOYEES.
WE HAVE EMPHASIZED TO ALL DIRECTORS TO KEEP AS MANY PEOPLE HOME AS POSSIBLE.
WE HAVE LESS EMPLOYEES AT WORK THAN WE'VE HAD IN THE FOUR MONTHS WE'VE BEEN GOING THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
AND SO ONLY THOSE EMPLOYEES WHO ARE ENGAGED IN DIRECT PROGRAMS ARE AT WORK RIGHT NOW.
WE ARE PUSHING TELECOMMUTE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE IN THE LIBRARY.
WE HAVE RECEIVED VERY FEW, A FEW CONCERNS.
THEY'VE BEEN VERY CONSISTENT CONTACT US AND THE ASK ME GROUP AND PROBABLY YOU ALL, BUT THOSE EMPLOYEES ARE REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE REALITY THAT WE ARE CONTINUING THIS AND MINIMAL SPACES.
AND EVEN WITH THOSE SANITATION PROTOCOLS, THERE IS SPACES WHERE PEOPLE MAY, MAY GET THE, A POSITIVE YEAH.
AND WE DIDN'T HAVE TO CONTINUE TO BE RESPONSIVE AS POSSIBLE TO MINIMIZE THE IMPACT OF THOSE EMPLOYEES AT WORK.
HAITI, UH, UH, WELL NOW OPEN YOU UP FOR QUESTIONS FROM, FROM THE COUNCIL.
I WANT TO SAY THAT I'M APPRECIATIVE OF THE REPORT THAT YOU ISSUED.
UH, IT'S, IT'S THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
UH, IT IS, IT IS COMPREHENSIVE AND IT TOUCHES LOTS OF DIFFERENT AREAS.
I EMPHASIZE THAT BECAUSE YOU'VE NOW OPENED THAT UP FOR THE COMMUNITY TO BE ABLE TO, TO WEIGH IN AND MAKE SUGGESTED CHANGES OR ADDITIONS OR WHATEVER.
UH, AND I APPRECIATE THAT, UH, IT'S POSTED IT'S ONLINE.
IT'S BACKED UP FOR THIS MEETING IN CASE ANYBODY WANTS TO BE ABLE TO WEIGH IN.
I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT THE URGENCY AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU'RE JUST GONNA CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD.
OBVIOUSLY, MANY OF THE THINGS IN YOUR OPINION THAT YOU'RE ALREADY DOING, AND I APPRECIATE THAT WORK.
UM, UH, AS, AS, AS WELL, OBVIOUSLY, UH, THIS COMMUNITY IS ONE THAT'S THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH, SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGES.
I HAD A CITIES ARE ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND SIMILAR POSITIONS.
UH, THERE'S AN URGENCY ASSOCIATED WITH THIS, AND I APPRECIATE THE SCOPE AND THE BREADTH, THE RESPONSE AFTER YOU GET COMMENTS FROM, FROM EVERYBODY ON IT, IF WE CAN GET A FEEL FOR TIMELINES AND WHO'S DOING WHAT OR PRIORITIZATIONS, THAT'D BE HELPFUL TOO, BUT THANK YOU FOR THIS WORK, UH,
[02:20:01]
QUESTIONS FOR OUR DIRECT AID COUNCIL MEMBER HARBOR MADISON, YOU'LL HAVE TO FORGIVE ME THERE.I'M GOING TO TRY TO TURN THE VOLUME UP AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
UM, SO I REALLY APPRECIATED THAT PRESENTATION.
THANK YOU, DOCTOR, UH, DIRECTOR HAYDEN.
UM, SO ALONG THE LINES OF THE CONVERSATION AROUND STRIKE TEAMS AND TASK FORCES, UM, I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT THERE'S THAT COMMUNITY QUARTERBACKS SORT OF COMPONENT.
UM, I THINK IT'S SUPER IMPORTANT.
SO LIKE WITH THE ASIAN ASIAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY, IT REALLY GOT TOGETHER AND WERE ABLE TO HELP TO TRANSLATE, YOU KNOW, COVID RELATED DOCUMENTS AND OVER A DOZEN DIALECTS.
UM, AND THAT WAS THE COMMUNITY WHO DID THAT.
AND SO I'D LIKE TO SEE IF WE CAN TAKE THAT A STEP FURTHER.
AND SO YOU SAID AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITIES, LATINO COMMUNITY AND ASIAN COMMUNITY ARE REPRESENTED BY THE STRIKE TEAM.
I WONDER IF, IF IT'S POSSIBLE FOR US TO ALSO HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE, UM, TO STAFF A STRIKE TEAM OR A TASK FORCE THAT WOULD ADDRESS THE IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE COMMUNITIES AND OFFER THEM A SIMILAR OPPORTUNITY TO, YOU KNOW, AMONGST THEMSELVES, LIKE, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE AFRICAN DIASPORA, FOR EXAMPLE, THERE'S SO MANY LANGUAGES, SO MANY DIALECTS, BUT IF WE ALLOW THE COMMUNITY TO, TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO, YOU KNOW, ADDRESS THE LINGUISTIC CHALLENGES THERE, I REALLY SEE THAT AS A, MAYBE A, AN OVERSIGHT ON OUR PART, YOU KNOW, THOSE COMMUNITIES THAT ARE THOSE SMALL POCKETS OF COMMUNITIES THAT JUST EITHER BY WAY OF LANGUAGE OR BY WAY OF OTHER, YOU KNOW, SORT OF INHERENT RELATED FEARS BEING IN THE IMMIGRANT OR REFUGEE POPULATIONS.
UM, SO YEAH, THAT WAS THE ONE THING I WANTED TO ADD TO THAT.
I HAVE, I HAVE NOTED, UM, YOUR REQUEST, OTHER QUESTIONS, COUNCILOR POOL.
HAYDEN TWO QUESTIONS REAL FAST.
UM, AS FAR AS THE INPUT FROM THE COMMUNITY, DID THEY, AUSTIN LATINO COALITION HELP, UM, PROVIDE SOME INPUT AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE, UM, THE DRAFT THAT YOU, THAT YOU, UH, CIRCULATED TO COUNCIL YESTERDAY AND PREVIOUSLY THAT WEEKEND? WHAT ROLE DID THEY PLAY? UM, THE, THEY DEPARTMENT MET WITH THE AUSTIN LATINO, UM, COALITION ON JUNE 2ND AND, UM, A TEAM OF US.
AND DURING THAT CONVERSATION, UM, THERE WERE SEVERAL RECOMMENDATIONS THAT THEY INITIALLY PROVIDED TO MAYOR AND COUNCIL, AND THEY SHARED THAT WITH US, THAT HE, THAT NIGHT.
AND, UM, BASICALLY WHAT WE WERE ABLE TO DETERMINE IS, IS THAT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THEY WERE REQUESTING, WE SHARED WITH THEM, THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE ARE CURRENTLY DOING.
UM, WE, WE DID IDENTIFY THAT NIGHT THAT, UM, MARIANNA WOULD, WOULD BE THE INDIVIDUAL THAT WILL CONTINUE TO ASSIST THEM.
SHE HAS GREAT RELATIONSHIPS WITH THEM.
WE HAD NOT, UM, IDENTIFIED THAT PUBLICLY.
UM, AND WE, UM, WE EMPHASIZE THAT WITH THE, WITH THE MEMO THAT CAME OUT, UM, IN JUNE, UM, THERE WERE SOME ADDITIONAL, UM, UM, RECOMMENDATIONS THAT THEY DID PROVIDE TO US.
AND, UM, WE HAD AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH STAFF THAT DID TAKE THAT TO THAT CONVENING THAT WAS HELD BY UT DELL MED.
SO YES, THEY PROVIDED SOME INFORMATION AND, UM, THOSE THINGS ARE CONSIDERED IN THE PLAN.
THERE WERE FOUR AREAS THAT THEY FOCUSED ON, I THINK ACCESS TO RESOURCES, PUBLIC OUTREACH, AND COMMUNICATIONS PREVENTION AND ACCOUNTABILITY.
AND I THINK THAT THE, UM, THE LEADERS FROM THE COMMUNITY, I HAVE A LIST HERE ABOUT 25 AND OF LIST OF THE COALITION ORGANIZATIONS OF ABOUT 13, WHICH IS A SIGNIFICANT SPAN THROUGHOUT OUR, OUR, OUR CITY ON THAT WE WOULD CONTINUE TO ASK FOR THEIR INPUT AND LEADERSHIP, WHICH I THINK THEY ARE WILLING TO PROVIDE.
UM, I'M ALSO LOOKING FOR WAYS TO MORE BROADLY AMPLIFY THE MESSAGES, UM, IN MY DISTRICT, UM, AS I'M DOING WITH, WITH OTHER MESSAGES AS WELL.
AND MMM, MAYBE THE REST OF THE DIOCESE CAN HELP WITH THAT AS WELL.
UH, WE GOT SOME INFORMATION FROM HISPANIC CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION WITH SOME VIDEOS THAT WOULD BE GOOD TO GET OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY.
AND THEN IT OCCURRED TO ME MY LAST POINT OR MY LAST QUESTION, AS FAR AS, UM, DOING THE TESTING AND SO FORTH.
AND I KNOW THAT THE TESTS ARE HARD TO COME BY, BUT, UM, ARE WE IN THE CASE OF THE ESSENTIAL WORKERS WHO ARE DOING CONSTRUCTION, ARE WE GOING TO THE CONSTRUCTION SITES TO DO THE TESTING, OR ARE WE ASKING THOSE WORKERS TO TAKE THEMSELVES TO A TESTING SITE?
[02:25:02]
WE HAVE DONE A COMBINATION OF BOTH.UM, WE'VE, WE'VE SENT, UM, OUR STAFF AND A TEAM OF FOLKS OUT TO CONSTRUCTION SITES.
UM, AND WE HAVE ALSO, UM, WORKED IN COLLABORATION WITH, UM, UH, THE LATINO, UH, UM, COALITION AS WELL AS, UM, UM, I'M, I'M BLANKING ON HIS LAST NAME, MR. UH, MR. KARMA CALL HIM MR. FRANK, UM, BECAUSE YES, A POINT TEST, UM, WITH MR. FONTEZ, UM, AS ON A, UM, WE SET UP A, UH, TESTING THAT THEY REALLY HELPED US TO FACILITATE, UM, AUSTIN, UM, AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH JUST MADE SURE THAT, UM, WE WERE ABLE TO DO THE TWO STEPS OF TESTING, THE ANTIBODY TESTING, AND, UM, AND THE PCR TESTING WERE AVAILABLE THAT DAY.
AND THAT WAS A, THAT WAS ACTUALLY A VERY SUCCESSFUL EVENT.
SO WE REALLY THANK OUR PARTNERS BECAUSE REALLY HONESTLY, WE NEED OUR PARTNERS.
AND SO FOR AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, THAT'S REALLY HOW WE OPERATE.
WE ALWAYS REACH OUT TO PARTNERS.
WE ALWAYS ASK THEM, YOU KNOW, HOW CAN YOU HELP US BECAUSE THEY HAVE RELATIONSHIPS THAT WE MAY NOT HAVE.
UM, AND SO WE ALSO KNOW THAT IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US BECAUSE WE ARE THE GOVERNMENT.
AND SO IT IS IMPORTANT FOR US TO PARTNER WITH COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS BECAUSE INDIVIDUALS MAY NOT WANT TO RECEIVE ASSISTANCE FROM THE, FROM THE CITY OF AUSTIN, BUT THEY WILL RECEIVE THAT ASSISTANCE FROM A PARTNER.
SO WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THEM, AND WE WILL BE REACHING OUT TO THE INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE SENT YOU THAT INFORMATION SO WE CAN LET THEM KNOW AND, UM, AND HOPE THEY WILL BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE WITH US.
AND THEN LET'S MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF OUR STAFF WHO ARE HELPING BEFORE LIAISON EFFORTS ARE EMPOWERED SUFFICIENTLY, UM, AND ACTUALLY HAS SOME AUTHORITY TO HELP WITH DECISION MAKING AS THEY CARRY THE MESSAGES BACK AND FORTH AND HELP WITH THE INTERPRETATION.
I AM REALLY PROUD OF THIS COMMUNITY FOR EVERYTHING THAT EVERYBODY'S DOING, GOING TO BAT TO TRY TO KEEP US SAFE AND HEALTHY.
AND IN PARTICULAR ARE ESSENTIAL.
WORKERS REALLY DO NEED EVERY BIT OF HELP THAT WE CAN PROVIDE BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO BE OUT THERE ON THE JOB DOING WORK.
AND THAT'S BOTH FOR FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY AND FOCUSED ON OUR STAFFS.
UH, YEAH, JUST, WELL, THANK YOU, DIRECTOR HAYDEN.
IT IS DEFINITELY A COMMUNITY WIDE EFFORT, UM, TRYING TO MEET, TRYING TO GET TO THESE COMMUNITIES THAT'S, YOU KNOW, WAS THE, WAS THE THINKING BEHIND RISE WAS TO WORK WITH PARTNERS WHO CAN REACH THE COMMUNITIES.
AND SO I'M GRATEFUL FOR ALL THE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, INCLUDING THE LATINO COALITION FOR, UM, THE WORK THEY'VE BEEN DOING TO SPREAD THE MESSAGE.
AND ALSO, UM, I KNOW THAT MY OFFICE HAS BEEN IN TOUCH WITH PUBLIC HEALTH AND DEPUTY CITY MANAGER REGATTA, AND, UM, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, CHRIS, SHORTER ON A PRETTY CONSISTENT BASIS.
UM, YOU KNOW, MAKING SURE THAT THAT, THAT WE'RE ADDRESSING THESE INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT ISSUES FOR THE LATINO COMMUNITY, JUST REALLY QUICKLY ABOUT THE STRIKE TEAMS. UM, JUST, I WANTED TO BE CLEAR THOSE ARE COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND, AND HOW, HOW MANY ARE THERE AND, AND HOW WILL THEY BE CHOSEN? WELL, WE, WE WILL, WE WILL HAVE A CONVERSATION.
UM, I WILL HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH, UM, WITH MARIANNE SANCHEZ TO GET HER THOUGHTS ABOUT, UM, HOW WE NEED TO PULL IT TOGETHER.
WE WANT TO BE AS FLEXIBLE AS WE CAN BE.
UM, WE DO UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, THAT THERE WILL BE SEVERAL INDIVIDUALS THAT WOULD LIKE TO ASSIST US.
AND SO WE'RE GOING TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN, EVEN IF WE HAVE A LARGER GROUP, IF WE HAVE TO SPLIT THEM UP AND SAY, OKAY, CAN, CAN YOUR GROUP WORK ON TESTING IN YOUR GROUP, WORK ON CONTACT TRACING AND BE ABLE TO MAKE ASSIGNMENTS, BUT WE WANT TO MOVE AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN.
UM, UM, THE, UH, LATINO, UM, WE WERE WORKING ON SCHEDULING A MEETING NEXT WEEK TO ALSO HEAR FROM THEM AS WELL.
AND WHAT THEY TALKED ABOUT IS, IS MAYBE A SUBSET FROM THAT GROUP, UM, WITH, YOU KNOW, W WOULD PARTICIPATE IN A SYSTEM.
AND SO WE'RE JUST HAVING DIFFERENT DISCUSSIONS, BUT WE ARE GOING TO MOVE.
UM, WE'RE GOING TO MOVE PRETTY QUICKLY.
WE'RE 90 MINUTES AWAY FROM THE PUBLIC SAFETY MEETING.
WE STILL HAVE SPEAKERS, BUT APPARENTLY THEY'RE GETTING A LITTLE RESTLESS.
YOU'RE GOING TO BE MOVING QUICKLY FORWARD WITH A LOT OF WHAT'S IN THE REPORT,
[02:30:01]
LIKE THE SICK WORKER CENTER AND, UM, AND OTHER THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT I THINK ARE REALLY IMPORTANT.UM, MY QUESTION WAS, I KNOW THAT THE TECH YOU'VE DONE A LOT OF TECH UPGRADES, HOW LONG, AND NOW ARE PEOPLE HAVING TO WAIT.
NOW, IF THEY HAVE SYMPTOMS OR ARE VULNERABLE, IF THEY SIGN UP FOR A TEST WITH US, AND WHAT, IF ANYTHING, CAN WE DO TO GET THAT DOWN TO THE LEVEL THAT WE NEED? WELL, I, I WILL TELL YOU, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE MADE SOME ADJUSTMENTS TO THE SYSTEM, BUT WE'VE ALSO, UM, WE ARE REALLY, REALLY EMPHASIZING FOR THOSE COMMUNITY SITES, UM, THAT INDIVIDUALS THAT DON'T HAVE INSURANCE, UM, WE'RE WANTING THEM TO CONTACT THEIR PROVIDER AND GO THERE.
AND SO, UM, SO THAT LEAVES US STILL A COUPLE OF DAYS OUT.
UM, CURRENTLY WE'RE, WE'RE STILL ONLY PROVIDING THE GAZE WORTH OF TESTING AT THE COMMUNITY, UM, AT OUR COMMUNITY SITE.
AND SO, AS WE'RE LOOKING AT, UM, STANDING UP OTHER COMMUNITY SITES, THAT WAS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE STOOD UP THE OTHER, THE OTHER THREE LOCATIONS ON MONDAY, BECAUSE THAT IS NOT A DAY THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY TESTING AS ST JOHN'S.
AND SO WE'RE, WE'RE JUST CONTINUING TO WORK THROUGH THAT.
UM, IT'S JUST GOING TO KIND OF TAKE US A LITTLE TIME, BUT THAT IS OUR PRIORITY TO BE ABLE TO GET FOLKS IN AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, UM, BECAUSE WE DID MAKE THAT CHANGE TO OUR, WITH OUR SYSTEM.
SO IT'S CURRENTLY TAKING TWO, YOU CURRENTLY CAN GET AN APPOINTMENT WITHIN TWO DAYS.
IS THAT WHAT YOU SAID? AND THEN HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE FOR THE TEST TO GET BACK? UM, TYPICALLY IT'S ABOUT THREE TO FIVE DAYS, RIGHT? AND IF WE WANT TO BRING THAT NUMBER DOWN, WE NEED TO KEEP EMPHASIZING.
IF YOU HAVE INSURANCE THAT THE FREE TEST FROM YOUR PRIVATE CLINIC, THESE TESTING SITES ARE BEST FOR THE PEOPLE WHO DON'T HAVE INSURANCE.
IT'S THE MOST USEFUL THING WE CAN DO.
AND THEN JUST, UH, THREE QUICK COMMENTS.
HEAD, UM, IN TERMS OF, UM, IN TERMS OF WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH THE NURSING HOME TESTING, ARE WE, UM, CONTINUING TO, UH, INCREASE THE TESTING AT ASSISTED LIVING FACILITIES? OR ARE WE MAKING PROGRESS ON TESTING ALL OF THE ASSISTED LIVING FACILITIES? I KNOW WE HAD TO PRIORITIZE, AND I THINK AT OUR LAST REPORT, THERE WERE NINE OF THEM.
I HAD TESTED, ARE WE CONTINUING TO MAKE PROGRESS THERE? WAIT, WE ARE CONTINUING TO, UM, TO TEST, UM, AT THE ASSISTANT, UM, UM, AT THE LONGTERM CARE ASSISTED LIVING FACILITIES.
UM, WHAT WE HAVE, UH, HAVE DECIDED TO DO IS, UM, IS SLOW THAT PROCESS DOWN AND, AND LOOK AT, UM, BASED UPON OUR TESTING PLAN, BECAUSE WE NEED TO REPEAT WHENEVER THERE IS A CLUSTER OF THREE, WE'RE NEEDING TO REPEAT THOSE.
AND SO THAT IS HOW WE ARE OPERATING OFF OF THE PLAN.
SO UNLIKE HOW WE JUST KIND OF WENT THROUGH AND JUST BE AT ALL OF THE SITES ALL AT ONCE, UM, WE DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO THAT.
UM, WHAT WE'RE FINDING IS, IS, IS BETTER FOR US.
I THINK WE MAY HAVE LOST TOO, OR IS THAT BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO BY ADDING ADDITIONAL THOSE STRIKE TEAMS THAT ARE OUT THERE NOW.
UM, AND SO THAT PROCESS IS, IS WORKING BETTER FOR US.
WELL, I'LL FOLLOW UP WITH YOU AFTERWARDS.
I'D LIKE TO TALK TO YOU IN MORE DETAIL.
UH, I CONTINUE TO BE CONCERNED THAT WE HAVEN'T REACHED OUT TO ALL THE ASSISTED LIVING CENTERS.
AND SO WE'D JUST LIKE TO HAVE A FURTHER CONVERSATION AT THAT AND WE'LL GET THAT SET UP.
SO, UM, SO THEN THE, JUST A COUPLE OF QUICK COMMENTS, UM, I THINK I HEARD, YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU CONTINUING TO LOOK AT OTHER SITES FOR TESTING.
UM, I WANT TO CONTINUE TO MENTION SEVEN EIGHT, SEVEN, FOUR FIVE.
THERE ARE PORTIONS OF SEVEN, EIGHT, SEVEN, FOUR, FIVE THAT ARE HIGH RISK OR, UH, WHERE YOU HAVE, UH, A GREATER LA LATINEX POPULATION.
AND, UM, AND SO I'M HOPING THAT'S ON THAT'S IN LINE TO BE CONSIDERED VERY QUICKLY.
AND SO I WILL FOLLOW UP WITH YOU AFTERWARDS ON THAT ONE.
I ALSO WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU, AS YOU PUT TOGETHER THE TASK FORCE THAT YOU THINK IN TERMS OF, UM, UH, OF A REAL, A REAL DECISION MAKING KIND OF INPUT, UH, FOR, UM, FOR THESE GROUPS, SO THAT, UH, THAT THEY CAN ACTUALLY ENGAGE MORE, UM, IN THE PROCESS, I THINK ENGAGING IN DECISION MAKING IS IMPORTANT.
UM, AND THEN FINALLY THIS MIGHT BE SOMETHING
[02:35:01]
FOR LATER CONVERSATION MAYOR, BUT, UM, WE HAD SOME, WE HAD A RECOMMENDATION EARLIER OR A THOUGHT EARLIER FROM DR.SCOTT ABOUT POTENTIALLY MOVING BACK TO PHASE ONE.
AND SO AT SOME POINT I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE IMPACT THAT THAT MIGHT HAVE ON OUR SMALL BUSINESSES AND WHAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO, IF, IF THAT IS THE ROUTE THAT THE CITY IS GOING TO GO, HOW WE MIGHT, UM, UH, ADDRESS THAT INPUT IMPACT WITH THE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE AND THE FUNDS THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH.
SO I DON'T MAY, OR WHEN IS THAT A LATER, OR IS THERE AN APPROPRIATE TIME TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION WHERE TOUCH ON THAT? WHEN WE STARTED TALKING ABOUT ITEMS NUMBER TWO AND THREE, AND TALKING ABOUT THE OPERATIVE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW AND GOING BACK TO PHASE ONE, THE TAKING RESTAURANTS AND RETAIL FROM HOW RIGHT NOW TO 25%, THAT'S THE OPERATIVE CHANGE.
I JUST WANT TO, WE CAN HAVE THIS CONVERSATION LATER.
I WANT TO HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT THE, UM, THE IMPACT ON RESTAURANTS IN PARTICULAR DOING THAT AND, AND THE EXTENT TO WHICH WE CAN HELP THEM OUT WITH THAT IN IMPACT.
DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING YOU'RE ON MUTE? I WANTED TO ASK, UM, DIRECTOR HAYDEN WHEN SHE HAS A MEETING THIS AFTERNOON MMM.
WITH ASKED ME TO MAKE SURE THAT SHE CLARIFIES SOME OF THE DETAILS ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED, UM, OR WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON AT THE, AT THE LIBRARY, UM, AS WELL AS, UM, HELPING TO BETTER COMMUNICATE OUR GUIDELINES ABOUT PHYSICALLY REPORTING TO WORK WHILE WAITING FOR A TEST, UM, OR AS WELL, UM, THE SITUATION WITH, UM, YOU KNOW, IF, IF YOU'VE BEEN EXPOSED AND, AND WHAT THOSE RULES ARE, UM, AS THEY'VE CHANGED SINCE APRIL.
UM, AND THEN I DID WANT TO ASK, UM, DIRECTOR HAYES, IF SHE COULD PLEASE SPEAK TO WHAT MECHANISMS EMPLOYEE HAVE, IF THEY'RE CONCERNED THAT MASKS ARE NOT BEING ENFORCED IN YOUR WORKPLACE.
YOU DON'T HEAR, UM, I, IF AN EMPLOYEE FEELS LIKE SOMEONE IS NOT WEARING MASK, THEY CAN REPORT IT IMMEDIATELY TO THEIR SUPERVISOR.
ALL EMPLOYEES ARE REQUIRED TO WEAR MASKS AND SPACES OF OFFICE SPACES AND AREAS WHERE THEY HAVE TO COME INTO WORK.
UM, MANAGERS ARE REQUIRED TO ADDRESS ANY EMPLOYEE WHO IS NOT WEARING MASK, UM, IN THE CASES THAT HAVE BEEN REPORTED TO US, WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH THE MANAGERS, UM, AND ASKED ME BECAUSE SOME OF THOSE EMPLOYEES ARE ALSO REPRESENTED BY THEM TO WORK TOGETHER, TO ENSURE THAT WE WERE MAKING SURE THAT EMPLOYEES ARE WEARING THEIR MASK.
WE ARE ESTABLISHING PROTOCOLS FOR DISCIPLINE, THAT EMPLOYEES FAIL TO WEAR THEIR MASK IN THE CURRENT SPACE.
AND THEN JUST ONE LAST COMMENT ON, UM, THE TASK FORCE.
UM, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, EXTENSIVE ENGAGEMENT DOES NOT GET IN THE WAY OF ACTION.
WE NEED TO ACT NOW AND WE NEED TO BE, YOU KNOW, MOVING FORWARD AND PRIORITIZING.
AND, AND SO I JUST WANTED TO UNDERSCORE THAT, THAT I HOPE THAT WE WILL NOT MMM.
GET DERAILED FROM TAKING ACTIONS THAT NEED TO TAKE HAPPEN.
SO I HAVEN'T SAID ANYTHING ALL MORNING BECAUSE I REALLY WANT US TO GET TO THE REST OF THE STUFF WE ALL HAVE TO DO TODAY.
THIS, THIS SITUATION I'M FRANKLY, VERY PROUD OF WHAT THE STAFF IS DOING AND MAYOR WHAT YOU WERE DOING, TRYING TO HELP LEAD THE CITY THROUGH A VERY CHALLENGING SITUATION.
I MEAN, WE DON'T EVEN HAVE THE WORDS ANYMORE TO DESCRIBE THIS THING THAT WE'RE GOING THROUGH.
I REALLY HOPE THAT THE STAFF IS, OR CAN FIND A WAY TO BE MORE PROACTIVE WITH COUNCIL OFFICES, TO ENGAGE US AND HOW TO REACH OUT TO OUR COMMUNITIES.
NORMALLY WHEN WE'RE MAKING POLICY, IT'S THE OTHER WAY AROUND, WE COME TO THE STAFF, WE SAY, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE THINKING.
IT'S JUST NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR THIS SITUATION.
THIS EVERYTHING'S UPSIDE DOWN.
AND I HAVE ALL THE FAITH IN THE WORLD IN MAYOR ADLER IN REPRESENTING THE UNIFIED PERSPECTIVE OF THIS COUNCIL THAT WE NEED TO TAKE EVERY PRECAUTION AND EVERY MEASURE REQUIRED IN ORDER TO PROTECT THIS COMMUNITY AND KEEP PEOPLE ALIVE.
AND SO I, I, I NEED TO HEAR FROM STAFF AND NOT RIGHT NOW, BUT YOU KNOW, ON A REGULAR BASIS, SHOULD I BE CALLING MY FAITH LEADERS IN MY DISTRICT? SHOULD I BE TALKING TO, UH, SMALL GROUPS OF BUSINESS OWNERS? SHOULD I BE CONVENING TOWN HALLS IN MY DISTRICT? WHAT, HOW CAN I HELP? BECAUSE YOU ARE GOING TO KNOW WHERE THE HOTSPOTS ARE.
I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE HOTSPOTS ARE.
YOU ARE GOING TO KNOW WHERE EDUCATION IS USEFUL OR WHERE EDUCATION IS SCREAMING INTO THE NOTHINGNESS.
MY, MY BOYFRIEND WORKS FOR HED.
HE'S ON THE FRONT LINE OF THIS.
YOU KNOW, WE TALK ABOUT MEDICAL WORKERS, BUT
[02:40:01]
THERE'S ALSO THESE ESSENTIAL WORKERS THAT HELP KEEP FOOD ON THE TABLE.THEY ARE NOT EQUIPPED TO ENFORCE A MASK ORDER.
IT IS NOT THE JOB THEY SIGNED UP FOR.
AND IT IS, IT IS, IT IS PAINFUL FOR ME TO HEAR THE PLAY BY PLAY ABOUT WHAT'S BEING EXPERIENCED BY OUR ESSENTIAL WORKERS WHO ARE NOT, WHO ARE NOT IN A SITUATION TO BE ENFORCING ORDER.
SO, SO MANAGER, I WANT TO SEE THE STAFF BE MORE PROACTIVE WITH MY OFFICE, AT LEAST, AND HOPEFULLY WITH ALL OF US AND NOT WAIT FOR COUNSEL TO TELL YOU WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN.
I THINK WE KNOW WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN.
AND AGAIN, MY TRUST MIRROR OUT THERE TO, TO RESPECT AND TO REFLECT THOSE WISHES.
GREAT, THANK YOU FOR OPENING THAT DOOR CUSTOMER.
WE WILL JUMP ON THAT AND WE'D APPRECIATE, APPRECIATED THE WAY THAT COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE AMPLIFIED THE MESSAGES THAT WE'RE TRYING TO PUT OUT THERE.
BUT WE, AS YOU, AS YOU MENTIONED, NOW'S THE TIME TO EVEN GET THAT FURTHER AND WE WILL BE FOLLOWING UP WITH EACH OF YOUR OFFICES IN WAYS THAT MAKE SENSE FOR YOU.
I JUST, UH, THIS IS KATHY TURBO.
I JUST WANTED TO TALK ABOUT OUR SCHEDULE A LITTLE BIT.
I THINK YOU SAID EARLIER THAT WE HAD 30 SPEAKERS AT TWO MINUTES, EACH THAT'S AN HOUR.
UM, WE DO HAVE ANOTHER MEETING SCHEDULED TO START AT TWO, AND IT WASN'T CLEAR TO ME IF WE HAD AN EXECUTIVE SESSION SCHEDULED FOR TODAY TOO.
SO I THINK WE, I THINK WE JUST NEED TO TAKE STOCK OF WHERE WE ARE AND, AND LET PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT WHETHER IT'S EVEN FEASIBLE TO HAVE A PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE MEETING TODAY, GIVEN THE TIME AND GIVEN THE PUBLIC STILL HASN'T PROVIDED INPUT ON THE IFC.
WE ONLY HAVE ABOUT HALF THE NUMBER OF REPUBLIC THAT SIGNED UP TO SPEAK.
SO I THINK WE'RE ABOUT 30 MINUTES MAYBE INTO THAT.
UH, SO I THINK WE COULD START ON THAT.
IT WOULD TAKE US TO THE LEFT OR ONE, I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH DISCUSSION THERE IS ON ITEMS TWO AND THREE.
UH, BASICALLY THOSE ARE INTENDED TO SET UP A FRAMEWORK TO SUPPORT THE EXISTING ORDERS THAT WE HAVE.
MY HOPE IS WE WOULD BE ABLE TO MOVE RELATIVELY QUICKLY.
I THINK THAT WHAT'S GOING TO BE COMPROMISED HERE IS THE BREAK FOR LUNCH.
UH, BY COUNCIL, I WOULD CONTINUE TO KIND OF PUSH US THROUGH THE SPEAKERS HERE AND TRY TO PRESERVE THAT AS BEST WE CAN IF THAT'S SOME PER CABINET.
SO JUST TWO SECOND COMMENT, UM, TOUCHING ON SOMETHING THAT COUNSELOR KITCHEN SAID ABOUT, UM, TWO OF THE ZIP CODES.
WE HAD MENTIONED THIS AT THE LAST MEETING, UM, FOUR OR FIVE AND FOUR EIGHT TOUCH EACH OTHER.
AND SO IF PUBLIC HEALTH CAN GIVE US AN UPDATE ON, ON, UM, A LOCATION FOR THE ASSESSING LOCATION FOR THAT AREA.
UM, LIKE PRESCOTT DIRECTOR, HAYDEN.
LET'S MOVE TO ITEMS TWO AND THREE.
YOU HAVE SOME PEOPLE THAT ARE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK.
UH, I'M TRYING TO, UM, CALL THEM, MAN.
IF YOU CAN GIVE US ONE SECOND SO WE CAN MOVE THEM IN TO THE AUDIO FOR CHAMBERS.
IT'S MY INTENT TO CALL IN IS 200, 300.
PLEASE ENTER A CONFERENCE BECAUSE OF THE NUMBER OF SPEAKERS WE HAVE.
WE DON'T HAVE THAT COMMERCIAL SERVICE COVERING ORGANIZER PRESS.
PLEASE WAIT FOR THE LEADER TO YOU ARE NOW JOINING THE MEETING.
OKAY, LET ME GO AHEAD AND CALL THE SPEAKERS.
EVERYBODY GETS TWO MINUTES TO SPEAK ON BOTH ITEMS TO AGREE.
CALL UP AT THE SAME TIME IS PATRICK MCGALL HERE? YES.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE A FEW QUICK POINTS AND I APPRECIATE Y'ALL JUST A QUICK LITTLE UPDATE FROM JULY 8TH, THEM AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION AND PBS ARTICLE.
FOLLOWING THAT THERE HAVE BEEN 35 STATES THAT HAVE AN INCREASED RATE OF OVERDOSES DURING THE PANDEMIC THAT'S JUST OPIOID RELATED.
AND THEN ALSO THERE'S A, UH, STATISTICS THAT ARE OUT TODAY.
I'M IN PENDING CONSEQUENCES OF THE INITIAL LOCKDOWN, UM, IN REGARDS TO SUICIDE AND THE MENTAL HEALTH TOLL THAT FURTHER LOCKDOWNS WILL HAVE, UM, MODELS HAVE SHOWN ON THIS ARTICLE THAT THERE COULD BE A 5,000 TO 7,000 MORE SUICIDES THIS YEAR ALONE DUE TO THE LOCKDOWNS AND THE, AND THE HOW AND THE TOLL THAT TAKES ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF INDIVIDUALS THAT EXPERIENCED PRIOR CONDITIONS.
UM, AT FIRST AS ARE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES BECAUSE IN MARCH AND APRIL, WE DIDN'T REALLY KNOW WHAT THIS WAS, BUT AS WE CONTINUE AND WE ARE LOOKING AT, SO THEY'RE LOCKED DOWN, THOSE WILL NO LONGER BE UNINTENDED DUE TO THE FACT THAT WE KNOW THAT THESE ARE ON THE RISE AND WITHOUT HAVING ANYBODY SPEAK TO ANY OF THAT TODAY, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE SUPPORTS AND MENTAL HEALTH.
AND THEN I JUST WANTED TO POINT THAT OUT THE MENTAL HEALTH COMPONENT
[02:45:01]
OF THIS HASN'T BEEN MENTIONED AT ALL, NOR HAS THE SUBSTANCE ABUSE.UM, I THINK I HEARD THAT SCOTT SAY THAT DOCTOR HAS GOT THEM CHARGED, SIR, THAT'S THE GENERAL PUBLIC DEATH RATE IS AROUND 1.7% AT THE NURSING HOMES.
THERE'S ABOUT 22% IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
AND SO SLAMMING ON THE BRAKES AND, AND FORCING AN ENTIRE CITY LOCKDOWN, I'M NOT EVEN TALKING TO ECONOMIC TOOL, THAT'S GOING TO TAKE IT.
DOES IT MAKE ACTUAL SENSE TO DO SO? UM, AND THOSE QUESTIONS THAT I KNOW THAT I DON'T HAVE TO AGREE WITH A LOT OF WHAT WE DO IN THE CITY, BUT I, IT DOES NOT MAKE SENSE TO ME.
THAT IS SOMETHING I, SOMETHING THAT HAS IS SELLING 1.7% OF THE PEOPLE I'M IN.
AND THAT COULD BE LOWER DUE TO THE FACT THAT IF I MADE SYMPTOMATIC, I'VE NEVER BEEN TESTED AND WHICH WE THINK IS A HIGH LIKELIHOOD.
THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE WITH NATHAN SPORADIC, IT COULD BE UNDER A PERCENT OF THE PEOPLE THAT ACTUALLY DIED.
AND SO I WANT TO END WITH THE IDEA OF FINDING THINGS.
THAT LIST IS A PANDEMIC DISEASE THAT IS ONLY WITH A MORTALITY RATE THAT COULD BE POTENTIALLY UNDER 1%.
IS IT OUR COMMUNITY ECONOMICS? THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR TWO MINUTES.
UM, THE FIRST TIME I'VE SPOKEN TO COUNCIL QUITE SOME TIME, AND I HAVEN'T SPOKEN TO THE TEN ONE NEW COUNCIL.
WE HAD HOPED THAT THERE WOULD BE REPRESENTATION OF A DIVERSE POLITICAL BACKGROUND.
UM, AT THAT TIME WE ALSO HOPED THAT THERE WOULD BE REPRESENTATION OF DIFFERENT VIEWS WHEN IT COMES TO HEALTH.
AND AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, IN AUSTIN, THERE'S A VERY STRONG POPULATION OF NATURAL HEALTH ADVOCATES, HOLISTIC HEALTH FOLKS, AND MANY OF US FEEL THAT THE RESPONSE TO THE COVID EPIDEMIC IS IN LARGE PART BACKWARDS.
ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS IS THE INSISTENCE ON STAYING AT HOME AND CLOSING THE PARKS, WHICH I THINK FRANKLY IS ONE OF THE WORST THINGS THAT YOU COULD DO.
THERE'S SO MANY STUDIES NOW SHOWING THAT PEOPLE ARE LIKELY TO HAVE WORSE OUTCOMES FROM COVID TO HAVE A VITAMIN B TO FISH, GET READY TO RECORD AND TO ENJOY OUTDOORS.
IF, IF PEOPLE COULD TURN OFF MUTE THEIR PHONES, EVERYBODY THAT'S ON THE LINE NEEDS TO MUTE THEIR PHONE, BUT GO AHEAD, MR. BUSH FINISH.
AND ON TOP OF THAT, DEFINITELY NOT FINISHED.
THERE'S AN OBSESSIVE COMPULSION FOR WALKING.
HANNONS REALLY DISRUPTING THE BIOME AND OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE, WITH THE BIOME AND OUR IMMUNE SYSTEM AS WELL.
THIS, IN FACT, IN THE HOME AS WELL, IT'S ONLY NATURAL THAT PEOPLE WILL GET SICK WHEN THEY'RE FINALLY ABLE TO LEAVE THEIR HOUSE.
AND THEN I FOUND IT OFFENSIVE THAT DR.
S SAID, THERE'S NO DEBATE OR DISCUSSION ON THE MAT.
OBVIOUSLY THERE IS WHEN THERE'S PEOPLE THAT AREN'T WEARING THEM WHEN THERE'S PEOPLE THAT ARE OPPOSING IT WHEN THERE'S PROTESTS TAKING PLACE.
SO IT'S BAD PUBLIC POLICY TO INSIST ON SHUTTING DOWN ANY DISCOURSE WHEN IT COMES TO THE DEATH, THERE'S AN OBVIOUS DECLINE.
THERE'S A MASSIVE INCREASE IN THE IS.
THERE'S ALSO A BIG INCREASE IN TESTING, BUT THERE'S A MASSIVE DECLINE IN THE DEATH.
AND WHEN IT'S ESTIMATED THAT THE MORTALITY RATE IN AUSTIN IS 1%, WELL, THE CDC BELIEVES THAT THERE'S 10 TIMES MORE PEOPLE THAT ARE INFECTED, THAT WE JUST HAVEN'T TESTED.
SO WHEN YOU USE THOSE NUMBERS, THE CASE FATALITY RATE ACTUALLY COMES OUT TO CLOSER TO 0.1, TWO, WHICH IS IN LINE WITH OTHER RANDOM ANTIBODY TESTS THAT HAVE TAKEN PLACE ACROSS THE COUNTRY IN MIAMI LA COUNTY A LINE.
SO IT'S NOT IN LINE WITH NOT TO MENTION ALL OF THAT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR PARTICIPATING.
NEXT SPEAKER IS, UH, UH, GABE COLEMAN.
SEE, I'M JUST APPALLED HOW YOU JUST RUSHING PEOPLE BY THESE QUESTIONS HERE.
BUT WHAT THE PRIOR SPEAKER WAS TALKING ABOUT IS EXACTLY ON POINT OR Y'ALL MORE CONCERNED WITH THE DEATH RATE OR THE CASES, BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE YOU'RE TRYING TO COORDINATE THESE THINGS WHERE THEY, OR THE SAME THING.
AND THEY HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH EACH OTHER CASES AND CASUALTY RATE.
AND ALL THE OTHER DOING IS SPREADING FEAR, FEAR, FEAR.
AND YOU ACTUALLY TRY AND PUT ALL THIS FEAR ABOUT, LIKE, IF YOU GET IT, YOU'RE GOING TO DIE.
AND STEVE Y'ALL ARE JUST LYING.
YOU ASK YOU LIARS, I'M NOT CALLING ALL OF YOUR LIVES, BUT YOU ARE IS, YOU'RE A LIAR.
AND YOU'RE DESTROYING OUR ECONOMY, YOU KNOW, AND YOU'RE INTO ALL THIS, YOU KNOW, EYES WIDE SHUT STATUSY FACE MASK BEING RED CLOAK, STEVE, THAT'S RIDICULOUS.
YOU KNOW, ALL, YOU'RE TRYING TO SHUT IT DOWN WITH A MASK AND IT'S A LIE, YOU KNOW, AND I KNOW IT'S A LIE AND YOU'RE DOING IT BECAUSE IT'S A POLITICAL YEAR.
YOU HATE THIS GODDESS IN THE OFFICE.
OH MY GOD, THIS THING I'LL PROBABLY GET BARELY INTO MAYBE KIM, MAYBE ELLEN TRUCKS, MAYBE WHAT'S THE NAME OF THE GUY, KEN CASSIDY.
[02:50:01]
AND THE FIRST THING YOU DO IS CLEAN THE CITY UP.NEVER GOT TO SEE HER AND WAIT FOR YOU FOR TOO MANY YEARS TO YOU'RE OUTTA HERE.
I TELL YOU WHAT, MAN, THIS THING'S GOTTA STOP.
THE FIRST THING I WOULD DO IS PROBABLY KICK YOU OUT OF THE W THAT'S THE FIRST THING I WOULD DO THE SECOND DAY, I WOULD CLEAN UP THE CITY.
THE THIRD THING, GIVE THE PLACE A RAISE THE FOURTH THING, GET OUR EDUCATION SYSTEM BACK INTO ORDER.
YOU KNOW, A MATTER OF FACT, I THINK I'M GOING TO RUN FOR MAYOR.
ALL I GOTTA DO IS GET THE HOMELESS BEHIND ME.
I'LL PROBABLY GET ME AN OFFICE, MAN, BUT THAT'S WHAT I'M GOING TO CLEAN UP THE CITY.
LET EVERYBODY KNOW THIS IS A LIE.
WE NEED TO OPEN THINGS BACK UP, KEEP THEM OPEN, GET BACK TO BUSINESS.
PRETTY SIMPLE, PRETTY SIMPLE, BUT YOU AND ALL YOUR EYES WIDE SHUT CALL AND YOU DON'T WANT TO DO IT IN SPANISH.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION.
IS JACOB PIERCE HERE? JACOB PIERCE.
MAYOR ADLER MAYOR PRETEND DELI GARSA COUNCIL MEMBERS.
MADISONS HAD BEEN OVER ANTERIOR, GREG CASARA AND KITCHENS.
JOYCE AND OTHERS IN ATTENDANCE TODAY.
MY NAME IS ISA BELINDA'S THERAPIST.
WHEN I SIGN UP TO SPEAK TO AGENDA, NUMBER THREE, TO DISCUSS AN ACT ON AN ACCORDANCE, AUTHORIZED THE HEALTH AUTHORITY TO ADOPT RULES, TO PROTECT INDIVIDUALS FROM COVID-19 CREATING AN OFFENSE AND PENALTY.
AND WE PLAY A LITTLE EMERGENCY.
I WISH TO CLARIFY THAT I AM FOR AGENDA THREE.
IF THE RECOMMENDATIONS BY ARTS IN PUBLIC HEALTH BASED ON DUTIES, MODERN TEAM LED BY DR.
MYERS AND FROM OTHER HEALTH LEADERS ARE IN THE BEST INTEREST OF ALL CITIZENS.
I ALSO WANT TO ADD THAT AFTER THE UPDATED DATA FROM UTS MODELING, THE TEAM RECEIVED YESTERDAY, IF POINTS TO A RECOMMENDATION OF A 35 DAY SHUTDOWN, THEN IT DOES A SCOTT AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY, INTERIM HEALTH AUTHORITY RECOMMENDS A 35 DAY SHUTDOWN.
I AM IN SUPPORT OF THAT RECOMMENDATION.
MY CONCERN IS BOTH AS AN AUSTIN INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT TEACHER AND PARENT OF TWO SCHOOL AGED CHILDREN.
ONE 13 YEARS OLD, AND THE OTHER SIX YEARS OLD, I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE MY 13 YEAR OLD, HAD A FEVER LAST WEEK.
AND WE TOOK HIM TO GET TESTED FOR COVID-19 WHILE HIS FEVER BROKE.
WE STILL DO NOT HAVE TEST RESULTS.
BACK AFTER A CONVERSATION MAYOR ADLER HAD WITH AS THE SUPERINTENDENT DR.
PAUL CRUZ, THERE WAS DISCUSSION OF USING THE 35 DAY MODEL, A SHUTDOWN TO LOWER THE COVID-19 NUMBERS PER THE DUTY MODEL.
IF WE WERE TO GO TO A MENTOR SHUT DOWN FOR 35 DAYS, THE NUMBERS WOULD DROP ENOUGH TO JUSTIFY POTENTIALLY REOPENING SCHOOLS IN AUGUST 18TH, FOR INPUTS AND TEACHING AND LEARNING ON CAMPUSES.
AFTER THE SHUTDOWN WILL PROVIDE A FALSE SENSE OF SAFETY IN REOPENING AND RETURNING TO SCHOOLS.
I STAND IN SOLIDARITY WITH MY UNION EDUCATION AUSTIN IN DEMANDING THAT WE DO NOT RETURN TO COUNSELORS FOR THE FIRST NINE WEEKS OF THE SCHOOL YEAR.
AND SO WE HAVE A TRUE SENSE THAT THE COVID-19 RACE IN OUR CITY MAINTAINS ITSELF WITHOUT A SHUTDOWN OR STAY HER BROTHER, TEXAS MADE THE MISTAKE OF OPENING TOO QUICKLY.
AFTER THE FIRST DAY HOME ORDER ON MAY 1ST MASTER NOT MANDATORY AND RATE INCREASE OF JUNE.
THE DISSIPATING X SPEAKER IS BARBARA BUCKLIN IS MS. BLACKLINE HERE.
WHAT ABOUT OWEN SHROYER? WHEN I CALL YOUR NAME, DON'T FORGET TO UNMUTE.
DO YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES HAVING FUN PLAYING TYRA'S UP HERE.
THE DISREGARD, BUT THIS CITY COUNCIL HAS FOR ITS CITIZENS IS OBVIOUS AND CONCERNING.
AND THIS ONE TERRY AND MR. ASCOT AND HIS TOTALITARIAN RHETORIC IS QUITE HEAVILY OFFENSIVE.
BUT THIS MASS MANDATE, WHICH IS NOT LEGAL FIRST, WE'RE TOLD BY THE SURGEON GENERAL NOTCH, WHERE MASS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DODGY MASS, WHERE MASS WAS TOLD BY THE CDC NOT TO WEAR A MASK, EVEN ADD THIS ON THEIR WEBSITE.
WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT? THE MASK DOES NOT EVEN STOP THAT SCIENCE.
SO WHY ARE YOU TELLING US TO READ THE BOXES? GET THE MASKS, COME IN AND SAY HE DOES NOT STOP.
WHY ARE YOU TELLING US THIS? IN FACT, THE MASK HAS NEGATIVE HEALTH EFFECTS.
YOU BREATHE IN TOXIC LEVELS OF CARBON DIOXIDE.
WHEN YOU TAKE THE TIME, I'LL SPARE YOU THE DETAIL, BUT YOU CAN FIND THIS IT'S OUT THERE.
NOW, FIRST, WHEN WE HAD TO SHUT DOWN MONTHS AGO, INSTEAD OF HOME, WHAT DID HE TOLD? OH, THIS IS A DEADLY VIRUS.
WE NOW KNOW THAT IT'S LESS DEADLY BY THE NUMBERS THAN THE SEASONAL FLU AND HOW MS. ASCOT EARLIEST THING THAT WE JUST IGNORE THE MATH, THE MATH DOESN'T MATTER.
WHAT IS THIS? 1980S MOVING? THAT DOES MATTER.
[02:55:01]
SEASONAL FLU.SO EVERYTHING WE'RE TALKING SHOULD BE KNOWING RIGHT NOW, CAN WE BE SHUTTING DOWN AND SEEING LIFE THIS WAY FOR THE SEASONAL FLU EVERY YEAR SHOULD WE'VE BEEN LIVING? I BELIEVE IN LIVING WRONG.
THE LITTLE TIME IS THIS THE NEW NORMAL AND THIS WHOLE THING ABOUT CASES, GAME UP THE RIDER CASES UP BECAUSE EVERYONE'S GETTING TESTED.
THIS IS YOU CAN TEST EVERYONE IN THE CITY FOR HERPES AND HERPES TASTES IS BE GOING UP AS WELL.
WOULD YOU HAVE A NATIONAL SHUTDOWN AND TELL PEOPLE TO STOP KISSING AND GOING OUT? AND BY THE WAY, THE TESTS ARE NOT EVEN A HUNDRED PERCENT ACCURATE.
SO WHO KNOWS WHAT THE REAL THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
MR. SHROYER IS JAMES SCHEMA HERE.
SKYBAR BY CALLING YOUR NAME, YOU MAY HAVE TO UNMUTE IS MARY MOORE HERE? WHAT ABOUT GARY MOORE? WHAT ABOUT CAROL? MID BO CAROL MID BO.
MY NAME IS GARY MULATTO RESIDE IN AUSTIN.
I OWN TWO BUSINESSES IN AUSTIN AND I'M AGAINST AGENDA ITEM, NUMBER THREE, MAYBE SOME CITY COUNCILS OWN REGULATING ORDINANCES EXCLUSIONS.
IN PART THREE OF THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE SEEKS TO SILENCE OUR VOICE, THE CHALLENGE OF THE STORE.
THEN THAT'S TO REMOVE THE CITY.
CLERK'S ACCOUNTABILITY TO POST CHALLENGES.
IT SEEKS TO ENFORCE FIRST DOING THE CITY MANAGER'S DECISION TO RESPOND TO AN APPEAL.
IT SEEKS TO REMOVE THE CITY MANAGER'S RESPONSIBILITY TO JUSTIFY AN APPEAL RULING.
IT ALSO SEEKS TO REMOVE THE CITY.
MANAGER'S ACCOUNTABILITY TO ACT ON AN APPEAL.
THESE ARE YOUR RULES AS CITY COUNCIL FOR MAKING ORDINANCES, YOUR PROCESS FOR ACCOUNTABILITY TO THE PUBLIC, YOUR PLATFORM FOR OUR VOICES TO BE HEARD ACCORDING TO THE CDC WEBSITE, AND I INVITE YOU TO GO THERE.
THERE WERE 10 TIMES MORE DEATHS LAST YEAR'S FLU SEASON IN TEXAS.
AND COVID-19 TODAY IN TRAVIS COUNTY, THE CHANCES OF DYING FROM COVID-19 IS ONE IN 10,000.
THAT'S FROM THE CDC WEBSITE, 151 CASES IN 1.2, 9 MILLION IN POPULATION.
AND THIS IS FOR TRAVIS COUNTY AND YOU WANT TO DESTROY AUSTIN BUSINESSES AND TAKE AWAY OUR VOICE BASED UPON WE SEE THAT CDC FACTS, SOMETHING WAS GOING ON AND I'M HERE TO CALL THIS OUT.
I URGE CITY COUNCIL TO DROP THE AGENDA ITEM THREE AND PRESS DEMO ATTITUDE, PRESS WASHINGTON FOR THE KNEE AVAILABILITY OF ENOUGH DOSES OF, UH, HYDROXY CORKY AS WELL MIGHT'VE SAID AND Z AND OTHER USEFUL THERAPEUTICS.
MR. MOORE IS CAROL MID BOW HERE.
WHAT ABOUT NICOLE BOND? REAGAN? NICOLE LANDRIGAN DONALD, UH, AVEENA AVEENA COVID COVID AND YOUR EXTENDED UNCONSTITUTIONAL.
NO, WHAT'S YOUR NAME, SIR? MY NAME IS DONALD JIMMY.
YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES COVID AND YOUR EXTENDED UNCONSTITUTIONAL, AUGUST 16TH STAY AT HOME ORDER HAS CREATED A HIGH LEVEL OF CONFUSION AND FEAR IN PEOPLE.
THE MEDIA HAS DONE A GREAT JOB FORWARDING THIS MESSAGE AS WELL AS USUAL.
THESE FACTORS HAVE DESTROYED MY FALL.
MY FOUR SMALL BUSINESSES IN AUSTIN AND MY FAMILY FINANCES.
I HAVE FIVE CHILDREN, 40 MILLION AMERICANS HAVE LOST THEIR JOBS.
NOT ONE GOVERNMENT JOB HAS BEEN LOST OR A PAY CUT, REPORTED SALARY AND SUSTAIN.
YOU'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT PROJECTIONS AND MODELS, YOUR DOCTORS AND YOUR COUNSEL, THE PROJECTIONS AND THE MODELS HAVE BEEN LAUGHABLE, LAUGHABLY WRONG SINCE DAY ONE AND CONTINUE TO BE ALL OVER THE PLACE, BUT YOU CONTINUE YOU AND YOUR DOCTORS CONTINUE TO SCIENCE OUTSIDE OF THAT, THIS QUESTION FOR EVERYONE AND THE DOCTORS AS WELL.
WHAT ARE YOUR PROJECTIONS? WHAT ARE YOU SO CALLED MODEL? AND WHAT DATA HAVE YOU, THE DOCTORS AND YOUR COUNSEL COLLECTED THAT SHOWS HOW MANY DEATHS THERE HAVE BEEN.
AND THERE WILL BE FROM CANCER SCREENING, SUICIDES,
[03:00:01]
ALCOHOL AND DRUG ABUSE, DOMESTIC ABUSE, PSYCHOSIS, MOST WELLNESS, CHECKUPS, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.IT'S GOING TO STAY AT HOME ORDER AND THE LOSS OF OUR GOD GIVEN LIBERTIES.
WE ALL KNOW THAT THESE EXAMPLES AND VERY SAD TRUTH HAVE SKYROCKETED.
IF YOU HAVEN'T EVEN MENTIONED IT ON THE CALL, ONCE YOU GUYS MENTIONED, ONE PERSON MENTIONED FOR ONE MINUTE AFTER TWO AND A HALF HOURS OF DEMAGOGUERY ABOUT ANYTHING TO DO WITH ECONOMICS, ANYTHING ABOUT TO DO ABOUT ALL THESE DEATHS THAT ARE CAUSED BY YOUR TYRANNICAL UNCONSTITUTIONAL, EXTENDED AUGUST TO STAY AT HOME.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
I'M SORRY, IS THIS MR MIRALIS? MR. MIRALIS.
MR. GONZALES, YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES.
I'M CALLING REGARDING THE ITEM THREE.
I'M AGAINST IT UNLESS IT'S ENFORCED.
SO YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO GET A LOT OF INFORMATION FROM COLORS ON A BUNCH OF DATA AND THE MEDIA AND WHAT EVERYBODY ELSE IS DOING AND SAYING I'M CALLING IT THOSE OF WHAT COVID IS DOING TO THE CITY, UM, TO APD, TO THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, TO DOC CENTER, FIRE DEPARTMENT, AUSTIN ENERGY, UM, EVERYBODY BLAMES COLBY, COLBY, COVERT, UH, WE'RE NOT OPERATING CORRECTLY CAUSE OF COVID EVERYBODY'S USING THE COVERT EXCUSE.
SO PEOPLE HAVE BEEN GOING HOME, WORKING FROM HOME AND NOBODY IS HOLDING ACCOUNTABILITY OR CHECKS AND BALANCES ON WHO'S DOING WHAT AND THEY'RE WORKING FROM HOME OR WHEN THEY'RE ACTUALLY WORKING.
SO I UNDERSTAND THAT WE'RE INSIDE A SITUATION IN OUR CITY AND IN OUR STATE, IN OUR COUNTRY AND REALLY IN THE WHOLE WORLD, THAT'S DIFFICULT.
YOU GOT TO MAKE SOME DIFFICULT DECISIONS, BUT UNLESS YOU ENFORCE THE DECISIONS THAT YOU MAKE, UNLESS YOU CLOSE WEST AUSTIN PARKS, ALONG WITH EAST AUSTIN PARK, UNLESS YOU ENFORCE WHATEVER YOU DECIDE TO DO, SHE'S GOING TO REFLECT OUT OF US AND WE'RE BUSINESS OWNERS.
SO MY WIFE OWNS A NUMBER OF BENCHES INSIDE THE CITY OF AUSTIN, THE RESTAURANTS AND THE NUMBER OF OTHER STUFF.
IF EVERYBODY SHUTS DOWN, IF EVERYBODY GOES HOME AND DOES NOTHING AT THIS POINT, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT TO THINK ABOUT.
COVID PERSONALLY, WE'VE HAD PEOPLE, FAMILY MEMBERS.
WE'VE HAD A FAMILY MEMBER BACK HERE IN AUSTIN.
CAUSE YOU KNOW, MY WIFE TWO DAYS AGO FROM COVID.
SO THE DECISION IS GOING TO BE ON YOU GUYS AND THE CITY COUNCIL.
THAT'S WHERE YOU'RE THERE ON THE MAYOR, THE CITY MANAGER, BUT WHATEVER WE DECIDE TO DO, YOU'RE GOING TO LIKE ALL OF US TO MAKE SURE HE GETS ALL THE WAY TO WESTLAKE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. MIRALIS.
YOU'RE A MARY WE'RE WANTING TO SPEAK.
MY NAME IS MARY MOORE AND I AM AGAINST AGENDA ITEM THREE.
I AM A CITIZEN OF AUSTIN, NOT A PRISONER, THE PUNITIVE OFFENSE SCHEDULE AND SIGN THEM OUT IMPLIES Y'ALL ARE TRYING TO PROFIT OFF THIS EMERGENCY QUOTE UNQUOTE, INSTEAD OF CHANGING BEHAVIOR, NOT FAIR.
COVID-19 IS THE ENEMY STOP TRYING TO THREATEN SCARE, RUSH AND PUNISH AUSTIN CITIZENS, WHICH INCLUDE AUSTIN CHILDREN, NOTHING IN AGENDA.
ITEM THREE FRAMES, THE DISMANTLING END OF USE OF ANY INSTITUTIONALIZED RULES.
ONCE COVID-19 IS REDUCED FROM A PANDEMIC TO AN EPIDEMIC, TO A NOTHING BY CDC, DEFINITIONS AND GUIDELINES.
HYDROXY COURT IS THIS WHERE MICE AND ZINC ARE.
YOU USE THERAPEUTICS ARE AVAILABLE.
HOW ABOUT INCORPORATING THESE INSTEAD OF A SECOND LOCKDOWN? THIS IS OFTEN WHERE TEXAS BRING IN VIABLE RESOURCES INSTEAD OF MAKING US PRISONERS AND RUNNING AUSTIN BUSINESSES AND FAMILIES INTO THE GROUND.
I URGE CITY COUNCIL TO DROP AGENDA ITEM THREE AND PRESS GOVERNOR ABBOTT TO PRESS WASHINGTON FOR THE IMMEDIATE AVAILABILITY OF ENOUGH DOSES OF HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE AS INFORMATION AND ZINC AND ANY OTHER USEFUL THERAPEUTICS.
I SAID HE CALLED MY NAME, BUT GIVE ME AN OPPORTUNITY.
WHAT'S YOUR NAME, SIR? I'VE HEARD BUCKLING.
MS. BARKLEY, WHY DON'T YOU GO AHEAD.
I AM BARBARA ROCKLIN AND I'M AGAINST THE AUSTIN POLICY BECAUSE IT BRINGS DEATH RATHER THAN LIFE
[03:05:01]
WITH FACTS.SO THE SUICIDE AT LISA DIXON OR CAR ROCK IN TENNESSEE, ONE POUND, WE HAD MORE SUICIDES THAN ALL THE VIRUS BEST IN THE STATE.
THE DOCTOR IN CALIFORNIA TOLD ABC SEVEN NEWS, CAUSE HE'D SEEN A YEAR'S WORTH OF SUICIDE IN ONE WEEK.
AND WHY IS THAT? BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE LOCKED DOWN.
THEY'RE MASKED AND THEY'RE ISOLATED TO SEXIST.
DR. BRIAN MCKINNEY AND RICHARD BARRON.
HOW THEY TREATED HUNDREDS OF COVID-19 PATIENTS IT'S OUTPACING.
THE TOTAL COST IS LESS THAN $300 A PATIENT, NO ONE HOSPITALIZED, NO LOAD, NO DEATH.
ONE WOMAN WHO HAD CANCER AND PAYMENT CLICK ON FRIDAY AFTER NO TREATMENT IN THE HOSPITAL FOR STAFF AT WORK ON MONDAY.
THOSE DOCTORS SAY THAT NO FASTING WILL BE NECESSARY.
BUT WHAT IS THERE TODAY WILL NOT BE THERE WHEN THE VACCINE COMES, THE PEOPLE OF AUSTIN NEED TO HEAR, BUT IN TAIWAN WITH 25 MILLION PEOPLE ONLY SEVEN HAVE DIED IN JAPAN LESS THAN A HUNDRED THOUSAND INVESTED A THOUSAND DEAD.
AND IT MAKES 121 MILLION, NO MATH, NO DISTANCE, NO LOCKDOWN.
I WOULD SPEAK TO THE CITY OF BOSTON AND SAY THE COUNCIL, WHICH YOU HEAR THAT THE STATISTICS YOU GAVE WERE ALL ABOUT NEW CASES, NOTHING ABOUT THE BEST RATE BECAUSE IT'S LOW, JUST IS.
PEOPLE HAVE STATED ALREADY 1% AND HERE ARE THE FACTS.
THE QUESTIONS EVERY VOTER SHOULD BE ASKING IS WHY YOU WOULD PUT THEM AT RISK AND THE ECONOMY OF THEIR CITY, SMALL BUSINESSES SHUT DOWN AND CHILDREN OUT OF SCHOOL.
MY QUESTION IS WHAT THE PROCESS WAS DOING AND WHO YOU WERE WORKING FOR.
MY NAME IS MICHAEL FOSSUM AND I LIVE IN SOUTH AUSTIN.
I AM OPPOSED TO THE TWO ORDINANCES.
I SENT AN EMAIL TO ALL OF YOU WITH FOUR AMENDMENTS THAT IF THE DOCTOR WOULD CHANGE MY OPPOSITION TO SUPPORT THE AMENDMENTS AND THE REASONS FOR THEM ARE AS FOLLOWS AMENDMENT ONE FOR ADOPTED ADMINISTRATIVE RULES, ORDINANCE, PEOPLE WHO GATHER FOR DEMONSTRATIONS MUST WEAR MASKS AND PRACTICE SOCIAL DISTANCING.
THE PERSON THAT VIOLATES THIS REAL COMMITMENT OFFENSE.
EACH OFFENSE IS PUNISHABLE BY A FINE OF $500.
THE CURRENT RISE IN COVID-19 CASES WAS CAUSED BY THE RECENT PROTEST.
WE NEED TO DISCOURAGE UNSAFE PRACTICES AT DEMONSTRATIONS FOR THE SAKE OF PUBLIC HEALTH AMENDMENT, TWO, FOUR ADOPTED ADMINISTRATIVE RULES ORDINANCE, ANY RULE ADOPTED BY THE HEALTH AUTHORITY TO MITIGATE OR REDUCE THE TRANSMISSION OF COVID-19 MUST BE APPROVED BY A SPECIAL IRREGULAR MEETING OF THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL.
THE ORDINANCE EMPOWERS THE HEALTH AUTHORITY TO ADOPT ANY RULE THAT WISHES IMMEDIATELY AND WITHOUT REVIEW AND UNELECTED BUREAUCRAT WILL BE GOOD.
ALL ECONOMIC ACTIVITY IN AUSTIN.
WHENEVER HE PLEASES THE PEOPLE OF AUSTIN SHOULD BE ABLE TO SEE WHAT IS BEING ADOPTED AND HOLD THEIR COUNCIL MEMBERS ACCOUNTABLE.
AMENDMENT THREE FOR PUBLIC HEALTH NUISANCE ORDINANCE, THE LEAD PART TO BE A PROPERTY MAINTAINED BY A GOVERNMENTAL ENTITY GOVERNMENT ENTITIES SHOULD NOT BE EXEMPTED FROM FOLLOWING PUBLIC HEALTH GUIDELINES AND SHOULD FACE CONSEQUENCES.
IF THEY DO NOT COMPLY JUST LIKE PRIVATE ENTITIES DO AMENDMENT FOUR FOR PUBLIC HEALTH NUISANCE ORDINANCE DELETE PART SEVEN CIVIL ENFORCEMENT AND REPLACE WITH PART FOUR OFFENSE AND PENALTY FROM THE ADOPTED ADMINISTRATIVE RULES ORDINANCE.
IF AN INJUNCTION IS GRANTED FOR PUBLIC NUISANCE, THAT MAY LEAD TO A JUDGE FINDING A PERSON IN CONTEMPT OF COURT, THAT MEANS A FINE AND INCARCERATION.
THE CITY HAS NO CONTROL OVER WHAT A JUDGE MAY IMPOSE.
WE DO NOT IMPRISON THE HOMELESS JUST BECAUSE THEY ARE A PUBLIC NUISANCE.
AND WE REALLY WANT TO HAVE A CASE LIKE THE HAIRDRESSER IN FORT WORTH.
HE WAS SENTENCED TO JAIL AND THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN FINES JUST BECAUSE SHE OPENED HER SALON.
IF YOU WANT TO ARGUE VERY MUCH FOR PARTICIPATING.
I SPEAK TODAY TO COUNTER WHAT APPEARS TO BE AN EFFORT BY LOCAL OFFICIALS TO MISLEAD THE PUBLIC.
THERE HAS BEEN DISCUSSION ABOUT A 35 DAY SHUT DOWN BY THE CITY.
THE FACT IS THAT NO NEW SHUTDOWN BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN, BUT THE LEGAL WITHOUT AUTHORIZATION.
I GOVERNOR ABBOTT RIGHT NOW, GOVERNOR ABBOTT'S ORDERS ALLOW THE PUBLIC TO GO TO WORK PATRONIZE BUSINESSES AND PARTICIPATE IN GATHERINGS, A 10 OR LESS INDOORS AND OUTDOORS RELIGIOUS SERVICES.
AND SOME OTHER ACTIVITIES ARE NOT LIMITED.
IN SHORT TEXANS ARE ALLOWED TO LIVE, WORK AND SOCIALIZE OUTSIDE THEIR HOME.
THEY STAY AT HOME REQUIREMENT BY THE MAYOR WOULD BE UNLAWFUL.
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NEVERTHELESS, IT SEEMS THE CITY IS TRYING ITS BEST TO INTIMIDATE AND CONFUSE CITY RESIDENTS INTO THINKING.OTHERWISE ALL RESIDENTS SHOULD KNOW THAT ANY STAY AT HOME ORDER BY THE CITY INCONSISTENT WITH THE GOVERNOR'S CURRENT ORDERS WILL BE VOLUNTARY, NOT MANDATORY REGARDING MASS GOVERNOR ABBOTT AND THE CITY REQUIRED THEM.
NO ONE IS AUTHORIZED TO DETAIN ANYONE, NOT WEARING A MASK.
HOWEVER, ALTHOUGH NOT WEARING A MASK IS ENGLISH DEMETER.
IF CITED, NO PERSON CAN BE DETAINED TO BE CITED.
THIS IS NOT A RECOMMENDATION AGAINST WEARING A MASK, BUT RESIDENTS DESERVE TO KNOW WHAT THE LAW ALLOWS.
ANYONE WHO IS SIGHTED SHOULD SEEK LEGAL ADVICE.
THERE ARE LAWYERS WITH WHOM YOU CAN CONSULT AT NO COST.
IS, UM, UH, STEVE CIVILS THERE? YES, SIR.
AFTER DIRECTOR OF THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I'M A RESIDENT OF COUNCIL DISTRICT SEVEN AND OUR COMPANY HAS TWO CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS.
AND COUNCILMAN WHERE YOUR RENTER REYES DISTRICT THREE, BOTH PROJECTS PATHWAYS AT CHALMERS COURT EAST AND RBJ SENIOR HOUSING OR AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECTS, WHICH UPON COMPLETION WILL ADD 400 JUST SYPHILIS.
IT'S JUST SIMPLE AS WE LOST YOU.
WELL, THE CLERK LET US KNOW IF MR. CIVILS CALLS BACK IN OR CLERK HERE.
I THINK WE'RE HAVING SOME TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES.
WE NEED TO CONNECT OUR BRIDGE.
IN THE INTEREST OF TIME, DO YOU WANT TO TEE UP SOME OF THE RESOLUTIONS SO WE CAN, I DIDN'T KNOW IF IT WAS GOING TO BE FAST HERE.
I'M JUST GOING TO GO THERE AND JUST HAVE THE CLERK, LET US KNOW IF YOUR CIVILS CALLS BACK IN, UNLESS IT WAS AN IMMEDIATE THING.
DOESN'T SOUND LIKE IT'S AN IMMEDIATE THING.
SO WHY DON'T YOU CONTINUE TO WORK ON THAT? AND IF MR. CIVILS CALLS BACK IN THESE INTERRUPT US SO THAT WE CAN ADDRESS THAT ALEX, THAT
[2. Item(s) from Council: Discussion and possible action on an ordinance declaring a site that fails to meet certain standards designed to prevent the transmission of COVD-19 between humans as a nuisance, authorizing civil enforcement, and declaring an emergency.]
[3. Item(s) from Council Discussion and possible action on an ordinance authorizing the health authority to adopt rules to protect individuals from COVID-19, creating an offense and penalty, and declaring an emergency.]
GETS US TO ITEMS TWO AND THREE.IS THERE A MOTION? NUMBER TWO IS THE ONE THAT, UH, DESCRIBES EXISTING, UH, ORDERS, UH, TO, TO DEFINE A NUISANCE SITUATION.
UH, COUNCILMEMBER COSARA MAKES THE MOTION THERE A SECOND TO THE MOTION COUNCIL MEMBER, HOPPER, MADISON SECONDS.
SO YOUR DISCUSSION ON THIS RESOLUTION OUNCE MEMBER KITCHEN, I JUST HAVE A QUICK QUESTION.
UM, I'M WANTING TO MAKE SURE I'M UNDERSTANDING THE APPLICABILITY.
UM, WHEN I READ IT, I THOUGHT IT SAID IT WAS APPLYING TO, UM, TO SITES WHERE THERE ARE 10 OR MORE PEOPLE AT ANY ONE TIME.
UM, AND THEN IT SAYS THAT THERE'S A LIST OF CRITERIA TO COMPLY WITH, WHICH INCLUDES, UH, WEARING A MASK.
UM, AND THERE'S A REFERENCE IN THAT LIST TO 10 OR FEWER.
SO, UM, I I'M, I WAS A BIT CONFUSED.
I WASN'T SURE IF IT WAS SAYING, I GUESS THE BOTTOM LINE IS, IS THAT, UM, YOU, YOU, YOU WOULDN'T BE ABLE UNDER OUR CURRENT ORDERS IS THAT YOU CAN'T GATHER MORE THAN 10 PEOPLE AT A TIME IN ONE LOCATION.
IS THAT THE, IS THAT THE IT'S 10 PEOPLE IN A GROUP? SO YOU CAN HAVE A SITE THAT HAS MORE THAN 10 PEOPLE ON THE PROPERTY.
THERE ARE GROUPS IN GROUPS SMALLER THAN 10 IT'S ALLOWED RIGHT NOW UNDER ORDERS WITH RESPECT TO THE RESTAURANTS, FOR EXAMPLE, HAVE A TABLE FOR MORE THAN 10 PEOPLE, BUT YOU CAN'T HAVE MORE THAN 10 PEOPLE IN THE RESTAURANT.
AND THE MASK WEARING APPLIES TO EVERYONE, WHETHER IT'S MORE OR LESS THAN 10, CORRECT.
CONSISTENT WITH THE EXISTING RULES.
ARE WE CHANGING THE FINE FROM A THOUSAND IN THIS ONE? THE, A, THE REMEDY IS AN INJUNCTION.
IF SOMEONE IS FOUND TO HAVE A NUISANCE THAT WOULD REQUIRE A COURT ACTION AND IT GIVES THE ABILITY OF THE CITY TO
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ENJOY OR TO CHANGE THE BEHAVIOR, THE FINE IS ASSOCIATED WITH ITEM NUMBER THREE.YEAH, THIS IS THE LAST SPEAKER BACK ON THE LINE NOW.
WAS THAT LOWERED FROM 1000 TO 500? UH, CERTAIN UNDER THE GOVERNOR'S ORDER, THERE'S A CERTAIN LIMIT OF SPINES ASSOCIATED WITH, UM, MASKING AND THERE'S A LIMIT OF FIVE A WEEKEND DO, UH, UNDER THE LAW WITH RESPECT TO ENFORCING AN ORDER UNDER CHAPTER FOUR 18, BUT THERE IS NOT A LIMIT SIMILAR LIMIT ON THE CHAPTER ONE 22, WHICH IS MY NUMBER THREE, BUT THERE IS NO FINE.
AND ITEM NUMBER TWO, IT'S AN INJUNCTIVE ACTION THAT WILL REQUIRE US TO GO TO COURT.
WHO IS THE SPEAKER? YOU'LL BE ABLE TO EITHER JOIN US AGAIN, MR. SEVILLE, ARE YOU THERE, MR. SAVELLE'S CIVILS.
YOU NEED TO UNMUTE MR. CIVILS.
IF HE COMES BACK AGAIN, WE APOLOGIZE FOR THE INCONVENIENCE HERE.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO UNDERSTAND THE RATIONALE FROM THE LEGAL PERSPECTIVE OF INCLUDING PROPERTIES MAINTAINED BY A GOVERNMENTAL ENTITY, IS THAT BECAUSE WE CAN'T IMPOSE THESE THINGS ON OTHER GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES? UM, IT SEEMS LIKE WE ARE STRIVING TO DO ALL OF THESE THINGS OURSELVES WITHIN OUR OWN, UM, FACILITIES, BUT WHAT WAS THE RATIONALE FOR THAT? THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT.
WE CAN'T REGULATE THE STATE GOVERNMENT, BUT WE OBVIOUSLY ARE DOING ALL THESE THINGS WITHIN THE CITY OF AUSTIN, ALL THESE ENTITIES.
WE CAN'T ALSO CAN WE REGULATE MMM.
SCHOOL PROPERTIES OR COUNTY PROPERTIES EITHER.
IS THAT SOMETHING WE'RE ALLOWED TO DO NO INTEREST? DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING YOU WANT TO ADD AND SAY, YOU'RE ON THERE? YOU'RE MUTED.
TRISH, PATRICIA LIKE ASSISTANT CITY ATTORNEY FOR ITEM TWO, THE NUISANCE ORDINANCE APPLIES TO SITES AND IT DOES TAKE OUT GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES FROM THE DEFINITION OF A SITE, BUT ALSO ALONG WITH MEDICAL PROVIDERS AND A TWO OTHER, UM, THINGS THAT WOULD QUALIFY AS A SITE.
THE CONCERN IS THE, IN TERMS OF REGULATING THESE SITES THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, THEY MAY NOT BE IN A POSITION IN THE SENSE OF, UM, BEING ABLE TO IMPLEMENT THE SAME CONTROLS BECAUSE OF, IF YOU THINK ABOUT THE WIDE, WIDE VARIETY OF GOVERNMENTAL PROPERTIES WITHIN OUR CITY, THEY MAY NOT BE ABLE TO, TO FIT INTO THOSE SAME BOXES.
UM, BUT ALSO ON TOP OF THAT, IT DOESN'T EXCUSE US FROM NOT BEING A NUISANCE.
UM, WE'RE STILL SUBJECT TO STATE LAW WHEN IT COMES TO A NUISANCE.
THIS IS SIMPLY A MECHANISM FOR US TO ADDRESS THIS AT THE CITY LEVEL, USING OUR HOME RULE AUTHORITY.
ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS ON THIS END BEFORE WE VOTE? SO YOU CAN VOTE THOSE IN FAVOR OF THIS, HAVE A FULL, UM, ARE WE VOTING ON BOTH OF THEM OR JUST ONE OF THEM? JUST ONE.
I THINK IT MIGHT BE USEFUL FOR YOU TO LAY OUT THE, UH, THE GOVERNOR'S LETTER IN SUPPORT OF WHAT IT IS WE'RE DOING.
UM, I THINK THAT UP NEXT TIME, I THINK IT IS SIGNIFICANT THAT THE GOVERNOR SENT US A LETTER YESTERDAY IN PERSON IN THE BACKUP, UH, WHERE THE GOVERNOR, UH, UH, SUPPORTING WHAT WE'RE DOING TODAY, RECOGNIZING OUR ACTION, ENCOURAGING US TO TAKE, UH, UH, ADDITIONAL MEASURES WE CAN TAKE IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO, TO ENFORCE.
UH, WE NOW JUST TAKE A VOTE ON THE SAME NUMBER TWO, THOSE IN FAVOR OF ITEM TWO B, RAISE YOUR HAND, THOSE OPPOSED.
UH, I SEE IT AS BEING UNANIMOUS ON THE BIAS.
UH, LET'S GO THEN TO ITEM NUMBER THREE, IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM NUMBER THREE COUNTS ORCHESTRA MAKES EMOTIONS ARE SECOND TO THAT.
MAYOR PRO TEM SECONDS THEN, UH, ITEM NUMBER THREE, ENABLES, UH, ORDERS OF OUR HEALTH DIRECTOR, UH, TO, TO HAVE THE FORCE OF LAW SO THAT THEY CAN BE ENFORCED, UH, DISCUSSION, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER AWKWARD.
UM, I'M TRYING TO, I HAVE DEALING WITH SOME CONCERNS THAT I'M HEARING FROM MY CONSTITUENTS, AND I THINK THEY MIGHT RELATE TO WHAT COULD BE A POTENTIAL
[03:20:01]
ORDER.UM, BUT I FIRST NEED TO GET SOME CLARITY MAYOR FROM YOU ON WHETHER OUR EXISTING ORDERS, UM, COVER THE SITUATION.
UM, SO SPECIFICALLY WE'RE HEARING A LOT OF REPORTS FROM CONSTITUENTS ABOUT CONCERNS REGARDING DOOR TO DOOR SOLICITATIONS, UM, FROM BUSINESSES LIKE LANDSCAPING, PEST, EXTERMINATION, AND OTHERS.
UM, THEY'RE CONSISTENTLY HAPPENING WITHOUT THE FOLKS WEARING FACE MASKS.
UM, AND THEY'RE CONCERNED BECAUSE, UM, FOLKS ARE BEING FAIRLY AGGRESSIVE ABOUT REACHING OUT, UH, WHEN THEY KNOCK.
UM, MY INITIAL READ IS THAT OUR CURRENT PUBLIC HEALTH ORDERS DON'T REQUIRE THOSE WHO ARE SOLICITATING SOLICITING DOOR TO DOOR TO WEAR MASKS BECAUSE THEY ARE OUTSIDE.
UM, IS THAT ACCURATE MAYOR TO YOUR KNOWLEDGE? THE TRUTH IS I'VE NEVER BEEN ASKED THAT QUESTION BEFORE, AND I HAVEN'T BEEN INVOLVED IN ANY CONVERSATIONS ON THE STATION, BUT NOW THAT YOU HAVE RAISED THAT ISSUE, UH, IT'S SOMETHING THAT I WOULD BRING UP WITH, UH, DR.
ASCOT AND WITH SIGNATURE, WE DON'T WANT TO LET A LOOPHOLE LIKE THAT EXIST.
SO IF IT DOESN'T, I'M SURE WE'LL ALL TAKE EFFORTS TO FIX THAT.
SO I GUESS WHAT I WOULD ASK WOULD JUST BE SORT OF THAT DIRECTION, THEN IT COULD BE CONSIDERED AS ONE OF THE HEALTH ORDERS OR WHATEVER THE APPROPRIATE WAY IS, UM, TO PROVIDE SOME GUIDANCE SO THAT IF, IF WE ARE, I BELIEVE WE HAVE TO ALLOW THE SOLICITATION, UM, UNDER, UNDER FOR LEGAL REASONS.
UM, BUT IF WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT WE, UM, ARE, ARE COMMUNICATING THAT THOSE MASKS NEED TO BE WORN IN THAT SITUATION.
I THINK THAT WOULD, UM, BE PARTICULARLY HELPFUL TO CHANGE.
UM, AS WE CLARIFY THINGS, HAVING THE POINTS TAKEN.
AND WOULD YOU PLEASE LOOK AT SOME STATION THAT ISSUE? YES.
AND I THINK THAT'S ALREADY REQUIRED BECAUSE IF PEOPLE ARE NOT IN THE SAME HOUSE, ALL THAT, YOU NEED TO BE WEARING A MASK NEAR EACH OTHER.
SO I WOULD SAY THAT THE PERSON NEEDS TO BE WEARING A MASK RIGHT NOW UNDER THE GOVERNORS WHERE THERE'S ANDREW UNDER THE MAYORS TIGHTENING.
THE ONLY EXCEPTION OUTSIDE RIGHT NOW IS IF YOU'RE INVOLVED IN AND NOT ALLOW PHYSICAL ACTIVITY.
UM, AND THAT'S THE ONLY SPECIFIC EXCEPTION FOR HER OUTDOORS, OTHER THAN THE OTHER EXCEPTIONS, WHERE, WHERE SOMEONE HAS TO WEAR A MATS.
AND I THINK THAT SECTION WE, OKAY.
WELL MAYBE WE COULD, UM, WORK ON A LITTLE BIT OF COMMUNICATION ON THAT, SO THAT THERE'S GREATER, UM, CLARITY THERE, UM, FOR THE PUBLIC AND FOR, PARTICULARLY FOR FOLKS WHO ARE DOING THAT SOLICITATION.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS ON THIS COUNCIL OR KITCHEN? UM, THIS IS JUST FOR CLARITY.
UM, I HAD SOME CONSTITUENTS THAT WERE THINKING THAT WHAT WE WERE DOING TODAY WAS, UH, VOTING ON A STAY AT HOME WATER.
SO I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY THAT THIS, THAT THIS, WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON, WHAT WE'RE VOTING ON NOW IS NOT A NEW ORDER.
IT'S JUST, UM, ENFORCEMENT ABILITY FOR EXISTING ORDERS.
AND I THINK I HEARD YOU SAY THAT EARLIER.
I ALSO WANT TO UNDERSTAND WHEN IT IS THE APPROPRIATE TIME TO TALK ABOUT THE QUESTION I RAISED EARLIER, WHICH WAS, UM, THE POTENTIAL TO, TO MOVE TO DR.
S CUTS, UH, APPROACH OF GOING BACK TO PHASE ONE AND HOW, UH, THE EXTENT TO WHICH THE CITY COULD BE HELPFUL TO RESTAURANTS.
SO IS THAT A CONVERSATION WE'RE GOING TO HAVE AFTER THIS BOAT, OR IS THAT A CONVERSATION THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN NOW THAT'S HAPPENING NOW BECAUSE AFTER THE BOAT, THEN WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ON THE FLOOR WITH RESPECT TO THE FIRST POINT.
DOESN'T GO BEYOND ANY EXISTING ORDERS IN PLACE.
IT JUST GIVES US ADDITIONAL ENFORCEMENT, UH, MEANS AND MECHANISMS, UH, THAT WE WOULD THEN ADD WITH RESPECT TO MOVING BACK TO THE PHASE ONE.
UM, UH, I, UH, CHECK BISCO, UH, HAS INDICATED AN ATTEMPT TO REACH OUT TO THE GOVERNOR, ASKING HIM TO GO BACK TO PHASE ONE.
I THINK THERE WILL BE OTHER CITIES AND COUNTIES AROUND THE STATE THAT ARE DOING THAT, UH, AND THUS FAR, AND ARE WILLING HERE TO, TO CONSIDER THOSE AS THE SCIENCE AND DATA SUPPLEMENTS THAT, UH, I HOPE AND TRUST HE'S SEEING THE SAME KIND OF SCIENCE AND DATA THAT WE ARE SEEING OURSELVES.
AND I THINK THAT'S THE APPROPRIATE FIRST IS TO TRY TO AFFECT THAT.
UH, SO THAT'LL, UH, WITH RESPECT TO HELPING, UH, RESTAURANTS, THE SITUATION, UM, THAT WOULD REQUIRE US TO ADDRESS THE ISSUES ASSOCIATED WITH HOW WE'RE USING THE CARE'S FUNDINGS.
SO IT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT DISCUSSION, PROBABLY PART OF THE BUDGET DISCUSSION MANAGER OR A, I DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU ARE WITH THE CARES FRAMEWORK, UH, ON THAT.
[03:25:01]
PULL BACK USAGE, IT'S GOING TO INCREASE THE HARDSHIPS ARE IN THAT AREA.UH, AND LAST, I WOULD JUST SAY, IF ANYBODY'S LISTENING THAT IRRESPECTIVE OF THE BORDERS AS A COMMUNITY, WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO ACT.
AND, AND CERTAINLY THE STATED, UH, RECOMMENDATION FROM OUR HEALTH EXPERT IS FOR PEOPLE TO SNAKE OFF AS MUCH AS YOU CAN.
AND I THINK THAT THAT'S TRUE WITH RESPECT TO ALL ACTIVITIES OUT OF THE HOUSE.
IT'S THE SAFEST PLACE FOR PEOPLE TO BE.
AND WE'RE URGING EVERYBODY TO MANAGER.
YOU WANT TO DISCUSS WITH ANSWERING ANY QUESTION WITH RESPECT TO SUPPORT FOR RESTAURANTS.
CERTAINLY AS WE HAVE THE FRAMEWORK ESTABLISHED BY THE COUNCIL'S LEADERSHIP AROUND HOW WE WOULD UTILIZE THAT CHAIRS FUNDING, WE ARE STILL IN THE PROCESS OF LOOKING AT THE PROGRAMS THAT WERE ENACTED.
AND SO THOSE ARE ONGOING, BUT TO YOUR EXACT POINTS, WE WILL CONTINUE TO EVALUATE AND GET INFORMATION AS WE LOOK AT DIALING THINGS BACK AND HOW THAT IMPACTS OUR BUSINESS AND INDIVIDUAL COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
SO WE'LL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE UPDATES.
SOME OF THAT WILL BE PART OF THE BUDGET DISCUSSION, BUT REALLY IT'S AN ONGOING PIECE OF CONVERSATION THAT WE'RE HAVING.
BUT, WELL, WHEN WE GET MORE INFORMATION AROUND THESE PROGRAMS, WE'LL BE ABLE TO FEED THAT TO YOU.
THE OTHER AVENUE THAT'S OVER KITCHEN WOULD BE AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL TO ENGAGE A BREWERY.
AND OUR OFFICE ON THAT IS THE CONGRESS IS COMING UP WITH AN ADDITIONAL PACKAGE AND TARGETING THE PACKAGE TO COMMUNITIES AND INDUSTRIES THAT ARE HARD TO SIT GIVEN THE REALITIES WE'RE DEALING WITH.
I THINK THAT'S ALSO A PLACE WE SHOULD RAISE EXACTLY AS IT SHOULD.
AND THAT, YOU KNOW, I, IT, IT IMPACTS, UH, SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS, BUT IT ALSO IMPACTS THE WORKERS.
AND SO WHEN I'M TALKING ABOUT IMPACTING BUSINESSES LIKE RESTAURANTS, I MEAN, BUT THE TOTAL COMPONENTS OF THAT BUSINESS.
ANYTHING ELSE ON THIS ITEM, NUMBER THREE, COUNSELOR FACADE MANAGER.
I JUST WANT TO RAISE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE, WHEN WE'RE PASSING THIS, I THINK WE INTEND TO USE IT.
YOU KNOW, OF COURSE BY FAR THE BIGGEST PUBLIC HEALTH PROTECTION WE CAN HAVE IS IF EVERYBODY JUST INDIVIDUALLY DOES THE RIGHT THING.
BUT, UH, BUT I HOPE THAT AS WE HAVE PEOPLE DOING HEALTH INSPECTIONS OR DSD INSPECTIONS AND OUR CITY STAFF ARE OUT IN THE COMMUNITY, UM, THAT WE USE THE RESOURCES THAT WE CAN TO IDENTIFY WHEN PEOPLE AREN'T FOLLOWING THE ORDERS.
AND I THINK MARIN COUNCIL TAKING THIS UP NOW AND HAVING A LETTER FROM THE GOVERNOR URGING US TO ENFORCE THE ORDERS, I THINK VERY CLEARLY SHOULD MEAN THAT HE'LL OUR GOAL.
OUR GOAL SHOULD REALLY BE TO GET COMPLIANCE ACROSS THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE IT REALLY IS A LIFE OR DEATH MATTER.
SO I HOPE THAT YOU BRING TOGETHER MEMBERS OF THE EXECUTIVE TEAM TO THINK ABOUT ALL OF THE PLACES WHERE CITY EMPLOYEES ARE AND HOW WE CAN PROACTIVELY BE MAKING SURE PEOPLE ARE FOLLOWING THE ORDERS ALONG WITH TAKING THE THREE, ONE, ONE PLANT AGAIN, THANK YOU.
REITERATE WHAT COMES UP BECAUSE STAR SAID TOO, TO THE EXTENT THAT AT TWO O'CLOCK, WE'RE GOING TO BE ENGAGING IN A CONVERSATION ABOUT A LOT OF ALTERNATIVE MODELS OF HOW TO PROVIDE RESPONSE TO COMMUNITY NEEDS.
AND IN THIS CASE, A CITY MANAGER, I HAD EMAILED YOU ALREADY ABOUT THIS, BUT TO BRING IT UP IN THE PUBLIC MEETINGS, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE MOSTLY CONCERNED ABOUT EDUCATING AND GETTING COMPLIANCE WITH THESE PUBLIC HEALTH MEASURES, THEN I DON'T KNOW THAT AN OFFICER IS ALWAYS, HAS TO BE THE FIRST ENTITY TO RESPOND BECAUSE AN OFFICER IS MAYBE THE ONLY ONE AUTHORIZED TO WRITE THE CITATION.
SHOULDN'T BE A REASON WE DON'T ENGAGE FIRE STATIONS OR EMS OR CODE ENFORCEMENT OR OTHER DEPARTMENTS THAT CAN SHOW UP AND TRY TO GET COMPLIANCE WITHOUT A CITATION BEING REQUIRED.
THIS IS PART WHICH ONE EXAMPLE OF A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE'RE DISCUSSING AS A COUNCIL AND THAT WE WILL CONTINUE DISCUSSING IT.
TWO O'CLOCK AT THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE MEETING AND COUNCIL MEMBER CLOUDY GOT A COROLLARY OF WHAT YOU SAID OR WHAT WAS ABSOLUTELY THE RIGHT CAST, UH, THE EMERGENCY OPERATION COMMAND.
YOU SEE GET MASKS FOR OUR POLICE OFFICERS SO THAT INSTEAD OF HANDING SOMEBODY A CITATION AND THEY CAN ACTUALLY MASK MAYOR PRO TEM.
I JUST, JUST, I SUPPOSE THIS WASN'T PLANNED BY GREG, JIMMY AND I, BUT, UM, I MADE THIS SUGGESTION BEFORE AND I'LL MAKE IT AGAIN.
WE HAVE THE VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH MEGAPHONES, AND IN FACT, WE HAD A CONSTITUENT REACH OUT AND SHE WAS VERY UPSET PEOPLE AREN'T WORRIED MASS.
AND SHE ASKED IF SHE COULD GO AROUND HER NEIGHBORHOOD WITH A MEGAPHONE TELLING PEOPLE TO WEAR THEIR MASKS.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE ASKED CODE, YOU KNOW, IF THAT WAS A NOISE VIOLATION, UM, BUT WE HAVE FIRE TRUCKS AND POLICE CARS AT EMS WITH THE ABILITY TO JUST SAY, IF THEY'RE AT AN INTERSECTION
[03:30:01]
WHERE YOUR MASS PEOPLE.AND SO I'LL MAKE THAT SUGGESTION AGAIN.
I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO TO HELP EDUCATE, UM, OUR COMMUNITY.
DOES ANYBODY ELSE WANT TO ADDRESS THIS BEFORE WE GO? AND LET'S TAKE A VOTE THOSE IN FAVOR OF ITEM THREE, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
I HEAR IT IS UNANIMOUS ON THE DIET SIDE.
THOSE ARE ALL THE ITEMS WE HAVE.
IT'S ONE 31, UNLESS THERE'S SOMETHING ELSE FINAL REMINDER TO THE COMMUNITY WE'VE DONE BETTER OVER THE LAST TWO WEEKS, WE ARE ON THE EDGE.
UH, YOU'VE HEARD FROM THE MODELERS TODAY.
NOT ONLY DO WE MAINTAIN WHAT WE'RE DOING, WE HAVE TO DO A BETTER JOB OF IT.
UH, WE ARE NOW BEING APPROACHED BY OTHER CITIES AROUND US, ESPECIALLY HEADING TOWARD THE VALLEY TO TAKE PEOPLE FROM THEM.
UH, AND, AND FRANKLY, UH, WE WERE JUST LOOKING AT MODELING INVOLVING REALLY ARE EXISTING HERE.
AND IF WE'RE GOING TO BE ASKED TO ALSO HELP PICK UP THINGS AROUND THE STATE, UH, THAT PRESSES US EVEN MORE, WHICH REQUIRES US TO DO MORE.
AND FINALLY, WHAT WAS VERY CLEAR FROM THE TESTIMONY HERE TODAY FROM DR.
MYERS IS THAT WE NEED STATE ASSISTANCE FOR PERSPECTIVE STAFF.
UH, AND I WILL FOLLOW UP, UH, WITH, UH, UH, JUDGE BISCO, UH, TO THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE TO TRY AND, AND SEE WHAT KIND OF CERTAINTY, UH, WE CAN GET WITH RESPECT TO KNOWING THAT OUR STAFFING NEEDS WILL BE SOMETHING, ONE 31 AND THIS MEETING.
CAN WE JUST THANK TURTLING FOR THE TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF WORK SHE DID OVER THE WEEKEND TO REALLY GET THESE TWO TOOLS OUT HERE? THANK YOU.
WELL, I TELL YOU NOT JUST THOSE TOOLS AND NOT JUST THIS WEEKEND AND, BUT THE ENTIRE LEGAL STAFF ON EVERY ONE OF THESE BORDERS, IT SEEMS LIKE EVERY ONE OF THEM NEEDS TO BE DONE THE DAY BEFORE WE START, AS EVENTS ARE CHANGING AND YOU GUYS HAVE DONE JUST AN ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE JOB.
SO ANDY AS WELL, AND JUST EVERYBODY, THANK YOU, DEBRA.
WITH THAT SAID ONE 31 WAS MEETING HIS ATTORNEY.