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GOOD MORNING I'M ASHANDA AND I WILL BE THE MODERATOR FOR TODAY'S MEDIA AVAILABILITY.
SPANISH INTERPRETATION OF THIS MEDIA AVAILABILITY IS ON ATX N THREE TO START
[COVID-19: Press Q & A]
AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH DIRECTOR.STEPHANIE HAYDEN WILL FIRST SAY A FEW WORDS ALL OWED BY DR.
MARK S. SCOTT AND FROM AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY HEALTH.
AND WE WILL NOT BE JOINED TODAY BY THE CHIEF EPIDEMIOLOGIST, JANET PICHET.
UM, AND THEN WE'LL OPEN IT UP TO THE POOL REPORTER WHO WILL ASK QUESTIONS FROM THE MEDIA, STEPHANIE, OVER TO YOU.
GOOD MORNING, THIS IS A CALL TO ACTION.
AS WE MOVE TO STAGE THREE, I NEED EVERYONE TO CONTINUE TO MAINTAIN.
WE HAVE WORKED SO HARD TO GET TO THIS LEVEL.
WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO MAKE STRIDES, TO MOVE AND TO MITIGATE THE SPREAD OF DISEASE.
EVERYONE MUST DO ALL OF THE THINGS WE'VE DONE THUS FAR.
THIS IS NOT THE TIME FOR US TO LET OUR GUARD DOWN.
WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE HELPING OTHERS BE THE EXAMPLE THAT YOU WANT OTHERS TO SEE.
OUR HOPE IS IS THAT THIS CALL TO ACTION WILL HAVE YOU TO THINK ABOUT WHAT CAN I DO AS AN INDIVIDUAL? WHAT TYPE OF PLANS CAN I PUT IN PLACE TO MAKE AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY TO BE A SAFER PLACE AS WE WORK TO REDUCE THE POSITIVITY NUMBERS THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY.
I WANT US TO ALL KEEP IN MIND.
WE ARE A CALL TO BE MY BROTHER AND MY SISTER'S KEEPER.
WE HAVE TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN DO ACROSS THE COMMUNITY TO LOWER THE POSITIVITY RATE IN ALL RACES AND ETHNICITIES.
IF ONE IS LOWER THAN THE REST, THEN WE ALL HAVE TO ASK THE QUESTION, HOW CAN I HELP IN THIS EFFORT? AND THAT IS WHY WE ARE REALLY MOVING TOWARD THE CALL FOR ACTION.
OUR GOAL RIGHT NOW IS TO INCREASE AND PROVIDE AS MUCH TPE AND OUR COMMUNITY, BUT WE'RE ALSO WORKING HARD.
SO WE CAN HAVE OUR YOUNG PEOPLE TO START SCHOOL.
AND AS WE WORK TOWARD THAT 25% GOAL, IT IS UP ON ALL OF US TO DECIDE HOW YOU ARE GOING TO HELP IN THIS ROLE.
I THANK YOU AGAIN FOR ALL THE EFFORTS THAT YOU'VE DONE THUS FAR, THEY SHOULD BE REALLY APPLAUDED, BUT WE STILL HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO.
LET'S NOT BE IN PUBLIC WITHOUT MASK.
LET'S CONTINUE TO ONLY GO TO A CENTRAL FUNCTIONS.
ONLY THAT WAY WE CAN CONTINUE TO LOWER THE SPREAD.
AND I WANT TO REITERATE WHAT DIRECTOR HAD JUST SAID.
WE ARE WINNING THIS BATTLE, BUT THE WAR IS FAR FROM OVER AND WE'VE GOT A LOT MORE WORK TO DO.
UH, YOU KNOW, WE, WE SHOULD BE CONGRATULATED WITH, WITH THE, THE WORK THAT WE'D DONE AND THE PLACE THAT WE ARE NOW, WE'RE CERTAINLY DOING BETTER THAN MANY OTHER MAJOR CITIES IN THE UNITED STATES.
IN TERMS OF OUR POSITIVITY RATE, WE'VE GOT TO STAY THE COURSE.
WE'VE GOT TO ENSURE THAT BY SEPTEMBER 8TH, WE CAN BE EVEN IN A BETTER PLACE SO THAT WE CAN NOT ONLY OPEN SCHOOLS, BUT KEEP THEM OPEN AND ADD ADDITIONAL STUDENTS.
AND SAFELY, I DO WANT TO POINT OUT A FEW THINGS RELATED TO OUR TRANSITION TO STAGE THREE, BECAUSE THERE MAY BE SOME CONFUSION.
FIRST OF ALL, THE SEPTEMBER 8TH START DATE IS STILL IN PLACE.
THAT MEANS THAT SCHOOLS NEED TO DELAY THEIR IN-PERSON OPENING UNTIL SEPTEMBER 8TH.
WE ARE GOING TO ALLOW, UH, EXTRACURRICULARS WHO HAVE PRACTICE THAT THAT NEEDS TO START ON MONDAY THE SEVENTH TO START, UH, IF, UH, IF THAT'S IMPORTANT TO THEIR SCHEDULE.
AND FINALLY, IT'S STILL IMPORTANT.
AS WE'VE SAID ALL ALONG THAT THE SCHOOL'S ONLY OPEN AT 25%.
EVEN IF WE'RE IN STAGE TWO, BY SEPTEMBER 8TH,
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WE STILL ONLY WANT THE SCHOOLS TO OPEN IT UP 45%.AND THE REASON IS BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF INFORMATION ABOUT THE SPREAD OF DISEASE WITHIN SCHOOLS.
WE'VE SEEN OVER AND OVER AGAIN ACROSS THE COUNTRY THAT WHEN SCHOOLS OPEN AND THEY PACK STUDENTS AND THAT INFECTION IS FOLLOWS SHORTLY THEREAFTER, WE WANT TO ENSURE THE SCHOOLS, THE TEACHERS, THE STAFF, AND THE STUDENTS HAVE THE TIME TO ORIENT THEMSELVES TO THE NEW POLICIES AND PROCEDURES THAT WILL BE IN PLACE TO MAKE IT SAFER SO THEY CAN REFINE THOSE POLICIES AS NEEDED BEFORE ADDING ADDITIONAL STUDENTS IN.
AND WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT BACK TO YOU FOR QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU NOW TO OUR POOL REPORTER.
WE'RE GOING TO START WITH OUR STATIONS QUESTION, LOOK BACK TO STAGE THREE.
DO YOU WORRY THAT PEOPLE WILL START RELAXING AND NOT WEARING THEIR MASK OR CONTINUE PRACTICING SOCIAL DISTANCING? YES, WE'RE, WE'RE VERY WORRIED ABOUT THAT.
UM, LIKE AGAIN, THIS IS WHY WE, WE DELAYED THE TRANSITION TO STAGE THREE BECAUSE THERE WAS SOME UNCERTAINTY ABOUT, UH, THE, THE LEVEL OF NEW CASES THAT WE'RE SAYING.
WE'RE VERY CONCERNED THAT THAT PEOPLE MAY RELAX TOO MUCH.
AND THAT'S WHY I WANT TO EMPHASIZE AS DIRECTOR HAYDEN SAID EARLIER, THAT WE'VE GOT TO STAY THE COURSE, WE HAVE TO CONTINUE THE MASKING.
WE HAVE TO CONTINUE THE SOCIAL DISTANCES.
THEY, THE PERSONAL HYGIENE, PARTICULARLY MAKING SURE THAT YOU'RE STAYING HOME WHEN YOU'RE SICK AND THAT YOU ARE WASHING OR ENHANCED SANITIZING OFTEN WE'VE, WE'VE GOTTEN TO THIS POINT BECAUSE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ENGAGED IN THIS PROCESS BECAUSE AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY HAVE DONE A FANTASTIC JOB ALONG WITH OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS AND THEIR ADVOCACY EFFORTS TO GET US TO THIS STAGE, IT'S GOT TO CONTINUE.
WE CANNOT BOUNCE RIGHT NOW, PARTICULARLY BEFORE SCHOOL START, WE, WE UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF STUDENTS BEING IN THE CLASSROOMS. WE UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE TO OUR ECONOMY AND TO INDIVIDUALS OF HAVING OUR BUSINESSES OPEN.
AND WE DON'T NEED TO THREATEN THAT.
AND THAT MEANS ALL OF US HAVE TO CONTINUE TO BEHAVE IN THAT PROTECTIVE WAY OR THE MONTHS TO COME UNTIL WE HAVE A VACCINE, WHICH IS WIDELY AVAILABLE.
DOES ANYONE ELSE WANT TO ANSWER THAT OR, YEAH, I AGREE.
UM, IT'S GONNA BE IMPORTANT FOR US.
I, YOU KNOW, I ALWAYS GO BACK TO AS AN INDIVIDUAL, WHAT KIND OF DIFFERENCE I CAN MAKE, YOU KNOW, WITHIN THE CITY OF BOSTON, WE ARE, OR A LARGE BUREAUCRACY, BUT I, I GO BACK TO THE INDIVIDUAL BECAUSE THERE ARE GOING TO BE PEOPLE THAT YOU MAY HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH, THAT YOU CAN INFLUENCE THAT YOU CAN REALLY ENCOURAGE THEM TO CONTINUE TO BE ALONG THIS PATH.
UM, FOR EXAMPLE, I KEEP MASK IN THE BED, THE DISPOSABLE MASK IN THE BACKSEAT OF MY CAR.
IF I'M DRIVING DOWN THE STREET AND, YOU KNOW, I STOPPED AT A LIGHT AND AN INDIVIDUAL, UM, NEEDS A MASTER, NOT WEARING ONE.
AND SO THERE ARE OTHER PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
MY CALL TO ACTION IS THAT IF YOU'RE AT A POINT WHERE YOU CAN KEEP A FEW OF THOSE IN YOUR CAR AND YOU SEE INDIVIDUALS IN A NICE WAY, NOTHING COME FROM NOTHING CONFRONTATIONAL, BUT JUST SAY, YOU KNOW, HEY, DO YOU NEED A MASK HERE? I HAVE ONE, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE, YOU'RE FREE TO HAVE IT.
UM, BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE THAT IF EVERYONE TAKES A POINT OF RESPONSIBILITY TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE LOOKING OUT FOR OTHERS, THAT IS HOW WE ARE ALL GOING TO GET THROUGH THIS TOGETHER.
MOVING ONTO THE NEXT QUESTION.
SO YESTERDAY THAT WHEN BACKLOG CASES ARE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION, THE NUMBER OF NEW CONFIRMED CASES ARE ACTUALLY PUSHING PAST THE PLATEAU THAT WE'VE SEEN IN THE LAST FEW WEEKS.
HOW MUCH ARE NEW CASES DECLINING WHEN THOSE BACKLOG CASES ARE TAKING OUT OF THE MIX? UH, SO WHEN WE LOOKED AT IT LAST WEEK, UH, OVER THE PREVIOUS TWO WEEKS IN PARTICULAR, UH, IT SEEMED ABOUT 40 TO 50% OF THE NEW CASES WE WERE REPORTING WERE OLDER THAN 14 DAYS OLD.
UH, SO ROUGHLY HALF OF THE NUMBERS WE WERE SEEING LAST WEEK AND THE WEEK BEFORE WERE ACTIVE IN NEW CASES, UH, WE DON'T HAVE A BREAKDOWN OF HOW MANY ARE FROM APRIL OR JUNE, FOR INSTANCE, BUT ONE OF MY, FOR THE PUBLIC TO ATTRACT THIS IS TO REALLY PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO OUR DASHBOARD.
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UH, THE NUMBERS RELATED TO ACTIVE CASES, ACTIVE CASES ARE REALLY GOING TO BE THE BEST INDICATOR OF HOW MANY FOLKS ARE OUT THERE THAT WE KNOW OF THAT ARE ABLE TO SPREAD DISEASE AS THE ACTIVE CASES DROP THE THREAT TO THE COMMUNITY DROPS AS WELL.I THINK THE OTHER THING, UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, SOME INDIVIDUALS HAVE, HAVE FOLLOWED VERY WARILY AS THEY'VE FOLLOWED THE, UM, EPIDEMIOLOGY, UM, CURVE THAT WE HAVE ON THE WEBSITE.
AND THAT IS WHERE WE ARE ABLE TO, UM, PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION IN THAT SPACE.
THE OTHER THING THAT IS, IS, IS REALLY IMPORTANT IS, IS THAT, UM, WE ARE IN CLOSE COMMUNICATION WITH THE STATE.
UM, AND AS THEY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO PROVIDE AN UPGRADE TO THEIR SYSTEM, UM, WE'RE FEELING PRETTY CONFIDENT AS WE MOVE ALONG, UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE MAY BE A FEW CHANGES ALONG THE WAY, BUT WE'RE FEELING PRETTY CONFIDENT THAT THE WORST IS BEHIND US.
THE NEXT QUESTION IS FROM CVS, CVS, AUSTIN, WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE IMPACT OF EVACUEES COMING TO AUSTIN AND THE RISK OF SPREAD OF COVID? HAVE YOU SEEN ANY POSITIVE TESTS AMONG THE EVACUEES ARRIVE IN AUSTIN? WHAT TYPE OF TESTS ARE BEING DONE? WHAT WE HAVE IMPLEMENTED IS AS WE'VE IMPLEMENTED A SCREENING PROCESS, UM, WE ARE IN CLOSE COMMUNICATION, UM, TO THE AREA WHERE THEY ARE COMING FROM.
AND WITH THAT PROCESS, UM, WE DO HAVE AN IDEA IF THEY ARE A SANDING INDIVIDUALS THAT MAY BE POSITIVE FOR COVID-19 WITH OUR SCREENING TOOL, WE'RE ABLE TO SCREEN FOLKS AND DETERMINE IF THEY HAVE ANY SYMPTOMS. AND IF THEY HAVE SYMPTOMS, WE ARE PUTTING AT OUR ISOLATION FACILITY AND WE'LL ALLOW THEM TO, UM, TO ISOLATE AND OR QUARANTINE AT THAT SITE.
UM, THE NEXT QUESTION IS FROM PATCH THAT COM HAS REACHED THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY PAID OFF.
IF SO, CAN YOU SPECIFY THE FACTS THE OUTREACH HAS HAD? YES.
UM, WE ARE SEEING, UM, UH, POSITIVE, UM, UM, RESULTS IN THAT COMMUNITY WITH THE BETA.
WE STILL HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO.
UM, WE ARE CONFIDENT THAT, UM, BETWEEN, UM, PARTNERING FOR, UM, THE PPE DISTRIBUTION, UM, SITES THAT HAVE HAPPENED THIS PAST WEEKEND AND THIS WEEKEND COMING UP, WHICH DOES ALSO INCLUDE HAND SANITIZER AND INFORMATION ABOUT, UM, HAND HYGIENE, UM, SOCIAL DISTANCING, ET CETERA, HAS BEEN PROVIDED.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, UM, PARTNERING WITH OTHER NONPROFITS, UM, THAT HAVE HAILED, UM, INFORMATIONAL SESSIONS HAVE BEEN HELPFUL.
AND THEN AS FAR AS THE BOOTS ON THE GROUND, UM, WE'VE HAD SOME AGENCIES THAT WE ARE PARTNERING WITH THAT ARE, UM, PROVIDING SERVICES IN TARGETED ZIP CODES.
AND IN THOSE ZIP CODES, WHAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO IS AS THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO PROVIDE SOME ADDITIONAL PPE, THEY HAVE, UM, INFORMED, UM, THEM WHERE THEY CAN GO AND TAKE A TEST.
AND SO, UM, WE WERE IN COMMUNICATION WITH THEM WEEKLY, SO WE CAN PROVIDE THEM ADDITIONAL INFORMATION THAT THEY CAN PROVIDE TO THE RESIDENTS IN THOSE COMMUNITIES.
UM, YOU KNOW, AS DIRECTOR HAYDEN SAID, IT IS IMPROVING, PARTICULARLY IN THE LATINO COMMUNITY, THE RATES OF POSITIVITY IS IMPROVING.
UH, BUT AS SHE ALSO SAID, THERE'S A LONG WAY TO GO.
UH, OUR, OUR RATES OF POSITIVITY IN THAT COMMUNITY RIGHT NOW, OR ABOUT TRIPLE WHAT THEY ARE IN, IN THE WHITE NON-HISPANIC COMMUNITY.
UH, SO WE NEED PEOPLE TO SUPPORT THE EFFORTS OF PROVIDING PPE MASKS IN PARTICULAR, THESE GROUPS.
UM, THIS IS NOT A PROBLEM THAT THE CITY AND THE COUNTY GOVERNMENTS ALONE CAN SOLVE.
AND AS DIRECTOR HAYDEN SAID, WE DEPEND ON, WE DEPEND ON INDIVIDUALS.
SO THESE GROUPS WOULD BE ABLE TO, TO HELP IN THAT EFFORT.
AND SO THIS IS A CALL TO ACTION THAT SHE SAID, WE NEED THE COMMUNITY TO HELP PEOPLE ARE ASKING, WHAT CAN THEY DO? THEY CAN SUPPLY PPE.
THEY CAN SUPPLY MONEY FOR THESE GROUPS WHO DISTRIBUTING MASS TO THIS COMMUNITY.
WE CAN TELL WE HAVE PLENTY OF TESTS AVAILABLE FOR POSE, BUT WHAT WE NEED RIGHT NOW IS A FOCUS ON
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THAT EFFORT TO PROTECT PEOPLE.AS THING IS ALL, IT GETS US SO FAR.
IF WE CAN FOCUS ON GETTING PEOPLE, MASKS, GETTING THEM THE HAND SANITIZER, GETTING THEM THE PROTECTIONS THAT THEY NEED, WE CAN REALLY BE EFFECTIVE AT MITIGATING THE SPREAD OF THIS DISEASE.
FROM THE AUSTIN CHRONICLE, MANY WEEKS AGO, AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH SAID THEY WERE WORKING ON A DASHBOARD FOR NURSING HOMES, BUT THIS PROJECT BEEN DROPPED OFF OR IS IT STILL PENDING? WE ARE CURRENTLY WORKING ON THAT DASHBOARD.
UM, OUR STAFF HAD BEEN ABLE TO DO SOME, SOME RESEARCH TO DETERMINE EXACTLY THE INFORMATION THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO POST.
AND SO WE ARE CONTINUING TO WORK ON THAT PROCESS.
I WILL SAY THAT, UM, WE HAVE NOT, THIS IS STILL A PRIORITY FOR THE DEPARTMENT.
WE HAVE MAINTAINED OUR INCIDENT COMMAND STRUCTURE.
AND SO OUR STAFF ARE MEETING WITH, UM, THE, UM, ADMINISTRATORS AND STAFF FROM LONGTERM CARE AND NURSING, UM, NURSING HOMES WEEKLY.
UM, WE'RE CONTINUING TO PROVIDE ANY PPE TO THEM AS WELL AS, UM, OUR STRIKE TEAMS ARE AVAILABLE AND WE ARE ABLE TO ASSIST THEM WITH TESTING.
SO ALL OF THE EFFORTS, UM, THAT WILL BASICALLY, UM, BE PROVIDED INTO THE DASHBOARD, WE'RE CONTINUING THOSE EFFORTS BECAUSE THIS CONTINUES TO REMAIN A PRIORITY FOR US.
SCOTT, WOULD YOU LIKE TO ADD ANYTHING TO THAT? YEAH.
AS DIRECTOR HAYDEN SAID, WE RECOGNIZE THAT THIS GROUP IS THE MOST VULNERABLE OF OUR VULNERABLE POPULATIONS, AND WE'VE GOT TO CONTINUE TO FOCUS OUR EFFORTS, UH, AT, UH, LIMITING THE RISK OF SPREAD AND ENSURING THAT, THAT THOSE FACILITIES HAVE THE SUPPLIES THAT YOU NEED.
I WILL SAY THAT OVER THE COURSE OF THIS PANDEMIC, UH, WE'VE SEEN THE, THE STATE STEP IN A SUBSTANTIAL WAY TO HELP REINFORCE THOSE EFFORTS.
UH, WE'VE SEEN THE NURSING HOMES AND ASSISTED LIVING FACILITIES THEMSELVES, UH, YOU KNOW, DEVISE PLANS, REFINE PLANS, UH, THAT ARE LEADING TO BETTER PROTECTIONS, AIR IDENTIFYING SUPPLY CHAINS FOR PPV, UH, ADDRESSING THE STAFFING CONCERNS THAT WE HAD EARLIER.
UH, SO WE ARE IN A BETTER SITUATION, BUT WE HAVE TO MAINTAIN VIGILANCE PARTICULARLY AROUND THAT.
NEXT QUESTION IS FROM K O O P RADIO HISTORICALLY ALSO HAS WELCOME AND CARE FOR EVACUEES.
THE ANTICIPATED WAVE OF VACUUM ENTERING OUR COMMUNITY, JOINED THE UNIVERSITY STUDENT COHORTS THAT HAVE RECENTLY ARRIVED.
UT PRESIDENT HARTSEL HAS SAID, AND WE WILL ALMOST CERTAINLY FIND A LARGER NUMBER OF COVID-19 CASES AND CLUSTERS.
THEN WE HAVE SEEN IN RECENT WEEKS, THAT'S APH HAD THE RESOURCES TO MEET THESE CONCURRENT CHALLENGES.
WE ARE WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, BUT WE'RE ALSO WORKING WITH ALL OTHER COLLEGES OR UNIVERSITIES IN TOWN.
WHAT WE HAVE, UM, WORKED WITH THEM ON, IN PARTICULAR IS, IS, UM, UT DELL MEDICAL SCHOOL IS GOING TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO THEM AND CONTINUE TO, UM, WORK WITH THEM, WITH CONTACT TRACING AND TESTING.
WE'RE ALL, WE ALL SHARE THE SAME, UM, PLATFORM FOR PROVIDING OUR CASES INTO OUR SYSTEM.
AND SO THE CONTINUITY OF CARE HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED, UM, THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY IS GONNA BE IMPORTANT THAT AS WE HAVE MORE PEOPLE THAT COME TO TOWN, UM, WE HAVE ESTABLISHED A PROCESS OF WHERE WE WILL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THE ASSISTANCE THAT THE UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES NEED, BUT WE'VE ALSO, UM, ARE REALLY HEAVILY RELYING ON THEM TO DEVELOP PLANS THAT THEY HAVE PUT IN PLACE.
AND THEY'VE SHARED THOSE PLANS WITH US ABOUT HOW THEY WOULD RESPOND.
UM, BUT WE WILL ALSO PROVIDE ISOLATION FACILITY.
THE ISOLATION FACILITIES WILL BE OPEN FOR, UH, STUDENTS THAT, THAT PRIMARILY LIVE ON CAMPUS.
AND SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE EFFORTS THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED.
IT IS A GROUP EFFORT BETWEEN US AND THE UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES HERE IN TOWN.
AND SO, UM, THAT IS THE WAY WE WILL BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THE CAPACITY.
YEAH, I HAVE CONFIDENCE THAT UT, UH, AS WELL AS THE OTHER COLLEGES, UNIVERSITIES WILL, WILL DO THEIR PART.
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GROUP WHICH IS AT HIGHER RISK BECAUSE OF THE INTERACTIONS THAT THEY HAVE WITH ONE ANOTHER AND, AND THAT THEY WILL, THEY WILL ENFORCE THE RULES.WE HAVE LETTERS GOING OUT TODAY TO FRATERNITY AND SORORITY HOUSES TO REMIND THEM OF THEIR LEGAL RESPONSIBILITIES, UH, IN THIS PANDEMIC.
AND WE'LL BE PROVIDING A COPY OF THAT LETTER.
UH, PUBLICLY LATER TODAY, I'LL HAVE TO SAY THAT THAT YESTERDAY I SPOKE ABOUT COLLEGE STUDENTS BEING A PART OF THIS COMMUNITY AND TAKING THAT INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY AND ENSURING THAT THEY ARE NOT THE FOCUS OF, OF INFECTIOUS OUTBREAKS.
AND I WAS DISAPPOINTED TO SEE, UH, THE, THE, THE PHOTOS YESTERDAY OR GROUPS OF YOUNG PEOPLE TOGETHER ON THE STREETS OF AUSTIN.
WE ALL HAVE TO BE ENGAGED IN THIS MISSION TOGETHER.
WE HAVE TO SHOW THAT AS COLLEGE STUDENTS AT AUSTIN, TEXAS, THAT WE CAN BE RESPONSIBLE AS WELL, THAT WE CAN OR GO THE USUAL CUSTOMARY THINGS THAT WE DO AS COLLEGE STUDENTS TEMPORARILY.
WHILE WE FIND THIS VERY DANGEROUS PANDEMIC, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR STUDENT LEADERS TO STAND UP AS WELL.
AND TO SAY THAT THAT SAME MESSAGE TO THEIR PEERS, AND WE HAVE TO BE RESPONSIBLE RIGHT NOW.
AND WE HAVE TO ENSURE THAT, THAT WE ARE NOT GOING TO BE THE CAUSE OF A SUBSTANTIAL OUTBREAK.
NEXT QUESTION IS FROM KX A N WHAT DOES THE AWESOME POSITIVE RATE NEED TO BE IN ORDER FOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO SAFELY OPEN CLASSROOMS? AS I'VE SAID BEFORE, WE'D LIKE FOR IT TO BE 5% OR LESS, NOT JUST IN THE POPULATION AS A WHOLE, BUT IN EACH INDIVIDUAL, UH, RACE AND ETHNICITY GROUP.
UH, AND THE, AND THE REASON THAT IS, IS BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO BE IN THIS, YOU KNOW, IN A SITUATION WHERE, UH, PREDOMINANTLY, UH, OR SCHOOLS PREDOMINANTLY IN COMMUNITIES OF COLOR AND OPEN WHEN OTHER SCHOOLS CAN OPEN.
AND AGAIN, AS DIRECTOR HAYDEN SAID EARLIER, WE'VE GOT TO FOCUS ON THAT EFFORT RIGHT NOW.
WE'VE GOT TO FOCUS ON ENSURING THAT PEOPLE HAVE MASKS AND, AND SANITIZER THAT PEOPLE ARE GETTING THEIR TESTING DONE.
IF THEY'RE IDENTIFIED AS BEING EXPOSED OR VELVET POSITIVE THAT THEY STAY HOME OR UTILIZE ONE OF OUR ISOLATION FACILITIES TO SEPARATE THEMSELVES FROM OTHERS, INCLUDING THEIR FAMILIES, IF WE CAN ALL BE FOCUSED ON THAT MISSION RIGHT NOW, WE CAN DRIVE THIS DISEASE DOWN FURTHER AND WE CAN KEEP IT DOWN IF WE MAINTAIN THAT EFFORT THROUGHOUT THE FALL.
NEXT QUESTION FROM COMMUNITY IMPACT, DR.
SCOTT HAS RECOMMENDED PEOPLE 65 AND OLDER REQUESTS MAIL IN BALLOTS FOR THE NOVEMBER ELECTIONS.
DO YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR VOTING CHANGE IF TRAVIS COUNTY SHIFTS TO STAGE TWO OR ONE RISK BEFORE THAT TIME, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT, THAT PEOPLE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO VOTE.
THIS IS OUR DEMOCRACY, AND THERE IS NOTHING, NOTHING MORE IMPORTANT AND THAT RIGHT TO VOTE.
AND RIGHT NOW WE'RE NOT SURE WHAT NOVEMBER 30 IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE.
WE CAN'T PREDICT, UH, WHAT OUR, OUR STAGE OF RISK IS GOING TO BE ON NOVEMBER 3RD.
SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THOSE OVER THE AGE OF 65, THOSE WITH SIGNIFICANT UNDERLYING HEALTH CONDITIONS, THOSE WHO MAY HAVE BARRIERS TO GO INTO THE POLLING PLACE ON ELECTION DAY BECAUSE OF THE RISK OF COVID-19 SHOULD REQUEST ABOUT, I NEED TO MAIL IN THAT BALLOT EARLY, BECAUSE OF SOME OF THE CHALLENGES WITH THE POSTAL SERVICE THAT WE'VE SEEN RECENTLY, UH, ULTIMATELY WE ARE, WE ARE WORKING VERY HARD WITH THE TRAVIS COUNTY CLERK'S OFFICE TO ENSURE THAT ALL IN PLACES ARE AS SAFE AS POSSIBLE.
NOT ONLY FOR, FOR THOSE WHO ARE GOING IN PERSON TO VOTE, BUT FOR THE POLL WORKERS THEMSELVES, UH, THERE'S A, A GREAT DEAL OF WORK THAT THE COUNTY CLERK, AS PUT INTO ENSURING THAT SAFETY, UH, IN, IN INCLUDING, UH, PPE AND HAND SANITIZER AND, AND, UH, UH, DEVICES THAT YOU PUT ON YOUR FINGER TO PROTECT YOUR FINGERS.
SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO TOUCH SOMETHING THAT OTHER PEOPLE HAVE TOUCHED.
UH, THEY'VE GOT A PLACE WHERE YOU PUT YOUR ID THAT NO ONE ELSE TOUCHES SO THEY CAN READ IT AND GET YOUR INFORMATION WHEN YOU VOTE, OR THEY'VE DONE A GREAT JOB AT ENSURING.
IT CAN BE AS SAFE AS POSSIBLE, BUT WE'RE STILL GOING TO HAVE THOSE WHO, UH, HAVE SUBSTANTIAL RISK.
THOSE WHO ARE RISK AVERSE, UH, WHO ARE GOING TO WANT TO CHOOSE TO, UH, HAVE A MAIL IN BALLOT.
AND I THINK THEY SHOULD BE AFFORDED THAT OPPORTUNITY.
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NEXT QUESTION IS FROM THE STATESMAN, WHAT INFORMATION HAS THE APH LEARNED FROM OTHER UNIVERSITIES REOPENING ABOUT WHAT DRIVES INFECTIONS DO YOU THINK IT IS POSSIBLE TO SEE ANOTHER SEARCH LIKE THE ONE FROM JUNE JULY, OR WOULD IT LIKELY BE LESS SEVERE DUE TO THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE ALREADY BEEN EXPOSED? I'LL START BY SAYING, I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY QUESTION WHERE THE CHALLENGES ARE RIGHT NOW IN COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY AND THAT'S SOCIAL GALLONS.I THINK THE UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES HAVE DONE A GREAT JOB OF ENGINEERING, THE CLASSROOM SPACE, THE SPACING INCREASING THE NUMBER OF IN PERSON, STUDENTS ON CAMPUSES, BUT WHAT'S HARD TO CONTROL IS A NORMAL COLLEGE STUDENT BEHAVIOR.
SIMILARLY, WE'RE GOING TO FIND THE SAME CHALLENGES WITH, WITH A THROUGH 12 SCHOOLS, BECAUSE WE'RE USED TO SOCIALIZE.
AND THAT'S PART OF THE EXPERIENCE, AND WE'RE NOT ASKING COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES OR HIGH SCHOOLS OR MIDDLE SCHOOLS TO COMPLETELY FOREGO THAT IMPORTANT PART OF, OF THAT THOSE INSTITUTIONS.
IF THEY HAVE TO DO THEM IN A SAFER WAY, THEY HAVE TO SOCIAL DISTANCE, THEY HAVE TO MASK, THEY CAN STILL GET TOGETHER IN SMALL GROUPS, BUT THEY HAVE TO DO IT SAFELY.
I THINK THE OTHER THING THAT I WOULD ADD IS IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THE THING WE KNOW ABOUT COVID-19 A LOT OF IT IS BEHAVIOR.
AND IF WE CAN REALLY EMPHASIZE WITH OUR UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN COLLEGE, THAT IT IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR THEM TO BE LEADERS IN THIS SPACE, WE ARE GOING TO CALL ON THEM TO BE LEADERS BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THAT PEER INFLUENCE, UM, GOES A REALLY LONG WAY.
AND SO AS WE CALL THEM THEM TO BE LEADERS IN THIS SPACE, IT'S GOING TO BE IMPORTANT FOR THEM TO JUST STEP UP AND, YOU KNOW, ASK THEIR, THEIR FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES AND YOUNG PEOPLE THEIR AGE, IF THEY'RE, IF THEY ARE NOT SOCIAL DISTANCE AND IF THEY ARE NOT WEARING THEIR MASK, UM, WE HOPE IF THEY WOULD, YOU KNOW, DO THAT IN A NICE WAY WHERE THEY CAN REACH OUT TO THEIR PEERS AND INFLUENCE THEM.
WE ARE EXPECTING THAT WE WILL SEE AN INCREASE.
IT IS JUST THE NATURE OF AS YOU START TO OPEN THINGS UP, BUT WE JUST WANT TO OPEN THEM UP A LITTLE BIT AT A TIME AND BE ABLE TO HAVE IT TO BE MANAGEABLE.
WE CANNOT OVERWHELM OUR EMERGENCY ROOM SYSTEMS. UM, AND AS A COMMUNITY, WE CANNOT BE OVERWHELMED WITH THE NUMBER OF FOLKS, UM, THAT ARE TESTING POSITIVE.
SO WE'RE JUST CALLING ON EVERYONE TO DO THEIR PART, UM, IN ORDER TO MITIGATE THE SPREAD OF COVID-19.
THE NEXT QUESTION IS FROM KUT, HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE CURRENTLY WORKING ON CONTACT TRACING AND CASE INVESTIGATION FOR APH? WHAT HURDLES ARE THEY ENCOUNTERING AND HOW ARE YOU MEASURING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE PROGRAM CURRENTLY? UM, THE DEPARTMENT HAS, UM, 52 INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE, UM, DOING CASE INVESTIGATION AND CONTACT TRACING.
UM, WE HAVE AN ADDITIONAL, UM, 33 THAT ARE TRAINED AND ARE PROVIDING DATA ENTRY, BUT THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO CROSS OVER, UH, TO BE, UM, CONTACT TRACERS.
AND SO, UM, ENSURING THAT WE HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY WITH THE STAFF SO WE CAN SURGE UP AS WE NEED TO.
UM, AND TIMES THAT WE MAY SEE AN INCREASE IN A NUMBER OF CASES IS GOING TO BE, UM, IMPORTANT FOR US AS AN ORGANIZATION.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, UM, WE ARE ALSO CONTINUING TO, UM, PARTNER WITH UT DALE, AS WELL AS, UM, AS COMMUNITY CARE AND CENTRAL HEALTH, UH, TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE, UM, INDIVIDUAL CASE INVESTIGATIONS, CASE INVESTIGATORS AND CONTACT TRACERS OUTSIDE OF, OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
AND THEN LASTLY, AS WE WORK WITH THE COLLEGES IN THE, THE HIGH SCHOOLS AND, UM, PRE K THROUGH 12, UM, JUST MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE AN INDIVIDUAL THAT IS ASSIGNED TO, UM, EACH OF THOSE SPACES.
SO WITH, WITH ALL OF THE SCHOOLS, HAVING A SPOT THERE, BUT THEN, UM, AT THE UNIVERSITY, UM, HAVING, UM, INDIVIDUALS THAT WILL MAKE UP THAT TEAM, BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO TAKE THOSE INDIVIDUALS TO, TO ASSIST US WHEN WE ARE LOOKING AT DOING CONTACT TRACING, WHETHER IT'S AT THE COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY OR HIGH SCHOOL, UM, LEVEL, IT'S GOING TO BE IMPORTANT FOR US TO WORK WITH THOSE CONTEXTS.
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THE NEXT QUESTION COMES FROM CVS AUSTIN.YOU MENTIONED REMINDING FRATERNITIES AND SORORITIES OF THEIR LEGAL RESPONSIBILITIES DURING THE PANDEMIC.
WHAT ARE THEY? AND DO YOU THINK UT NEEDS TO DO SOMETHING ADDITIONAL TO CARTEL GROUP GATHERINGS SO THAT THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE SITE OPERATORS ARE IN CHARGE OF, UH, REPAIRING THE SORORITY HOUSES, UH, HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY AS OUTLINED AND IN MY ORDERS, AS WELL AS, UH, MAYOR ADLER'S ORDERS.
AND THOSE WILL BE SENT OUT TO, TO REMIND THEM OF, OF WHAT THOSE RESPONSIBILITIES ARE, BUT ULTIMATELY THEY HAVE THE OBLIGATION TO ENSURE THAT THE SAFETY PRACTICES ARE IN PLACE, THAT, THAT PEOPLE ARE MASKING.
PEOPLE ARE SOCIAL DISTANCING, AND, UH, AND THAT THE, THE GATHERINGS ARE HAPPENING.
UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK UT IS, IS A GREAT ORGANIZATION.
UH, THEY'VE GOT GREAT LEADERSHIP AND WE ARE CONSTANTLY ENGAGED WITH, WITH THEM AS WELL AS OTHER COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES.
I THINK THEY ARE, THEY HAVE PLANS IN PLACE AND THEY WILL CONTINUE TO REVISE AND REFINE THOSE PLANS AS NECESSARY IN ORDER TO KEEP THEIR COMMUNITY SAFE FOR THE LARGER TRANS COUNTY.
THE ONLY THING THAT WE WILL ADD IS, IS, UM, WE, WE ARE GOING TO HAVE, UM, A FEW MEETINGS WITH, UM, INDIVIDUALS THAT, UM, ARE REPRESENTATIVE OF FRATERNITIES, SORORITIES, UM, ANY OTHER, UM, TYPE OF ASSOCIATIONS.
AND OUR GOAL IS, IS THAT WE WANT TO JUST REALLY INFORM THEM OF THESE ARE THE ORDERS THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE.
UM, THESE ARE THE PRACTICES THAT HAVE HELPED US AS A COMMUNITY, UM, WITH EDUCATION MATERIAL, UH, MOST OF THE, UM, FRATERNITIES AND SORORITIES, UM, TYPICALLY DO PROVIDE A HEALTH AND SAFETY GUY.
AND SO WE'RE GOING TO PROVIDE INFORMATION TO THEM AS WELL.
SO THAT CAN BE INCLUSIVE IN WHAT THEY PROVIDE, BUT WE SEE THIS AS A COLLABORATIVE PROCESS.
WE KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, AS INDIVIDUALS MAY HAVE TRAVELED FROM A, ANOTHER AREA, WHICH MAY HAVE NOT HAVE THE SAME RESTRICTIONS.
AND SO WE WANT TO USE THIS AS AN EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION TO THEM AS WELL.
THE NEXT QUESTION I WILL ASK WHO COME FROM UNIVISION, YOU MENTIONED SOMETHING SO SIMPLE AS HAND SANITIZER MASK THAT THAT'S YOU, YOU'RE MAKING THIS CALL FOR COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS TO HELP.
WHO ARE WE EXACTLY ASKING TO HELP THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY? YOU IMAGINE THAT WE ARE THREE TIMES THE POSITIVITY RATE, GIVE US A, WHO ARE WE ASKING FOR THIS HELP? AND WHY ARE WE, IF IT'S SOMETHING SO SIMPLE TO AVOID THIS SPREAD AMONG THIS COMMUNITY, WHY HAVEN'T WE HELPED THEM? WHY HASN'T APH THEN A LITTLE BIT MORE TO HELP THEM WITH THIS BASIC ESSENTIALS THAT THEY NEED.
UM, I WOULD SAY THAT, UM, THE, THE DEPARTMENT HAS, UM, HAS PROVIDED A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF PPE, UM, AND HAND SANITIZER, UM, AS A, AS A DEPARTMENT AND WITH THE OPERATIONS IN GENERAL, UM, WE BEGAN PROVIDING THESE SERVICES BACK IN MARCH.
UM, SO THEY WERE PROVIDED TO, UM, CHILDCARE PROVIDERS IN ORDER TO KEEP THEM OPEN.
UM, AND THEN WE'VE ALSO PROVIDED THEM TO NONPROFITS THAT WERE CONTINUING TO PROVIDE ESSENTIAL SERVICES AT HOMES TO INDIVIDUALS.
AND THEN WE HAVE SHIFTED AND HAVE, UM, WE PROVIDE, UM, TESTING TO INDIVIDUALS, UM, THAT WHEN THEY COME IN FOR THEIR TESTS, WE PROVIDE THAT PPE TO THEM.
UM, WE ARE PARTNERING, UM, OVER THE NEXT SIX WEEKS TO ENSURE TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL PPE AND HAND SANITIZER.
I WOULD SAY THAT, UM, OUR PARTNERS HAVE LET US KNOW THAT THEY ARE MAKING REQUESTS FROM AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH.
WE HAVE REACHED OUT TO THE COUNTY AS WELL.
AND SO THE COUNTY IS GOING TO JOIN US IN THESE EFFORTS.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, UM, WE ACTUALLY HAVE A PPE, UM, DRIVE THAT WE ARE WORKING WITH WHEN YOU VISIT YOUR HOME.
UM, THIS SATURDAY AT GUS GARCIA, WE WILL BE PROVIDING, UH, PPE TO THAT COMMUNITY.
AND SO AS FAR AS THE FOLKS THAT WE ARE HOPING THAT WE'LL STEP
[00:35:01]
INTO THIS SPACE, UM, AUSTIN HAS SO MANY BUSINESSES ACROSS OUR CITY.AND OUR HOPE IS, IS THAT OUR BUSINESSES WILL, UM, REACH OUT TO NONPROFIT PARTNERS AND SEE HOW THEY CAN PLAY A KEY ROLE.
FIU DOES A DAY AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY.
WE KNOW THAT WE CANNOT DO THIS WORK ALONE.
AND SO WE ARE REALLY HEAVILY DEPENDING ON OUR PARTNERS, THAT WHEN THE NONPROFITS CALL AND MAKE THE REQUEST FOR PPE AND HAND SANITIZER AND OR DONATIONS, WE'RE HOPING THAT THEY WILL PARTNER WITH THE NONPROFITS TO, UM, AND ADDITIONAL, UM, RESOURCES FOR THIS COMMUNITY.
IT IS GOING TO BE IMPORTANT THAT EVERYONE DOES THEIR PART.
THE NEXT QUESTION IS FROM THE AUSTIN CHRONICLE WITH THE NEW ORDERS REGARDING VISITATION ON NURSING HOMES, WHO WOULD DETERMINE WHAT FACILITIES CAN ACCEPT VISITORS AND WOULD THIS INFORMATION BE PUBLIC? THE, UM, NURSING HOME TASK FORCE IS, AS I STATED EARLIER, UM, THAT GROUP, THAT INCIDENT COMMAND GROUP IS CURRENTLY IN PLACE.
UM, AS MOST INDIVIDUALS MAY NOT UNDERSTAND OR REALIZE THE, UM, STATE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMISSION IS THE REGULATORY ARM FOR, UM, LONGTERM CARE AS WELL AS ASSISTED LIVING.
AND SO THEY HAVE IMPLEMENTED THEIR RULES ABOUT HOW, UM, A FACILITY WILL BE ABLE TO RECEIVE, UM, VISITORS.
AND SO, UM, SO THERE'S A CERTAIN, UM, CRITERIA THAT HAS BEEN PUT IN PLACE.
OUR STAFF WILL ASSIST THEM IF THEY NEED ADDITIONAL, UM, HELP WITH TESTING OR ADDITIONAL PPE, BECAUSE THEIR GOAL IS, IS THAT THEY WANT TO BE AT WHAT HHSC IS CALLING LEVEL ONE IN ORDER TO RECEIVE VISITORS.
THE, UM, OTHER, UM, UM, PART OF THIS, UM, THAT HAS BEEN REALLY ESSENTIAL IS, IS THAT MOST OF THE, UM, THE NURSING HOMES HAVE REALLY PUSHED FOR A FAMILY MEMBER TO BE PART OF THE TREATMENT TEAM.
AND SO, UM, OUR HOPE IS, IS THAT THAT WILL BE IMPLEMENTED AS WELL, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR FAMILY MEMBERS TO BE ABLE TO BE A PART OF THEIR TREATMENT PLAN FOR THEIR FAMILY, AS WELL AS TO VISIT THEIR LOVED ONES.
THE NEXT QUESTION WAS, UM, O P RADIO IN THE LAST WEEK, GUIDANCE FROM FEDERAL OR AGENCIES HAVE BEEN AT BEST CONFUSING AND AT WORST MISLEADING, CONSIDERING THE FTA GAP AND PLASMA, THE CDC IS NEW DIRECTION AND TESTING.
WHAT ARE WE TO BELIEVE? SO IN RELATION TO COALESCE AND PLASMA, UH, YEAH, I MENTIONED THIS YESTERDAY AT A, AT CITY COUNCIL THREE, THE EVIDENCE THAT WE HAVE IN HAND IS, IS PROMISING, UH, THERE'S A DOSE RESPONSE RELATIONSHIP IN THE SUN THAT WAS RELEASED, WHICH MEANS THAT THE EARLIER THE COMMONWEALTH SAID CLASS WAS GIVEN OR THE HIGHER, THE DOSE THAT'S GIVING THE BETTER, THE, IN TERMS OF DECREASE IN MORTALITY.
UH, THIS IS THE SIGNATURE THAT WE LOOK FOR, UH, UH, RELATED TO, TO NEW TREATMENTS, INDICATE THAT THERE IS PROMISE, UH, WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN NOW IS A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL TO PROVE IT BECAUSE THERE ARE OTHER FACTORS INVOLVED, UH, IN INDIVIDUAL'S CARE, UH, IN THE STUDY, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE PATIENTS GOT RUM, DESERT BEER, SOME RECEIVE DEXAMETHAZONE AND OTHER TREATMENT EARLY IN THE STUDY, SOME, UH, RECEIVED HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE.
UH, SO THE NUMBER OF DIFFERENT FACTORS THAT MAY INFLUENCE THAT MORTALITY RATE.
SO THE NEXT STEP IS TO DO THAT RANDOMIZED CONTROL TRIAL TO PROVE WHETHER OR NOT, UH, IT IS A SUCCESSFUL TREATMENT, BUT HAVING SAID THAT THERE IS A LOT OF PROMISE.
AND I THINK RIGHT NOW IT'S, IT'S WORTH PURSUING, UH, BOTH LOCALLY AND NATIONALLY TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE THE CAPABILITIES OF, OF COLLECTING AND STORING AND ADMINISTERING, UM, THE LESSON PLASMA.
AND, UH, AND THOSE EFFORTS SHOULD CONTINUE, UH, REGARDING THE CONFUSING MESSAGES, UH, FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
UH, YOU KNOW, THIS IS, THIS HAS BEEN THE STORY OF THIS PANDEMIC.
UH, I THINK WE'VE GOT TO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS, THIS ENDEMIC IS HAPPENING DURING AN ELECTION YEAR, AND WE'VE GOT TO PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO THE NUANCES OF THE MESSAGES
[00:40:01]
THAT ARE RECEIVED.I THINK, YOU KNOW, LOCALLY, WE, WE ARE GOING TO SHARE MESSAGES THAT, THAT WE BELIEVE IN, UH, AND THAT'S BASED ON EVIDENCE AND WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO SHED THE POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT BECAUSE THIS IS, THIS IS A MEDICAL PROBLEM.
THIS IS A COUPLE OF HEALTH PROBLEMS, AND WE'VE GOT TO TRY TO DECREASE THAT, UH, THAT INVOLVEMENT OF, OF POLITICS OR THE, UH, THE MESSAGING THAT'S HAPPENING, WHICH, WHICH IS MAKING THINGS CONFUSING.
UM, SO WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO OUR EFFORT TO TRY TO GIVE YOU AN UNBIASED MESSAGE IN TERMS OF, OF THE PANDEMIC TREATMENTS AND OTHER MEN.
MOVING ON TO THE SECOND QUESTION FOR KSAN, ARE YOU EXPECTING A SURGEON COVID-19 CASES WITH EVACUEES COMING TO AUSTIN? WE HAVE PUT IN PLACE A, A PROCESS WHERE WE ARE SCREENING ALL OF THE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE COMING FROM OTHER AREAS.
AND WITH THAT SCREENING PROCESS, IF ANYONE HAS ALREADY TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID-19, WE ARE HOUSING THEM AT OUR ISOLATION FACILITY, UM, IN THE EVENT, UM, SOMEONE ALSO HAS NOT TESTED POSITIVE, BUT, UM, SAYS THEY HAVE SOME, SOME SYMPTOMS. WE WILL ALSO HOUSE THEM THERE AS WELL.
AND SO WE WILL TAKE A CASE BY CASE, AND WE ARE IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE HOME CITY, OUR COUNTY THAT SENT THEM TO AUSTIN, TEXAS.
AND SO THEY ARE ALSO PROVIDING US THAT INFORMATION SO WE CAN IMMEDIATELY MOVE THEM TO THE ISOLATION FACILITY.
AND I'LL JUST SAY, WE HAVE TEXANS WHO ARE IN NEED, SO WE WILL DEAL WITH WHATEVER, WHATEVER ISSUES COME.
UH, RIGHT NOW I'M MUCH MORE CONCERNED ABOUT BACKYARD BARBECUES AND, AND SORORITY AND FRATERNITY PARTIES AS I AM ABOUT THE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH THE BATHROOM.
NEXT QUESTION FROM COMMUNITY IMPACT CHARLES COUNTY WASN'T STAGE FOUR RISK FOR AROUND TWO MONTHS.
NOW THAT WE'RE IN STAGE THREE, WHAT WOULD NEED TO HAPPEN TO THE CENTER STAGE TO DO CURRENT UT PROJECTIONS MODELS TO US WHEN THAT MIGHT OCCUR? SO THE YOUTUBE MODEL WAS UPDATED THIS MORNING AND CERTAINLY LOOKS MORE POSITIVE THAN IT, THAN IT DID LAST WEEK.
UH, RIGHT NOW IT'S SHOWING THAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO CLIMB IF WE CONTINUE TO TAKE THOSE PROTECTIVE MEASURES.
UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT THAT BY THE MIDDLE TO END OF SEPTEMBER, WE COULD BE IN A STAGE TWO SITUATION IF WE ALL CONTINUE THE EFFORTS, IF WE DON'T TAKE THIS TIME TO RELAX AND CELEBRATE, IF WE DON'T HAVE BIG BACKYARD BARBECUES FOR LABOR DAY, IF OUR COLLEGE STUDENTS AND, AND FOREGO THOSE USUAL, UH, COMPONENTS OF, OF BACK TO SCHOOL AND BE SAFER FOR A LITTLE BIT LONGER, THIS IS GOING TO BE THE LAST QUESTION FROM KUT.
WHAT HURDLES ARE CONTACT TRACERS AND CASE INVESTIGATORS IN COUNTING OUR PEOPLE OVERALL, OR IN ANY PARTICULAR COMMUNITY RELUCTANT TO SHARE INFORMATION OR FOLLOW GUIDANCE? HOW ARE YOU MEASURING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE CONTACT TRACING PROGRAM WITH OUR, UM, WITH OUR CASE INVESTIGATION AND OUR CONTACT TRACING, UM, THE DEPARTMENT HAS, UM, INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE PROVIDING THOSE SERVICES, BUT WE ARE ALSO PARTNERING WITH, UM, UT DELL MED, AS WELL AS, UM, CENTRAL HEALTH AND COMMUNITY CARE.
UM, WHAT WE HAVE REALLY SEEN OVER THIS TIME IS THAT WE'VE HAD SOME INDIVIDUALS THAT MAY SIMPLY NOT ANSWER THEIR TELEPHONE.
I THINK WE'RE AT A PLACE WHERE, UM, FOLKS ARE RECEIVING CALLS FROM, UM, FROM SOLICITORS.
AND SO, UM, THEY'RE REALLY NOT INCLINED TO ANSWER A TELEPHONE NUMBER IF THEY'RE NOT FAMILIAR WITH IT, BUT WE ARE JUST URGING INDIVIDUALS THAT IF YOU SEE, UM, A CALL FROM OUR INDIVIDUALS, EVEN IF YOU'RE WILLING TO DIAL THAT NUMBER BACK TO DETERMINE, UM, IT IS US CALLING, WE TYPICALLY WILL LEAVE A MESSAGE AND ASK, ASK YOU TO GIVE US A CALL.
AND SO THAT IS GOING TO BE IMPORTANT.
THE OTHER, UM, I'M PROUD OF THE PROCESS THAT IS, UM, REALLY, UM, BEEN A SLIGHT BIT OF A HINDRANCE IS SOME INDIVIDUALS MAY NOT BE WILLING TO SHARE WHO THEIR CONTACTS ARE.
IN THAT INSTANCE, WE HAVE ASKED THEM TO REACH OUT
[00:45:01]
TO THOSE INDIVIDUALS, SHARE WHAT WE ARE PROVIDING TO YOU, ASK THEM TO CALL US AND SCHEDULE TO COME IN, TO BE TESTED, BECAUSE ULTIMATELY WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WITH THOSE CONTEXTS THAT WE ARE PROVIDING, UM, THEY'RE ALLOWING THEM TO COME IN TO, TO TEST AND ENSURE THAT THEY ARE NOT KOBE POSITIVE.AND THEN LASTLY, THE OTHER THING THAT WE REALLY SEE THAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US IS, IS CONTINUING TO EDUCATE OUR COMMUNITY AND EMPHASIZE, UM, THE HAND HYGIENE, THE SOCIAL DISTANCING, AND ENSURING THAT YOU ARE, UM, HAVING, UH, HAVE ON A FACE COVERING OR A MASK, UH, BECAUSE THOSE ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS THAT WE CAN PROVIDE TO OUR COMMUNITY AT THIS TIME.
UM, BEFORE WE WRAP UP, WE'D LIKE TO GIVE, UM, DIRECTOR HAYTON AND DR.
S UH, UM, OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, PROVIDE CLOSING REMARKS.
I THINK I AM GOING TO EMPHASIZE OUR CALL TO ACTION.
THIS IS NOT THE TIME FOR US TO RELAX AND SAY, YES, WE ARE AT LEVEL THREE.
NO, THIS IS NOT THE TIME FOR US TO CELEBRATE.
WE HAVE GOT TO UNDER ALL CIRCUMSTANCES, WE HAVE GOT TO CONTINUE TO STAY THE COURSE.
UM, PLEASE BE THE NORTH STAR THAT YOU WANT INDIVIDUALS, UM, TO, TO PRACTICE WHAT YOU'RE DOING TO MIMIC THE THINGS THAT YOU'RE PROVIDING.
UM, IF YOU HAVE THE ABILITY AND YOU CAN BUY SOME EXTRA MASKS WHILE YOU'RE AT THE STORE, PLEASE DO THAT.
STICK THEM IN YOUR CAR, HAND THEM OUT TO INDIVIDUALS THAT YOU MAY SEE THAT MAY NOT HAVE A MASK.
I DON'T WANT YOU TO BE CONFRONTATIONAL, BUT JUST IN A NICE WAY, HEY, YOU KNOW, I HAVE A MASK.
WOULD YOU LIKE IT CANDID TO HIM AND JUST KEEP MOVING ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS IF YOU ARE.
UM, IF YOU RECEIVE A REQUEST FROM A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION ABOUT HOW YOU CAN HELP OR, OR PEOPLE THAT YOUR BUSINESS CAN HELP, IT IS GOING TO BE REALLY IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO EMPHASIZE THAT, UM, THEY REALLY NEED TO PROVIDE MORE MASK, MORE HANDS, HAND SANITIZER TO THE COMMUNITY.
AND SO IF YOU'RE AT A POINT FINANCIALLY WHERE YOU CAN SUPPORT THIS, OR YOUR BUSINESS CAN SUPPORT THIS, IT'S GOING TO BE IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO SUPPORT THAT NONPROFIT.
SO WE CAN REALLY, REALLY BE ABLE TO GET OUT AS MUCH PPE AND HAND SANITIZER IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AS WE WORK TOGETHER, I KEEP SAYING WE ARE ONE, IT TAKES ALL OF US TO COME TOGETHER TO BE THIS ONE, BECAUSE WE, AS A COMMUNITY, WE'VE GOT TO PULL THIS POSITIVITY RATE.
WE CANNOT HAVE ONE RACE OR ETHNICITY THAT HAS A HIGHER NUMBER THAN THE REST OF THE COMMUNITY.
SO PLEASE JUST TAKE UP THAT BADGE AND SAY, OKAY, I SEE THAT RATE, AND THIS IS HOW I CAN SUPPORT THIS.
THIS IS HOW MY FAMILY CAN SUPPORT THIS.
I KNOW FOLKS ARE GOING TO WANT TO GATHER, AND WE DON'T WANT YOU TO GATHER.
WE WANT YOU TO ONLY GO OUT FOR ESSENTIAL TRIPS ONLY.
AND FLU SEASON IS AROUND THE CORNER.
AND SO WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO ASK YOU, UM, AS FLU SEASON APPROACHES, PLEASE MAKE SURE TO GET YOUR FLU SHOT.
AND WITH CLOSING EDUCATION IS OUR PRIORITY.
WE MUST GET OUR CHILDREN BACK IN SCHOOL TO EDUCATE THEM SAFELY AT THE 25%.
I'LL JUST REITERATE STEPHANIE'S LAST POINT BECAUSE I'M HOME TODAY, MONITORING MY KIDS VIRTUAL EDUCATION.
THE FACT THAT STAY FOCUSED ON GETTING OUR KIDS BACK IN THE CLASSROOM, UH, AGAIN, TO REITERATE THE CHANGES, STAGE THREE, DOESN'T CHANGE THAT SEPTEMBER 8TH START DATE.
IT DOESN'T CHANGE THE FACT THAT WE WANT AT SCHOOLS TO OPEN A 25% AND THEN GRADUALLY INCREASE FROM THERE AS IS TOLERABLE IN THE INDIVIDUAL SCHOOL AND BASED UPON OUR STAGE OF RISK.
AND FINALLY, WE ARE ALLOWING ATHLETICS
[00:50:01]
TO, UH, AND EXTRACURRICULARS RESTART ONE DAY EARLIER ON SEPTEMBER 7TH, UH, IF NECESSARY FOR THEIR SCHEDULE.UH, AGAIN, WE ALMOST STAY FOCUSED.
WE'VE GOT TO CONTINUE THAT JOB AND BE AN EXAMPLE FOR OTHER CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
THAT CONCLUDES OUR MEDIA AVAILABILITY FOR TODAY.
UH, THANK YOU TO APH DIRECTOR, STEPHANIE HAYDEN AND DR.
MARK S. SCOTT, AND TO THE POOL REPORTER FOR JOINING US.