[COVID-19: Press Q & A ]
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MY NAME IS BRYCE BENCHER VANGO, AND I WILL BE MODERATING TODAY.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US FOR TODAY'S AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH MEDIA AVAILABILITY.
THIS AVAILABILITY IS BEING CARRIED.
LIVE ON AUSTIN, PUBLIC HEALTH FACEBOOK PAGE ATX N AND ATX N.TV IN ENGLISH.
THIS IS ALSO AVAILABLE ON ATX N THREE IN SPANISH TO START AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH DIRECTOR.
STEPHANIE HAYDEN WILL FIRST SAY A FEW WORDS FOLLOWED BY DR.
MARK ASCOT, INTERIM AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY HEALTH AUTHORITY, THEN AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, CHIEF EPIDEMIOLOGIST, JANET PICHETTE.
AND THEN WE WILL OPEN IT UP TO QUESTIONS FROM THE POOL REPORTER, STEPHANIE, OVER TO YOU.
I'D LIKE TO START BY TALKING ABOUT COURAGE.
I AM REALLY EXCITED TO ISSUE THIS CHALLENGE THIS AFTERNOON.
AT THE LAST CONFERENCE, WE TALKED ABOUT A CALL TO ACTION, AND I WANT TO TAKE IT A STEP FURTHER AND ASK OUR COMMUNITY TO HAVE COURAGE, COURAGE, TO CONTINUE TO BE AN INFLUENCER.
MAKING SURE THAT THE PEOPLE THAT YOU COME IN CONTACT WITH, WHETHER THEY'RE FRIENDS, FAMILIES, I'M EVEN ASKING YOU TO USE YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNT TO SAY THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT I WILL DO AS AN INDIVIDUAL.
CAN YOU JOIN ME IN THIS FIGHT AGAINST COVID-19? I KNOW THAT IT'S CALLING FOR COURAGE THAT IS ASKING YOU TO MAYBE EVEN GO BEYOND YOUR COMFORT ZONE.
AND THAT IS FINE FOR US BECAUSE WE WANT INDIVIDUALS TO MAKE THE DECISION TO STAY THE COURSE AND DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TAKE ONLY ESSENTIAL TRIPS, DO NOT GO OUT AND CELEBRATE THIS WEEKEND.
DO NOT HAVE PARTIES IN YOUR HOME.
WE WANT YOU TO BE WITH THE INDIVIDUALS IN YOUR HOME THAT YOU LIVE WITH.
PLEASE CONTINUE TO WEAR YOUR FACE, COVERING, USE YOUR HAND SANITIZER AND WASH YOUR HANDS.
WE WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE TESTING AVAILABLE.
OUR DRIVE UP SITE IS STILL OPEN.
YOU CAN GO ONLINE TO ACCESS THE INFORMATION, TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT.
WE ARE TESTING EVERYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO BE TESTED OUR STATIC LOCATIONS, CONTINUE TO PROVIDE SERVICES.
WE WILL HAVE TESTING ON TOMORROW.
SO PLEASE GO TO ONE OF THOSE LOCATIONS AND GET A TEST.
LASTLY, AS YOU KNOW, WE ARE ON OUR CAMPAIGN TO PROTECT YOURSELF AND PROTECT YOUR FAMILY.
IT IS FAR A PERSONAL PROTECTIVE INFORMATION EQUIPMENT.
WE ARE REALLY CALLING FOR YOU BECAUSE WE WANT OTHERS TO STEP INTO THIS SPACE TO JOIN US.
LAST WEEK, I MENTIONED THAT WE WERE GOING TO BE DOING THE PPE.
WE HAD A DONOR THAT REACHED OUT TO US AND GRACIOUSLY DONATED.
WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK THEM FOR THEIR DONATION, AND WE SHARED IT AT ONE OF OUR EVENTS WITH OUR PARTNERS.
PLEASE KEEP THE PPE AVAILABLE AND COMING.
AND AS SHE SAID, AS WE'VE BEEN SAYING FOR MONTHS, THIS HAS TO BE AN ALL COMMUNITY, ALL GOVERNMENT EFFORT AND TO BE SUCCESSFUL, WE ALL HAVE TO CONTINUE TO WORK TOGETHER TO FIGHT THIS DISEASE AND DECREASE TRANSMISSION.
WE'VE SEEN WEEKS AND WEEKS OF DECREASING DISEASE TRANSMISSION, DECREASING STRESS ON OUR HOSPITALS, OUR HOSPITALS THAT ARE SITUATION.
THERE'S PLENTY OF ROOM TO TAKE CARE OF PEOPLE FOR COVID-19 OR ANY OTHER HEALTH NEEDS THAT FOLKS HAVE.
BUT WE'VE GOT TO STAY THE COURSE.
WE WANT TO, TO BE OUT THIS HOLIDAY WEEKEND AND BE WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS.
BUT IF WE GO TOO FAR, IF WE TAKE TOO MUCH RISK RIGHT NOW, WHEN WE'RE ABOUT TO START THE OPENING OF SCHOOLS AND WE'RE GOING TO PAY FOR IT.
AND TWO OR THREE WEEKS, AS I SAID EARLIER THIS WEEK, IT ONLY TOOK US ABOUT THREE WEEKS TO GO FROM A STAGE WHERE WE ARE AT RIGHT NOW, BACK ON JUNE THE 10TH TO OUR PEAK AT A 558 NEW CASES A DAY.
AND IT ONLY TAKES THREE WEEKS FOR US TO GET BACK TO THAT, THAT STAGE.
AGAIN, IF WE DON'T CONTINUE TO USE CAUTION, I JUST MENTIONED GOING BACK TO SCHOOL AND THERE, THERE ARE A FEW THINGS THAT IS IMPORTANT FOR PARENTS
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TO KNOW AS SCHOOLS AROUND THE COUNTY PLAN TO START THE REOPENING PROCESS ON TUESDAY, MAKE SURE YOUR CHILD'S READY TO BE BACK IN THE CLASSROOM.IF THEY'RE GOING TO BE ONE OF THE 25% GOING BACK IN PERSON, MAKE SURE THEY HAVE THE RIGHT SUPPLIES, A BACKPACK WITH TWO OR THREE MASKS IS A GOOD IDEA.
I KNOW THAT BECAUSE I HAVE A SIGN AND I KNOW IF I GIVE THEM ONE MASK, THEY'LL LOSE IT IN THE FIRST 15 MINUTES.
SO HAVING A, A COUPLE OF EXTRAS IS A GOOD IDEA, UH, PACKING SOME HAND SANITIZER.
IF YOUR CHILD IS AT APPROPRIATE AGE TO USE IT RESPONSIBLY AND SAFELY IS ALSO A GOOD IDEA.
SCHOOLS WILL HAVE HAND WASHING STATIONS AND HAND SANITIZER, BUT HAVING A LITTLE BIT OF THEIR OWN, UH, IS, IS ALWAYS A GOOD IDEA AS WELL.
UH, IF YOU CAN FIND A SMALL PACKAGE OF, OF SURFACE CLEANING WIPES AND YOUR CHILD IS AN APPROPRIATE AGE TO USE THEM, YOU CAN CONSIDER TACKING THAT AS WELL.
BUT PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT THING AT THIS STAGE IS TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE DOING THAT SCREENING PROCESS BEFORE YOUR CHILD GOES OFF TO SCHOOL EVERY DAY.
MAKE SURE THAT IF THEY HAVE ANY SYMPTOMS, FEVER, COUGH, SORE THROAT, UH, NAUSEA, VOMITING, DIARRHEA, CHANGE IN THEIR SMELL OR TASTE OR MANY OTHER SYMPTOMS. IF THEY HAVE ANY OF THOSE THINGS, THEY NEED TO STAY HOME.
AND THAT MEANS YOU HAVE TO HAVE A PLAN OR WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO.
IF YOU FIND THAT OUT AT SIX O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING OR SEVEN O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING, SO THAT YOU DON'T FEEL THE PRESSURE TO SEND YOUR CHILD AT SCHOOL, EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE SYMPTOMS, WE KNOW THAT IN CHILDREN AND COLLEGE AGE STUDENTS, THE SYMPTOMS ARE VERY MILD, BUT THAT'S THE TIME WHEN WE NEED CAUTION.
THAT'S THE TIME WHEN WE NEED THE VIGILANCE OF OUR PARENTS OUT THERE TO KEEP THEM AT HOME AND GET THAT CHILD TESTED.
AND FINALLY, I WANT TO SAY THAT IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO PREPARE THAT YOUR CHILD OR THE DIFFERENCE THAT THEY'RE GOING TO SEE WHEN THEY GO BACK TO SCHOOL THIS YEAR, THEY NEED TO BE PREPARED TO WEAR MASKS FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME.
THEY NEED TO PREPARE FOR, UH, USING HAND SANITIZER, HAND WASHING STATIONS, MORE FREQUENTLY THAN THEY HAVE IN THE PAST.
THEY WASH THEIR HANDS BEFORE THEY LEAVE THE HOUSE BEFORE AND AFTER USING THE RESTROOM BEFORE AND AFTER EATING.
AND CERTAINLY WHEN THEY COME BACK HOME FOR THE DAY.
AND IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT THAT TO REMIND THEM, TO AVOID TOUCHING THEIR FACE, WE KNOW THAT THIS VIRUS IS SPREAD THROUGH DROPLETS.
IT CAN ALSO BE SPREAD WHEN VIRUS GETS ON SOMEONE'S HAND AND THEN THEY TOUCH THEIR EYES OR THEIR NOSE OR THEIR MOUTH.
SO REMINDING YOUR CHILD TO AVOID THOSE THINGS IS GOING TO BE AN ESSENTIAL PART OF TRYING TO PREVENT TRANSMISSION TO YOUR CHILD AND TO YOUR HOUSEHOLD.
AND ONE FINAL NOTE, FLU SHOTS, CLINICS, DOCTOR'S OFFICES AROUND THE COUNTY HAVE BEEN IN THE PROCESS OF RECEIVING FLU SHOTS.
NOW'S THE TIME TO GET IT DONE.
WE'D LIKE FOR AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE TO GET THAT PRIOR TO OCTOBER 1ST, WHEN FLU SEASON OFFICIALLY BEGINS, WE KNOW THAT WE NORMALLY SEE A SIGNIFICANT SPIKE IN, IN CASES OF FLU DURING THE FALL AND WINTER MONTHS.
WE KNOW THAT THAT CAN PLACE ADDITIONAL STRESS ON OUR HEALTHCARE SYSTEM.
AND WE SIMPLY CANNOT AFFORD TO HAVE A BAD FLU SEASON AND A BAD COVID-19 SEASON BECAUSE WE WILL NOT HAVE THE CAPACITY TO HANDLE IT ALL.
SO PLEASE DO YOUR POT, YOUR PART, AND GET A SHOT.
GOOD MORNING OR GOOD AFTERNOON.
I JUST WANT TO BRING UP A FEW THINGS.
UH, ONE OF THEM IS RELATED TO ISOLATION AND QUARANTINE.
SO I WANT TO STRESS THE IMPORTANCE OF QUARANTINING.
IF YOU HAVE, IF YOU'VE BEEN EXPOSED TO SOMEBODY WHO HAS COVID POSITIVE, IT IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO STAY HOME DURING THAT 14 DAY PERIOD THAT YOU ARE ARE, ARE, UH, QUARANTINING.
IF YOU ARE SICK, IF YOU WOULD BE ISOLATING.
UH, AND DURING THAT TIME PERIOD, YOU NEED TO, UM, STAY HOME FOR AT LEAST A MINIMUM OF 10 DAYS.
UH, AND FOLLOWING THAT 10 DAY PERIOD, YOU NEED TO BE FEVER FREE FOR A 24 HOUR PERIOD AND HAVE A RESOLUTION OF SYMPTOMS BEFORE YOU LEAVE YOUR HOME.
UM, I BRING THESE UP BECAUSE, UH, WE HAVE SEEN A DOWNWARD TREND.
I JUST, AND I WANT TO REMAIN CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC, AS I SAY EACH WEEK THAT, UH, WE DON'T HAVE A SPIKE, BUT THERE HAVE BEEN MANY, MANY TIMES THAT WE ARE DOING CASE INVESTIGATION HERE AT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
AND WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT STAYING AT HOME.
UM, OR IF THEY ARE QUARANTINING, THEY'LL GO AND GET A TEST.
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AND BECAUSE THE TEST IS NEGATIVE, THEY WILL GO ABOUT THEIR BUSINESS.AND THAT IS NOT WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN IF YOU'RE QUARANTINING, BECAUSE YOU'VE BEEN EXPOSED TO A CASE AND YOU GET A CHEST YOU STEW, AND IT IS NEGATIVE.
YOU'LL HAVE TO COMPLETE YOUR 14 DAY QUARANTINE PERIOD IN YOUR HOME.
SO I JUST WANTED TO REEMPHASIZE THAT POINT.
UM, THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO BRING OUT TOO WAS, YOU KNOW, UH, AT THIS JUNCTURE IN TIME, WHEN WE HAVE LOW NUMBER AND DECREASING NUMBER OF CASES, UH, WE WILL BEGIN AND WE ARE CONDUCTING MORE CASE INVESTIGATION AND CONTACT TRACING WITH OUR PARTNERS.
AND WE JUST WANT THE PUBLIC TO KNOW THAT IF THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT CALLS YOU, UH, TO PROVIDE AS MUCH INFORMATION SO THAT WE CAN INTERVENE, WE'RE TRYING TO IDENTIFY THOSE CLOSE CONTACTS.
UH, AND WE'RE TRYING TO IDENTIFY THOSE SETTINGS IN WHICH PEOPLE HAVE BEEN, UH, AND SO THAT WE CAN, UH, INTERVENE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE STOP THE SPREAD OF TRANSMISSION THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY.
AND THAT'S, WHAT'S GOING TO HELP US, UH, UH, GET CONTROL OF THIS VIRUS.
UM, THE ONE THING THAT, AND FINALLY, THE ONE THING I DID WANT TO BRING UP IF AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH CAUSE YOU, OR, UH, ONE OF OUR PARTNERS LIKE UT DELL MEDICAL SCHOOL, WHO IS CONDUCTING CONTACT, TRACED CONTACT TRACING FOR US ON BEHALF OF THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, WE WOULD NEVER REQUEST ANY KIND OF FINANCIAL INFORMATION FROM YOU.
SO I KNOW THERE ARE CONCERNS ABOUT, UH, PEOPLE TRYING TO SCAM, UH, INDIVIDUALS FOR FINANCIAL INFORMATION, THAT KIND OF INFORMATION WILL NOT BE ASKED.
UM, WE ARE MORE INTERESTED IN IDENTIFYING DIMMER, BASIC DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR EXPOSURE, ABOUT YOUR TEST, ABOUT YOUR SYMPTOMOLOGY AND WHAT KIND OF OTHER CONDITIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE THAT MAY HAVE EXACERBATED OR CAUSED YOU TO, UH, TO GET A DISEASE.
UH, IF FOR ANY REASON YOU FEEL THAT YOU HAVE BEEN CONTACTED BY SOMEONE AND YOU DON'T FEEL IT'S LEGITIMATE, YOU CAN ALWAYS CALL THREE, ONE, ONE, OR YOU CAN CALL THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT AT (512) 972-5560, AND SOMEONE CAN ASSIST YOU AND, UM, WRAP UP RIGHT THERE.
NOW I'LL HAND THIS OVER TO OUR POOR REPORTER TODAY, AMANDA REESE FROM FOX SEVEN.
YEAH, THE FIRST QUESTION IS FROM FOX SEVEN ARE, Y'ALL WORRIED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF BARS, REOPENING AND RESTAURANTS, ALLOWING MORE PEOPLE IN, ESPECIALLY SINCE MORE BARS ARE ALREADY OBTAINED THE FOOD AND BEVERAGE LICENSE, AND THEY HAVE ALREADY OPENED THEIR DOORS BACK UP.
I'LL START OUT BY SAYING, UH, LAST TIME BARS OPEN.
IT WAS A DISASTER, UH, AND WE, WE QUICKLY SAW CASES.
SPIKE, UH, BARS ARE JUST NOT THE RIGHT ENVIRONMENT TO, TO PREVENT COVID-19 SPREAD.
YOU'RE GENERALLY TALKING ABOUT INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE FACE TO FACE INTOXICATED FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME.
AND, AND THAT'S GOING TO BE HARD TO FIX.
UH, WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT ARMS OPENING.
WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT PLACES THAT USED TO BE BARS THAT ARE NOW CALLED RESTAURANTS THAT ARE STILL OPERATING AS BARS.
UH, SO WE HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL WITH THAT.
OUR TEAMS ARE OUT AND DOING INSPECTIONS TO ENSURE THAT FOLKS ARE IN COMPLIANCE AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO THAT.
AND WE WILL, UH, APPROPRIATELY ADDRESS ANY SITUATION THAT IS NOT REMEDIED QUICKLY TO ENSURE THAT THE THINGS FACILITIES ARE NOT POSING AN UNNECESSARY RISK TO OUR COMMUNITY.
THE OTHER INFORMATION I'D LIKE TO ADD IS, IS THAT EDUCATION IS OUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY.
AND SO FOR US, IN ORDER TO SAFELY RETURN OUR YOUNG PEOPLE TO SCHOOL AND ALLOW THEM TO REMAIN IN SCHOOL, WE HAVE TO BE VERY, VERY INTENTIONAL.
AND SO WE WILL HAVE OUR STAFF TO BE OUT IN FORCEMENT, UM, DEFINITELY REQUIRING AND, UM, EDUCATING INDIVIDUALS ABOUT WHAT THE ORDERS ARE, AND ALSO, UM, PROVIDING WARNING AND MOVING ON TOWARD ENFORCEMENT BECAUSE WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE IS DOING THEIR PART TO KEEP THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF THIS COMMUNITY.
AND I WOULD JUST LIKE TO ADD THAT I DO HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT MARS REOPENING BECAUSE I DO FEEL PEOPLE LET THEIR GUARD DOWN IN THOSE TYPES OF SITUATIONS.
AND, UH, WHEN THINGS BEGAN REOPENING, UH, YOU
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KNOW, IN THE JULY TIMEFRAME, UH, WE DID SEE SOME BARS IMPLICATED, UM, RELATED AND, AND BEING RELATED TO CASES THAT WERE STARTING TO POP UP.BUT, UH, UM, YOU KNOW, IF PEOPLE IT'S, AGAIN, IT'S SO IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE TO TAKE PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY WHEN THEY GO INTO THOSE TYPES OF SETTINGS AND WEAR THEIR MASKS AND SOCIALLY DISTANCE AND LIMIT THEIR TRANSMISSION.
CAUSE IT COULD BE A LIFE OR DEATH SITUATION IN THE LONG RUN.
AND IF THEY GET EXPOSED AT THE BAR, THEY COULD BRING IT HOME AND AFFECT SOMEBODY AT HOME WHO'S VULNERABLE.
NEXT QUESTION IS, REGARDLESS OF THE POTENTIAL FOR A VIABLE VACCINE TO ARRIVE THIS FALL, HOW ARE YOU GUYS PLANNING AND PREPARING FOR THE INVESTIBLE DISTRIBUTION COMING? SO I'LL JUST ADD THAT WE'RE DOING A NUMBER OF THINGS RELATED TO, UH, TO PLANNING FOR A VACCINE DISTRIBUTION.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE USING OUR CURRENT FLU CLINICS, UH, AND LOOKING AT A WIDE VARIETY OF DIFFERENT APPROACHES TO GET VACCINE OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY.
WE, UM, WE STILL HAVEN'T HEARD FROM CDC HOW MUCH WE'LL GET, UH, WHO WILL BE THE PRIORITY CATEGORIES.
WE HAVE KIND OF AN IDEA THAT IT WILL BE, UH, THEY WILL PRIORITIZE BASED ON, UM, UH, CRITICAL HEALTH CARE INFRASTRUCTURE AND CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE AND THOSE PRIORITY POPULATIONS THAT NEED IT.
BUT, UM, WE DEFINITELY, YOU KNOW, HAVE BEEN DOING A LOT OF PLANNING TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, WE ARE ABLE TO PUSH VACCINE OUT IN TRADITIONAL WAYS, UH, THROUGH MASS CLINIC SETTINGS OR, UH, EVEN THROUGH DRIVE THROUGH SETTINGS, IF POSSIBLE.
UH, WE'RE PLANNING ON USING OUR FLU CLINICS THIS YEAR AS A TEST TO SEE IF, IF, UH, DRIVE-THROUGH CLINIC IS A GOOD VIABLE OPTION.
IT HAS BEEN IN THE PAST FOR US AS FAR AS EATING, UH, VACCINATION OR VACCINATING PEOPLE, UM, IN A VERY QUICK AND EFFICIENT PROCESS.
UH, SO WE'RE HOPING TO TEST THAT IN THE NEAR FUTURE, BUT THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF PLANNING EFFORTS THAT HAVE BEEN DOING THAT, THAT HAVE BEEN GOING ON RELATED TO IT.
AND, UM, THE OTHER THING THAT, THAT WE HAVE ALWAYS USED IS WE ALWAYS USE PARTNERS, UM, WITH OUR, UM, IMMUNIZATION PROGRAM, WE USE OUR VACCINES FOR CHILDREN PARTNERS.
AND SO IN THIS SPACE, WE TYPICALLY, UM, ARE ABLE TO WORK WITH OTHER PARTNERS IN THE PUBLIC AND THE PRIVATE SECTOR, UM, TO BE ABLE TO ASSIST US IN THIS PROCESS.
WE, UM, HAVE THE ABILITY TO SET UP WHAT ARE CALLED POINT OF, UM, DISTRIBUTION SITES AND WE'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE, UM, VACCINES THROUGH THAT, UH, ABILITY AS WELL.
SO WE ARE DEFINITELY, UM, PREPARED USING LESSONS LEARNED FROM H ONE N ONE, UH, WHEN WE DID PROVIDE THOSE VACCINES IN 2009.
AND SO, UM, WE ARE VERY PREPARED CVS AUSTIN.
AND WHAT MORE CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE CLUSTERS WE'RE SEEING AND IN PARTICULAR, WHAT MORE DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE CLUSTERED IN THE FOOTBALL STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING PROGRAM ARE MORE STUDENTS TESTING POSITIVE? I CAN, I CAN START BY ANSWERING THAT.
AND THEN, UH, JANET MAY WANT TO ADD SOME MORE, UH, WE HAVE SEEN CLUSTERS ASSOCIATED WITH, WITH STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING PROGRAMS, UH, AT, UH, UH, AT THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL.
UH, THOSE INVESTIGATIONS ARE ONGOING, BUT IT DOES SEEM THAT THAT THE, UH, THOSE ACTIVITIES HAVE BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH, WITH SOME SPREAD OF DISEASE.
UM, WE HAVE SEEN CLUSTERS, A UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, AND WE CERTAINLY EXPECT THAT AS SCHOOLS REOPEN, WE'RE GOING TO SEE SOME ADDITIONAL CLUSTERS.
UH, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WE'VE REALLY FOCUSED ON THIS CONCEPT OF, OF OPENING IN PHASES SO THAT WE CAN TAKE GRADUAL RISK SO THAT WHEN WE OPEN, WE'VE RECOMMENDED AN OPENING AT 25% TO ALLOW US SOME, SOME FLEXIBILITY TO ALLOW US TO ASSESS WHETHER OR NOT THE PRACTICES THAT WE RECOMMENDED AND THAT THE SCHOOLS HAVE IMPLEMENTED ARE GOING TO BE SUCCESSFUL OR NOT, AND IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES TO IMPROVE THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS.
BEFORE WE START ADDING ADDITIONAL STUDENTS INTO THE MIX.
UH, I THINK, AGAIN, THE SCHOOLS, AUSTIN, PUBLIC HEALTH, UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS,
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WE CAN ONLY WRITE SO MANY POLICIES.ULTIMATELY IT TAKES INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY TO ADHERE TO THOSE PRINCIPLES, THE SOCIAL DISTANCING, THE MASKING, THE HAND HYGIENE AND THE STAYING HOME WHEN YOU'RE SICK, WE CAN'T ENFORCE THAT FOR 1.2 MILLION PEOPLE, BUT WE DO NEED 1.2 MILLION PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF THOSE THINGS.
AND THE FACT THAT IT IS A VERY SMALL SACRIFICE TO KEEP THIS CITY IN THIS COUNTY SAFE.
THIS VIRUS IS NOT GOING AWAY AND THE VACCINE IS MONTHS AWAY, PERHAPS SIX TO NINE MONTHS AWAY.
SO WE HAVE TO CONTINUE THE VIGILANCE.
WE HAVE TO MAKE THESE THINGS PART OF OUR REGULAR ROUTINE.
AND IF WE DO THAT AND WE CAN AVOID THE SURGES THAT WE'VE SEEN BEFORE, AND WE CAN CONTINUE TO KEEP SCHOOLS OPEN, WE CAN OPEN RESTAURANTS AND BUSINESSES FURTHER AND, UH, AND DO THAT SAFELY.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE DONE QUITE A FEW THINGS HERE AT AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PREPARED, UH, TO ADDRESS SOME OF THESE CLUSTERS.
UM, WE, WE, DURING A LONGTERM CARE FACILITY IN NURSING HOME ISSUES, WE HAVE, UH, STOOD UP A TEAM TO LOOK SPECIFICALLY AT RESPONDING TO NURSING HOME CLUSTERS, AND WE'RE USING THAT SAME MODEL, UH, TO ADDRESS, UH, SCHOOL RELATED CLUSTERS THAT ARE OCCURRING.
AND SO WE HAVE HAD THAT TEAM WORKING, DEVELOPING GUIDANCE, UH, AND STANDING READY TO RESPOND SHOULD, UH, THINGS, UH, START INCREASING.
UH, WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT LOOKING, WORKING ON DEVELOPING CLUSTER THAT WILL FOCUS ON HIGHER EDUCATION AND WORKING.
WE CURRENTLY WORK VERY CLOSELY IN PARTNERSHIP WITH UT, UH, TO ADDRESS, UH, ANY KIND OF, UH, CLUSTERS THEY MAY BE SEEING ON THEIR CAMPUS.
UH, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO THAT.
UM, AS THE SCHOOL YEAR PROGRESSES COMBINED THE NEXT TWO QUESTIONS BY UNIVISION AND THE STATEMENTS, IF THEY'RE VERY SIMILAR, HOW WILL THE CITY, AND FOR LARGE CROWD GATHERING RESTRICTIONS AND OTHER SOCIAL DISTANCING GUIDELINES, BUT IT'S LABOR DAY WEEKEND.
AND SINCE WE HAD THAT MEMORIAL DAY SEARCH, ARE WE EXPECTED ANOTHER STAIRS TO COME? WE ARE DEFINITELY DEPENDING ON THE COMMUNITY TO BE LEADERS IN THIS SPACE, OUR HOPE IS, IS THAT INDIVIDUALS WILL MAKE THE DECISION NOT TO GO OUT, NOT TO, UM, HAVE PARTIES, WHETHER THEY ARE HAVING THEM AT HOME OR IN PUBLIC SPACES.
UM, WE HAVE, UH, WORKING WITH, UM, THERE, THEY WILL SEE MORE ENFORCEMENT OUT.
THERE WILL BE, UM, PARK POLICE, AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT, AS WELL AS OUR ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SANITARIANS.
SO WE WILL HAVE MORE PEOPLE OUT THAT WILL BE VISUAL, UM, AND THEY WILL BE PROVIDING WARNINGS, UM, AS WELL AS MOVING US INTO ENFORCEMENT.
AND SO WE WILL SEE THAT OVER THE ENTIRE WEEKEND.
AND OUR GOAL IS, IS THAT IF EVERYONE CONTINUES TO DO WHAT WE ARE, WHAT I'VE CALLED EVERYONE TO DO OUR CALL OF ACTION, UM, OUR CURRENT, UM, TO BE AN INFLUENCER, OUR HOPE IS, IS THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO, UM, MAINTAIN AND, UM, NOT HAVE A SPREAD OF COVID-19.
LET ME JUST, LET ME JUST COMMENT.
WHAT WE'RE NOT SAYING IS WE'RE NOT SAYING YOU HAVE TO LOCK YOURSELF IN YOUR HOUSE AND DO NOTHING OVER THIS WEEKEND.
WE'RE SAYING BE REASONABLE ABOUT IT.
WE'RE SAYING IF YOU HAVE A BARBECUE, HAVE IT FOR THE PEOPLE IN YOUR HOUSE, YOU GO OUTSIDE EXERCISE, GET SOME SUNSHINE, THAT'S ALL FINE.
JUST DON'T HAVE YOUR NEIGHBORS OVER AND YOUR EXTENDED FAMILY OVER BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE WE SEE DANGER.
AND AGAIN, WE'VE SEEN FAMILIES DEVASTATED ACROSS THIS COUNTRY OVER AND OVER AGAIN, BY THESE BIG GATHERINGS AROUND HOLIDAYS OR CELEBRATIONS, THE VIRUS ISN'T GONE, IT'S STILL HERE.
IT DOESN'T MEAN WE HAVE TO LIVE IN FEAR, BUT WE HAVE TO LIVE IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF WHAT WE CAN DO AS INDIVIDUALS TO PREVENT IT SPREAD AND PROTECT OUR FAMILIES FROM POTENTIAL TRAGEDIES.
SO JUST BE SMART THIS WEEKEND, BUT ENJOY IT, GET OUTSIDE, DO SOMETHING WITH YOUR FAMILY, BUT DO WHAT YOU CAN ALSO TO HELP US MITIGATE THIS SPREAD.
AND I'LL JUST ADD, YOU KNOW, AND I'VE SAID THIS ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS THAT WE ARE IN THE SAME SPOT.
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2009 WITH H ONE N ONE, WHERE WE WERE ON A DOWNWARD.UH, WE WERE ON THE DOWNWARD SLOPE OF THE FIRST WAVE OF, UH, THE EPIDEMIC AND FOLLOWING SCHOOL STARTING.
WE HAD A SECOND WAY THAT EXCEEDED OUR WAVE IN THE FIRST, UH, THE FIRST WAVE.
SO WE HAD TWICE AS MANY CASES.
UM, I JUST DON'T WANT TO SEE US GET TO THAT POINT AGAIN.
I MEAN, AGAIN, I REMAIN OPTIMISTIC AND, AND AS BOTH DIRECTOR HAYDEN AND DR.
ESKANDER SAYING INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY IS GOING TO BE KEY HERE.
YOU NEED TO, IF YOU HAVE TO GO OUT AND MAKE SURE YOU'RE DOING ALL THOSE THINGS THAT YOU NEED TO BE DOING TO PROTECT YOURSELF AND YOUR LOVED ONES AT HOME, BECAUSE, UH, PEOPLE WILL DIE IF, UH, IF YOU DON'T DO THOSE TYPES OF, UH, PREVENTION ACTIVITIES.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, WE STAND READY HERE AT AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH.
THERE'S, UH, A STRONG WORKFORCE HERE AT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT WHO HAVE BEEN WORKING VERY, VERY HARD SINCE JANUARY TRYING TO KEEP THIS UNDER CONTROL.
AND WE'RE AT A GOOD SPOT RIGHT NOW.
UH, AND IT'S GOING TO REQUIRE INDIVIDUALS TO DO THAT, UH, TO PROTECT THE REST OF THE COMMUNITY.
THIS QUESTION FROM COMMUNITY IMPACT, AS YOU MONITOR POTENTIAL CLUSTERS AT SCHOOLS IN TRAVIS COUNTY, IS THERE A CERTAIN SIZE OF CLUSTER THAT APH HAS IN MIND THAT WOULD TRIGGER A SCHOOL TO CLOSE? I THINK IT WILL VARY.
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? WE LOOK AT A CLUSTER AS BEING THREE CASES, THREE POSITIVE CASES, OR MORE, UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, WE RECOGNIZE THAT WHEN WE'RE IN SCHOOL SITUATIONS OR MAYBE CLASSROOMS AFFECTED, THERE MAY BE GRADE LEVELS AFFECTED.
SO, UM, WE'LL BE LOOKING AT A VARIETY OF FACTORS, INCLUDING, YOU KNOW, THE PERCENTAGE OF ABSENTEE IN A, IN A, IN A SCHOOL SECTOR, UH, IN A SCHOOL, UM, AND THOSE TYPES OF THINGS, BUT WE'LL BE WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND THE PRIVATE SCHOOLS TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, WE'RE FOLLOWING UP IN A VIGILANT FASHION, SHOULD SOMETHING OCCUR.
THIS QUESTION FROM MANY OF OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS, FLASHY T HAVE GONE BACK TO SCHOOL AND MANY ARE DOING REMOTE LEARNING.
COULD YOU PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON HOW IT'S GOING? ARE YOU ALL AWARE OF THE CLUSTERS? UH, YES.
WE ARE AWARE OF CLUSTERS THAT ARE OCCURRING, UM, AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS.
FOR EXAMPLE, AGAIN, WE ARE WORKING IN VERY CLOSE PARTNERSHIP WITH THEM, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO INTERVENE AND, UH, IDENTIFY WHERE THESE CLUSTERS ARE AND MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE QUARANTINING OR ISOLATING.
UH, AND THEY'RE NOT SPREADING IT SPREADING COVID, UH, TO OTHER PARTS OF THE COMMUNITY.
UM, AND THAT'S MY REASON TO, IN THE BEGINNING TO TALK ABOUT MAKING SURE PEOPLE QUARANTINE FOR THE 14 DAY PERIOD AND TO ISOLATE IF THEY'RE SICK FOR THE 10 DAY PERIOD, UH, AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE NOT EXPOSING PEOPLE UNNECESSARILY.
LET ME ALSO ADD, UH, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE LOOK AT THE NUMBERS FOR THIS WEEK AND, AND THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HAS DONE A GREAT JOB OF ENSURING THEY'RE, THEY'RE PROACTIVE TESTING.
SO THEY'RE TESTING PEOPLE WHO ARE ASYMPTOMATIC AND CATCHING CASES THAT WE MAY NOT OTHERWISE KNOW ABOUT, UH, BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE SYMPTOMS. SO THEY'VE DONE A GREAT JOB OF THAT.
THEY'VE GOT A DASHBOARD OFF TO TRACK THOSE CASES, BUT WHEN WE LOOK AT, AT THE UT ASSOCIATED CASES AND OUR TOTAL CASES, THE UT CASES ACCOUNT FOR 23% OF ALL OF THE CASES THAT WE EXPERIENCED IN TRAVIS COUNTY OVER THE PAST SEVEN DAYS.
AND THAT MEANS THAT WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO, TO REITERATE THE IMPORTANCE TO OUR YOUNG PEOPLE ABOUT THEIR NEED, TO PROTECT THEMSELVES SO THAT THEY CAN PROTECT THE COMMUNITY.
WE CAN EXPECT AGAIN, AS ARE OUR PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS OPEN.
WE'RE GOING TO SEE ADDITIONAL CASES IN THOSE PLACES AS WELL.
SO THIS IS A MESSAGE THAT NEEDS TO BE HEARD BY ALL OF THOSE.
AND IN EDUCATIONAL SETTINGS, WE NEED YOU TO BE PART OF THE SOLUTION.
WE NEED YOU TO TAKE LEADERSHIP.
THAT'S A, YOU KNOW, THE UNIVERSITY LEVEL THAT AT THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL, AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL LEVEL, THERE ARE LEADERS IN ALL OF THOSE SETTINGS, STUDENT COUNCILS, STUDENT BODIES, UH, STUDENT GOVERNMENT, UM, WE NEED YOU ALL.
WE NEED YOU TO, TO BE THE LEADERS TO ADVOCATE FOR DOING THE RIGHT THING.
[00:30:01]
YOUNG PEOPLE TO, TO THROW AWAY THE MASS, TO BURN THE MASKS AND, AND, AND TO BE FREE.I THINK EVERYBODY ON THIS CALL WANTS TO BE THERE, BUT WE ARE NOT THERE YET.
SO WE HAVE TO CONTINUE THE VIGILANCE.
WE'VE GOT TO CONTINUE THAT UNTIL WE HAVE AN EFFECTIVE VACCINE, WHICH IS WIDELY AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC, AND THAT'S A LONG WAY AWAY STILL, BUT WE'LL COME AND WE WON'T BE PAST THIS, BUT WE HAVE TO BE PATIENT UNTIL THAT DAY COMES.
AND JUST TO MAKE CLEAR, THEY WROTE THE SUPPORT, BUT JUST TO CLARIFY, THE COVID-19 TEST RESULTS IN DATA FROM UT AUSTIN ARE ROLLED INTO APH DATA, RIGHT? THAT'S CORRECT.
SO THE ESTONIA HAS ANY NEW CLUSTERS EMERGE THAT LOCAL PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOL IS YOUR LAST UPDATE ON TUESDAY WHEN YOU RECORDED ONLY FOUR.
I WE'LL HAVE ADDITIONAL UPDATES ON, UM, CLUSTERS ON TUESDAY.
AND AGAIN, THIS IS A QUESTION FOR FOX SEVEN AUSTIN, AND A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE THIS SIMILAR QUESTION.
WE TALKED ABOUT LABOR DAY WEEKEND.
NOW LET'S TALK ABOUT UT FOOTBALL WEEKEND.
DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE AND MESSAGES TO THE PEOPLE THAT WILL BE ATTENDING US SO WE CAN AVOID ANOTHER SPIKE? SO LET ME, I'LL START, UH, ON THIS ONE.
AND LET ME JUST SAY, I DO APPRECIATE THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, THE, IN THE DIALOGUE WE'VE HAD OVER OVER MANY MONTHS, UH, IN THOSE CONVERSATIONS, UH, IT, YOU KNOW, W WE TALKED ABOUT THE FACT THAT 50% WAS WAY TOO MANY AND 25% WAS PROBABLY TOO MANY AS WELL, BUT WE ALSO TALKED ABOUT THE AREAS OF, OF THE HIGHEST RISK AND THAT INVOLVED TAILGATING AND GATHERING BEFORE THE GAMES, BECAUSE THOSE ARE GOING TO BE PERSON TO PERSON, MUCH HARDER TO CONTROL AND MONITOR.
THEY CUT THE STATE OF CAPACITY FROM 50% TO 25%.
UH, THEY, THEY'VE BEEN VERY THOUGHTFUL ABOUT, ABOUT MASKING AND, AND THE LINES AND HOW THEY'RE GOING TO WORK CONCESSIONS AND SO FORTH.
UM, BUT IT STILL REPRESENTS 25,000 PEOPLE COME TOGETHER IN ONE SPACE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BIGGEST PANDEMIC WE'VE SEEN IN A HUNDRED YEARS.
UH, MY ADVICE IS CAUSE YOU SHOULD THINK TWICE BEFORE YOU GO TO A GALLERY OF THAT SIZE, UH, IF YOU ARE VULNERABLE, IF YOU ARE AN INDIVIDUAL WHO HAS AN UNDERLYING HEALTH CONDITION, IF YOU ARE OVER THE AGE OF 65, IF YOU ARE FROM A COMMUNITY OF COLOR THAT HAS A HIGHER RISK OF HOSPITALIZATION AND DEATHS, YOU'VE PROBABLY SHOULDN'T GO.
UM, IF YOU LIVE IN A HOUSEHOLD WITH ANYBODY WHO I JUST DESCRIBED, YOU PROBABLY SHOULDN'T GO.
IF YOU CHOOSE TO GO, PLEASE BE VERY, VERY CAREFUL.
PLEASE WEAR YOUR MASK, PLEASE, SOCIAL DISTANCE, PLEASE PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO YOUR PERSONAL HYGIENE.
AGAIN, WE, IF WE TAKE TOO MANY RISKS RIGHT NOW, IT WILL BE A FEW WEEKS BEFORE WE'RE BACK IN A CRISIS SITUATION.
AND I JUST DON'T WANT TO SEE THAT AGAIN FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
IT IS GOING TO BE SO IMPORTANT FOR US IS THIS GOES BACK TO INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY.
ASCA STATED EARLIER, YOU KNOW, WE'VE DONE ORDERS, UM, YOU KNOW, WE WE'VE ENCOURAGED INDIVIDUALS.
THESE ARE THE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES, BUT IT GOES BACK TO THAT INDIVIDUAL LEVEL.
AND OUR HOPE IS, IS THAT, UM, WHETHER AN INDIVIDUAL DECIDES THAT THEY WILL ATTEND A GAME OR NOT, THAT THEY WILL DO EVERYTHING THAT THEY'VE LEARNED THUS FAR, UM, MAKING SURE TO KEEP, YOU KNOW, THE FACE COVERINGS ON SOCIAL DISTANCE, SOCIAL DISTANCING, UM, YOU KNOW, TAKE HAND SANITIZER, UM, WITH YOU.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, THERE'S SO MANY CREATIVE WAYS.
NOW I WILL TELL YOU AS A COMMUNITY, WE ARE ALWAYS CONCERNED BECAUSE WHEN YOU PUT THAT MANY PEOPLE IN A SETTING, UM, YOU KNOW, WE CAN EXPECT THAT THERE WILL BE SOME SPREAD OF COVID-19.
AND SO FOR US, WE HAVE TO BE EXTRA CAREFUL, UM, OUR PARTNERS, UM, AT UT DELL MEDICAL SCHOOL, AS WELL AS OUR STAFF WILL BE PREPARED, UM, TO RESPOND TO ANY OF THE AFTEREFFECTS OF THAT EVENT.
BUT WE WOULD RATHER KEEP US ALL SAFE AND MAKE SURE EDUCATION CONTINUES TO BE NUMBER ONE FOR US.
[00:35:01]
UM, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, STUDENTS THAT MUST BE, UM, ON CAMPUS ARE SAFE.WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE STUDENTS THAT ARE, UM, IN, IN PRE K THROUGH 12 ARE ABLE TO, UM, ATTEND CLASSES.
UM, WE WANT TO MOVE TO THE NEXT LEVEL OF HAVING, UM, FOLKS TO BE, UM, TO BE PRESENT IN THE SCHOOLS.
SO FOR THAT TO HAPPEN, WE, WE ALWAYS HAVE TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN DO TO BE SAFE.
AGAIN, I'M GOING TO COMBINE TWO QUESTIONS HERE, ENTAIL T AND CDF AUSTIN.
WHAT IMPACT HAS THE RETURN OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS HAD ON OUR COMMUNITY? WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE ISOLATION PLANS FOR STUDENTS? WE, WE WORKED WITH, UM, WE WORK WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, AS WELL AS OTHER COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITY ON THEIR PLANS.
UM, THEY WERE ABLE TO WALK THROUGH WHAT THEY HAD PUT TOGETHER, AND WE WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE SOME, UM, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND, UM, AND PROVIDE SOME EDITS TO THEM.
IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE SEE THIS AS A COLLABORATIVE PROCESS.
UM, WE KNOW THAT, UM, WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO START TO, TO OPEN THINGS UP SMALL.
AND SO THAT COLLABORATIVE PROCESS HAS ALLOWED US TO REALLY PUT SOME STRONG PLANS IN PLACE AS FAR AS WITH REOPENING.
AND SO, UM, THE OTHER THING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE, WE ALWAYS JUST ALWAYS SHARE IS THAT THERE WILL BE A, UM, THERE WILL BE INDIVIDUAL CASES.
YOU WILL START TO SEE THE NUMBER IN THE, UM, POSITIVE CASES AT YOUR SCHOOL OR FACILITY.
YOU WILL SEE THAT, BUT WHAT IS YOUR PLAN? UM, HOW ARE YOU GOING TO, UM, ENSURE TO, UH, MITIGATE THE SPREAD OF DISEASE? AND I WAS ADD, UH, AS DIRECTOR OF HAYDEN SAID, WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THESE INSTITUTIONS FOR MANY MONTHS NOW, AND, AND WE'VE BEEN VERY IMPRESSED WITH, WITH THESE REOPENING PLANS OF MANY OF THESE INSTITUTIONS, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT INCLUDES AUSTIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE.
WHO'S JUST DONE A GREAT JOB OF, UH, PUTTING TOGETHER A PLAN FOR THEIR CAMPUS.
UH, THEY'VE INSTITUTED A, AN APP SMARTPHONE APP THAT THE STUDENTS IN FACULTY AND STAFF SCREEN THEMSELVES DAILY, UH, AS A REMINDER TO ENSURE THAT IF THEY HAVE ANY SYMPTOMS, THEY NEED TO STAY HOME.
UH, SO I THINK THIS COMMUNITY'S WORKING THROUGH THIS AGAIN, WHEN WE TALKED TO EARLY ON, WE TALKED ABOUT CHOOSING FEAR OR CHOOSING STRENGTH.
AND I THINK WE HAVE EVIDENCE THAT PEOPLE ARE CONTINUING TO CHOOSE STRENGTH, IDENTIFYING HOW WE GET THROUGH THIS, HOW WE HAVE A LIFE, WHICH IS MORE NORMAL, BUT IN A SAFER WAY.
AND I'M AWFULLY PROUD OF OUR COLLEGES OR UNIVERSITIES AND OUR PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS WHO ARE DOING A GREAT JOB TO, UH, TO WORK OUT THOSE PROBLEMS AND FINDING EFFECTIVE SOLUTIONS TO MOVE FORWARD.
THOSE ARE ALL THE QUESTIONS FROM OUR STATION.
STEPHANIE, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU WOULD LIKE TO SAY IN CLOSING? YES.
UM, I REALLY, REALLY ASKING EVERYONE TO HAVE COURAGE, REMEMBER THE CALL TO ACTION AND MAKE A CHOICE TO STAY HOME, HAVE NEW TRADITIONS, UH, USE TECHNOLOGY, UH, TALK ON THE TELEPHONE.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S STILL A GOOD THING.
I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE MAY NOT WANT TO TALK ON THE PHONE, BUT TELEPHONE IS, IS A GOOD WAY TO KEEP IN TOUCH, BUT WE JUST WANT TO SEE HOW INDIVIDUALS ARE WILLING TO LEAD IN THIS SPACE.
UM, THE OTHER THING IS, IS JUST A REMINDER ABOUT OUR, OUR TESTING LOCATIONS.
WE WILL BE PROVIDING TESTING TOMORROW.
SO IF ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO BE TESTED, PLEASE HEAD OVER TO OUR WEBSITE OR CALL INTO OUR, UM, THREE, ONE, ONE, AND SCHEDULE THAT.
UM, IF YOU WOULD LIKE A TEST AND YOU DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO TECHNOLOGY, UM, OUR PPE PUSHED, WHEREAS WE ARE REALLY, REALLY PUSHING FOR THAT.
UH, WE'LL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THAT FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
AND LASTLY, UM, FLU SEASON IS HERE.
UH, WE ARE ENCOURAGING YOU TO MAKE THAT VISIT TO YOUR PHYSICIAN, UM, OR, UM, WE HAVE PRIVATE SECTOR, UM, PHARMACIES THAT ARE PROVIDING FLU.
SO PLEASE GET YOUR FLU SHOT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
[00:40:01]
UM, BECAUSE WE WANT TO HAVE AS MANY PEOPLE TO RECEIVE THEIR FLU SHOT IN OUR COMMUNITY.I JUST WANTED TO ADD THAT AGAIN.
UM, WE, I REALLY STRESS TO THE PUBLIC, UH, IN OUR COMMUNITY TO REALLY USE THE PREVENTION MEASURES WE KNOW ARE TRIED AND TRUE, UH, TO PROTECT AND STOP TRANSMISSION OF DISEASE, WHETHER IT'S TRANSMISSION OF FLU, COVID-19, GASTROINTESTINAL ILLNESS, UM, ALL THESE THINGS THAT WE DO, IF YOU'RE SICK, STAY AT HOME, IF HE HAS SYMPTOMS, STAY AT HOME, UH, AND, AND ISOLATE YOURSELF FROM PEOPLE WHO ARE WELL, UH, AND DO YOU FOR THE PROPER AMOUNT OF TIME, THAT'S OUTLINED BY CDC AND STATE AND LOCAL GUIDANCE, UM, YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE USING YOUR MASKS.
IF YOU HAVE TO GO OUT AND PICK UP YOUR BARBECUE ITEMS, MAKE SURE YOUR, YOUR MASTIN, UM, USING HAND SANITIZER AND LIMIT YOUR, UH, TIME WHERE YOU MAY, UH, BE EXPOSED TO OTHER, OTHER PEOPLE WHO MAY HAVE DISEASE.
SO, UM, AGAIN, I WOULD JUST, I WOULD JUST STRESS THE IMPORTANCE OF MAKING SURE YOU ARE FOLLOWING PREVENTION MEASURES THAT WE KNOW ARE KNOWN TO REDUCE.
THE TRANSMISSION OF ILLNESS ARE CLOSED BY SAYING SCHOOL'S ABOUT TO START FOR MANY KIDS ACROSS TRAVIS COUNTY, MAKE SURE YOUR CHILD'S READY AND MAKE SURE THEY HAVE THEIR MASKS, HAND SANITIZER.
IF THEY'RE THE APPROPRIATE AGE AND MAKE SURE THEY KNOW HOW TO USE THOSE THINGS, MAKE SURE THEY'RE COMFORTABLE WITH THEM.
MAKE SURE THEY CAN WEAR A MASK FOR MORE THAN FIVE MINUTES AT A TIME BEFORE THEY HEAD OUT THE DOOR ON TUESDAY.
THIS IS WHAT WE CAN DO AS A COMMUNITY TO ENSURE THAT WHEN KIDS GO BACK TO SCHOOL, THEY CAN STAY BACK TO SCHOOL.
THEN WE CAN KEEP THE SCHOOLS OPEN.
WE CAN PROTECT THE CHILDREN, AND WE CAN PROTECT ONE OF OUR GREATEST RESOURCES IN OUR COMMUNITY, WHICH IS OUR EDUCATORS, OUR TEACHERS, AND OUR SCHOOL STAFF.
IF WE CAN DO THAT TOGETHER, THEN WE WILL GET THROUGH THIS SEMESTER.
WE WILL CONTINUE TO BE ABLE TO ADD MORE CHILDREN INTO THE CLASSROOM SETTING.
IT WILL DO THAT AT THE SAME TIME AS WE DECREASE THE SPREAD OF DISEASE.
THAT CONCLUDES OUR MEDIA AVAILABILITY FOR TODAY.
MARK ASCOT, CHIEF EPIDEMIOLOGIST, JANET PICHET AND AMANDA REESE FOR JOINING US TODAY.
AS A REMINDER, THIS AVAILABILITY CAN BE REPLAYED ANYTIME AT