* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.
          [COVID-19: Press Q & A]
          [00:00:13]
          GOOD MORNING. 
          I'M WITH SHAUNDRA SHAW PIO FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN. 
          AND I AM THE MODERATOR FOR TODAY'S MEDIA AVAILABILITY. 
          SPANISH INTERPRETATION OF THIS MEDIA AVAILABILITY IS ON ATX IN THREE TO START AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH DIRECTOR. 
          STEPHANIE HAYDEN WILL FIRST SAY A FEW WORDS FOLLOWED BY DR. 
          MARK S. SCOTT, INTERIM AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY HEALTH AUTHORITY, THEN AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, CHIEF EPIDEMIOLOGIST, JANET PICHET. 
          AND THEN WE'LL OPEN UP THE FLOOR TO THE POOL REPORTER WHO WILL ASK QUESTIONS ON BEHALF OF THE MEDIA. 
          STEPHANIE. 
          GOOD MORNING. 
          I LIKE TO START OFF TODAY, UM, BY ENCOURAGING INDIVIDUALS THAT MAY SUFFER WITH, UM, MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES, UM, BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CHALLENGES. 
          I UNDERSTAND, AS WE CONTINUE TO BE IN THIS RESPONSE, INDIVIDUALS MAY BE FACING, UM, CHALLENGES DUE TO DEPRESSION OR ANXIETY. 
          I ENCOURAGE YOU TO, UM, REACH OUT INTEGRAL CARE HAS A HOTLINE NUMBER THAT YOU CAN CALL AND, UM, AND REACH THEM 24 HOURS A DAY. 
          THEY HAVE INCREASED THAT SERVICE LINE TO ADDRESS, UM, ANY CHALLENGES THAT FOLKS MAY HAVE IN AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY. 
          UM, THE OTHER, UM, STATEMENT I'D LIKE TO MAKE IS, IS THAT IT'S IMPORTANT THAT IF YOU HAVE A FAMILY MEMBER OR FRIEND, UM, THAT YOU, UM, INTERACT WITH FREQUENTLY, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO CONTINUE THOSE INTERACTIONS WITH THEM, UM, JUST TO CHECK ON THEM AND, UM, ENCOURAGE THEM TO GET THE HELP THAT THEY NEED. 
          WE ARE VERY EXCITED ABOUT OUR, UM, HIGH-RISK WORKER HOTLINE. 
          UM, IT BECAME ACTIVE ON, UM, YESTERDAY AND WE ARE, UH, EXCITED ABOUT OUR THREE PARTNERS THAT ARE GOING TO HELP US IN THIS EFFORT. 
          UM, THE HOTLINE IS OPEN FROM 8:00 AM TO 8:00 PM MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. 
          SO PLEASE REACH OUT. 
          UM, IF YOU WANT TO CALL THREE, ONE, ONE, OUR STAFF CAN PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION TO YOU. 
          BUT THROUGH THAT LINE, IF YOU, UM, HAVE, UM, ARE, ARE WAITING FOR YOUR TEST RESULTS OR, UM, OR YOU ARE UNABLE TO BE PAID, OR YOU HAVE OTHER LEGAL CHALLENGES THAT IS RELATED TO COVID-19, UM, CHALLENGES, PLEASE REACH OUT AND THEY CAN ASSIST YOU. 
          LASTLY, IT IS FLU SEASON AND, UM, WE ARE REALLY GOING TO, UM, EVERY WEEK WE COME ON, WE'RE GOING TO EMPHASIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF YOU GETTING YOUR FLU VACCINE. 
          IF YOU ARE NOT INSURED, WE HAVE OUR CLINICS THAT ARE OPEN. 
          YOU CAN CALL THREE, ONE, ONE. 
          WE CAN SCHEDULE YOU FOR A, A FLU VACCINE. 
          UM, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO COME TO A COUPLE OF OUR, UM, COMMUNITY EVENTS, WE HAVE AN EVENT COMING UP ON THE 24TH OF OCTOBER AT DOVE SPRINGS, AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A LARGER EVENT ON, UM, NOVEMBER 7TH. 
          AND SO AS THOSE DATES BEGAN TO GET CLOSER, WE WILL PROVIDE SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION THAT EVERYONE SHOULD GET THEIR FLU SHOT. 
          IF YOU HAVE INSURANCE, UM, MOST PHARMACIES ARE PROVIDING THOSE AND YOU CAN JUST WALK IN AND GET YOUR FLU SHOT. 
          IF YOU ARE A CITY EMPLOYEE, PLEASE USE THE WELLNESS, UM, OPERATIONS THAT WE ARE PROVIDING THOSE THROUGH THE CITY. 
          AND YOU CAN JUST GO INTO ONE OF THOSE CLINICS. 
          YOU'LL HAVE TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT, BUT EVERYONE NEEDS TO GET THEIR FLU VACCINE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          GOOD MORNING. 
          I WANT TO START BY TALKING ABOUT MY RECOMMENDATION TO JUDGE FISCO RELATED TO BARS, FOLLOWING MY REVIEW OF THE GOVERNOR'S EXECUTIVE ORDER. 
          NUMBER 32, AS WELL AS THE GUIDELINES FOR BARS AND SIMILAR ESTABLISHMENTS AND REVIEWING OUR COVID-19 DATA. 
          I MADE THE RECOMMENDATION TO JUDGE BISCO THAT BARS REMAIN CLOSED AT THIS STAGE, AT LEAST FOR THE NEXT 14 DAYS. 
          THIS WAS BASED ON A CONCERNING TREND THAT WE'VE BEEN SEEING OVER THE PAST WEEK IN TERMS OF OUR HOSPITAL BEDS BEING UTILIZED ICU BEDS AND VENTILATORS, AS WELL AS THE PROJECTIONS FROM UTS MODELING CONSORTIUM, WHICH INDICATES A 66% CHANCE OF INCREASING EPIDEMIC OVER THE NEXT MONTH. 
          UH, THIS WOULD PUT US AT SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN, IN 
          [00:05:01]
ADMISSIONS TO THE HOSPITAL AND HOSPITAL BEDS BEING UTILIZED AND ICU BEDS BEING UTILIZED BY NOVEMBER 1ST. 
          UH, AND GIVEN THAT WE'VE JUST OPENED SCHOOLS AND AUSTIN ISD AND DEL VALLEY ISD, NOW'S NOT THE TIME TO TAKE SUBSTANTIAL RISK ASSOCIATED WITH COVID-19 TRANSMISSION WHEN YOU'VE SEEN THE DATA FROM THE CDC, UH, WHICH SUGGESTS THAT BARS AND, AND SIMILAR ESTABLISHMENTS ARE OPPORTUNITIES FOR SIGNIFICANT SPREAD OUTSIDE OF BARS. 
          WE'VE SEEN SIGNIFICANT SPREAD IN OUR JURISDICTION AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY IN SOCIAL GATHERINGS, IN PEOPLE'S HOMES AND IN PEOPLE'S NEIGHBORHOODS. 
          SO THIS IS AN IMPORTANT REMINDER THAT WHERE WE'RE ACTING SAFELY AT BUSINESSES AT WORK, WHERE WE'RE WEARING MASKS AND SOCIAL DISTANCING AND PAYING CLOSE ATTENTION TO OUR PERSONAL HYGIENE, WE'RE NOT SEEING SIGNIFICANT DISEASE TRANSMISSION. 
          WE ARE SEEING IT WHEN PEOPLE LET THEIR GUARD DOWN IN THESE SOCIAL ENVIRONMENTS. 
          SO FOR NOW WE NEED TO STAY THE COURSE, STAY VIGILANT AND STAY SAFE. 
          GOOD MORNING. 
          I'D LIKE TO GIVE EVERYBODY A UPDATE REGARDING OUR DAILY, UH, CASE COUNTS THAT WERE MISSING FROM OUR DASHBOARD YESTERDAY. 
          UH, WE WERE NOTIFIED LATE YESTERDAY AFTERNOON ABOUT SOME POTENTIAL LABORATORY SUBMISSION ERRORS FROM ONE OF OUR PROVIDERS. 
          AND SO AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, UH, STAFF ARE CURRENTLY, UH, INVESTIGATING AND DOING SOME QUALITY ASSURANCE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE NUMBERS THAT, UH, WE HAVE ARE, ARE ACCURATE AND WE'RE PRESENTING CORRECT INFORMATION TO THE PUBLIC. 
          SO IDEALLY THIS INFORMATION WILL BE AVAILABLE TO US THIS AFTERNOON. 
          THAT'S OUR GOAL TO GET OUR NUMBERS OUT AND UPDATED THIS AFTERNOON. 
          UH, BUT I DID WANT TO PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION TO YOU. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          THANK YOU, JANET. 
          OKAY. 
          NOW WE WILL GO TO OUR POOL REPORTER, CHRIS NEELY, WHO IS REPRESENTING COMMUNITY IMPACT. 
          HEY, UM, ALL RIGHT. 
          SO THE FIRST QUESTION IS FROM US, THAT COMMUNITY IMPACT DR. 
          S SCOTT, YOU SAID MODELING SHOWS A 66% CHANCE OF A WORSENING PANDEMIC LOCALLY. 
          AND THE NEXT MONTH IN THIS ENVIRONMENT COULD BARS WHERE YOU OPEN AT A MORE LIMITED CAPACITY THAN WHAT THE GOVERNOR HAS LAID OUT. 
          IS THERE A POSSIBILITY FOR EXAMPLE, OF OPENING AT 25% CAPACITY IN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS? WELL, THE NEXT TIME THAT WE'LL EVALUATE THE DATA IS, IS TWO WEEKS FROM NOW AT THAT STAGE, WE'LL MAKE A DETERMINATION OF, OF HOW WE WILL PROCEED IN TERMS OF, OF BAR REOPENINGS, INCLUDING OPTIONS, UH, UH, THAT RELATE TO INCREMENTAL OR PHASED IN, UH, REOPENING OF BARS. 
          UH, AT THIS STAGE, WE'VE MADE THE DETERMINATION FOR THE NEXT TWO WEEKS THAT WE NEED TO PAUSE AND WE NEED TO EVALUATE THE DATA. 
          MY HOPE IS THAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO ACT AS A, IN A SAFE WAY AS A COMMUNITY. 
          AND THAT IN TWO WEEKS TIME, WE MAY BE IN A BETTER SITUATION TO TAKE A LITTLE BIT MORE RISK IN TERMS OF OPENING BARS. 
          OKAY. 
          THE NEXT QUESTION IS FROM ALL STONE. 
          YEAH. 
          DR. 
          SCOTT SAID YESTERDAY, THE HOSPITALIZATIONS AMONG THOSE 70 AND OLDER HAD INCREASED 68% IN THE LAST WEEK, BUT THERE WERE A FEW NEW CASES REPORTED AT AREA LONGTERM, UH, AT AREA LONG TERM CARE FACILITIES. 
          DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEAS FOR WHY THIS JUMP OCCURRED? WELL, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE'VE, WE'VE SEEN THIS DISEASE PATTERN HAPPENED THROUGHOUT THE PANDEMIC HERE AND AROUND THE UNITED STATES. 
          WE SEE DISEASE SPREAD AMONGST YOUNGER PEOPLE IN THEIR TEENS AND TWENTIES. 
          WE'VE CERTAINLY SEEN SPREAD IN PEOPLE IN THEIR THIRTIES AND FORTIES AND FIFTIES AS WELL. 
          AND WHEN PEOPLE START BEING LESS VIGILANT ON THOSE PROTECTIVE ACTIONS, WE SEE IT SPREAD TO THOSE GROUPS WHO HAD BEEN PROTECTED BEFORE. 
          UH, SO IT'S AN IMPORTANT REMINDER THAT IF INDIVIDUALS ARE GOING TO GO VISIT THEIR PARENTS OR GRANDPARENTS OR OTHER LOVED ONES WHO ARE OVER THE AGE OF 65, THEY SHOULD BE USING GREAT CAUTION IN THE 14 DAYS BEFORE THAT VISIT TO ENSURE THAT THEY MINIMIZE THE RISK OF TRANSMISSION. 
          AND DURING THAT VISIT WITH THOSE ELDERS, THEY NEED TO ENSURE THAT THEY MAINTAIN THEIR MASKING AND THEIR SOCIAL DISTANCING AS WELL. 
          THIS NEXT QUESTION IS FROM THE TEXAS TRIBUNE, HOSPITALIZATIONS ARE PLATEAUING 
          [00:10:01]
OR SLIGHTLY INCREASING IN SOME PARTS OF THE STATE. 
          WHAT ARE WE SEEING IN THE AUSTIN AREA? AND WHAT DO YOU THINK THOSE NUMBERS WILL LOOK LIKE IN THE COMING WEEKS? IT LOOKS LIKE THERE'S BEEN A SMALL INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF HOSPITALIZATIONS PER THE APH DASHBOARD. 
          SO WE'VE SEEN, UH, INCREASES OVER THE PAST WEEK TO 10 DAYS IN ALL OF OUR HEART HOSPITAL METRICS IN OTHER JURISDICTIONS THEY'VE SEEN SUBSTANTIAL INCREASES OVER THE PAST WEEK TO TWO WEEKS. 
          SO WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE PATTERN THAT OTHER MAJOR METROPOLITAN COUNTIES ARE SEEING. 
          AND AGAIN, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS BEFORE IN TERMS OF THE SECOND WAVE OR THE SECOND SURGE. 
          THE SECOND SURGE COMES WHEN WE, AS A COMMUNITY GROW TIRED OF THOSE PROTECTIVE ACTIONS, AND WE CAN PUSH OFF, WE CAN DELAY, WE CAN PREVENT A SECOND SURGE IF WE ARE WILLING AS A COMMUNITY TO CONTINUE THOSE PROTECTIVE ACTIONS, THE MASKING, THE SOCIAL DISTANCING AND THE PERSONAL HYGIENE. 
          YOU KNOW, MY HOPE IS THAT THAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO STAY ENGAGED IN THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO SUPPRESS DISEASE FLATTEN THE CURVE HERE IN AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY, AND DO SO UNTIL WE HAVE A VACCINE, WHICH IS WIDELY AVAILABLE. 
          ONE THING I WOULD LIKE TO ADD IS, IS THAT AS WE WATCHED THE DATA, UM, WE, WE TYPICALLY, UM, ALIGN THAT WITH OUR GUIDANCE. 
          WE ARE CURRENTLY AT LEVEL THREE AND WE WILL REMAIN AT LEVEL THREE. 
          UM, UNTIL WE SEE THAT WHERE WE SEE AN INCREASE OR DECREASE, AND THE HOSPITALIZATIONS AS DR. 
          S SCOTT STATED, YOU KNOW, IT'S FOR ALL OF US TO COME TOGETHER AND DO OUR PART AND UNDERSTAND THAT THIS HAS REALLY GONE ON, UM, QUITE A LONG TIME. 
          AND I KNOW MOST PEOPLE ARE GROWING WEARY, THAT IT IS SO IMPORTANT FOR US AS A COMMUNITY TO STAY STRONG AND STAY THE COURSE, UM, AND CONTINUE THOSE PROTECTIVE MEASURES THAT WE KNOW WILL HELP US TO LOWER, UM, THE SPREAD OF DISEASE AND DECREASE THE NUMBER OF FOLKS THAT ARE HAVING TO BE ADMITTED INTO THE HOSPITAL. 
          THIS NEXT IS FROM KUT AT AN AISD SCHOOL BOARD MEETING A FEW WEEKS AGO, DR. 
          S GOT SO THAT'S TRANSMISSION BETWEEN CHILDREN AND ADULTS WAS WHERE WHAT'S RARE. 
          WHERE IS THAT DATA COMING FROM? AND HOW MUCH CAN FAMILIES AND TEACHERS RELY ON THAT DATA AT SCHOOLS BRING BACK MORE KIDS. 
          SO WHAT I SAID IS THAT IN THE CLASSROOM SPACE, WE DON'T HAVE EVIDENCE LOCALLY IN THERE, CERTAINLY NO EVIDENCE NATIONALLY THAT THERE'S A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF SPREAD BETWEEN STUDENTS IN A CLASSROOM AND ADULTS IN THAT SAME AS SPACE TEACHERS, FACULTY, STAFF OF SCHOOLS. 
          NOW CERTAINLY WE'VE SEEN DISEASE SPREAD BETWEEN CHILDREN AND PARENTS WITHIN A HOUSEHOLD, BUT THE RISK IS OBVIOUSLY DIFFERENT IN THAT CIRCUMSTANCE. 
          AGAIN, WHERE WE'RE SEEING TRANSMISSION RELATED TO SCHOOLS IS PRIMARILY AN EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES LIKE FOOTBALL. 
          AND WE'RE SEEING IT IN SOCIAL GATHERINGS. 
          WE'VE REPORTED LAST WEEK THAT WE HAD A, A PARENT SPONSORED PARTY WHERE WE HAD MULTIPLE STUDENTS WHO CONTRACTED COVID-19 AND DOZENS MORE EXPOSED. 
          IT'S UP TO US AS PARENTS OF TEENAGERS TO, TO NOT HOST THOSE KINDS OF PARTIES. 
          THAT NOW'S NOT THE TIME. 
          NOW'S THE TIME THAT WHEN YOU HOST THOSE KIND OF PARTIES, YOU NOT ONLY PUT YOUR CHILD AND THEIR, THEIR FRIENDS AND THEIR FAMILIES AT RISK, BUT WE ALSO RISK THE CLOSURE OF SCHOOLS AS A RESULT. 
          SO AGAIN, WE HAVE TO STAY VIGILANT AND ENSURE THAT THAT WE'RE LIMITING THE RISK AS MUCH AS WE CAN, UH, AND THAT WE CAN KEEP THOSE SCHOOLS OPEN, SAFER. 
          OKAY. 
          THIS ONE IS FROM CVS AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY HAS JUST SAID NO TO REOPENING BARS. 
          DO YOU THINK THAT ACTION WILL HAVE THE SAME IMPACT CONSIDERING ALL THE COUNTIES SURROUNDING US HAVE SAID YES TO OPENING BARS? AGAIN, MY, MY HOPE IS THAT, UH, THAT PEOPLE ARE PAYING ATTENTION TO THE DATA AND THE DATA SUGGESTS THAT THAT WE'RE AT RISK RIGHT NOW. 
          AGAIN, WHEN WE LOOK AT BACK AT JUNE WHERE WE HAD THE SAME AMOUNT OF DISEASE TRANSMISSION OR SIMILAR AMOUNT, WE WERE THREE WEEKS AWAY FROM A CRISIS. 
          SO IF WE WANT TO AVOID THAT CRISIS, WE'VE GOT TO CONTINUE TO LIMIT THE RISK UNTIL WE'RE IN A BETTER CIRCUMSTANCE. 
          [00:15:01]
THAT'S CERTAINLY IF WE WERE TO ENTER STAGE TWO OF RISK, WHERE WE HAVE LESS THAN 10 HOSPITALIZATIONS ON THE SEVEN DAY MOVING AVERAGE, THAT IT MAY BE A RISK WORTH TAKING BEFORE THAT IT'S, IT'S GOING TO BE A BIT MORE DIFFICULT CALL. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE, WE'VE SEEN MAJOR METROPOLITAN AREAS AROUND THE STATE MAKE THE SAME DECISION THAT JUDGE BISCO DID, UH, THAT INCLUDES TRAVIS COUNTY AND DALLAS COUNTY HARRIS COUNTY. 
          UH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE SEEING THAT, THAT THESE LARGER POPULATION AREAS ARE MORE CONCERNED ABOUT THE RISK AND, UH, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE'RE GOING TO, WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS BASED ON THE SCIENCE AND THAT'S THE RECOMMENDATION THAT WE PROVIDED JUDGE BISCO. 
          OKAY. 
          FROM KAY, IF YOU, UH, ARE YOU PLEASED WITH TRAVIS COUNTY, JUDGE SAN FRANCISCO, LISTENING TO YOUR RECOMMENDATION AND SHOOTING DOWN THE GOVERNOR'S APPROVAL? WHY IS IT IMPORTANT FOR COUNTY LEADERS TO CONSIDER DATA AND LISTEN TO HEALTH PROFESSIONALS? AGAIN, YOU KNOW, I JUST WANT TO RECOGNIZE JUDGE BISCO AS WELL AS JUDGE ECKHART, UH, BEFORE HIM AND, AND MAYOR ADLER AND, AND CERTAINLY CITY MANAGER, SPENCER CRONK, AND IN HIS TEAM, THIS ENTIRE TEAM HAS LISTENED TO THE SCIENCE, THE ENTIRE PANDEMIC. 
          UH, THE SCIENCE IS NOT POLITICAL. 
          THE SCIENCE SHOULDN'T BE POLITICAL AND THE SCIENCE FOR THIS CIRCUMSTANCE FOR A PANDEMIC SHOULD REALLY, REALLY BE WHAT DRIVES OUR LEADERS. 
          BUT I'M GRATEFUL TO JUDGE BISCO FOR CONTINUING TO LISTEN TO THAT ADVICE. 
          UH, SIMILARLY, IF, IF THE DATA CHANGES, UH, IN THE FUTURE IN TWO WEEKS TIME, THE RECOMMENDATION WILL CHANGE. 
          AND I THINK AS A COMMUNITY, UM, W WE ALL WANT TO, TO KNOW THE FACTS AND WE ARE CERTAINLY COMMITTED TO SHOWING THOSE FACTS, UH, AS IT DRIVES POLICY, THIS ONE'S FROM COOPERATIVE RIO. 
          UH, THIS ONE'S ABOUT VACCINES. 
          CAN YOU EXPLAIN IN LAYMAN'S TERMS, HOW SCIENTISTS KNOW A VACCINE IS EFFECTIVE AND USE, WILL THE GENERAL PUBLIC BE ABLE TO VERIFY ANY VACCINES, EFFICACY? WHAT IS THE POTENTIAL OF GETTING THE VIRUS AFTER HAVING RECEIVED A SUCCESSFUL VACCINE WHEN OTHER INDIVIDUALS HAVE BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH COVID FOR A SECOND TIME? UH, SO THE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE VACCINE WORKS GENERALLY DURING THESE TRIALS, WHAT THEY'LL DO IS THEY'LL ADMINISTER THE VACCINE, AND THEN THEY MAY ASSESS THE ANTIBODY DEVELOPMENT AS A RESULT OF THAT, THAT VACCINE DO THE ANTIBODIES CREATED FROM THE VACCINE MIRROR, THE ANTIBODIES CREATED FROM A, FROM AN ACTUAL INFECTION, AND THAT WILL HELP DETERMINE THE EFFICACY OF, OF INDIVIDUAL VACCINES. 
          UH, YOU KNOW, THE TIME COURSE IS DIFFICULT TO TELL BECAUSE WE'VE GOT MULTIPLE DIFFERENT VACCINES UNDER TRIAL RIGHT NOW. 
          UH, AND CERTAINLY WE'RE HOPEFUL THAT, THAT ONE OF THOSE WILL, UH, WILL SHOW THAT IT IS EFFICACIOUS AND SAFE. 
          THE WAY WE DETERMINE THAT IS THAT THAT DATA IS PUBLISHED AND PEER REVIEWED BY INDEPENDENT SCIENTISTS TO CONFIRM THE RESULTS OF THAT TRIAL. 
          UH, AND AGAIN, OUR HOPE IS THAT THIS WILL HAPPEN SOON, AND THAT THAT DATA WILL BE AVAILABLE PUBLICLY, OR THAT, THAT SCRUTINY FROM PEERS FROM THE AUSTIN AMERICAN STATESMAN, DO YOU EXPECT THE SEVEN DAY MOVING AVERAGE FOR NEW HOSPITALIZATIONS AND POSITIVITY RATES AND TRAVIS COUNTY TO INCREASE IN THE COMING WEEKS DUE TO LARGE IN PERSONS ARE ANNOUNCED TO THE POLLS FOR EARLY VOTING, HOW LOCAL OFFICIALS DISCUSSED WAYS TO HELP MANAGE THE SPREAD CAUSE BY EARLY VOTING. 
          SO, UM, I MET WITH THE TRAVIS COUNTY CLERK'S OFFICE, AND CERTAINLY THE PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN ENGAGED IN DISCUSSIONS WITH THE CLERK'S OFFICE TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING MITIGATION STRATEGIES FOR, UH, FOR POLLING PLACES AND FOR POLL WORKERS. 
          AND I'M CERTAINLY PLEASED WITH, WITH WHAT THE CLERK HAS DONE AND, AND THEY, UH, PROTECTIONS THAT, THAT SHE HAS PUT IN PLACE TO ENSURE THAT WE CAN MAKE THE ELECTION PROCESS AS SAFE AS POSSIBLE. 
          UH, YOU KNOW, I, I PARTICIPATED IN A TRAINING VIDEO FOR POLL WORKERS, UM, AND CERTAINLY I, I INTEND TO GO IN PERSON. 
          I THINK THE OPTIONS THAT ARE AVAILABLE, WHICH INCLUDE, YOU KNOW, IN PERSON, UH, VOTING MALIN, VOTING, ABSENTEE VOTING, I THINK THERE'S OPTIONS THAT ARE AVAILABLE WILL CERTAINLY ENSURE THAT THAT FOLKS CAN FIND A, A OPPORTUNITY TO VOTE, WHICH SUITS THEIR, THEIR RISK FACTORS AND THEIR RISK TOLERANCE, SO THAT WE CAN HAVE 
          [00:20:01]
A SAFE AND COMPLETE ELECTION. 
          AND I WOULD JUST LIKE TO, UH, PUT A PLUG IN FOR EARLY VOTING AS WELL. 
          I KNOW, UH, THE TRAVIS COUNTY, UH, CLERK HAS ALSO MADE, UM, REALLY GOOD PLANS AS FAR AS, UH, MAKING EARLY VOTING SAFE. 
          ONE OF THE THINGS YOU CAN DO AS A CITIZEN OR RESIDENT OF THE COUNTY IS YOU CAN LOOK UP, UH, VOTE TRAVIS, TRAVIS.COM AND IDENTIFY EARLY VOTING POLLING LOCATION, OR EARLY VOTING, SORRY, EARLY VOTING LOCATIONS. 
          AND, UM, YOU CAN SEE WHAT THE WAIT TIMES ARE. 
          SO IF YOU CAN GO TO A POLL OR A VOTING LOCATION AND IDENTIFY A PLACE WHERE THEY HAVE PEOPLE RUNNING TO THAT LOCATION FAIRLY QUICKLY, UH, IT WILL ALLOW YOU TO MAYBE LIMIT YOUR EXPOSURE THAT YOU HAVE AT THAT PARTICULAR LOCATION. 
          SO, UM, IT'S, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT YOU CAN ALSO USE PERSONAL AWARENESS WHEN YOU'RE OUT DOING YOUR VOTING, AND THAT IS, UH, MAKE SURE YOU'RE USING YOUR PREVENTATIVE MEASURES, BUT ALSO BE AWARE OF PEOPLE AROUND YOU AND WHO MAY BE ENCROACHING IN YOUR PERSONAL SPACE, UH, TO MAKE BUILDINGS SAFE. 
          LET ME TAKE THE NEXT QUESTION. 
          THIS COMES FROM UNIVERSAL PLAN, AND THE QUESTION IS BARS AND TRAVIS COUNTY WILL NOT OPEN YET, BUT IF YOU DRIVE DOWN RAINY STREET, IT LOOKS LIKE BUSINESS AS USUAL. 
          ANYTHING ABOUT FINES BEING ISSUED FOR CITY CODE VIOLATIONS? YES. 
          WE KNOW THAT, UM, THE ENFORCEMENT EFFORTS ARE OUT. 
          OUR STAFF OR ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH STAFF ARE WORKING WITH, UM, CODE ENFORCEMENT AND THE FIRE MARSHALL. 
          UM, WE HAVE ISSUED SOME WARNINGS, UM, AS WELL AS IT HAS MOVED FORWARD INTO ENFORCEMENT. 
          AND SO IT'S IMPORTANT, UM, THAT WE WORK WITH THE BUSINESS OWNERS AND, UM, WE ARE SEEING MORE COMPLIANCE WITH THE BUSINESSES, UM, AS THEY ADHERE TO THE CAPACITY, UH, WITH THE, WITH THE MASKING AND THE SOCIAL DISTRICT Z. 
          UM, ONE OF THE, UM, THINGS WE ARE GOING TO LOOK VERY CLOSELY AT IS, IS WE'RE GOING TO START TO MONITOR HOW FOLKS ARE QUEUING. 
          IT IS IMPORTANT FOR US TO GET THE MESSAGE OUT TO INDIVIDUALS AS THEY ARE QUEUING, TO HAVE AN AWARENESS ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT YOU ARE SIX FEET AWAY FROM OTHERS, AS YOU ARE QUEUING TO, UM, ENTER INTO THESE SITES, BUT WE WILL CONTINUE OUR ENFORCEMENT EFFORTS. 
          WE WILL WORK WITH THE BUSINESSES, BUT WE ABSOLUTELY WILL ISSUE CITATIONS IN THE EVENT. 
          WE SEE NONCOMPLIANCE. 
          OKAY, SORRY ABOUT THAT. 
          I'M BACK FOR YOUR NEW BUTTON. 
          THING HAPPENS. 
          UM, THIS ONE'S FROM KX. 
          ARE THERE CONCERNS ABOUT PEOPLE IN TRAVIS COUNTY HEADING UP NORTH, HEADING UP NORTH TO WILLIAMSON COUNTY AND SOUTH TO HAYES COUNTY TO GO TO BARS SINCE THOSE COUNTY JUDGES HAVE SAID THEY WILL OPT INTO OPEN THEM. 
          WHAT ARE THOSE CONCERNS? AND WHAT IS YOUR MESSAGE TO PEOPLE THAT ARE CONSIDERING DOING THIS? OUR HOPE IS THAT THAT PEOPLE WILL CONTINUE TO ACT RESPONSIBLY, UH, IN TERMS OF COVID-19 PROTECTIONS AND, AND MASKING AND DISTANCING, BUT ALSO IN TERMS OF ENSURING THAT IF FOLKS ARE TRAVELING TO GO TO A, A BAR THAT THEY ARE DOING. 
          SO WITH A, A SOBER DRIVER, UH, SOMEBODY, THEY HAVE A WAY TO GET HOME SAFELY. 
          UH, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE KNOW WHERE TRANSMISSION IS HAPPENING, IT'S HAPPENING IN THESE SOCIAL SETTINGS. 
          AND CERTAINLY, UH, WHEN WE ADD ALCOHOL INTO THESE SOCIAL SETTINGS, THE LIKELIHOOD THAT PEOPLE ARE GOING TO, UH, MOVE AWAY FROM PROTECTIVE BEHAVIORS IS GOING TO BE INCREASED. 
          SO OUR HOPE IS THAT THAT FOLKS WILL CONTINUE TO USE CAUTION IF THEY MAKE THE DECISION TO, TO GO TO A BAR OUTSIDE OF THE COUNTY, THAT THEY ARE LIMITING THEIR INTERACTIONS WITH OTHER PEOPLE FOR THE 14 DAYS, FOLLOWING THAT, THAT RISK TAKING BEHAVIOR. 
          AGAIN, IN PARTICULAR, WE WANT TO ENSURE THAT THOSE INDIVIDUALS ARE NOT INTERACTING WITH OTHER PEOPLE WHO ARE VULNERABLE, SUCH AS THOSE OVER THE 
          [00:25:01]
AGE OF 65. 
          AND THOSE WITH UNDERLYING HEALTH CONDITIONS, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE WILL CONTINUE TO EVALUATE THE DATA HERE IN TRAVIS COUNTY AND, UH, AND IN 14 DAYS, IF THE SITUATION HAS CHANGED AND WHEN WE REVISE OUR RECOMMENDATIONS, OKAY, THIS IS ANOTHER QUESTION FROM US, THAT COMMUNITY IMPACT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HEARD MUCH IN THE NEWS LATELY REGARDING VACCINES TIMELINES, UH, DR. 
          SCOTT AND SARAH, AND THE PROGRESS MADE ON VACCINES AND FOR YOUR EXPERTISE AND KNOWLEDGE OF THE LOCAL LANDSCAPE, WHEN YOU EXPECTED VACCINES TO BE AVAILABLE FOR THE BROADER AUSTIN POPULATION. 
          SO THE CURRENT TIMELINE THAT, THAT, UH, IS, IS BEING UTILIZED BY THE STATE AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS TO EXPECT THE POSSIBILITY OF AN INITIAL ALLOCATION OF VACCINE IN THE NOVEMBER TO DECEMBER TIMEFRAME, FOCUSED ON FIRST RESPONDERS AND HEALTHCARE WORKERS, AND THEN A TIMELINE JANUARY TO JULY, UH, FOR AVAILABILITY FOR OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC. 
          UH, AGAIN, IT, THIS IS A, A TENTATIVE TIMELINE, UH, AND THERE ARE CERTAINLY MANY STEPS THAT, THAT HAVE TO BE ACHIEVED IN ORDER TO MEET THAT TIMELINE. 
          UH, I THINK WE HAVE TO ANTICIPATE THAT THAT TIMELINE COULD BE DELAYED, WHICH IS WHY WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO MITIGATE THE RISK LOCALLY. 
          WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO, UH, TO LOOK FOR OTHER OPTIONS FOR MANAGING DISEASE, UH, SUCH AS CONVALESCENT PLASMA, AND, UH, AND ENSURE THAT OUR HOSPITALS ARE PREPARED. 
          UH, OUR HOPE IS THAT, THAT WE WILL HAVE A VACCINE SOON THAT IS SAFE AND EFFECTIVE. 
          UH, WE WILL CERTAINLY SHARE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AS IT COMES TO US. 
          AND I'D JUST LIKE TO ADD THAT, JUST SO THE PUBLIC IS AWARE THAT ALSO PUBLIC HEALTH HAS BEEN WORKING WITH A LARGE NUMBER OF COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS, SO THAT WE ARE PREPARED, UH, TO VACCINATE THE, UH, POPULATIONS, UH, THAT ARE PRIORITIZED FOR THIS FIRST ROUND OF VACCINE DELIVERY. 
          UM, WE'RE CURRENTLY PLANNING SOME COVID VACCINATION EXERCISES USING, UH, FLU CLINICS, UH, FOR THAT PURPOSE. 
          AND, UM, WE WILL, UH, CONTINUING CONTINUE TO WORK WITH OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS IN THE COMMUNITY TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, WE'RE MAKING A DECISIONS AND IN WITH EACH OTHER ON HOW WE CAN, UH, EFFECTIVELY DELIVER, DELIVER THAT VACCINE TO THE COMMUNITY. 
          I THINK THE LAST THING I'D LIKE TO ADD IS, IS THAT THE DEPARTMENT, UM, IS PUT TOGETHER A, UM, VACCINE DISTRIBUTION COALITION. 
          THIS COALITION, UM, WILL WORK TOGETHER, UM, TO, UM, INCREASE THE NUMBER OF PROVIDERS WORKING WITH THE STATE OF TEXAS, EACH PROVIDER, UM, MUST BE REGISTERED WITH THE STATE OF TEXAS, UM, AS A PROVIDER AND GO THROUGH THAT TRAINING. 
          UM, OUR HOPE IS, IS THAT WE WILL, UM, ENCOURAGE, UM, HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS TO SIGN UP. 
          UM, SO THEY CAN ALSO ADMINISTER VACCINE. 
          IN ADDITION TO THAT WORK WITHIN A COALITION, WE WILL BE DECIDING THE PRIORITY POPULATIONS, UM, AND HOW AS A COMMUNITY, WE WILL BE ABLE TO, UM, ADDRESS THE NEEDS THAT WE HAVE. 
          ULTIMATELY, WE WANT TO ENSURE THAT, UM, WE ARE PROVIDING THE VACCINE TO THE FOLKS THAT NEED IT THE MOST. 
          AND SO THAT IS OUR GOAL. 
          SO THIS IS GOING TO BE A COLLABORATIVE PROCESS WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS, HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS, UM, ADVOCATES WILL, UM, BE A PART OF THE MEETING, AS WELL AS CITY AND COUNTY STAFF. 
          THIS WAS SORT OF THAT TEXAS, WHILE YOU THINK HOSPITALIZATIONS ARE PLATEAUING OR INCREASING AND ALREADY SEEING A DIFFERENT PATIENT POPULATION THAN WE SAW THIS SUMMER. 
          UH, SO I THINK THAT WE'RE SEEING INCREASES NOW IN HOSPITALIZATIONS, DESPITE THE FACT THAT OUR, OUR NEW CASES ARE NOT INCREASING SUBSTANTIALLY BECAUSE WE'RE SEEING A SHIFT TO OLDER INDIVIDUALS OVER THE PAST WEEK. 
          AGAIN, WE SAW INCREASES IN THAT 70 TO 79 AND OVER 80 AGE GROUP, WHICH IS TO BE MORE LIKELY TO BE HOSPITALIZED AS COMPARED TO YOUNGER POPULATIONS. 
          SO AGAIN, WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO PROTECT THOSE WHO ARE MORE VULNERABLE, INCLUDING OUR ELDERS OVER THE AGE OF 65, TO ENSURE THAT, THAT WE CAN LIMIT THE HOSPITALIZATIONS AND CERTAINLY LIMIT THE DEATHS ASSOCIATED WITH COVID-19 
          [00:30:06]
FROM KBC. 
          WHAT IS THE STATUS OF CON TRACING, HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE WORKING ON IT, AND DO YOU THINK IT'S SUCCESSFULLY KEEPING INFECTIONS CONTAINED? UH, THE STATUS IS, UH, CONTACT TRACING IS CURRENTLY TAKING PLACE. 
          THIS WAS ONE OF THE ITEMS I'D LIKE TO BRING UP IS THAT, UH, AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH IS, UH, CURRENTLY WORKING ON A CONTRACT. 
          TRACY, WHEN WE DO OUR INITIAL CASE INVESTIGATION, WE IDENTIFY THAT FIRST TIER OF CONTACTS OR LOCATIONS WHERE PEOPLE MAY HAVE BEEN EXPOSED AND WE'RE FOLLOWING UP WITH THOSE INDIVIDUALS. 
          AND IN SOME CASES OF LOCATIONS, UH, PART OF THE GOAL IS TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE EXPOSED KNOW THEY'RE EXPOSED AND, UM, AT PLACED THEMSELVES INTO A 14 DAY QUARANTINE PERIOD. 
          AND IF DURING THAT 14 DAY QUARANTINE PERIOD, THEY DEVELOP SYMPTOMS, WE ARE ENCOURAGING THAT THEY GET TESTED TO RULE OUT A COVID AS A DIAGNOSIS. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE ROUGHLY, WE'VE HAD UP TO 60 PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN DOING CONTACT TRACING AND CASE INVESTIGATION. 
          THEY'RE CUT. 
          THE TWO ACTIVITIES ARE VERY TIED, CLOSELY TOGETHER. 
          UH, IN, IN ADDITION, WE HAVE, UH, INNER LOCAL AGREEMENT, THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS WHO HAS A LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE DOING A CASE INVESTIGATION AND CONTACT TRACY. 
          AND ON OUR BEHALF, THE ONE POINT I LIKE TO BRING UP AND REMIND THE PUBLIC IS THAT WHEN AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH OR ONE OF ITS, UH, UH, PARTNERS SUCH AS UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS OR COMMUNITY CARE, UH, WHO ARE WORKING ON OUR BEHALF, REACHES OUT TO A CASE OR A CONTACT, UH, WE WOULD, UH, NOT BE ASKING FOR ANY THING OTHER THAN INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR DISEASE, YOUR, YOUR RISK FOR EXPOSURE, UH, AND IDENTIFICATION OF WHO THOSE CONTACTS ARE. 
          UM, AND YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT RISK AND DISEASE SYMPTOMOLOGY, WE'LL BE ASKING FOR THOSE TYPES OF THINGS. 
          WE WOULD NOT BE ASKING FOR FINANCIAL INFORMATION. 
          WE WOULD NOT BE ASKING FOR, UH, ANY KIND OF SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS OR YOUR IMMIGRATION STATUS. 
          SO IF THERE ARE QUESTIONS, UH, ABOUT THE LEGITIMACY OF SOMEBODY CONTACTING YOU, WHO IS A CONTACT TRACER, UH, WE RECOMMEND THAT YOU CALL AUSTIN THREE, ONE, ONE, UH, OR CALLED, UH, AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH AT (512) 972-5555. 
          TO VERIFY THAT INFORMATION, IF YOU FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE, I WILL JUST ADD ON, ON ONE THING, BECAUSE THIS IS A COMMON MISPERCEPTION THAT WE GET REGARDING THOSE CLOSE CONTACTS. 
          IF SOMEONE IS IDENTIFIED AS A CLOSE CONTACT AND THEY GO AND GET TESTED, AND THAT TEST IS NEGATIVE, THEY STILL HAVE TO ISOLATE THEMSELVES OR QUARANTINED FOR 14 DAYS. 
          THE NEGATIVE TEST DOES NOT EXCLUDE THE REST OF THE QUARANTINE. 
          AND I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF MISINFORMATION OUT THERE ABOUT THAT. 
          THEY HAVE SENT OUT A LETTER TO THE TRAVIS COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETY TO ENSURE OUR PHYSICIANS AND CLINICAL STAFF AROUND THE COUNTY ARE AWARE OF THE FACT THAT INDIVIDUALS CANNOT MEET CLEARED FROM QUARANTINE WITH A NEGATIVE TEST, RIGHT? BASICALLY IN OTHER WORDS, YOU CANNOT TEST YOUR WAY OUT OF QUARANTINE AND HIS AS FROM CVS OSS. 
          AND WE'RE GETTING BACK TO THE BAR, IS APH TAKING ANY STEPS THAT COULD ALLOW BARS TO REOPEN SAFELY IN A NEAR FUTURE? OR DO YOU THINK THAT WILL HAPPEN IN TRAVIS COUNTY? AND SO WE MOVED TO STAGE TWO. 
          AGAIN, WE INTEND TO REEVALUATE THE DATA. 
          AND IN TWO WEEKS TIME, IF THE SITUATION IS MAINTAINING AT, YOU KNOW, A FLAT OR DECLINING, UH, THEN IT'S, IT'S, IT'S POSSIBLE THAT WE WOULD MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO OPEN BARS TO SOME EXTENT PRIOR TO BEING IN, IN STAGE TWO OF RISK. 
          UH, WE, WE WOULD LOVE TO BE IN STAGE TWO WE'VE, WE'VE CERTAINLY FLIRTED WITH STAGE TWO, THREE TIMES, UH, WHERE WE'VE GONE DOWN TO 12 ON THAT SEVEN DAY MOVING AVERAGE. 
          AND THEN WE BOUNCED UP AGAIN, AND THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING RELATIVELY CONTINUOUSLY FOR THE PAST 30 DAYS. 
          SO OUR HOPE IS THAT THAT THROUGH OUR COMMUNITY'S EFFORT AT MITIGATING THE RISK THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY GET TO STAGE TWO, UH, IN THE NEAR FUTURE, AND CERTAINLY BE MORE CONFIDENT ABOUT TAKING MORE RISKS LIKE OPENING BARS, OUR 
          [00:35:01]
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH TEAM, UM, HAS PUT TOGETHER SOME, SOME RECOMMENDATIONS. 
          UM, OUR STAFF HAVE ALSO, UM, LOOKED AT OTHER, UH, SURROUNDING AREAS THAT MAY BE LOOKING AT, UM, MOVE FOOT MOVING FORWARD IN THE DIRECTION OF OPENING UP THOSE LOCATIONS. 
          IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE HAVE ALSO, UM, UM, RECEIVED INFORMATION FROM OUR, UM, THE RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION. 
          AND SO WE ARE GETTING THAT FEEDBACK FROM THE BAR OWNERS AND THE RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION. 
          AND SO IN THE MEANTIME, AS WE CONTINUE TO LOOK AT THE SCIENCE AND THE DATA, UM, THAT IT'S WILD, IT'S HOW WE MAKE OUR DECISIONS. 
          WE ARE ALSO, UM, PREPARING WHAT THAT PROCESS COULD LOOK LIKE IN A SAFE MANNER FROM COOPERATIVE RIO. 
          THE CDC SAID YESTERDAY ON A PHONE CALL OF GOVERNORS THAT THEY'RE SEEING WEST COVINA TRANSMISSION IN PUBLIC AND MORE FROM SMALL HOUSEHOLD GATHERINGS. 
          WHAT STRATEGIES DOES APH HAVE IN PLACE TO PROTECT CENTRAL TEXANS WHO LIVE IN MULTI-GENERATIONAL HOUSEHOLDS? UH, SO WE'VE, WE'VE BEEN TOUCHING ON THIS ISSUE FOR AT LEAST A MONTH NOW, UH, THE FACT THAT, THAT WE'RE NOT SEEING TRANSMISSION IN BUSINESSES, WE'RE NOT SEEING TRANSMISSION IN RESTAURANTS, UH, TO, TO A LARGE EXTENT, WE'RE SEEING IT IN THESE SMALL GATHERINGS. 
          WE'RE SEEING IT IN SPACES WHERE PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT THEY'RE SAFE AND ARE FOLLOWING THOSE PROTECTIVE ACTIONS. 
          THEY'RE NOT MASKING, THEY'RE NOT SOCIAL DISTANCE. 
          SO OUR MESSAGING IS GOING TO CONTINUE TO BE THE SAME THAT WE NEED TO AVOID THOSE KINDS OF ACTIVITIES, BECAUSE THAT'S EXACTLY WHERE THE TRANSMISSION IS HAPPENING. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK TO SOME EXTENT, PEOPLE THINK THAT IF SOMEBODY IS SICK WITH COVID-19, YOU CAN TELL SOMEHOW, BUT THAT'S NOT THE CASE. 
          WE KNOW THAT PEOPLE CAN BE MOST INFECTIOUS BEFORE THEY HAVE SIGNIFICANT SYMPTOMS. UH, AND THAT'S WHY IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE AVOID THESE GATHERINGS WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS THAT WE AVOID HAVING THOSE LARGE CELEBRATIONS, THOSE BIRTHDAY PARTIES, UH, BABY SHOWERS, UH, YOU KNOW, LARGE WEDDINGS OR OTHER GATHERINGS WHERE WE HAVE SEEN FAMILIES ACROSS THIS COUNTRY DEVASTATED BY COVID-19. 
          OKAY. 
          THIS IS OUR LAST QUESTION FROM KX. 
          HAS THERE BEEN ANY DISCUSSION ABOUT ENFORCEMENT OF COVID-19 SAFETY GUIDELINES BEING ANY DIFFERENT HERE IN THE AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY AREA BECAUSE OF THE ALLOWANCE OF BARS TO REOPEN A NEIGHBORING COUNTIES? WHAT HAS THAT DISCUSSION INVOLVED? WOULD THERE BE ANY EXTRA POLICING ON THE ROADS, ANY EXTRA EFFORTS TO GETTING A SAFE RIDE HOME, ET CETERA. 
          UH, LET ME START BY SAYING, UH, AS DIRECTOR HAYDEN SAID EARLIER, THAT WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING OUTSIDE OF PLACES THAT WERE FORMERLY KNOWN AS BARS, BUT ARE NOW RESTAURANTS. 
          UH, WE HAVE SEEN EVIDENCE OF VERY LARGE GROUPS OF PEOPLE TOGETHER, AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE LOOK AT OPPORTUNITIES TO INCREASE ENFORCEMENT, TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE NOT, UH, TRANSFERRING THE RISK FROM INSIDE THE ESTABLISHMENT TO OUTSIDE THE ESTABLISHMENT. 
          UH, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THAT FOLKS ARE MINDFUL OF, OF BEING IN CROWDS AND THAT WE ARE NOT IN A PLACE WHERE LARGE CROWDS SHOULD GATHER. 
          UH, AND YOU KNOW, WE ARE CONCERNED PARTICULARLY AS IT RELATES TO TRYING TO KEEP OUR SCHOOLS AND BUSINESSES OPEN THAT, THAT LARGE GATHERINGS OF INDIVIDUALS, EVEN IF IT'S OUTSIDE, MAY INCREASE OUR RISK OF, OF HAVING TO ROLL BACK THOSE REOPENINGS. 
          THANK YOU, SIR. 
          BEFORE WE WRAP UP, WE WOULD LIKE TO GIVE OUR PANEL MEMBERS THE OPPORTUNITY FOR CLOSING REMARKS, STEPHANIE, AGAIN, I WILL EMPHASIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF GETTING A FLU VACCINE AS OUR, UM, AS OUR COMMUNITY MOVES THROUGH THIS FLU SEASON. 
          UM, THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT YOU CAN DO AS AN INDIVIDUAL IS GET YOUR FLU VACCINE. 
          DO YOU HAVE FAMILY MEMBERS, UM, MAKE SURE THEY GET THERE SINCE, WELL, IF YOU ARE INSURED, PLEASE REACH OUT TO, UM, YOUR INSURANCE PROVIDER TO SEE WHERE YOU CAN GO IN ON A WALKIN BASIS AND GET THAT INSURANCE. 
          IF YOU ARE NOT, PLEASE REACH OUT TO THREE, ONE, ONE, AND, UM, THEY WILL CONNECT YOU TO OUR STAFF. 
          [00:40:01]
SO YOU CAN SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT FOR YOUR FLU VACCINE. 
          UM, LASTLY, OUR, UM, HIGH RISK WORKER HOTLINE IS AVAILABLE. 
          PLEASE REACH OUT TO RECEIVE THOSE SERVICES. 
          UM, IF YOU ARE IN A MULTIGENERATIONAL HOUSEHOLD, OUR ISO FAC FACILITY IS STILL OPEN. 
          AND SO AS YOU ARE WORKING WITH THEM, UM, TO RECEIVE, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S LEGAL OR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE, UM, KEEP THAT IN MIND THAT THAT ISOLATION FACILITY IS OPEN, UM, AS YOU WORK WITH OUR PARTNERS, UM, PROVIDING THE HIGH RISK WORKER, UM, FINANCIAL AND OR LEGAL ASSISTANCE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          YEAH. 
          AND I'LL JUST REITERATE THAT WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT SOCIAL GATHERINGS. 
          WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT GATHERING IN, IN BARS OR PLACES THAT USED TO BE BARS. 
          WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT GATHERINGS IN HOUSEHOLDS OF EXTENDED FAMILY OR FRIENDS. 
          AND IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE RECOGNIZE THAT THE ABILITY TO TELL WHETHER SOMEBODY HAS COVID-19 OR NOT IS NOT POSSIBLE, UH, AND, AND THE SAME PROTECTIVE ACTIONS THAT FOLKS ARE USING IN SCHOOL AND AT THE WORKPLACE. 
          AND IF THEY GO TO THE SHOPPING MALL OR THE GROCERY STORE, OR THE SAME PROTECTION ACTIONS THAT SHOULD TAKE PLACE, WHEN THEY'RE IN A SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT, THE MORE WE CAN CONTINUE THOSE PROTECTIVE ACTIONS, THE BETTER CHANCE THAT WE HAVE OF KEEPING OUR SCHOOLS OPEN AND KEEPING OUR AND TEACHERS SAFE. 
          AND I JUST LIKE TO, UH, JUST REEMPHASIZE THAT, UH, AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH IS CURRENTLY WORKING TO, UH, UPDATE OUR LABORATORY OR OUR CASE REPORT DAILY CASE COUNTS. 
          UH, WE'RE CURRENTLY CONDUCTING SOME QUALITY ASSURANCE TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR NUMBERS CAN BE POSTED UP ON THE DASHBOARD BY THIS AFTERNOON, UH, AND ARE CURRENT AND UP TO DATE. 
          SO WE'RE WORKING ON THAT LABORATORY SUBMISSION ERROR THAT, UH, WE CURRENTLY RECEIVED YESTERDAY. 
          THE OTHER THING WE'D LIKE TO DO IS, UH, JUST AS A REMINDER, AGAIN, IF YOU ARE CONTACTED AS A POTENTIAL CONTACT TO A CASE, UH, THROUGH OUR CONTACT TRACING EFFORTS, UH, OR THROUGH CASE INVESTIGATION, UH, BE MINDFUL THAT, UH, AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH WILL NOT REQUEST INFORMATION FROM YOU RELATED TO FINANCES RELATED TO YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER, UH, OR RELATED TO YOUR IMMIGRATION STATUS. 
          SO, UH, IN ORDER FOR US TO REDUCE DISEASE TRANSMISSION, IT'S VERY, VERY IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE TO COOPERATE WITH OUR CASE INVESTIGATORS AND OUR CONTACT TRACERS, UH, SO THAT WE CAN, UH, MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE HOME, UH, QUARANTINING AND, UM, ELIMINATING DISEASE, TRANSMISSION RISKS IN THE COMMUNITY. 
          THANK YOU, PANEL MEMBERS THAT CONCLUDES OUR MEDIA AVAILABILITY FOR TODAY. 
          THANK YOU TO APH DIRECTOR. 
          STEPHANIE HAYDEN, DR. 
          MARK S. SCOTT EPIDEMIOLOGIST, JANET FRECHETTE, AND TO OUR POOL REPORTER. 
          CHRIS NEELY. 
          THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TODAY. 
          HAVE A GOOD ONE. 
          THANK YOU.
* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.