June 12, 2020 Newsletter

District 8 staff note: This information is current as of 5:45p.m. on 6/11.

There are currently 4,238 confirmed cases in the Austin-Travis County area and 101 confirmed deaths of local residents associated with COVID-19. There are 112 patients hospitalized with the illness, 46 in the ICU, and 26 on a ventilator. Reported recoveries from COVID-19 is at 3,316. The most up-to-date information can be found at http://austintexas.gov/covid19. The website is updated between 5:45 p.m. to 6 p.m. daily.

Click here to view the City's Risk-Based Guidelines. We are currently in Stage 3.

TESTING:

The community enrollment tool is available for free COVID-19 testing. This form can be accessed on the City’s COVID-19 website. Create an account and answer a few questions to determine eligibility. Then, schedule testing without referral from a doctor. Completion of the assessment does not guarantee referral to a testing site, and APH will still prioritize health care workers and first responders on the frontline of the pandemic as well as people at higher risk for developing severe symptoms. All testing will be by appointment-only, but at no cost to the individual. Please refer to the press release for more information or visit http://austintexas.gov/covid19. This tool is available to residents of Austin-Travis County and Williamson County.
If symptoms are more severe please contact a healthcare provider immediately. If you are ill, Healthcare providers are encouraging all patients experiencing flu-like symptoms to first use mobile apps or visit websites that have been set up for COVID-19 response. Visit http://austintexas.gov/article/covid-19-information-those-who-are-sick for more information
PLEASE NOTE: The information collected is for medical purposes only. We do not ask about immigration status or share this data beyond what is required to provide public health services.

PREVENTION:

Austin-Travis County still requires using fabric or cloth face coverings when conducting essential activities or work away from your home to help prevent COVID-19 from spreading. Face covers should not replace physical distancing. Please donate any medical grade masks you have to our first responders.
To prevent the spread of #COVID19, people are ordered to stay home + work safe, except for essential activities. If going out is essential, keep 6 ft of space + avoid crowds. This includes refraining from attending social gatherings of any size outside a single household, subject to stated exceptions.

Please continue practicing good hygiene and maintaining social distance. It is important to remember solidarity is key to keeping us together. Social distancing does not mean social isolation. Keep in touch with your family, friends and neighbors. It's important that social distancing does not become social isolation. Keep in touch with your family, friends, and neighbors digitally and via phone.

You’re invited to the District 8 Virtual Budget Town Hall on Thursday, July 16 at 6pm.

Join Council Member Ellis and Deputy Chief Financial Officer Ed Van Eenoo to discuss the FY21 Budget process and the City’s COVID-19 spending framework. The presentation will be followed by a moderated Q&A session where attendees will be able to submit questions via the chat function in real time. Attendees who are calling in and not using the video platform should e-mail their questions for the panelists at budgetqa@austintexas.gov.

Register to attend using the link below. When you submit your registration, you will receive an email containing the video link and call-in number.

If you’re unable to attend, a recording of the meeting will be made available a few days after the meeting at AustinTexas.gov/Budget. We know these are challenging times for many people, which is why it's more important than ever to know what the City of Austin should prioritize in the next Fiscal Year's Budget. We want to know the priorities that are most important to you and your family. Take our survey through July 1st to share your feedback on the City's budget priorities at: https://bit.ly/3dueC4U.

For more information on the budget process and to provide feedback, visit AustinTexas.gov/Budget. Sign up for the District 8 newsletter at: bit.ly/ATXD8news.

The new CapMetro Park & Ride at the former Pinnacle Campus (7748 W Hwy 290) is now open! Riders who previously parked at the Oak Hill Park & Ride may now use this facility, which is about a mile away. The Park & Ride can be entered at the intersection of 290 & Convict Hill, then head up the hill that used to lead to the ACC campus. You'll see the new 90-space lot to park your vehicle while you use the CapMetro bus service!

(in English below)

El sábado 13 de junio a las 10 de la mañana el Departamento de Salud Pública de Austin le invita a participar en un foro digital—Foro Comunitario Latinx: Juntos Contra el COVID-19. Escuche a un panel comunitario, obtenga respuestas a sus preguntas en vivo y díganos comentarios sobre cómo podemos hacer mejoras.

¿Le gustaría aprender más sobre el impacto del COVID-19 en nuestra ciudad y condado? ¿Quisiera saber que recursos hay disponibles para la comunidad?

Sintonice a través de Facebook Live, en la página de Facebook: Austin Public Health
y sea parte de la conversación. Este evento será conducido en Español.

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Saturday, June 13th at 10 a.m. Austin Public Health invites you to participate in a virtual forum—Latinx Community Forum: Together Against COVID-19. Hear from a community panel, get answers to your questions live, and provide input about how we can make improvements.

Would you like to learn more about the impact of COVID-19 on our city and county? Would you like to know what resources are available to the community? Tune in via Facebook Live, on the Austin Public Health page and be a part of the conversation. This event will be conducted in Spanish.

On Saturday, July 11, you are invited to join the City of Austin and Travis County public health officials in a virtual conversation to discuss ways to improve health outcomes among our most vulnerable populations.

Recent Austin/Travis County preliminary data proves that COVID-19 more heavily impacts communities of color. For example:

COVID-19 hospitalization rate in March-April 2020:

COVID-19 fatality rate:

Asian American communities have experienced different challenges. They have experienced increased backlash in the form of hate crimes and discrimination, often being unfairly and incorrectly blamed for the pandemic itself.

You may have heard the phrase, “we are all in the same storm, but we are not in the same boat.” Institutional racism has led to inequitable access to health care, healthy food, and income. As a result, communities of color experience higher incidences of chronic conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease. Since many people of color are also typically front-line essential workers with low-paying or hourly-wage jobs that don’t allow them to work from home or take leave, they are also more likely to be uninsured, live in medically underserved areas, and live in zip codes with lower life expectancy. Because of these policies and the resulting health factors, communities of color are more vulnerable to COVID-19 and less likely to recover – physically and financially – from the impacts of this pandemic.

We will share more information about this event when it is available.

Redrawing Council District Boundaries

This month, the City Auditor’s Office launched a new website to ensure transparency and accountability for the planned redistricting of the City’s council districts.

While the mayor is elected citywide, the ten city council members are elected by residents in their respective geographic district. In order to ensure fair representation, Austin has a process for residents to redraw the boundaries of the council districts every ten years.

The new “Shape Austin’s Future” website will be a resource for the community to understand the process for redrawing the council district boundaries in 2021. Per City Charter Article II Section 1, Austin residents on the Commission have the responsibility of drawing the district boundaries through an open and impartial process. The website explains the redistricting process and hosts applications for both the Applicant Review Panel and Commission in multiple languages, including English, Spanish, Chinese, and Vietnamese.

The City Auditor’s Office will implement a citywide community and engagement outreach campaign to inform and educate Austin residents of this important opportunity to shape Austin’s future. The first opportunity for engagement is a virtual town hall on Thursday, June 18 at 6 p.m. Visit redistrictatx.org for more information.

The Austin Public Works Department will be breaking ground on the Travis Country Fire Station on June 19. The new station will be located at 5410 W Hwy 210. The building is planned to be 15,000 square feet, with four bays. Construction is estimated to be completed in June 2021.

Updates can be found at http://atxpublicsafetyprojects.com.

The Austin Public Library system has opened their book drops and is providing curbside service, with the exception of the branches that are being renovated (Yarborough and Pleasant Hill). The books will be collected and quarantined for 72 hours to ensure the safety of staff. More information, including their plans for phased re-openings, can be found at: https://library.austintexas.gov/covid-resources.

Support black-owned businesses in Austin. (Multiple links) KXAN // Austin 360

Help Austin restaurant workers impacted by the coronavirus. Eater Austin

Donate to Austin organizations promoting racial equity. Austin Monthly

Grow your reading list with selections from an antiracist book list. (Multiple links) Austin Public Library // New York Times

Read or listen to The 1619 Project. New York Times