COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Update from the City of Austin
District 8 staff note: This information is current as of 5:46 p.m. on 7/23.
There are currently 18,939 confirmed cases in the Austin-Travis County area and 229 confirmed deaths of local residents associated with COVID-19. There are 438 patients hospitalized with the illness, 150 in the ICU, and 111 on a ventilator. Reported recoveries from COVID-19 is at 15,852. 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.
It is essential that Austinites stay home whenever possible and wear masks when we will come into contact with other members of the public. This includes family members who do not live in your home.
Meet Tito, the newest addition to the District 8 team!
City of Austin 2020-21 Budget Engagement
The District 8 Virtual Budget Town Hall was held on July 16. Council Member Ellis and Deputy Chief Financial Officer Ed Van Eenoo discussed the FY21 Budget process and the City’s COVID-19 spending framework. The presentation was followed by a moderated Q&A session where attendees were able to get their questions answered. You can watch the recording and read a transcript of the town hall here: https://austintx.new.swagit.com/videos/73887.
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. If you have questions about the budget process, you can email staff at budgetqa@austintexas.gov.
Additionally, the city will hold several meetings and public hearings to discuss the budget before officially adopting the 2021 budget in August. Here are some remaining key dates:
7/30 - Budget & Tax Rate Public Hearing
8/4 - Budget & Tax Rate Public Hearing
8/12 - City Council Budget Adoption
8/13 and 8/14 - (If necessary) Council Budget Adoption meetings
For more information on the budget process and to provide feedback, visit AustinTexas.gov/Budget.
Neighborhood Testing Sites
Two weeks ago, Austin Public Health announced the roll-out of our Neighborhood Testing Sites. These three new testing sites are designed to make testing more accessible for affected communities in certain areas. There are currently three sites up and running – at the Southeast Branch Library, Little Walnut Creek Library, and Given Park.
The capacity at the testing sites will initially be limited as APH works to ramp up staffing. Testing at the neighborhood sites is available by appointment, with additional limited availability for walk-up patients. APH recommends that everyone planning to get a test at the neighborhood testing sites schedule an appointment ahead of time, but as long as there is capacity at the site, no one will be turned away if they show up needing testing.
Individuals can sign up for a test at a neighborhood site online at AustinTexas.gov/COVID19 or through our nurse hotline at 512-972-5560. Assessments online and over the phone are available in several languages. Individuals unable to access the testing sites can also call the nurse hotline to see if they qualify for an at-home test. As with all testing sites, all medical information provided for testing and contact tracing is confidential, and immigration status is not asked.
Harmful Algae in Lady Bird Lake
The Austin Parks and Recreation Department has recommended to keep dogs from swimming in or drinking water from Lady Bird Lake due highly toxic levels of algae. They also recommend that humans do not handle the algae.
Dogs who ingest algae with this toxin could have a number of symptoms, including respiratory paralysis and death. Dogs can also be exposed to the toxin by licking algae from their fur. Look for these signs in your pet within minutes to hours of exposure:
From now through September, Austinites can apply to serve on one of two opportunities to redraw the City Council districts and shape Austin’s future. Austin residents can apply at RedistrictATX.org.
The Applicant Review Panel will select 60 of the most qualified applicants for the redistricting commission. Three independent auditors with CPAs will be selected to serve on the panel. Deadline to apply the Review Panel apply is Sept. 1.
The 14-member Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission will redraw the boundaries of the council districts. Deadline to apply to the Commission is Sept. 30.
Austin City Charter tasks the City Auditor with widely publicizing the application process to ensure applicant pools are large, diverse, and qualified. Applicant pools must be diverse in terms of race, ethnicity, gender, and geography. The redistricting process happens every ten years and coincides with the census. In 2012, Austin voters elected to move to single members districts from an at large system. The ten City Council districts were initially created in 2013 by a diverse group of Austin residents who served on the historic Redistricting Commission.
Building on Lizzie Shackney’s Hard to Count Areas map, Jeff Engstrom, Senior Planner with Planning and Zoning, created this mapto show how many households in Austin have responded to Census 2020. Each census tract is colored in with a shade of orange or blue, with dark orange representing low response rates, light colors representing response rates near 50%, and dark blue representing the highest response rates. The map is updated every weekday, with the map features provided by the Texas Demographic Center, based on raw data from theU.S. Census Bureau. The response rate data can be filtered to show only the lowest performing census tracts. This map also shows City Council boundaries. For a deeper understanding of the composition of each tract, the response rate layer can be turned off and the tract statistics layer can be turned on. This will enable the demographic variable filters. Census 2020 started on April 1st, and continues through October. Residents are encouraged to fill out the Census to ensure all residents are counted, and your individual response is kept completely confidential. To respond, go to https://my2020census.gov/.
"Little Sisters" Needed
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Texas is actively enrolling Littles Sisters virtually (via Zoom) in select Zip Codes for its One-to-One Mentoring Programs. BBBS’ mission is to provide children with strong and enduring, professionally supported one-to-one mentoring relationships that change their lives for the better, forever - and we are currently able to expedite enrollment for Little Sisters who live in Travis, Williamson & Hays counties.
They currently have openings for Little Sisters, ages 6-16 (who live in the Zip Codes below) to be matched with Big Sisters in their one-to-one Community Based Mentoring program.
They are currently conducting Virtual Interviews with Little Sisters in the following areas:
78701
78722
78751
78702
78723
78756
78704
78741
78757
78705
78745
78758
78721
78748 (D8)
If you know of someone who may benefit from enrolling with BBBS in one of these areas, please share their information or contact them directly. To enroll a child, call 512-442-4646, email info@bigmentoring.org or Sign up to Get a Big here.
Ways To Help
Visit the City of Austin's "How To Help" nonprofit needs bank. City of AustinSupport black-owned businesses in Austin. (Multiple links) KXAN // Austin 360Help Austin restaurant workers impacted by the coronavirus. Eater AustinDonate to Austin organizations promoting racial equity.Austin MonthlyGrow your reading list with selections from an antiracist book list. (Multiple links) Austin Public Library //New York TimesRead or listen to The 1619 Project. New York Times
