| | | Dear Neighbors,
This week, Austin/Travis County advanced to Stage 4 of Austin Public Health's COVID-19 risk-based guidelines. Stage 4 indicates a higher risk level than the previous stage and means we are now above 20 new hospitalizations per day on a 7 day moving average. I highlight these numbers, guidelines, and resources because I believe we should be vigilant, proactive, and ready to adapt.
Under Stage 4, higher-risk individuals should avoid social gatherings and any gatherings greater than two people, as well as all non-essential travel, dining out, and shopping. Lower-risk Austinites are advised to avoid any social gatherings, as well as gatherings larger than 10, non-essential travel, and shopping or dining except at expanded essential businesses. |
|
|
| | | Mayor Steve Adler and Travis County Judge Sam Biscoe both extended local orders until August 15, 2020. Following Governor Abbott's new guidance on face masks, the extended local orders direct all commercial entities in Travis County to develop and implement a health and safety plan. At a minimum, the plans must require all employees and visitors to wear face coverings except in certain circumstances. Businesses are also encouraged to go above and beyond the requirements in the most recent state order to help prevent community transmission.
Testing is an important piece of our response to the virus, and free testing continues to be available to the public. You can visit the City's COVID-19 website to take an online assessment, or you can call the City's nursing hotline at 512-872-5560 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday thru Friday and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday. Residents can monitor Travis County's latest COVID-19 data on the City's two public dashboards. Please note these dashboards are currently being updated and will be published again by the end of the day.
As a community, we are in this together, and our actions have a direct influence on the trajectory of this pandemic. By working cooperatively and following public health recommendations, we can prevent our hospital capacities from reaching critical levels and help our economy reopen and recover. Please wear a mask and maintain physical distance in public, and encourage your loved ones to do the same.
In this newsletter, you'll find a centralized hub for ways to help support COVID-19 programs and initiatives, an overview of yesterday's Public Safety Committee, a census competition for local students, details for a virtual celebration of Juneteenth, and a free COVID-19 testing event for frontline workers.
Take care,
Alison Alter
Council Member, District 10
|
| | Table of Contents - How to Help Campaign
- Public Safety Committee Recap
- Ready, Set, Create! Census Competition
- Stay Black and Live: A Virtual Juneteenth Celebration – TONIGHT!
- Free COVID-19 Testing for Frontline Workers – June 20
|
| | | How to Help Campaign
Looking for safe and effective ways to help our community during COVID-19? The City of Austin created a How to Help hub with opportunities to volunteer with or donate to local organizations providing help and assistance to Austinites impacted by the pandemic. With your support our community will stay healthy, safe, and connected.
|
| | | Public Safety Committee Recap
On Thursday, Council held its first Public Safety Committee meeting. The agenda covered several police related matters, including updates on the recent protests, the Austin Police Department budget, and the cadet academy. All council members attended the meeting and were able to ask questions of city staff. You can watch a recording of the meeting here (LINK NOT UP YET). |
| | | Ready, Set, Create! Census Competition
The Austin Asian Complete Count Committee has created a fun opportunity for students to express why it matters to be counted in the 2020 Census. Ready, Set, Create is a fun, friendly competition that invites students to use different art mediums, expressions, and languages to encourage the community to participate in the 2020 Census.
This is a fun way for local students to participate in civic engagement, start important conversations, and help make sure families get counted. The deadline for submissions is June 30th. Winners will be announced July 14th. You can find examples of submissions here.
Find more information in the flyers below. |
| | | | | Stay Black and Live: A Virtual Juneteenth Celebration – TONIGHT!
Juneteenth commemorates the formal end of slavery in Texas on June 19, 1865. Colloquially known as “The Black 4th of July,” Juneteenth marks the beginning of an African American journey to create identities outside of enslavement. The Juneteenth Festival is not only a celebration of emancipation and commemoration of a distinctive past, but an opportunity for future generations to learn about our history.
In a time when Black communities are disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 and the global pandemic has laid bare the historic inequalities that have plagued this country from its inception, it is critically important that the fight for Black Lives continues. Stay Black and Live, is a call to action, a celebration of a history and culture that is unapologetic.
The Austin Parks and Recreation Department’s George Washington Carver Museum, Cultural and Genealogy Center in collaboration with Six Square, Greater East Austin Youth Association (G.E.A.Y.A.), Jump On It, and District 1 City Council Member Natasha Harper-Madison will host Stay Black and Live: A Virtual Juneteenth Celebration on Friday, June 19, 2020 from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
This year’s Juneteenth Committee, with the support of 10,000 Fearless First Responders, will distribute 600 BBQ plates to communities most impacted by COVID-19. Food distribution will begin at 5:30 p.m. in the Carver Museum parking lot behind Kealing Middle School.
This year’s festival will be hosted by NOOK Turner, founder of Jump On It, an organization dedicated to uniting youth and their families. Musical performances will be streamed “tiny desk style” and feature alternative R&B artist Alesia Lani, husband and wife hip-hop duo, Riders Against the Storm, indie R&B singer Eimaral Sol, lyricist Queen Deelah, and homegrown rapper/vocalist Anastasia. Festivities will conclude with spoken word offerings by Ebony Stewart, Faylita Hicks, Stephanie Lang, KB, and Joe Brundidge.
An online raffle and auction will be hosted by Six Square’s Executive Director, Pamela Benson Owens, with a portion of the proceeds going to support Greater East Austin Youth Association, which has been organizing the City’s annual Juneteenth festivities for decades. |
| | | Free COVID-19 Testing for Frontline Workers – June 20
Lourdes Zuniga, District 10 Hispanic Quality of Life Commissioner and Executive Director of Financial Literacy Coalition of Central Texas (FLCCT) is collaborating with the U.S. Hispanic Contractor’s Association (USHCA) and the Austin Latino Coalition (ALC) to host a free COVID-19 testing event to support frontline workers. In addition to free testing, the frontline workers will receive financial assistance and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) including masks and supplies.
Saturday, June 20, 2020 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sacred Heart Catholic Church 5909 Reicher Drive
If you know any frontline workers, especially construction workers, who need testing, please share this event with them. |
| | | | |
