ProLodge guest Genero Robles in his room (Photo by Jana Birchum)
When Alejandro Hernandez moved into the motel room provided for him this summer, he was relieved to no longer worry about getting run over by a car while sleeping. Before being admitted to Protective Lodging, at one of the five properties bought or leased by the city to protect unhoused Austinites from COVID-19, Hernandez had been living under I-35 at 38th½ Street for the last six years. You ve got to be careful out there, Hernandez told us in the hallway of his ProLodge, while awaiting an appointment with the CommUnityCare street medicine team. You ve got to always watch for cars, because if you roll into the street, you might get run over.
PRESS RELEASE
AUSTIN, TX Earlier last week, the first round of COVID-19 vaccines arrived in Austin-Travis County, through direct shipments to area healthcare facilities.
As part of the 1a vaccine distribution group as designated by the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS), Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services (ATCEMS) expected shipments of vaccinations for their front-line EMTs and paramedics to arrive in late December, with the goal of rolling out the vaccine to their personnel before the year’s end.
Thanks to Dell Medical School at the University of Texas, some Austin paramedics and EMTs have received their vaccines even sooner than expected.