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Distribution of the new COVID-19 vaccines began nearly two weeks ago and the effort continues—the Austin Fire Department, Police Department and long-term care facilities started receiving the vaccines as of today.
According to Austin-Travis County Interim Health Authority Dr. Mark Escott, Austin is still moving steadily through Phase 1A of distribution and reaching those who are at most risk first.
AFD vaccinated more than 300 employees today, using the Moderna vaccine, a start to the 1,300 doses that have been scheduled for this week.
Today, 300+ AFD personnel are receiving the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, with many others slated to get it this week a… https://t.co/wQKiHoh81d— Austin Fire Dept (@Austin Fire Dept)1609188531.0
CVS and Walgreens pharmacies partnered with the federal government earlier this year, opting to administer the vaccines to long-term care facilities, which are at the bottom of the list for Phase 1A.
Distribution officially started Monday and CVS plans to vaccinate 275,000 staff and residents at 2,000 facilities over the next 12 weeks in Texas. See the full list of facilities here.
Once all the Phase 1A groups have received a sufficient amount of doses, distribution will move to Phase 1B, which will extend the groups in 1A and prioritize people 65 years or older, and those under 16 who are at extreme risk.
However, Phase 1B might be a ways out. Distribution to long-term care facilities is slated to take up the next three months. So far, Travis County has administered 6,940 total vaccines.
On the bright side, the ball is rolling. In a press conference today, Escott said he expects to see more widespread public distribution begin around March or April.
"As we start to increase the percentage of individuals over the age of 65 and those who have underlying health conditions, the threat of COVID-19 in the spring starts to diminish very quickly," Escott said.
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Austin FC couldn't find the stamina to fight off a 2-0 loss against LAFC for their inaugural match on Saturday.
The match, which saw No. 21 Austin FC go head-to-head with No. 2 LAFC in Los Angeles, was broadcast nationally on FOX and FOX Deportes.
Salute the support. 👏
It's only the beginning for @AustinFC. pic.twitter.com/TduorqYr2y
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) April 18, 2021
Eleven players took the stage as Austin FC players for the first time, with five starters making their MLS debut. "Ringleader" Alex Ring took the captain's armband and wore it well. The defensive midfielder could be seen leading his teammates through their first ever match, but it wasn't enough to stage an Austin takeover in LA.
In the signature style of Head Coach Josh Wolff, the team played with quickness and intensity, nearly connecting on several fast breaks. It was harder for them to stay in front, however, something that Wolff credits with quick decision making and a tough LAFC defense.
"We have a quick attacking team, but I think when you make quick attacks and it fizzles it's just about some decision making," Wolff said. "Are we in position to finish attacks? If not, can we reestablish our attack and get stuff better?"
The club was given some generous breaks from No. 2 LAFC, who had one or both of their star DPs out for the half. While forward Diego Rossi is out for the entire match due to a hamstring injury, Carlos Vela was accidentally pulled too soon on what turned out to be a miscommunication.
"He gave us the sign that he needed to come off," LAFC Head Coach Bob Bradley said on broadcast. "I can't say more than maybe it's my fault."
LA pulled some dramatics and slowly gained more possession throughout the half, but ATXFC's defense wasn't initially as shaky as it seemed in preseason. Jhohan Romana has pulled his weight in getting the ball out of goal, and a 34-year old Matt Besler held his own in center back.
As the second half commenced, however, it became clear that LAFC had the advantage over Austin's first major league team.
Goalkeeper Brad Stuver had his work cut out for him, fending off 24 shot attempts, 11 of which were on goal. He didn't have much time to prepare, either: in the first 30 seconds of play, Stuver had already made a save to keep the match 0-0.
LAFC finally connected in the 61st minute of play as Corey Baird shot one into the bottom right corner. The team capitalized off their momentum and put one past Stuver a second time, drawing roars of approval from the LAFC crowd.
While some last-minute attempts from Jon Gallagher and others were made, Austin FC didn't have the endurance to bring a tie. After seven additional minutes of stoppage time, the club lost their first match 2-0.
While the scoreboard tells one story, Wolff said that the team did well considering the skill of LAFC and the pressure of their club debut.
"We've got to be realistic," Wolff said. "This is the first time this organization has been in front of TV with an opportunity to show itself and I think there were some promising moments. And we're going to maximize those and continue to try to develop those, but there's lots to build on."
The team may have lost, but it still won the support of thousands of Verde fans, dozens of which made it to watch their team's first match. When Stuver and the team made it to bthe stadium, Los Verdes fans were already there to show support, and Stuver said his wife saw the same back in Austin.
"The moment that we pulled into the stadium, we saw Black and Verde fans cheering us on as we got to the stadium," Stuver said. "During warm up, you can just look around and see different groups sitting in different sections of the stadium and it's just truly amazing to see the support in our first game. We know that we want to give the fans everything, because this we play for the city and we play for them."