SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg called out protesters who rallied against stay at home orders on Saturday.
“What’s going outside in these protests is pure ignorance,” Nirenberg said.
During his daily briefing, the mayor reminded San Antonio residents that it’s important to follow the protocols that have been put in place for their safety.
“These emergency orders are emergency orders. This goes away when we get this under control," he said.
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The mayor said his Public Health Transition Team has been developing new protocols aimed at helping city leaders ease back into everyday life.
“I would say that their work is absolutely critical and foundational to our next steps,” said the mayor.
Dr. Cherise Rohr-Allegrini is a local epidemiologist and has studied infectious diseases. She said it is important to remember that life will not return to normal once San Antonio reaches its peak in COVID-19 cases.
“We’re going to have to stick with the physical distancing as much as possible because we are going to see another peak if we’re not careful,” she said.
Rohr-Allegrini said that could mean businesses will keep their current guidelines in place a little longer.
“We’re going to have to be careful for a very long time,” she said.
The mayor said the city will not make any moves to open prematurely and health and safety will remain the top priority.
“I’ll tell you as mayor, I will do everything within my authority to protect the lives of our residents,” Nirenberg said.