SAN ANTONIO – Editor’s Note: Watch the entire briefing in the video player above. Newsletter recipients can click here to access the video.
San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg and Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff updated the community about the local response to COVID-19 in their daily briefing Sunday night.
Here are a few of the highlights:
- Mayor Nirenberg reported 1,231 COVID-19 cases and no additional deaths in Bexar County, as of Sunday. City officials also announced that 42% of the COVID-19 patients have recovered so far. There are 58 patients hospitalized, 33 patients in intensive care and 17 patients on ventilators.
- The COVID-19 outbreak continues at the Bexar County Jail. Judge Wolff said the jail now has 59 inmates with COVID-19 so far. A total of 10 inmates have recovered and five are hospitalized. The judge also said the jail is in need of more face masks and as of Sunday, they have around 39,000. The case numbers in the jail are expected to increase as more tests are conducted.
- Bexar County’s hospital capacity is in good standing, according to city officials. Judge Wolff said the hospitals are down by almost 58% of treating COVID-19 patients, as of Saturday.
- Mayor Nirenberg says he believes the city will likely have to extend executive orders, even after Governor Abbott’s announcement on Monday on how to best reopen the state of Texas.
- Fiesta is scheduled for November 5 - 15; however, Mayor Nirenberg said he isn’t certain that the celebration will go on as scheduled during that time due to the pandemic. The virus isn’t finished yet and Nirenberg said it’s still unclear what the next couple of months will look like for the city and for residents.
- City officials said they’ve seen more residents out and about in public. Residents are reminded to not leave their homes unless for an essential activity and to continue social distancing and wearing face coverings when out in public.
- Governor Abbott will make an announcement Monday on how he plans to reopen the state of Texas. Mayor Nirenberg said he is cautious about what may be heard from the governor but will approach the idea of reopening the city carefully, guided by medical professionals.
COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the new virus, stands for coronavirus disease 2019. The disease first appeared in late December 2019 in Wuhan, China, but spread around the world in early 2020, causing the World Health Organization to declare a pandemic in March. The first case confirmed in the U.S. was in mid-January and the first case confirmed in San Antonio was in mid-February.
ADDENDUM TO STAY HOME, WORK SAFE ORDER (Newsletter subscribers, click here to view.)
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