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 Friday night.
Here are a few of the highlights:
- Nirenberg reported 1,477 COVID-19 cases and 48 deaths in Bexar County, as of Friday, which was the largest daily jump in cases since officials started tracking cases. Of those 103 new cases, 91 were from the Bexar County Jail.
- City officials also reported that 638 patients have recovered from COVID-19 so far. Sixty patients are hospitalized, 42 are in the intensive care unit and 21 are on ventilators.
- Judge Wolff said he anticipates the numbers of COVID-19 cases at the Bexar County Jail to increase as more tests are conducted. The inmates that do test positive are separated from others out of caution to contain the virus. As of Friday, 91 more cases were confirmed at the jail, totaling 157 total cases. Of those cases, 10 have recovered so far and 122 are at the jail. Wolff said some are being treated in the hospital.
- The Texas National Guard is deploying 50 teams to assist in increasing COVID-19 testing across the state. Six were deployed to San Antonio and there will be a testing site operating at the Frank Garrett Multi Service Center Saturday, Sunday and Tuesday next week, according to Mayor Nirenberg. Some soldiers may also be assisting in testing at the jail in the coming weeks.
- Judge Wolff said the death of a longtime Bexar County jailer that was announced Thursday is most likely related to COVID-19. Deputy Timothy De La Fuente, 53, was found dead Thursday morning and had tested positive for the virus. More details surrounding his death have not been released as of yet.
- City officials said they’ve received inquiries about the reopening of flea markets. However, they said unlike restaurants, movie theaters or other businesses that have been given the all-clear by Governor Greg Abbott, flea markets are not covered under the orders. Assistant City Attorney Elizabeth Provencio said outdoor gatherings are discouraged and it likely won’t be until phase 3 of reopening the state that flea markets will be permitted.
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.
Read Bexar County’s updated executive order below. Newsletter recipients: Click here to read the order.
Read San Antonio’s updated executive order below. Newsletter recipients: Click here to read the order.
MORE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE FROM KSAT: