SAN ANTONIO – Editor’s Note: Newsletter recipients can click here to access the video of the daily briefing.
San Antonio and Bexar County leaders announced a new record of 1,334 coronavirus cases in a single day during the daily press briefing on Friday.
With these new numbers, this totals 14,212 COVID-19 cases in the community. Two more deaths were also announced by city leaders, and the death toll is now at 117.
San Antonio hospitals are still filling up fast as COVID-19 cases are continuing to surge in the area. Over half of the cases are patients under 40 years of age.
Hospitalizations are still seeing a rapid increase in COVID-19 patients, and there are currently 1,089 patients in the hospital, according to city leaders. There are 345 patients in the ICU and 192 patients on ventilators.
With these current numbers, San Antonio hospitals now have 14% of staffed beds available and around 177 additional nurses from other cities in Texas have arrived to help in the COVID-19 response.
The rapid spread of the disease has led to new local actions, as Gov. Greg Abbott issued an executive order requiring face masks in Texas counties with more than 20 coronavirus cases. The order went into effect beginning at noon on Friday, July 3 and an emergency alert was sent to all residents, reminding them of the new order.
Nirenberg and Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff have also closed all city and county parks in the wake of the July 4th holiday weekend to help contain the spread of the virus among residents.
“You’re going to save a lot of jobs” by following guidelines and making sure to wear a mask, Wolff said Friday.