SAN ANTONIO – On Tuesday, Bexar County officials announced the discovery of 854 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total case count to 21,067.
Six deaths were also confirmed Tuesday. Since the start of the pandemic, 201 San Antonio residents have lost their lives due to the virus.
Recommended Videos
The virus’ toll continues to strain hospital resources, but the numbers were a little lower than the prior day.
San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg said hospitals are caring for 1,237, down from 1,267 on Monday. In the intensive care unit, 417 COVID-19 patients were counted, down from 421 on Monday. Nirenberg said 260 patients are using a ventilator.
Hospital capacity slightly increased, showing 11% of hospital beds and 44% of ventilators are available.
The novel coronavirus surge in Texas has not leveled off since cases began spreading rapidly in June, leading to concern over how schools can safely reopen.
The numbers led San Antonio Independent School District Superintendent Pedro Martinez to announce on Monday that schools will delay a return to in-person instruction for the first three weeks.
SAISD moving to online-only for first 3 weeks due to spike in COVID-19 cases, superintendent says
Instead, students will have an online-only model for the first three weeks. The soonest students will physically return to school is after Labor Day.
Martinez also announced the district’s start date will be pushed from Aug. 10 to Aug. 17, pending board approval on Monday.
“We will not allow our children to fall behind or have gaps,” he said. “We don’t want children jumping from one to the other but we will allow change every 9 weeks.”