SAN ANTONIO – The highest number of COVID-19 cases in a single day in San Antonio and Bexar County was reported on Sunday.
Officials announced 2,202 more COVID-19 cases and six additional deaths in the area. This brings the total case count to 30,835 and the death toll to 257.
Recommended Videos
According to a Facebook post from Mayor Ron Nirenberg, he said the spike in cases is likely from the Fourth of July weekend.
“It’s clear that our community didn’t take the Fourth of July weekend as seriously as we’d hoped. COVID-19 isn’t going away anytime soon, especially if we don’t heed the warnings from our health officials,” Nirenberg said.
With a sharp spike in identified cases over the last few days, it's clear that our community didn't take the Fourth of...
Posted by Mayor Ron Nirenberg on Sunday, July 19, 2020
As of Sunday, there are 1,199 COVID-19 positive patients in area hospitals, with 431 patients in the ICU and 299 on ventilators. According to city officials, 390 staffed hospital beds are available, or 10%, and 378 ventilators, or 48%.
The numbers of recovered COVID-19 patients will be updated on Monday, according to Nirenberg. As of Friday, 10,284 recoveries were reported.
Although more than 1,100 new COVID-19 cases were confirmed in San Antonio and Bexar County on Saturday, Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff said in an interview with KSAT that he is against shutting down the city.
If the upward trend of COVID-19 cases and deaths continues, Wolff said he would opt to tighten the restrictions currently in place.
“I would not shut down the city, but I would take all those 13 exceptions to mass gatherings and eliminate a lot of those exceptions. You know, run the gamut of sports fans, of church services; a number of different other gatherings that are taking place,” Wolff said.
Also on Sunday, Governor Greg Abbott deployed five U.S. Navy teams to areas in South and Southwest Texas to aid in the state’s response against the virus.
According to the governor’s office, beginning Sunday, July 19, one U.S. Navy Acute Care Team will provide support at the Valley Baptist Medical Center in Harlingen and four U.S. Navy Rural Rapid Response Teams will support hospitals in Del Rio, Eagle Pass, and Rio Grande City.
The five teams will include medical and support professionals that will assist with medical needs in hospitals throughout the state.
Read also:
Gov. Abbott deploys five US Navy teams to South, Southwest Texas to help combat COVID-19
Military personnel offering COVID-19 help to medical professionals in San Antonio, around state