SAN ANTONIO – The Metropolitan Health Department has nudged the school risk level to “low” as San Antonio’s coronavirus positivity rate dipped below 5%.
With the green level, Metro Health has indicated it is acceptable to have more students in the classroom as long as schools adhere to guidelines from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
Students and adults must maintain physical distancing, practice handwashing and use face coverings during high-contact activities, according to Metro Health.
Mayor Ron Nirenberg said the drop in positivity rate to below 5% was “long-awaited.”
“It’s now at 4.9% and our doubling rate remains at more than three months,” he said during Tuesday’s COVID-19 briefing.
He urged schools to follow CDC guidelines to reduce the risk of transmission, saying “students, staff and teachers are counting on you.”
At any risk level, schools should use outdoor space as much as possible, provide fresh face masks daily, promote frequent cleaning and have proper ventilation.
Nirenberg reported an increase of 193 new COVID-19 cases in Bexar County on Tuesday, bringing the total to 58,939 cases. One new reported fatality raised the death toll to 1,168.
The seven-day moving average daily number of cases is 126.