SAN ANTONIO – District 4 is just one of several coronavirus hotspots around San Antonio.
Last month, local leaders and public health officials added more testing sites to create more accessibility given the uptick in coronavirus case numbers in the area.
Vanessa Sanchez lives in District 4 and says the spike in cases makes her worried for her loved ones.
“I’m just scared for me and my family," she said.
She brought her five children to a walk-up testing site off Southwest Military Drive and South Zarzamora Thursday afternoon. She said they were exposed to COVID-19 and her husband has shown symptoms.
Sanchez is anxious to find out if they will test positive.
“I’m just praying because my mom is positive. That’s why we came and I brought my kids," Sanchez said.
The mobile testing site is just one of several across the district. Councilwoman Adriana Rocha Garcia said since the beginning of the pandemic, her district has been a hotspot.
She said the majority of the people in her district that test positive are hispanic. The councilwoman said that many are also essential workers who are at a greater risk.
“They’re out there working on a daily basis, some of them work two or three jobs and then they come home to their family," she said.
According to Rocha Garcia, the highest case rates are younger people between the ages of 20 to 44. She believes getting the message out about testing has never been more critical.
She proposed that Metro Health develop an app that would list testing locations and wait times, in addition to other information.
The app is still in development, but the councilwoman believes testing should be accessible to everyone.
“These testing locations at different areas in the neighborhoods are at the areas that most need it. This is a direct response," she said.
Liz Ayala said people play an important role and the first step is going to get tested.
“We got to do our best on our part and just take care of what we can. We just want do our best and continue being safe,” she said.
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