SAN ANTONIO – Under Gov. Abbott’s order, some Bexar County businesses are now able to increase their occupancy to 75% after coronavirus cases and hospitalizations have continued to decrease over the last week.
Mayor Ron Nirenberg announced in Friday’s coronavirus briefing that area hospitals have dropped under 15% of total COVID-19 hospitalization rates for seven consecutive days.
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As of Friday, numbers show 696 COVID-19 hospitalizations, 253 patients in the ICU and 142 on ventilators. The city of San Antonio has 8% of available beds and 61% of available ventilators.
“We are grateful to see our hospitalization numbers decreasing but also want to remind the public that we still have to keep taking preventive measures to decrease the spread of COVID-19. The virus is still in our community and we must continue to stay vigilant and keep our most vulnerable safe,” said Dr. Colleen Bridger, assistant city manager.
Under Abbott’s most current COVID-19 order, an area of “low hospitalization” would mean any Trauma Service Area that has had seven consecutive days in which the number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients is under 15%.
Below are the businesses that can operate at 75% in Bexar County:
- Restaurants
- Gyms
- Retail establishments, including vape stores and hobby stores
- Amusement parks
- Water parks
- Swimming pools
- Museums
- Libraries
- Zoos, aquariums, natural caverns, and similar facilities
- Indoor and outdoor professional, collegiate, and similar sporting events
Businesses not affected by new occupancy limits and continuing to operate at 100%:
- Religious services
- CISA services (including grocery stores, pharmacies, convenience stores, pet stores, Walmart/Target Superstores, gun stores, shooting ranges)
- Local government operations
- Child-care services
- Youth camps
- Recreational sports (youth and adult)
- Any public or private schools
- Drive-in concerts or movies
With 6 feet between work stations:
- Cosmetology salons, hair salons, barber shops
- Nail salons
- Massage establishments or other facility where licensed massage therapists practice
- Other personal care or beauty services such as tanning salons, tattoo studios, piercing studios, hair removal studios, and hair loss treatment or growth services
Elective surgeries no longer need to be postponed either, according to Gov. Abbott’s order, as San Antonio and Bexar County “is no longer considered an area with high hospitalizations.”
For more information, visit the city’s website at covid19.sanantonio.gov.