SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg, Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff and Assistant City Manager Dr. Colleen Bridger updated the community about the local response to COVID-19 in their briefing Monday night.
Nirenberg reported that Bexar County has recorded its lowest COVID-19 positivity rate ever, at 1.9%, which is the lowest in the state of Texas.
The mayor also reported 216,339 total COVID-19 cases and 3,350 total deaths in Bexar County, an increase of 233 new cases since Sunday. No new deaths were reported today.
The 7-day rolling average is 246.
City officials also reported that 262 patients are hospitalized, 80 are in the intensive care unit and 50 are on ventilators. There are 12% of staffed beds available and 74% of ventilators available.
Nirenberg said 55% of the eligible population had received at least one dose of the vaccine, and 36% of those eligible are fully vaccinated. The mayor is urging residents who haven’t gotten vaccinated to consider doing so, especially since it’s so easy these days to get one without an appointment. He said that anyone over the age of 16 can drive up to the Alamodome vaccination site between noon and 5 p.m. and receive a COVID-19 vaccine without an appointment.
Wolff said officials are looking at different strategies to make it easy for residents to get vaccinated, including setting up smaller venues.
Bridger was asked what advice would she have for residents who are afraid to get the Johnson & Johnson vaccine now that it’s available again after federal officials recommended a paused of administering it due to to six cases of thrombosis and low platelet counts within two weeks after receiving the vaccine.
She said that the J&J vaccine is “incredibly safe” and added that her son received it and is doing fine. Bridger also said most healthcare providers have a second vaccine option should the resident not want the J&J vaccine.
Watch the entire briefing in the video player above to hear more from city and county leaders, or click here if you are reading KSAT’s coronavirus newsletter.
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