Bexar County adds temperature screening for staff, visitors

Admittance to all county facilities, including courthouse, affected if person has temperature topping 100

SAN ANTONIO – Signs posted at the entrance to the Bexar County Courthouse, the Cadena-Reeves Justice Center and other county facilities Tuesday were another indicator that local leaders are taking the COVID-19 pandemic extremely seriously.

The signs explain that visitors and county staff will not be allowed into the building if they have a temperature of 100 degrees or higher and have flu-like symptoms.

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If the person does have high fever of flu-like symptoms, they will not be allowed to return for 72 hours and will need a doctor’s letter before admittance is granted.

In early March, Misdemeanor Court Administrative Judge John Longoria suggested the move.

“If they had a gun we’d be making sure they didn’t come in with it,” Longoria said. “If they’ve got a fever, why not make sure they don’t come in.”

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COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the new virus, stands for coronavirus disease 2019. The disease first appeared in late 2019 in Wuhan, China, but spread around the world in early 2020, causing the World Health Organization to declare a pandemic in March.

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About the Authors:

Paul Venema is a courthouse reporter for KSAT with more than 25 years experience in the role.

Sal Salazar is a photojournalist at KSAT 12. Before coming to KSAT in 1998, he worked at the Fox affiliate in San Antonio. Sal started off his career back in 1995 for the ABC Affiliate in Lubbock and has covered many high-profile news events since. In his free time, he enjoys spending time at home, gaming and loves traveling with his wife.