SAN ANTONIO – Editor’s Note: Watch the entire briefing in the video player above. Newsletter recipients can click here to access the video.
San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg and Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff updated the community about the local response to COVID-19 in their daily briefing Tuesday night.
Here are a few of the highlights:
- Nirenberg reported 3,513 COVID-19 cases and 80 total deaths in Bexar County, as of Tuesday. Seventeen cases are from the community, one is from the Bexar County Jail, two are from congregate settings and 160 are under investigation. Two new deaths were reported today.
- City officials also reported that 107 patients are hospitalized, 43 are in the intensive care unit and 24 are on ventilators.
- Nirenberg said the city’s progress and warning indicators are trending positively. Click here to see the latest results of those indicators.
- Dr. Dawn Emerick, director of the Metropolitan Health District, said despite the World Health Organization’s announcement on asymptomatic patients, the city’s health authority has not changed its position on those types of patients. She said Metro Health’s asymptomatic study will continue to help make a determination of the prevalence of these cases in the area.
- Wolff said the county has $6.5 million in funds to help small business owners affected by the pandemic. He said 306 small businesses have applied for assistance, and those needing help can seek assistance through LiftFund.
- Wolff said the county received a call regarding using the AT&T Center for the Republican National Convention. He said he thought it was a “terrible idea."
- “There’s two reasons. One is that the president doesn’t want to comply with local health regulations. We’ve seen that in North Carolina since he’s not going there anymore because he can’t handle 20,000 people chatting it up. And then, just walk down Houston Street if that’s not enough to give you a reason why we shouldn’t do it. At least 20 or 30 places are boarded up because of the violence that occurred with his striking rhetoric about ‘police need to get tough with them.’ I mean, we could have a serious problem here with riots,” Wolff said.
- Administrative Judge Ron Rangel joined the local leaders today to talk about the plan to reopen county courts by June 15. He said plans are in place to screen those who enter the courthouse for fever and other COVID-19 symptoms.
- Rangel said there will be provisions for people who are most at risk. He said there is also hand sanitizing stations throughout the courthouse, and plexiglass has been installed in courtrooms. Signs will be posted in English and Spanish throughout the building to let people know about the new guidelines.
- Rangel said there will still be a push for remote hearings. However, judges will alternate courts on separate floors.
- Rangel said the plan will be reevaluated in a few weeks. He said he’s not sure when juries will return to the courthouse.
Coronavirus data: San Antonio cases stabilizing, but officials urge vigilance to avoid second wave
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