San Antonio VA confirms highest number of COVID-19 patients in the VA health care system

Hospital urges public to practice safety protocols

SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio veterans hospital has confirmed it has admitted 18 patients with COVID-19 as of Friday, according to the VA.

Officials said Friday that the South Texas Veterans Health Care System has reported the highest number of COVID-19 patients in the VA Health Care System.

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The 18 coronavirus inpatients in the Audie L. Murphy Memorial Veterans Hospital are in stable condition, officials said.

“Within the last week we’ve seen an increase of patients being treated for COVID-19,” Christopher R. Sandles, director and CEO for the South Texas Veterans Health Care System, said in a news release. “The safety of Veterans and staff is our highest priority.”

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He urged the public to continue taking safety precautions to help stop the spread of the virus. This week, the number of San Antonio and Texas cases have risen dramatically, causing Bexar County to implement a new face mask requirement for businesses.

The South Texas Veterans Health Care System states anyone who enters one of their facilities must wear a face mask and should expect to be pre-screened.

A temporary “no visitor” policy remains in place at certain facilities but exceptions are made in certain instances.

The VA says veterans who believe have symptoms of the flu, COVID-19 or cold should call 877-537-7348 before heading to the hospital.

For more information, click here.

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About the Author

Rebecca Salinas is an award-winning digital journalist who joined KSAT in 2019. She reports on a variety of topics for KSAT 12 News.

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