Coronavirus update San Antonio, July 28: Local officials say TEA, attorney general sending mixed messages to schools on reopening

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 37,984 total COVID-19 cases and 335 total deaths in Bexar County, as of Tuesday, an increase of 1,546 new cases. Twelve new deaths were reported today.
• City officials also reported that 1,045 patients are hospitalized, 413 are in the intensive care unit and 283 are on ventilators. There are 12% of staffed beds available and 45% of ventilators available.
• Nirenberg said the city will provide a seven-day rolling average on case numbers during Wednesday’s briefing.
• The city updated its Sg2 model, which shows projected hospitalizations. Nirenberg said hospitalizations have plateaued. See the updated model below:

• Nirenberg said the local health directive on schools still applies despite the mixed messages coming from the Texas Education Agency and Attorney General Ken Paxton.
• Andy Segovia, attorney for the City of San Antonio, said the letter issued by Paxton is guidance and does not apply to law and is not binding on the city or county. He said the local health directive was issued under the authority of a mandate issued by Gov. Greg Abbott in March.

WATCH: Schools getting mixed messages on reopening, San Antonio officials say

• Segovia said the city expects voluntary compliance from all local schools, but added “we will enforce the order if we need to.”
• Segovia said the city reached out to some local religious schools to discuss the health directive, but they were hit with a lawsuit before being able to get with officials from Cornerstone Church.
• Segovia said the city had been working with the TEA on providing guidance for school districts that had campuses in more than one county. The TEA changed its message after meeting with city officials, he said.
• Dr. Junda Woo, medical director of the Metropolitan Health District, said a new school safety indicator will be on the city’s website next week.

Track daily spikes in COVID-19 cases in San Antonio, Bexar County

MORE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE FROM KSAT:

• Track coronavirus cases by ZIP, age in San Antonio with interactive map
• Resources from World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, City of San Antonio