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 announced 291 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday.
The additional cases bring Bexar County’s cumulative total to 43,455. The seven-day average of new cases is now at 259 cases per day.
Nirenberg also confirmed 26 new COVID-19 deaths, bringing the death toll to 545. The new deaths were investigated between June 12 and Aug. 11. The mayor said 261 deaths remain under investigation.
Officials reported 710 Bexar County residents are hospitalized due to COVID-19, down from 720 on Tuesday. Of those patients, 309 are in the intensive care unit and 213 patients are on ventilators.
Nirenberg says while the number of hospitalizations is moving in the right direction, it is moving very slowly.
As of Wednesday, 15% of staffed hospital beds and 52% of ventilators are available in Bexar County.
The Health Care System Stress Score is now “high.”
Nirenberg said the South Texas Regional Advisory Council (STRAC) will present an updated COVID-19 model sometime this week. He said the new model will project into late September.
Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff said he issued a new county order on Wednesday to close county parks for the Labor Day weekend. He said the parks would close from 11:59 p.m. on Sept. 4 until 11:59 p.m. on Sept. 7. He said the order is similar to those issued for the Easter and July 4 holiday weekends this year to keep people safe.
Although hospitalizations have steadily improved in Texas, there is still reason to be concerned.
According to the state Department of Health Services, on Tuesday, the rolling average of positive cases over the past seven days jumped to 24%, the highest figure since the start of the pandemic.
Meanwhile, testing in Texas has dropped below 30,000 for the first time since June, which officials said may be because of a drop in demand.
New Bexar County Order: