Coronavirus update San Antonio, Aug. 13: 218 new COVID-19 cases confirmed in Bexar County

SAN ANTONIO – Editor’s Note: Watch the entire briefing in the video player above. Newsletter recipients can click here to access the video.

On Thursday, local officials confirmed 218 new COVID-19 cases in Bexar County.

The additional cases bring Bexar County’s cumulative total to 43,673. The seven-day average of new cases continues to drop, San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg said, with the average now at 243 cases per day.

“We’re pleased with the slow decline there,” Nirenberg said.

But 15 more COVID-19 deaths were confirmed Thursday, bringing the death toll to 560. The new deaths were investigated between June 19 and Aug. 10.

Officials reported 695 Bexar County residents are hospitalized due to COVID-19, down from 710 on Wednesday. Of those patients, 311 are in the intensive care unit and 213 patients are on ventilators.

As of Wednesday, 16% of staffed hospital beds and 51% of ventilators are available in Bexar County. Hospitals remain under “high” stress.

Nirenberg said the city is planning on closing parks for the Labor Day weekend and will coordinate with the county’s order on closures.

Read also:

• ‘COVID-19 really can’t stop love’: San Antonio ECMO patient weds fiancé while battling virus at Methodist Hospital
• Texas Gov. Abbott says record-high COVID-19 positivity rate may be due to decreased demand in testing
• One of the state’s COVID-19 recovery clinics is now in San Antonio