SAN ANTONIO – Editor’s Note: Watch the entire briefing in the video player above. Newsletter recipients can click here to access the video.
In Bexar County, 185 people tested positive for the novel coronavirus on Thursday, according to officials.
The new cases on Thursday represent a decrease from the 191 cases announced on Wednesday. The seven-day average of new cases declined to 138 a day, Mayor Ron Nirenberg said.
Bexar County has now seen a total of 44,641 cases since March.
But the virus continues to prove deadly. Nirenberg confirmed 21 new COVID-19 deaths on Thursday, bringing the local death toll to 677. The new deaths occurred between late May 24 and Monday, Nirenberg said.
A total of 532 COVID-19 hospitalizations were reported, down 14 from Wednesday. Nirenberg said 239 patients in the intensive care unit and 163 patients on ventilators. Roughly 14% of all hospital admissions in Bexar County are related to COVID-19, according to Nirenberg.
As of Thursday, 15% of staffed hospital beds and 56% of ventilators are available in Bexar County.
During Thursday’s city and county briefing, District Attorney Joe Gonzales answered questions about a letter he sent to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton about U.S. Postal Service concerns locally.
Gonzales said he is seeking an opinion from Paxton after he heard that four to six sorting machines were removed from a San Antonio post office facility. Gonzales wants to know if he can prosecute federal officials violating Texas Election Code.
The DA says some Texans are counting on mail-in voting to cast their ballots, and time is of the essence.
The AG has 180 days to respond to Gonzales’ letter. If he does not respond in a “reasonable amount of time,” Gonzales says he will have to make a legal decision without Paxton’s opinion.