U.S. canโt quickly expel migrants under pandemic-era health rule, federal judge says
Title 42 was invoked early in the pandemic by the Trump administration and continued under President Joe Biden. Since then, immigration officials have used it more than 2 million times to turn away asylum-seekers at the border.
San Antonio school districts lay out COVID-19 policies as cases continue to surge
Seven of the cityโs 16 school districts, including three of the cityโs largest, have laid out the COVID-19 policies each has in effect as students, teachers, and staff whoโd fallen ill prepare to return to campus.
UT Health San Antonio doctor says data shows Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for kids is safe, effective
With the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorizing the emergency use of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5-11, in Texas, that could mean up to 2.9 million children are eligible for the vaccine.
CDCโs urgent warning confirms San Antonio doctorsโ concern for unvaccinated pregnant women
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is pushing even harder for unvaccinated pregnant women to get their COVID-19 shot due to the severe health risks the delta variant may impose on them and their unborn children.
CDC to give San Antonio Metro Health $27 million to address inequalities exacerbated by COVID-19
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has given more than $190 million total to the state health department and Texas jurisdictions to address health and economic inequalities that have been amplified during the coronavirus pandemic.
The Latest: Variant 1st seen in UK now dominant in LA County
Health officials say the most common COVID-19 variant of concern circulating in Los Angeles County is now a variant that was discovered in the U.K. Previously, two California variants were dominant, but in the past week 53% of 40 specimens analyzed by a public health laboratory were the U.K. variant and none were California variants.
Face masks are still required at San Antonio International Airport, regardless of vaccination status, officials say
Although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has eased mask-wearing guidance for fully vaccinated people, the San Antonio International Airport is still enforcing its mask mandate through most of the year, according to local officials.
KSAT Q&A: Dr. Berggren discusses teen vaccinations, when you should still keep your mask handy
Dr. Ruth Berggren, of the Long School of Medicine at UT Health San Antonio, joins KSAT Q&A to discuss teens receiving their COVID-19 vaccine and when you should still keep your mask handy despite new CDC guidelines.
Health care providers in San Antonio halt Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine after clot reports
The City of San Antonio has announced that local vaccine providers will stop administering the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine after the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control recommended to pause inoculations due to blood clots.
CDC director has feeling of โimpending doomโ amid new spike
The head of the CDC said she had a feeling of โimpending doomโ if people keep easing off. "But right now, Iโm scared.โโIโm going to lose the script, and Iโm going to reflect on the recurring feeling I have of impending doom." Walensky pointed to an uptick in travel and loosening virus restrictions for the increase in cases. โWe do know that there is a segment of the population that is concerned that the government will play too heavy-handed of a role in monitoring their vaccinations," said White House COVID-19 adviser Andy Slavitt. AdThe administration, instead, is developing guidelines for such passports, touching on privacy, accuracy and equity, but the White House has not said when those guidelines will be ready.
When can you travel after getting a COVID-19 vaccine?
But for those who are waiting to get a COVID-19 vaccine, when is a good time to take that trip to paradise? Millions of people have been vaccinated in the United States, but there is still a long way to go until a majority of the country is fully vaccinated. The CDC still recommends that travel should only be something you do if itโs absolutely necessary, especially if you are not fully vaccinated. Now the question remains: What should you do once you are fully vaccinated? If youโre fully vaccinated and decide to travel, the CDC recommends you take all of the same steps to protect yourself from COVID-19 that an unvaccinated person would.
Coronavirus update San Antonio, March 23: Leaders report 133 new COVID-19 cases, 2 new deaths
SAN ANTONIO โ San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg and Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff updated the community about the local response to COVID-19 in the daily briefing Tuesday night. Nirenberg reported 202,849 total COVID-19 cases and 3,073 total deaths in Bexar County, an increase of 133 new cases as of Tuesday. Nirenberg said 421,411 people have received their first COVID-19 vaccine dose, and 233,463 are fully vaccinated in Bexar County. The mayor said all of Metro Healthโs school directives are rescinded as of Tuesday after the CDC updated its guidelines. AdNirenberg says the state will allow all adults to be able to get a COVID-19 vaccine starting Monday.
Texas BioMed CEO reflects on its crucial role in vaccine development
The vaccines had to first undergo clinical trials using volunteers, but to do so safely, pharmaceutical companies like Pfizer asked Texas BioMed for its help. However, Schlesinger said the work at Texas BioMed isnโt over. โWeโre understanding how our animal models perform with regard to the variants,โ he said. Schlesinger said itโs also identifying and validating animal models that are essential for testing new therapies and more vaccines. AdTexas BioMed is working with up to 30 companies performing clinical studies and validations recognized by the FDA, Schlesinger said.
Things to Know: US COVID-19 death toll tops 500,000
(AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez)Hereโs whatโs happening Monday with the coronavirus pandemic in the U.S.:THREE THINGS TO KNOW TODAY:โ The U.S. death toll from COVID-19 has topped 500,000. Experts warn that over 90,000 more deaths are likely in the coming months, despite the vaccination campaign. โ A new study finds that teachers may be more important drivers of COVID-19 transmission in schools than students. The CDC advises schools to cut down on teacher-to-teacher meetings, ensure that masks are worn correctly and increase physical distancing. Blacks make up a little under half of the districtโs population but constitute nearly three-fourths of the COVID-19 deaths.
CDC study: Teachers key to COVID-19 infections in 1 district
(AP Photo/Susan Walsh)ATLANTA โ A new study finds that teachers may be more important drivers of COVID-19 transmission in schools than students. Two clusters saw teachers infect each other during in-person meetings or lunches, with a teacher then infecting other students. AdโEducators played an important role in the spread," CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky told reporters in an online briefing Monday. In some American districts, schools have had to go all-virtual because so many teachers have been exposed to the virus. AdThe Marietta district has also continued extensive virus testing after the study ended, Rivera said.
One year later: Mayor Nirenberg, Judge Wolff reflect on anniversary of evacuees arriving in San Antonio
SAN ANTONIO โ Itโs an anniversary that wonโt soon be forgotten for San Antonio and Bexar County. That is the day the first group of evacuees was flown into San Antonio by the military in an effort to quarantine those who were living in the epicenter of the novel coronavirus. Mayor Ron Nirenberg said he remembers where he was when he first got the news. The fear that the coronavirus would eventually put us all at risk was realized weeks later, when the quarantine broke. Managing what the public needed to know was confusing with conflicting laws, dueling news conferences, and social media panics.
Anniversary marks day American evacuees from Wuhan, China arrived at JBSA- Lackland
SAN ANTONIO โ Editorโs note: This story is a look back at some of the biggest developments of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Air Force via AP, File)One of the evacuees later became the first official COVID-19 patient in San Antonio and Texas. The first San Antonio infection increased the nationโs COVID-19 case count to 15, but no deaths were reported at the time. All were eventually medically cleared and on March 25, the last of the evacuees left San Antonio. AdThis Feb. 2, 2020, photo provided by the Department of Defense shows empty lodging facilities at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas.
Coronavirus update San Antonio, Feb. 5: Leaders report 1,724 new COVID-19 cases, 11 new deaths
SAN ANTONIO โ 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 Friday night. Nirenberg reported 180,386 total COVID-19 cases and 2,197 total deaths in Bexar County, an increase of 1,724 new cases as of Friday. Eleven new deaths were reported today. Nirenberg said he amended the cityโs emergency order to align with the CDCโs guidance, which will require masks in all areas of the San Antonio International Airport. Watch the entire briefing in the video player above to hear more from city and county leaders.
Metro Health: Contact sports should be avoided to help prevent spread of COVID-19
SAN ANTONIO โ Bexar County Health Authority Dr. Junda Woo on Tuesday issued a fourth amendment to the current health directive related to school systems in Bexar County, which remain in the Red Zone. The revised health directive now allows for virtual or hybrid learning in the Red Zone, but stresses the importance of restricting other gatherings when community COVID-19 levels are high. AdHere are some of the latest recommendations in the amended health directive:Contact sports should be deferred. Additionally, staff should wear eye protection when working indoors and within 6 feet of students who are unable to wear masks. In the event of Stay Home, Work Safe or similar orders, in-person learning will cease for the duration of the orders.
Is it time to double up on face masks to help fight COVID-19 variants?
AdDr. Berggren said in an interview with KSAT 12 that two face masks may not be necessary. โI donโt think double masking is the answer โ itโs the 3Ws,โ Dr. Berggren said. What kind of face mask should I be using? With these new virus variants, you may be asking yourself just how safe the face masks youโve been using over the last year actually are. โWe know that theyโve been found in Houston, and we believe that theyโre here,โ Dr. Berggren said.
Coronavirus deaths rising in 30 US states amid winter surge
FILE - In this Jan. 12, 2021 photo provided by the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner, National Guard members assisting with processing COVID-19 deaths, placing them into temporary storage at the medical examiner-coroner's office in Los Angeles. (Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner via AP, File)NEW YORK โ Coronavirus deaths are rising in nearly two-thirds of American states as a winter surge pushes the overall toll toward 400,000 amid warnings that a new, highly contagious variant is taking hold. While the variant does not cause more severe illness, it can cause more hospitalizations and deaths simply because it spreads more easily. Although the state last week said anyone age 65 and older can start receiving the vaccine, Los Angeles County and some others have said they donโt have enough to immunize so many people. The death rate from COVID-19 in Los Angeles County โ an epicenter of the U.S. pandemic โ works out to about one person every six minutes.