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COMMISSIONERS COURT

Prescription drug costs for county inmates discussed at county meeting

The deficit is attributed to a drop in revenue from the courts, rise in gas costs, insurance costs, and the loss of funding from non-county inmates who had been housed in the county jail. Commissioners learned at Tuesday’s Commissioners Court meeting that what the county is paying in drug prescriptions for the inmates is a high amount since the cost of prescription drugs is skyrocketing across the nation. Precinct 3 Commissioner David Garza said you would think the medical services the county pays for the inmates would decrease since the county is no longer housing federal inmates. Xavier E. Villarreal, deputy county administrator, said the infirmary is having the same issue as the county’s health insurance plan. The company providing the meals to the inmates had to increase personnel to distribute the meals and added to the costs being billed to the county.

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Bexar County commissioners approve funding to aid medical examiner’s office facing increased workload

SAN ANTONIO – This week, Bexar County Commissioners Court, in a unanimous vote, approved a request for additional funding from the chief Bexar County medical examiner to deal with the exponential increase in the ME’s office’s workload. “Last year, we saw a 17% workload, and we’re used to 5%,” Dr. Kimberly Molina told commissioners. “We have six doctors handling the workload of nine.”She said, in addition to hiring part-time medical examiners, she needs additional office staff. The Medical Examiner’s Office currently has a staff of 56. Molina said the shortage of personnel could have a negative impact on the Medical Examiner’s Office’s accreditation.

Commissioner Calvert tests positive for COVID-19 days after appearing in Commissioners Court

SAN ANTONIO – Bexar County Commissioner Tommy Calvert on Monday confirmed he tested positive for COVID-19, just days after appearing at last week’s Commissioners Court meeting. Calvert said via telephone Monday he tested positive Friday and has reached out to other county leaders and staff with whom he came into contact. Calvert said a friend who visited him on Jan. 1 contacted him two days later and said she had tested positive for the virus. Jan. 14, two days after Calvert took part in the public meeting, he could no longer taste food, Calvert said via telephone. The following day Calvert took another COVID test and this time it came back positive.

Coronavirus update San Antonio, Sept. 15: Officials report 115 new COVID-19 cases, 3 new deaths

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. Nirenberg reported 50,131 total COVID-19 cases and 1,019 total deaths in Bexar County, as of Tuesday, an increase of 115 new cases. City officials also reported that 228 patients are hospitalized, 105 are in the intensive care unit and 47 are on ventilators. Dr. Colleen Bridger, interim director of the Metropolitan Health District and assistant city manager, said Bexar County is not affected by the state’s changes in COVID-19 reporting since the county independently verifies its own cases. Three more sites will open on Election Day in addition to those sites, he said.

WATCH: City Council, Commissioners Court briefed on final reports of COVID-19 community action working groups

Published: May 26, 2020, 9:25 am Updated: May 26, 2020, 12:44 pmSAN ANTONIO The San Antonio City Council and Bexar County Commissioners Court will have a joint meeting Tuesday afternoon for a COVID-19 briefing. The meeting is slated to begin at 1 p.m. and it will be livestreamed in this article, but delays are possible. Councilmembers and commissioners will discuss the final reports of the COVID-19 community action working groups. Todays meeting comes a week after the Commissioners Court approved another $1.5 million to be used for small business grants, as previously approved $5.25 million loan and grant programs had already been tapped dry. Bexar County commissioners approve $1.5M more for small business grantsThe total amount of COVID-19 cases in Bexar County has risen to 2,449 as of Monday, according to The Texas Health and Human Services.