LACKLAND

A gate at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland and a portion of West Military Drive are closed Monday due to a security incident.

The new policy is effective immediately.

Regardless of background, parents letting go of their offspring is an emotional...

San Antonio International partnered with the TSA to bring passenger screening canines to work at the airport.

No injuries have been reported at this time.

Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland lifted a lockdown Wednesday afternoon after two gunshots were reported.

San Antonio will soon house thousands of migrant children at two sites. According to Benjamin Wermund from the San Antonio Express-News' Washington Bureau, the White House said Thursday the temporary shelters for the migrant children will be at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland and Freeman Coliseum. The announcement comes after the Department of Defense approved a request for assistance from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on Wednesday to temporarily house unaccompanied migrant children at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland and other facilities in Texas. Wermund reports officials plan on moving the children from crowded U.S. Customs and Border Protection sites, such as one in Donna, near McAllen. HHS will maintain custody and responsibility for the well-being and support for these children at all times on the installation, according to a release from the Department of Defense.

SAN ANTONIO – The Pentagon announced on Wednesday that Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland would be used to house unaccompanied migrant children. In a statement, John Kirby, the Pentagon’s press secretary, confirmed that the Department of Defense approved the request for JBSA-Lackland to be used. On Tuesday, Kirby hinted at the possibility of JBSA-Lackland and Fort Bliss being used in that capacity. “DoD will provide HHS officials access to these locations immediately to begin initial actions to prepare for receiving unaccompanied migrant children as soon as preparations are complete,” Kirby said. Also on KSAT:JBSA-Lackland asked to house unaccompanied migrant minors, Pentagon saysAdFreeman Coliseum may house migrant children if agreement is reached with federal government, Bexar County judge saysBiden taps VP Harris to lead response to border challenges

SAN ANTONIO – Wednesday marks one year since a San Antonio couple was allowed to return home after a period of quarantine at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland. The order to stay on the military base came after the couple and other U.S. citizens were pulled from a cruise ship where some passengers tested positive for COVID-19. The couple was told to stay inside their cabin on board the Diamond Princess cruise ship as it sat off Japan’s coast. Some of those passengers, including Don and Natty, were able to board a plane back to the United States. Don remembers when he was finally able to go back to his home in San Antonio.

SAN ANTONIO – Editor’s 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 nation’s 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.

More than 30 defenders with the 433rd Security Forces Squadron, 433rd Airlift Wing, returned to JBSA-Lackland on Sunday from a six-month deployment to Southwest Asia. These Reserve Citizen Airmen were mobilized to support ongoing United States Central Command operations, according to a news release. The 433rd Security Forces Squadron “trains unit members to meet wartime mission requirements while providing support assistance to its active duty counterparts,” as stated in a news release. The squadron also deploys security forces personnel, who provide Air Base defense, physical security, law enforcement and resource protection missions in any climate or location, officials say. : Military nonprofit helps soldiers, veterans turn stories into songs

SAN ANTONIO – Seven U.S. Air Force basic trainees marched into history on Thursday during graduation ceremonies at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland as the first enlisted members of the U.S. Space Force. “There’s lots of excitement ahead for these seven, and we couldn’t be more proud to have them on our team,” said Gen. John “Jay” Raymond, chief of operations for the Space Force, following the graduation ceremony. The seven trainees will transfer to Vandenberg Air Force Base in California to begin training for their new Space Force positions. “The training will include operating satellites like the Global Positioning System, as well as operating satellites protecting our country, missile warning satellites and operating radar stations around the globe,” Raymond said. San Antonio is among six finalists cities being considered for the location of the U.S. Space Command Headquarters.

SAN ANTONIO – The first seven U.S. Space Force enlistees are set to graduate from basic military training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland on Thursday. The seven enlistees will graduate days before the U.S. Space Force marks its first anniversary on Dec. 20. Air Force Secretary Barbara M. Barrett will be a guest speaker at the ceremony. The Space Force is the first new military service since the U.S. Air Force was established in 1947. Senator John Cornyn sent a letter Barrett in support of selecting San Antonio as the U.S. Space Command’s future headquarters.

SAN ANTONIO – The holiday season is kicking off in Military City, USA, beginning with a tree lighting ceremony at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland on Wednesday. Each area base location will participate in the annual holiday event. Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph’s takes place on Dec. 3 and Joint Base-Fort Sam Houston’s will take place on Dec. 4. The ceremony will begin at 6 p.m., and a parade will follow the event beginning at 6:15 p.m., according to a statement from base officials. “The holiday season can be difficult, especially when away from loved ones,” base officials said in a statement.

Bexar County Sheriff's OfficeAn Air Force chaplain at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland has been arrested after an investigation into online predators, San Antonio police confirmed Monday. Maj. Jesse McKee Howard, 41, was arrested Thursday near the 6200 block of Texas 151 and charged with online solicitation of a minor.

An Air Force chaplain stationed at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland was arrested Thursday by San Antonio police during an investigation into online predators. Maj. Jesse McKee Howard, 41, is the chaplain for the 433rd Airlift Wing, an Air Force reserve unit made up of roughly 3,400 service members stationed at JBSA-Lackland. A spokesperson for the reserve unit confirmed Howard’s arrest and noted he was on active duty at the time of his arrest. According to San Antonio police, Howard was arrested Thursday afternoon in the 6200 block of State Highway 151. Online solicitation of a minor is a second-degree felony, punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

SAN ANTONIO – Beginning Monday, Joint Base San Antonio - Lackland will implement identification checks for everyone inside of a vehicle that is trying to enter the base. Officials believe this change will have several impacts, like extending wait times at the gate and increasing the number of vehicles having to turn around after not showing proper identification. As of now, JBSA is open for official business only. JBSA limits gate access, increases health protections after 13 positive cases on bases

First Air Force basic trainee test positive for coronavirus in S.A.U.S. Air Force airmen are sworn in during a basic training graduation ceremony held indoors on March 13 at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland. less U.S. Air Force airmen are sworn in during a basic training graduation ceremony held indoors on March 13 at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland. The Air Force found its first case of COVID-19 among its new recruits ... more Photo: Jerry Lara /San Antonio Express-News Photo: Jerry Lara /San Antonio Express-News Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close First Air Force basic trainee test positive for coronavirus in S.A. 1 / 1 Back to GalleryThe first Air Force basic training recruit to test positive for coronavirus was moved into quarantine Wednesday and placed under observation. The Air Force said he was from Kentucky and believed to have caught the virus before joining 668 recruits who arrived last week. He became the first trainee, but the 24th airman here, to test positive for coronavirus, up from 17 from Tuesday.

SAN ANTONIO – A trainee in the Air Force’s basic military training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland has tested positive for COVID-19, Air Force officials announced Wednesday. The trainee is the first to test positive for the novel coronavirus at basic military training, according to a news release. “While a positive COVID-19 discovery is not desirable, the good news is we planned for this and our preparations worked. During the restriction, trainees’ exposure to other populations is “extremely limited" and social distancing is enforced, according to the news release. COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the new virus, stands for coronavirus disease 2019.

SAN ANTONIO – The last of the quarantined evacuees from the Grand Princess cruise ship were released from their two-week, federally mandated quarantine at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland on Wednesday, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services officials said. About 100 evacuees all ended their quarantine this week. Twenty people were released Monday, 75 were released on Tuesday and the remaining seven departed Wednesday morning, according to an HHS spokesperson. Fifteen of the quarantined evacuees tested positive for COVID-19 while in San Antonio, including one of the Wuhan evacuees, nine of the Diamond Princess evacuees and five of the Grand Princess evacuees. An HHS spokesperson said all have now been medically cleared and released from quarantine.

SAN ANTONIO – Joint Base San Antonio is ramping up safety precautions after more than a dozen employees tested positive for the novel coronavirus. JBSA said Sunday that gate access will be limited at Lackland, Randolph and Fort Sam Houston. 13 JBSA personnel test positive for coronavirusA total of 13 COVID-19 cases have been confirmed at JBSA after officials said Sunday that two additional personnel tested positive for the virus. The first COVID-19 death in San Antonio was confirmed over the weekend. First COVID-19 death reported in San AntonioThe victim was a woman in her 80s who died at Brooke Army Medical Center.

Mayor Nirenberg confirms first case of coronavirus in San Antonio, outside of Lackland evacueesDr. Jennifer McQuiston with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention along with Mayor Ron Nirenberg speak about the coronavirus earlier this month. With evacuees placed at Lackland, San Antonio is on the front line for quarantine efforts. With evacuees placed at Lackland, San Antonio is on the ... more Photo: Kin Man Hui /Staff Photographer Photo: Kin Man Hui /Staff Photographer Image 1 of / 72 Caption Close Mayor Nirenberg confirms first case of coronavirus in San Antonio, outside of Lackland evacuees 1 / 72 Back to GallerySan Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg confirmed the city's first case of COVID-19 outside of the evacuees at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland. FIND OUT FIRST: Get San Antonio breaking news directly to your inbox"That we have the first case in the city of San Antonio isn't all that surprising," said Nirenberg, as he reminded people to wash their hands and continue prevention efforts. San Antonio Fire Chief Charles Hood said the citys first responders are also taking precautions.

More cruise ship coronavirus evacuees arrive at Lackland for 14-day quarantineA second charter flight from Oakland carrying passengers evacuated from the Grand Princess cruise ship arrives at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland at about 4:48 a.m. on Thursday, March 12, 2020. A second charter flight from Oakland carrying passengers evacuated from the Grand Princess cruise ship arrives at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland at about 4:48 a.m. on Thursday, March 12, 2020. Photo: Kin Man Hui, Staff Photographer Photo: Kin Man Hui, Staff Photographer Image 1 of / 73 Caption Close More cruise ship coronavirus evacuees arrive at Lackland for 14-day quarantine 1 / 73 Back to GalleryA second charter flight from Oakland carrying passengers evacuated from the Grand Princess cruise ship arrived at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland at about 4:48 a.m. Thursday. This arrival marked the second round of evacuees from the cruise ship that will be housed at Lackland during a federally mandated 14-day quarantine due to possible exposure of the coronavirus while on board the ship. Since February, Lackland has housed about 400 evacuees that were potentially exposed to the virus.

A plane carrying 51 evacuees from the coronavirus-stricken Grand Princess cruise ship landed at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland early Thursday morning. The plane is the second to arrive in San Antonio from Oakland, California, where more than 2,000 passengers have disembarked since Monday, en route to quarantine facilities in Georgia, California, and Texas. Mayor Ron Nirenberg said the flight that landed at 4:48 a.m. Thursday was carrying Texas residents who will remain in San Antonio for the duration of a federally mandated 14-day quarantine. Only Texas residents will remain at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland for quarantine; other evacuees will return to their home states. Nirenberg said that the biggest priority is to prevent and delay transmission of COVID-19 in San Antonio and Bexar County.

This week, federal officials said the arrivals from the cruise ship would all be Texas residents.Lawmakers representing San Antonio have questioned whether the feds are doing enough to share information and cooperate with local officials. "It is fitting that Texans help Texans, but I am still concerned about the lack of federal support San Antonio is receiving while still fighting at the frontlines of this crisis," he said. From local politics and culture to national news that hits close to home, San Antonio Current has been keeping San Antonio informed for years. Its never been more important to support local news sources. If quality journalism is important to you, please consider a donation to San Antonio Current.

click to enlarge Wikimedia CommonsU.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett speaks at a Washington press conference. "I have been previously advised that Lackland capacity is limited to 271 rooms, but that these can be shared by couples. It is unclear whether we are being sent more people than Lackland can accommodate. "Fellow Democratic Congressman Joaquin Castro, whose district includes the base, also issued a statement expressing concern the feds aren't doing enough to assist local officials in dealing with the quarantine. He also requested additional COVID-19 test kits for San Antonio.The new evacuees arrive after Air Force officials announced Tuesday that the base won't allow guests on site for large gatherings, including graduation exercises.

A plane carrying 98 evacuees from the coronavirus-stricken Grand Princess cruise ship landed Tuesday night at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland. Nirenberg said that while there has been no lack of communication among the CDC, the Department of Health and Human Services, and San Antonio officials, meaningful communication has been a challenge. Also testifying before the public health committee Tuesday was Dr. David Persse, public health authority for the Houston Health Department, and Dr. Umair Shah, executive director and local health authority for Harris County. This protocol, which ensures minimal contact with the San Antonio community, did not exist before evacuees began arriving in San Antonio, Nirenberg said. The challenge last week was an indicator that that coordination needs to improve dramatically.Nirenberg said San Antonio hopes to have a smoother and more communicative situation with the next round of evacuees.

Another cohort of cruise ship passengers arrived at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland on Tuesday night to be quarantined for the coronavirus. In total, 380 passengers from the Grand Princess are expected to be quarantined at the base, a CDC official confirmed Monday. The evacuees live in Texas or surrounding states, San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg previously said. Over the weekend, San Antonio city officials learned that Joint Base San Antonio Lackland will again quarantine passengers. Those people were flown back into the country from Wuhan, China, where the virus first spread, and from the Diamond Princess cruise ship docked in Japan.

Mayor: Evacuees from the Grand Princess could be in San Antonio by Monday for quarantineAmerican passengers evacuated from the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan disembark Feb. 17, 2020, at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland. Evacuees from the Grand Princess could be headed to San Antonio in March. less American passengers evacuated from the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan disembark Feb. 17, 2020, at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland. At least one former passenger of the Grand Princess, a California man, has died of the virus, health officials there have said. That includes not releasing the ships passengers into the general public in San Antonio.

Sources: More evacuees coming to Lackland for coronavirus quarantineAmerican passengers evacuated from the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan disembark Feb. 17, 2020, at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland. They were quarantined on base because of the spreading coronavirus. Evacuees from the Grand Princess could be headed to San Antonio in March. less American passengers evacuated from the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan disembark Feb. 17, 2020, at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland. After being evacuated from the ship by the State Department, 144 of the Diamond Princess passengers were flown Feb. 17 for a two-week quarantine at a hotel on Lackland.

Diamond Princess evacuees to be released from coronavirus quarantine at Lackland TuesdayMayor Ron Nirenberg, left, and Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff, right, listen to Anita Kurian, San Antonio Metropolitan Health assistant director, talk about the latest developments with the coronovirus evacuees in San Antonio on Monday, March 2, 2020, at Plaza de Armas. Now, only individuals who have been symptom-free for the full 14-day quarantine period will be released. Some of the evacuees are being bused directly to the San Antonio International Airport in small groups based on their flight times. Evacuees will be transported from Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland to San Antonio International Airport in shifts. Assistant City Manager Colleen Bridger noted the evacuees set to be released showed no symptoms over the 14-day quarantine.

Some of the approximately 120 coronavirus evacuees still in quarantine at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland will be released Tuesday, city officials confirmed via email.Those who have tested negative at least twice for the virus, will be released in an orderly way to minimize potential exposure to the San Antonio community, according to the city's statement. Those individuals will remain until they're symptom-free and have two negative tests 24 hours apart from each other.Also under that change in course, buses will transport the evacuees from the base to San Antonio International Airport in shifts based on their flight times. From local politics and culture to national news that hits close to home, San Antonio Current has been keeping San Antonio informed for years. If quality journalism is important to you, please consider a donation to San Antonio Current. Every reader contribution is valuable and so appreciated, and goes directly to support our coverage of critical issues and neighborhood culture.

Mayor Ron Nirenberg declared a local state of disaster and public health emergency related to coronavirus Monday, preventing the release from quarantine of 122 cruise ship passengers evacuated from Japan to Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland. My default position here is that Texas officials & San Antonio officials need to be the ones to make the call about any releases of anyone into our communities in Texas. Metro Health on Saturday contacted officials at the hotel and the mall, encouraging them to complete a routine wipedown with disinfectants and to notify health officials should anyone begin to develop symptoms of a respiratory infection, Kurian said. However, CDC officials said she had two negative test results 24 hours apart, which they considered appropriate grounds for release. The official tally of confirmed coronavirus cases in Texas remains at nine all of them quarantined at the Texas Center for Infectious Disease.

click to enlarge Centers for Disease ControlThe COVID-19 virus is shown under a microscope in this image supplied by the federal government. "We will do everything within our power to ensure that the community is kept safe and the exposure risk remains low, Nirenberg said Sunday. The federal quarantine period for the Diamond Princess cruise ship evacuees ends tomorrow, March 2. "Releasing an evacuee prior to negative test confirmation by CDC in Atlanta is completely unjustified. It is vital this not happen with any others in quarantine, who are scheduled for Monday release."

The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19, or coronavirus, among people quarantined at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland has now reached six.The three new cases diagnosed by the Centers for Disease Control are among the evacuees from the Diamond Princess cruise ship that arrived in San Antonio a week ago . All have since been transferred and are still receiving medical care in isolation. From local politics and culture to national news that hits close to home, San Antonio Current has been keeping San Antonio informed for years. Its never been more important to support local news sources. If quality journalism is important to you, please consider a donation to San Antonio Current.

The first round of coronavirus evacuees at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland were released on Thursday after completing a two-week mandatory quarantine. Of the 91 evacuees, one remains in treatment at a local hospital. The patient was transferred out of Methodist Texsan Hospital on Thursday for continued treatment at an area hospital, Methodist Healthcare said in a statement. The release of evacuees comes amid controversy surrounding their admission to civilian hospitals in San Antonio after arriving for quarantine on the Air Force base. Cornyn said that while people are concerned with how coronavirus evacuees are being treated in the U.S., his biggest concern is how China has mishandled this situation.Because China is afraid of being given bad press, they have simply shut down and are not being transparent, he said.

SAN ANTONIO – Thursday marked the end of the 14-day quarantine for the first group of coronavirus evacuees at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland from China. The hospital sent out the following statement Thursday:We are pleased to announce the patient who tested positive for COVID-19 has been treated and transferred from Methodist Hospital | Texsan. JBSA-Lackland, Methodist Hospital Texsan, and the Texas Center for Infectious Disease are the only local facilities being used by the federal government in response to the outbreak. More Coronavirus Stories:From quarantined cruise ship to isolation at Lackland: SA native gives first-hand account of coronavirus evacuationCity, county officials join efforts to keep coronavirus evacuees at Lackland, away from local hospitalsSAQ: Why was JBSA-Lackland chosen to hold coronavirus evacuees? Department of Defense extends JBSA-Lackland quarantine zone availability to mid-MarchWhat we know about the coronavirus, cruise ship evacuees at Lackland

That group is still under quarantine.One person from the first influx of evacuees at Lackland was diagnosed with the coronavirus, officially known as COVID-19. From local politics and culture to national news that hits close to home, San Antonio Current has been keeping San Antonio informed for years. Its never been more important to support local news sources. If quality journalism is important to you, please consider a donation to San Antonio Current. Every reader contribution is valuable and so appreciated, and goes directly to support our coverage of critical issues and neighborhood culture.

Expressing concern for local residents, Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff has requested that novel coronavirus patients who exhibit symptoms of coronavirus remain at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, which would reverse current federal protocol requiring them to be transported to area hospitals for evaluation. The concern comes as 151 evacuees from a coronavirus-stricken cruise ship in Japan landed at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland on Monday, with 144 remaining in San Antonio to be held under a 14-day quarantine. Planes carrying 91 evacuees from Wuhan, China, the epicenter of the growing coronavirus outbreak, arrived in San Antonio on Feb. 6 for a mandatory quarantine. One of the passengers tested positive for coronavirus, the 15th confirmed case in the U.S., and was sent for treatment at Methodist Texsan Hospital. More than 73,000 cases of the novel coronavirus have been diagnosed globally, resulting in 1,870 deaths, according to the World Health Organization.

In a subsequent phone interview, Wolff said he thinks at least three people have been moved from the base. From local politics and culture to national news that hits close to home, San Antonio Current has been keeping San Antonio informed for years. Its never been more important to support local news sources. If quality journalism is important to you, please consider a donation to San Antonio Current. Every reader contribution is valuable and so appreciated, and goes directly to support our coverage of critical issues and neighborhood culture.

SA native gives first-hand account of coronavirus evacuationPublished: February 17, 2020, 5:07 pmTwo planes carried the passengers to Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland and Travis Air Force Base in Northern California early Monday. Seven people tested positive for the virus on each of those planes, and they were transported to National Guard’s Camp Ashland in Nebraska.

Hundreds of Americans who had been passengers on a coronavirus-stricken cruise ship in Japan landed in the U.S. on Monday, with 151 arriving at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland. American evacuees from the Diamond Princess cruise ship arrive at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland on Feb. 17, 2020 in San Antonio, Texas. Once they were in the isolation area, it was safest for us to keep them in there.More On Coronavirus in san Antonio Coronavirus-Hit Cruise Ship Passengers Bound for San Antonio Passengers quarantined on the coronavirus-stricken Diamond Princess cruise ship will be evacuated with some bound for Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland. Risch said the evacuation is something the State Department has been preparing for during the last 18 months with Japans Ministry of Health. Currently, roughly 60 Americans are still in Japan and being tracked by the State Department.

The U.S. government is preparing to evacuate Americans who have been quarantined on a cruise ship in Japan for more than a week after dozens of people on board tested positive for the novel coronavirus earlier this month. The U.S. Embassy in Tokyo on Saturday sent a letter to passengers and crew on board the Diamond Princess cruise ship detailing plans for a voluntary evacuation for U.S. citizens and their immediate family from the ship to take place Sunday evening. Embassy officials said Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland may receive cruise ship evacuees. Passengers not showing symptoms of coronavirus at the time of their arrival may be directed to Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, where they will remain under a 14-day quarantine. So far, 218 people on the ship have tested positive for the virus.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention along with local and state health officials announced at a press conference on Tuesday morning that a case of coronavirus has been confirmed at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland. Jennifer McQuiston, deputy director of the division of high-consequence pathogens and pathology at the CDC, said the person started running a fever on Tuesday morning, and was transported to an undisclosed hospital to receive medical care. A patient specimen kit was immediately sent to the CDC for testing, and results confirming coronavirus were relayed at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, McQuiston said. No other details about the person who contracted the virus, or the hospital treating the patient, were disclosed. Those brought to Joint Base Lackland-San Antonio are arriving and receiving the great medical care that San Antonio has to offer, which could save their life.The San Antonio Metropolitan Health District will continue to work with the Texas Department of State Health Services and the CDC to monitor the person with confirmed coronavirus as well as any people who may return to San Antonio following the two-week quarantine.

Officials from the Centers for Disease Control said Thursday the agency has confirmed a single case of the novel coronavirus in San Antonio.CDC diagnosed the disease in a person quarantined at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland. "The emergency preparedness has gone exactly according to plan," Mayor Ron Nirenberg said.Citing safety concerns for the patient, officials wouldn't reveal details about the person's identity or hospital location.CDC Capt. From local politics and culture to national news that hits close to home, San Antonio Current has been keeping San Antonio informed for years. Its never been more important to support local news sources. If quality journalism is important to you, please consider a donation to San Antonio Current.

While the evacuees are not displaying symptoms related to the disease, Captain Jennifer McQuiston, a spokesperson for the CDC, stressed that the quarantine is a precaution. "While these evacuees are here, every precaution will be taken to quarantine them and isolate them from the base community and the San Antonio community," McQuiston told KENS. From local politics and culture to national news that hits close to home, San Antonio Current has been keeping San Antonio informed for years. Its never been more important to support local news sources. If quality journalism is important to you, please consider a donation to San Antonio Current.

Officials at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland is expecting planes carrying U.S. evacuees to arrive Friday from Wuhan, China, the epicenter of the growing coronavirus outbreak. CDC spokeswoman Amy Rowland told the Rivard Report that the evacuees arriving in San Antonio are people without any symptoms of coronavirus, which includes fever, coughing, sneezing, or shortness of breath. The CDC would not disclose the names of hospitals that would treat patients showing symptoms of coronavirus. In the U.S., 11 people have tested positive for coronavirus, with 76 tests still pending as of Wednesday, according to the CDC. We know a lot about the virus because its a coronavirus, so the decision to quarantine for 14 days are based on sound science about coronavirus, Rowland said.

SAN ANTONIO – The Centers for Disease Control announced that a group of people who were in China and potentially exposed to the coronavirus is arriving in San Antonio on Thursday. The group will be housed at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, which is one of four coronavirus quarantine zones in the United States. San Antonio city officials, along with regional public health partners, also answered questions about the coronavirus, including what it means to have coronavirus evacuees at JBSA-Lackland. "Folks that are being quarantined in these military installations, they are being isolated away from the general population. Assistant City Manager Colleen Bridger said in there are no cases of the coronavirus in Bexar County or Texas.

The passengers will be met by a team of CDC personnel to assess their health when they arrive. CDC staff will conduct risk assessments to ensure the health of each traveler, including temperature checks and observing for respiratory symptoms, officials said. Some passengers being evacuated from China to the U.S. in response to the coronavirus outbreak in that country will be housed at JBSA-Lackland. CDC officials will work with the state and local public health departments to transport any passenger exhibiting symptoms to a hospital for further evaluation. The virus has infected more than 20,000 people across 26 countries and territories and killed more than 420, but the majority of cases -- currently an estimated 78% -- are coming from Hubei province in China, officials said.

SAN ANTONIO – Update:Joint Base San Antonio will hold a town hall forum Wednesday, Feb. 5 for JBSA personnel and families regarding the quarantine zone for those who may be infected with coronavirus. Joint Base San Antonio also setup a website that has information on the virus and the town hall forum. JBSA personnel and their families are invited to the town hall to address any questions or concerns they may have regarding the quarantine zone. We should all be comforted by the extra precautions being taken by federal, state and local health officials," said Nirenberg. San Antonio health officials continue to monitor coronavirus outbreakWe’ll bring more details as they become available.

Less than a week after images surfaced on social media showing moldy conditions at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, officials confirmed Monday that the fungus was present during inspections of dorm... Copyright 2019 by KSAT - All rights reserved.

"About three-quarters of permanent party dorms have been inspected with 16 percent evidencing mold presence. Gen. Laura Lenderman, 502d Air Base Wing and Joint Base-San Antonio commander, said in a statement. Courtesy: 502nd Air Base Wing Public Affairs OfficeLenderman said inspectors will also walk through other dorms rooms used to house technical training members for a second time. "For building 1215, 502d Civil Engineering professionals are working 28 rooms impacted by mold with an estimated completion date of Aug. 8," Lenderman said. In response to the mold discovery, about 200 airmen and technical training residents are now being relocated.

SAN ANTONIO - Moldy conditions in dorm rooms at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland has prompted leadership staff to quickly review the situation, according to a report. The inspection comes a day after photos of the apparent moldy conditions were shared Tuesday on Facebook. Some of the photos show mold on a pillow, along the side of a box spring, on boots and on the ceiling, according to the Facebook post. "From all the stories, photos and videos we have seen, it sounds like the Lackland AFB dorms may be the new Al Udeid of the mold world," the Facebook post said, referencing the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. To read the Air Force Times report, click here.