METRO HEALTH

Community Labs is scrambling to catch up on a backlog of COVID tests as the demand for testing has doubled compared to previous months.

COVID-19 related hospitalizations have reached a new milestone as the omicron variant continues to surge in Bexar County.

With thousands of COVID-19 cases reported in San Antonio each day, and with even more cases arising across the nation, many are asking when this surge will end and when normalcy will begin again.

San Antonio Metropolitan Health District is reporting its highest COVID-19 case count since the pandemic started with 7,704 new cases on Wednesday.

The doors of the Sonny Melendrez Community Center on the city’s West Side opened Wednesday to the public as a COVID-19 testing site.

Bexar County is once again seeing more COVID-19 hospitalizations as the number of patients at area hospitals reaches nearly 900 — a 344% increase since Christmas Day.

A north San Antonio snack shop was ordered to go through a re-inspection last month after moldy food was found in a refrigerator and on top of a counter, city health records show.

If you planned on seeing “Hamilton” at the Majestic Theatre this weekend, you’ll have to reschedule.

Metro Health’s COVID-19 dashboard showed an increase of 4,331 new cases on Friday, with a 7-day moving average of 3,620 cases. There was one new death reported, bringing the total to 16 deaths over the past seven days.

The march commemorating Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. has been canceled as numbers of COVID-19 cases rise in San Antonio and the nation.

Dr. Ruth Berggren, an infectious disease specialist with UT Health San Antonio, joined Thursday’s KSAT Q&A to discuss COVID-19 reinfection with the new variant, omicron’s effect on frontline health care workers and precautions to take for those who start showing symptoms and can't find a test.

The City of San Antonio will be adding three new COVID-19 testing sites through a partnership with Community Labs to address testing capacity and wait times that some have said lasted hours.

The City of San Antonio will be adding three new COVID-19 testing sites through a partnership with Community Labs to address testing capacity and wait times that some have said lasted hours.

San Antonio has now exceeded 15,000 new cases in four days.

Officials say rogue testing locations are popping up in San Antonio.

Dr. Ruth Berggren, an infectious disease specialist with UT Health San Antonio, joined the KSAT Q&A on Thursday to discuss the latest rise in omicron COVID-19 cases and what people should do before seeking help at an emergency room.

Omicron is prevalent in Bexar County.

As the new year quickly approaches, San Antonio Metro Health officials are warning residents who plan to celebrate, to exercise caution amid a rise in COVID-19 cases.

Cases of Omicron are outpacing previous variants of concern like Delta across Texas.

Metro Health pop-up clinic takes place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesday

A meat market on the city’s North Side was written up last month after ants were found crawling on its sink, walls, prep tables and a cinnamon container.

Metro Health Director Claude Jacob said local officials had been expecting to see the omicron variant in Bexar County, and now it's here.

Health officials are urging vaccinations and boosters.

The first two known cases of the <a href="https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2021/12/03/early-data-shows-vaccinated-people-are-experiencing-mild-symptoms-with-omicron-variant-infectious-disease-doctor-says/" target="_blank">COVID-19 omicron variant</a> have been detected in Bexar County, and local health officials are urging the public to get vaccinated.

Science has come a long way since the first cases of <a href="https://www.kff.org/hivaids/fact-sheet/the-hivaids-epidemic-in-the-united-states-the-basics/" target="_blank">AIDS</a> were reported in the U.S. 40 years ago.

A push for COVID-19 vaccinations continues as the holidays approach and concerns over the Omicron variant heighten.

With the emergence of a new COVID variant, experts say not to panic because we have tools to protect against it.

A restaurant on the city’s Southeast Side was written up last month for a long list of food safety violations that included pests found in flour.

The San Antonio Metropolitan Health District is urging people to either get vaccinated for COVID-19 or utilize masks during their Thanksgiving celebrations to stay safe this holiday season.

In Bexar County, 88 infants have died in the past from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, or SIDS, which is when a child dies unexpectedly before their first birthday.

A restaurant on the city’s West Side was ordered to go through a reinspection in late September after food was found not being cooled properly.

Catch up on the latest kid news, the week's student spotlight, Kids Wanna Know and Kaiti's Science Lab segments in the free KSAT Kids newsletter.

The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine will be offered to children ages 5 to 11 years old beginning on Wednesday, Metro Health announced.

On Wednesday’s KSAT News Now, San Antonio Metro Health Assistant Director Dr. Anita Kurian talked about the latest developments with the approval of the COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11 years old.

Parents are eligible for H-E-B gift cards.

A Mexican restaurant on the city’s Southeast Side was cited in September after a health inspector noted rusty shelves and a kitchen in need of a detailed cleaning.

No appointment is needed for the booster shots.

The COVID-19 positivity rate for Bexar County has dropped to 1.9% this week, according to San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg.

Metro Health will administer COVID-19 booster doses of the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines beginning Wednesday at its COVID-19 vaccine pop-up clinics.

Domestic violence isn’t just about physical abuse. It includes any behavior with the purpose to gain control over a partner.

A Southeast Side gas station had its restaurant license suspended last month after the staff was seen preparing food in a kitchen infested with rodent waste.

Despite the number of COVID cases trending in the right direction, health officials say it is still a threat.

The COVID-19 positivity rate in Bexar County has improved this week and is now at 2.1%, according to Metro Health Director Claude Jacob.

A Mexican Restaurant on the city’s West Side was ordered to go through a reinspection in August after pest droppings were found in a storage area.

A north San Antonio Mexican restaurant was ordered to go through a re-inspection earlier this year after food in its walk-in refrigerator was too warm and had to be thrown away.

The cost of healthcare, homelessness and child abuse are the top concerns for Bexar County voters, according to a Bexar Facts-KSAT-San Antonio Report poll released this week.

A Chinese restaurant located on the city’s North Side was cited in late July after a health inspector witnessed kitchen staff attempt to put on hair restraints as the inspection was getting underway.

Eighteen new COVID-19 deaths were reported during Thursday’s COVID-19 briefing, bringing the total to 4,426 in the Bexar County area, according to Claude Jacob, Metro Health director.

The Metropolitan Health District will begin offering the Pfizer vaccine booster shot at the Alamodome to those who are eligible for added protection against COVID-19.

A core part of running the city involves preparing for a myriad of emergencies, such as pandemics, hurricanes, and cyberattacks.

San Antonio’s Metropolitan Health District will begin handing out $100 H-E-B gift cards in an effort to boost arm jabs.

San Antonio and Bexar County residents have an opportunity to get the flu shot for free starting this weekend.

Most San Antonio-area school districts are now posting more recent case numbers and we've provided the links.

In order to encourage Bexar County residents to get the coronavirus vaccine, Metro Health will give out $100 HEB gift cards.

The San Antonio Zoo is partnering with the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District for a pop-up COVID-19 vaccination clinic.

After much rescheduling, we finally got the chance to sit down, one-on-one, and get to know Claude Jacob better.

A taco restaurant on the West Side was ordered to have its walk-in refrigerator serviced immediately after its interior temperature was warmer than health standards allow.

Bexar County appears to have hit its second highest reported new deaths so far with the...

A boost to San Antonio's community policing unit is part of a shift to a more holistic approach to law enforcement and crime prevention.

People 20-29 years old made up the largest proportion of San Antonio-area COVID-19 cases in July, accounting for 21% of the total, according to a...

Bexar County’s mask mandate for public schools is allowed to remain in effect after the latest in a back-and-forth court battle between the county and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.

San Antonio and Bexar County officials painted a grim picture of what frontline responders are facing right now during the latest coronavirus surge fueled by the delta variant.

Some major retailers are reverting back to pandemic policies by requiring employees to wear masks inside their stores and strongly recommending mask-wearing for customers.

Metro health has partnered with the zoo for another vaccination clinic and giveaway this week.

Last week, area hospitals reported 620 covid patients. On Wednesday, that number jumped by nearly 50% to 920 patients.

Local officials are asking Abbott to allow schools to mandate masks.

Mirroring a national trend, COVID-19 cases increased this week in Bexar County, as has the area's positivity rate, Metro Health warned Friday. The seven-day rolling...

Metro Health learned some lessons from the pandemic and has expanded its key priorities, Assistant City Manager Colleen Bridger said Friday.

San Antonio reached a milestone Monday in protecting residents against COVID-19. As of the evening's coronavirus briefing, the city had administered more than 1 million...

The Fiesta San Antonio Commission announced Monday that this year's parties are cleared...

As the number of residents accessing COVID-19 mass vaccination sites such as the Alamodome dwindles, San Antonio Metro Health has launched mobile clinics to take shots...

Metro Health reported an increase in local COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations on Monday,...

Metro Health is working to make COVID-19 vaccination access more equitable by launching...

San Antonio's COVID-19 vaccination numbers just surpassed the record-breaking voter...

Taqueria Reyes, a Southeast San Antonio eatery known for traditional Mexican fare, last month was penalized on a city health inspection for infractions including using...

After multiple leadership changes over the past year, San Antonio Metropolitan Health...

After weeks of requests from residents, the city of San Antonio on Wednesday launched a waitlist targeted to people 65 and older who want to schedule...

San Antonio's COVID-19 positivity rate marked below the 5 percent threshold for the third...

San Antonio's COVID-19 positivity rate dropped again and it's not because less people are being tested. On March 21, a 2.3 positivity rate was reported, which was the lowest rate the area had seen since Metro Health started tracking it. Sunday's update showed a downtick to a 2.1 positivity rate. RELATED: Local COVID-19 positivity rate is the lowest San Antonio has seen since AprilSome have speculated that the rate reprieve may be due to less people being tested. Metro Health calculates the positivity rate by dividing the number of positive tests returned for the week by the total number of tests administered for that time period.

Jessica Phelps /Staff photographerHere's some good news to start the week with: the local positivity rate is the lowest its been since Metro Health first started tracking it last April. Metro Health confirmed that at the 2.3 percent positivity rate, San Antonio has hit a welcomed low point. Spokeswoman Michelle Vigil said it's the lowest San Antonio has recorded since the department added positivity rates to their surveillance data in April. At that point, on April 5, the positivity rate was nearing 12 percent.

Jessica Phelps /Staff photographerSan Antonio started the week with some encouraging news on the COVID-19 front: the risk level is now "low" after months of skewing on the opposite end of the spectrum during the winter surge. Metro Health introduced a low to critical risk meter in June, amid the summer surge, to asses the severity of the case numbers and measure overall progress. Movement throughout the levels of the spectrum take into account a two-week decline in cases, testing capacity, contact tracing, hospital trends, doubling rate, positivity rate and hospital stress.

Metro Health worked with San Antonio groups to set up appointments for 5,400 high-risk residents to receive their COVID-19 vaccine. The city's Healthy Neighborhood teams, Stand Up SA and local organizations were deployed to "targeted outreach areas" to sign residents up for their dose. The initiative took place between Jan. 11-29. The areas were determined by their equity index score, number of COVID-19 cases and the COVID-19 mortality in the area.

A number of San Antonio businesses were cited for COVID-19 violations over the weekend. Multiple city departments — Code Enforcement, Parking Enforcement, Metro Health and the San Antonio Police Department — enforce COVID-19 regulations. Though sanitation and signage was available, the responding official found guests not practicing social distancing or wearing a mask where required or appropriate. Per the San Antonio Express-News, bars and restaurants weren't the only culprits. The social distancing orders were put in place to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in March.

Courtesy, Metro HealthU.S. Army officials toured the Alamodome's vaccination site this week and left feeling "impressed" by the operation, according to the San Antonio Metropolitan Health DistrictAccording to Metro Health spokeswoman Michelle Vigil, the headquarters for the Army's vaccination efforts are at Ft. Sam Houston. Officials where given a detailed tour of the vaccine operations at the city-run mega hub, which launched earlier this January.

Jammed phone lines and "registration full" notices on the COVID-19 vaccination registration site for city-run hubs have some residents asking if a waiting list would help, but Metro Health says there are no plans to implement one. A representative for Metro Health says the department will not be offering a wait list at this time. Rather than opening a floodgate by making the entire week of appointments available, registration will be on a rolling basis with 2,000 slots opening daily. "Other large cities have tried (the waiting list) approach and have not been successful." Appointment registration for the Alamodome vaccination site is available online here.

PfizerMetropolitan Health District officials say the San Antonio area will receive an additional 40,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines within the next week, completing its initial 90,000-dose allocation.As of Tuesday, Bexar County has received 50,000 vaccine doses and inoculated more than 31,000 people in critical populations, according to Metro Health officials. Those first in line are frontline medical workers and residents of long-term care facilities. "The more people we vaccinate, the more vaccines we’ll receive. "Subsequent tiers in line for inoculations include people 65 and older, frontline essential workers and those 16 and older with medical conditions that put them at higher risk for severe COVID-19 complications.Bexar County's vaccination plan is available on its COVID-19 Portal . Metro Health officials said they'll continue to update residents as they learn more about the state and federal distribution vaccine-distribution plans.

click to enlarge Wikimedia Commons / Louis BafranceWith local COVID-19 cases soaring, San Antonio Metro Health officials on Tuesday issued a new directive recommending parents and schools against in-person instruction.During Tuesday's city and county pandemic briefing, Metro Health Medical Director Dr. Junda Woo said the recent rise in cases has moved school safety metrics for San Antonio and Bexar County campuses into the "red zone," its highest risk level. "Our data show that schools are less risky places than we thought at the start of the pandemic, but we also know that avoiding extra risks will help contain our current surge," Woo said. "We urge parents to choose remote learning until we can get over this hump.”Bexar County reported 1,294 new COVID-19 cases Tuesday and nine additional deaths. The seven-day rolling average of cases also climbed to 1,113, breaking a new local record.What's more, Bexar County hospitalizations hit 646 Tuesday, an increase of 32 patients from Monday.Under Texas law, Metro Health can't order school closures, which is a power reserved for state officials. Even so, Woo urged local schools to limit in-person instruction to groups of no more than six children and to at-risk and special ed students, as well as those without the resources to learn virtually.

click to enlarge Wikimedia Commons / Charles SpirtosA medic pulls on gloves as she gets ready to work at a mobile testing site in the Texas Hill Country. This is a critical month,” said Dr. Junda Woo, Metro Health's medical director.The new directive urges residents to opt for outdoor dining and take-out service instead of using restaurant dining rooms. In the workplace, people should take meals in separate spaces or outdoors.“We are asking people to be more selective about how they dine and how they gather with others until we’re on the other side of this surge," Woo said. "When you have to be around others, try to bring in fresh air by opening a window or increasing ventilation. Bundle up, mask up and stay safe.”

Courtesy Photo / City of San AntonioOn Saturday, Metro Health officials reported 492 new COVID-19 infections in Bexar County, raising the cumulative case count to 72,805. Two people being treated for COVID-19 died Saturday, bringing the county's total death toll to 1,318. the Texas Department of State Health Services. Texas has tallied 1.16 million coronavirus cases since the beginning of the pandemic, according to a New York Times analysis. To date, 21,004 people have died in the state, according to the Times' figures.

A mosquito sample pool southwest of downtown San Antonio tested positive for the West Nile virus last month, according to the city's Metropolitan Health District. The is the second time a sample pool has tested positive for the virus in San Antonio this year. Metro Health said it has treated both areas. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the West Nile virus is the leading cause of mosquito-borne disease in the United States. Mosquitoes are present in Central Texas year-round, but the population is most active in the summer and fall, according to metro health.

click to enlarge Pexels / ThirdmanDuring the city's COVID-19 briefing Wednesday, San Antonio Metro Health released recommendations for households hoping to trick-or-treat or pass out candy on Halloween this year.The guidance was released as the cumulative number of cases for San Antonio nears 60,000 with a current average of 156 daily cases Trick-or-treaters are encouraged to maintain six feet of distance from others, to use hand sanitizer often, and to only accept pre-packaged snacks and candy. Metro Health acknowledged that costume masks are not protective from viruses and therefore should be worn along with adequate face coverings.Households looking to pass out treats should do so in a distanced manner away from their doorstep and should wash hands often when preparing goodie bags. If any members of the household are sick, it is advised that no members of the residence participate in handing out candy.“If we continue working together to stop the spread of COVID-19, our community will be able to safely enjoy Halloween and other holidays later this year. Make the right decisions now to do what’s best for your health and the health of others. Our frontline workers, teachers, students and most vulnerable residents are counting on you,” Mayor Ron Nirenberg said in a statement More information can be found at covid19.sanantonio.gov/Halloween

In an effort to better understand the extent of the coronavirus outbreak in Bexar County, Metro Health on Monday, announced it was expanding capacity at its testing sites for people with no symptoms and pre-symptomatic people. The impetus for the decision began last week when Metro Health tested 270 people at pop-up clinics in two different areas of the city in an effort to expand COVID-19 testing. Emerick said Monday that Metro Health was collecting 1,600 tests per day, but has the capacity to test 3,000. Those include hospitalized patients with symptoms, health care workers, and residents and workers in congregate living settings. It also showed when Metro Health brought testing to people it didnt think were getting tested.

An emergency room physician has started a mobile coronavirus testing site offering both the nasal swab test for COVID-19 and an antibodies test to see if a patient previously had the disease. Others are seeking antibody testing to see if they previously contracted the disease but recovered before being diagnosed. The COVID-19 test, which involves a nasal swab, is processed in an off-site laboratory with results delivered in three to five days. The antibody test is a finger prick to test blood. That site combined with several area private labs has conducted more than 14,000 COVID-19 tests.

In one of the citys most vulnerable zip codes, 78205, that number is closer to one in five. I represent that legacy of growing up poor and black in America and I, and many black Americans, are at higher risk for COVID. Latinos, which represent roughly 62% of the population, accounted for 46% of deaths.Compounding the risk for San Antonios low-income residents is their higher risk for exposure to the coronavirus where they work. Its two dozen full-time employees were charged with tackling institutional racism in the states health systems.While small, the agency counted successes. There will always be another COVID-19 until we address the structural racism this county has forced on us.

click to enlarge Courtesy Photo / San Antonio Fire DepartmentWorkers at the Freeman Coliseum coronavirus testing site wave motorists through. Bexar County's tally of COVID-19 cases has edged closer to 800, and three more people have died of the disease, bringing the local death toll to 33, according to data released Monday Metro Health officials reported 794 cases of COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus. That's more than double the number of cases logged 10 days ago.Nearly 90 of the people diagnosed with COVID-19 are hospitalized, according to officials. More than half are in intensive care and 37 are on ventilators.One of the Bexar County fatalities reported Monday was a resident of Southeast Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, the center of a deadly outbreak . More than 70 residents of the facility have tested positive for the virus and 16 have died.Statewide, 13,906 have contracted COVID-19 , and the disease has resulted in 287 deaths.

Source: Google Street ViewSan Antonio officials confirmed Tuesday that five more residents of Southeast Nursing & Rehabilitation Center have died following a COVID-19 outbreak at the facility, bringing the total number of fatalities there to eight.Local health officials had previously announced three COVID-19-related deaths had occurred from the outbreak. All of the residents were 70 years old or greater, both male and female, who were asymptomatic but tested positive for the virus.Local health officials announced the outbreak at Southeast Nursing & Rehabilitation on April 1. Since then, dozens of residents and staff members have tested positive for the disease. Federal inspection reports reveal that the nursing home had been cited for failing to meet infection control deficiencies. The home also received a substandard one-star ranking from the feds, based on health inspections, staffing and quality measures.

Health officials have confirmed a sixth COVID-19 related death in Bexar County.The victim was a male in his 50s with underlying health conditions, according to details released Monday afternoon by Metro Health. The man was receiving treatment at Methodist Northeast Hospital for an unrelated health issue and died while under care.On Monday, the San Antonio Police Department also confirmed a seven-year department veteran has tested positive for 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. 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.

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. A free press means accountability and a well-informed public, and we want to keep our unique and independent reporting available for many, many years to come. 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.

Six new cases of coronavirus confirmed in Bexar County bringing San Antonio area total to 45Josh White, with Austin-based GermLogic, sterilizes the Carmen P. Cortez Avance Family Center on South San Jacinto Street on Friday. Disinfecting and cleninag companies such as GermLogic have seen a high demand for their services due to coronavirus concerns. less Josh White, with Austin-based GermLogic, sterilizes the Carmen P. Cortez Avance Family Center on South San Jacinto Street on Friday. Disinfecting and cleninag companies such as GermLogic have seen a high demand ... more Photo: Jerry Lara /San Antonio Express-News Photo: Jerry Lara /San Antonio Express-News Image 1 of / 77 Caption Close Six new cases of coronavirus confirmed in Bexar County bringing San Antonio area total to 45 1 / 77 Back to GallerySix new coronavirus cases surfaced in Bexar County on Sunday, bringing the San Antonio area total to 45, the Metropolitan Health District reported. Greg Abbott said there were a total of 334 cases in Texas, with six deaths.

Six new cases of coronavirus confirmed in Bear County bringing San Antonio area total to 45Josh White, with Austin-based GermLogic, sterilizes the Carmen P. Cortez Avance Family Center on South San Jacinto Street on Friday. Disinfecting and cleninag companies such as GermLogic have seen a high demand for their services due to coronavirus concerns. less Josh White, with Austin-based GermLogic, sterilizes the Carmen P. Cortez Avance Family Center on South San Jacinto Street on Friday. Disinfecting and cleninag companies such as GermLogic have seen a high demand ... more Photo: Jerry Lara /San Antonio Express-News Photo: Jerry Lara /San Antonio Express-News Image 1 of / 77 Caption Close Six new cases of coronavirus confirmed in Bear County bringing San Antonio area total to 45 1 / 77 Back to GallerySix new coronavirus cases surfaced in Bexar County on Sunday, bringing the San Antonio area total to 45, the Metropolitan Health District reported. Stay up to date on the latest coronavirus news with mySA.com:In all, 26 of the 45 confirmed cases are related to travel to places where the virus had already spread, up from 16 reported the day before.