TESTING

A free COVID-19 rapid testing and vaccine clinic is opening Sunday morning on the city’s West Side.

San Antonio Metropolitan Health District is reporting a COVID-19 positivity rate of 32.9%, a 6.5% decrease from last week.

Metro Health’s COVID-19 dashboard reported 2,983 new cases and 2 new deaths.

Community Labs is opening a new COVID-19 public testing location on the city’s Southwest Side, and customers can expect a quicker turnaround time for results.

Metro Health’s COVID-19 dashboard reported 4,625 new cases and a 7-day moving average of 5,280 cases.

Although San Antonio is nearing the tip of its COVID-19 surge winter peak, the city hasn’t quite reached the summit yet.

Metro Health’s COVID-19 dashboard reported 4,625 new cases and a 7-day moving average of 5,280 cases.

San Antonio Metropolitan Health District is reporting a COVID-19 positivity rate of 39.4%, a 1.1% change from last week’s rate of 38.3%. This week’s risk level remains at “severe” and is worsening, officials said.

San Antonio Metropolitan Health District officials say it’s not a good idea to intentionally expose yourself to the virus amid strained hospital resources.

As COVID-19 cases continue to surge in the San Antonio area, the estimated date of when the city may actually reach its peak keeps getting pushed back.

Neighbors living around COVID testing sites are growing tired of long lines of cars invading their space.

San Antonio Metropolitan Health District is reporting a COVID-19 positivity rate of 38.3%, a 7.3% change from last week’s rate of 31%.

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.

It’s time to rethink our Covid response to account for higher vaccination rates, natural immunity and milder variants like omicron.

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.

As the highly contagious Omicron variant sweeps through the population, testing sites have been bombarded, resulting in some issues and delays for testing companies.

New research shows the time of day you take your COVID-19 test may play a factor in your results.

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.

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.

Local health officials are sounding the warning about “fake testing sites,” though it’s unclear how big of a problem those are at the moment.

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.

Doctors weigh in on the different COVID-19 tests and their ability to detect all variants.

A testing shortage and long lines are continuing into the new year. Read more on what places to avoid and where wait times are shorter.

A new shortage of at-home COVID-19 tests is leading to long lines at San Antonio testing centers.

The holidays are a busy time of year for traveling and having large gatherings. With the omicron and delta variant spreading, it could also be a busy season for COVID. People hoping to check if they are covid free before and after Christmas are having some trouble finding tests and testing locations.

Jen Psaki's sarcastic answer reinforced an issue that continues to challenge the Biden administration -- especially when tests are cheaper and more widely available in other countries.

Here’s what San Antonio doctors recommend people do if they test positive for COVID-19.

Testing will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day. The site is at at 2606 Hospital Blvd.

Some San Antonio clinics have estimated wait times stretching for hours, some for days.

Five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Friday morning.

A team at the University of Nebraska Medical Center has created an advanced simulation model that can be used to teach the proper skills to those performing swab tests.

The double-barrelled gun was seized from a car driven by the 16-year-old defendant, a court hears.

Programme to test wastewater for the virus that causes Covid now covers two-thirds of England's population.

SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio Independent School District is offering free COVID-19 testing to students, staff, and household members this weekend. The testing event is happening Saturday, March 20, from 9 a.m. to noon at the Alamo Convocation Center on Tuleta Drive. The testing is in anticipation of students and staff returning from a two-week break on Tuesday. Test results will be provided within 24 hours.

Photo by Associated Press, Illustration by Henry KellerSAN ANTONIO – (Update 5:30 a.m. Wednesday)The COVID-19 vaccine site at Wonderland Mall will open Wednesday at noon due to morning icy road conditions. PREVIOUS STORYThe city of San Antonio says COVID-19 testing sites located at the Cuellar and Ramirez community centers will be closed between Feb. 13 and Feb. 17. The Community Labs testing locations at Rackspace Technology will be open Wednesday from 12 to 4 p.m. COVID-19 vaccine appointments at the Alamodome that were scheduled for Monday, Feb. 15, have been rescheduled to Friday, Feb. 19, at the same appointment times, San Antonio officials said in a news release. To see all public testing center hours and locations, click here to visit the city’s COVID-19 website.

SAN ANTONIO – Dozens of Texas state representatives, led by San Antonio Democrat Diego Bernal, asked the Texas Education Agency to allow Texas parents to opt their children out of STAAR testing this year. The letter was signed by 68 state representatives in all, including all 10 from Bexar County. AdThis AM we sent a letter to TEA requesting a formal STAAR opt-out procedure. #txlege pic.twitter.com/42Viz03oQu — Diego Bernal (@DiegoBernalTX) February 8, 2021Speaking to KSAT, Bernal noted this year’s testing will matter less than usual. Bernal said parents could already opt-out in a fashion by keeping their children out of school.

SAN ANTONIO – After testing positive for COVID-19, Bexar County Commissioner Tommy Calvert is sharing his experience to warn others to remain vigilant during the COVID-19 pandemic. “I tasted it and I noticed I couldn’t taste it and I was very disappointed. “When I couldn’t taste my shrimp, I got some caramel popcorn and couldn’t taste that,” Calvert said. It was just a little congestion, occasional runny nose, but it wasn’t constant.”Despite having a negative test, Calvert said he still wanted to be on the safe side. My advice is don’t ever let your guard down.”Related: Commissioner Calvert tests positive for COVID-19 days after appearing in Commissioners Court

SAN ANTONIO – Asymptomatic people stood six feet apart in lines wrapped around buildings to get free COVID-19 tests at the AT&T Center on Monday. The line is long, but it’s been moving pretty quickly,” said Pam Carpenter, who was also at the AT&T Center asymptomatic testing site. Asymptomatic COVID-19 testing sites in San Antonio add Saturday hoursJaphet said many people who are tested without symptoms end up having COVID-19. The AT&T Center will be the only asymptomatic testing site open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on New Year’s Eve. Find more testing information on the City of San Antonio’s COVID-19 testing website.

Three large scale local sites are open and free to the public for testing. It is important to mention though this community testing is just for people without symptoms. “People without symptoms are welcome here at the AT&T Center, Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and at Cuellar and Ramirez Community Centers Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.,” Mary Ulman Japhet with Community Labs said. “Community Labs’ capacity is to test about 6000 samples a day by Dec. 1. A little later this week it will be 12,000 samples a day,” Japhet said.

SAN ANTONIO – Ironically enough, I got my first COVID-19 test, hoping to get some peace of mind. But three days after I dropped my swab at the Cuellar Community Center, I had three different test results from three different tests and more questions than answers. Several different diagnostic tests are available locally -- whether “gold standard” PCR tests or the rapid antigen tests -- and like any test, none of them are perfect. The station, though requiring me to isolate and stay away from work, also asked me to get a PCR test to confirm the rapid test results. Like many people, I agonized over the smallest twinges in my body, debating if they were one of the many possible COVID-19 symptoms.

SAN ANTONIO – If you’re a Costco member and you’re looking for a less invasive COVID-19 test than the nasal swab, you’re in luck. Costco warehouses are now selling COVID-19 saliva test kits online, according to its website. Customers have two options to choose from: the COVID-19 Saliva PCR Test Kit with Video Observation at $139.99, or just the COVID-19 Saliva PCR Test Kit, for $129.99. If you purchase the saliva test kits, they will be delivered to your home or you can register for an in-pharmacy test, according to AZOVA’s website. Here’s how the process will work:You’ll need to complete a health assessment and register for a lab order for each COVID-19 Saliva PCR test kit purchased on Costco.com .

Speaking at the Thursday nightly briefing, Metro Health Chief of Epidemiology Rita Espinoza said the asymptomatic cases will now also be listed as “probable” cases in the city’s COVID-19 statistics. Without one, though, they weren’t recorded as a case, and no contact tracing efforts were conducted. The group recommended all antigen positive lab reports be counted as “probable” cases and investigated the same. A positive result from one of these tests is enough to consider a case “confirmed,” under state definitions, compared to the “probable” label that positive antigen test results get. “That means that you can count on a positive test being positive,” Gude said.

SOMERSET, Texas – A new nonprofit is conducting mass testing for COVID-19 at the Somerset Independent School District to get students back into the classroom safely. Somerset ISD received the testing service for free as part of the nonprofit’s pilot program. Last week, more than 200 Somerset High School students and staff members were tested for COVID-19. Somerset ISD Superintendent Saul Hinojosa said testing is only mandatory for students participating in extracurricular activities and are required to travel outside of the school. “It’s only mandatory for any students who participate in extracurricular activities being that they travel.”Hinojosa said around 1,600 of the 4,100 students enrolled at Somerset ISD are back in classrooms for in-person learning.

San Antonio area volleyball teams adapting to shorter schedules, strict guidelinesPublished: August 17, 2020, 12:22 amWith rapidly dwindling schedules and steadily increasing health and safety guidelines, high school volleyball teams across the greater San Antonio area have been forced to adapt quickly in order to stay prepared for the upcoming season.

SAN ANTONIO – A collaborative office space in downtown San Antonio launched a rapid COVID-19 testing pilot program for its members, which is touted to be the first of its kind in the city. The program, launched on Monday, is a free, mandatory program for the members of Geekdom, a co-working space housing local startups in the Rand Building. It makes sense for us to pilot this innovative, scientific, data-driven approach to testing and returning to work,” said Charles Woodin, Geekdom’s CEO. This is an opportunity to do what we do best: ideate, collaborate, and innovate towards a solution.”The program is based on an employee testing program at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, which is one of the first to provide intensive, rapid testing for its employees. Geekdom plans on sharing the results of the four-week pilot with other organizations.

(Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) SCHERTZ, Texas – Guadalupe County will host a free, walk-up COVID-19 testing site on Friday, July 24, in Schertz. The mobile site will be available from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. or when tests run out at Lehnhoff Stadium under the home bleachers, according to the Guadalupe County Fire Marshal’s Office. The testing is being hosted by the Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City Independent School District.

AUSTIN COVID-19 point-of-care testing will be provided for assisted living facilities and nursing homes throughout the state. Greg Abbott made the announcement Friday that Omnicare, a CVS Health company, is partnering with the state of Texas to provide the testing. This partnership with Omnicare and CVS Health will increase COVID-19 testing in our assisted living facilities and nursing homes and help us protect vulnerable Texans from COVID-19, Abbott said in a released statement. Testing in assisted living facilities began Thursday. State testing teams completed testing of all nursing home staff and residents in June at the direction of Abbott, according to the release.

Use this screening tool to help determine if you need a COVID-19 test. After being tested for COVID-19 Metro Health advises that a person should:Assume you are positive until you get your test results back. A close contact is anyone you spent 15 minutes or more with and were within six-feet distance. If you test positive, call people or places that you had close contact with. Related headlines:What you need to know about COVID-19 testing according to UT Health expertsMetro Health: Self-swab tests may not be as accurate as professionally conducted testsWhere you can get tested for COVID-19 in San Antonio, Bexar County

SAN ANTONIO – The COVID-19 testing site at Freeman Coliseum is booked until Tuesday amid a rising number of novel coronavirus cases in Bexar County, officials said. San Antonio metro area named COVID-19 hotspot, CNBC reports“Although many testing sites are overwhelmed with demand for COVID-19 tests, we are increasing the capacity to test and expanding access to both no-cost and paid testing sites across Bexar County,” stated Dr. Walkup testing sites will expand six days per week instead of three and will be open Monday through Saturday. Click here for more information on testing sites. Officials said the Texas Military Department will have a testing site open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday at ESD #12, Station 136, located at 11800 Highway 87 in Adkins, Texas.

(CNN) -- At least four states combined data from two different test results, potentially providing a misleading picture of when and where coronavirus spread as the nation eases restrictions. Virginia, Texas, Georgia, and Vermont have said they've been adding two numbers to their totals: viral test results and antibody test results. Combining the two tests' results into one total could provide an inaccurate picture of where and when the virus spread. Experts have consistently emphasized that for states to reopen safely, adequate testing and tracing is needed. Still, another group of experts has predicted spikes in coronavirus cases for the states that broadly reopened relatively early.

SAN ANTONIO – CVS Pharmacy will open drive-thru testing for COVID-19 at select locations throughout San Antonio and Texas. The national pharmacy chain announced that 44 testing sites will open in the state, including five in the San Antonio area, on Friday. Once they arrive, patients must stay in their cars and a CVS Pharmacy employee will hand them a self-swab test. Greg Abbott said in a news release that CVS plans on opening more than 80 drive-thru testing sites in the state by the end of the month. “Texas continues to rapidly ramp up COVID-19 testing in our communities, and these new drive-thru testing sites provided by CVS Health will further expand access to these tests throughout the state,” Abbott said.

SAN ANTONIO – The City of San Antonio on Wednesday announced two new walk-up COVID-19 testing sites that will be open May 14-16. There is no appointment required to get tested at the walk-up testing locations at Southside Lions Community Center and the Claude Black Community Center. The sites will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. from Thursday through Saturday. “The Texas Department of Health and Human Services, Texas Emergency Medical Task Force, Texas Division of Emergency Management and the Texas Military Department has also added more mobile COVID-19 test locations for residents at no cost. Appointments for Texas Military Department location can be made at www.txcovidtest.org,” the city said in a news release.

How genetic testing helped one family fight cancer Knowing your family history can be critical when it comes to assessing your cancer risk. CBS News Correspondent Bigad Shaban shows us how one family used that knowledge to make some serious medical choices.