SAN ANTONIO — With coronavirus cases steadily rising in San Antonio and exploding nationwide, local leaders are urging precautions for Thanksgiving.
Officials are discouraging traveling or gathering in large groups to avoid spreading the coronavirus.
“If you don’t heed the warnings this Thanksgiving holiday, you or your loved ones could be spending Christmas in the hospital,” said Mayor Ron Nirenberg.
“Thanksgiving, I hate the fact that I can’t get together. We have a big expanded family and we got a big one but we’re not going to do it and I would suggest that you consider doing the same,” said Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff.
Nirenberg also urges people who eat at restaurants to only do so with immediate family members.
“What the restaurant community here has being doing with regard to precautions, sanitation, keeping tables distant, are the right kinds of regulations if patrons are able to conduct themselves in accordance with public health guidelines,” Nirenberg said.
Meantime, small bars may soon shut down as Bexar County’s positivity rate has climbed to 10%.
Wolff calls it a danger point.
“The impact that it might have depending on what happens next week, Metro Health has recommended that if we have two weeks of 10% or more positive rate, the smaller bars that are not serving food would have to close,” Wolff said.
The city has assigned additional officers to conduct proactive business inspections to ensure they’re complying with coronavirus safety guidelines.
Nirenberg said they will now be able to do 350 inspections, which is more than double the usual number.