SAN ANTONIO — These are the facts:
- There have been at least 59,776 cases of coronavirus in Texas and 1,601 reported deaths from COVID-19 as of 3:30 p.m. on May 28, according to Texas HHS. It is estimated that 37,626 Texans have recovered from the virus.
- City and county leaders say there are 2,583 confirmed positive cases in Bexar County as of 6:13 p.m. on May 28. A total of 71 people have died from the coronavirus in the county.
- Governor Abbott's order for a "phased in" reopening of the Texas economy got underway Friday, May 1, and further phases are expected. You can find more information about that here.
- Per city orders, most San Antonians are being asked to wear a mask or cloth covering in public areas where social distancing is difficult or not possible. Click here for more information.
NEW DAILY CORONAVIRUS CASES IN BEXAR COUNTY:
We're tracking how many coronavirus cases are confirmed in Bexar County each day from the time San Antonio Metro Health began reporting cases more than two months ago. Graphing those daily case numbers along a 14-day moving average provides an accurate picture of the curve in the San Antonio area and the direction we're heading amid the coronavirus.
Thursday, May 28
7:34 p.m.
By the numbers: 1,368 (53%) Bexar County residents have now recovered from COVID-19, while 1,144 remain ill with the virus. 71 residents have died from coronavirus, as of Thursday evening,
6:15 p.m.
Mayor Ron Nirenberg reported that an additional 58 cases of the novel coronavirus have been confirmed in Bexar County on Thursday, bringing the total to 2,583. Meanwhile, one new death from COVID-19 complications was reported, bringing the local death toll to 71.
5:15 p.m.
The Pearl has announced when its Farmers Market will return (albeit in a limited capacity) and when its food hall will reopen to customers, as operations slowly begin to resemble normalcy.
3:50 p.m.
The state of Texas saw its biggest daily jump in COVID-19 cases so far in this pandemic, reporting an increase of 1,855 diagnoses for a new total of 59,776 on Thursday afternoon. The death toll, meanwhile, has reached 1,601 after 39 new deaths were reported.
3:40 p.m.
President Trump on Thursday signed an executive order against social media companies after Twitter applied fact checks to a pair of his recent posts, saying those were "editorial decisions" that amounted to political activism.
2:45 p.m.
A pair of renowned events announced remarkably rare cancellations on Wednesday. First, the Wisconsin State Fair isn't happening for the first time in 75 years.
And, for the first time in its storied 124-year history, the Boston Marathon won't be run in 2020. Organizers had previously delayed the race from April to September, but they now determine it's "not feasible this year, for public health reasons."
11:45 a.m.
The McNay Art Museum announces plans to reopen in late June, while enforcing social distancing and requiring that all visitors at least 2 years old wear a mask.
9:40 a.m.
Basketball Hall of Fame chairman Jerry Colangelo told ESPN that the enshrinement ceremony for Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan and five others will be delayed until 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The ceremony was to have taken place in Springfield on Aug. 29. Colangelo told ESPN that the event will be moved until the spring of 2021.
8:15 a.m.
Morgan's Wonderland announced Thursday staff members there made the difficult decision to stay closed for the rest of the 2020 season.
The park was closed, along with many other businesses, early in the coronavirus pandemic.
7:40 a.m.
More than 2.1 million people applied for U.S. unemployment benefits last week in the latest wave of layoffs from the viral outbreak that triggered widespread business shutdowns two months ago and sent the economy into a deep recession.
About 41 million people have now applied for aid since the virus outbreak intensified in March, though not all of them are still unemployed.
The Labor Department’s report Thursday includes a count of all the people now receiving unemployment aid: 21 million. That is a rough measure of the number of unemployed Americans.
6:45 a.m.
The latest numbers this morning show there have been 1,699,933 confirmed coronavirus cases in the United States. There have also been 100,442 deaths related to coronavirus.
Wednesday, May 27
9 p.m.
Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee in the 2020 presidential election, released a social media message Wednesday evening calling attention to the 100,000 American lives lost to COVID-19. In it, he alluded to tragedies faced in his own life, saying, "I think I know what you're feeling."
7 p.m.
The Texas Supreme Court ruled that lack of immunity to the novel coronavirus does not qualify a voter to a mail-in ballot, raising the stakes in an ongoing legal fight in the Lone Star State.
6:13 p.m.
Mayor Ron Nirenberg reported that an additional 45 cases of the novel coronavirus have been confirmed in Bexar County on Wednesday, bringing the total to 2,525. Meanwhile, 1 new death from COVID-19 complications was reported, bringing the local death toll to 70.
4:52 p.m.
The United States reached a grim milestone in the fight against the new coronavirus Wednesday. At least 100,000 people in this country are reported to have died from COVID-19.
4:00 p.m.
Texas health officials reported an additional 1,361 cases and 26 fatalities in the state Wednesday, bringing the total number of cases in Texas to 57,921 with 1,562 reported deaths from COVID-19. It is estimated that 37,626 Texans have recovered from the virus.
Here's a look at the 14-day moving average for the state; while the number spiked today, new daily cases are trending downward in Texas:
3:13 p.m.
Another Texas-based retailer has filed for bankruptcy.
Tuesday Morning filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in response to the strain that the Covid-19 pandemic and related closure mandates have put on the company.
2:34 p.m.
Texas is recommending people to bring their own hand sanitizer to vote this summer. The secretary of state suggested that voters "may want to consider" voting curbside if they have symptoms of COVID-19, including a fever, cough or sore throat
2:00 p.m.
Gov. Greg Abbott spoke about Texas fight against COVID-19 while in Amarillo Wednesday -- a region that fought against the virus at three different hotspots: a jail, a meatpacking plant and nursing homes.
12:49 p.m.
The nation's top infectious disease expert, White House administration official Dr. Anthony Fauci, has come out conclusively stating that "the scientific data" regarding the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine is "really quite evident now about the lack of efficacy" in fighting the coronavirus.
10:45 a.m.
Comal County has confirmed four new cases, bringing its total to 87.
All four cases are New Braunfels residents, three in their 40's and one in their 50's. All are self-isolating.
The county also confirmed three more recoveries, bringing the total to 67. With six deaths, the county now has 14 active cases, three of them hospitalized after a previously confirmed home-isolated case was admitted to the hospital.
As of Wednesday morning, the Comal County Office of Public Health has received reports of the following test information:
- 2,956 tests conducted
- 87 positive tests
- 2,749 negative tests
- 200 results still pending
These numbers include 1,465 nursing home tests taken last week, of which 1,415 were negative and one was positive, with the rest pending. The positive test is an outside medical practitioner who provides services to residents at EdenHill Communities. Because they are not a Comal County resident, their result is not included in the county’s total positive cases.
Of the 87 confirmed cases in Comal County, the location breakdown is:
• 36 from New Braunfels or the immediate area
• 14 from north of Canyon Lake
• 13 from the Bulverde area
• 7 from eastern Comal County
• 4 from the Spring Branch area
• 3 from south of Canyon Lake
• 3 from Garden Ridge
• 2 from Fair Oaks Ranch
• 2 from southwest Comal County
• 2 from central Comal County
• 1 from Schertz
10:28 a.m.
The San Antonio Fire Department provided an update:
- Uniformed positive: 6
- Uniformed in quarantine: 2
- SAFD civilians in quarantine: 1
- Total SAFD personnel quarantined: 3
9:48 a.m.
Two additional CPS Energy team members have tested positive for coronavirus. These are the second and third CPS Energy employees to test positive for coronavirus, with the fire notification happening on May 8.
Neither employee had customer interactions. Both affected employees are currently recovering at home.
7:30 a.m.
Roughly three weeks after state and federal teams descended on the Panhandle to address the explosion of new coronavirus cases tied to local meatpacking plants, Gov. Greg Abbott will give an update from the region. Local officials and leaders are expected to join Abbott in Amarillo for the update.
The news conference is scheduled for 2 p.m. Wednesday.
7 a.m.
The latest coronavirus numbers in the U.S. show there have been 1,681,418 confirmed cases since the pandemic began. There have also been 98,929 deaths related to coronavirus, according to Johns Hopkins University.
Coronavirus symptoms
The symptoms of coronavirus can be similar to the flu or a bad cold. Symptoms include a fever, cough, and shortness of breath, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
Most healthy people will have mild symptoms. A study of more than 72,000 patients by the Centers for Disease Control in China showed 80 percent of the cases there were mild.
But infections can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure, and even death, according to the World Health Organization. Older people with underlying health conditions are most at risk.
The CDC believes symptoms may appear anywhere from two to 14 days after being exposed.
Human coronaviruses are usually spread through...
- The air by coughing or sneezing
- Close personal contact, such as touching or shaking hands
- Touching an object or surface with the virus on it, then touching your mouth, nose or eyes before washing your hands.
Help stop the spread of coronavirus
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Eat and sleep separately from your family members
- Use different utensils and dishes
- Cover your cough or sneeze with your arm, not your hand.
- If you use a tissue, throw it in the trash.
Lower your risk
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
- The CDC recommends wearing a mask or cloth face covering if you have to be out due to an essential service or essential activity such as going to the grocery store.
- If you are 60 or over and have an underlying health condition such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes or respiratory illnesses like asthma or COPD, the World Health Organization advises you to try to avoid crowds or places where you might interact with people who are sick.