SAN ANTONIO — A resurgent coronavirus, worsended by the Delta variant and lagging vaccination rates, continues to affect Bexar County.
Wednesday, city and county officials gave an update on efforts to fight COVID-19 in San Antonio.
On Tuesday afternoon, Metro Health reported a total of 244,802 COVID-19 cases in the county, amounting to an increase of more than 5,700 cases since last Thursday (when new figures were last reported.)
That averages out to about 1,150 new cases a day since Thursday, reflecting a seven-day moving average of new cases that rose by 36.8% since Thursday to 1,146.
The last time the seven-day moving average was that high was early February.
Local coronavirus hospitalizations also continue to see a sharp uptick. On Tuesday, there were 920 patients in San Antonio-area facilities, up from 695 last Thursday. Our region hasn't seen that many patients being treated in hospitals since early February, nor has the current number of COVID-19 patients in intensive care (260) been as high as it is since Feb. 18.
Nine new deaths were also reported since Thursday, bringing the total number of San Antonio-area residents who died from coronavirus complications to 3,619.
The new numbers come after a summer in which pandemic-era restrictions were largely lifted in San Antonio, Texas and beyond. The COVID-19 figures are also rising as officials with the Centers for Disease Control announce updated mask-wearing guidance to recommend face coverings for everyone, vaccinated and unvaccinated alike, in areas of high virus transmission.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, meanwhile, has ordered local leaders not to announce mask mandates, saying it's a "personal responsibility" for Texans at this point in the pandemic.
Bexar County's positivity rate stands at 17%; it has not been updated since July 26. As of last Thursday, just under 77% of the county's eligible population has had at least one COVID-19 vaccine.