SAN ANTONIO —
For the latest updates, visit our current real-time blog.
These are the facts:
- There have been at least 7,359 cases of coronavirus in Texas and 148 reported deaths from COVID-19 as of 6 p.m. on Monday, April 6, according to Johns Hopkins University.
- City leaders say there are 456 confirmed positive cases in San Antonio as of 6:15 p.m. on April 6; 139 of them are "community-transmission" cases while 153 were caused by close contact with another patient.12 people in the county have died. City officials are also releasing the zip codes of residents who have tested positive for the virus. Click here for that information.
- Governor Abbott issued an executive order telling people to stay home unless working in an "essential service" or doing an activity deemed essential. Here is what that means.
- Many school districts in the San Antonio area have closed at least until May 4, after the governor ordered schools closed until then. Check our full list of free meals offered by some of the districts during the school closure.
Coronavirus Q&A | SA's "Stay Home, Work Safe" order | List of companies still hiring | Shopping times for seniors | Stimulus check calculator
Real-time updates:
Monday, April 6
8:00 p.m.
Eleven new cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in Guadalupe County. Officials said the total number of cases in the county has now risen to 39.
6:15 p.m.
Mayor Ron Nirenberg announced in his daily update that he is advising citizens to wear cloth masks when out in public.
City leaders say there are 456 confirmed positive cases in San Antonio as of 6:15 p.m. on April 6; 139 of them are "community-transmission" cases while 153 were caused by close contact with another patient.12 people in the county have died. City officials are also releasing the zip codes of residents who have tested positive for the virus. Click here for that information.
3:00 p.m.
Val Verde County officials are confirming a sixth case of coronavirus. They say this person likely contracted it while traveling in the United States, and they have been transported to San Antonio for treatment.
2:15 p.m.
Governor Greg Abbott gave an update Monday on the coronavirus efforts going on Texas.In the press conference, he said more than 85,000 people have been tested in the state of Texas for coronavirus. Of those, there have been 7,319 people who have tested positive. Of those people, 1,153 people have been hospitalized. There have also been 140 deaths from coronavirus.
1:18 p.m.
A second Bexar County Sheriff detention deputy has tested positive for coronavirus, BCSO said in a statement Monday.
A total of three BCSO employees have tested positive for COVID-19, two assigned to the Detention Bureau, and one Video Visitation civilian employee.
1:05 p.m.
More than 10,000 people have died from the the new coronavirus in the U.S., according to a John Hopkins University tracker. The U.S. has more than 300,000 reported cases. 18,000 people have recovered from the virus infection.
11:19 a.m.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection updated its list of confirmed employee coronavirus cases; San Antonio has two. It is unclear when these two employees contracted the disease.
11:09 a.m.
Comal County has confirmed its 22nd case of coronavirus. The patient is from New Braunfels and in their 40s; they are self-quarantined. The case is said to be travel-related.
The county also reported a seventh patient has recovered, which along with two deaths, leaves 13 active cases. Four of them are hospitalized outside the county and nine are in self-isolation.
9:40 a.m.
Governor Greg Abbott is expected to give an update today on the coronavirus efforts going on Texas. That news conference is expected to start at 2 p.m.
9 a.m.
Stocks jumped in markets around the world Monday after some of the hardest-hit areas offered sparks of hope that the worst of the coronavirus outbreak may be on the horizon.
7:45 a.m.
A federal report finds 3 out of 4 U.S. hospitals surveyed are already treating patients with confirmed or suspected COVID-19. The report from the Health and Human Services inspector general's office is due out Monday. It finds hospitals across the nation expect to be overwhelmed as U.S. coronavirus cases rocket toward their anticipated peak by mid-April.
7:30 a.m.
Evo Entertainment's drive-in movie theater in Schertz, Texas announced it is closing due to "shelter-in-place" restrictions. A Facebook post on the organization's website thanked staff and customers for their support.
Sunday, April 5
9:00 p.m.
Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas officials say they were informed on Saturday that a person who worked at the Wesley Health & Wellness Center during the week of March 23-27 has tested positive for coronavirus.
They say the center will be closed during the week of April 5-12 for thorough cleaning, and that all patient care will be conducted exclusively through virtual visits until Monday, April 13. They say the risk of patient exposure is "very low" because this team member had no contact with patients and is not a part of their medical operations.
7:18 p.m.
Frio County is investigating a potential case of coronavirus, according to a press release from county officials released Sunday evening.
6:13 p.m.
Mayor Ron Nirenberg and Judge Nelson Wolff held their daily press conference to update San Antonians on the local response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Another one of the Southeast Nursing and Rehabilitation Center residents has died. A man in his 70s is the third resident of the facility to pass away since the outbreak at the nursing center.
Looking at the numbers: There are currently 410 confirmed cases in the San Antonio Area, up from 384 reported Saturday. Of the 410 cases,110 are travel-related, 127 are community-transmission cases and 137 are considered close-contact. 36 cases remain under investigation. 67 San Antonians have fully recovered.
There are a total of 12 coronavirus-related deaths in San Antonio at this time.
"These next few weeks are the time when we're going to make a difference in saving people's lives," Mayor Nirenberg said in response to the current "stay home, work safe" order in place.
At this point in time, the peak of the virus in San Antonio is expected in the first or second week of May, Mayor Nirenberg stated.
4:00 p.m.
Four more people have tested positive in Hays County, bringing the total to 54.
1:00 p.m.
Checkpoints to screen vehicles have been set up on all roads entering Texas from Louisiana as of Sunday, April 5, according to Louisiana State Police.
These checkpoints are designed to prevent people from the state of Louisiana from spreading the coronavirus in Texas.
10 a.m.
Pope Francis has begun the first of several Holy Week ceremonies that will be held without the public this year because of the coronavirus pandemic. Normally, tens of thousands of Romans and pilgrims, clutching olive branches, would have flocked to an outdoor Mass led by the pontiff. Instead, Francis was leading the ceremony inside the shelter of St. Peter’s Basilica, which seemed even more cavernous than usual because it was so empty.
9 a.m.
Americans braced for what the nation's top doctor warned Sunday would be "the hardest and saddest week" of their lives while Britain assumed the unwelcome mantle of deadliest coronavirus hotspot in Europe after a record 24-hour jump in deaths that surpassed even hard-hit Italy.
"This is going to be our Pearl Harbor moment, our 9/11 moment,'' U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams told "Fox News Sunday."
RELATED: Coronavirus live updates: US has over 7,000 deaths; Americans recommended to cover faces in public
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, hot 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.
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.