SAN ANTONIO — For the latest updates refer to our most recent real-time blog.
These are the facts:
- There have been at least 5,065 cases of coronavirus in Texas and 77 reported deaths from COVID-19 as of 6:20 p.m. on Thursday, April 2, according to Johns Hopkins University.
- City leaders say there are 254 confirmed positive cases in San Antonio as of 6:15 p.m. on April 2; 82 of them are "community-transmission" cases. Officials have confirmed nine coronavirus-related deaths across Bexar County. There are no new deaths related to COVID-19 Thursday. 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:
Thursday, April 2
9:20 p.m.
Local leaders say Bexar County has begun to issue citations to those who aren't complying with the stay-home order. Three individuals in the community have received citations, as well as one business.
Leaders say the city has received 1,100 calls reporting potential violations of the order.
9 p.m.
Officials with the Texas Juvenile Justice Department say one of its employees, who worked at a state school in Giddings, has tested positive for the coronavirus, having left work earlier this week after beginning to feel sick.
TJJD officials say the employee didn't interact with youth as part of their job, and anyone they had close contact with are now self-isolating.
6:45 p.m.
Two more Seguin residents have tested positive for coronavirus, according to city officials. 19 people in total have tested positive in the city.
6:15 p.m.
City Councilman Manny Pelaez told KENS 5 the number of cases at the Southeast Nursing & Rehabilitation Center is up to 59 confirmed positive tests for coronavirus.
These cases are not included in Metro Health's latest county, according to Mayor Nirenberg.
6:15 p.m.
The total number of confirmed cases of coronavirus has risen to 254, San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg said during his daily update. 59 positive cases have been reported at the Southeast Nursing & Rehabilitation center; it's unclear how many of those cases are reflected in the city's official count.
Nirenberg said the city has 79 travel-related cases and 82 community transmission cases, making this the first update where community spread outnumbers travel-related cases. 47 people have recovered fully.
4:15 p.m.
IDEA Public Schools is closing its Texas campuses for learning for the rest of the 2019-2020 academic school year amid the coronavirus pandemic. Read the schools full statement below:
"At IDEA Public Schools the safety of our students, staff and families is our top priority. All IDEA Public Schools campuses in Texas are preparing to offer distance learning the remainder of the 2019-20 academic year. Our school buildings will remain closed except for meals and childcare. We will continue to monitor the situation throughout the summer and hope to reopen our school buildings in August."
4:00 p.m.
DeWitt County officials reported two new cases of coronavirus in county residents. One of the cases is believed to have been aq The total know cases in DeWitt County has risen to six.
2:45 p.m.
Mayor Ron Nirenberg plans to ask City Council next week to extend the “Stay Home, Work Safe” order through at least April 30, according to the mayor's office. The order was previously in place until April 9.
This comes after Governor Greg Abbott issued an executive order with similar mandates through the end of April. You can read more about that order here.
1:51 p.m.
The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office says a Detention Deputy has tested positive for coronavirus. It appears to be a community transmission of COVID-19. BCSO said the deputy did not have any contact with the public prior to being placed on administrative leave.
11:58 a.m.
Kendall County has confirmed its eight coronavirus cases. They have confirmed four cases are in Boerne, three are in Kendall County and one is in Fair Oaks Ranch. Seven of the cases are travel-related and one is close contact spread. There are currently no confirmed community spread cases.
11:00 a.m.
San Antonio's City Council announced the suspension of $82 million in spending on Thursday as coronavirus continues to hurt the local, national and global economy.
Officials say these are suspensions, not cuts, so the spending is expected to resume once the situation improves. The biggest suspensions are to street maintenance projects, and the City has also instituted a temporary hiring freeze for most positions.
10:45 a.m.
San Antonio Fire Chief Charles Hood gave details to the city council about the coronavirus outbreak at a nursing home. SAFD created a system where any nursing home in the region needing a patient transported from SAFD or private ambulance, a doctor will screen them first, see if person can be treated at center.
Below is some information shared at the city council meeting:
9:45 a.m.
The San Antonio City Council observed a moment of silence this morning to honor the people who have died from coronavirus and recognize the healthcare workers and other people who are on the front lines of the battle against coronavirus.
See the bells ringing below during the moment of silence at San Fernando Cathedral:
8:05 a.m.
More than 6.6 million Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week, far exceeding a record high set just last week, a sign that layoffs are accelerating in the midst of the coronavirus. The job cuts are mounting against the backdrop of economies in the United States and abroad that have almost certainly sunk into a severe recession as businesses close across the world.
7:25 a.m.
A moment of silence is being held Thursday in San Antonio today at 9:20 a.m. to honor the people who have died from coronavirus and recognize the healthcare workers and other people who are on the front lines of the battle against coronavirus.
7:10 a.m.
The Federal Trade Commission says consumer complaints related to the coronavirus have surged. The FTC said Tuesday it has received 7,800 complaints since the start of the year and about half of those came in just the past week.
"The top categories of coronavirus-related fraud complaints include travel and vacation related reports about cancellations and refunds, reports about problems with online shopping, mobile texting scams, and government and business imposter scams," the FTC said in a statement.
Wednesday, April 1
6:15 p.m.
There are now 229 confirmed Bexar County coronavirus cases. No new deaths have been reported. There are 70 travel-related cases and 66 community transmission cases. 33 cases involved close contact, and 60 cases remain under investigation.
4:34 p.m.
1 of the 7 Kendall County patients who tested positive for coronavirus visited a local business (a UPS store) within the City of Boerne, according to officials with the Texas Department of State Health Services. It is possible that anyone who visited the UPS store at 215 W. Bandera on March 28 around 12 p.m. may have been exposed.
As a precaution, city officials say the store is being "professionally sanitized" overnight so customers can go there on Thursday.
4:19 p.m.
The Hays County Local Health Department reports 4 additional lab-confirmed cases overnight and today bringing the total number of lab-confirmed cases to 42, of the 42, 32 cases are active, 10 are recovered.
4:15 p.m.
NEISD employee tests positive for coronavirus. While there was no contact with any students, the employe did visit the Johnson High School campus briefly on two occasions.
12:40 p.m.
12 people have tested positive for coronavirus at a San Antonio nursing home, according to the San Antonio Fire Department. Six are staff members at Southeast Nursing and Rehabilitation, and six are residents.
11:10 a.m.
Comal County officials have confirmed a 12th positive case of coronavirus, a patient in their 60s who has self-quarantined at home. How the patient contracted the coronavirus is unconfirmed.
“The patient traveled internationally in the weeks before symptom onset, but the amount of time between travel and symptoms makes it difficult to determine whether they contracted the virus overseas or locally,” said Cheryl Fraser, Comal County director of public health.
10:20 a.m.
The Texas State Teachers Association posted a letter to social media Wednesday demanding that Texas schools stay closed through the end of the 2019-2020 school year.
9:54 p.m.
The San Antonio Police Department has confirmed that a second member of the department has tested positive for coronavirus. This case does not appear to be related to the first.
7:56 a.m.
In an effort to increase social distancing, Costco says it will temporarily start limiting the number of people who can enter its stores. Starting Friday, only two people will be allowed in for every membership card that is presented, according to the company's website. That means parents who normally haul their whole family to the store may have to leave some of them at home.
7 a.m.
The U.S. has 189,633 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 4,081 deaths from the disease as of 3:15 a.m. ET Wednesday morning, according to Johns Hopkins University. More than 7,100 people have recovered.
Click here for previous updates.
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.