SAN ANTONIO —
These are the facts:
- There have been at least 6,362 cases of coronavirus in Texas and 110 reported deaths from COVID-19 as of 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 4, according to Johns Hopkins University.
- City leaders say there are 384 confirmed positive cases in San Antonio as of 6:15 p.m. on April 4; 117 of them are "community-transmission" cases. Officials have confirmed two additional coronavirus-related deaths across Bexar County, bringing the total to 11. 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:
Saturday, April 4
7:50 p.m.
DeWitt County officials report a seventh confirmed case of the novel coronavirus, classified as community spread. The county urges residents to follow Gov. Greg Abbott's new stay-home mandate.
6:30 p.m.
VIA bus routes are moving to “Saturday” schedules starting on Monday with some reduced hours and routes.
Some routes will not be operating and others will offer limited service. All of that information is at VIAinfo.net, and updates on VIA's coronavirus response can be found here.
6:10 p.m.
Mayor Ron Nirenberg announced that two more people have died in Bexar County, bringing the total to 11.
Both were men in their 80s with underlying health issues, and one was a resident at the Southeast Nursing and Rehabilitation facility where 66 others have tested positive. There are now 384 confirmed cases in the county, and 47 have recovered.
2:00 p.m.
An employee at the H-E-B Plus! on Loop 1604 at Bandera Road has tested positive for coronavirus.
According to the company, the employee was last at the store on March 27. They say the store has been deep-cleaned multiple times since then, and all other employees who had contact have been notified.
11:38 a.m.
Officials in Comal County have confirmed another three additional cases of coronavirus, totaling 21 cases. The announcement marks the third consecutive day of three new cases confirmed. At least two of the case are considered community transmission.
9:10 a.m.
Kendall County and the City of Boerne confirm a new case of coronavirus, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to nine. The newest case if travel-related.
7 a.m.
The worldwide total of confirmed COVID-19 cases is just over 1.1 million with almost 60,000 deaths and 233,000 recoveries.
Friday, April 3
6:10 p.m.
Local leaders say the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Bexar County now stands at 342, a dramatic increase over the figure of 254 reported on Thursday. Ninety-three of the cases are classified as community-transmission, and another 93 are travel-related.
However, it should be noted that figure includes the new numbers from the outbreak at the Southeast Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, where 67 of 84 residents have tested positive.
4:45 p.m.
San Antonio announces residents no longer need a physician's referral to be tested for the coronavirus, thanks to an influx of new testing supplies. They must, however, be showing symptoms.
4 p.m.
Lavaca County leaders confirm the second positive case of COVID-19 in their area, a travel-related case. The patient is isolating at home.
Elsewhere, the number of positive coronavirus cases in Hays County is up to 47 total; seven of those are travel-related. That figure includes the first confirmed case in Wimberley, Texas.
3:45 p.m.
Walmart announces extra precautions to promote social distancing in its stores, including limiting foot traffic to five customers per 1,000 square feet. That amounts to about 20% store capacity. They'll also be emphasizing the proper use of store entrances and exits and instituting one-way movement through aisles.
3:30 p.m.
The state announces it is offering childcare assistance for essential workers in Texas who are unable to find someone to look after their children. There are certain requirements to be eligible for the assistance.
2:30 p.m.
Gov. Abbott said more than 55,000 Texans have been tested for COVID-19. Of those, 5,478 have tested positive for the virus.
The governor said there are 91 confirmed coronavirus-related deaths in the state.
Abbott also said because of executive orders he has signed, there has been a 142% increase in hospital beds in the state. As of Friday afternoon, there are in the state:
- 19,695 beds available
- 47,585 total beds reported
- 2,107 ICU beds available
- 8,741 ventilators available
11:30 a.m.
City officials held a press conference to provide an update on the coronavirus outbreak at a local nursing home. At this time, 67 of the 84 residents have tested positive for coronavirus and there has been 1 reported death.
10:02 a.m.
Comal County confirms 3 additional cases of coronavirus, bringing the total number of cases in the county to 18.
8:21 a.m.
The number of U.S. deaths from COVID-19 passed 6,000 early Friday morning, an increase of approximately 2,000 in the span of about 48 hours. That's according to numbers from Johns Hopkins University.
8:03 a.m.
A record-long streak of U.S. job growth ended suddenly in March after nearly a decade as employers cut 701,000 jobs because of the viral outbreak that's all but shut down the U.S. economy.
7:00 a.m.
Costco will start limiting how many customers can come into its stores beginning Friday in a temporary effort to encourage social distancing. The company said on its website that only two people per membership card will be allowed to enter. That means parents who normally haul their whole family to the store may have to leave some of them at home. Costco on Monday also announced its stores will close at 6:30 p.m. on weekdays temporarily -- two hours earlier than normal. Gas stations will close at 7 p.m. on weekdays and 6:30 p.m. on weekends.
6:30 a.m.
The number of U.S. deaths from COVID-19 passed 6,000 early Friday morning, an increase of approximately 2,000 in the span of about 48 hours. That's according to numbers from Johns Hopkins University. More than 1/4 of those are in New York City.
Meanwhile, the university is also reporting 5,253 coronavirus cases in Texas and 86 deaths related to the coronavirus in Texas.
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.