SAN ANTONIO —
These are the facts:
- There have been at least 986 cases of coronavirus in Texas and eleven reported deaths from COVID-19 as of 9:45 p.m. Tuesday, March 24, according to Johns Hopkins University.
- 18 of those cases have been from the quarantine at JBSA-Lackland in San Antonio. Metro Health has reported 69 confirmed positive cases in San Antonio as of 4:10 p.m. on March 24; 18 of them are "community-transmission" cases. Officials confirm two coronavirus-related deaths as of 6:30 p.m. on March 24.
- Most school districts in the San Antonio area have closed at least until April 3. Some may be out longer. Here's our list of school closings. And check our full list of free meals offered by some of the districts during the school closure.
Real-time updates:
Monday, March 23
8:30 p.m.
Guadalupe County officials are confirming two additional coronavirus cases in the county, bringing the total to four.
This comes a day after county officials confirmed their second case and announced a possible low-risk exposure to people who went to the H-E-B in Schertz.
8:00 p.m.
UT Health San Antonio is collecting protective gear and other medical supplies from the public. The community is encouraged to donate the following supplies:
- N-95 respirator masks and other face masks, including surgical masks, and masks used by painters, carpenters and hobbyists.
- Medical or disposable gloves.
- Eye protection goggles, but no swim goggles, please.
- Face shields.
- Thermometers.
7:20 p.m.
A retired military spouse in San Antonio has died of coronavirus as the total number of confirmed cases among Joint Base San Antonio personnel has risen to 15.
A release from JBSA said this person had a complex medical history and passed away while in hospice care. Contact tracing is underway by public health officials, and it is unclear if this is the same person identified yesterday as the first to die in Bexar County.
7:02 p.m.
In reaction to the mayor's announcement, local school districts shared on social media their newest plans. More decisions are expected Tuesday, March 24. Click here for a roundup of what decisions have been made.
6 p.m.
Mayor Ron Nirenberg issues a new "stay home, work safe" mandate, which goes into effect Tuesday night at 11:59 p.m. The order means all San Antonio residents need to stay home save for some activities explicitly specified by city officials, including working for essential businesses and getting food and other necessary supplies.
The order will last at least through April 9.
5:00 p.m.
On Sunday, Gov. Greg Abbott issued an executive order that would prohibit any medical procedure deemed not immediately necessary. Attorney General Ken Paxton clarified in a press release Monday that the order included abortions.
According to the release, the types of procedures prohibited include, “routine dermatological, ophthalmological, and dental procedures, as well as most scheduled healthcare procedures that are not immediately medically necessary such as orthopedic surgeries or any type of abortion that is not medically necessary to preserve the life or health of the mother.”
4:35 p.m.
The city says it will provide specifics on what it is calling a new "stay home, work safe" order to help fight the spread of COVID-19. That information is expected at 6 p.m. today.
4:15 p.m.
The latest numbers from Bexar County health officials show there are now at 57 confirmed positive cases of the novel coronavirus. Sixteen of those are "community-transmission" cases while 28 are travel-related.
There have been 400 tests conducted by city labs.
4:10 p.m.
A health care provider who works at Haven for Hope has tested positive for coronavirus. The patient was tested after coming in contact Friday with a family member who tested positive for the disease. Staff have been notified whether they need to quarantine.
4:00 p.m.
A shelter-in place order will go into effect in Waco and McLennan County Monday night at 11 p.m. As of Monday morning, the Waco-McLennan County Health District had confirmed 17 positive cases of COVID-19.
Austin Mayor Steve Adler said a shelter-in-place order for Austin and Travis County will be issued Tuesday, according to our partners at the Austin American-Statesman.
3:00 p.m.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott is asking for President Trump to make a presidential declaration of a major disaster in Texas based on the continued impact of coronavirus.
“Texas is all-in on our response to COVID-19 and we need Washington’s financial assistance as provided for under the law to support our efforts to limit the spread of this virus,” Abbott said.
2:50 p.m.
Officials with the San Antonio Fire Department say that 71 of its employees are self-quarantining for two weeks after recent travel, adding the measures are being taken "out of an abundance of caution." None have shown symptoms of the coronavirus.
Thirty-seven of those are expected to return to work by the end of this week, SAFD says.
2:30 p.m.
A positive case has been confirmed by officials in Blanco County, the first in that community. It's a travel-related case affecting a woman in her 60s, and she is currently self-quarantining at home.
1:15 p.m.
Waco's mayor declares a shelter-in-place, ordering all non-essential businesses to close at 11:59 p.m. Monday. Under the order, public gatherings are prohibited.
12:10 p.m.
Comal County officials say there is a fourth confirmed case of the coronavirus in their community, and it is travel-related. There have been 51 tests in the county as of Sunday night.
11:15 a.m.
Wilson County, which has a population of about 50,000, confirmed its first case of the novel coronavirus on Monday. The patient had recently traveled elsewhere in the U.S.
10:35 a.m.
Residents of Hays County who may have coronavirus-related questions can now get them answered via a non-emergency hotline that was announced Monday. The number is (512)393-5525, and is available from 7 a.m to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday.
10:15 a.m.
U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams reiterates that the public needs to stay home, and limit leaving their residence to only essential travel. The stakes, he says, are immediate
"I want Americans to understand this week: It's going to get bad," Adams says on a Monday appearance on the "TODAY" show. "Everyone needs to act as if they have the virus right now."
8:15 a.m.
U.S. stock futures are making a dramatic swing higher after the Federal Reserve announced it will lend to small and large businesses and local governments as well as extend its bond-buying programs.
7:30 a.m.
H-E-B has updated purchasing limits for products, here's what you need to know.
Sunday, March 22
10:00 p.m.
Guadalupe County is reporting a second case of coronavirus, saying people who went to the H-E-B in Schertz may have been exposed.
A release from the county says you may have been exposed if you visited the H-E-B plus! off of I-35 in Schertz on Monday, March 16 between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., though the risk from this exposure is fairly low.
8:00 p.m.
New Braunfels city officials have ordered the closure of all private clubs, massage parlors, nail salons, hair salons, barbershops, beauty salons, hair removal services, spas, tattoo and piercing parlors, and all other non-medical services that cannot be provided while maintaining six feet of distance.
Additionally, the order orders all establishments in which customers may have to wait in line for service to establish six feet of distance between patrons. The order will take effect at 11:59 p.m. on March 22, 2020 and will remain in effect until the Local State of Disaster is terminated.
7:00 p.m.
Looking closer at the numbers of coronavirus reported in San Antonio by Metro Health, there are more cases in the 40-49 age range than other ages. The numbers are as follows:
- 4 cases from ages 0-19
- 7 cases from ages 20-29
- 4 cases from ages 30-39
- 15 cases from ages 40-49
- 4 cases from ages 50-57
- 7 cases from ages 60-69
- 4 cases from ages 70-79
There is a total of 45 confirmed cases in SA as of Sunday evening, and one reported death of a woman in her 80's.
5:31 p.m.
JBSA confirms a total of 13 confirmed cases of coronavirus; this number does not include those who are quarantined at JBSA.
5:10 p.m.
Officials with the City of San Antonio and Bexar County confirm the first coronavirus-related death. The deceased was a woman in her 80s with a history of underlying health issues.
4:20 p.m.
Atascosa County officials are confirming their first two cases of coronavirus. Officials say the patients are experiencing mild symptoms and isolating at home. They said that people who went to the Walgreens Pharmacy in Pleasanton on March 17 or March 20 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. may have been exposed.
3:15 p.m.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has issued two statewide orders in an effort to better equip hospitals and other healthcare facilities during the coronavirus outbreak.
The first order instructs hospitals and healthcare professionals to suspend all non-essential medical procedures. The second order removes certain restriction on hospitals, allowing these facilities to increase patient capacity.
1:23 p.m.
Metro Health has reported a total of 45 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Bexar County; 10 of these cases are community-transmission cases.
11:30 a.m.
Congressional negotiators and the White House were set to resume talks Sunday, racing to push a massive $1.4 trillion economic rescue package.
10:45 a.m.
Apple, Google and Facebook are using their names, resources and platforms to promote virus containment and get supplies to healthcare workers.
10:00 a.m.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott is expected to give an update on the state response to the coronavirus at 3 p.m. Sunday.
Saturday, March 21
10:00 p.m.
Helotes announced it's moving its annual Cornyval and PRCA Rodeo from May until mid-August.
7:15 p.m.
Officials in Maverick County are confirming their first case of coronavirus. They are not sharing a lot of information about the individual, but say they went to two places in Eagle Pass.
7:00 p.m.
According to Johns Hopkins, the United States is now the country with the third-most confirmed coronavirus cases behind only China and Italy. There are now over 25,000 confirmed cases in America and over 300,000 confirmed cases worldwide.
6:00 p.m.
Four new coronavirus cases have been confirmed among personnel at Joint Base San Antonio, bringing the total number to 11 within the JBSA community. One is an Army soldier at Fort Sam Houston, another is an Air Force airman at Randolph Air Force Base and the other two are retirees.
Officials say that, in response to the increased amount of cases, the JBSA commander is increasing the Health Protection Condition to Charlie (HPCON C), which calls for social distancing and avoiding groups larger than 10 people.
5:00 p.m.
The San Antonio Aquarium has been cited for remaining open in defiance of Bexar County emergency declaration. Leon Valley Police say the aquarium owner is now subject to a $1,000 fine and even arrest if the violations of the declaration barring gatherings of 10+ continue.
4:00 p.m.
Comal County announced on Saturday that a third case of coronavirus has been confirmed to the Office of Public Health.
A release states that they believe the case is related to travel, and the patient has self-quarantined since returning. They say the county has received 47 reports of tests, including three positives.
3:30 p.m.
Boerne Mayor Tim Handren confirms two local cases of coronavirus in Kendall County, both are travel-related. As of this time, there are no cases of community-spread.
1:50 p.m.
The Federal Aviation Administration temporarily halted flights to New York City area airports because of coronavirus-related staffing issues at a regional air-traffic control center.
1:30 p.m.
12:00 p.m.
There are now 39 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Bexar County according to San Antonio Metro Health. 25 of those people are 40 or older, and 62% are men. Nine cases are from community transmission.
11:30 a.m.
According to Johns Hopkins, the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Texas has risen to 434 as the national total approaches 24,000. Officials say these numbers will continue to increase as testing becomes more readily available.
8 a.m.
Here's a recap on how the City of San Antonio has responded to stopping the spread of coronavirus over the past 7 days.
Friday, March 20
10:00 p.m.
City officials said more trash is being generated in San Antonio as an effect of social distancing amid the coronavirus pandemic. The city 's Solid Waste Management division offered tips to San Antonians to help reduce the waste.
7:10 p.m.
The University Health System announced it's further tightening visitor restrictions to slow the spread of COVID-19 in the community. Earlier this week, three UHS employees tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
5:30 p.m.
With the San Antonio Zoo forced to close for at least the next 30 days due to coronavirus, the non-profit has furloughed a majority of its employees. Meanwhile, the zoo is asking for donations to assist in essential animal care. Their emergency fund can be accessed here.
4:30 p.m.
Three more personnel members at Joint Base San Antonio test positive, bringing the total number of confirmed cases within the JBSA community to seven.
4:00 p.m.
Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller confirmed that a St. Luke Church employee tested positive for COVID-19 in a video message posted on social media. In it, he also stresses the importance of conducting Easter Weekend services in April, while prioritizing live-streaming and limiting in-person congregations to no more than 10 people.
3:20 p.m.
The Kendall County Office of Emergency Management and the City of Boerne reports its second case of coronavirus in the community. Local leaders were notified Friday of the positive test.
1:30 p.m.
Eight of the 29 confirmed coronavirus cases in Bexar County were the result of community transmission.
1:00 p.m.
VIA announced they will suspend fare collection on public transportation in San Antonio until at least April 1.
12:45 p.m.
With schools closed by state mandate, South San ISD and NEISD boards approved resolutions to pay district employees during the emergency closure.
12:00 p.m.
The Texas Supreme Court has issued an emergency order suspending residential evictions in the state for a month unless there is a threat of physical harm or criminal activity.
9:35 a.m.
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin says the Trump administration has decided to push the income tax filing date to July 15 from April 15.
9:30 a.m.
A second positive case of coronavirus has been confirmed by officials in Comal County. The Office of Public Health is looking into the patient’s recent history and contacts to figure out how they contracted the novel coronavirus. The patient has self-quarantined since receiving the positive test, which was confirmed late Thursday to the Office of Public Health.
8:30 a.m.
U.S. stock indexes were mixed in early trading Friday, shedding some of their gains from a day earlier as Wall Street rounded out another turbulent week.
7:20 a.m.
The San Antonio Area Foundation has teamed up with United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County, the City of San Antonio and multiple partners to assist nonprofit organizations with their efforts amid the coronavirus, by setting up the COVID-19 Response Fund.
6:10 a.m.
Members of President Donald Trump's economic team will convene on Capitol Hill today to launch negotiations with Senate Republicans and Democrats racing to draft a $1 trillion-plus economic rescue package amid the coronavirus outbreak.
5:30 a.m.
Eleven BCSO deputies return to work after an inmate tests negative for coronavirus; the inmate was tested after being medically treated by a UHS physician that tested positive for coronavirus.
RELATED: Live updates: Events canceled or postponed in the San Antonio area due to coronavirus concerns
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.