SAN ANTONIO —
These are the facts:
- There have been at least 27,054 cases of coronavirus in Texas and 732 reported deaths from COVID-19 as of noon on April 29, according to Texas HHS.
- City leaders say there are 1,326 confirmed positive cases in San Antonio as of 6:15 p.m. on April 29. A total of 46 people have died related to the coronavirus, and 45 percent of people who had the virus have fully recovered.
- Governor Abbott's order for a "phased in" reopening of the Texas economy is already underway. You can find more information about that here. He also announced that schools will stay closed for the remainder of the school year.
- Per city orders, most San Antonians now have to wear a mask or cloth covering in public areas where social distancing is difficult or not possible. Click here for more information.
Coronavirus Q&A | SA's "Stay Home, Work Safe" order | List of companies still hiring |Shopping times for seniors | School districts offering free meals
More information can be accessed at the April 30 real-time update blog.
Wednesday, April 29
6:15 p.m.
Mayor Ron Nirenberg reported that an additional 19 cases of the novel coronavirus have been confirmed in Bexar County on Wednesday, bringing the total to 1,326. Meanwhile, two new deaths from COVID-19 complications were reported, bringing the local death toll to 46. In all, about 45 percent of county residents who had tested positive for COVID-19 have recovered from the virus.
6:05 p.m.
Bexar County authorities announce the number of jail inmates confirmed to have the coronavirus jumped to 98 on Wednesday, an increase of 34 new cases over Tuesday.
5:55 p.m.
The city and county issued a joint update saying that the ongoing Stay Home, Work Safe order will be extended through 11:59 p.m. on May 19, meaning that residents older than 9 years old must continue to wear face coverings while practicing social distancing wherever possible and all businesses not allowed to reopen under the governor's latest mandate remain closed.
5:15 p.m.
While national cinema chains have indicated they will remain closed for the time being, some local theater companies, including Santikos, say they will welcome back moviegoers at select locations in the coming days while adhering to state orders of limited occupancy and health protocols.
4:45 p.m.
H-E-B says it will be extending a temporary $2 pay raise for its hourly employees through May 24. The self-styled "Texas Proud Pay" initiative was originally announced in mid-March, and has now been extended twice.
4:00 p.m.
Officials in Comal County say they plan to let the county's current stay-home order expire on Thursday en route to allowing some businesses to begin operating once again, in accordance with the state's plan announced on Monday.
"Our order will expire as scheduled on Thursday, and the county will continue to follow the governor's direction," County Judge Sherman Krause stated in a press release.
That plan calls for allowing retail stores, restaurants and theaters, among other businesses, to begin operating on Friday, if they so choose. However, they must maintain an occupancy maximum of 25% as the coronavirus pandemic continues.
County leaders are still urging residents to practice social distancing whenever they can, as well as to continue covering their face while in public settings.
3:00 p.m.
Toyota announced that they will be pushing back the ramp up of their North American manufacturing operations from the week of May 4 to the week of May 11. That includes the San Antonio plant where they build pickup trucks.
"Toyota intends to gradually resume its manufacturing operations in compliance with federal health and safety guidelines, and local and state ordinances where our facilities are located," they said via email.
2:15 p.m.
The Mayor of Floresville's office confirmed a total of three coronavirus-related deaths at the Frank M. Tejeda Veterans Home.
The office reports 14 residents and eight staff members in total have tested positive for the virus.
The mayor's office says five of the eight staff members live in Wilson County.
10 a.m.
Comal County officials confirmed two additional cases, bringing the total to 54. 36 people in the county have recovered and six have died, leaving twelve active cases with three patients currently in the hospital.
9:45 am.
There has been an increase in break-ins at local salons while businesses are closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Two hair salons were broken into recently, including D'Anthony Salon Spa at 410 and Alamo Heights. That salon was hit on April 20th. Exactly one week later, Joyez Salon Spa on Bandera was burglarized. Full story here.
8:20 a.m.
The San Antonio Police Department gave the following update on coronavirus cases:
April 29th, 2020
Sworn Officer COVID-19 positive -6
Officers in quarantine - 2
Civilians in quarantine- 3
Total SAPD Personnel Quarantined- 5
7:04 a.m.
President Donald Trump said his administration is considering requiring travelers on certain incoming international flights to undergo temperature and virus checks to help stop the spread of the coronavirus.
“We’re looking at doing it on the international flights coming out of areas that are heavily infected," Trump said Tuesday at the White House. “We will be looking into that in the very near future."
Trump said it has not been determined yet whether the federal government or the airlines would conduct the testing. “Maybe it's a combination of both," he said.
6:30 a.m.
There have been more than 1,012,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United States as of 4 a.m. ET Wednesday, according to Johns Hopkins University. The U.S. death toll is more than 58,000 while nearly 116,000 have recovered. Nearly 5.8 million tests for COVID-19 have been performed in the U.S.
Tuesday, April 28
9:30 p.m.
In their nightly update, the Bexar County Sheriff's Office says two more deputies and two more jail inmates have tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
In total, 64 inmates have tested positive, while 36 county deputies have been diagnosed.
9:15 p.m.
H-E-B announces it is removing or amending previously-mandated buying limits on some products, including removing them from toilet paper and food entirely.
6:15 p.m.
Mayor Ron Nirenberg reported that an additional 32 cases of the novel coronavirus have been confirmed in Bexar County on Tuesday, bringing the total to 1,307. No new deaths from COVID-19 complications were reported, so the local death toll stands at 44. In all, 574 county residents have recovered from the virus, which is about 44 percent of all cases.
Nirenberg also touted the new city website showing coronavirus data visualizations. It is located at https://covid19.sanantonio.gov.
5 p.m.
President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order classifying the meat-production industry as critical national infrastructure to keep plants open amid concerns about a potential looming shortage.
2:15 p.m.
City leaders have released a plan detailing efforts to reopen San Antonio during the coronavirus pandemic.
The 55-page document details the guidelines for reopening, anticipated phases and the strategies in place. The document can be found here.
11:00 a.m.
The San Antonio Fire Department released the following information about coronavirus cases Tuesday:
SAFD Uniformed COVID-19 positive -6
SAFD Uniformed in quarantine - 37
SAFD Civilians in quarantine-0
Total SAFD Personnel Quarantined- 37
9:06 a.m.
The San Antonio Police Department released the following information about coronavirus cases within the department:
Sworn Officer COVID-19 positive: 6
Officers in quarantine: 2
Civilians in quarantine: 3
Total SAPD Personnel Quarantined: 5
6:30 a.m.
As companies start planning their reopenings, business groups are pushing Congress to limit liability from potential lawsuits filed by workers and customers infected by the coronavirus.
They appear to have the White House's ear. President Donald Trump has floated shielding businesses from lawsuits. His top economic adviser Larry Kudlow said on CNBC last week that businesses shouldn't be held liable to trial lawyers “putting on false lawsuits that will probably be thrown out of court."
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, not 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.
- The CDC recommends wearing a mask or cloth face covering if you have to be out due to an essential service or essential activity such as going to the grocery store.
- 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.