SAN ANTONIO — We're tracking the latest numbers from the coronavirus pandemic in San Antonio and across Texas. Here are the latest numbers reported by Bexar and surrounding counties:
The daily San Antonio/Bexar County COVID-19 update was not held on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. The following Bexar County update numbers are from Sunday, December 27, 2020.
- Bexar County: 283 new cases were reported on Sunday along with a backlog of 999, bringing the total number of cases to 112,218. Two new deaths were reported along with a backlog of 29, raising the death toll from coronavirus complications to 1,510.
- Hays County: Officials in Hays County on Tuesday reported 165 new cases in the county and two additional COVID-related fatalities. As of Tuesday, there are a total of 9,175 lab-confirmed local cases (1,428 of which are active), while the death toll increased to 122. 7,625 residents have recovered from the virus.
- Comal County: Comal County officials reported an additional 79 coronavirus cases – 6 confirmed and 73 probable – on Thursday, bringing its total to 6,009. The total number of deceased remains at 146. The county estimates 796 active cases on Thursday, while 5,067 residents have recovered.
More county case information is available through the Texas Department of Health Services COVID-19 dashboard.
How Bexar County is trending
We've tracked how many coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Bexar County from the time officials began reporting cases in March 2020. The graphic below shows the number of cases since June and charts those daily case numbers along a 7-day moving average to provide a more accurate picture of the overall coronavirus case curve in our area and the direction we're trending amid the pandemic.
The daily San Antonio/Bexar County COVID-19 update was not held on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.
On Sunday evening, Metro Health announced an additional 1,282 coronavirus cases in Bexar County. 999 of those were attributed to a backlog, so 283 cases are new Sunday. That brings the total of local diagnoses to 112,218.
On Wednesday that number was 106,793, meaning 4,143 new cases came in on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
Two new coronavirus-related deaths were reported locally, in addition to a backlog of 29 fatalities between August and December. In all, 1,510 county residents have died from coronavirus complications.
Hospitalizations also continue to rise in the San Antonio area, with 1,000 COVID-19 patients receiving treatment at local facilities on Sunday. That's 55 more than on Wednesday.
Coronavirus in Texas
The total number of novel coronavirus cases in the state since the pandemic began grew by 8,046 on Sunday, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. That total includes 6,105 new confirmed cases, 1,452 new probable cases, and 489 cases attributed to backlogs not previously reported in the state's total (more details can be found at the top of this page).
As of Sunday, 1.67 million Texans have been diagnosed with COVID-19.
State health authorities also reported 51 additional virus-related deaths on Sunday. At least 26,472 Texans have died from COVID-19 complications. Meanwhile, the number of Texans receiving treatment at hospitals for coronavirus symptoms on Sunday also rose to 10,886, which amounts to a difference of 113 patients compared to Saturday.
Meanwhile, the state estimates that 1.346 million Texans have recovered, while 279,831 Texans remain ill with COVID-19.
The latest update from the Texas Education Agency showed that there have been at least 90,164 cumulative cases among staff and students across the state through Dec. 13. That number comprises 57,137 positive student cases and 33,027 staff cases. More information can be found here.
The TEA releases new data on school cases on Fridays.
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Coronavirus symptoms
The symptoms of coronavirus can be similar to the flu or a bad cold. Symptoms include fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, and diarrhea, 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.
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.
Experts determined there was consistent evidence these conditions increase a person's risk, regardless of age:
- Chronic kidney disease
- COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
- Obesity (BMI of 30 or higher)
- Immunocompromised state (weakened immune system) from solid organ transplant
- Serious heart conditions, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, or cardiomyopathies
- Sickle cell disease
- Type 2 diabetes
The CDC believes symptoms may appear anywhere from two to 14 days after being exposed.
Human coronaviruses are usually spread...
- Between people who are in close contact with one another (within about 6 feet).
- Through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes or talks. These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly be inhaled into the lungs.
- Some recent studies have suggested that COVID-19 may be spread by people who are not showing symptoms.
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.
Find a Testing Location
City officials recommend getting a COVID-19 test if you experience fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, or diarrhea.
San Antonio operates several no-cost testing locations, including two walk-up locations open Monday-Sunday from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.:
Cuellar Community Center
5626 San Fernando St.
San Antonio, TX 78237
Ramirez Community Center
1011 Gillette Blvd.
San Antonio, TX 78224
Additionally, Freeman Coliseum offers drive-through no-cost testing from Monday through Sunday between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. An appointment is required and can be made either online or by calling (833) 213-0643.
Here's a Testing Sites Locator to help you find the testing location closest to you in San Antonio. And here are the dates and times that city-run testing sites will be operating over the holidays.