SAN ANTONIO — San Antonio medical experts say they are on pins and needles heading into Easter Weekend.
“We love the spring. It’s warm, it’s sunny, the trees are blooming...but, man, it’s no time to give up or relax,” said Robert Leverence, chief medical officer for US Health San Antonio.
Leverence says this will hopefully be last the holiday weekend we spend in a pandemic.
“We do not have the resources to properly enforce public health protocols for overnight camping,” San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg said this week.
So, for the second year in a row, families won’t be able to camp at city parks. But people are encouraged to still get outdoors.
“Get outside, get some recreation. Get with your households if you can outside,” Nirenberg said.
Leverence said that's actually one of the safest things you can do this Easter Weekend.
“The best thing to do is be outside, because there’s a much lower transmission rate of the virus outdoors. So, if you’re going to have a meal with folks, sit outside,” he said.
Most importantly, it’s the best way to keep some of San Antonio’s most vulnerable population healthy as many join to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
“The good news is that, in San Antonio, up to 60% or 70% of our seniors have been vaccinated—that is wonderful news," Leverence added. "The bad news is that 30% to 40% of them still have not been vaccinated, and that’s still a lot of people."
Officials say while you’re spending time outside with family, you should still make sure to wear your mask, practice safe social distancing from people not in your household, avoid large crowds of people, wash your hands thoroughly and get vaccinated.
“What will be a horrible thing is if someone got hospitalized from COVID or died from COVID a week before they had an appointment to get their vaccination," Leverence said. "We don’t want that to happen to anybody."