SAN ANTONIO — As part of the latest measures being undertaken by local leaders to get a handle on a local coronavirus situation that just saw its worst month of the pandemic, all parks in San Antonio and Bexar County at large will be closed for the Fourth of July weekend.
The closures take effect at 11:59 p.m. Thursday and last until 5 a.m. Monday for city parks. For county parks, the closures will be in effect from 9 a.m. Friday until 9 a.m. Monday. Meanwhile, running, walking, cycling and other trail activity is permitted only to certain sections of the Howard Peak Greenway Trail System, specficially the parts of the trail that go through Rodriguez Park and Comanche/Covington Park.
The development was announced by Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff at Wednesday evening's coronavirus briefing, as he and Mayor Ron Nirenberg continue to emphasize the importance of staying home whenever possible and minimizing participation in social gatherings. 439 new cases of the novel coronavirus were reported by leaders on Wednesday, bringing the total to 12,504.
The closures come on the heels of updated local health orders that require businesses in Bexar County to display a list of COVID-19 symptoms at entrances and also "highly encourage" taking temperature readings of employees and patrons.
Across the state, at least 168,062 Texans have been infected with the coronaivur during the ongoing pandemic. Nearly 2,500 have died from virus-related complications.