BEXAR COUNTY, Texas — This month is shaping up to be among the riskiest times of the coronavirus pandemic due to more cases in the community.
Almost 25% of all cases in Bexar and Comal counties have been reported in December.
The data could mean more restrictions arriving with the New Year.
Coronavirus case counts are on track to set records in San Antonio and nearby New Braunfels by the end of the month.
Health data for the region shows 23% of all cases in Bexar County were reported in just the first three weeks of December.
The number is slightly less than the entire month of July which makes up 27% of all cases in Bexar County so far.
Bexar County Total Cases: 106,793
Bexar County New Cases:
December 1-23: 24,694 July 1-31: 28,738
In Comal County, both July and December numbers make up about 50% of all coronavirus cases.
Comal County New Cases:
December 1-24: 1,464 July 1-31: 1,490
But it’s the hospitalization percentage that could lead to more restrictions.
An order by Governor Greg Abbott warns if coronavirus patients make up 15% or more of hospitalizations for seven days in a row, bars will have to close. Capacity at restaurants, shops and gyms would also be lowered to 50%.
Bexar and Comal Counties are both in the Southwest Texas reporting group.
The hospitalization percentage for the area crept above 15 percent Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
- Monday: 15.13%
- Tuesday: 15.67%
- Wednesday: 16.23%
“A number that has increased [in December] is the percentage of those patients that are in the ICU,” said Dr. Miles Payne who works at Resolute Health Hospital in New Braunfels. “Not all of our rooms are full but we're talking about full as compared to our staffing capabilities. There's days that we can accommodate more patients and there's been some days this month where we've been really close to packed.”
In Comal County, 67 people with coronavirus are spending their Christmas Eve in the hospital. Fifteen of those patients are in intensive care and 11 are on ventilators.
As of Wednesday night, Bexar County hospitals reported 945 coronavirus patients with 290 in the ICU and 152 on ventilators.
“We all have fatigue around this virus and around all of the precautions that we're taking,” said Dr. Emily Briggs, a member of the Comal County COVID-19 Physician Advisory Committee. “But please make this holiday the most joyous and make the post-holiday the most joyous by keeping each other safe and healthy.”