x
Breaking News
More () »

Coronavirus in SA: May 1, 2020

Facts not fear: KENS 5 is tracking the latest headlines and updates about the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

SAN ANTONIO —

These are the facts:

  • There have been at least 29,229 cases of coronavirus in Texas and 816 reported deaths from COVID-19 as of noon on May 1, according to Texas HHS.
  • City leaders say there are 1,477 confirmed positive cases in San Antonio as of 6:15 p.m. on May 1. A total of 48 people have died related to the coronavirus, and 683 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 mealsList of businesses, restaurants and shops operating in San Antonio

Credit: KENS 5

Friday, May 1

9 p.m.

Despite preparing to welcome back vendors and patrons this weekend, Traders Village – the massive outdoor flea market on the city's southwest side – was told by officials it can't operate this weekend. The reason: It's an outdoor market, and metro health experts said outdoor gatherings still pose a risk for spreading the coronavirus at this point in time. 

6:15 p.m.

Mayor Ron Nirenberg reported that an additional 103 cases of the novel coronavirus have been confirmed in Bexar County on Friday, bringing the total to 1,477. Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff said 91 of those new cases are at the Bexar County Jail. No new deaths were reported in Bexar County, so the local death toll stands at 48. In all, 683 county residents have recovered from the virus.

5:30 p.m.

Guadalupe County officials announced four new coronavirus cases, bringing the total in the county to 85.

4 p.m.

Stocks on Wall Street once again close much lower than where they opened, as Amazon, Exxon Mobil and other major corporations reporting continuing dips in earnings amid the coronavirus pandemic. 

3:30 p.m.

The FDA has approved use of the drug remdesivir to treat some hospitalized coronavirus patients, using powers reserved for public health emergencies to waive regular procedures while concluding that the drug's potential benefits outweighs the risks. 

A government-sponsored study of the drug found it reduced hospital stays by 31%. 

3 p.m.

The Witte Museum says it will not reopen this weekend, even though Governor Greg Abbott is allowing non-interactive museums to open. Read their statement below: 

"The Witte Museum is excited about the possibility of re-opening to the public soon, especially given Gov. Abbott’s announcement today about opening selected businesses, on May 1, which includes museums. However, the Witte Museum is not quite ready to open safely. Soon after closing in March, the Witte Museum team created a Re-Opening Task Force that has been working on safety measures and procedures, as well as analyzing the safest ways for the public to experience and enjoy the Witte Museum to its full potential.

The Re-Opening Task Force is working with leaders in the community and developing protocols that are being bench marked with national museums. It will take some time to implement the plan and ensure a safe environment for re-opening. Please know we are working as quickly as we can and will announce a re-opening date soon.

As soon as all protective measures are in place, the Witte will re-open."

2:30 p.m.

Texas State University currently has plans to resume classes in-person for the Summer II semester (July 6 through Aug. 5) and fall 2020. These plans could change according to public health advice and conditions. 

11:45 a.m.

Comal County released the following information about coronavirus cases in the county:

"As of Friday morning, the Comal County Office of Public Health has received reports of the following test information:

  • 827 tests conducted
  • 58 positive tests
  • 719 negative tests
  • 50 results still pending

Of the 58 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Comal County, the location breakdown is:

  • 22 from New Braunfels or the immediate area
  • 11 from the Bulverde area
  • 6 from eastern Comal County
  • 5 from north of Canyon Lake
  • 3 from south of Canyon Lake
  • 3 from Garden Ridge
  • 3 from the Spring Branch area
  • 2 from Fair Oaks Ranch
  • 2 from southwest Comal County
  • 1 from central Comal County"

9:09 a.m. 

The San Antonio Fire Department provided an update on their numbers, as well:

SAFD Uniformed COVID-19 positive -6
SAFD Uniformed in quarantine - 15
SAFD Civilians in quarantine-0
Total SAFD Personnel Quarantined- 15

Service delivery to the citizens of the City of San Antonio has not been impacted. 

8:40 a.m. 

A spokesperson with the San Antonio Police Department provided an update on the agency's numbers of coronavirus-related cases:

Sworn Officer COVID-19 positive -6

Officers in quarantine - 2

Civilians in quarantine- 1

Total SAPD Personnel Quarantined- 3

7 a.m.

President Donald Trump has speculated that China could have unleashed the coronavirus on the world due to some kind of horrible “mistake,” and his intelligence agencies said they are still examining a notion put forward by the president and aides that the pandemic may have resulted from an accident at a Chinese lab. Trump even suggested Thursday that the release could have been intentional. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the clearinghouse for the web of U.S. spy agencies, said it had ruled out the virus being man-made but was still investigating the precise source of the global pandemic, which has killed more than 220,000 people worldwide.

Full story here.

5:30 a.m.

The number of confirmed U.S. cases of COVID-19 has reached nearly 1,070,000 as of 5:30 a.m. Friday, according to Johns Hopkins University. There have been more than 63,000 deaths and nearly 154,000 recoveries. 6.2 million tests have been conducted.

Worldwide, more than 1 million people have recovered among 3.2 million confirmed cases. There have been 233,000 confirmed killed as a result of COVID-19.

Thursday, April 30 

6:15 p.m.

Mayor Ron Nirenberg reported that an additional 48 cases of the novel coronavirus have been confirmed in Bexar County on Thursday, bringing the total to 1,374. Meanwhile, two new deaths from COVID-19 complications were reported, bringing the local death toll to 48. In all, 46.4 percent of county residents who have tested positive have recovered from the virus.

5:10 p.m.

Three major airlines companies announced they would be following JetBlue's footsteps in requiring its passengers to wear face masks. For Delta, the new mandate begins Monday; for Frontier, May 8; and for American, May 11. 

3:30 p.m.

Pearl announced that several businesses will be reopening dining rooms and retail operations in the next week. Here's the list of what will open and when:

May 1:

  • Boiler House
  • La Gloria
  • Larder at Hotel Emma (patio)
  • Supper at Hotel Emma
  • Hiatus Spa and Retreat (retail only)
  • LeeLee (by appointment only)
  • The Sporting District

May 4:

  • Green Vegetarian Cuisine
  • Adelante Boutique
  • Dos Carolinas

3:15 p.m.

Elected officials say more federal funding will be coming to help the San Antonio area in a variety of different ways. Senator John Cornyn announced that $6.3 million in coronavirus relief funds will go toward public housing in the area, and Congressman Henry Cuellar announced $423,975 for San Antonio's Senior Corps.

“The coronavirus outbreak has hit Texans hard, and as much as we can protect each other from its effects, we must,” said Sen. Cornyn. “I’m grateful to the Trump Administration for making public housing in the San Antonio area an important priority during the outbreak.”

“Senior Corps does incredible work in engaging older Americans in service projects that address community needs,” said Congressman Cuellar. “These funds will be used to support Senior Corps volunteers who are working hard to improve the well-being of our neighbors and families."

3 p.m.

Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said that a 53-year-old detention deputy died Thursday morning, and the Bexar County Medical Examiner's Office said the death was due to complications from coronavirus. An autopsy is pending.

Salazar held a news conference with reporters via Zoom on Thursday afternoon to discuss the deputy's death. Timothy Delafunte was a 27-year veteran of the force and was found dead in the North Patrol Service area.

2:30 p.m.

While there have been reports that some NBA owners are on the verge of writing off the rest of the 2019-20 season, Spurs CEO R.C. Buford said Thursday the Spurs remain "on board" to resume the campaign.

"Our position all along is we want to do what's right for the league and for the fans,"  Buford said. "Every indication we've had -- I just got off a (team) presidents' call -- every intention is to return to play and try to create the best environment we can for the league, the fans, and we're on board with that."

1:30 p.m.

San Antonio and Bexar County's joint Stay Home, Work Safe mandates have been extended once again—this time through May 19. 

Thursday, the San Antonio City Council voted to confirm the extension. Mayor Nirenberg and County Judge Nelson Wolff had announced the extension at Wednesday night's coronavirus live updates.

12 p.m.

H-E-B has introduced new purchasing limits on meat in the San Antonio area as coronavirus strains America's food supply chain.

Customers will be limited to one package of ground beef and two total packages of either beef, chicken, pork, or turkey.

11:26 a.m. 

Comal County officials confirm the 55th case of coronavirus. The patient is a Bulverde resident in their 40s who is self-isolating.  

10:50 a.m.

VIA Metropolitan Transit announced an extension of fare relief through May 17. Fares have been suspended since March 21 to help reduce crowding when boarding.

Masks are required for passengers and staff, capacity has been reduced to encourage social distancing, and the schedule has been altered to continue providing essential service.

9:12 a.m. 

Officials with the City of Lytle have confirmed their first positive case of coronavirus. No further information on this case is available at this time.  

8:22 a.m.

A spokesperson for SAPD released the agency's most recent numbers of coronavirus-related cases:

April 30th, 2020

Sworn Officer COVID-19 positive -6

Officers in quarantine - 2

Civilians in quarantine- 1

Total SAPD Personnel Quarantined- 3

7 a.m.

Weekly U.S. job losses from the coronavirus pandemic are expected to decrease when the latest numbers are reported Thursday, but is expected to bring the total to more than 30 million. The numbers for the week ending April 25 will be announced at 8:30 a.m. ET. Thursday.

4:15 a.m. 

There were more than 1,040,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United States around 4:15 a.m. Thursday, according to Johns Hopkins University. The U.S. death toll is almost 61,000, while over 124,000 people have recovered. Beyond 6 million tests for COVID-19 have been performed in the U.S.

Worldwide, there have been more than 3.2 million cases with 227,000 deaths and 970,000 recoveries.

FOR PREVIOUS UPDATES, CLICK HERE 

RELATED: Texas still ranks near bottom for COVID-19 testing as state prepares to reopen

RELATED: US accounts for third of world's over 3 million coronavirus cases

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.

Before You Leave, Check This Out