SAN ANTONIO —
These are the facts:
- There have been at least 19,458 cases of coronavirus in Texas and 495 reported deaths from COVID-19 as of 5:40 p.m. on Monday, April 20, according to Texas HHS.
- City leaders say there are 1,029 confirmed positive cases in San Antonio as of 6:15 p.m. on April 20. A total of 39 people have died related to the coronavirus, and 296 people have recovered.
- Governor Abbott order for a "phased in" reopening of the Texas economy is already underway. He also announced that schools will stay closed for the remainder of the school year.
- Starting Monday, April 20, most San Antonians 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 meals
Monday, April 20
10 p.m.
President Trump tweeted that he will be temporarily suspending immigration into the United States because of the coronavirus pandemic.
“In light of the attack from the Invisible Enemy, as well as the need to protect the jobs of our GREAT American Citizens, I will be signing an Executive Order to temporarily suspend immigration into the United States!” Trump tweeted.
It is not entirely clear what prompted the decision or what effect it will have on U.S. border operations and border crossings. He offered no details as to what immigration programs might be affected by the order. The White House did not immediately elaborate on Trump's tweeted announcement.
8:45 p.m.
Two more VIA bus drivers have tested positive, bringing the total number of employees to five, including four operators. Officials say two are recovering at home, two have recovered and returned to work, and one is being treated at an area hospital.
VIA provided the following list of routes worked by the two drivers they learned about today.
6:17 p.m.
The Bexar County Sheriff's Administration has reported that 5 employees and 8 inmates have tested positive for coronavirus. Of the 5 employees that have tested positive, four are detention deputies, and one is a civilian assigned to the clothing section at the jail.
Additionally, two deputies who tested positive for coronavirus have made a full recovery.
11 inmates who tested positive for coronavirus have been relocated to the 'Recovery Unit.'
To date, a total of 28 inmates have tested positive; 24 deputies have tested positive, along with 6 other employees.
6:13 p.m.
During the daily coronavirus press conference held by San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg and Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff, an update on current coronavirus cases was provided.
Here's a look at the city/county numbers as of 6:13 p.m.
- 1,029 cases confirmed
- no new deaths to report
- 81 hospitalized
- 122 under investigation
- 41 in intensive care
- 25 on ventilators
These numbers are almost identical to Sunday's numbers.
5:32 p.m.
DeWitt County is reporting its fourteenth case of coronavirus. The new case is also categorized as the county's first fatality. The exposure is presumed to have occurred in Victoria, but the mode of transmission is still under investigation.
A total of fourteen cases have been diagnosed in DeWitt County.
5:31 p.m.
Guadalupe County officials confirm two additional cases of coronavirus, bringing the total case county to 60.
5:30 p.m.
Health officials with the City of Boerne have confirmed two employees at a local health and rehabilitation center have tested positive for coronavirus.
Two employees of the Cibolo Creek Health and Rehab Center have reportedly tested positive for coronavirus. One of the employees is a City of Boerne resident, while the other is a Bexar County resident.
All staff members have been tested as a proactive measure implemented by the facility. The two staff members, who were not showing any symptoms, are self-quarantined and are being monitored by the Department of State Health Services.
No patients at the facility are showing any symptoms at this time and all are being tested.
4:30 p.m.
Officials with the City of Floresville (Wilson County) have updated the number of positive coronavirus cases. There are a total of 22 cases, 8 of those have recovered, and there has been one death.
4 p.m.
The Hays County Local Health Department has reported eight new positive coronavirus cases, bringing the total to 135 with 58 of those affected already recovered and out of quarantine and 76 current active cases.
3:15 p.m.
Oil prices plunged below zero on Monday, the latest never-before-seen number to come out of the economic coma caused by the coronavirus pandemic. A barrel of benchmark U.S. oil for May delivery fell to negative $37.60 per barrel as traders sought to avoid owning crude oil with nowhere to store it.
Prices for other oil contracts also plummeted as storage facilities for crude approach their limits. The S&P 500 fell 1.8%, giving up some of the big gains from its first back-to-back weekly gain since February.
11:10 a.m.
According to a recent report from Workforce Solutions Alamo, the unemployment rate in Bexar County increased to 4.2% in March, which is 1.1% higher than what was reported in February (3.1%).
10:20 a.m.
The United States, Mexico and Canada have agreed to extend restrictions on non-essential travel across their shared borders for an additional 30 days, acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf announced Monday morning.
"As President Trump stated last week, border control, travel restrictions and other limitations remain critical to slowing the spread and allowing the phased opening of the country,” Wolf said in a statement.
9:40 a.m.
The San Antonio Fire Department released the following information about coronavirus cases within the department as of April 20:
SAFD Uniformed COVID-19 positive: 5
SAFD Uniformed in quarantine: 52
SAFD Civilians in quarantine: 0
Total SAFD Personnel Quarantined: 52
9:05 a.m.
The San Antonio Police Department reported the following information Monday, April 20 regarding coronavirus cases within the department.
"Sworn Officer COVID-19 positive -6
Officers in quarantine - 8
Civilians in quarantine- 4
Total SAPD Personnel Quarantined- 12"
7:05 a.m.
Dunkin' of San Antonio is saying "thank you" to medical professionals and first responders by offering them free coffee. The company says it's their way of showing appreciation for local heroes working to keep our community healthy and safe.
For more information, you can visit their website.
7:00 a.m.
The Trump administration and Congress expect an agreement Monday on a coronavirus aid package of up to $450 billion. It would boost a small-business loan program that has run out of money and add funds for hospitals and COVID-19 testing. President Donald Trump said Sunday the administration is "very close to a deal.”
The Senate is scheduled for a pro forma session Monday, but no vote has been set. The House announced it could meet as soon as Wednesday for a vote.
6:15 a.m.
There were more than 759,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United States around 7:45 a.m. ET on Monday, according to Johns Hopkins University. There have been more than 40,000 deaths in the U.S., with more than 70,000 recoveries. More than 3.8 million tests have been conducted nationwide.
Sunday, April 19
7:15 p.m.
The Bexar County Sheriff's Office reported five inmates in custody at the Bexar County Jail have tested positive for COVID-19. The department said the inmates, which had recently been relocated to the infirmary for medical observation, initially developed a fever over 100°, and were subsequently tested for COVID-19.
To date, a total of 20 inmates have tested positive for COVID-19, in addition to 21 deputies, one video visitation civilian employee, one dispatcher, one Bexar County facilities maintenance employee, one UHS nurse, and one Bexar County fleet maintenance employee.
6:13 p.m.
City leaders say there are 1,015 confirmed positive cases in San Antonio as of 6:15 p.m. on April 19. A total of 39 people have died related to the coronavirus, and 296 people have recovered. The additional death reported Sunday was a resident of the Southeast Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. That is the 18th resident to have died of coronavirus at the center, officials said.
5:45 p.m.
As of April 19, the Hays County Local Health Department confirms there are 69 active lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19. Since Hays County first started providing numbers, a total of 127 lab-confirmed cases have been reported, including one death, a woman in her 80s who had been living in Buda with a relative.
2:32 p.m.
Sad news from the entertainment world over the weekend: Broadway star Nick Cordero faces leg amputation due to complications while battling coronavirus | Cordero entered the intensive case unit at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in LA on March 31 and has been on a ventilator and unconscious after contracting COVID-19.
2:15 p.m.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton says a judge doesn't have the authority to change Texas law. A state judge ruled last week that all Texas voters afraid of contracting COVID-19 through in-person voting should be allowed to vote by mail during the pandemic. But Paxton plans to appeal.
Paxton is also keeping a close eye on price gouging during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Republican attorney says he's received 8,000 complaints just this month about businesses driving up prices on essential items such as masks and ventilators.
9:30 a.m.
Vice President Mike Pence says 150,000 coronavirus tests are now being conducted daily in the U.S. but suggested that governors and not the federal government were to blame for numbers not being higher. Pence tells NBC’s “Meet the Press” that, “if states around the country will activate all of the laboratories that are available in their states, we could more than double that overnight.”
He said the nation has “sufficient testing today” for states to begin reopening their economies as part of the initial phases of guidelines the White House released this week. Meanwhile on Fox News Sunday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said of the testing, “we’re way late on it, and that is the failure. The president gets an 'F,' a failure on the testing.”
8:30 a.m.
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said Sunday his party is close to coming to an agreement with Republicans regarding a new coronavirus response bill.
Schumer said Sunday on CNN that the Democrats have made "very good progress," and the Senate leader said that he is hopeful they can "come to an agreement tonight or early tomorrow morning.”
6:30 a.m.
There were more than 735,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United States around 6 a.m. EDT Sunday, according to Johns Hopkins University. There have been over 39,000 deaths in the U.S. and 66,000 recoveries. More than 3.7 million tests have been conducted.
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.