SAN ANTONIO — To view the May 30 real-time updates blog, click here.
These are the facts:
- There have been at least 61,006 cases of coronavirus in Texas and 1,626 reported deaths from COVID-19 as of 3:45 p.m. on May 29, according to Texas HHS. It is estimated that 37,626 Texans have recovered from the virus.
- City and county leaders say there are 2,636 confirmed positive cases in Bexar County as of 6:13 p.m. on May 29. A total of 72 people have died from the coronavirus in the county.
- Governor Abbott's order for a "phased in" reopening of the Texas economy got underway Friday, May 1, and further phases are expected. You can find more information about that here.
- Per city orders, most San Antonians are being asked to wear a mask or cloth covering in public areas where social distancing is difficult or not possible. Click here for more information.
NEW DAILY CORONAVIRUS CASES IN BEXAR COUNTY:
We're tracking how many coronavirus cases are confirmed in Bexar County each day from the time San Antonio Metro Health began reporting cases more than two months ago. Graphing those daily case numbers along a 14-day moving average provides an accurate picture of the curve in the San Antonio area and the direction we're heading amid the coronavirus.
Friday, May 29
6:45 p.m.
Local authorities say a coronavirus outbreak at a Leon Valley assisted living facility has prompted its indefinite closure. Health officials for the metro say there's been at least one death related to the coronavirus at the facility, and five total positive diagnoses out of seven residents and staff who have been tested.
6:13 p.m.
Mayor Ron Nirenberg reported that an additional 53 cases of the novel coronavirus have been confirmed in Bexar County on Friday, bringing the total to 2,636. Meanwhile, one new death from COVID-19 complications was reported, bringing the local death toll to 72.
4 p.m.
A new study from the Centers for Disease Control shows that the novel coronavirus arrived in the U.S. no earlier than mid-January, and anyone who was sick with similar symptoms in early January or December may have had the flu.
4:20 p.m.
The state reported an uptick of 1,230 novel coronavirus cases Friday, bringing the total for Texas to 61,006 diagnoses. The death toll from coronavirus-related complications reached 1,626.
3:45 p.m.
According to VIA Metropolitan Transit, a maintenance employee has tested positive for coronavirus and is recovering at home.
"The team member whose test results were reported today was last at work on April 9 and had little to no contact with the public in their role," a release from VIA said.
2:50 p.m.
The mayor of Austin said on Friday that he is extending the city's stay-at-home orders until at least June 15. The order accommodates changes that come with Phase 2 reopenings in Texas.
1:50 p.m.
The 2020 Department of Defense Warrior Games, which were scheduled to take place in San Antonio, have been canceled due to the pandemic.
12:15 p.m.
Officials with the San Antonio Missions say the Minor League Baseball club has had to let go of 30% of its full-time staff and slashed the salaries of those still employed amid the pandemic's economic fallout.
10:20 a.m.
The City of Kerrville announced Friday that an employee at the City Hall tested positive for coronavirus. Other City Hall employees were tested for the virus, and they all came back negative. City Hall employees are now required to take temperatures each day before reporting back to work. Also, masks and sanitation options are being practiced.
City Hall is still open, but citizens who would rather transact business with the city’s Utility Billing office remotely have several options for payment, including:
o Online at https://kerrvilletx.gov/316/Utility-Billing.
o By phone with a customer service representative at 830.258.1504 (available Monday – Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.).
o Automated phone service for payments at (833) 262-5903.
o Drive thru services at 701 Main Street (available Monday – Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.).
o Drop box located at 701 Main Street for payments or applications for service.
o Pay by mail.
Email questions or requests to utility.billing@kerrvilletx.gov.
10:00 a.m.
The San Antonio Police Department released the following coronavirus numbers this morning:
Sworn Officer COVID-19 positive -6
Officers in quarantine - 5
Civilians in quarantine- 2
Total SAPD Personnel Quarantined- 7
9:00 a.m.
Officials with the City of Kerrville announced that the Louise Hays Park Interactive Fountain and Carver Park Sprayground will be open on Friday, May 29.
Visitors to the fountain and sprayground are encouraged to observe at all times the CDC’s minimum recommended social distancing of six feet from other people.
8:10 a.m.
New research shows how dangerous the coronavirus is for current and former cancer patients. Those who developed COVID-19 were much more likely to die within a month than people without cancer who got it, two studies found.
6:30 a.m.
There have been 1,721,926 reported cases of coronavirus in the United States, according to Johns Hopkins University. There have also been 101,621 deaths related to coronavirus.
Thursday, May 28
7:34 p.m.
By the numbers: 1,368 (53%) Bexar County residents have now recovered from COVID-19, while 1,144 remain ill with the virus. 71 residents have died from coronavirus, as of Thursday evening,
6:15 p.m.
Mayor Ron Nirenberg reported that an additional 58 cases of the novel coronavirus have been confirmed in Bexar County on Thursday, bringing the total to 2,583. Meanwhile, one new death from COVID-19 complications was reported, bringing the local death toll to 71.
5:15 p.m.
The Pearl has announced when its Farmers Market will return (albeit in a limited capacity) and when its food hall will reopen to customers, as operations slowly begin to resemble normalcy.
3:50 p.m.
The state of Texas saw its biggest daily jump in COVID-19 cases so far in this pandemic, reporting an increase of 1,855 diagnoses for a new total of 59,776 on Thursday afternoon. The death toll, meanwhile, has reached 1,601 after 39 new deaths were reported.
3:40 p.m.
President Trump on Thursday signed an executive order against social media companies after Twitter applied fact checks to a pair of his recent posts, saying those were "editorial decisions" that amounted to political activism.
2:45 p.m.
A pair of renowned events announced remarkably rare cancellations on Wednesday. First, the Wisconsin State Fair isn't happening for the first time in 75 years.
And, for the first time in its storied 124-year history, the Boston Marathon won't be run in 2020. Organizers had previously delayed the race from April to September, but they now determine it's "not feasible this year, for public health reasons."
11:45 a.m.
The McNay Art Museum announces plans to reopen in late June, while enforcing social distancing and requiring that all visitors at least 2 years old wear a mask.
9:40 a.m.
Basketball Hall of Fame chairman Jerry Colangelo told ESPN that the enshrinement ceremony for Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan and five others will be delayed until 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The ceremony was to have taken place in Springfield on Aug. 29. Colangelo told ESPN that the event will be moved until the spring of 2021.
8:15 a.m.
Morgan's Wonderland announced Thursday staff members there made the difficult decision to stay closed for the rest of the 2020 season.
The park was closed, along with many other businesses, early in the coronavirus pandemic.
7:40 a.m.
More than 2.1 million people applied for U.S. unemployment benefits last week in the latest wave of layoffs from the viral outbreak that triggered widespread business shutdowns two months ago and sent the economy into a deep recession.
About 41 million people have now applied for aid since the virus outbreak intensified in March, though not all of them are still unemployed.
The Labor Department’s report Thursday includes a count of all the people now receiving unemployment aid: 21 million. That is a rough measure of the number of unemployed Americans.
6:45 a.m.
The latest numbers this morning show there have been 1,699,933 confirmed coronavirus cases in the United States. There have also been 100,442 deaths related to coronavirus.
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.