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SA Coronavirus Timeline: March 12-17, 2020

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

These are the facts:

  • There have been at least 76 known cases of coronavirus in Texas.
  • 12 of those cases have been from the quarantine at JBSA-Lackland in San Antonio. There are four known travel-related cases in San Antonio, and there are 60 cases elsewhere in the state, according to the Texas Tribune. 
  • Most school districts in the San Antonio area have closed for at least the week of March 16-20. Some will be out longer. Here's our list of school closings. And check our full list of free meals offered by some of the districts during the school closure.

List of canceled events | School closures | College and University closures | Coronavirus Q&A

Real-time updates:

For the latest updates, click here.

Monday, March 16

10:30 p.m.

The first coronavirus death in Texas has been reported. According to Matagorda County health officials, the man was in his 90s and died on Sunday.

9:50 p.m.

Whataburger announced they will close the dining rooms in all restaurants Tuesday due to the coronavirus outbreak.

The dining rooms will close by 3 p.m. and will remain close indefinitely. Whataburger will continue to offer its full menu through the drive-thru.

8:45 p.m.

A fourth travel-related coronavirus case has been confirmed in San Antonio. The mayor's office said Metro Health is investigating, and the individual is in home isolation, away from the public.

Additionally, the mayor's office issued a third public health emergency for the city, prohibiting gatherings of 50 or more people.

7:45 p.m.

Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff orders the suspension of evictions at all country rental properties through at least mid-April. 

4:00 p.m.

The Alamo has closed "until further notice" due to the coronavirus amid new recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control. Click here to read the full statement from Alamo officials.

3:00 p.m.

Governor Abbott said we should expect to see many more cases of coronavirus being confirmed in the coming days due to a huge push for more testing. "You are going to see an exponential increase in people that test positive on a daily basis," Abbott said.

2:30 p.m.

In a press conference with the White House's coronavirus task force, President Trump said his administration strongly recommends that Americans avoid groups larger than 10 people. He introduced new guidelines against discretionary travel and going to restaurants and bars.

11:20 a.m.

Spurs Sports & Entertainment says the organization's part-time employees will be paid through the end of the Spurs and Rampage seasons. 

9:15 a.m

Gov. Greg Abbott announced Monday morning that he has waived the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, or STAAR, testing requirements for the 2019-2020 school year. Additionally, Abbott is requesting that the U.S. Department of Education waive federal testing requirements for the 2019-2020 school year.

8:30 a.m.

The stock market halted trading for 15 minutes after the Dow plunged 2,250 points shortly after opening on Monday. This is the third time in two weeks trading has paused.

7:15 a.m.

Effective Monday, two malls are shortening hours to help prevent the potential spread of the coronavirus. The Shops at La Cantera and North Star Mall will open at noon and close at 7 p.m. between Monday and Saturday. They will close at 6 p.m. on Sundays.

6:30 a.m.

USAA donated $1 million to local nonprofit organizations in response to the coronavirus, a press release says. The nonprofits include the San Antonio Food Bank, South Texas Blood & Tissue Center, Meals on Wheels, Haven for Hope and United Way of San Antonio.

Sunday, March 15

9:40 p.m.

In separate calls to Texas lawmakers and superintendents Sunday, Texas education officials suggested that districts should prepare for long-term closures, possibly through the end of the current academic year. 

8:15 p.m.

USAA San Antonio says one of its employees has tested positive, but is receiving treatment outside of Texas. It's unclear as of now whether this case is related to the three travel-related cases in the city. Those who had been in close contact with the employee at USAA are under self-quarantine. 

6:40 p.m.

City health officials confirmed a third case of coronavirus in San Antonio related to travel. Metro Health says the individual had recently been to Spain, which recently became the second European nation to impose a country-wide lockdown due to rapid coronavirus spread. 

6:30 p.m.

The Center for Disease Control announced new recommendations that organizers across the country cancel or postpone in-person events with 50 or more people for the next eight weeks.

6:00 p.m.

H-E-B says it has implemented free, next-day curb-side ordering for shoppers to get their groceries while practicing social distancing. 

5:45 p.m.

The Battle of Flowers Association, which organizes the annual Battle of Flowers Parade, one of the premiere events of Fiesta, confirmed it would delay the parade until November following the postponement of San Antonio's premiere festival. 

According to organizers, the parade is set for Friday, Nov. 13. 

3:00 p.m.

The San Antonio Military Health System announced Sunday that they will be placing triage tents outside of Brooke Army Medical Center, Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center, Randolph Clinic and Reid Clinic to screen for infectious respiratory conditions, including coronavirus.

2:45 p.m.

The Texas Health and Human Services Department (HHS) has issued updated guidance to nursing facilities in an attempt to protect elderly individuals from coronavirus. The guidance includes banning non-essential visitors

12:00 p.m.

H-E-B has added new purchasing limits on chicken, beef, milk, eggs, bread, frozen food, cleaning supplies, and other items to curb panic buying. 

10:45 a.m.

Many school districts are providing meals to students while campuses are closed due to coronavirus concerns. Some of the districts are starting meal service Monday and others are starting Tuesday. Also, some of them require the children under 18 be present for the meal pickup. Please check our full list of rules and locations.

10:00 a.m.

Due to concerns about the coronavirus, churches are encouraging attendees to participate in online worship services this morning. Here is a running list of churches that have announced cancellations 

Saturday, March 14

8:10 p.m.

Walmart announced it would temporarily change its hours nationwide to opening at 6 a.m. and closing at 11 p.m., except for stores with hours that are already reduced. The move, officials say, is to make sure store shelves stay as stocked as possible as well as ensuring facilities remain clean.  

5:40 p.m.

The Centers for Disease Control have confirmed the first coronavirus case among the 149 quarantined Grand Princess cruise passengers at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland. The patient was taken off-base and is receiving care in a Texas health care facility, the CDC told KENS 5.

1 p.m.

Metro Health announces that it is investigating a second confirmed travel-related positive coronavirus test in San Antonio.

11:45 a.m. 

San Antonio City Councilman (District 8) Manny Pelaez announces plans to self-quarantine following a trip to Colombia. 

11:37 a.m.

Hays County officials confirm the first case of coronavirus. The patient is recovering in the hospital after possibly being exposed while traveling.

11:15 a.m.

Health officials encouraged San Antonians to donate blood to build up the supply as blood drives were canceled around the city in response to the coronavirus threat. "This is a national crisis. Giving blood now is imperative as we see the bloom of the virus throughout the U.S.," said Elizabeth Waltman, chief operating officer for the South Texas Blood & Tissue Center.

10:45 a.m.

H-E-B announces that all stores will close at 8 p.m. Saturday to allow employees to restock shelves overnight. The grocery store reassured customers that supply chains are intact and that there's no need for panic purchasing. "We encourage preparedness, not stockpiling," they said in a tweet.

Friday, March 13

8:20 p.m.

The San Antonio Zoo announces it will close from March 14 to March 20, the latest in a growing list of city attractions that will temporarily shut down operations. 

7:50 p.m.

The Bexar County Sheriff's Office announced temporary changes in procedure, essentially limiting deputy contact with the public by reducing dispatches to emergency calls while non-emergencies are handled over the phone. 

5:15 p.m.

The Archdiocese of San Antonio announced that public masses and other church services will temporarily cease beginning this weekend. Additionally, school facilities within the archdiocese will remain closed through April 3, while students and teachers undergo remote learning starting Monday, March 23. 

4:55 p.m.

President Donald Trump has said he will likely take a test for the coronavirus after all. Trump over the weekend was near Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro’s communications director, Fábio Wajngarten, who tested positive for the virus just days later.

4:05 p.m.

John Cornyn announced today that the U.S. Department of Agriculture approved the Texas Department of Agriculture’s request for a waiver that would allow them to continue to serve no-cost meals to low-income students during school closures. 

3:45 p.m.

SeaWorld has announced that it we be temporarily closing its theme parks, effective March 16, through the end of the month, according to a press release from the theme park.

2:45 p.m 

President Donald Trump officially declared a national emergency in an effort to ramp up coronavirus response. 

2:42 p.m.

The Texas Juvenile Justice Department announced that it was postponing in-person visitations at its facilities to mitigate the spread of coronavirus and protect youth and staff, following a directive from Governor Abbott. 

2:05 p.m.

NISD, NEISD and Judson ISD announce they will close schools the week of March 16-20 due to coronavirus concerns. View complete list of school closures here.

12:20 p.m.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced during an afternoon press conference that San Antonio would be the first in the state to test out a drive-thru coronavirus testing facility.

Governor Abbott also declared a statewide public health disaster over coronavirus.

11:45 a.m.

The firefighter began to develop flu-like symptoms after returning from vacation, according to the San Antonio Fire Department. The firefighter, who was not identified, will undergo coronavirus testing and is cooperating with public health officials. The individual had been on vacation on their personal time, the department said.

11:21 a.m.

Six Flags announced a temporary closure until the end of March, effective Saturday, March 14.

11:20 a.m.

The Tejano Music Awards canceled the remainder of Fan Fair 2020 Friday, after San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg issued a Public Health Emergency. The order limits gatherings of 500 or more people.

11:15 a.m.

Bexar County officials have temporarily suspended jury service over concerns of the spread of coronavirus. A letter from Judge Ron Rangel of the 37th District Court, jury trials are suspended from March 16 to April 16. The letter says anyone who receives a summons during those dates should disregard the summons and they won't be penalized.

10:15 a.m.

San Antonio's Fiesta will be postponed this year, but event and city leaders say the party eventually will go on. On Friday morning, organizers officially announced that Fiesta San Antonio would be postponed until November 5-15, 2020.

FIESTA POSTPONED: Officials have announced the San Antonio tradition will now take place November 5-15. Read more:...

9:40 a.m.

City officials have limited large gatherings of more than 500 people. Mayor Ron Nirenberg and County Judge Nelson Wolff made the announcement at a press conference Friday morning.

9:35 a.m

City and health officials announced Friday the first confirmed case of coronavirus in San Antonio from outside of the JBSA-Lackland quarantine. Before this case, 11 cases of of coronavirus had been reported from among the evacuees brought to federal quarantine at JBSA-Lackland. The person had previously traveled out of state, according to officials.

9:10 a.m.

"We encourage preparedness, not stockpiling" - HEB issues statement via Twitter that it is preparing and restocking its stores Friday after multiple reports of empty shelves for essential items like toilet paper, bottled water and non-perishable foods.

8:45 a.m.

President Donald Trump's administration says it's awarding $1.3 million to two companies trying to develop rapid COVID-19 tests that could detect whether a person is positive for the new coronavirus within an hour.

8:30 a.m.

Stocks are opening sharply higher on Wall Street a day after the worst drop since 1987. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 550 points, or 2.6% early Friday. That's about a quarter of what the index lost a day earlier. European markets surged about 7% a day after one of their worst drops on record. 

5:54 a.m.

Two positive presumptive of cases in coronavirus have been confirmed by Austin Public Health (APH) early Friday morning. 

Austin ISD has reportedly canceled classes in response to the news. 

Thursday, March 12

9:20 p.m.

The Valero Texas Open, originally scheduled to take place in San Antonio from April 2 to April 5, has been canceled by the PGA Tour. 

3:40 p.m.

The NCAA has canceled all remaining winter and spring championships, including the Division I men's and women's basketball tournaments. In a statement, the organization said, "This decision is based on the evolving COVID-19 public health threat, our ability to ensure the events do not contribute to spread of the pandemic, and the impracticality of hosting such events at any time during this academic year given ongoing decisions by other entities."

2:12 p.m.

The UIL State High School Basketball Tournament in San Antonio has been suspended until further notice. The suspension will take effect following the conclusion of the 3A session this afternoon.  Read more here.

2 p.m.

Major League Baseball has announced that spring training games are canceled. The MLB season to be delayed by at least two weeks.

1:00 p.m.

The second plane of cruise ship passengers from the Grand Princess has arrived in San Antonio. The passengers are those who are not showing symptoms and need to be in quarantine at JBSA-Lackland.

12:15 p.m. 

The Spurs released a statement today saying the organization fully supports the NBA's decision to suspect games due to coronavirus concerns.

11:15 a.m.

The PGA announced the Valero Texas Open will be played without fans this year. "The health and safety of our players, employees, partners, volunteers, fans and everybody associated with the PGA TOUR is our top priority," an official said.

11:08 a.m.

The Big Ten, the Big 12, the SEC, the ACC and others have canceled the remainder of their conference basketball tournaments due to coronavirus concerns.

10:46 a.m. 

Major League Soccer announced Thursday it is suspending its season. San Antonio FC will be affected. Read more here.

10 a.m. 

Texas State University announced it will extend spring break for one week over concerns about the coronavirus.The campus will start preparing for a period of remote classes after that. The university joins a growing list of campuses taking extra precautions to keep their students, faculty and staff safe.

 8:58 a.m. 

Trading resumes after early circuit breaker: World markets are enduring violent swings. An early plunge of 7% on Wall Street triggered a trading halt as a sell-off slamming global markets continued. 

8:49 a.m.

Congress is shutting down the U.S. Capitol, House and Senate office buildings to the public until April 1 in reaction to COVID-19.

8:38 a.m.

 Trading halted after stock market plummets at the open. Dow Jones is down about 1,700 points right now, 7%. This is the second "circuit breaker" of the week, an automatic trigger that halts trading for 15 minutes in an attempt to calm the market. Read more here.

7:40 a.m.

President Donald Trump's campaign has canceled an event in Wisconsin next week because of the coronavirus, the AP reports. The “Catholics for Trump” event was scheduled March 19 in Milwaukee. Reelection campaign spokesman Tim Murtaugh tweeted the cancellation was made “out of an abundance of caution because of the coronavirus outbreak.”

4:28 a.m.

US Dept of State issues a "Global Level 3 Health Advisory – Reconsider Travel" statement -- "The Department of State advises U.S. citizens to reconsider travel abroad due to the global impact of COVID-19.  Many areas throughout the world are now experiencing COVID-19 outbreaks and taking action that may limit traveler mobility, including quarantines and border restrictions.  Even countries, jurisdictions, or areas where cases have not been reported may restrict travel without notice."

4:25 a.m.

Wall Street futures headed into Thursday trading were down 5% as investors did not appear to be put at ease following President Donald Trump's address to the nation regarding the coronavirus pandemic. Dow futures were down 1,200 at one point this morning.

RELATED: Coronavirus Q&A: What San Antonio needs to know to stay safe

RELATED: Live updates: Events canceled or postponed in the San Antonio area due to coronavirus concerns

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, hot 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.

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.

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