SAN ANTONIO — To access the real-time updates blog for Saturday, May 9, 2020 click here.
These are the facts:
- There have been at least 36,609 cases of coronavirus in Texas and 1,004 reported deaths from COVID-19 as of noon on May 8, according to Texas HHS.
- City leaders say there are 1,835 confirmed positive cases in San Antonio as of 6:13 p.m. on May 8. A total of 56 people have died related to the coronavirus.
- 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 need to wear a mask or cloth covering in public areas where social distancing is difficult or not possible. Click here for more information.
Friday, May 8
9:15 p.m.
Senator John Cornyn, R-TX, said he wants protection for business owners who are opening this month under the latest state orders and who are complying with measures to protect customers.
6:15 p.m.
Mayor Ron Nirenberg reported that an additional 30 cases of the novel coronavirus have been confirmed in Bexar County on Friday, bringing the total to 1,835. Meanwhile, two new deaths from COVID-19 complications were reported, bringing the local death toll to 56. In all, 927 county residents have recovered from the virus, which is 51 percent.
5:35 p.m.
Hays County officials report a new death from coronavirus complications—a Wimberley resident in their 90s who had been in the hospital since last month.
A total of two county residents have died from the virus, and 203 have been confirmed to be infected with it.
4:35 p.m.
The White House said a press secretary who works for Vice President Mike Pence tested positive for the coronavirus, making her the second person who works at the White House confirmed to have been diagnosed in the last few days.
3:38 p.m.
The San Antonio Police Department has released its latest cases.
- Sworn Officer COVID-19 positive: 6
- Officers in quarantine: 3
- Civilians in quarantine: 9
- Total SAPD Personnel Quarantined: 12
1:50 p.m.
The San Antonio Fire Department has released its numbers of coronavirus-related cases:
- SAFD Uniformed COVID-19 positive -6
- SAFD Uniformed in quarantine - 10
- SAFD Civilians in quarantine-0
- Total SAFD Personnel Quarantined- 10
12:30 p.m.
Texas now has 1,004 confirmed deaths from coronavirus, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. More than 36,000 cases have been reported.
11:26 a.m.
One Kendall County resident tests positive at the first Boerne/Kendall County mobile test site. A total of 92 tests were administered at the site last week. Of the 92 tests, four people tested positive. The other 3 people who tested positive were residents of Comal and Bexar counties.
At this time, Kendall county is reporting a total of 19 cases.
11:25 a.m.
CPS Energy has confirmed that one of their team members has tested positive for coronavirus. The affected employee is recovering at home.
11:20 a.m.
The Hays County Local Health Department reports an additional death related to coronavirus. This brings the total to two deaths.
Officials said the person, who passed away Thursday, May 7, was a Wimberley resident in their 90s who was counted in the existing positive cases that have been reported daily.
As of Friday, Hays County has 73 active cases and has administered 2,091 tests. A full report COVID-19 update will be released later this afternoon.
10:14 a.m.
Comal County confirmed four recoveries from COVID-19 and zero new cases.
With six deaths and 48 recoveries, the county has 11 active cases, one of which is hospitalized.
As of Friday morning, the Comal County Office of Public Health has received reports of the following test information:
- 932 tests conducted
- 65 positive tests
- 785 negative tests
- 82 results still pending
7:45 a.m.
The U.S. unemployment rate hit 14.7% in April, the highest rate since the Great Depression, as 20.5 million jobs vanished in the worst monthly loss on record. The figures are stark evidence of the damage the coronavirus has done to a now-shattered economy.
6:30 a.m.
The next step in reopening Texas begins this morning with salons welcoming customers back. In addition to salons, barbershops, hair and cosmetology salons, and nail salons are also allowed to open back up today.
Thursday, May 7
8 p.m.
Coronavirus by the numbers: Of the more than 1,800 Bexar County residents who've tested positive for coronavirus, 48% have recovered. The county has reported 54 deaths from the virus.
6:15 p.m.
Mayor Ron Nirenberg reported that an additional 44 cases of the novel coronavirus have been confirmed in Bexar County on May 7, bringing the total to 1,805. Meanwhile, 1 new death from COVID-19 complications was reported, bringing the local death toll to 54. In all, 867 county residents have recovered from the virus.
5:08 p.m.
Four new cases of coronavirus were reported in Hays County Thursday, bringing the total COVID-19 cases in the county to 199. A total of 122 people have recovered in the county.
2:00 p.m.
The San Antonio Fire Department provided the following information regarding coronavirus cases within the department.
- May 7, 2020
- SAFD Uniformed COVID-19 positive -6
- SAFD Uniformed in quarantine - 7
- SAFD Civilians in quarantine-0
- Total SAFD Personnel Quarantined- 7
1:40 p.m.
Good news - more than 18,000 Texans have recovered from coronavirus, according to Texas Health and Human Services Thursday.
12:30 p.m.
Sheriff Javier Salazar provided an update Thursday on crime statistics throughout Bexar County during the pandemic. In a Zoom meeting, the sheriff said while overall reported crime is down, that doesn't necessarily tell the whole story. He said domestic violence may be going unreported right now during social distancing and while children are out of school. He said these things take away the usual opportunities for abuse victims to make an outcry.
11:28 a.m.
FDA approves coronavirus vaccine candidate to begin phase 2 trial. The Moderna COVID-19 vaccine candidate is one of many under development, but it was the first to begin phase one testing in March.
11:20 a.m.
H-E-B said Thursday it is providing free check cashing for stimulus checks in its stores. The company also said it will waive select fees for the H-E-B Prepaid Mastercard.
10:30 a.m.
Comal County reported four new cases of coronavirus on Thursday. The county released the following information regarding cases:
As of Thursday morning, the Comal County Office of Public Health has received reports of the following test information:
- 917 tests conducted
- 65 positive tests
- 761 negative tests
- 91 results still pending
Of the 65 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Comal County, the location breakdown is:
- 25 from New Braunfels or the immediate area
- 11 from the Bulverde area
- 9 from north of Canyon Lake
- 6 from eastern Comal County
- 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
9:30 a.m.
The San Antonio Police Department has the following information on coronavirus cases:
Sworn Officer COVID-19 positive -6
Officers in quarantine - 2
Civilians in quarantine- 6
Total SAPD Personnel Quarantined- 8
9:00 a.m.
Nearly 3.2 million laid-off workers applied for unemployment benefits last week as the business shutdowns caused by the viral outbreak deepened the worst U.S. economic catastrophe in decades.
Roughly 33.5 million people have now filed for jobless aid in the seven weeks since the coronavirus began forcing millions of companies to close their doors and slash their workforces. That is the equivalent of one in five Americans who had been employed back in February, when the unemployment rate had reached a 50-year low of just 3.5%.
6:45 a.m.
A set of detailed documents created by the nation's top disease investigators meant to give step-by-step advice to local leaders deciding when and how to reopen public places such as mass transit, day care centers and restaurants during the still-raging pandemic has been shelved by the Trump administration.
5 a.m.
There are more than 1.2 million confirmed positive cases of coronavirus in the U.S., as of 5 a.m. Thursday, May 7, according to Johns Hopkins University. There have been more than 70,000 deaths and nearly 190,000 people recovered.
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.