Cases of virus in the area continue to climb

The San Antonio Metropolitan Health District reported 2,121 new coronavirus cases Saturday, 576 more than reported Friday, continuing a steep climb.

The health authority also reported 14 new deaths that occurred within the past two weeks; the youngest victim in his 40s and the oldest in his 90s.

But there was some good news: The number of patients in San Antonio hospitals with COVID-19 dropped again, to 1,190 — down 185 from last Saturday’s 1,375.

“We are moving in the right direction,” Mayor Ron Nirenberg said at Saturday night’s daily briefing.

Still, Nirenberg said, with more than 1,000 coronavirus patients in the hospitals, it’s causing “significant stress.”

Bexar County Judge Nelson

Wolff concurred.

“It’s a long haul to get to where we need to be,” Wolff said. “It’s going to be several weeks before we can get this thing under control.”

The deaths are particularly concerning; to date, the virus has killed 2,060 residents.

Deaths reported Saturday include a Hispanic man in his 40s who died at University Hospital, a white man in his 50s reported by the Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office, a Hispanic man and woman in their 60s who were hospitalized at the Audie L. Murphy Veteran’s Hospital, and an Asian-Pacific Islander man in his 60s, also at the veterans hospital.

Four San Antonians in their 70s succumbed to the virus: a Hispanic man at Methodist Hospital; a white man at Northeast Methodist Hospital; a man, whose race wasn’t listed, at Baptist Medical Center; and a white

woman who was a resident of Alamo Heights Health and Rehab.

Metro Health also reported the deaths of four people in their 80s: A white man at Methodist Hospital, a white man and woman at Northeast Methodist Hospital, and a Hispanic reported by the Medical Examiner’s Office.

A Black man in his 90s also died at Northeast Methodist.

For the past 10 months, the virus has upended people from their jobs and infected 169,688 residents.

Officials said 143 of those admitted to San Antonio hospitals Saturday were admitted within the past 24 hours. Of those in the hospitals, 398 were being treated in intensive care — three fewer than the previous day — and 247 needed ventilators to help them breathe, nine fewer than Friday.

Getting tested

There are multiple free testing sites the city has on its website, but three don’t require appointments for those with symptoms: the Cuellar Community Center at 5626 San Fernando St., the Dub Farris Athletic Complex at 8400 N. Loop 1604 and the Ramirez Community Center at 1011 Gillette Blvd.

Those who aren’t experiencing symptoms can get tested for free at the Ramirez and Cuellar community centers, as well as the AT&T Center at Lot 2, 1 AT&T Center Parkway.

For complete information, go to covid19.sanantonio.gov.