Mayor: ‘Stay disciplined’ against virus

No coronavirus-related deaths were reported Saturday — a sigh of relief from the 29 deaths reported since Tuesday.

Still, 2,520 San Antonians have died from the disease since last March, according to the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District.

Metro Health reported 482 new cases Saturday, fewer than Friday’s 501 cases. This upped the total case count to 195,719.

“It is crucial for us to stay disciplined and keep the case numbers moving lower,” Mayor Ron Nirenberg said Saturday. “Mask up, keep your distance from people outside your household and wash your hands frequently.”

The pandemic has loosened its grip slightly on the hospital system, with 455 patients in local hospitals with coronavirus patients — six fewer than Friday — making up about 11.4 percent of the total patient count.

Some 46 of those patients were admitted in the past 24 hours,

Metro Health said.

Of those hospitalized, 186 were in intensive care, which was six more than Friday, and 109 were on ventilators, an increase from Friday’s 100.

Just three weeks ago, about a quarter of total hospital patients had the virus — accounting for 969 patients — with a third of those in intensive care.

At the time, the city had a seven-day average of 1,361 new cases per day.

Since Feb. 6, 14,708 people have contracted the virus and there have been 312 deaths.

Residents who may have had to mix households to survive the weather crisis two weeks ago should consider getting tested for the virus, as well as anyone else who may have come into contact with the virus during that time.

The city has free testing sites that don’t require appointments, including the Cuellar Community Center, 5626 San Fernando St., and Ramirez Community Center, 1011 Gillette Blvd.

Those with symptoms can get tested at either center Monday through Sunday between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. If you don’t have symptoms, you can get tested at the same centers Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. No asymptomatic testing is done at the centers on Sundays.

Symptoms include fever or chills, coughing, shortness of breath, fatigue, muscle aches, headaches, loss to taste or smell, sore throat, congestion, nausea and diarrhea.

To view more testing locations or for other information about the coronavirus, visit COVID19.SanAntonio.gov.