Outdoors beckon again as city begins reopenings
S.A. has reached ‘safe’ zone for virus risk as cases decline
Joanne Flores, 25, was executing some tasty moves on her skateboard Tuesday afternoon at Lady Bird Johnson Park, relishing the reopening of the city’s premier skate park, home to a 7,000-square-foot bowl for all those daredevils on four wheels.
Until the city reopened its skate parks Monday, along with playgrounds, sports fields, outdoor fitness stations and other city-owned facilities that were closed because of the coronavirus, Flores and her wife had to practice their favorite sport in parking lots and on the streets.
“This is much safer,” said Genesis Chavez, 28, watching Flores zoom around while she held their very vocal Chihuahua, Leia. “It didn’t make any sense for them to keep (skate parks) closed. I’m a server at a restaurant, and we’ve been packing in 40, 50 people. We’re so glad this is open again, because we don’t have to worry about cars anymore.”
Across town, at Woodlawn Lake Park, Aixa Cosme enjoyed watching her 3½-year-old granddaughter, Jelianix Nikole Hernandez, frolic on the playground, which until Monday had been encircled by orange, keep-out netting.
“She’s been desperate to come here,” said Cosme, who lives in the near West Side neighborhood and had been counting the days until she could take cellphone photos of Jelianix scampering on the colorful, elaborate playscape.
“Suave,” she urged her granddaughter in Spanish, as the little girl flew from slide to swing to climbing platform, seemingly wanting to play on every structure at once. In English: Go slow and gentle.
San Antonio residents are likely just as eager to flock to the host of city facilities that have been shuttered since the pandemic began in the spring.
Officials on Monday declared that San Antonio now falls within the “safe” zone for the coronavirus risk, given a steady decline in new cases and deaths.
Residents now can reserve pavilions at city parks for barbecues and family get-togethers, which no longer have to be limited to 10 people. Same for city plazas. And special events in the parks can have up to 250 people in attendance.
Public libraries, the natatorium, senior centers and other indoor facilities will open in the coming weeks and months.
In announcing the reopenings, Mayor Ron Nirenberg cautioned that increased access doesn’t mean people should drop their guard. Masks, physical distancing and other precautions remain vital to stopping the spread of COVID-19, he said.
Dr. Junda Woo, medical director of the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District, said San Antonio has earned this partial reprieve.
“New cases have dropped steadily for more than one month,” she said. “We have the capacity to test and contact trace up to 2,000 cases a day. COVID hospitalizations and the positivity rate (the percentage of tests that come back positive) also are falling overall, although we are keeping an eye on a possible plateauing or upward tick.”
The numbers have declined because people are following safety measures, she said, not because the virus is gone.
“Until there is a widely available vaccine, we’ll need to continue distancing, masking and minimizing the number of people we see in person,” she said.
Performances and more
Large indoor venues owned and operated by the city also are reopening, though in phases, much like what occurred with area restaurants.
The Alamodome and the Convention Center can operate but at reduced capacity — 17 percent and 25 percent, respectively. The Lila Cockrell Theatre and the Jo Long Theatre, housed at the Carver Community Cultural Center, will be held to 15 percent capacity.
A plethora of measures has been instituted to combat any viral spread, officials said.
“We’ve been working hard to implement health and safety plans to keep guests and staff safe,” said Patricia Muzquiz Cantor, who as executive director of the city’s convention and sports facilities oversees the four venues.
The cap on occupancy should ensure proper physical distancing of 6 feet between guests, she said. Face coverings must be worn except when eating or drinking. Hand sanitizing stations are placed throughout.
And considerable money — more than $2 million, drawn from the Provider Relief Fund of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act — has been spent to “modify and retrofit” the venues and theaters, she said. Attendees will stand before thermal imaging cameras to get their temperatures checked. Toilets, faucets and doors are now touchless. Escalator rails are self-cleaning. An army of robots will clean spaces with ultraviolet lighting. The Alamodome already had its first big event Saturday — a University of Texas at San Antonio football game. At 17 percent of capacity, the dome can hold 11,000 attendees, Cantor said. The game drew 6,000.
If the demand to attend an event exceeds the number allowed, doors will be shut and ticket sales capped.
“These plans are all very fluid,” she said. “We are collaborating with Metro Health and the city and all state and local orders, and we will adjust as things change.”
Local restaurant owners have complained that the reduced capacity they have been required to abide by severely hurt their financial situation. Cantor acknowledges the same thing could happen with the city facilities.
“It will affect the bottom line,” she said.
But the pandemic already had crushed the special event and tourism industry in San Antonio. The Convention Center has only three booked events for the rest of the calendar year, Cantor said.
One such event starts Friday, a weekend-long women’s Christian ministry gathering, she said. UTSA will hold another game at the Alamodome on Friday.
“The 54,000-square-foot ballroom at the Convention Center at 25 percent reduced capacity will hold about 1,000,” she said. “We normally put four times as many people in there. But at the end of the day, we’re looking to maximize all opportunities, working closely with hotels and Visit San Antonio,” the city’s convention and visitors bureau.
Neither the Lila Cockrell Theatre nor the Jo Long Theatre has in-person events booked for the rest of the year, although they do have virtual performances planned.
“One thing the pandemic has given us is the luxury of time,” said Cassandra Parker-Nowicki, Carver’s executive director. “We want people to feel good when they come here, and all the safety precautions and retrofitting in place will help do that. We’re also working closely with artists, to have contingency plans in place if we can’t have live performances and have to pivot to livestream events if, God forbid, another shutdown happens.”
Meanwhile, back at Lady Bird Johnson Park, Phil Keener, 30, is just glad he can skateboard at a really cool park again.
“It’s nice to be able to come back here,” he said, rubbing a square of blue wax on a ledge to reduce friction on his wheels. “It’s great to have this place as an option again.”