» Four more local deaths and 1,316 new cases.
Seven-day average near 1,000 is ‘concerning,’ mayor says; four more deaths also reported
The coronavirus remains a threat in San Antonio and Bexar County, with 1,316 newly diagnosed cases and four more deaths reported Friday.
The rolling seven-day average for new cases in the county rose to 952. That’s up from 830 on Monday.
“Nearly 1,000 cases per day in our daily average is concerning,” Mayor Ron Nirenberg said. “As test results come in following the Thanksgiving holiday, there is reason to be concerned that it’s going to get worse in terms of our daily case rate.”
The South Texas Blood and Tissue Center remains “in dire need” of blood donations, particularly from Type O donors, the mayor noted. Those wishing to donate blood can make an appointment online by visiting SouthTexasBlood.org.
Since the pandemic began nine months ago, 85,201 Bexar County residents have tested positive for the virus and 1,376 of them have died. An additional 140 deaths reported by the state health department are still being investigated by the city’s Metropolitan Health District.
The four latest victims were a Hispanic womanin her 50s, whose death was reported by the Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office; a white man in his 70s, who died at Southwest General Hospital; and a Hispanic woman in her 70s and a Hispanic man in his 80s, who both died at PAM Specialty Hospital.
Their deaths, though an
nounced Friday, occurred within the past 14 days.
Some 587 patients, almost 15 percent of all currently being cared for in San Antonio hospitals, have been diagnosed with COVID-19, city officials said. That includes 48 patients from El Paso, where hospitals have reached maximum capacity because of the pandemic.
Some 84 COVID patients now in San Antonio hospitals were admitted in just the past 24 hours, “which is quite a bit higher than we’ve seen over the last few days,” Nirenberg said.
More than a third of those hospitalized locally are being cared for in intensive care units. That amounts to 207 patients. City officials reported 126 of those patients are on ventilators to help them breathe — a rise of 22 from the day before.
County Judge Nelson Wolff described that statistic as “really disconcerting.”
“That’s a real danger mark,” Wolff said. “It’s just another sign that everybody needs to be aware of — this is a deadly disease. And regardless of who you are or how old you are or what conditions your health is in, it can strike. ... So please try to continue to be safe.”
Nirenberg reported that 11 percent of staffed hospital beds remained available Friday, while 63 percent of ventilators are ready for use.
He encouraged residents to remain vigilant against the virus.
“Do everything you can to protect your family and your friends,” Nirenberg said. “It is always darkest before dawn. And we know those vaccines are going to get here eventually. But they’re not here yet. ... Mask up, San Antonio — do it for yourself, do it for your family, do it for San Antonio.”
In nearby Comal County, the virus also remains a threat. The county’s test positivity rate jumped to 20.5 percent Friday.
Public health officials reported 146 more coronavirus cases there Friday, almost two-thirds of them in
New Braunfels.
Since the pandemic began nine months ago, nearly 5,000 Comal County residents have tested positive for the virus, and 131 of them have died. Most of those who contracted the virus — 86 percent — have recovered.
On Friday, Comal County reported 568 active cases, with 36 hospitalized.
Across Texas, 13,581 new cases were reported Friday, along with 255 more deaths. More than 9,000 patients who tested positive for COVID-19 were being cared for in Texas hospitals, approaching the record of nearly 11,000 set in late July.
Since the pandemic began in March, more than 1.2 million Texans have tested positive for the virus, while 22,255 of them have died.
More than 1 million Texans have recovered from the virus so far, amounting to a statewide recovery rate of 82 percent Friday.