Bexar sees increases in cases of virus at hospitals, in ICUs
One more death is reported; Nirenberg offers tips on safely celebrating Halloween tonight
Local leaders reported 177 new coronavirus cases among Bexar County residents Friday and announced one more death of a patient who tested positive for the illness.
The latest victim to succumb after contracting COVID-19 was a white man in his 70s who died Tuesday at Methodist Hospital. He also suffered from underlying health conditions, San Antonio officials said.
Since the pandemic began seven months ago, 65,600 Bexar County residents have tested positive for the virus, and 1,251 of them have died.
After declining for several days, the number of COVID patients in San Antonio hospitals jumped to 235 on Friday, a net increase of 12 from the day before. That includes 42 new admissions in the past 24 hours, a figure that has also been trending upward.
The numbers of COVID patients in intensive care units and on ventilators in San Antonio hospitals also have been rising. On Friday, 92 patients who tested positive for the virus were being cared for in ICUs, up by 12 from the day before. Fifty COVID patients were on ventilators to help them breathe, an increase of 12 from Thursday.
“Do not let your guard down,” Mayor Ron Nirenberg warned. “This is a really critical time for our community in the course of this pandemic. Let’s keep each other safe.”
Some 12 percent of staffed patient beds remained available at San Antonio hospitals Friday, while 67 percent of ventilators in
stock were available for use.
Nirenberg offered tips on how people can safely celebrate Halloween tonight. Those going trickor-treating should wear appropriate face coverings to guard against the virus — Halloween costume masks don’t provide enough protection, he said. Children shouldn’t go trick-or-treating with anyone who doesn’t live in their household, and everyone should stay at least 6 feet from people they don’t live with, the mayor added.
Children and their chaperones should avoid going inside anyone else’s residence and should take hand sanitizer and use it frequently during their Halloween outings, Nirenberg said. Everyone should wash their hands thoroughly for at least 20 seconds when they return home, he said.
Treats can be placed in goody bags on a table so children don’t have to knock on doors or reach into a shared community bowl. And anyone who is sick or living with someone who is ill shouldn’t go out and celebrate, nor hand out candy to visitors, Nirenberg said.
“I think people are going to be practicing safety,” Nirenberg said. “I think there’s a level of vigilance now in our community that was not present perhaps in June and July that is going to help protect everybody this weekend.”
San Antonio hospitals have accepted a dozen COVID patients from El Paso, where hospitals have reached maximum capacity, officials said. More are expected here and in other major Texas cities in the next week or two.
The city of Boerne canceled two of its December holiday events Friday because of the risks posed by COVID. Dickens on Main and the annual Weihnachts Parade have been called off.
“The health and safety of our community will always come first,” Boerne Mayor Tim Handren said. “The spread of COVID is increasing, and it would not be appropriate to host events that bring 10,000 to 15,000 people into a compact area.”
In Comal County, where New Braunfels is the county seat, 12 new coronavirus cases were reported Friday — six of them confirmed and six considered probable. No new deaths were reported.
Since the pandemic began seven months ago, 3,776 residents there have tested positive for the virus, while 120 of them have died.
Comal County has 116 active cases of the virus. Seven of those are in patients who are now hospitalized, public health officials said.
The county’s recovery rate stands at 94 percent, with 3,540 residents recovering from COVID so far.
Comal County’s sevenday test positivity rate is
climbing, however. On Friday, that number stood at 9.52 percent, up from 6.79 percent one week ago and 5.7 percent just two weeks ago.
Across Texas, almost 6,000 new cases of COVID were reported Friday, along with 115 more deaths related to the virus, state health department officials reported. Nearly 101,000 COVID cases remain active statewide.
Since the pandemic began in March, more than 893,000 Texans have tested positive for the virus, while almost 18,000 have died. The state’s recovery rate stands at 87 percent. So far, almost 777,000 Texans have recovered.
Bexar County is ranked fourth among Texas counties reporting the most coronavirus cases in the past seven months, coming in behind Harris, Dallas and Tarrant counties, respectively.
Bexar County ranks third among Texas counties reporting the most fatalities related to the virus. Only Harris and Hidalgo counties are reporting more deaths.