Mayor Ron Nirenberg orders San Antonio bars and restaurants to close amid coronavirus pandemic
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Mayor Ron Nirenberg ordered non-essential businesses where people gather together closed for at least a week during the coronavirus pandemic.
Mayor Ron Nirenberg ordered non-essential businesses where people gather together closed for at least a week during the coronavirus pandemic.
Photo: Tom Reel /Staff Photographer
Mayor Ron Nirenberg ordered non-essential businesses where people gather together closed for at least a week during the coronavirus pandemic.
Mayor Ron Nirenberg ordered non-essential businesses where people gather together closed for at least a week during the coronavirus pandemic.
Photo: Tom Reel /Staff Photographer
San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg issued a fourth emergency declaration Wednesday, ordering non-essential businesses to close amid the coronavirus pandemic. Confirmed cases rose to 25 according to information released by the Metropolitan Health District at 8 p.m. Wednesday.
The declaration goes into effect at 11:59 p.m. Wednesday and will last seven days unless extended by the City Council.
The city’s restaurants, bars, gyms and other commercial businesses (listed below) must shut their doors as officials seek to stop the spread of the virus.
Pharmacies, grocery stores, gas stations, and other essential businesses will remain open.
Restaurants will be allowed to serve customers through drive-thru, delivery and pick-up orders.
CANCELED EVENTS: San Antonio events canceled or postponed due to coronavirus
“We will get through this and we will get through this together,” Nirenberg said.
The mayor noted that there is no curfew in place but asked people to stay home as much as possible, especially during nighttime hours.
The mayor’s emergency order earlier this week, which restricted gatherings to no more than 50 people, did not apply to bars and restaurants.
Officials have confirmed 25 cases of COVID-19 in the San Antonio area. The Metropolitan Health District has tested a total of 135 people according to information released in a public update on the city’s web site.
On Wednesday, University Health System announced that a nurse and second resident physician had tested positive for COVID-19 following travel exposure. Both are isolated at home and officials are working to locate those who were potentially exposed.
The following facilities are closed temporarily:
– Restaurants, including microbrewery, micro-distilleries or wineries (The establishments must close dining rooms but may offer take-out, drive-thru, or delivery)
– Bars
– Lounges
– Nightclubs
– Taverns
– Private clubs
– Gyms or health studios
– Indoor commercial amusement businesses
– Bowling alleys
– Bingo parlors
– Theaters
The following facilities are exempt from the declaration:
These facilities are strongly encouraged to practice social distancing.
– San Antonio International Airport
– Public or private schools or child care facilities
– Places of worship
– Funeral homes
– Museums (so long as visitors are generally not within arm’s length of one another for extended periods)
– Spaces where 50 or more persons may be in transit or waiting for transit, such as bus stops
– Office spaces
– Hotels
– Residential buildings
– Grocery stores, shopping malls, outdoor markets or other retail establishments
Watch the news conference below:
