San Antonio Health Officials Say City Is Seeing Second Wave of COVID-19 Infections

Posted By Sanford Nowlin on Fri, Jun 12, 2020 at 8:37 AM

click to enlarge A medical worker performs a COVID-19 screening for National Guardsmen as they prepare to clean a Texas nursing home last month. - WIKIMEDIA COMMONS / THE NATIONAL GUARD

  • Wikimedia Commons / The National Guard
  • A medical worker performs a COVID-19 screening for National Guardsmen as they prepare to clean a Texas nursing home last month.

After a string of worrying Texas COVID-19 numbers, San Antonio public health officials have made it official: we’re seeing a second wave.

Over the past three days, San Antonio has confirmed a total of 507 new COVID-19 cases. This as the state reported its largest single-day increase in cases on Thursday. 

Coronavirus-related hospitalizations in San Antonio have also increased 31% since the beginning of the month, hitting 122 on Thursday. This week, Texas also reported three days of record hospitalization numbers.

“We’re seeing a spike. This is not gradual,” San Antonio Metro Health Director Dawn Emerick told KSAT.

Emerick told the station that the current increase is likely the result of Memorial Day Weekend crowds. It will probably be another week before it’s clear what effect large-scale protests across the state have on the numbers.

On Thursday, Metro Health issued new guidance for containing the spread of COVID-19, including that residents continue to wear face coverings in public, follow state-established health protocols, stay home if sick and not visit nursing homes. Officials also cautioned people to be wary of claims made by private health-care providers offering COVID-19 antibody tests.

Stay on top of San Antonio news and views. Sign up for our Weekly Headlines Newsletter.

Tags: COVID-19, COVID 19, coronavirus, corona virus, pandemic, outbreak, spike, second wave, San Antonio, Metro Health, Texas. Greg Abbott, Dawn Emerick, KSAT, health guidelines, masks, face coverings, Memorial Day, protests, antibody tests, public gatherings, increase, new cases, Image

Leave a Reply