SAN ANTONIO (KTSA News) – There are 1,901 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Bexar County, and no new deaths were reported Sunday evening, leaving the death toll at 56.

There were no new cases from the Bexar County jail where 303 inmates and 55 staff members have tested positive as efforts continue to test all detainees and personnel. One inmate and one detention deputy have died, but Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff says no one from the jail with COVID-19 is in a hospital.

Sixty-one COVID-19 patients are hospitalized and 22 of them are on ventilators.

Mayor Ron Nirenberg reports  976 people have recovered from the novel coronavirus, which exceeds the number of active cases, which is 869.

Nirenberg confirmed that two  businesses at the Rim have been ordered to close after being in violation of the city and state emergency declarations.

The Rustic and the Lion and Rose reopened May 1 when the governor’s order allowed restaurants to start operating their dining rooms at 25 percent capacity. But the mayor explained that under the guidelines of the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, The Rustic  and the Lion and Rose are defined as bars, not restaurants, because 51 percent or more of their sales come from alcohol.

There’s no word on when bars in Texas will be allowed to reopen.  Gov. Greg Abbott has stated that gyms, office buildings and manufacturers can go back in business May 18, but he did not specify a date for the reopening of bars.

In wishing all moms a Happy Mother’s Day, the mayor shared that he was unable to visit his own mother in person this year because she’s in the high risk category.  She suffered a heart attack last year and is now among the vulnerable for exposure to COVID-19.   Nirenberg said he knows this was a difficult Mother’s Day for those who had to break with the traditional backyard barbecues and family gatherings, but he hopes we can resume those activities soon.

Wolff said as we move forward and look past the coronavirus pandemic it’s important to reflect on what we’ve learned.

“How many of us are willing to work at home, what the savings on that would be to a business, what the impact on that would be to the environment with less cars driving on the road everyday,”said Wolff.

He believes when it’s all said and done, there will be some positive changes.

“I’m always one who likes to be optimistic and think that as we transition out of this, maybe we’ll be a better society than we were before,” said Wolff.

 

 

 

 

 

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