H-E-B meat packing plant employee tests positive for COVID-19

SAN ANTONIO (KTSA News) – An employee at an H-E-B  meat packing plant in San Antonio’s Northeast Side has tested positive for COVID-19.

Mayor Ron  Nirenberg says everybody at that plant on Space Center Drive will be tested for the novel coronavirus.

“Once there is a single employee in a congregate facility like that, universal testing begins, so that’s what will happen in this case, as well,” said Nirenberg.

It’s not known when  the employee last worked at the plant near IH 35 at Loop 410.

“Any congregate facility is a concern, but in our case, I think we’ve been aggressive with all of them,” said the mayor. “We’ll be aggressive with universal testing in this case, so I’m highly confident in our ability to contain it,” he said.

The news comes as San Antonio Metro Health reported only 9 new coronavirus cases Monday.  The total since the pandemic started is 2,839.  Of those positive cases, 93  patients are hospitalized, and 20 are on ventilators.

The mayor said San Antonio and Bexar County are “on the down slope” with 60 percent of all confirmed cases fully recovered.

One additional coronavirus related death was reported Monday, a Hispanic man in his 80s who resided at Rio at Mission Trails nursing home. A female resident at that facility died earlier this month.  Twenty-five residents and 12 staff members at Rio at Mission Trails  have tested positive for COVID-19. The death toll is now 75.