Mayor asks San Antonio bar owners and patrons to consider the risk amid the pandemic

SAN ANTONIO (KTSA News) – If the governor decides to reopen bars in Texas, as he hinted in a tweet this week, Mayor Ron Nirenberg is asking owners and patrons to consider the risks as the pandemic continues.

“Every business and every patron should ask themselves, ‘at what risk am I willing to open,’ as well as ‘what risk level do I fall into as a potential patron of an establishment,'” he said at Monday evening’s COVID-19 briefing.

The COVID-19 numbers in San Antonio continue to improve, but Nirenberg says that could quickly change.  The good news is that the positivity rate, the percentage of positive test results, has fallen to 4.9 percent.  That’s below the goal of 5 percent set by Metro Health for increasing in-person instruction at local schools.

Dr. Anita Kurian with Metro Health also sounded a warning about a possible reopening of bars where social distancing can be difficult when you have people dancing on a crowded floor, mingling with strangers and shouting at each other in order to be heard above the loud music.

Kurian said they’re seeing a rise in COVID-19 cases among the younger demographics, “and the highest proportion of cases is that 20 to 29 age group.”

Dr. Kurian also warned those who already have health problems.

“If you are one of these high risk folks with underlying medical conditions, refrain from going into these places,” said Kurian.

Sixty-eight new coronavirus cases were reported in San Antonio Monday, raising the total since the pandemic began to 58,746.   There were no additional deaths, so that total stands at 1,167.