More coronavirus evacuees arriving at Lackland, San Antonio testing to be done by feds

SAN ANTONIO (KTSA News) — The City of San Antonio says there are no current community cases of the COVID-19 coronavirus in the city or in Bexar County.

There are still some cases being treated in the city of those who were under quarantine at Lackland Air Force Base and are being cared for in isolation.

The city said Tuesday Lackland Air Force Base is expecting to receive some evacuees from the Grand Princess cruise ship as early as later Tuesday.

City health officials are also offering the public a handful of tips to avoid contracting the virus.

They suggest social distancing as one preventative measure:

1. Avoid crowds, especially in poorly ventilated spaces. Risk of exposure to respiratory viruses like COVID-19 may increase in crowded, closed-in settings with little air circulation if there are people in the crowd who are sick.
2. Clean and disinfect your home regularly, including routine cleaning of frequently touched surfaces.
3. Keep a six-foot distance from others in public settings.
4. Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
5. Avoid touching high-touch surfaces in public places like elevator buttons, door handles, handrails, handshaking, etc. Use a tissue or your sleeve to cover your hand if you must touch something.
6. Wash your hands after touching surfaces in public places and avoid touching your face, nose, eyes, etc.

As for testing potential cases, the city said it has asked that testing for the virus continue to only be done on federal grounds using federal resources to not take up space at local medical facilities.

Officials said the city has a limited number of test kits and is expected to receive more kits by the end of the week.

What to know about COVID-19 testing:

1. If you are feeling sick, call your primary care physician’s office before going in.
2. If you do not have a primary care physician, visit any urgent care or walk-in clinic in the community.
3. Community physicians and other clinical providers have access to CDC protocols to determine whether or not patients qualify for COVID-19 testing.
4. Local testing for COVID-19 is currently available only by sending samples to the CDC, in coordination with Metro Health and the CDC.
5. People who do not have CDC-defined symptoms and exposure history will not be offered testing for COVID-19.
6. If you need additional information call the Metro Health hotline at 210-207-5779. (Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.).