Six coronavirus cases now reported in San Antonio, more expected

UPDATE 3:08 p.m.:

San Antonio mayor Ron Nirenberg said all six of the confirmed coronavirus cases are all being treated at the Texas Center for Infectious Disease.

ORIGINAL:

SAN ANTONIO (KTSA News) – Three more cruise ship passengers under quarantine at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland have tested positive for the coronavirus.

That brings the total number of COVID-19 cases in San Antonio to six. Last Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed that two Diamond Princess cruise ship passengers were diagnosed with coronavirus and three others were announced Monday. Meanwhile, one of the evacuees from China remains hospitalized in the San Antonio area.

“Because the passengers on the Diamond Princess were in a close setting where there has been a significant spread of COVID-19, they are considered at high-risk for infection and we expect to see additional confirmed cases among this group,” said CDC spokeswoman Kate Grusich.

Nearly 140 cruise ship passengers remain under quarantine at Lackland, and 90 evacuees from China were released last week.

The six patients who are ill are undergoing treatment at a designated medical facility.

The CDC has not disclosed where the local coronavirus patients are undergoing treatment, but state health officials have confirmed that an unspecified number of coronavirus patients are being treated at the Texas Center for Infectious Disease in San Antonio’s South Side.

“At this time, we continue to believe the risk of coronavirus exposure to the general public is low, including in San Antonio and Bexar County,” said Grusich.