Metro Health Confirms 6 New COVID-19 Cases as Testing Continues
March 22, 2020 - San Antonio
This is a test. Coronavirus testing in both the public and private sector has ramped up in the Alamo City. Saturday night, Metro Health reported 6 new COVID-19 positive cases. The case count is now at 45. Photo: Jade Esteban Estrada.
By Jade Esteban Estrada - Staff Writer, San Antonio Sentinel
As the city comes to the end of its second weekend in self-quarantine, the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District has reported 6 new COVID-19 cases in San Antonio. The total case count is now at 45. Officials believe that this number will continue to rise as testing ramps up in both the public and private sector.
In today’s breakdown: There are 26 travel-related cases; seven cases that have been as a result of close contact with someone who has been previously diagnosed; ten cases through community transmission; and for the last two cases, contact tracing is underway.
In addition to San Antonio’s drive-through testing site which is now in its second week, a testing location opened last Wednesday at the Freeman Coliseum.
Over the weekend, there was a slight uptick in the amount of females (44 %) who tested positive, however, the majority of cases have been men.
RELATED: Local COVID-19 Case Count Rises to 39
At present, the highest percentage of people (33 percent) who have tested positive are in the 40 to 49 age group. Metro Health has advised the public to keep in mind that the demographic that has thus far been tested has been limited to health care workers and first responders, so the age and gender percentages may change as a more diverse group of people are tested.
As of Saturday night, Metro Health’s lab has reported that 311 tests have been administered.
Approximately 8,756 tests have been performed statewide, however, as in the local test count, this number may not include the total number of tests that have been administered in the private sector.
The Texas Department of State Health Services has reported that the total number of coronavirus positive cases has now reached 334. Five deaths have been linked to COVID-19. This number reflects the case count among 40 counties. The county assignment with 69 of the cases is still pending.
On March 19, Dr. John Hellerstedt, commissioner of the Texas Department of State Health Services, declared a public health disaster in Texas. “[COVID-19] has created an immediate threat, poses a high risk of death to a large number of people, and creates a substantial risk of public exposure because of the disease’s method of transmission and evidence that there is community spread in Texas,” he said.
RELATED: Bexar County’s 29 Coronavirus Cases Classified By Mode of Transmission
None of the local or state numbers include confirmed infections from Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, a federal compound.
In the meantime, San Antonio creators have stepped up their game as a majority of citizens are in self-quarantine. Last night, Mexican singer Azul Barrientos performed a concert via Facebook Live and Ballapeño and Henry the Puffy Taco, the friendly mascots of San Antonio Missions, just uploaded an informative video on social distancing.
Jade Esteban Estrada is a staff writer at the San Antonio Sentinel, where he covers public health and other citywide issues. He can be reached at jade@sasentinel.com.