SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio Metropolitan Health District is currently investigating a third confirmed travel-related positive COVID-19 case. The individual recently traveled to Spain. This brings the number of travel-related COVID-19 cases in San Antonio to three.
A detailed contact tracing investigation for this person is already taking place and affected individuals will be notified. The patient is currently in isolation from the public. This confirmed case of COVID-19 is not a community-spread case. A community-spread case indicates that infection has been spread from a person who did not have exposure to the illness or a travel history.
The City of San Antonio confirmed its first travel-related case of coronavirus (COVID-19) within the community on Friday. On Saturday, Metro Health announced it was investigating another confirmed travel-related positive COVID-19 case. The person recently traveled to Japan and had a underlying health issue.
Mayor Ron Nirenberg announced that the first case was confirmed Thursday night. Nirenberg declared a public health emergency, banning gatherings of more than 500 people and strongly suggesting events of 250 people or more be canceled. This canceled the Tejano Music Festival and St. Patrick's Day on the River Walk.
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The declaration will last seven days and may be extended to 30 days during next week's city council session. Intake for Bexar County jails will also be limited to reduce risk of a spread. No juries will meet at the courthouse as well during this time.
The patient has been put in quarantine, as well as his or her family.
Public officials emphasized washing hands, social distancing and staying home if sick.
San Antonio has been a destination for evacuees from China and cruise lines, sending hundreds of people into quarantine at the JBSA-Lackland Air Force base.
Earlier this month, one person was released by accident and walked through North Park Mall, causing a complete shutdown and deep clean.
The announcement of San Antonio's first confirmed case comes on the heels of Texas’s capitol confirming two presumptive cases early Friday morning.
Several large gatherings, conventions and sports event have been canceled in San Antonio and throughout Texas due to COVID-19 concerns.
San Antonio City Councilman Manny Pelaez is also under self-quarantine after a family trip to Colombia.
A selfie photo of Councilman Manny Pelaez in Colombia (Courtesy: City of San Antonio)
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