SAN ANTONIO – Mayor Ron Nirenberg has again added to his Eighth Emergency Health Declaration, ordering expanded safety requirements for businesses.

“The rapid acceleration of COVID-19 cases in our community requires additional vigilance,” said Nirenberg. “We all have to stay serious about thwarting the spread of the coronavirus. We can’t afford to let up or be complacent.”

On Tuesday, San Antonio reported a surge of 1,268 new COVID-19 cases. The area also continues to see an exponential rise in the number of patients hospitalized, in the ICU, or on ventilators due to COVID-19 complications.

READ MORE | San Antonio, Bexar Co. Send Emergency Alert as COVID-19 Single-Day Record Hits 795 Cases

Effective noon on July 2, all businesses providing goods or services to the public were said to develop and implement a health and safety policy that includes at a minimum that all employees and visitors go through a pre-screening involving symptom questions and a temperature check.

This new order will remain in place indefinitely.

Nirenberg and County Judge Nelson Wolff later changed their wording to not make this mandate a requirement but more of a heavy recommendation to those who have access to pre-screening tools.

This is in addition to the city’s previous order, which mandates that all employees and patrons wear face coverings when they are in an area in close proximity to others. All large gatherings of 100 or more people, whether indoor or outdoor, are prohibited.

Activities including recreational sports programs for youths and adults; professional, collegiate, or similar sporting events; swimming pools; water parks; museums and libraries; zoos, aquariums, natural caverns, and similar facilities; rodeos and equestrian events; and amusement parks and carnivals must implement a Health and Safety Policy to include pre-screening, temperature checks and the use of face coverings by Friday, July 3, 2020 at 8 a.m.

READ MORE | Texas Hits Another Grim Record of COVID-19 Cases

Exceptions to this order include the standard exceptions as detailed by Gov. Greg Abbott:

  1.  Any services listed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) in its Guidance on the Essential Critical Infrastructure Workforce

  2.  Religious services

  3.  Local government operations

  4.  Child-care services

  5.  Youth camps