Wednesday’s COVID-19 Numbers

Metro Health’s COVID-19 dashboard reported 4,625 new cases and a 7-day moving average of 5,280 cases. There were 10 new deaths reported, according to the data. Fifty-four new deaths have been reported over the past seven days, totaling 5,072 since the pandemic began.

Website live: Order free COVID-19 tests from the government

There are 1,308 COVID patients in local hospitals, with 270 in ICU and 129 on ventilators. Metro Health’s dashboard shows there are 8% of staffed beds available and 61% of ventilators available.

See more of today’s COVID-19 statistics and city resources for the public here.

Weekly progress and warning Indicators

San Antonio Metropolitan Health District reported a COVID-19 positivity rate of 39.4% this week, a 1.1% change from last week’s rate of 38.3%.

This week’s risk level remains at “severe” and is worsening, officials said.

The progress and warning indicators — including a two-week case comparison, hospital trends, average case rate and positivity rate — are critical. Hospital stress is severe.

These indicators and the positivity rate are updated on Tuesdays.

ALSO ON KSAT.COM: Metro Health reports 125,100 COVID-19 cases since late December

City health officials offer the following testing guidelines

Consider using a self-test before joining indoor gatherings with others who are not in your household.A positive self-test result means that you have an infection and should avoid indoor gatherings to reduce the risk of spreading the disease to someone else.A negative self-test result means that you may not have an infection. Repeating the test with at least 24 hours between tests will increase the confidence that you are not infected.Ask your health care provider if you need help interpreting your test results.

Click here to access more information about other city no-cost testing sites.

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With daily cases now numbering in the thousands and the positivity rate hovering just under 40%, Dr. Rita Espinosa, chief of epidemiology at Metro Health, said the highly contagious omicron variant is to blame for most, if not all of those cases.

“So that might be one of the reasons that’s contributing to the increase in cases that we’ve seen over these winter holidays,” Espinosa said.

She said from Dec. 28, 2021, to Jan. 24, 2022, Metro Health has reported 125,100 cases, which accounts for 26.9% of the 464,703 total cases throughout the entire pandemic.

Espinosa said Metro Health is closely analyzing the data to find out what more health officials can learn.

“We’ll be looking at the impact on the community with regard to the age of cases, age of hospitalizations, the age of death, and see if there’s any change in those groups,” Espinosa said.

San Antonio is now in its fourth surge over the summer and winter months.

“We’re watching the data to see when will it peak and when will we start coming down and whether the length of the surge lasts longer or about the same as previous surges,” Espinosa said.

Although there’s no doubt the surge has impacted local hospitals, she said it is too early to say whether the number of deaths have increased.

“What I can say from the previous surges, we saw fewer deaths as the surges continued on,” Espinosa said.

Although more people are vaccinated, she said breakthrough cases are possible but the vaccine can prevent severe illness, hospitalizations and deaths.

Espinosa said Metro Health also is studying national trends showing that for some victims omicron is shorter in duration and not as severe.

Even so, she said being that many people are still not vaccinated, Metro Health is urging the public to take “all precautionary measures not only to protect themselves, but to protect those individuals around them, especially those with underlying medical conditions.”

She added, “We still see fairly low vaccination coverage levels in the five to 11 year old’s, followed by the 12 to 15 year old’s.”

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After months of community input, the City Manager’s Office presented a framework on how the City of San Antonio can invest the close to $200 million funds part of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). The proposed plans unveiled Wednesday afternoon include infrastructure, community programs, emergency housing and more.

The City of San Antonio was awarded $326.9 million under ARPA. Of that, $97.5 million were allocated in the 2022 fiscal year budget, and another $30 million were used for utility assistance in November 2021.

The remaining balance that City Council will vote on in the coming weeks is $199.4 million.

The recommended spending plan includes:

More than $90 million for “Impactful Investments” and capital projects$50 million for “COVID-19 Response & Emergency Preparedness”$40.95 million for “Immediate Needs”$10 million for “Employee Program”

“Impactful Investments” includes $54.4 million invested in current programs for mental health, youth, digital inclusion, arts and senior citizens. Of the programs, mental health leads the investment amount with $26 million. The program’s capital projects beneficiaries include Morgan’s Wonderland, Educare Texas A&M San Antonio and Texas Biomedical Research Institute.

It was proposed that Morgan’s Wonderland be allocated $10.5 million for a new pediatric care center and to help complete The Multi-Assistance Center.

Educare could receive $6 million to build a facility that would provide child care and wraparound services, including mental and behavioral health. According to a representative for Texas A&M present at Wednesday’s session, the center would provide direct care to 250 children ages birth to kindergarten.

Texas Biomed could receive $10 million that would be invested in infrastructure improvements, higher-paying jobs and job growth.

Investments in capital projects also focus on city infrastructure. Ten million dollars would be allocated to improve “F” streets, and $3.8 million would be invested in improving bridges.

The “COVID-19 Response & Emergency Preparedness” funds would, in part, help cover expenses for tests, masks and employee vaccination incentives.

The city’s Emergency Housing Assistance Program could be allotted $10 million under the “Immediate Needs” program. The remaining $30.95 million would benefit small businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The “Employee Program” focuses on compensation, benefit and retention of city employees through focus groups and a management committee.

The lengthy proposal comes after council input, an online survey and citizen input from several town halls held in November 2021.

Council members, including Melissa Havdra of District 6, said the proposed spending plans should also include funds to address the ongoing need for food that some families still face due to the pandemic.

The City Manager’s Office said they would continue to review input from the community and council members ahead of presenting a final plan.

City Council will continue the process to approve the suggested allocations of the AARPA funds next Thursday. The funds must be allocated by 2024 and spent by 2026.

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San Antonians say mental health, housing, and infrastructure among best ways to spend pandemic relief money

The first glimpse of Fiesta 2022 took center stage Wednesday night when the official poster for the 10-day citywide party was unveiled at the Witte Museum.

Fiesta Commission President, Col. (Ret.) Jon Fristoe, and Miss Fiesta, Calista Burns, helped unveil the poster and introduced the artist, Ricky Williamson.

The poster was selected based on votes submitted by the Fiesta Membership during a “5 to 1″ event in the fall. The theme of the poster was resilience.

The dates for the 131st anniversary of Fiesta are scheduled for March 31 to April 10.

To view our current Fiesta event schedule and for more information, click here.

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The NBA regular season is more than halfway done and for the Spurs, it’s been a season of some ups, but many more downs. San Antonio is currently 12th in the Western Conference standings (yikes!). On Dec. 26, the Spurs were four games under .500 at 14-18. Since then, they have lost 12 of 16 games.

The roster was hit with COVID and guys have been in and out of the lineup, but that’s been the case for most of the league. And San Antonio is still struggling in late-game situations. The Spurs are 6-14 in “clutch time” games which are defined as less than five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter or overtime with neither team ahead by more than five points. That’s second worst in the league.

Over the past 15 games, San Antonio is 23rd in team offensive rating and 18th in defensive rating. So, has this season gone off the rails? The Spurs can still salvage things and get into the play-in tournament, but it’s going to be an uphill climb. FiveThirtyEight.com only gives San Antonio a 6 percent chance to make the playoffs. It’s dire so let’s get to some better news and notes!

Just put Dejounte in the NBA All-Star game!

One of the bright spots in San Antonio’s season has been the play of Dejounte Murray. The Spurs point guard is currently tied for second in the NBA in triple-doubles with nine.

Murray is also doing it on the defensive end. He is tied with Chris Paul for the lead league in steals at two a game. There’s nights when DJ has been a one man band for the Spurs and while it hasn’t translated to a winning record, Murray has done what he can to keep San Antonio competitive on a nightly basis.

Overall, Murray is averaging 19.3 points, 9.0 assists, 8.4 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game. Because of the Spurs record, Murray will need some help to be named to his first All-Star team. Here’s my predictions for the roster.

Backcourt

Chris Paul, Steph Curry, Devin Booker, Luka Doncic, Donovan Mitchell, Ja Morant

Frontcourt

Nikola Jokic, LeBron, Rudy Gobert, Karl Anthony-Towns, Draymond Green (Iffy, but I think he gets in because Golden State has had a great year.)

This leaves one spot that could go to Murray, Deandre Ayton or Anthony Edwards. It could also possibly go to Anthony Davis, but he’s missed 20 games so I would HOPE that takes him out of consideration. That’s how close it is at the moment, but I think Murray has the best case. Spurs fans need something to cheer about. The Fiesta jerseys are great and all, but we need DJ in the ASG! Reserves will be announced on Feb. 3.

Pop watch 2022!

A side plot to this Spurs season has been Gregg Popovich vying to become the NBA’s all-time winningest head coach. He’s now only eight wins away.

Pop was asked by a reporter about getting the record before the Spurs game against Houston and said, “It’s really not something I think about. It only comes up when someone like yourself brings it up, but it’s not meaningful to me.”

The Spurs need to go win eight games, out of 34 remaining, this season to get Pop there. I still feel like this is mostly a lock, but it could be dicey.

Patty and LaMarcus return to San Antonio, then brunch it up

Let’s start with LA. I’m happy LaMarcus returned this season and is healthy. He abruptly retired due to a heart condition — then un-retired this offseason — but never received a proper send off in San Antonio. He got it Friday night as a Brooklyn Net. LA didn’t live up to the expectations placed on him when he arrived in SA, but he had some very productive seasons for the Spurs. It’s good to see him get a chance to win a title with the Nets.

Patty Mills also received a tribute video and ovation inside the AT&T Center. But with Patty, there’s just more of an emotional attachment. The “Bala” came to San Antonio as a towel waving, 12th man off the bench. He was part of the 2014 title team, became a vital part of the Spurs rotation, a beloved teammate and gate keeper of the franchise culture. Off the court, Patty was simply great.

He’s an ambassador for Indigenous people in his native Australia and done numerous things for his country and the San Antonio community. To go from being just a guy on the bench to conversations about his number being retired by the Spurs in the future is pretty incredible. He also knows the value of team bonding. Patty hooked some of the Nets up with a nice brunch on Saturday with food from Singhs, Churro Cart and Naco Eatery, among others. The “Bala Bala” is unparalleled! The Nets shared some pics and a video of the bro brunch!

Like other cities and counties across the country, Comal County has been dealing with a surge in COVID-19 cases since late December.

On Jan. 24, health officials reported a record of 404 new cases, marking the first time the total surpassed 400.

In early January, the county broke 300 daily cases for the first time. Before that, the county’s peak for new cases was during the delta surge on Aug. 17 with 218 cases.

This article will be updated daily with the latest daily reporting from county officials.

January 28, 2022

On Friday, Comal County officials reported 304 new cases of COVID-19. There are 58 people hospitalized with COVID-19 in Comal County hospitals including eight in intensive care and four who are on ventilators. About 79% of those currently hospitalized with COVID-19 are unvaccinated.

Officials reported two new COVID-19 deaths in the county:

A Canyon Lake woman in her 60s died on Jan. 21 at a New Braunfels hospital.A New Braunfels man in his 80s died on Jan. 22 at home.Jan. 28Jan. 27Jan. 26*Record high
Jan. 24New Cases reported304329400*404Total COVID-19 cases27,01826,71426,385Currently hospitalized in Comal County585760New deaths reported230Total COVID-19 deaths496494491

Comal County residents who wish to be tested for COVID-19 are advised to check the Texas Division of Emergency Management website for testing locations.

Officials said that the Comal County Public Health Department is administering Moderna COVID-19 vaccines for those 18 and older and Pfizer vaccines for anyone five years and older. Booster vaccines are also available.

Appointments can be made by calling 830-221-1150.

Residents are urged to be patient as call volume is extremely high.

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A MacArthur High School senior’s art was chosen to be featured in a National Art Education Association virtual exhibit.

Alissa Murphy’s piece is titled “Trapped.” She says it depicts the internal war that’s hidden in someone who suffers from panic attacks.

The piece was chosen out of more than 1,600 entries from students in the 2022 National Art Honor Society/National Junior Art Honor Society.

The virtual exhibit features 199 works representing 103 schools from 29 states and three countries outside of the U.S.

“Art has become increasingly important to me throughout my high school career. It allows me to slow down and scrutinize the details of my surroundings and enjoy life. I love to capture someone’s likeness in a portrait, and I strive to tell a story with each stroke of charcoal,” Murphy said.

Murphy said the recognition she has received because of this accomplishment has motivated her to do more to help people who are oppressed.

“I realized it was my opportunity to act as a driver of education and, potentially, social change,” Murphy said.

She’s planning a silent art auction called “Artist in Action” on March 30.

“Artwork from high school students will advocate for social injustice, such as the genocide in Myanmar, Veteran PTSD, youth mental health, abused battered women and children and homelessness,” Murphy said. “The funds will go to the tutoring and outreach program at my school, MacTEACH, with the goal of assisting MacTEACH to continue addressing these issues at a local level.”

Murphy said her art will illustrate the emotional effect of the genocide in Myanmar on children.

“The Muslim Rohingya are living in constant fear, on the run from persecution, leaving behind their destroyed homes, families, and lives,” she said. “I will be creating two pieces, capturing the duality of life for children facing the hardships of an unimaginable life on the run. The first piece will capture a peaceful moment of a child smiling and finding joy amidst the struggle. The second piece will capture a moment of despair of a trapped child crying out in anguish.”

Murphy says she’s still deciding what university she will attend, but she plans to major in biology and will continue to pursue art.

“I am beyond excited to venture off on my own and thrive as an artist and student,” Murphy said.

Click here to view the virtual gallery which is on display through April 29.

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The project is poised to become a one-of-a-kind city fixture after its first phase is completed in about 18 months.