Mayor Nirenberg urges residents not let Labor Day mirror Memorial Day Covid-19 spike

By Sanford Nowlin | San Antonio Current

In an effort to keep local COVID-19 hospitalizations on the decline, San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg urged residents to keep their guard up over Labor Day weekend.

In comments during his Thursday night press briefing and on social media, Nirenberg pleaded with residents to avoid crowds, continue wearing masks and to maintain distance from people outside their social bubble.

“Staying disciplined is the fastest way to beat COVID-19,” the mayor said in a statement. “By avoiding behaviors and situations that spread the coronavirus over the Labor Day weekend, we will sideline COVID-19 and speed up our return to normal. Although the number of cases has dropped, coronavirus is still present throughout our community. Protect yourself and your loved ones this Labor Day.”

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Stay safe this weekend, San Antonio.

A post shared by Mayor Ron Nirenberg (@ron_nirenberg) on Sep 3, 2020 at 5:09pm PDT

COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations rose significantly following both the Memorial Day and 4th of July weekends. Public health experts attributed the spikes to people gathering with friends and family and ignoring social distancing rules.

At its mid-July peak, the San Antonio area had roughly 1200 cases and hospitalizations per day, pushing local medical facilities to the brink. Since then, the seven-day moving average of cases has dropped to just below 200.

To deter large gatherings, the city and Bexar County have both closed their parks for the weekend. City parks will remain closed through 5 a.m. Tuesday, while county parks will stay off limits through 9 a.m. Tuesday. Pedestrian and bike trails will remain open, however.

This article is republished with permission from the San Antonio Current.

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