COVID-19 Live Blog: South Texas Blood & Tissue Center Urges Citizens To Donate

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Monday, May 18

Sunday, May 17

6:50 p.m. – South Texas Blood & Tissue Center urges citizens to donate

Metro Health’s data team has been working “24/7” according to Mayor Ron Nirenberg, and is taking part of this weekend off work. Because of that, there aren’t new case numbers to report.

Mayor Ron Nirenberg reviewed the trends in case counts overtime. May 1 and 2 showed the highest number of case counts per day (both days had 100+ cases).

Though daily case numbers decreased after May 2, Nirenberg noted that the daily numbers have increased in the past few weeks due to universal testing in the jail and in nursing homes. Overall, Nirenberg said the percentage of total tests that are positive has dropped since early May.

There are currently 88 people in local hospitals due to COVID-19: 70 have tested positive, and 18 are under investigation.

There are 31 people in intensive care and 16 on ventilators.

Precinct 2 County Commissioner Justin Rodriguez noted that jail numbers have remained relatively flat. Of 1,611 inmates who have been tested, only 393 have tested positive (319 without symptoms and 74 with symptoms). No inmates are currently hospitalized.

Rodriguez said that the city is working to offer smaller businesses assistance with essential items, including bags with touches thermometers, masks, gloves, etc. Additionally, there will be a meeting on Tuesday to discuss further allocation of CARES Act funding.

Paul Basaldua, a former COVID-19 patient, spoke about the importance of donating plasma. He and Elizabeth Walton, CEO of the South Texas Blood and Tissue Center, urged former COVID-19 patients to donate plasma, as well as all citizens to consider donating blood.

Walton said the Blood and Tissue Center has had 120 blood drives canceled. The drives were planned for this summer and would have yielded 4,000 units of blood. To recuperate those losses, the center will host a blood drive at the Alamo Dome May 21–23 from 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Appointments are required and can be made on the Blood and Tissue Center’s website.

6:10 p.m. — Watch today’s daily briefing

5:15 p.m. — Migrants, Volunteers Prepare For Possible COVID-19 Outbreak At Mexican Border Camp

Medical experts and volunteers at a migrant camp in Matamoros worry that COVID-19 could spread like wildfire among the more than 1,500 people living there if the virus makes its way into there.

Read more about how the camp is preparing for an outbreak here.

9:30 a.m. — Update on surrounding counties

Comal County confirmed two additional cases last week bringing the total 70. There are 56 people who have recovered from the virus and there have been six deaths reported.

Atascosa County confirmed 30 cases Thursday, with 17 recoveries and only one death related to the virus.

The Texas Department of State Health Services confirmed 101 cases in Guadalupe County, where 83 have recovered. There are 36 cases reported in Wilson County, and 45 in Medina County.

There 20 COVID-19 cases in Kendall County. Both Uvalde and Bandera Counties report six cases each.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines

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