City Of San Antonio And Bexar County Statement On Texas Attorney General's Petition Against Local COVID-19 Preventi ...

Press release from the City of San Antonio:

August 13, 2021

CONTACT: Covid19media@sanantonio.gov

Laura Mayes, City of San Antonio, 210-207-1337
laura.mayes@sanantonio.gov

Bruce Davidson, Office of Mayor Ron Nirenberg, 210-207-8998
bruce.davidson@sanantonio.gov

Monica Ramos, Bexar County, 210-335-2742
monica.ramos@bexar.org

Questions from the general public:
Preguntas del público:
COVID-19@sanantonio.gov
COVID-19 Hotline: 311; option 8

SAN ANTONIO (August 13, 2021) — On Monday, Bexar County District Court Judge Toni Arteaga granted the City of San Antonio and Bexar County a temporary restraining order (TRO) to prevent enforcement of the governor’s latest emergency order. The TRO allowed Bexar County Health Authority Dr. Junda Woo to issue a time-sensitive mask mandate for local schools, many of which have returned to in-person learning. Children 12 and under are not yet eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. The matter will be taken up for a full hearing on Monday, August 16, 2021.

While the San Antonio and Bexar County region is currently experiencing a 21.4% positivity rate and a seven-day moving average of 1,322 COVID-19 cases, late yesterday, August 12, 2021, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a Petition for Writ of Mandamus in the 4th Court of Appeals to block the City’s and County’s TRO.

“The Attorney General’s petition says that enabling municipalities to tailor solutions to this public health emergency causes the State harm. The real harm here is putting vulnerable children at risk because of the AG’s political theater,” said Mayor Ron Nirenberg. “More important, the Governor acknowledges a state of emergency but then takes the position that the response can only be a matter of personal responsibility.”

The Governor's executive order suspends local governments' authority to act to protect public safety under statutes enacted by the Legislature, including a 1975 law giving mayors, county judges and some public health officials the authority to enact emergency measures during a public health crisis.

“We hope the health and welfare of our children prevail over the political theater that the Governor has created,” said Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff.

As the Bexar County Health Authority, Dr. Woo can issue emergency health directives requiring public schools to follow guidance – such as wearing a mask – to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Gov. Abbott has prohibited medical authorities and school districts from requiring masks for unvaccinated students. He also has blocked local government agencies from requiring their employees to wear masks.

“The State of Texas has increasingly become inconsistent with their response to the pandemic, allowing for mask mandates in state jail facilities but not allowing local governments and schools to protect vulnerable children,” said San Antonio City Attorney Andy Segovia.

The worsening COVID-19 situation in San Antonio has caused a surge in understaffed hospitals, which are caring for more than 1,200 COVID-19 patients, nearly 90% of whom are not vaccinated.

Ambulances are also extremely taxed with the increase of COVID-19 related calls on top of San Antonio’s already busy call volume. Weekly transport averages are up 34% over the 2020 Average. Due to this call volume increase, as well as local hospitals being on diversion, the San Antonio Fire Department had a 26-minute period today where they were without available ambulances to transport patients. Though SAFD was able to provide paramedic care with paramedics on Fire units, the COVID-19 pandemic is taxing the health care system at all levels.

If you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, get tested. Some infected individuals could carry COVID-19 without experiencing symptoms. Please consider getting tested when feasible. A list of testing locations is available here: https://covid19.sanantonio.gov/What-YOU-Can-Do/Testing#TestingLocation

Those with questions about vaccinations or searching for a vaccine location can visit https://covid19.sanantonio.gov/What-YOU-Can-Do/Vaccination.

For more information visit covid19.sanantonio.gov.

This press release was produced by the City of San Antonio. The views expressed here are the author’s own.