Coronavirus cases remain incessant despite an increasingly vaccinated public.
No the local numbers are nowhere near a level that would be alarming from a public health perspective, but they persist like a drumbeat waiting for the rest of the instrumentation to follow.
According to the latest data from the City of San Antonio, almost 2 out of every 5 Bexar County residents are now fully vaccinated. Yet hundreds of new coronavirus cases remind us that the county still has far to go to reach herd immunity.
Starting Friday, anyone age 16 or older can get vaccinated at the Alamodome’s drive-thru vaccine clinic. Don’t worry about setting an appointment; people can drive up to the site at any time from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays.
“Due to an increasing number of no shows and the continued allocation of vaccine, we have decided that no appointments are required to get a vaccine at the Alamodome,” said Anita Kurian, assistant director of the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District. “This will make it easier for people to come get a vaccine at their convenience during our hours of operation.”
And as demand for the vaccine wanes, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is sweetening the pot. The agency recently updated guidance for fully vaccinated people, advising them they only need to mask up in certain situations.
Personally, I’m pretty pumped to attend a rock concert in Austin next month that was originally slated for May of last year and was postponed twice. I would not be going if I weren’t fully immunized. It’s outdoors, but I still plan to wear a mask, per the CDC’s guidelines for crowded outdoor events.
Also returning to the fold after a yearlong absence are public swimming pools. Parks and Recreation Department officials said recently they would be opening 18 of 26 City pools starting on May 8.
After public calls had loudened in recent weeks, the State of Texas announced this week it would release billions of dollars in COVID-19 relief funds issued by the federal government. The $11.2 billion will go to public schools throughout the state to help them address learning gaps and pay for other pandemic-related expenses. Read more from reporter Brooke Crum.
