Why is the COVID-19 pandemic hitting San Antonio’s south and west sides hardest?
Council Districts 3, 4, 5 have higher COVID-19 rates, roughly half of the city’s deaths
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SAN ANTONIO – Dr. Steven Argumedo is saddened by how hard the COVID-19 pandemic has hit the West Side where he grew up and the South Side where he now works. But he’s not surprised.
“It was a ticking time bomb waiting to happen, unfortunately,” the lifelong San Antonian told KSAT at the WellMed Primary Care Clinic where he works.
The three city council districts that represent the south and west sides of San Antonio - 3, 4, and 5 - have the three highest COVID-19 case rates and, combined, make up almost half of the city’s deaths - 568 out of 1,188 through November. The number of deaths jumps to more than half when not counting deaths in congregate settings, like nursing homes or the jail - 466 out of 903..
San Antonio coronavirus cases now total more than 100,000
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People get tested for COVID-19 at a popup testing site on South Zarzamora Street on Friday. Over half of San Antonio’s COVID-19 deaths are in South and West San Antonio.Jerry Lara /San Antonio Express-NewsShow MoreShow Less
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A person drops a test bag into a slot at a COVID-19 popup testing site on South Zarzamora Street on Friday.Jerry Lara /San Antonio Express-NewsShow MoreShow Less
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People get tested for COVID-19 at a popup testing site on South Zarzamora Street on Friday.Jerry Lara /San Antonio Express-NewsShow MoreShow Less
San Antonio Metro Health reports 1,606 new coronavirus cases but no deaths
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San Antonio Metro Health District Interim Director Colleen Bridger speaks with Mayor Ron Nirenberg and Bexar County Pct. 2 Commissioner Justin Rodriguez, before the start of the daily COVID-19 update, Thursday, Dec. 17, 2020.Jerry Lara, Staff / San Antonio Express-NewsShow MoreShow Less
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San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg, center, and Bexar County Pct. 2 Commissioner Justin Rodriguez, right, talks with San Antonio Metro Health District Interim Director Colleen Bridger before the daily COVID-19 update, Thursday, Dec. 17, 2020.Jerry Lara, Staff / San Antonio Express-NewsShow MoreShow Less
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San Antonio Metro Health District Interim Director Colleen Bridger talks on the phone before the start of the daily COVID-19 update, Thursday, Dec. 17, 2020. Joining Bridger were San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg and Bexar County Pct. 2 Commissioner Justin Rodriguez.Jerry Lara, Staff / San A
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Beacon Hills Elementary teacher Joann Chambers reads a book to her dual language preschool class in May 2019. Beacon Hills, like most SAISD schools, is predominantly Hispanic and low income.
Pedro Martinez, the superintendent of the San Antonio Independent School District, said it is “hypocritical” and “cruel” to tell families in his district to return to remote instruction. He said his schools are safe, and the pandemic has exacerbated the inequities his students already faced.
After the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District recommended parents pull their children out of in-person learning until the surge in coronavirus cases slows down, school leaders across Bexar County insisted their schools remained safe.
San Antonio health department sees another leadership shakeup amid coronavirus surge
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Colleen Bridger, the city’s current interim Metro Health director, will stay on as the city’s coronavirus czar though she will gain the title of “incident commander” of the COVID-19 response. Bridger was expected to resign Jan. 8 but will now stay on “through the pandemic,” City Manager Erik Walsh said Monday.Kin Man Hui /Staff photographerShow MoreShow Less
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Mary Garr, CEO of the nonprofit Family Service Association, will become the city’s interim Metro Health Director and will handle the health district’s day-to-day operations other than the pandemic response, City Manager Erik Walsh announced Monday. Pictured, Garr at the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce’s annual “Celebrate America’s Military” game on Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2019 at Morgan’s Wonderland.Kin Man Hui /Staff photographerShow MoreShow Less