SURGE. THEN WE’VE EXPERIENCED GOOD, GOOD AND BAD. GOT IT. >> ABOUT 80 SECONDS AWAY.
SAN ANTONIO, BEXAR COUNTY ONCE
AGAIN DEALING WITH ANOTHER
SURGE IN COVID-19, A DIFFERENT
VARIANT THIS TIME CERTAINLY
PRESENTS DIFFERENT CHALLENGES.
>> SO LET’S TALK TO SAN ANTONIO
MAYOR RON NIRENBERG ABOUT WHAT
WE KNOW RIGHT NOW AND WHERE WE
ARE. MAYOR, THANKS FOR BEING
HERE. I WANT TO TALK ABOUT
TESTING BECAUSE WE SHOWED LONG
LINES. PEOPLE WAITING HOURS
IN CARS TO GET THEIR TESTS,
EVEN AS TESTING SITES WERE
CLOSING AT THE END OF THE DAY.
SO WHAT’S BEING DONE HERE
LOCALLY TO INCREASE THE TESTING
CAPACITY? WE HAVE.
>> WELL, THE FIRST THING IS
TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE KNOW WHERE
THEY CAN GET TESTS AND THE OUR
COMMUNITY HAS 17 CURATIVE TESTS
THOSE ARE THAT’S THE COMPANY
THAT WE WORK WITH FOR THE PCR
TESTS THAT ARE AVAILABLE FOR
FREE TO THE PUBLIC. BUT PLEASE
KNOW IF YOU’RE HAVING SYMPTOMS.
YOU CAN ALSO CALL YOUR DOCTOR
YOUR CLINIC, YOUR PRIVATE
PROVIDER. AND THEY ALSO HAVE
TESTS AVAILABLE THAT YOU CAN GO
GET TESTED AT. SO NOT JUST
THOSE 17 SITES IN THE NEW TEST
SITES THAT WE’RE GOING TO BE
ANNOUNCING THAT THERE’S
AVAILABILITY OF TESTS OUT
THERE.
THERE’S CAPACITY THAT THE TESTS
THAT ARE SHORT ON NATIONALLY
AND THAT WE’RE WORKING TO
ACQUIRE MANY TENS OF THOUSANDS
FOR OUR COMMUNITY ARE THE RAPID
TESTS. THOSE HAVE SOME DEGREE
OF THEY’RE NOT AS GOOD AS THE
PCR TEST IN TERMS OF THE
ACCURACY OF THE DATA. BUT IT
DOES GIVE YOU AN ANSWER
QUICKLY. WE’RE WORKING JUST
LIKE EVERY CITY IN THE COUNTRY
TO REQUIRE MORE OF THOSE.
BUT TESTING CAPACITY IS
AVAILABLE. WE KNOW THERE’S SOME
LONG LINES WERE OPENING
ADDITION, ADDITIONAL SITES
WHERE WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT
PEOPLE KNOW WHERE THEY CAN GET
A TEST. AND IT’S NOT JUST THOSE
MASS TESTING SITES CAN ALSO
CALL YOUR DOCTOR OR YOUR
CLINICIAN.
>> YOU KNOW WHAT I WANT TO
POINT OUT WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT
TESTING CAPACITY AND YOU JUST
ALLUDED TO THAT YOU’RE GOING TO
BE ANNOUNCING ADDITIONAL SITES
IN THE COMING DAYS WITH SOME
TOMORROW IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
COMMUNITY LABS, THE LOCAL THAT
SET UP TESTING IN SOME OF THE
AREA
SCHOOLS, CORRECT?
>> THAT’S RIGHT. WE HAVE 3
SITES WILL BE ANNOUNCING ONE OF
THEM WILL BE OPERATIONAL BY
THE MORNING AND WE’RE GOING TO
BE WORKING ON ADDITIONAL SITES
THROUGHOUT THE WEEK AND WE’LL
ANNOUNCE THOSE AS WELL. AND WE
DO HAVE AN ADDITIONAL ON TOP OF
THAT COMING FROM THE STATE.
>> AS WELL AS FEMA, I BELIEVE,
YOU KNOW, YOU PUT OUT SOME
INFORMATION SAYING STAY TUNED
ON ON ON THAT. AS FAR AS THE
LOCATION. LET’S TALK ABOUT WHAT
THE NUMBERS RIGHT NOW BECAUSE
OMICRON IS DIFFERENT THAN
DELTA. IT’S AFFECTING PEOPLE IN
A DIFFERENT WAY. SO HOW HAS
THAT SORT OF CHANGED THE GAME
IN THIS SEARCH?
>> THE DIFFERENCE WITH OMICRON
THE WATER, SEVERAL DIFFERENCES
OMICRON AND ONE OF THE KEY
DIFFERENCES HERE AND WHY THE
NATION IS REALLY WORKING TO GET
ITS HANDS AROUND. THIS IS THAT
IT’S COME ON SO QUICKLY.
THAT IS SO COMMUNICABLE SO
CONTAGIOUS THAT IS WASHING OVER
EVERY CITY IN THE COUNTRY, IN
PARTICULAR CITIES IN TEXAS LIKE
A HURRICANE AND WHAT PEOPLE
NEED TO BE AWARE IS THAT
BECAUSE IT’S SO CONTAGIOUS,
YOU’RE GOING TO COME IN CONTACT
WITH IT. THE QUESTION IS, WHAT
HAVE YOU DONE TO PREPARE
YOURSELF WHEN THAT HAPPENS?
HAVE YOU BEEN VACCINATED?
HAVE YOU GOTTEN YOUR BOOSTER?
ARE YOU WEARING A WELL-FITTING
MASK? ALL THOSE THINGS WILL
INCREASE THE LIKELIHOOD THAT
YOUR EXPOSURE TO IT WON’T
BECOME A FULL-BLOWN ILLNESS.
NOW, THE OTHER THING THAT WE’RE
SEEING WITH OMICRON AND WE HOPE
THAT THE BIG DATA CONTINUES
TO BEAR THIS OUT IS EVEN THOUGH
IT’S VERY, VERY CONTAGIOUS.
THE HEALTH IMPACTS ON AN
INDIVIDUAL BASIS, PARTICULARLY
THOSE WHO HAVE
BEEN BOOSTERED AND HAVE THEIR
VACCINATION. IT ARE MUCH MILDER
EFFECTS. AND SO WE’RE NOT SEEN
THAT LEVEL OF HOSPITALIZATION
ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS, BUT
BECAUSE IT’S RAPIDLY HAPPENING
ALL ACROSS THE COMMUNITY ALL
ACROSS THE STATE IN THE NATION
ALL AT THAT’S WHY WE’RE SEEING
THE NUMBERS IN THE HOSPITAL.
THE OTHER KEY DIFFERENCE HERE
THAT WE’VE GOT TO BE PAYING
ATTENTION TO IS THE FACT THAT,
YOU KNOW, THAT WE RELY ON
TEACHERS AND NURSES AND DOCTORS
AND FIREFIGHTERS AND FIRST
RESPONDERS, POLICE OFFICERS TO
BE ON THE JOB. BUT IF THEY TURN
APPEAL, THAT’S GOING TO HAVE AN
OPERATIONAL IMPACT ON US.
SO WE WERE WORKING VERY
DILIGENTLY ALL OF THE SERVICE
ESSENTIAL SERVICES IN OUR
COMMUNITY ARE WORKING VERY
DILIGENTLY TO BRACE FOR THAT
IMPACT AND TO MAKE SURE THAT
WE’RE PREPARED FOR THAT.
AND YOU’RE SEEING AUGMENTING
STAFFING WENT THROUGH OTHER
AGENCIES FOR FOR HELPING WITH
NURSING SHORTAGES. IT’S NOT SO
MUCH THAT THERE’S
HOSPITALIZATION THAT IS
CROSSING IN TERMS OF VOLUME
OF PATIENTS. IT’S THE FACT THAT
WE ALSO HAVING STAFFING ISSUES
BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE OUT SICK.
SO WE HAVE TO BE AWARE THAT
PREPARE OURSELVES FOR THAT IS
SHOULD WE SHOULD SHOULD WE HAVE
DONE A BETTER JOB AS A CITY
METRO HEALTH IN PARTICULAR?
>> OF KEEPING TRACK OF THESE
NUMBERS OVER THE HOLIDAYS
BECAUSE I KNOW THERE WAS A BIG
INFORMATION GAP THERE BETWEEN
CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR’S.
REALLY, AS FAR AS WHAT THE
ACTUAL NUMBERS WERE IN OUR
CITY. AND THEN WHEN WE GOT
BACK, THAT’S WHEN WE NOTICED
THAT THESE NUMBERS WERE JUMPING
EXPONENTIALLY. I MEAN, SHOULD
SHOULD WE HAVE GOTTEN OUT IN
FRONT OF THIS SOONER?
>> AND I WILL TELL YOU THIS,
STEVE, THAT THE NUMBERS JUMPING
AS THEY ARE ARE NOT BECAUSE
OF A LAG IN DATA. IT’S
HAPPENING
THAT RAPIDLY THAT WHAT WAS
HAPPENING ON THE AND THE DATE
ON THE WEB SITE WAS BEING
UPLOADED AND IT WAS THERE ON A
DAILY BASIS THROUGH
SPREADSHEETS THAT WE’RE GETTING
FROM THE STATE. BUT THE RISE IN
THE NUMBER OF CASES THAT YOU
SEE MAKE THE INCREDIBLE JUMP OF
11,000 CASES AND 3 DAYS START
THE NEW YEAR HERE IS ACTUALLY
HOW FAST THIS THING HAS HAS
RISEN. 2 WEEKS AGO HERE IN THE
CITY, WE WERE AT 2% POSITIVITY
RATE THAT’S JUMPED TO 27% IN
2 WEEKS. THE SAME IS TRUE
ACROSS THE STATE OF TEXAS WHICH
HAS DROPPED TO 33% POSITIVITY
RATE IN A TIME. AND IN THE SPAN
OF 3 DAYS TO BEGIN THIS NEW
YEAR AND THE STATE OF TEXAS,
THERE IS NEARLY 150,000 NEW
CASES. SO OMICRON IS ACTUALLY
SWEEPING THROUGH COMMUNITIES
THAT FAST. AND SO WE’VE GOT TO
MAKE SURE THAT WHEN IT DOES
REACH, YOU THAT YOU’RE PREPARED
FOR THAT AND YOU PREPARE
YOURSELF BY GETTING VACCINATED.
AND BY WEARING A WELL-FITTING
MASK, IF YOU DO THAT YOUR YOUR
EXPOSURE A CRIME WILL NOT
RESULT IN A SEVERE ILLNESS.
ARE YOU FEET? YOU KNOW, THERE’S
SOME PEOPLE THAT ARE SAYING IT
IN SOUTH AFRICA AND OTHER
COUNTRIES THAT HAVE DEALT WITH
OMICRON.
>> IT HAS BEEN BASICALLY A 2
WEEK SURGE AND THEN IT’S KIND
OF DIED OFF. ARE YOU FEELING
ARE YOU GETTING ANY KIND OF
EXPERT ADVICE THAT THAT WILL BE
THE SAME CASE HERE?
>> WE CERTAINLY HOPE SO.
AND WE DON’T JUMP TO ANY
CONCLUSIONS, BUT THE DATA.
BUT WE ARE WATCHING IN
COMMUNITIES WHERE, YOU KNOW
THERE, THERE ARE SLIGHTLY AHEAD
OF US ARE IN THE CASE OF THE UK
OR IN SOUTH AFRICA WHERE THIS
WAS FIRST DETECTED THOSE
COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE GONE
THROUGH THE INITIAL WAVE.
THEIR PEAK HAPPENED EARLY AND
IT STARTED TO CLIMB VERY, VERY
FAST TO HELP A COMMUNITY THAT
THAT I’VE SPOKEN TO BELIEVES
THAT THE SAME WILL BE TRUE.
BUT REMEMBER, AS YOU’RE GOING
THROUGH A HURRICANE, WHICH IS
KIND OF WHAT THIS FEELS LIKE,
YOU’VE GOT TO BRACE YOURSELF.
YOU’VE GOT TO BE PREPARED IT’S
GOING TO BE A ROUGH RIDE.
BUT THERE IS ANOTHER SIDE OF
THIS WHEN IT PASSES THROUGH,
WE’RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO
RECOVER QUITE NICELY. BUT BUT
AGAIN, OUR ISSUES RIGHT NOW
ARE ARE THE EXPOSURE, THE
COMMUNIQU ABILITY OF THIS
DISEASE. IT IS SO PREVALENT IS
SO CONTAGIOUS THAT YOU HAVE TO
ASSUME THAT YOU’RE GOING TO
COME IN CONTACT WITH THE VIRUS.
AND WHEN YOU DO, YOU WANT TO BE
PREPARED. YOU WANT TO BE
PROTECTED. AND THAT COMES IN
THE FORM OF VACCINATION
BOOSTER. AND THEN OF COURSE,
WEARING A MASK. YEAH, THAT
SHARP DECLINE AFTER THE PEAK IS
SOMETHING THAT THE
EPIDEMIOLOGIST WE TALK RIGHT
THIS VERY SEGMENT YESTERDAY.
>> I WAS HOPEFUL ABOUT. BUT AS
YOU’RE SAYING, MAYOR, IN THE
MEANTIME, AT THIS POINT,
EVERYONE KNOWS WHAT WE NEED TO
BE DOING. MAYOR RON NIRENBERG
CONTINUE. YOU KNOW, I JUST
WANTED TO SAY OUR OUR FOCUS
RIGHT NOW IS TO TO KEEP
OPERATIONS GOING. WE CANNOT
AFFORD TO HAVE SCHOOLS CLOSE
AND SEE ALL OF THE THE RESIDUAL
IMPACTS ON OUR ECONOMY AND ON
PEOPLE’S LIVES. THAT HAPPENED.
>> WHEN THERE’S MASSIVE
CLOSURES OF THESE OPERATIONS
WHEN WE DON’T HAVE TO DO THAT
WHEN PEOPLE ARE PREPARED WITH
WITH THE TOOLS THAT WE HAVE
AVAILABLE TO US. SO IT WILL BE
A ROUGH RIDE, BUT HOPEFULLY WE
WILL GET THROUGH QUICKLY AND
WITHOUT TOO MUCH HELP IMPACT.
AND WE’RE HOPING EVERYBODY DOES
THE RIGHT THING.
>> ABSOLUTELY. MAYOR RON
NIRENBERG, HAPPY NEW YEAR TO
YOU. HAVEN’T SEEN YOU SINCE
THE NEW YEAR. SO THANK YOU FOR
YOUR TIME AND KEEP US UPDATED.
PLEASE WITH WHAT THE NUMBERS
AND AND WHAT THE OPERATIONS
LOOKS LIKE. CERTAINLY WHEN IT
COMES TO CITY OPERATIONS AND
LIKE YOU SAID, POLICE FIRE
EMERGENCY ROOMS, ALL THOSE
THINGS WERE NOT GOING TO NEED
TO BE WATCHING OVER THE NEXT
FEW DAYS. WE’LL HAVE DETAILS
ON THOSE NEW TESTING SITES.