Metro Health issues health directive requiring masks in schools in Bexar County

SAINT ANTHONY – The Bexar County Health Authority issued a health directive for public schools after a judge granted San Antonio and the county a temporary restraining order against Gov. Greg Abbott’s executive order banning mask warrants in schools.

“We had a great victory today,” said Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff.

“We are on the right track now, but I have to say times are dangerous,” he continued.

San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg said the health directive, issued by Metro Health medical director Dr Junda Woo, would take effect immediately.

“We must protect those who are still not eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, which includes all children under the age of 12, and unvaccinated members of their household,” Woo said in a written statement.

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The health directive includes the following elements:

• “Schools should follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations for universal indoor masking and require all students (ages 2 and older), staff, teachers and visitors to schools K-12, regardless of their immunization status, wear a face mask inside.

• “Schools should notify a student’s parents or guardians when they learn that a student was in close contact, as defined by the CDC, with a COVID-19 positive person on campus or during a school-related event. “

• “Unvaccinated people who are determined to be in close contact with someone positive for COVID-19 should be quarantined for 14 days after their last contact with someone who has COVID-19, as recommended by the CDC. “

• “Students, staff, teachers and visitors should stay off campus and not participate in any school sponsored events during their quarantine period. “

• “Fully vaccinated people should get tested three to five days after exposure, even if they don’t have symptoms, and wear a mask in indoor public spaces for 14 days. Fully vaccinated people do not need to quarantine. “

See the full health guideline below or Click here.

Nirenberg discussed the severity of COVID-19 in our region, saying positivity is currently 21.4%. He said the positivity rate was 24.2% during last year’s surge in July. See today’s COVID-19 numbers and what to know about the latest increase in San Antonio and surrounding areas here.

“These numbers are increasing every day,” Wolff said, adding that he believed the number of hospitalizations would exceed that seen during the winter wave.

San Antonio City attorney Andy Segovia said school districts are expected to comply with the new health directive.

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North East Independent School District, San Antonio CIO, Idea Public Schools San Antonio, Edgewood ISD and South San Antonio ISD have said they will comply with the health directive.

Bexar County District Attorney Joe Gonzales said they are moving step by step and hope the judge “will make this a permanent injunction.” He says he believes other jurisdictions and counties are looking to Bexar County and San Antonio to see how they will proceed to protect their communities.

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Gonzales released the following statement on Tuesday.

“Health officials have made it clear that there are two things that are helping contain the spread of COVID-19, especially the Delta variant: vaccinations and masking. All we are trying to do is allow the government to continue serving the community, our schools to operate safely, prevent the spread of this potentially deadly virus, and prevent full shutdowns. We know how harmful this latest wave has been to our community due to the highly infectious Delta variant. We could have avoided taking Governor Abbott to court if he had simply allowed local government and schools to make public health decisions, with the guidance of our local health experts, which are better suited to the present circumstances. in our community. In coordination with the City of San Antonio, my office will continue to fight for the safety of the citizens of Bexar County.

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The temporary restraining order will remain in effect until another court hearing scheduled for Monday at 9 a.m.

City manager Erik Walsh also announced on Tuesday that all city facilities will require the use of face masks for staff and visitors, which will take effect on Wednesday. Wolff said the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office and SAPD have agreed to enforce the mask order as well.

Watch the full briefing in the video player below to learn more about the city and county leaders. Click here to watch if you read the KSAT coronavirus newsletter.

Bexar County Health Directive 10/10/21

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