The City of San Antonio and the San Antonio Spurs partnered together to lay out a game plan to continue slowing the spread of COVID-19. Residents are asked to continue practicing social distancing and stay home as much as possible. If residents need to leave their homes to perform essential activities, they should continue to wear cloth face coverings, maintain six feet of distance between others and not gather beyond their immediate household.

San Antonio has not seen its peak of coronavirus cases yet. Projections from researchers expect San Antonio’s peak of COVID-19 cases to occur sometime within the next three weeks.

The City of San Antonio partnered with the San Antonio Spurs to launch three public service announcements stressing the importance of social distancing, how to stay connected with friends and family from afar and laying out the game plan to stay strong in the fight against COVID-19.

“The Spurs have won five championships but none of them were without a strong commitment to teamwork. Remember that we’re all Spurs and our actions will define how successful we will be in the coming weeks as we try to slow the spread of COVID-19,” says San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg in the public service announcement.

San Antonio Spurs point guard Patty Mills, also a resident of San Antonio, joins Mayor Ron Nirenberg in the public service announcement to lay out the game plan for the coming weeks.

“Here is the game plan Spurs family: stay home, wash your hands, execute social distancing at all times. It’s time for team work and it’s our time to shine. Save lives by staying home,” says Spurs star Patty Mills.

With warmer Spring weather, it’s tempting to leave home for non-essential activities. But it is not safe to do so yet. San Antonio has managed the number of COVID-19 cases well, as evidenced by its success in flattening the curve and not overwhelming the healthcare system locally.

“This does not mean the threat is less real. If we do not limit our movement and stay home, San Antonio could face a second peak of cases,” said Dr. Anita Kurian, Assistant Director at Metro Health. “We don’t want the community to have a false sense of security. We need everyone to stay home.”

As of this week, all people 10 years or older are required to wear a cloth face covering over their nose and mouth when in a public place where it is difficult to keep six feet away from other people. But the first step individuals can take to protect themselves and their loved ones is to simply stay home.

“Individuals can transmit COVID-19 up to 48 hours before exhibiting any symptoms; that’s why it is so important for people who need to leave their homes, to use face coverings and to maintain a six foot distance between themselves and other people. It helps protect others from possible infection,” adds Dr. Kurian.

Wearing a cloth covering over their nose and mouth when in a public place where it is difficult to keep social distancing of six feet away from other people is a good way to minimize risk.

Cloth face coverings could include homemade masks, scarfs, bandanas, or a handkerchief. The public should reserve medical grade masks and N95 respirators for first responders and health care workers. The public must continue social distancing while outside their home while performing essential activities, as outlined in the Mayor’s Stay Home Work Safe Order.

The Spurs are the latest community partner to join the fight against COVID-19 with two public service announcements featuring the Coyote and Patty Mills.

Residents must keep up the following habits while in public:

wash your hands before you leave home and when you return
stay at least six feet away from other people
avoid touching your nose, mouth and eyes
wear a cloth face covering when you can’t maintain social distancing
wear a wear a face covering that fits snuggly but comfortably against the side of your face and covers both your nose and mouth

The best protection against COVID-19 is to stay home.

#GoSanAntonioGo

About SPURSWATCH

AM 1300 THE ZONE · Austin's Sports Talk Leader