San Antonio Standard

SAN ANTONIO – Fears of COVID-19 nearly emptied San Antonio’s tourist district a week ago, but Monday’s stay-at-home order ends tourism here at least until April 9.

Mayor Ron Nirenberg and Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff handed down the “Stay Home, Work Safe" order late Monday afternoon, the San Antonio Express-News said. City and county officials hope keeping residents at home will help reduce the spread of the coronavirus.

The order will last until 11:59 p.m. on April 9, or until it’s rescinded, superseded or amended.

You'd find picture-perfect views of The Alamo for the next few weeks if you weren't banned from non-essential trips by San Antonio's "Stay Home, Work Safe Order."

“As you know, and as we expected, the number of positive cases is growing. We need to take additional steps now to slow the spread,” Mayor Ron Nirenberg said in a post on the city’s website. “The actions I announced today can be summed up as short-term pain in exchange for long-term benefit.”

Cases of the coronavirus rose to 84 in Bexar County on Wednesday, with one death reported.

City and county residents can still make essential trips, which include picking up medicine and groceries, getting gas or seeking health care.

A little bit less than two weeks ago, when cruise ship trips were suddenly canceled, passengers found themselves stranded in Galveston. Vermont residents Kyle and Colleen Williams turned to San Antonio for an impromptu vacation replacement.

“We said, ‘Let’s go to San Antonio. See the Alamo.’ So, we rented a car and drove over,” Kyle, 63, a retired engineer, told the San Antonio Express-News.

At that time, the Alamo Plaza and the River Walk were nearly filled with visitors. The Williams enjoyed visiting La Villita, Pearl Brewery and the Tower of the Americas.

“We enjoyed the River Walk Saturday and Sunday nights. They had a dense crowd,” Kyle told the San Antonio Express-News.

It was a different story starting on Tuesday afternoon, March 17. Two dozen attractions closed. The Alamo, some shops at Market Square, the Witte Museum and the Tejano Fan Festival shut down due to fears and health officials’ safety advice to avoid further spreading of COVID-19.

San Antonio claims to attract 39 million visitors a year. This drop in tourism will have immediate and long-term effects.

“This time of year would normally be very busy," David Gonzalez, director of communications for Visit SA, told the San Antonio Express-News. "It’s Spring Break season. It’s a bigger hurt than it would be at a different time of year."

Small businesses will feel the effects the greatest, along with hotels and cultural attractions.

“We’re hopeful this will pass soon, and we’re making plans to bring in strong visitation whenever it does,” the spokesperson for the city’s tourism marketing arm told the Express-News.

Before the city and county shut down all but essential travel, some tourists enjoyed the nearly empty streets despite some attractions being closed.

On a busy day getting a photo in front of The Alamo without crowds of people all around and blocking views of the cultural attraction would be all but impossible. On St. Patrick’s Day, anyone could get their favorite shot. Today, the entire area is nearly empty, but no photos will be taken as a trip to the old mission wouldn’t be considered essential.

Michael Chavis, 26, came from Houston with Deja Thomas, 23, to celebrate his birthday. Low water kept them from their planned river ride in Bandera, prompting them to stop in San Antonio on the way home to find some fun. They didn’t expect an empty tourist district.

“It’s not like too dead, but it’s close,” Thomas told the San Antonio Express-News as she stood by the empty River Walk restaurants.

Chavis said it was nothing like the other time he visited San Antonio.

Jesus and Lydia Lopez of Fort Worth didn’t know the Tejano music festival was canceled until after they arrived in San Antonio. A week before the stay-at-home order, they managed to relax on St. Patrick’s Day with a few cold beers on the River Walk.

They were the only guests in the On the Bend dining area, which was decorated for the holiday with shamrocks and green balloons. One other couple were the only guests at the bar.

“It wasn’t going to rain on my parade. I’m still going to have a good time,” Lydia, 55, told the San Antonio Express-News.

She said an empty tourist district was awesome, allowing them to walk at a distance from other people.

Even closed attractions and an empty tourist district didn’t bother a family group from Nashville. Becky Walton said it was much better than Middle Tennessee.

“In Nashville, everything is shut down and we have had tornadoes destroy a lot of East Nashville,” Becky Walton said.

Her daughter, Mia Lawson, 19, missed a much bigger trip. The University of Tennessee sophomore said her Spring Break trip to Spain and England was canceled because of COVID-19.

“In Spain, I planned to do a lot of touring, but Spain is in lockdown,” she told the San Antonio Express-News, “so I’m glad to be here with my family and not stuck over there.”

For the foreseeable future, she and her family can cross San Antonio off their travel plans, at least until the pandemic crisis passes.