Solano County sees 74 new COVID-19 cases today


Thursday, July 2: 74 new cases today,
no new deaths. Since the outbreak started: 1,476 cases, 105 hospitalized, 25 deaths.

Compare previous report, Wednesday July 1:Summary

  • Solano County reported 74 new cases today, total of 1,476 cases since the outbreak started.  Over the last 7 days, Solano reported 382 new cases, an average of 55 per day.
  • No new deaths today, total of 25. 1 fewer currently hospitalized, total of 41, but 1 more total hospitalized since the outbreak started, total of 105.
  • Solano reported 62 more ACTIVE cases today, total of 369.  This figure has been climbing all week: from 70 on Monday, to 209 Tuesday, 307 Wednesday and 369 today.
  • ICU beds Available remained at 32%.  Ventilators Available dropped from 92% to 90%.
  • Testing – Solano County reported 558 residents were tested since yesterday, total nearing 32,000.  We still have a long way to go: only 7% of Solano County’s 447,643 residents (2019) have been tested.

Details and Demographics tab

The County’s Public Health Dashboard includes a second tab (panel), “Details and Demographics” (shown here).  Note that the Summary tab and this Details tab are both user interactive – hover over a chart (or tap) to get details. On this Details tab, most of the small charts have a small additional tab showing the rate per 100,000.   Go there and explore the two tabs.  (Expand a chart by clicking the small button in its upper right corner.)

BY AGE GROUP

  • Youth 17 and under – 6 new cases today, total of 132 cases, only one ever hospitalizedTwo weeks ago, there were only 57 cases among this age group – we’ve seen 75 new cases in 14 days!  I continue to be alarmed for Solano’s youth.  Cases among Solano youth have increased in recent weeks to 9% of the 1,476 total confirmed cases.
  • Persons 18-49 years of age – 57 new cases today, total of 862 cases.  This age group represents 58% of the 1,476 total cases, by far the highest percentage of all age groups.  The County reported 1  new hospitalization among this age group today, and no new deaths.  Total of 28 hospitalized at one time and 2 deaths.
  • Persons 50-64 years of age – 8 new cases today, total of 290 cases.  This age group represents 20% of the 1,476 total casesNo new hospitalizations today, total of 35 hospitalized at one time.  No new deaths, total of 3 deaths.
  • Persons 65 years or older – 3 new cases today, total of 191 cases.  This age group represents 13% of the 1,476 total cases.  No new hospitalizations, total of 41 hospitalized at one time.  No new deaths, total of 20 deaths.  In this older age group, 21% were hospitalized at one time, a substantially higher percentage than in the lower age groups And this group counts for 20 of the 25 deaths, or 80%.

CITY DATA

  • Vallejo added 24 new cases today, total of 558.
  • Fairfield added 27 new cases today, total of 489.
  • Vacaville added 11 new cases today, total of 211 cases.
  • Suisun City added 3 new cases today, total of 92 cases.
  • Benicia added 2 new cases today, total of 29 cases.
  • Dixon added 6 new case today, total of 76 cases.
  • Rio Vista added 1 new case, total of 15 cases.
  • Unincorporated areas – Although the County still still shows Unincorporated at <10 (less than 10), a little math tells the story: Solano’s unincorporated areas remained at 6 cases, unaccounted for in the other City totalsResidents and city officials have long pressured County officials for full and transparent city case counts.  Finally we have complete city data for ALL areas of the County!
  • A “Rate” column shows the rate of positive COVID-19 cases (per 100,000 population) for each city.  Benicia is leading the way here, with a rate of only 105.2 cases per 100,000. Compare with other Solano cities in the chart, and note that the CDC reports today’s rate in California at 588 per 100,000 (up from 566 yesterday).  Johns Hopkins lists the overall Solano County rate at 314 (unchanged, as it reflects incomplete data for yesterday).

RACE / ETHNICITY

The County report on race / ethnicity data includes case numbers, hospitalizations, deaths and Solano population statistics.  There are also tabs showing a calculated rate per 100,000 by race/ethnicity for each of these boxes.  This information is discouragingly similar to national reports that indicate worse outcomes among black and brown Americans.  As of today:

  • White Americans are 39% of the population in Solano County, but only account for 23% of cases, 22% of hospitalizations and 21% of deaths.
  • Black Americans are 13% of Solano’s population, and account for 13% of cases, but 28% of hospitalizations, and 38% of deaths.
  • Latinx Americans are 26% of Solano’s population, but account for 37% of cases.  They account for 26% of hospitalizations, and 17% of deaths.
  • Asian Americans are 14% of Solano’s population, and account for 11% of cases and 15% of hospitalizations, but 21% of deaths.

MUCH MORE…

The County’s new and improved Coronavirus Dashboard is full of much more information, too extensive to cover here on a daily basis.  The Benicia Independent will continue to summarize daily and highlight a report or two.  Check out the Dashboard at https://doitgis.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=055f81e9fe154da5860257e3f2489d67.

COVID-19 cases in Solano County up sharply again, with one new death


Wednesday, July 1: 114 new cases today,
1 new death. Since the outbreak started: 1,402 cases, 104 hospitalized, 25 deaths.

Compare with previous report, Tuesday June 30:Summary

  • Solano County reported 114 new cases today, total of 1,402 cases since the outbreak started.  Over the last 7 days, Solano reported 338 new cases, an average of 48 per day.
  • 1 new deaths today, total of 25, 2 more hospitalized, total of 41 currently, 104 since the outbreak started.
  • Solano reported 98 more ACTIVE cases today, total of 307.  This figure has been on a yoyo this week.  For whatever reason, 250 last Friday, only 70 on Monday, back up to 209 yesterday and 307 today.  An increasing number, no matter how you look at it….
  • Note the drop in ICU beds Available, from 37% to 32%.  Need to keep an eye on this one.
  • Testing – Solano county reported 831 residents were tested since yesterday.  Good progress!

Details and Demographics tab

The County’s new Public Health Dashboard design includes a second tab (panel), “Details and Demographics” (shown here).  Note that both tabs are user interactive – hover over a chart (or tap) to get details. On this Details/Demographics tab, most of the small charts have a small additional tab showing the rate per 100,000.   Go there and explore the two tabs.  (Expand a chart by clicking the small button in its upper right corner.)

SEVEN DAY MOVING AVERAGE

Yesterday’s Seven Day moving average of confirmed cases showed an uptick (see at right).  Today’s chart is back to its misleading look, supposedly tracking as a 7-day average the increase of 717 cases (!) we have seen in the last 2 weeks…

Don’t let these “smoothed out” charts fool you – cases are up dramatically here.  Masks and social distancing are still required and important!  Today’s chart shows a 7-day moving average of 21 new cases per day, supposedly down from 27 in yesterday’s report.

BY AGE GROUP

  • Youth 17 and under – 15 new cases today, total of 126 cases, only one ever hospitalizedTwo weeks ago, there were only 52 cases among this age group – we’ve seen 74 new cases in 14 days!  I continue to be alarmed for Solano’s youth.  Cases among Solano youth have increased in recent weeks to 9% of the 1,402 total confirmed cases.
  • Persons 18-49 years of age – 66 new cases today, total of 805 cases.  This age group represents 57% of the 1,402 total cases, by far the highest percentage of all age groups.  The County reported no new hospitalizations among this age group today, and no new deaths.  Total of 27 hospitalized at one time and 2 deaths.
  • Persons 50-64 years of age – 22 new cases today, total of 282 cases.  This age group represents 20% of the 1,402 total casesNo new hospitalizations today, total of 35 hospitalized at one time.  No new deaths, total of 3 deaths.
  • Persons 65 years or older – 11 new cases today, total of 188 cases.  This age group represents 13% of the 1,402 total cases.  No new hospitalizations, total of 41 hospitalized at one time.  1 new death, total of 20 deaths.  In this older age group, 22% were hospitalized at one time, a substantially higher percentage than in the lower age groups And this group counts for 20 of the 25 deaths, or 80%.

CITY DATA

  • Vallejo added 28 new cases today, total of 534.
  • Fairfield added 39 new cases today, total of 462.
  • Vacaville added 17 new cases today, total of 200 cases.
  • Suisun City added 8 new cases today, total of 89 cases.
  • Benicia added 1 new case today, total of 27 cases.
  • Dixon added 19 new case today, total of 70 cases.
  • Rio Vista was reported greater than 10 cases for the first time today, showing a total of 14 cases.  (The other cities added up to 112 of today’s 114 new cases, so… supposedly Rio Vista must have added 2 new cases.  Perhaps the County failed to note Rio Vista as >10 yesterday?)
  • Unincorporated areas – Although the County still still shows Unincorporated at <10 (less than 10), a little math tells the story: Solano’s unincorporated areas must account for the 6 cases unaccounted for in the other City totalsResidents and city officials have long pressured County officials for full and transparent city case counts.  Finally we have complete city data for ALL areas of the County!
  • A “Rate” column shows the rate of positive COVID-19 cases (per 100,000 population) for each city.  Benicia is leading the way here, with a rate of only 97.9 cases per 100,000. Compare with other Solano cities in the chart, and note that the CDC reports today’s rate in California at 566 per 100,000 (up from 547 yesterday).  Johns Hopkins lists the overall Solano County rate at 252 (unchanged, as it reflects incomplete data for yesterday). UPDATE: Johns Hopkins updated its listing for cases per 100,000 in Solano County to 314 (a significant jump, up from 252 on Tuesday).

RACE / ETHNICITY

The County report on race / ethnicity data includes case numbers, hospitalizations, deaths and Solano population statistics.  There are also tabs showing a calculated rate per 100,000 by race/ethnicity for each of these boxes.  This information is discouragingly similar to national reports that indicate worse outcomes among black and brown Americans.  As of today:

  • White Americans are 39% of the population in Solano County, but only account for 24% of cases, 22% of hospitalizations and 21% of deaths.
  • Black Americans are 14% of Solano’s population, and account for 13% of cases, but 29% of hospitalizations, and 38% of deaths.
  • Latinx Americans are 26% of Solano’s population, but account for 37% of cases.  They account for 25% of hospitalizations, and 17% of deaths.
  • Asian Americans are 14% of Solano’s population, and account for 11% of cases and 15% of hospitalizations, but 21% of deaths.

MUCH MORE…

The County’s new and improved Coronavirus Dashboard is full of much more information, too extensive to cover here on a daily basis.  The Benicia Independent will continue to summarize daily and highlight a report or two.  Check out the Dashboard at https://doitgis.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=055f81e9fe154da5860257e3f2489d67.

Benicia Firefighter Tests Positive for COVID-19

CITY OF BENICIA
Benicia Fire Department
250 East L Street,
Benicia, California 94510

Contact: Fire Chief Josh Chadwick
Benicia Fire Department
(707) 746-4275
jchadwick@ci.benicia.ca.us

CITY OF BENICIA UPDATE ON COVID-19
Benicia Firefighter Tests Positive for COVID-19

Benicia, CA (July 1, 2020) — On July 1, 2020, a Benicia Fire Department firefighter informed the City of Benicia that they received a positive test result for COVID-19. The source of the infection has not yet been determined, but the Benicia Fire Department is working with the Solano County Public Health Department to attempt to determine the source.

Fire Chief Josh Chadwick has been in close contact with Solano County Public Health staff who have determined that, based on the firefighter’s last shift on duty and the date of onset of symptoms, there was no exposure to City staff or to the community during the firefighter’s infectious period.

“We are fortunate that during the period of infection, the firefighter was not present in the City of Benicia. The Benicia Fire Department is committed to preventing the spread of COVID-19 and ensuring the safety of the residents of Benicia,” said Benicia Fire Chief Josh Chadwick.

The Benicia Fire Department has standing operating guidelines and county protocols in place to limit or prevent the infection between patients and fire personnel. Fire personnel follow these guidelines and protocols during treatment and interaction with residents. The firefighter had no fever or symptoms during their last on-duty shift. The affected Firefighter is in self-quarantine at home and has not required hospitalization.

All Benicia fire stations remain fully staffed and the City does not anticipate any disruption to service delivery.

Due to health privacy rights, the City is prohibited from providing any information about the identity of the affected firefighter.

For up-to-date information about the City of Benicia’s response to COVID-19, please go to https://www.ci.benicia.ca.us/coronavirus.

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Solano County among 19 California counties ordered to close bars, indoors restaurant seating and more

Newsom orders new shutdown of restaurants, other indoor business in 19 California counties

San Francisco Chronicle, by Dustin Gardiner July 1, 2020
Gov. Gavin Newsom at a news conference in Sacramento on Jan. 10.
Gov. Gavin Newsom at a news conference in Sacramento on Jan. 10. Photo: Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press

SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered 19 counties with surging coronavirus outbreaks to close indoor restaurants, wineries, movie theaters and other venues on Wednesday, saying California must act to keep the pandemic from spiraling out of control.

Newsom said the state has directed counties on its “watch list” — those with spiking numbers of new cases and hospitalizations — to reimpose parts of their stay-at-home orders. His directive came as the state warned that the virus could spread from family gatherings on the the Fourth of July weekend.

In the Bay Area, the list includes Contra Costa, Santa Clara and Solano counties.

“We’ve seen increased activity where people simply aren’t able to practice social distancing,” Newsom said at a briefing.

His order requires restaurants, wineries, family entertainment centers, movie theaters, museums, zoos and cardrooms in the 19 counties to halt indoor operations for at least three weeks. The affected establishments are allowed to operate outdoors, such as restaurant patios.

Newsom also ordered the full closure of all bars and breweries in the 19 counties, both indoor and outdoor operations.

Combined, the 19 counties include nearly three-fourths of California’s population. Besides the Bay Area counties, the list includes Los Angeles, Orange, Sacramento, Stanislaus, Fresno, Glenn, Imperial, Kern, Kings, Merced, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Joaquin, Santa Barbara, Tulare and Ventura counties.

The governor said the state will also close parking lots at state beaches, including those in the Bay Area, for the holiday weekend.

Newsom implored Californians to practice social distancing and wear masks as they mingle and travel for the holiday. He said people must “disabuse” themselves of any notion that people have stopped dying of COVID-19, noting that the statewide death toll hit 110 on Tuesday.

“Let’s do our best to meet this moment, as we met the moment many months ago and bent the curve again the first time,” he said. “Let’s do it again.”

On Tuesday, the state recorded 7,820 new cases — its second-highest tally in a 24-hour period — and surpassed 6,000 deaths. The state reported 5,898 new cases on Wednesday.

Newsom’s administration began allowing counties in May to move ahead on reopening businesses including indoor restaurants and shopping malls if they hit benchmarks in slowing the spread of the virus and creating capacity to contain a surge.

Most of California’s 58 counties have allowed some nonessential businesses to reopen, although the pace has been slower in the Bay Area than elsewhere.

In recent days, however, some of those efforts have been reversed — several counties have closed bars again, and San Francisco, Marin, Alameda and Contra Costa counties all pulled back on plans to let gyms and hair salons reopen.

Alarming updates about the virus’ toll continue to mount: San Francisco announced Tuesday that the city has seen a 49% spike in hospitalizations over the last week as patients from San Quentin State Prison and hard-hit rural Imperial County were transferred to city hospitals.

Dustin Gardiner is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer.