Solano County COVID – UPDATED report for Wednesday, July 29 – 1 new death, another senior


July 30, 2020, 2:00pm
The Solano County COVID-19 Dashboard was not available at the usual time on Wednesday evening, so I was unable to post my usual report in a timely fashion.  Here is an updated report based on the County’s revised posting.  – R.S.

[NOTE: Solano County publishes a DAILY update, and displays past weeks and months in epidemic curve charts.  However, the curve charts do not display an accurate number of cases for the most recent days, as there is a lag time in receiving test results.  This methodology is accurate in a way, but it misleads the public by consistently displaying a recent downward curve which is corrected upward on a later date.  For a complete archive of day by day data, see my Excel ARCHIVE – R.S.]

Wednesday, July 29: 74 new cases today,
1
new deathSince the outbreak started: 3,462 cases, 37 deaths.

Compare previous report, Tuesday July 28:Summary

  • Solano County reported 74 new cases today, total of 3,462 cases since the outbreak started.  Over the last 7 days, Solano reported 480 new cases, an average of 69 per day.
  • Deaths – 1 new death today, someone 65 years or older, total of 37 deaths.
  • Active cases – Solano reported 28 more ACTIVE cases today, total of 251.  Last week Solano hit a record high of 440 active cases.  Note that only 50 of these 251 people are hospitalized, so there are a lot of infected folks out among us, hopefully quarantined.  One wonders… is the County equipped to contact trace so many infected persons?  (See SF Chronicle report on contact tracing in Bay Area – “Solano County did not respond”.)
  • Hospitalizations –no increase in the number of currently hospitalized persons today, total of 50.  Also no change in the total number hospitalized since the outbreak started, 162.  (The County no longer reports Total Hospitalized, but I have added the hospitalization numbers in the Age Group chart.)  For the 2nd day in a row, the County offers no information about ICU beds and ventilators.  Apparently, the County does not collect or receive this data from our hospitals, but relies on data collected by the State.  You would think that when the County gathers data on Currently Hospitalized they could also easily collect the ICU bed and ventilator data.  Or… ??
  • Testing 637 residents were tested since Friday, total of 51,562.  But we still have a long way to go: only 11.5% of Solano County’s 447,643 residents (2019) have been tested.

Percent Positive Test Rate

Solano County reported today’s 7-day percent positive test rate up from 5.8% yesterday to 6.5% today.  (The chart may be misleading – see NOTE at top of this page.)  The County posted
a record high of 9.3%
last week.  CONTEXT: California’s 7-day positivity rate is reported today at 7.0%.  Increasingly, health officials and news reports are focusing on percent positive test rates.  This information is immediately important, as test positivity is one of the best metrics for measuring the spread of the virus.  Positive test rates in California and other southwestern states have been on the rise.

By Age Group

  • Youth 17 and under – only 3 new cases today, total of 348 cases. No new hospitalizations, only 2 hospitalizations since the outbreak began.  A week ago, there were 305 cases among this age group – we’ve seen 43 new cases in 7 days.  Good news – this is a bit of a slowdown from recent weeks.  Nonetheless, I continue to raise an alarm for Solano’s youth.  Cases among Solano youth have increased to over 10% of the 3,462 total confirmed cases.
  • Persons 18-49 years of age – 52 new cases today, total of 2,111 cases.  This age group represents 61% of the 3,462 total cases, by far the highest percentage of all age groups.  The County reported no new hospitalizations in this age group today, total of 45 hospitalized since the outbreak began, and no new deaths among this age group, total of 3 deaths.
  • Persons 50-64 years of age – 16 new cases today, total of 663 cases.  This age group represents over 19% of the 3,462 total cases.  The County reported no new hospitalizations in this age group today, total of 51 hospitalized since the outbreak began, and no new deaths among this age group, total of 4 deaths.
  • Persons 65 years or older – 3 new cases today, total of 339 cases.  This age group represents just under 10% of the 3,462 total cases. No new hospitalizations, total of 64 hospitalized since the outbreak began.  1 new death, total of 30.  In this older age group, nearly 19% of cases required hospitalization at one time, a substantially higher percentage than in the lower age groups.  This group accounts for 30 of the 37 deaths, or 81%.

City Data

  • Benicia remained steady yesterday, total of 80 cases.  Benicia was extremely stable with only 2 new cases in the month of June.  Now Benicia has seen 15 new cases in 7 days.
  • Dixon added 4 new cases today, total of 183 cases.
  • Fairfield added 24 new cases today, total of 1,148.
  • Rio Vista remained steady today, total of 26 cases.
  • Suisun City added 5 new cases today, total of 253 cases.
  • Vacaville added 18 new cases today, total of 596 cases.
  • Vallejo added 22 new cases today, total of 1,164 cases.  Vallejo has added 129 cases in the last 5 days – a major outbreak?  Vallejo replaced Fairfield yesterday with more positive cases than anywhere in Solano County.
  • Unincorporated areas – Unincorporated areas added 1 case today, total of 12 cases.

Race / Ethnicity

The County report on race / ethnicity 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 21% of cases, 25% of hospitalizations and 27% of deaths.
  • Black Americans are 14% of Solano’s population, and account for 13% of cases, but 23% of hospitalizations, and 30% of deaths.
  • Latinx Americans are 26% of Solano’s population, but account for 30% of cases, 32% of hospitalizations, and 24% of deaths.
  • Asian Americans are 14% of Solano’s population, and account for 9% of cases and 12% of hospitalizations, but 15% 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.

John R. Lewis – Though I am gone…

“Now it is your turn to let freedom ring.”

New York Times, By John Lewis, July 30, 2020

Mr. Lewis, the civil rights leader who died on July 17, wrote this essay shortly before his death, to be published upon the day of his funeral.

While my time here has now come to an end, I want you to know that in the last days and hours of my life you inspired me. You filled me with hope about the next chapter of the great American story when you used your power to make a difference in our society. Millions of people motivated simply by human compassion laid down the burdens of division. Around the country and the world you set aside race, class, age, language and nationality to demand respect for human dignity.

That is why I had to visit Black Lives Matter Plaza in Washington, though I was admitted to the hospital the following day. I just had to see and feel it for myself that, after many years of silent witness, the truth is still marching on.

Emmett Till was my George Floyd. He was my Rayshard Brooks, Sandra Bland and Breonna Taylor. He was 14 when he was killed, and I was only 15 years old at the time. I will never ever forget the moment when it became so clear that he could easily have been me. In those days, fear constrained us like an imaginary prison, and troubling thoughts of potential brutality committed for no understandable reason were the bars.

Though I was surrounded by two loving parents, plenty of brothers, sisters and cousins, their love could not protect me from the unholy oppression waiting just outside that family circle. Unchecked, unrestrained violence and government-sanctioned terror had the power to turn a simple stroll to the store for some Skittles or an innocent morning jog down a lonesome country road into a nightmare. If we are to survive as one unified nation, we must discover what so readily takes root in our hearts that could rob Mother Emanuel Church in South Carolina of her brightest and best, shoot unwitting concertgoers in Las Vegas and choke to death the hopes and dreams of a gifted violinist like Elijah McClain.

Like so many young people today, I was searching for a way out, or some might say a way in, and then I heard the voice of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on an old radio. He was talking about the philosophy and discipline of nonviolence. He said we are all complicit when we tolerate injustice. He said it is not enough to say it will get better by and by. He said each of us has a moral obligation to stand up, speak up and speak out. When you see something that is not right, you must say something. You must do something. Democracy is not a state. It is an act, and each generation must do its part to help build what we called the Beloved Community, a nation and world society at peace with itself.

Ordinary people with extraordinary vision can redeem the soul of America by getting in what I call good trouble, necessary trouble. Voting and participating in the democratic process are key. The vote is the most powerful nonviolent change agent you have in a democratic society. You must use it because it is not guaranteed. You can lose it.

You must also study and learn the lessons of history because humanity has been involved in this soul-wrenching, existential struggle for a very long time. People on every continent have stood in your shoes, through decades and centuries before you. The truth does not change, and that is why the answers worked out long ago can help you find solutions to the challenges of our time. Continue to build union between movements stretching across the globe because we must put away our willingness to profit from the exploitation of others.

Though I may not be here with you, I urge you to answer the highest calling of your heart and stand up for what you truly believe. In my life I have done all I can to demonstrate that the way of peace, the way of love and nonviolence is the more excellent way. Now it is your turn to let freedom ring.

When historians pick up their pens to write the story of the 21st century, let them say that it was your generation who laid down the heavy burdens of hate at last and that peace finally triumphed over violence, aggression and war. So I say to you, walk with the wind, brothers and sisters, and let the spirit of peace and the power of everlasting love be your guide.

Solano County COVID – Delayed reporting on Wednesday, July 29

July 29, 2020, 7:00pm
UDATED – see Solano County COVID – UPDATED report for Wednesday, July 29 – 1 new death, another senior

The Solano County COVID-19 Dashboard is undergoing late revisions and tardy posting tonight.  I will not be able to post my report in a timely fashion today.  Please check back tomorrow.

Solano County Dashboard (partial) July 29, 2020, 7pm


What little is known and reportable:
1 more death, total of 37, Positive test rate back up to 6.5%, 28 additional positive cases, and 637 residents tested

Roger Straw
The Benicia Independent

Yesterday’s Report…

[NOTE: Solano County publishes a DAILY update, and displays past weeks and months in epidemic curve charts.  However, the curve charts do not display an accurate number of cases for the most recent days, as there is a lag time in receiving test results.  This methodology is accurate in a way, but it misleads the public by consistently displaying a recent downward curve which is corrected upward on a later date.  For a complete archive of day by day data, see my Excel ARCHIVE – R.S.]

Tuesday, July 28: 105 new cases in just one day, no new deaths.  Since the outbreak started: 3,388 cases, 36 deaths.

Compare previous report, Monday July 27:Summary

  • Solano County reported 105 new cases today, total of 3,388 cases since the outbreak started.  Over the last 7 days, Solano reported 531 new cases, an average of 76 per day.
  • Deaths – no new deaths today, total of 36.
  • Active cases – Solano reported 24 more ACTIVE cases today, total of 223.  Last week Solano hit a record high of 440 active cases.  Note that only 50 of these 223 people are hospitalized, so there are a lot of infected folks out among us, hopefully quarantined.  One wonders… is the County equipped to contact trace so many infected persons?  (See SF Chronicle report on contact tracing in Bay Area – “Solano County did not respond”.)
  • Hospitalizations – 5 more currently hospitalized persons today, total of 50.  23 more in the total number hospitalized since the outbreak started, 162.  (The County no longer reports Total Hospitalized, but I have added the hospitalization numbers in the Age Group chart.)  For the 3rd day in a row, the County offers no information about ICU beds and ventilators.  Apparently, the County does not collect or receive this data from our hospitals, but relies on data collected by the State.  You would think that when the County gathers data on Currently Hospitalized they could also easily collect the ICU bed and ventilator data.  Or… ??
  • Testing 886 residents were tested since yesterday, total of 50,925.  But we still have a long way to go: only 11.4% of Solano County’s 447,643 residents (2019) have been tested.

Percent Positive Test Rate

Solano County reported today’s 7-day percent positive test rate at 5.8%, down 0.1% since yesterday.  (This number may be misleading – see NOTE at top of this page.)  The County posted
a record high of 9.3%
last week – so if today’s number can be believed, and sustained, it is very good news!  CONTEXT: California’s 7-day positivity rate is reported today at 7.5%.  Increasingly, health officials and news reports are focusing on percent positive test rates.  This information is immediately important, as test positivity is one of the best metrics for measuring the spread of the virus.  Positive test rates in California and other southwestern states have been on the rise.

By Age Group

  • Youth 17 and under – 13 new cases today, total of 345 cases, and no new hospitalizations, only 2 hospitalizations since the outbreak began.  A week ago, there were 282 cases among this age group – we’ve seen 63 new cases in just 7 days!  I continue to raise an alarm for Solano’s youth.  Cases among Solano youth have increased in recent weeks to over 10% of the 3,388 total confirmed cases.
  • Persons 18-49 years of age – 60 new cases today, total of 2,059 cases.  This age group represents 61% of the 3,388 total cases, by far the highest percentage of all age groups.  The County reported 8 new hospitalizations in this age group today, total of 45 hospitalized since the outbreak began, and no new deaths among this age group, total of 3 deaths.
  • Persons 50-64 years of age – 23 new cases today, total of 647 cases.  This age group represents over 19% of the 3,388 total cases.  The County reported 8 new hospitalizations in this age group today, total of 51 hospitalized since the outbreak began, and no new deaths among this age group, total of 4 deaths.
  • Persons 65 years or older – 9 new cases today, total of 336 cases.  This age group represents just under 10% of the 3,388 total cases. 7 new hospitalizations, total of 64 hospitalized since the outbreak began.  No new deaths, total of 29.  In this older age group, 19% of cases required hospitalization at one time, a substantially higher percentage than in the lower age groups.  This group accounts for 29 of the 36 deaths, or 80%.

City Data

  • Benicia added 6 new cases yesterday and again today, total of 80 cases.  Benicia was extremely stable with only 2 new cases in the month of June.  Now Benicia has seen 18 new cases in 7 days.
  • Dixon added 7 new cases today, total of 179 cases.
  • Fairfield added 16 new cases today, total of 1,124.
  • Rio Vista added 1 new case today, total of 26 cases.
  • Suisun City added 10 new cases today, total of 248 cases.
  • Vacaville added 15 new cases today, total of 578 cases.
  • Vallejo added 58 new cases yesterday and 49 more today, total of 1,142 cases.  A big jump in cases in Vallejo – major outbreak?  Vallejo replaced Fairfield today with more positive cases than anywhere in Solano County.
  • Unincorporated areas – Unincorporated areas added 1 case today, total of 11 cases.

Race / Ethnicity

The County report on race / ethnicity 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 21% of cases, 25% of hospitalizations and 25% of deaths.
  • Black Americans are 14% of Solano’s population, and account for 13% of cases, but 23% of hospitalizations, and 31% of deaths.
  • Latinx Americans are 26% of Solano’s population, but account for 29% of cases, 32% of hospitalizations, and 25% of deaths.
  • Asian Americans are 14% of Solano’s population, and account for 9% of cases and 12% of hospitalizations, but 16% 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 and most Solano cities more than triple COVID cases in July – Solano cities by the numbers

Coronavirus – it’s real in Benicia, Solano County

By Roger Straw, July 29, 2020

After 3 months of the coronavirus, as of June 29, Benicia had only 25 cases.  Benicia’s rate per 100,000 population on June 29 was 90.

Just one month later, as of July 28, Benicia had more than tripled its cases to 80 and its rate per 100,000 to 290.

See charts from the County’s COVID Dashboard below, followed by a Benicia Independent table comparing the June and July data.

July 29, 2020 – Solano County – COVID cases by city
June 29, 2020 – Solano County – COVID cases by city
July 28, 2020 – Solano County – COVID cases by city
July 28, 2020 – Solano County – COVID cases by city
All Solano Cities, by the numbers in July
Solano County COVID cases surge in July – Cities by the numbers
City Cases 6/29 Cases 7/28 Δ Rate/100k 6/29 Rate/100k 7/28 Δ
Benicia 25 80 320% 90.7 290.17 320%
Dixon 39 179 459% 197 904.31 459%
Fairfield 363 1124 310% 309.9 959.46 310%
Rio Vista <10 26 ? ? 276.13 ?
Suisun City 70 248 354% 237.7 842.19 354%
Vacaville 152 578 380% 153.8 584.98 380%
Vallejo 462 1142 247% 386.5 955.3 247%
Unincorporated <10 11 ? ? 56.18 ?

For safe and healthy communities…