Monthly Archives: June 2020

Coronavirus, Covid 19, Solano County CA

Solano County COVID-19 report shows ‘7-day Moving Average’ of 30 positive cases per day, spiking in mid-June

Wednesday, June 24: 44 new cases today, no new deaths. Since the outbreak started: total of 1,064 cases , 101 hospitalized, 23 deaths.

Compare yesterday’s report, Tuesday June 23:Summary

  • Solano County reported 44 new cases today, total of 1,064 cases since the outbreak started.
  • No new deaths today, total of 23, and 2 new hospitalizations, total of 101.
  • Solano reported 33 new ACTIVE cases today, total 254.
  • Testing – Solano county reported only 203 residents were tested since yesterday’s report, many fewer than in previous days.

Solano’s new Public Health Dashboard design has 2 panels

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

SEVEN DAY MOVING AVERAGE

The County has added an important new feature: a Seven day moving average chart.  The chart is “The average of the number of laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Solano County residents over the past 7 calendar days, by the date that their specimens were collected.”  Here is today’s chart, with a 7-day moving average of 30 new cases per day, up from 16 yesterday.  This chart shows a significant rise in the average number of cases during mid-June.

BY AGE GROUP

  • Youth 17 and under – 1 new case today, total of 82 cases, only one ever hospitalized. 10 days ago, there were only 39 cases among this age group – we’ve seen over 42 new cases in 12 days!  Today was a good report, but I continue to be alarmed for Solano’s youth.  The trend has been rising dramatically.  Cases among Solano youth have increased in recent weeks to nearly 8% of the 1,064 total confirmed cases.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention puts the figure of coronavirus-infected kids younger than 18 at around 4% of those with the disease.  Our youth are testing positive at double the national rate!
  • Persons 18-49 years of age – 34 new cases today, total of 600 cases.  This age group represents 56% of the 1,064 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 27 hospitalized at one time and 2 deaths.
  • Persons 50-64 years of age – 7 new cases today, total of 223 cases.  This age group represents 21% of the 1,064 total cases.  1 new hospitalization today, total of 34 hospitalized at one time.  No new deaths, total of 3 deaths.
  • Persons 65 years or older – 2 new cases today, total of 158 cases.  This age group represents 15% of the 1,064 total cases.  No new hospitalizations and no new deaths today.  Total of 39 hospitalized at one time and 18 deaths.  In this older age group, 25% were hospitalized at one time, a substantially higher percentage than in the lower age groups.  And this group counts for 18 of the 23 deaths, or 78%.

CITY DATA

  • Vallejo added 10 new cases today, total of 446.
  • Fairfield added 24 new cases today, total of 339.
  • Vacaville added 5 new cases today, total of 143 cases.
  • Suisun City added 3 new cases today, total of 68 cases.
  • Benicia remained at 25 cases.
  • Dixon is reported at 2 new cases today, total of 29 cases.
  • Rio Vista and “Unincorporated” are still not assigned numerical data: today both remain at <10 (less than 10).  The total numbers for other cities add up to 1,050, leaving 14 cases somewhere among the 2 locations in this “<10” category (one more than last reported).  Residents and city officials have pressured County officials for city case counts.  Today’s data is welcome, but remains incomplete for folks in Rio Vista and unincorporated areas of the County.
  • The “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 92 cases per 100,000. Compare with other Solano cities in the chart, and note that the CDC reports today’s rate in California at 463 per 100,000 (up from 450 yesterday).  Johns Hopkins lists the overall Solano County rate at 228 (up from 209 yesterday).

RACE / ETHNICITY

The County is reporting on race / ethnicity data for the first time, including case numbers, hospitalizations, deaths and Solano population statistics.  There are tabs showing the 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 25% of cases, 23% of hospitalizations (up 2% over yesterday) and 23% of deaths.
  • Black Americans are 14% of Solano’s population, and account for 13% of cases, but 29% of hospitalizations and 36% of deaths.
  • Latinx Americans are 26% of Solano’s population, but account for 35% of cases.  They account for 24% of hospitalizations and only 14 % of deaths.
  • Asian Americans are 14% of Solano’s population, and account for 13% of cases and 15% of hospitalizations (down 1% from yesterday), but 23% 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.

Coronavirus, Covid 19, San Francisco Bay Area, Solano County CA

Confused about what’s re-opened in Solano County? Here’s the SF Chron on what’s open, what’s not

California’s reopening: See what’s open and what’s still shut down by county

San Francisco Chronicle, by CHRONICLE DIGITAL TEAM | LAST UPDATED:  June 24, 2020 9:36 AM

California developed a four-stage approach to reopening from shelter-in-place orders designed to slow the coronavirus outbreak. The state as a whole is in Stage 2, but most counties have filed attestations to overall preparedness and have been approved for advanced reopening though some are being monitored by the state as cases are surging again. Gov. Gavin Newsom has even said reopening could be reversed if the surge continues. Those counties with permission to move at their own pace into Stage 3 can open higher-risk businesses depending on local conditions. Only four counties — San Francisco, Alameda and Santa Clara in the Bay Area plus Imperial in Southern California — have not been approved to move forward.

How shelter-in-place orders are loosening

All Bay Area counties have relaxed some restrictions and moved at least into limited Stage 2 reopening. Contra Costa, San Mateo, Marin, Napa, Solano and Sonoma have been approved for advanced reopening, though Contra Costa is taking a more gradual approach. Marin will open some Stage 3 businesses on June 29 with more guidance coming soon. San Francisco officials set a series of dates, beginning June 1, as targets to reopen and recently moved up the target date by two weeks for several businesses.

Where Bay Area counties stand:

Solano County

WHEN DO SHELTER-IN-PLACE ORDERS EXPIRE?

Effective until further notice

ARE FACE COVERINGS REQUIRED IN PUBLIC?

No, but recommended when outside the home

WHAT IS OPEN:

    • Low-risk activities that allow for social distancing or physical barriers
    • Essential businesses like health care, grocery stores, pharmacies, banks
    • Dine-in restaurants
    • Destination retail, including clothing stores, shopping malls and swap meets
    • Personal services such as barbershops, hair salons, nail salons and tattoo parlors
    • Bars, wineries and breweries
    • Gyms and fitness centers
    • Places of worship with attendance limited to 25% of building capacity up to 100 people
    • Family entertainment centers, including movie theaters
    • Office-based business operations
    • Essential travel
    • Outdoor activities like walking and biking
    • Construction, real estate transactions and other outdoor businesses
    • Child care, day camps and educational programs with groups limited in size to 10 children
    • Manufacturing
    • Outdoor facilities such as skate parks, athletic fields, golf courses and local parks
    • Zoos, museums and galleries
    • Hotels, lodging and short-term rentals
    • Racetracks and satellite wagering facilities
    • Professional sports without spectators
    • Campgrounds and RV parks, though Lake Solano Park and Sandy Beach Park remain closed except for boat launching
    • Other boat ramps and launches
    • Schools can reopen, but will wait until late summer or fall

WHAT IS NOT OPEN:

    • Vehicle access, parking and camping at state parks
    • Outdoor recreational areas and playgrounds with high-touch equipment
    • Sports that require shared equipment or physical contact
    • Entertainment and concert venues
    • Community centers
    • Nightclubs
    • Live sports and festivals
READ THE COUNTY’S FULL ORDER HERE

Is the Bay Area reaching its goals?

Officials for six Bay Area counties established their own set of indicators they are using to help decide when to ease shelter-in-place orders (this is an evolving checklist and the criteria are subject to change). All six report they are doing well in terms of hospitalization rates and hospital capacity. A recent spike in coronavirus cases across the Bay Area led four of the six counties to change their status to currently not meeting goals for flat or decreasing new cases. Testing remains a hurdle, with only two of the counties currently reaching their goal of 200 daily tests per 100,000 residents.

Cases by county during reopening

The 5-day trailing average of daily confirmed cases per 100,000 residents and a marker indicating when these Bay Area counties moved into a new stage of reopening.

Checklist: How Bay Area counties are measuring progress

This chart will be updated weekly with information reported by the county officials. Last updated June 19, 2020 10:30 a.m. [BenIndy Editor: unfortunately, Solano County is not included in this “Bay Area counties” chart.  This is not the first time Solano has been overlooked.]

For more information on new cases and trends, visit The Chronicle’s virus tracker

Sources: California Department of Public Health, county public health departments, exclusive Chronicle reporting(1) Numbers of cases: The total number of cases in the community and the number of hospitalizations must flatten or decrease. County officials determine whether this goal is being met. (2) Hospitalizations: Number must flatten or decrease for 14 consecutive days. (3) Hospital capacity: For at least a week, no more than 50% of patients in staffed hospital beds not added as part of pandemic-surge planning can be coronavirus-positive. In the above chart, hospitalizations represent all confirmed COVID-19 patients, including those in ICU, on a given day. (4) Testing: At least 200 coronavirus-detection tests must be conducted per 100,000 residents per day. In the above chart, tests per 100,000 people is the average daily tests reported for the previous week, due to reporting delays. (5) Investigation and contact tracing: Public officials must be able to design a system that reaches at least 90% of confirmed cases and identifies their contacts; ensures that 90% of the cases reached can safely isolate; reaches at least 90% of all contacts identified; and ensures that at least 90% of identified contacts can safely quarantine. (6) Personal protective equipment: All acute care hospitals, outpatient clinics, skilled nursing facilities, and medical first responders must have a 30-day supply of PPE on hand.* San Mateo is using the state standard of a 14-day supply of PPE on hand, not the 30-day supply used by the other Bay Area counties, to determine if it is meeting that goal.

Many counties moving more quickly

Nearly every county has filed attestation papers and has been approved for advanced reopening. Those counties can determine when they’re ready to allow higher-risk activities in Stage 3. Most counties allowed all businesses with state guidance to open June 12 or earlier, though some like Del Notre, Contra Costa, San Joaquin, Fresno and Los Angeles are opening Stage 3 businesses and activities in phases.

Early Stage 2

WHAT IS OPEN, WITH MODIFICATIONS

Curbside retail and dining pickups or deliveries   •   individual counties may approve in-store shopping   •   some manufacturing   •   child care for those outside the essential workforce   •   office-based business though telework is still encouraged   •   services like car washes, pet grooming and landscaping   •   outdoor public spaces like museums and galleries   •   places of worship with attendance limited to 25% of building capacity up to 100 people, pending approval from individual counties.

WHAT IS NOT OPEN

Indoor gatherings, including retail and eat-in dining in some counties   •   personal services such as nail salons, tattoo parlors, gyms and fitness studios   •   many state parks   •   schools.

Advanced Stage 2

WHAT EXTRA IS OPEN, WITH COUNTY-SPECIFIC MODIFICATIONS

Dine-in restaurants and other facilities offering food service with social distancing   •   barbershops and hair salons with safety measures   •   schools.

WHAT STILL IS NOT OPEN

Bars, wineries, tasting rooms and gaming areas that do not offer sit-down meals   •   entertainment venues like movie theaters and arcades   •   indoor museums, gallery spaces and libraries   •   zoos   •   community centers and public pools, playgrounds and picnic areas   •   limited-capacity indoor ceremonies   •   nightclubs   •   concert venues   •   live sports   •   festivals   •   theme parks   •   gyms and other personal services   •   hotels for nonessential travel   •   higher education.

Stage 3

WHAT EXTRA IS OPEN

Restaurants, bars, wineries and tasting rooms   •   gyms and fitness centers   •   personal service businesses like nail salons and tattoo shops   •   sports without spectators   •   larger in-person gatherings such as church services and weddings   •   RV parks and campsites, though playgrounds, conference spaces, meeting rooms and outdoor spaces intended for group functions are to remain closed   •   casinos, cardrooms, satellite wagering facilities and racetracks (without spectators)   •   entertainment centers such as movie theaters, bowling alleys, miniature golf, arcades and batting cages   •   fitness facilities, including swimming pools   •   hotel, lodging and short-term rentals but can only rent unoccupied units and cannot rent rooms or spaces within an occupied residence   •   museums, galleries, zoos, botanical gardens, aquariums and similar spaces

WHAT STILL IS NOT OPEN

Concerts, convention centers and live-audience sports   •   entertainment venues where social distancing is harder, like ice rinks, roller rinks, laser tag arenas, theme parks, amusement parks or water parks   •   saunas, steam rooms and hot tubs

 

 

Coronavirus, Covid 19, Solano County CA

Solano County reports 87 new coronavirus cases in one day, total since outbreak started now over 1,000

Tuesday, June 23: 87 new cases in one day, no new deaths. Total of 1,020 cases since the outbreak started, 23 deaths.

Summary

  • Solano County reported 87 new cases today, total of 1,020 cases since the outbreak started.
  • No new deaths today, total of 23, and 1 new hospitalization, total of 99.
  • Solano reported 53 new ACTIVE cases today, total 221.
  • Testing – Solano county reported 1,691 residents were tested since yesterday’s report.
  • Youth 17 years and under – 11 new cases since yesterday, total 81.  There have been 76 new cases among Solano youth in the last 6 weeks, with only 6 new cases over the 5 weeks prior. (More on Solano youth data below.)

Solano’s new Public Health Dashboard design has 2 panels

The County’s new Public Health Dashboard design includes the “Summary Data” panel (above) and the “Details/Demographics” panel (here below).  Note that both panels are user interactive – hover over a chart to get details. On the Details/Demographics panel, most of the charts have an additional tab showing the rate per 100,000.   Go there and explore the two panels.

SEVEN DAY MOVING AVERAGE

The County has added an important new feature: a Seven day moving average chart.  The chart is “The average of the number of laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Solano County residents over the past 7 calendar days, by the date that their specimens were collected.”  Here is today’s chart, with today’s moving average of 16 new cases per day, up from 14 yesterday.  This chart surely shows a significant rise in the average number of cases during June.


BY AGE GROUP

  • Youth 17 and under – 11 new cases today, total of 81 cases, only one ever hospitalized. 10 days ago, there were only 39 cases among this age group – we’ve seen over 41 new cases in 11 days!  I am alarmed for Solano’s youth: there have been 75 new cases among those age 17 and under in the last 6 weeks, with only 6 new cases over the 5 weeks prior!  Cases among Solano youth have increased in recent weeks to 8% of the 1,020 total confirmed cases.  According to the SF Chronicle, “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention puts the figure of coronavirus-infected kids younger than 18 at around 4% of those with the disease.”  Our youth are at double the national rate!
  • Persons 18-49 years of age – 61 new cases today, total of 566 cases.  The County reported 1 new hospitalization among this age group today, and no new deaths.  Total of 26 hospitalized at one time and 2 deaths.  This age group now represents 55% of the 1,020 total cases, by far the highest percentage of all age groups.   26 of the 566 cases in this age group have been hospitalized at one time, 5% of total cases in the age group.
  • Persons 50-64 years of age – 12 new cases today, total of 216 cases.  No new hospitalizations today, total of 33 hospitalized at one time.  No new deaths, total of 3 deaths.  This age group represents 21% of the 1,020 total cases.   33 of the 216 cases in this age group have been hospitalized at one time, 15% of total cases in the age group.
  • Persons 65 years or older – 3 new cases today, total of 156 cases, including no new hospitalizations and no new deaths.  Total of 39 hospitalized at one time and 18 deaths.  This age group represents 15% of the 1,020 total cases.  39 of the 156 cases in this age group, 25% were hospitalized at one time, a substantially higher percentage than in the lower age groups.  And… this group counts for 18 of the 23 deaths, or 78%.

CITY DATA

  • Vallejo added 23 new cases today, total of 436.
  • Fairfield added 36 new cases today, total of 315.
  • Vacaville added 17 new cases today, total of 138 cases.
  • Suisun City added 7 new cases today, total of 65 cases.
  • Benicia remained at 25 cases.
  • Dixon is reported at 3 new cases today, total of 27 cases.
  • Rio Vista and “Unincorporated” are still not assigned numerical data: today both remain at <10 (less than 10).  2 new cases were evidently in this group today, unaccounted for among the other city counts.  The total numbers for other cities add up to 1,006, leaving 15 cases somewhere among the 2 locations in this “<10” category (one more than last reported).  Residents and city officials have pressured County officials for city case counts.  Today’s data is welcome, but remains incomplete for folks in Rio Vista and unincorporated areas of the County.
  • The new “Rate” column shows the rate of COVID-19 cases (per 100,000 population) by city of residence.  Benicia is leading the way here, with a rate of only 92 cases per 100,000. Compare with other Solano cities in the chart, and note that the CDC reports today’s rate in California at 450 per 100,000.  Johns Hopkins lists the overall Solano County rate at 209.

RACE / ETHNICITY

The County is reporting on race / ethnicity data for the first time, including case numbers, hospitalizations, deaths and Solano population statistics.  There are tabs showing the 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 25% of cases, 21% of hospitalizations and 23% of deaths.
  • Black Americans are 14% of Solano’s population, and account for 13% of cases, but 29% of hospitalizations and 36% of deaths.
  • Latinx Americans are 26% of Solano’s population, but account for 35% of cases.  They account for 24% of hospitalizations and only 14 % of deaths.
  • Asian Americans are 14% of Solano’s population, and account for 13% of cases and 16% of hospitalizations, but 23% 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 perhaps highlight a report or two.  Check out the Dashboard at https://doitgis.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=055f81e9fe154da5860257e3f2489d67.

Coronavirus, Covid 19, Keeping Watch on Earth News, Solano County CA

Solano County adds 73 new coronavirus cases over the weekend, expands reporting dashboard

Monday, June 22: 73 new positive cases, no new deaths. Total 933 cases, 23 deaths.

The County has re-designed its COVID-19 Dashboard.  More about this later…

Summary

  • Solano County reported 73 new positive cases today, total of 933 cases.
  • No new deaths today, total of 23, and no new hospitalizations, total of 98.
  • Solano reported 8 fewer ACTIVE cases today, total 168.
  • Testing – Solano county reported 4,193 residents were tested over 3 days since Friday’s report.
  • Youth – 7 new cases since Friday among the 17 and under age group, total 70.  There have been 65 new cases among Solano youth in the last 6 weeks, with only 6 new cases over the 5 weeks prior. (More on Solano youth data below.)

New Dashboard Design – 2 panels

The County’s new design includes the “Summary Data” panel (above) and the “Details/Demographics” panel (here below).  I’m  learning my way around, and  will go into some detail below and more at a later date.  For now, go there and explore the two panels.  Note that both panels are user interactive – hover over a chart to get details.  Note on the Details/Demographics panel that most of the charts have an additional tab showing the rate per 100,000.

SEVEN DAY MOVING AVERAGE

The County has added an important new feature: a Seven day moving average chart.  The chart is “The average of the number of laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Solano County residents over the past 7 calendar days, by the date that their specimens were collected.”  Here is today’s chart, with today’s average of 14 new cases per day.  This chart surely shows a significant rise in the average number of cases during June.


BY AGE GROUP

  • Youth 17 and under – 7 new cases today, total of 70 cases, only one ever hospitalized. 10 days ago, there were only 39 cases among this age group – we’ve seen over 30 new cases in 10 days!  I am alarmed for Solano’s youth: there have been 59 new cases among those age 17 and under in the last 6 weeks, with only 6 new cases over the 5 weeks prior!  Cases among Solano youth have increased in recent weeks to 7.5% of the 933 total confirmed cases.  According to the SF Chronicle, “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention puts the figure of coronavirus-infected kids younger than 18 at around 4% of those with the disease.”  We are nearly double the national rate!
  • Persons 18-49 years of age – 53 new cases today, total of 505 cases.  The County again adjusted its count of hospitalizations among this group, reporting 1 fewer hospitalization today.  No new deaths.  Total of 25 hospitalized at one time and 2 deaths.  This age group now represents 54% of the 933 total cases, by far the highest percentage of all age groups.   26 of the 505 cases in this age group have been hospitalized at one time, 5.1% of total cases in the age group.
  • Persons 50-64 years of age – 10 new cases today, total of 204 cases.  The County adjusted its count of hospitalizations, reporting 2 additional hospitalizations today, total of 33 hospitalized at one time.  No new deaths, total of 3 deaths.  This age group represents 21.9% of the 933 total cases.   33 of the 204 cases in this age group have been hospitalized at one time, 16.2% of total cases in the age group.
  • Persons 65 years or older – 2 new cases today, total of 153 cases, including no new hospitalizations and no new deaths.  Total of 39 hospitalized at one time and 18 deaths.  This age group represents 16.4% of the 933 total cases.  39 of the 153 cases in this age group, 25.5% were hospitalized at one time, a substantially higher percentage than in the lower age groups.  And… this group counts for 18 of the 23 deaths, or 78%.

CITY DATA

Note the new “Rate” column, which shows the rate of COVID-19 cases (per 100,000 population) by city of residence.  Benicia is leading the way here, with a rate of only 92 cases per 100,000. Compare with other Solano cities in the chart, and note that the CDC reports today’s rate in California at 450 per 100,000.

  • Vallejo added 18 new cases today, total of 413.
  • Fairfield added 35 new cases today, total of 279.
  • Vacaville added 12 new cases today, total of 121 cases.
  • Suisun City added 2 new cases today, total of 58 cases.
  • Benicia remained at 25 cases.
  • Dixon is reported at 6 new cases today, total of 24 cases.
  • Rio Vista and “Unincorporated” are still not assigned numerical data: today both remain at <10 (less than 10).  The total numbers for other cities add up to 920, leaving 13 cases somewhere among the 2 locations in this “<10” category (one more than last reported).  Residents and city officials have pressured County officials for city case counts.  Today’s data is welcome, but remains incomplete for folks in Rio Vista and unincorporated areas of the County.

RACE / ETHNICITY

The Dashboard is reporting on race / ethnicity data for the first time, including case numbers, hospitalizations, deaths and Solano population statistics.  The first 3 of these boxes have a tab showing the rate per 100,000 for each race / ethnicity.

(PERSONAL NOTE: I ran out of time today, so you will need to go to the dashboard for details on Race/Ethnicity, Hospitalizations, Active Cases, Hospital Impact, and Testing.  More on these tomorrow.  Also, see Revealing comparison of two views of Solano County’s COVID-19 case chart – Feb 24 to June 19.)