Monthly Archives: January 2021

Coronavirus, Covid 19, Solano County CA

COVID-19 in Solano County, Daily update on Thursday, January 7

By Roger Straw, January 7, 2021  [Sources: see below.]

Thursday, January 7: 335 new Solano cases overnight, no new deaths.  Since last Feb: 21,855 cases, over 775 hospitalized, 102 deaths.Compare previous report, Wednesday, Jan. 6:Summary

    • Solano County reported 335 new cases overnight.  In just the last 14 days, Solano has seen an increase of 5,011 new cases.  We’re averaging 358 (!) new cases every day!  Total of 21,855 cases since the outbreak started.
    • Deaths – no new deaths reported today, a total of 102 Solano deaths since the pandemic began.
    • Active cases – Solano reported 153 more active cases today for a total of 2,918 active cases.  Today is the third consecutive day for a new record number of active cases in Solano.  Compare: Solano’s average number of Active Cases during October was 284, average in November was 650 – and TODAY we are at 2,918!  Is the County equipped to contact trace so many infected persons?  Who knows?  To my knowledge, Solano has offered no reports on contact tracing.
    • Hospitalizations – Today, Solano reported 9 more CURRENTLY hospitalized persons, total of 176.  Among the age groups, the County reported 13 new hospitalizations, for a total of 779 persons hospitalized since the outbreak began.  But…  These numbers are surely meaningless; read on…
      >>In a December 31 Fairfield Daily Republic article, reporter Todd Hanson wrote, “Since the start of the pandemic, and as of Wednesday [Dec. 30], 9,486 residents have been hospitalized.”  This startling number is far and away above the number of residents hospitalized as indicated in the count of age group hospitalizations, and not available anywhere on the County’s COVID-19 dashboard.  Asked about his source, Hanson replied that Solano Public Health “had to do a little research on my behalf.”  It would be good if the County could add Total Hospitalized to its daily Dashboard update.  [For the numbers used in my manual calculation of total hospitalizations, see age group stats below.  For COVID19-CA.GOV numbers, see BenIndy page, COVID-19 Hospitalizations Daily Update for Solano County.]
    • ICU Beds – Solano County reported a decrease in ICU beds available today, down from 15% to 12%, in the YELLOW DANGER ZONE.  COVID19-CA.GOV reported today that Solano County had only 8 available ICU beds as of yesterday, January 6.  (For COVID19-CA.GOV info see BenIndy page, COVID-19 Hospitalizations Daily Update for Solano County, and for REGIONAL data see COVID-19 ICU Bed Availability by REGION.)
Positive Test Rate – ALARMINGLY HIGH SOLANO TEST RATE OF 26.8% – VIRUS SPREADING LIKE WILDFIRE, STAY HOME!

Solano County reported our 7-day average positive test rate today continuing at an alarming rate of 26.8%, down a bit from yesterday’s 28.1%, but still over 3 times the State’s purple tier threshold of 8%.  Average percent positive test rates are among the best metrics for measuring community spread of the virus.  The much lower and more stable California 7-day average test rate was up from yesterday’s 13.7% o 14.3% today.  (Note that Solano County displays past weeks and months in a 7-day test positivity line graph which also shows daily results.  However, the chart does not display an accurate number of cases for the most recent days, as there is a lag time in receiving test results.  The 7-day curve therefore also lags behind due to unknown recent test results.) 

By Age Group – Holiday surge upon holiday surge – in all age groups
  • Youth 17 and under – 35 new cases today, total of 2,426 cases, representing 11.1% of the 21,855 total cases.  No new hospitalizations reported today among this age group, total of 17 since the outbreak began.  Thankfully, no deaths have ever been reported in Solano County in this age group.  But cases among Solano youth rose steadily over the summer, from 5.6% of total cases on June 8 to 11% on August 31 and has plateaued at over 11% since September 30.  Youth are 22% of Solano’s general population, so this 11% may seem low.  The significance is this: youth are SERIOUSLY NOT IMMUNE (!) – in fact at least 17 of our youth have been hospitalized since the outbreak began.
  • Persons 18-49 years of age – 159 new cases today, total of 12,299 cases. This age group is 41% of the population in Solano, but represents 56.3% of the total cases, by far the highest percentage of all age groups.  The County reported no new hospitalizations among persons in this age group today.  A total of 237 are reported to have been hospitalized since the outbreak began.  Solano recorded no new deaths in this young group today, total of 7 deaths.  Some in this group are surely at high risk, as many are providing essential services among us, and some may be ignoring public health orders.  I expect this group is a major factor in the spread of the virus.
  • Persons 50-64 years of age – 84 new cases today, total of 4,575 cases.  This age group represents 20.9% of the 21,855 total cases.  The County reported 2 new hospitalizations among persons in this age group today.  A total of 212 are reported to have been hospitalized since the outbreak began.  No new deaths were reported in this age group today, a total of 18 deaths.
  • Persons 65 years or older – 57 new cases today, total of 2,546, representing 11.7% of Solano’s 21,855 total cases.  The County reported 11 (!) new hospitalizations among persons in this age group today.  A total of 313 have been hospitalized since the outbreak began.  No new deaths were reported in this age group today.  A total of 77 of our elders have died of COVID, accounting for 75.5% of Solano’s 102 total deaths.
City Data
  • Benicia added 9 new cases today, total of 592 cases since the outbreak began. 
  • Dixon added 23 new cases today, total of 1364 cases.
  • Fairfield added 75 new cases today, total of 6,128 cases.
  • Rio Vista added 7 (!) new cases today, total of 204 cases.
  • Suisun City added 16 new cases today, total of 1,520 cases.
  • Vacaville added 127 (!) new cases today, total of 5,665 cases.
  • Vallejo added 78 new cases today, total of 6,315 cases.
  • Unincorporated areas remained steady today, total of 67 cases.
Race / Ethnicity

The County report on race / ethnicity includes case numbers, hospitalizations, deaths and Solano population statistics.  This information is discouragingly similar to national reports that indicate significantly worse outcomes among black and brown Americans.  Note that all of this data surely undercounts Latinx Americans, as there is a large group of “Multirace / Others” which likely is composed mostly of Latinx members of our communities.

  • Asian Americans are 14% of Solano’s population, and account for 11% of cases, 12% of hospitalizations, and 17% of deaths.
  • Black Americans are 14% of Solano’s population, and account for 11% of cases, but 17% of hospitalizations, and 21% of deaths.
  • Latinx Americans are 26% of Solano’s population, but account for 15% of cases, 23% of hospitalizations, and 17% of deaths.
  • White Americans are 39% of the population in Solano County, but only account for 29% of cases, 30% of hospitalizations and 33% of deaths.
More…

The County’s 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 significant portions.  For more, check out the Dashboard at https://doitgis.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=055f81e9fe154da5860257e3f2489d67.

Source
Source: Solano County Coronavirus Dashboard (posted on the County website late today).  For a complete archive of County updates, see my Excel ARCHIVE.  ALSO see important daily updates from the state of California at COVID19.CA.GOV, embedded here on the BenIndy at Cases and Deaths AND Hospitalizations AND ICU Beds by REGION.
Coup, Donald Trump, Seditious conspiracy

January 6 Attempted COUP – Where Now?

January 6 Attempted Coup – Where Now?

Email from ChooseDemocracy.us, January 7, 2021, 8:00 AM PDT

What we saw yesterday is the final coda of Trump’s term. In the past 24 hours we’ve watched the Senate swing to Democrats and the storming of the Capitol Building, with 1 person killed by police and 3 others from “medical emergencies.”

The critical step for a transfer of power happened: Congress certified Biden’s victory. This was over the objections of eight senators and 139 representatives — less than expected but still highly significant.

The attempted coup has not succeeded in changing the outcome. Trump’s weak tea offer that “there will be an orderly transition on January 20th” cements that point, even as his continued claims of a stolen election tell us it wasn’t a breakthrough moment for him.

The events make viable Trump’s impeachment and we encourage people to call for it.

Our reflections this morning:

THIS IS TRUMP’S ATTEMPTED COUP

Trump called for yesterday’s rally (“Big protest in DC on January 6th. Be there, will be wild!”). Then he spoke at the rally:

    “We’re going to have to fight much harder. We are going to walk down to the Capitol, and we’re going to cheer on our brave senators, congressmen and women, and we are probably not going to be cheering so much for some of them. Because you will never take back our country with weakness.”

The crowd listened. Egged on by Trump constantly telling them the country’s election had been stolen, they acted accordingly and attempted (in their minds) to seize the Capitol back for the people.

As you discuss this on social media and with friends, please make this point clear: yesterday’s actions were direct outcomes of Trump. The radical actors were not only the protestors scaling the walls, it was led by Trump. This is Trump’s failed coup.

And it was not exclusively Trump. There is severe hypocrisy by Trump Republicans who backed this all along the way — Mitch McConnell, Lindsay Graham, Ted Cruz, Josh Hawley, and the list goes on.

We are glad they decried the violence yesterday. But they planted the seeds. When they talk about a stolen election or non-existent fraud, they are still watering them. We will not forget that.

THE POLICE RESPONSE

Like many, we’ve been struck by how poorly the police prepared for this. Naturally this kicks up extreme rumors they were in bed with the planners. NY Times reports a variety of jaw-dropping acts of ineptitude, at best (from police cowering as protestors stormed the building to possibly opening barricades for protestors).

The side-by-side images of the treatment received by previous black protestors versus the overwhelmingly white crowd of Trump supporters is breath-taking. It is an example of how racism plays into policing. The Capitol Police wasted hours before calling for federal backup — apparently they didn’t think yesterday’s crowd was menacing but did think BLM protestors were. This is consistent with research showing white people perceive black people as greater threats.

According to CNN’s hasty analysis of the chaotic police response, it wasn’t until after the building had been overrun that Capitol Police called for backup.

We do understand that the DC Mayor had invited federal law enforcement, but then discouraged federal law enforcement from deploying — apparently trying to avoid a replay of the unchained behavior of the national guard against BLM protestors. That may have played a role. But that still doesn’t explain how people could walk out of the Capitol Building waving items stolen from representatives’ offices.

In a situation so fast-moving, we want police to use minimal force and, with at least one protestor killed by police, it’s hard to know exactly how to characterize what happened. But we saw lots of behavior by Capitol Police that raises severe questions. A full accounting needs to happen.

THE NEED TO IMPEACH

There have been initially uncoordinated calls for the 25th Amendment to remove Trump or calls for impeachment. We didn’t see a mechanism to join last night.

Strategically, we think both are appropriate responses. Ending Trump’s reign with either of these actions discourages future coup attempts.

We are skeptical that the 25th Amendment is a viable route — because it includes Trump loyalists like Mike Pence, a man who has been unswervingly loyal to Trump. But the political calculations have changed. Right-wing news is reporting Trump split heavily from Pence (for example, Pence’s Chief of Staff says he was locked out of the White House). And Trump’s own staffers inside Trump’s offices are allegedly talking about the 25th.

We’re encouraging people to get behind the NAACP’s call for impeachment. Impeachment has two advantages: it forces Congress to be on the record and it can bar Trump from holding federal office again. Further, it creates a public platform to further decry this behavior.

Sign NAACP’s call for impeachment here.

THE PSYCHOLOGY OF THE MOMENT

Of course you’re feeling some way about all of this. One of the aspects of violence is it elicits psychological responses: fear, heightened sense of anxiety, revenge, desire to hide under covers or strike out…

A movement that doesn’t pay attention to its own emotional state will stay reactionary. We’ve tried to chart a path dictated by what will be strategically useful. Today, that’s spending energy to correctly frame this as Trump’s coup attempt, to identify its co-conspirators, and to impeach the leading coup plotter.

We also encourage you to tend to your own emotions. Note the parts of yourself that are feeling reactive, even seeking more awful news to remain in a pattern of reactivity. Anger and outrage are natural responses and we encourage you to give space for them.

Many of us in the Choose Democracy team have turned to Finding Steady Ground as a resource. They have a practical 7 behaviors for people in tumultuous times.

Our analysis remains this: the coup attempt was not successful and remains extremely unlikely to succeed. The pillars of democracy are holding against an attempted coup and there’s no legitimacy for a full seizure of our duly elected government. As people return home on their buses from DC, we may see more local actions at state capitols. But the center is strongly rejecting these efforts. Let’s remember that millions of poll workers, election officials, and citizens did their jobs to allow 160 million US Americans to have their votes fairly counted.

Choose Democracy came together to prepare a strategy and tactics to stop a full-blown active coup. Now we need a different set of tactics: rebuilding Democracy, punishing coup plotters and those who assisted them, and using levers of grassroots and political power to enshrine voter access and build accountable institutions of government.

We’re glad to hear some of the networks built around Choose Democracy are turning into those efforts (and many others have been doing this work for a long time). We’d love to hear what you plan to do afterwards — and would love to echo efforts that you think are worthy to continue when Choose Democracy folds after January 20.

The days up until Inauguration Day will likely be very rocky, so naturally we’ll keep monitoring this.

The Choose Democracy Team

To learn more about potential for a coup, and how to prepare and respond to an attempted coup, see ChooseDemocracyBenicia.org.

Coup, Donald Trump, Seditious conspiracy

Attempted COUP today, Trump incites violence – second update from ‘CHOOSE DEMOCRACY’

Jan 6, 2021 (2nd update…)

We have entered new territory and have moved the Coup-o-meter into Attempted Coup territory to reflect this. Trump has directly incited violence in an attempt to stop the transition of power.

The group attempting this coup is small and does not appear to be building momentum. Now is the time for leaders to immediately call for the completion of the democratic process. Any continuation of the theatrics by the GOP that led to this violence is dangerous incitement and must be condemned in no uncertain terms.
Currently, the pillars of support for our democratic institutions are holding. We will continue to watch to see if that changes.

To learn more about potential for a coup, and how to prepare and respond to an attempted coup, see ChooseDemocracyBenicia.org.

Benicia Mayor Steve Young, Coronavirus, Covid 19, Raley's Benicia

SF Chronicle: Benicia Mayor Steve Young calls for action after Raley’s COVID-19 violations

Christmas Eve party at Benicia supermarket sparks COVID concerns

San Francisco Chronicle, by Michael Cabanatuan, Jan. 6, 2021

Days after a Christmas Eve party at a Raley’s supermarket in Benicia, one worker who attended it tested positive for the coronavirus, prompting the city’s mayor to demand the store let its staff and the public know what steps are being taken in response.

Benicia Mayor Steve Young

Mayor Steve Young, in a video posted to YouTube Tuesday, cited social media and press reports of the Christmas Eve dinner, laid out for employees on their breaks, and demanded action from the Sacramento supermarket chain.

“At a minimum, Raley’s needs to be transparent, needs to tell employees what is happening, needs to tell the public what is happening,” the mayor said.

He also called on the Sacramento supermarket chain to send home and quarantine — with pay — all workers who are exposed to someone who tests positive and to provide them with free COVID-19 tests. Young also suggested Raley’s establish a routine testing program for its workers.

Raley’s spokeswoman Chelsea Minor acknowledged that the party took place on Christmas Eve, violated company and health department protocols, and that one person has since tested positive, is quarantining and hasn’t been in the store since the party.

Here’s what the Bay Area and California stay-at-home orders…
“We take full responsibility but by no means were we suppressing information,” she said. Raley’s has posted all positive tests on its website since March, she said, and the lone positive test that may have stemmed from the party was the sixth postive test at the Benicia store.

The supermarket, at 890 Southampton Road, held an informal Christmas Eve party for its employees in the store, providing them with food. Attendees reportedly sat close to each other and didn’t wear masks, at least while dining. Photos of the party were posted on the supermarket’s Facebook page, but have since been removed. A Facebook commenter later reposted the pictures.

A couple of days after the party, the mayor said, a Raley’s manager came down sick with flu symptoms then tested positive for the coronavirus. Word of the ill-fated party spread on social media, prompting concerns among employees, who complained on social media that they hadn’t been informed of the manager’s positive test, as well as customers.

“The manager who went out sick right after the party, there were a number of people who were photographed sitting close to him and those people are still working,” the mayor said in his statement.

Minor, who spoke to the Benicia City Council on Tuesday night, said the company has followed proper protocol, and most of the mayor’s wishes, once it learned that the employee developed symptoms. She said the employee last worked on the day of the party, stayed home after he became sick, was tested for the coronavirus and received a positive test result on Jan. 2.

She said the chain allows employees who are concerned about a positive exposure to take paid days off to quarantine and pays for testing. She said a regular testing program may be considered short-term at the Benicia store.

“We’ll do what we need to do to restore the faith of our customers,” Minor said.

Michael Cabanatuan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer.