Benicia CA, Coronavirus, Covid 19, Solano County CA

As the Solano County COVID-19 death toll nears 100, Benicia approaches 500 cases since the pandemic began

[Editor: Yesterday’s report in the Benicia Herald print edition was excellent, giving cumulative numbers for the virus here in Benicia.  Reprinted here with permission.  – R.S.] 

Solano County’s 95th Covid-19 death marks a grim reality as the holidays continue; leaving a bleak outlook for the start of 2021

Benicia has recorded 57 percent of its positive cases since Election Day
Benicia Herald, by Galen Kusic, Editor, December 27, 2020

     Over the past week, Solano County has seen its most rapid increase in COVID-19 cases yet, rising from 15,008 to 17,330, an increase of 2, 222 in just seven days. That is an average of 317 cases a day, as Vallejo now has the highest amount of positive cases in the County since the pandemic began with 5,170.  The County’s 20.9 percent seven-day positivity rate is the highest since the pandemic started.

In Benicia, the total number of cases has climbed to 469. Since Nov. 3, Benicia has experienced 271 new cases, over 57 percent of the city’s overall cases since the pandemic began in March. On average, the city’s residents have endured an average of over five new cases daily since Election Day, Nov. 3.

The County’s 95 total deaths has begun to rise as of late, and modeling suggests that into the next month those numbers will soon begin to soar. With hopes that the vaccine will help stop the spread, Gov. Newsom’s stay-at-home order is in effect for at least another two weeks while hospitals struggle to keep ICU beds open.

Currently, Solano County has 12 ICU beds open or 2.7 beds per 100,000 people. The Bay Area’s regional ICU capacity has now dwindled to 9.2 percent as other parts of the state have no ICU capacity, especially in Southern California and the San Joaquin Valley.