All posts by Roger Straw

Editor, owner, publisher of The Benicia Independent
Coronavirus, Covid 19, Solano County CA

Solano COVID report on Oct 13: current hospitalizations and test rate up, fewer ICU beds

[Source: Solano County Coronavirus Dashboard.  For a complete archive of day by day data, see my Excel ARCHIVE.]

Tuesday, October 13: 126 new cases over the
4-day weekend, no new deaths.  Since the outbreak began: 6,876 cases, 403 hospitalized, 74 deaths.Compare previous report, Friday, Oct. 9:Summary

  • Solano County reported 126 new cases today, total of 6,876 cases since the outbreak started.  Over the last week, Solano reported 253 new cases, average of 36 per day (significantly higher than the previous days’ averages).
  • Deaths – no new deaths today, total of 74 Solano deaths since the pandemic began.
    19 deaths reported in 21 days, Sept 22 – Oct 13:
    – 1 very young person 18-49 years;
    – 4 middle agers 50-64 years    ;
    – 14 of our elders aged 65    ;
  • Active cases – Solano reported 17 fewer ACTIVE cases today, total of 267.  Note that only 31 of these 267 people are hospitalized, so there are a lot of infected folks out among us, hopefully quarantined.  Is the County equipped to contact trace so many infected persons?  Who knows?  To my knowledge, Solano County has offered no reports on contact tracing.
  • Hospitalizations – the number of currently hospitalized persons increased by 9 today, total of 31.  The total number hospitalized since the outbreak started remained unchanged (strangely, given the 9 additional current hospitalizations), total of 403.  (See age group hospitalization stats below).
  • ICU Beds – the County reported significantly fewer ICU beds available, down from 43% to 38%.  (After 8 weeks, still no information about availability of ventilators.)
  • Testing – The County reports today that 1,938 residents were tested over the 4-day weekend, new total of 95,444.  (Solano has AVERAGED over 500 tested per day during the last 3 weeks.)  Solano has a long way to go; only 21.3% of Solano County’s 447,643 residents (2019) have been tested.

Positive Test Rate

Solano County reported today that our 7-day average test rate rose over the 4-day weekend from 5.0% to 5.4%.  Solano’s test rate crested the week of July 15-22, when it peaked at 9.3%.  The County has hit 7% (or more) three times since: on August 21, September 1 and September 2.  In the 6 weeks since September 2, our test rate was reported as high as 6.5% and as low as 2.7% (on Sept 11), averaging 4.2%.  Average percent positive test rates are among the best metrics for measuring the spread of the virus.  The much more stable California 7-day test rate rose from 2.5% to 2.7% 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 also lags behind current unknown results.) 

By Age Group

  • Youth 17 and under – 20 new cases today (!), total of 773 cases, representing 11.2% of the 6,876 total cases.  No new hospitalizations among this age group today, a total of 6 hospitalizations 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 just over 11% since September 30.  Youth are 22% of Solano’s general population, so this 11.x% may seem low.  The significance is this: 1) youth numbers increased steadily and at a faster rate than the other age groups, and 2) youth are SERIOUSLY NOT IMMUNE (!) – in fact 6 youth have now been hospitalized.
  • Persons 18-49 years of age – 75 new cases today (!), total of 4,108 cases. This age group is 41% of the population in Solano, but represents just under 60% of the total cases, by far the highest percentage of all age groups.  The County reported no new hospitalizations in this age group today, total of 131 hospitalized since the outbreak began.  No new deaths in this young age group today, total of 5 deaths.  Some in this group are surely ignoring public health orders, and many are providing essential services among us.  I expect this group is a major factor in the spread of the virus.
  • Persons 50-64 years of age – 17 new cases today, total of 1,308 cases.  This age group represents 19% of the 6,876 total cases. No new hospitalizations today, total of 109 hospitalized since the outbreak began.  No new deaths in this age group today, a total of 15 deaths.
  • Persons 65 years or older – Today the County reported 13 new cases, total of 685.  No new hospitalizations, total of 157.  No new deaths, total of 54 of our elders who died of COVID.  This age group’s 672 cases represent 10% of the 6,876 total cases.  In this older age group, 23.4% of cases required hospitalization at one time.  This group accounts for 54 of the 74 deaths, or 73%.

City Data

  • Benicia added 2 new cases today, total of 182 cases since the outbreak began.
  • Dixon added 7 new cases today, total of 443 cases.
  • Fairfield added 42 new cases today, total of 2,221 cases.
  • Rio Vista remained steady today, total of 54 cases.
  • Suisun City added 5 new cases today, total of 498 cases.
  • Vacaville added 25 new cases today, total of 1,171cases.
  • Vallejo added 44 new cases today, total of 2,284 cases.
  • Unincorporated areas added 1 new case today, total of 23 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 9% of cases, 11% of hospitalizations, and 18% of deaths.
  • Black Americans are 14% of Solano’s population, and account for 11% of cases, but 18% of hospitalizations, and 24% of deaths.
  • Latinx Americans are 26% of Solano’s population, but account for 30% of cases, 29% of hospitalizations, and 20% of deaths.
  • White Americans are 39% of the population in Solano County, but only account for 21% of cases, 27% of hospitalizations and 30% of deaths.

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.

2020 elections, Benicia elections, Campaign finance, Steve Young, Valero Benicia Refinery, Valero PAC

Benicia Valero PAC throws in another $7,000 for live phone calls

By Roger Straw, October 13 2020

Valero PAC spending to buy the 2020 Mayor seat now totals $70,844

Reporting on forms required by Benicia ordinance, the Valero PAC that is attempting to buy the Benicia Mayor race detailed the expenditure of another $7,000 on  October 10.

Cumulative Valero PAC spending to date: $70,844.  (COMPARE: All candidates running for Benicia mayor and Council who pledge to run fair campaigns may not spend over $34,200 on their own campaigns.)

Details of new money spent for Christina Strawbridge and to defeat Steve Young:

  • LIVE CALLS – Another $7,000

Payments was made to WINNING CONNECTIONS, 317 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE, 2ND FLOOR, WASHINGTON, DC.  Source: Benicia_Form_496_6.pdf .

I am tracking DETAILS of the Valero PAC’s 2020 campaign disclosure reports combined in a single Excel spreadsheet.  The sheet contains 2 tabs:

    • “VALERO PAC Form460 CpgnDisclosr” is a record of Valero’s SUMMARY reports, showing 2020 income, expenses and cash balance.
    • “Forms 465 & 496 IndExp” is a more interesting 2nd tab, showing in detail Valero’s individual expenditures.

REFERENCE: Valero PAC Financial Disclosures – City of Benicia website

Source: from the City of Benicia website, 2020 Campaign Finance Reports

2020 elections, Benicia elections, Valero PAC, Valero Services Inc.

Where is the Benicia Valero PAC money coming from?

“Working Families” PAC is actually Big Oil money, a mysterious “Coalition to Restore,” and the Republican Party
By Roger Straw, October 13, 2020

The Political Action Committee (PAC), which calls itself “Working Families…Supporting Christina Strawbridge,” is anything but a bunch of working families.  My research shows that the PAC is Big Oil money and other unidentified “Affiliated Entities.”

Valero’s 2020 Benicia PAC was funded last November by a contribution of $200,000 from “Valero Services, Inc. and Affiliated Entities“,  supposedly located in Benicia.  The PAC is promoting Christina Strawbridge for Mayor, but has also engaged in negative campaigning, spreading lies and unflattering images of her opponent, Steve Young.

So the Valero PAC is funded by Valero Services Inc.  But it is unclear who or what are the RECENT financial backers of Valero Services, Inc.  A little history might help:

In 2015, Valero Services, Inc. was funded by the following “entities”

  • California Republican Party $150,000
  • Californians for Jobs and a Strong Economy $35,000
  • Coalition to Restore California’s Middle Class, Including Energy Companies who Produce Gas, Oil, Jobs and Pay Taxes $2,000,000

Valero Services, Inc. makes huge contributions to a variety of political campaigns and PACs.  A June 2019 document shows Valero Services expenditures of $675,579.94 in the first 6 months of 2019, including

  • $500,000 to the above mentioned “Coalition to Restore“
  • $75,000 to the California Republican Party
  • 8 in-kind contributions to Working Families for a Strong Benicia $36,778
  • Contributions to the Western States Petroleum Association PAC and the Valero Energy Corp PAC
  • And contributions ranging from $2,000 to $4,700 to the campaigns of seventeen candidates for California Senate and Assembly, including $2,000 to the campaign for Benicia’s Assembly member, Tim Grayson.

Note that major influencer “Coalition to Restore…” is still going strong:

2020 elections, Benicia elections, Valero PAC, Valero Services Inc.

Benicia Campaigns to Valero: BACK OFF!

By Roger Straw, October 13, 2020

Young, Scott and Diavatis take out ad in Benicia Herald: “It’s Time to Stop.”

Three Benicia candidates, including two who are running for Mayor, stepped forward on Monday publicly asking a Valero funded independent expenditure committee to stop bombarding residents with robocalls, texts, emails, flyers, mailers and Facebook ads.

The Political Action Committee (PAC), which calls itself “Working Families…Supporting Christina Strawbridge,” is anything but a bunch of working families.  It is Big Oil money and other unidentified “Affiliated Entities.”  The 2020 PAC was funded last November by a contribution of $200,000 from “Valero Services, Inc. and Affiliated Entities”,  supposedly located in Benicia.  This year, the committee is promoting Christina Strawbridge for Mayor, but has also engaged in negative campaigning, spreading lies and unflattering images of her opponent, Steve Young.

See also: