All posts by Roger Straw

Editor, owner, publisher of The Benicia Independent

Coronavirus, Covid 19, Solano County CA, Solano County Health Department

‘Stay at Home’ declaration coming for Solano County

March 18, 2020 Roger Straw

UPDATE: Just before 5:30pm on Wednesday, March 18, Solano County issued a formal “Stay at home” order. See

Fairfield Daily Republic, March 18, 2020 at 3:24 pm

FAIRFIELD — Solano County is expected to release “stay at home” guidelines today.

Mayor Harry Price confirmed he had been informed by a county official about the upcoming announcement, and Suisun City Mayor Lori Wilson, on a conference call with local ministers and nonprofits, said it will essentially follow the same kind of guidelines that are found in the “shelter in place” health orders issued previously by seven Bay Area counties.

Solano and Napa counties were not part of that coordinated effort, a point of frustration for Supervisor Erin Hannigan.

Napa County on Wednesday afternoon announced its “stay at home” order to begin at noon on Friday and continue through April 7. The release came minutes after the conclusion of a 3:15 press conference on the matter.

It was not immediately clear when Solano’s order was going to be released. Details were not available.

Hannigan said having Solano and Napa left out of the action taken by the other counties left the impression that Solano County was not addressing the Covid-19 concerns as thoroughly as the other counties.

“And that is not the case,” Hannigan said.

Essentially what the Solano County guideline will mean, Hannigan said, is that anyone who does not have “an essential” reason for leaving their homes – including work, grocery shopping, picking up food from a restaurant, health appointments and the like – should instead stay at home.

That is particularly true for those segments of the population that are at a higher risk from the novel coronavirus, such as those 65 or older and those with underlying health issues.

“People have to hear there is a deep concern and there is a deep concern,” Hannigan said.

If residents do have to leave their homes, officials said they should practice the 6-foot social distance practices.

Coronavirus, Covid 19, Solano County CA, Solano County Health Department

Solano County issues guidelines for childcare workers

March 18, 2020 Roger Straw

COVID-19 Guidance for Childcare Providers

SOLANO PUBLIC HEALTH | MARCH 18, 2020

To limit the spread of COVID-19 disease, contact with infected or exposed individuals must be reduced as much as possible. Conventional school classes have been dismissed, but the Solano Public Health recognizes the need for continuity of childcare to ensure that essential services and wage-earning activities can continue.

Solano Public Health recommends the following guidance for childcare providers, effective immediately:

1. Childcare ideally should be provided in the child’s home, by non-elderly household members not living in the household or ill individuals.

2. Group childcare may be used for children for whom in-home care by household members is not available. It should be prioritized for use by essential service employees and those who would otherwise not be able to work.

3. Group childcare should:
a. Be in stable groups of 10 or fewer children (“stable” means that the same 10 or fewer children are in the same group each day). Children should not change from one group to another.
b. If more than 1 group of children is cared for at one facility, each group should be in a separate room. Groups should not mix with each other. For example: meals, playground time, and toileting activities should be separate for each group.
c. Childcare provider(s) should also remain solely with one group of children (providers should not move from group to group or room to room).

4. Infection control measures:
a. Screen children and staff for cold or flu-like symptoms or signs of a respiratory illness (i.e., fever, cough, shortness of breath) daily, before entering childcare.
b. Exclude ill children and employees (those with symptoms specified above) from the facility.
c. Children or staff who develop symptoms at childcare should be sent home immediately.
d. Ill children or staff should not return to work or childcare until they are well.
e. Children and staff should wash hands with soap and water for minimum of 20 seconds or use alcoholbased hand sanitizer (if hands are not visibly dirty) before and after eating, drinking, touching eyes/nose/mouth, toileting or diapering, and physical contact with each other.
f. Clean high-contact areas and surfaces frequently, using 10% bleach solution or EPA-approved disinfectant against novel human Coronaviruses: counters, toys, telephones, doorknobs, etc.
g. Staff and children should practice good respiratory hygiene including coughing/sneezing into the sleeve and covering coughs.

Coronavirus, Covid 19, San Francisco Bay Area

Coronavirus CA: Bay Area hospitals to delay elective surgeries, limit visitors ahead of COVID-19 crisis

March 18, 2020 Roger Straw

ABC7 News, by Laura Anthony, March 16, 2020

WALNUT CREEK, Calif. (KGO) — Bay Area hospitals have been on the front lines of the coronavirus crisis from the early stages and are still holding on, at least for now.

While it’s not business as usual at any Bay Area Hospital, the head of emergency services at Walnut Creek’s John Muir Medical Center says his team is keeping up with it’s patient load, coronavirus related or otherwise.

“We’re actually doing well,” said Dr. Russell Rodriguez M.D. “We have everything we need in terms of equipment for our staff and we have enough beds for the patients coming in, so we’re actually in a pretty good spot.”

Like most hospitals in the area though, John Muir is cancelling most elective surgeries. So are Sutter Hospitals and Kaiser Permanente facilities in Northern California.

RELATED: Coronavirus: Everything you need to know about the San Francisco Bay Area’s shelter-in-place order

“We’ve been monitoring the situation since January,” explained Michelle Gaskill-Hames, Kaiser Permanente’s Senior Vice-President for Hospital and Health Plan Operations, Northern California.

Kaiser has 21 medical centers in the Bay Area, each with it’s own command center.

The group’s big objective is to keep patients who don’t need emergency or hospital care away from the medical centers.
“Our message to our members is to ensure that they call before they come in,” said Gaskill-Hames, “and we really want to leverage tele-visits and video visits if we don’t really need to have a physical appointment.”

RELATED: Coronavirus Outbreak: Nurses, healthcare workers concerned about their safety as COVID-19 cases rise

Some nurses in the the Bay Area have told ABC7News they don’t have enough masks, a vital part of the personal protection equipment. But most hospital officials we talked with told us they’re well-supplied, at least for now.

“We have been careful in our use,” said John Muir’s Rodriguez, “But we are providing our staff with all the equipment that they need and we have enough to maintain the current functioning of the system without a problem.”

California Department of Public Health, Coronavirus, Covid 19, Solano County CA

Coronavirus updates (March 18) from Solano County, State of California

March 18, 2020 Roger Straw

UPDATE ON WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18:

Press Release, Solano County

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 17, 2020
News Contacts:
Matthew A. Davis, Sr. Management Analyst and Public Communications Officer, (707) 784-6111, MADavis@solanocounty.com (AND)
Jayleen Richards, Public Health Administrator, Health and Social Services Department, (707) 784-8616, JMRichards@solanocounty.com

Solano County Public Health emphasizes the Governor’s measures to promote social distancing and self-isolation to stem the spread of COVID-19 virus

SOLANO COUNTY – Solano County Public Health Officials support California Governor Newsom’s orders regarding social distancing to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 in our community and are encouraging Solano County residents to review and implement these best practices.

Solano Public Health officials are encouraging vulnerable populations – older adults age 65 and older, individuals with compromised immune systems and individuals with serious chronic medical conditions like heart disease, diabetes and lung disease – to practice social distancing and stay at home, except for essential needs, including to get food, care for a relative or friend, get necessary health care or go to an essential job. Solano Public Health is also advising these individuals to avoid group activities, making unnecessary trips and spending time in public areas (restaurants, gyms, entertainment venues, social gatherings, etc.).

“We are in full support of the Governor’s measures to promote social distancing and are reiterating this message to residents in Solano County,” says County Public Health Officer Bela Matyas, M.D., M.P.H. “When people implement these best practices, it helps our health care providers with respect to staffing and capacity necessary to provide care to those who need it the most in our community.”

Multiple Bay Area Counties have announced their own orders that reiterate Governor Newsom’s orders for social distancing, as there has been sustained community transmission of coronavirus (COVID-19) in the San Francisco Bay Area. Solano Public Health is monitoring the situation in the Bay Area closely and is in contact with neighboring health departments, local hospitals and the state.

Solano Public Health is advising residents to follow these social distancing measures:
– Close bars, nightclubs, wineries, gyms and movie theaters
– Close restaurants, except for takeout service
– Maintain distance of at least 6 feet between yourself and others
– Postpone or cancel gatherings, meetings and community events where large numbers of people are within 6 feet off each other

In addition to social distancing, Solano Public Health encourages everyone to follow these simple daily routines to help stem the spread of respiratory disease in our community:
– Wash hands with soap and water, and rubbing for at least 20 seconds
– Cough or sneeze into a tissue, sleeve or arm (not your hands)
– Avoid close contact with people who are sick
– Stay home when you are sick
– Avoid touching your face, particularly your eyes, nose and mouth
– Perform routine surface cleaning, particularly for items which are frequently touched such as doorknobs, handles, remotes, keyboards and other commonly shared surfaces
– Get a flu shot to protect against the flu, which has similar symptoms to COVID-19
– If you feel ill, contact your health provider for advice and treatment options

For more information, visit these state and local resources on Coronavirus (COVID-19):
– Office of the Governor, Gavin Newsom, click here
– Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, click here
– California Employment and Development Department, click here
– California Labor Workforce and Development Agency, click here
– Solano County Small Business Development Center, click here
– Solano County Health and Social Services, Public Health website, click here
– Solano County Public Health Facebook Page, @SolanoCountyPH, click here

The public can review Governor Newsom’s directive to fight COVID-19 by clicking here.