FAIRFIELD — Solano County expects to receive a significant report of previously unreported cases that were identified through a different testing procedure.
But Dr. Bela Matyas, the county public health officer, said the additions do not change the county’s continued decline in case trends.
There were two more Covid-related deaths reported Friday. A man over 65, living at home and vaccinated, was one of the reports, while a man between 50 and 65, living at home and unvaccinated, also died. Both had significant health issues, but the younger man apparently was unaware of his problems.
NOTE: The information below is not the latest. TAP HERE for today’s latest information.
By Roger Straw, Friday, March 4, 2022
Solano County reporting 138 new COVID infections in two days, 2 new deaths. Benicia’s 7-day case count remains in SUBSTANTIAL transmission rate, only 2 cases above MODERATE. Solano County falls into SUBSTANTIAL transmission rate for first time since December 22.
Solano Public Health COVID dashboard, Friday, March 4, 2022:
NOTICE: Solano County Public Health will update its COVID Dashboard ONLY ON MONDAYS & THURSDAYS as of March 14, 2022
DEATHS: Solano reported two new deaths in today’s report, one age 50-64 and one age 65+.Trending: Fifteen new deaths were reported in February, ALL over 65 years of age. We can’t be sure this is a final number because the County often post-dates hospitalizations and deaths. Until February, the County saw increasing COVID-related deaths each month since last November, rising to 30 in January. A total of 398 Solano residents have now died of COVID or COVID-related causes over the course of the pandemic.
TRANSMISSION RATE: Solano moved out of the HIGH transmission rate today, with a total of 419 new cases over the last 7 days, just into the SUBSTANTIAL range. Encouraging: this is down from 1,126 on Monday, and the County’s first placement in the CDC’s SUBSTANTIAL rate since December 22 of last year. Solano still has a long way to go to reach MODERATE transmission (225 over previous 7 days).CDC FORMULA: Based on Solano County’s population, 450 or more cases in 7 days places Solano in the CDC’s population-based definition of a HIGH transmission rate. We would need to drop below 225 cases in 7 days to rate as having only MODERATE community transmission.
ACTIVE CASES: Solano reported 567 ACTIVE cases today, up from 544 at last report, and far above the County’s 329 active cases on December 1.
CASES BY CITY – Friday, March 4, 2022:
BENICIA added 6 new cases today, a total of 3,024 cases since the outbreak began. TRANSMISSION RATE: **Benicia has seen only 16 new infections in the last 7 days, remaining in the CDC’s SUBSTANTIAL rate of transmission. Only two fewer cases will drop Benicia into the desired MODERATE rate of transmission. For a city with Benicia’s population, anything over 27 cases in 7 days is considered HIGH TRANSMISSION. (See chart below.)
Dixon added 5 new cases today, total of 4,153 cases.
Fairfield added40 new cases today, total of 21,281 cases.
Rio Vista added 2 new cases today, total of 1,073 cases.
Suisun Cityadded5 new cases today, total of 5,590 cases.
Vacaville added 29 new cases today, a total of 19,455 cases.
Vallejoadded51 new cases today, a total of 24,911 cases.
Unincorporatedadded 0 new cases today, a total of 191 cases.
TEST RATE: Solano County’s 7-Day Percent Positive Test Rate shot up after Christmas and continued through last week’s very high 13%, but fell dramatically this week to only 7% today. Even at this lower rate, SOLANO DOES NOT COMPARE FAVORABLY: The CALIFORNIA 7-day % positive rate fell today from 2.5% to only 2.1%. [Source: Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Tracking Center] AND the U.S. 7-day % positive rate fell today from 4.1% to only 3.7%. [Source: CDC COVID Data Tracker.]
HOSPITALIZATIONS:
CURRENT The number of those currently hospitalized with COVID in Solano County fell today from 45 to 37 persons. Current hospitalizations don’t tell the whole story, as it reflects both admissions and discharges. Only from the increase in total hospitalizations can we know how many new admissions have come into our hospitals as of this date.
TOTAL hospitalizations over the course of the pandemic – Solano County’s total hospitalized must be independently discovered in the County’s occasional update of hospitalizations by Age Group and by Race/Ethnicity. Solano Public Health updated its Age Group chart today, adding one person age 65+. Our known total since the beginning of the outbreak is now 3,694 Solano residents hospitalized.
ICU Bed Availability in Solano County rose today from 27% to 39%, moving up into the County’s GREEN safe zone .
Ventilator Availabilityimproved today from 71% to 73% available, solidly in the GREEN safe zone.
>The data on this page is from the Solano County COVID-19 Dashboard. The Dashboard is full of much more information and updated Monday, Wednesday and Friday between 4 and 6pm. On the County’s dashboard, you can hover a mouse or click on an item for more information. Note the tabs at top for “Summary, Demographics” and “Vaccines.” Click here to go to today’s Solano County Dashboard.
See also my BENINDY ARCHIVE of daily Solano COVID updates (an excel spreadsheet). I have also archived the hundreds of full CORONAVIRUS REPORTS posted here almost daily on the Benicia Independent since April 2020.
Seeno’s attorneys request new trial following Save Mount Diablo legal victory against Faria project in Pittsburg hills
The Pittsburg hills where the Faria project has been approved for construction, as seen from the San Marco neighborhood in Pittsburg. Photo: Scott Hein
607-acre, 1,650-home development next to planned Thurgood Marshall Regional Park – SMD leader says motion for new trial “should be denied”
Last Friday, Feb. 25, 2022, attorneys representing Discovery Builders and their Faria new home development requested a new trial for the lawsuit by Save Mount Diablo, following a judge’s decision in favor of the environmental group to stop the project. As previously reported, on March 30, 2021, Save Mount Diablo filed a lawsuit challenging the City of Pittsburg’s approval of the 1,650-unit Faria project, on the ridgeline between Pittsburg and Concord. According to the agenda item documents, the master plan overlay district encompasses approximately 607 acres of land. (See related article)
The motion for a new trial was filed “on the basis that the Court’s decision is not supported by the evidence and controlling legal authorities. Specifically…that there were several portions of this Court’s February 10, 2022, Statement of Decision that may not have fully considered evidence in the administrative record.” In addition, the motion asks that the “Court vacate its Statement of Decision and enter a new decision denying SMD’s motion” and “conduct a new hearing”. Faria project Motion for New TrialParsons Dec. ISO Mot for New TrialRaskin Dec. ISO Mot for New TrialFaria project new trial Proof of Service
A hearing date on the motion for a new trial has been set for April 14, 2022.
The now named Thurgood Marshall Regional Park is directly adjacent to the Pittsburg City Council approved Faria project. Herald file graphic. Credit: Save Mount Diablo/Google Earth.
Save Mount Diablo Says Motion for New Trial “Should Be Denied”
Asked about the motion for a new trial, Save Mount Diablo Executive Director, Ted Clement responded, “Regarding the Seeno companies/Pittsburg request for a new trial, the Court has already rejected their arguments for reasons fully set forth in its decision. Their Motion for New Trial does not question the adequacy of the administrative record on which the Court properly based its decision (and which the City itself prepared) or suggest there was any other irregularity or unfairness in the hearing. Instead, they seek a second bite of the apple.”
“Their Motion reargues issues that were fully briefed and addressed in the Court’s Decision,” he continued. “They also seek to introduce irrelevant and improper extra-record evidence, violating black letter law that CEQA actions must be decided on the record that was before the agency when it made its decision.”
“Because their Motion provides no basis for this Court to order a new trial solely on the issues decided adverse to them, it should be denied,” Clement concluded.
[BenIndy Editor: Last October, Baykeeper announced a Notice of Intent to sue, offering 60 days for a settlement. Evidently there was no agreement to settle. Today’s news below. See also: earlier reports on the Benicia Independent.]
The defendants, according to the complaint, are a group of corporations that conduct business in the automotive processing industry, while the plaintiff is a nonprofit organization “whose main focus is to hold polluters and government agencies accountable to create healthier communities and help wildlife thrive”
The complaint states that the defendants have “directly discharge petroleum coke into the Carquinez Strait at the Port of Benicia and that Defendants do so without a valid permit under the Clean Water Act and in violation of California law.”
The plaintiff is claiming that the defendants have gone out and discharged harmful toxins in the Port of Benicia through several means. Some of these means have been through “the washing of petcoke and pollutants off the deck of the ship and other loading-related equipment, directly into the Bay,” as well as the direct “aerial deposition of particulate matter into the water from Amports’ conveyance system and operations.”
According to the plaintiff the substance that the defendants have allegedly been discharging, known as Petroleum coke, or petcoke is a harmful byproduct of petroleum refining. Some of the properties that Petcoke contains are heavy metals such as copper, zinc, nickel arsenic, and mercury. This substance is being claimed to be “a harmful and deleterious to aquatic ecosystems, animal and plant species in and around waters, and poses risks to human health”.
Other allegations that the plaintiff is asserting is that the substance Petcoke makes its way into the public waters of the Carquinez Strait where the defendants do not have the proper authorization to work in.
Ultimately, the defendant is facing 10 counts, including NPDES permit violations, Clean Water Act violations, and violation of unfair competition law.
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