Coronavirus, Covid 19, Solano County CA

Solano County revamps COVID-19 website – new information on positive cases

UPDATE: See today’s latest information

By Roger Straw, March 24, 2020
Solano County revised the layout on its Coronavirus (COVID-19) Information and Resources page today.  The new design makes it easier to access relevant information, but requires an extra click on the orange “Number of Cases” button to discover the daily count of positive cases.

The orange button takes you to a SOLANO DASHBOARD, which, as of this morning (March 24, 2020) gives a bit more detail than previously known.  Turns out the County reported a surge in cases yesterday, but those cases were tested over the last week, as shown in the “Date of specimen collection” chart (upper right).  The Solano County curve spiked yesterday, but based on testing over the previous week.

Positive cases of COVID-19 in Solano County as of this morning (March 24, 2020)

The chart at bottom right, “Cumulative number of confirmed COVID-19 cases…” gives a clearer picture of the surge reported yesterday.

Also of interest on the number of cases DASHBOARD:

  • Differentiation between Total number of cases and Active cases.
  • Total number hospitalized
  • Proportion of hospitalizations due to COVID-19 (coming soon)
  • Total number of deaths (0 as of March 24)
  • Total number of cases by age groups
  • Total residents tested every day (coming soon)

The age breakdown seems rather wide, grouping together everyone 19-64 years.  Still, it is remarkable that only a third of positive cases are 65 and older.

Solano has come under criticism for downplaying the seriousness of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.  The new Number of cases DASHBOARD begins to correct that, although we still don’t know where in the county the outbreak is located.

WHO AND WHERE?

Solano County has provided little detail on who has tested positive and where in the County they live.

We only know a few details on two of Solano County’s 21 cases.  The nation’s first patient-to-patient or community-spread case of Covid-19 was a Vacaville woman who arrived Feb. 15 at NorthBay VacaValley Hospital in Vacaville and was later transferred to UC Davis hospital in Sacramento.  And today’s Vallejo Times-Herald reports that a Vallejo police officer has tested positive.

Solano was slow to join other Bay Area counties in ordering a stay at home order.  The order was issued on March 18, as was a widely distributed email which lacked the warning that “Violation of or failure to comply with this Order is a misdemeanor punishable by fine, imprisonment, or both.”