Tag Archives: Coronavirus COVID 19

Coronavirus, Covid 19, Solano County CA

Solano County COVID – Delayed reporting on Wednesday, July 29

July 29, 2020, 7:00pm
UDATED – see Solano County COVID – UPDATED report for Wednesday, July 29 – 1 new death, another senior

The Solano County COVID-19 Dashboard is undergoing late revisions and tardy posting tonight.  I will not be able to post my report in a timely fashion today.  Please check back tomorrow.

Solano County Dashboard (partial) July 29, 2020, 7pm


What little is known and reportable: 1 more death, total of 37, Positive test rate back up to 6.5%, 28 additional positive cases, and 637 residents tested

Roger Straw
The Benicia Independent

Yesterday’s Report…

[NOTE: Solano County publishes a DAILY update, and displays past weeks and months in epidemic curve charts.  However, the curve charts do not display an accurate number of cases for the most recent days, as there is a lag time in receiving test results.  This methodology is accurate in a way, but it misleads the public by consistently displaying a recent downward curve which is corrected upward on a later date.  For a complete archive of day by day data, see my Excel ARCHIVE – R.S.]

Tuesday, July 28: 105 new cases in just one day, no new deaths.  Since the outbreak started: 3,388 cases, 36 deaths.

Compare previous report, Monday July 27:Summary

  • Solano County reported 105 new cases today, total of 3,388 cases since the outbreak started.  Over the last 7 days, Solano reported 531 new cases, an average of 76 per day.
  • Deaths – no new deaths today, total of 36.
  • Active cases – Solano reported 24 more ACTIVE cases today, total of 223.  Last week Solano hit a record high of 440 active cases.  Note that only 50 of these 223 people are hospitalized, so there are a lot of infected folks out among us, hopefully quarantined.  One wonders… is the County equipped to contact trace so many infected persons?  (See SF Chronicle report on contact tracing in Bay Area – “Solano County did not respond”.)
  • Hospitalizations – 5 more currently hospitalized persons today, total of 50.  23 more in the total number hospitalized since the outbreak started, 162.  (The County no longer reports Total Hospitalized, but I have added the hospitalization numbers in the Age Group chart.)  For the 3rd day in a row, the County offers no information about ICU beds and ventilators.  Apparently, the County does not collect or receive this data from our hospitals, but relies on data collected by the State.  You would think that when the County gathers data on Currently Hospitalized they could also easily collect the ICU bed and ventilator data.  Or… ??
  • Testing – 886 residents were tested since yesterday, total of 50,925.  But we still have a long way to go: only 11.4% of Solano County’s 447,643 residents (2019) have been tested.

Percent Positive Test Rate

Solano County reported today’s 7-day percent positive test rate at 5.8%, down 0.1% since yesterday.  (This number may be misleading – see NOTE at top of this page.)  The County posted
a record high of 9.3% last week – so if today’s number can be believed, and sustained, it is very good news!  CONTEXT: California’s 7-day positivity rate is reported today at 7.5%.  Increasingly, health officials and news reports are focusing on percent positive test rates.  This information is immediately important, as test positivity is one of the best metrics for measuring the spread of the virus.  Positive test rates in California and other southwestern states have been on the rise.

By Age Group

  • Youth 17 and under – 13 new cases today, total of 345 cases, and no new hospitalizations, only 2 hospitalizations since the outbreak began.  A week ago, there were 282 cases among this age group – we’ve seen 63 new cases in just 7 days!  I continue to raise an alarm for Solano’s youth.  Cases among Solano youth have increased in recent weeks to over 10% of the 3,388 total confirmed cases.
  • Persons 18-49 years of age – 60 new cases today, total of 2,059 cases.  This age group represents 61% of the 3,388 total cases, by far the highest percentage of all age groups.  The County reported 8 new hospitalizations in this age group today, total of 45 hospitalized since the outbreak began, and no new deaths among this age group, total of 3 deaths.
  • Persons 50-64 years of age – 23 new cases today, total of 647 cases.  This age group represents over 19% of the 3,388 total cases.  The County reported 8 new hospitalizations in this age group today, total of 51 hospitalized since the outbreak began, and no new deaths among this age group, total of 4 deaths.
  • Persons 65 years or older – 9 new cases today, total of 336 cases.  This age group represents just under 10% of the 3,388 total cases. 7 new hospitalizations, total of 64 hospitalized since the outbreak began.  No new deaths, total of 29.  In this older age group, 19% of cases required hospitalization at one time, a substantially higher percentage than in the lower age groups.  This group accounts for 29 of the 36 deaths, or 80%.

City Data

  • Benicia added 6 new cases yesterday and again today, total of 80 cases.  Benicia was extremely stable with only 2 new cases in the month of June.  Now Benicia has seen 18 new cases in 7 days.
  • Dixon added 7 new cases today, total of 179 cases.
  • Fairfield added 16 new cases today, total of 1,124.
  • Rio Vista added 1 new case today, total of 26 cases.
  • Suisun City added 10 new cases today, total of 248 cases.
  • Vacaville added 15 new cases today, total of 578 cases.
  • Vallejo added 58 new cases yesterday and 49 more today, total of 1,142 cases.  A big jump in cases in Vallejo – major outbreak?  Vallejo replaced Fairfield today with more positive cases than anywhere in Solano County.
  • Unincorporated areas – Unincorporated areas added 1 case today, total of 11 cases.

Race / Ethnicity

The County report on race / ethnicity includes case numbers, hospitalizations, deaths and Solano population statistics.  There are also tabs showing a calculated rate per 100,000 by race/ethnicity for each of these boxes.  This information is discouragingly similar to national reports that indicate worse outcomes among black and brown Americans.  As of today:

  • White Americans are 39% of the population in Solano County, but only account for 21% of cases, 25% of hospitalizations and 25% of deaths.
  • Black Americans are 14% of Solano’s population, and account for 13% of cases, but 23% of hospitalizations, and 31% of deaths.
  • Latinx Americans are 26% of Solano’s population, but account for 29% of cases, 32% of hospitalizations, and 25% of deaths.
  • Asian Americans are 14% of Solano’s population, and account for 9% of cases and 12% of hospitalizations, but 16% of deaths.

Much 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.

Benicia CA, Coronavirus, Covid 19, Solano County CA

Benicia and most Solano cities more than triple COVID cases in July – Solano cities by the numbers

Coronavirus – it’s real in Benicia, Solano County

By Roger Straw, July 29, 2020

After 3 months of the coronavirus, as of June 29, Benicia had only 25 cases.  Benicia’s rate per 100,000 population on June 29 was 90.

Just one month later, as of July 28, Benicia had more than tripled its cases to 80 and its rate per 100,000 to 290.

See charts from the County’s COVID Dashboard below, followed by a Benicia Independent table comparing the June and July data.

July 29, 2020 – Solano County – COVID cases by city
June 29, 2020 – Solano County – COVID cases by city
July 28, 2020 – Solano County – COVID cases by city
July 28, 2020 – Solano County – COVID cases by city
All Solano Cities, by the numbers in July
Solano County COVID cases surge in July – Cities by the numbers
City Cases 6/29 Cases 7/28 Δ Rate/100k 6/29 Rate/100k 7/28 Δ
Benicia 25 80 320% 90.7 290.17 320%
Dixon 39 179 459% 197 904.31 459%
Fairfield 363 1124 310% 309.9 959.46 310%
Rio Vista <10 26 ? ? 276.13 ?
Suisun City 70 248 354% 237.7 842.19 354%
Vacaville 152 578 380% 153.8 584.98 380%
Vallejo 462 1142 247% 386.5 955.3 247%
Unincorporated <10 11 ? ? 56.18 ?
#Masks4All, #wearamask, Contra Costa County, Coronavirus, Covid 19, Face coverings, Marin County CA, Napa County CA

Contra Costa is 3rd Bay Area county to order fines for violating COVID health orders

$100 for not wearing a mask? Contra Costa approves fines for health order violators

San Francisco Chronicle, by Catherine Ho, July 28, 2020
Bar manager Marc Pontavella wears a mask and gloves while making a cocktail for a customer at Teleferic Barcelona in Walnut Creek, Calif. Tuesday, June 9, 2020. They Bay Area is opening at a fairly fast pace, with Contra Costa County announcing plans this week to reopen indoor dining and hair salons soon, while it reports near-record new cases.
Bar manager Marc Pontavella wears a mask and gloves while making a cocktail for a customer at Teleferic Barcelona in Walnut Creek, Calif. Tuesday, June 9, 2020. They Bay Area is opening at a fairly fast pace, with Contra Costa County announcing plans this week to reopen indoor dining and hair salons soon, while it reports near-record new cases. Photo: Jessica Christian / The Chronicle

Contra Costa County on Tuesday approved fines for individuals and businesses that violate coronavirus health orders, including not wearing a mask.

The county’s board of supervisors passed an urgency ordinance establishing fines for individuals starting at $100 for the first violation, $200 for the second and $500 for each additional violation within one year of the initial violation.

Fines for businesses will start at $250 for the first violation, $500 for the second and $1,000 for each additional violation within one year of the initial violation.

“Some people are just defiant,” said Supervisor Diane Burgis. “We’re trying to get COVID under control and we need people to put on their masks. … We’re not doing it to make money, to try to control people. We’re trying to get control over this disease and get our economy back so we need people to cooperate, put on their mask.”

Contra Costa is the third Bay Area county, and the largest, to pass administrative fines for not following health measures. Napa and Marin counties this month enacted similar fines of up to $5,000 and $10,000, respectively, for businesses.

Officers designated by the director of Health Services, the director of Conservation and Development, and the Sheriff’s Office will enforce the ordinance. The county has received about 200 complaints from residents reporting businesses and individuals that allegedly broke health order rules.

Individuals and businesses that are fined will have the option to appeal the fine within 10 days.

Officials have said they are focusing more on businesses than individuals — such as if businesses are open when health orders require that they shut down, or if business owners are not enforcing mask-wearing among their workers or customers.

Several members of the public called into the virtual meeting to oppose the ordinance, saying it would curtail their individual liberties and that mask-wearing should be voluntary. Supervisors said voluntary compliance and education have not worked to keep infection rates down. Ample research shows that widespread mask-wearing significantly reduces transmission.

Sonoma County and the city of Berkeley are also considering fines for individuals and businesses that do not comply with COVID-19 safety measures.

Coronavirus, Covid 19, Solano County CA

Dr. Matyas to Solano Supes: the surge is real, and 95% of recent new cases directly linked to social gatherings

Vallejo surpasses Fairfield with most Solano Covid-19 cases

Fairfield Daily Republic, by Todd R. Hansen, July 29, 2020
Dr. Bela Matyas, Solano County Public Health Officer

FAIRFIELD — Vallejo has, once again, become the leader in Covid-19 cases in the county.

The city added 49 new confirmed cases to raise its count to 1,142, surpassing Fairfield with 1,124 cases, the Solano County Public Health Division reported Tuesday afternoon.

The total number of cases countywide jumped by 105 to 3,388. The county also reported that hospitalizations climbed back to 50, up from 45 in Monday’s report, and above Friday’s 49 cases. However, the seven-day positivity testing rate fell from 5.9% to 5.8%.

The numbers likely did nothing to turn down the heat on the debate of just how “sick” Solano County really is.

Even Dr. Bela Matyas, the county’s public health officer, has said the numbers offer a mixed message on Covid-19 in the county, but he has said the recent surge is very real and not just the result of big testing numbers.

He told the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday that because the county is on the state watch list, it will take a great deal of change in the numbers to be taken off that list.

That, in turn, will dictate when businesses can reopen and when students can return to the campus classrooms.

Matyas said there have been discussions about letting elementary school students back in the classrooms because they learn better in that environment, and because of socialization benefits. But trying to keep masks on children, and then have them keep proper distancing, is a nearly impossible task.

Matyas offered that if area residents conducted themselves the same at home or similar social gatherings as they do out in public and at work, with social distancing and other precautions, the problem would be lessened.

He said that 95% of the new cases during the recent surge, say over the past month or so, have been directly linked to social gatherings, and that the last eight residents who have died contracted the disease through family contact.

He did note that there have been some small outbreaks at local assisted-living facilities, as well as the two prisons in Vacaville. But county health surveillance of those facilities caught the presence of the novel coronavirus early and that has helped in controlling the spread.

Vacaville added 15 cases to increase its total to 578, while Suisun City now has 248 cases, up 10, and Dixon added seven cases to reach 179. Benicia’s count is at 80 after six new cases. Rio Vista, with 26 cases, and the unincorporated area of the county, with 11 cases, each added one case.

The number of completed tests is at 50,925, which is 886 more than reported Monday.  […continued…]