Tag Archives: Coronavirus COVID 19

Coronavirus, Covid 19, Solano County CA

Solano County sees 86 new COVID-19 cases, upticks in Benicia and Fairfield, 2 new deaths

Tuesday, July 7: 86 new cases today,
2 new deaths. Since the outbreak started: 1,826 cases, 107 hospitalized, 27 deaths.

Compare previous report, Monday July 6:Summary

  • Solano County reported 86 new cases today, total of 1,826 cases since the outbreak started.  Over the last 7 days, Solano reported 538 new cases, an average of 77 per day.
  • 2 new deaths today, both over 65 years, total of 27.
  • Hospitalizations – Solano is reporting 8 more currently hospitalized since yesterday, for a total of 35, but… no increase in the number hospitalized since the outbreak started, total of 107.  (Huh?  This is a puzzle…  Maybe a number of discharged patients were re-admitted?  Or the County is correcting an error?)
  • Active cases – Solano reported 24 more ACTIVE cases today, total of 317.  This figure has been climbing: a week ago Monday there were 70 active cases, increasing to a high of 369 on Thursday, down to 293 yesterday and back up today to 317.  Only 35 of those active cases are hospitalized – a whole lot of infected people are out among us, hopefully quarantined.
  • ICU beds Available fell 4% to 31%.  Ventilators Available dropped 2% to 86%.
  • Testing – Solano County reported 455 residents were tested since yesterday, total of 34,329.  We still have a long way to go: only 7.7% of Solano County’s 447,643 residents (2019) have been tested.

Details and Demographics tab

The County’s Public Health Dashboard includes a second tab (panel), “Details and Demographics” (shown here).  Note that the Summary tab and this Details tab are both user interactive – hover over a chart (or tap) to get details. On this Details tab, most of the small charts have a small additional tab showing the rate per 100,000.   Go there and explore the two tabs.  (Expand a chart by clicking the small button in its upper right corner.)

By Age Group

  • Youth 17 and under – 15 new cases today, total of 179 cases, and no new hospitalizations, total only 2.  Two weeks ago, there were only 70 cases among this age group – we’ve seen over 100 new cases in 15 days!  I continue to be alarmed for Solano’s youth.  Cases among Solano youth have increased in recent weeks to nearly 10% of the 1,826 total confirmed cases.
  • Persons 18-49 years of age – 50 new cases today, total of 1,077 cases.  This age group represents 59% of the 1,826 total cases, by far the highest percentage of all age groups.  The County reported 1  fewer hospitalization among this age group today, (no explanation) total of 28 hospitalized at one time, and 2 deaths.
  • Persons 50-64 years of age – 16 new cases today, total of 355 cases.  This age group represents 19% of the 1,826 total cases.
    1 new hospitalization today, total of 36 hospitalized at one time.  No new deaths, total of 3 deaths.
  • Persons 65 years or older – 5 new cases today, total of 214 cases.  This age group represents 12% of the 1,826 total cases.  No new hospitalizations, total of 41 hospitalized at one time.
    2 new deaths, total of 22 deaths.  In this older age group, 19% were hospitalized at one time, a substantially higher percentage than in the lower age groups.  And this group counts for 22 of the 27 deaths, or 81%.

Incidence Rate: Cases, Hospitalizations, Deaths

On the Age Group chart (and also on the Race/Ethnicity Chart) there are “Rate” tabs.  Today’s report shows Solano County with:

    • Solano County has 406 positive cases per population of 100,000 (Compare this number with the City incidence rates, below.)
    • 26 Solano hospitalizations per population of 100,000
    • 5 Solano deaths per population of 100,000

Percent Positive Test Rates

Increasingly, national, state and county news reports are focusing on percent positive test rates.  Five Bay Area counties report daily on their seven-day average percent positive test rate, but Solano County does not.  This information is immediately important, as positive test rates in California and other southwestern states are increasing.  I wrote and asked Dr. Matyas on June 24 to supply information as to Solano County’s “percent positive test rate.”  He replied next day with thanks and wrote, “We are actively working to include these values on our County dashboard.  I hope we can begin to report on them sometime next week.”  That was nearly 2 weeks ago….

City Data

  • Vallejo added 20 new cases today, total of 640.
  • Fairfield added 33 new cases today, total of 620.  Fairfield has seen over 250 new cases over the last week, and is now approaching Vallejo’s total for positive cases.
  • Vacaville added 19 new cases today, total of 282 cases.
  • Suisun City added 6 new cases today, total of 119 cases.
  • Benicia added 4 new cases today, total of 37 cases.  Benicia was extremely stable with no new cases for 14 days June 15-29, and added only 2 cases for the entire month of June.  Now… Benicia has seen 12 new cases in the past week.  The numbers are small in comparison, but something’s definitely going on in Benicia!
  • Dixon added 3 new case today, total of 104 cases.
  • Rio Vista added 1 new case, total of 17 cases.
  • Unincorporated areas – Although the County still still shows Unincorporated at <10 (less than 10), a little math tells the story: Solano’s unincorporated areas remained at 7 cases, unaccounted for in the other City totals.
  • A “Rate” column shows the rate of positive COVID-19 cases (per 100,000 population) for each city.  Benicia has the lowest rate, 134.2 cases per 100,000.  Compare Solano cities’ incidence rates in the chart, and note that the CDC reports today’s rate in California at 658 per 100,000 (up from 558 yesterday).

Race / Ethnicity

The County report on race / ethnicity data 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 23% of cases, 21% of hospitalizations and 19% of deaths.
  • Black Americans are 13% of Solano’s population, and account for 13% of cases, but 29% of hospitalizations, and 35% of deaths.
  • Latinx Americans are 26% of Solano’s population, but account for 37% of cases.  They account for 26% of hospitalizations, and 23% of deaths.
  • Asian Americans are 14% of Solano’s population, and account for 10% of cases and 14% of hospitalizations, but 19% 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.

California, Coronavirus, Covid 19, Solano County CA

As cases and hospitalizations climb, California scrambles to tamp down the surge

San Francisco Chronicle, Catherine Ho, Alexei Koseff, July 6, 2020
People at Dolores Park on Saturday, July 4, 2020, in San Francisco, Calif.
People at Dolores Park on Saturday, July 4, 2020, in San Francisco, Calif. Photo: Santiago Mejia / The Chronicle

Coronavirus infections and hospitalizations continued to climb in California and many parts of the Bay Area over the weekend, as the state that found early success in containing the virus is now scrambling to tamp down outbreaks in prisons and spiking new cases among young people.

Statewide, the average number of new cases per day doubled from just under 2,000 in May to 4,000 in June. That number jumped to a daily average of 6,700 new cases the first four days of July alone, according to Chronicle data.

“The damage that COVID-19 can do — this pandemic — is still in front of us,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday. “It continues to spread at rates we have not experienced here in the state of California since the beginning of this pandemic.”

The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 in California hit a record high, 5,690, for the 17th consecutive day. As of July 5, according to Chronicle data, the Bay Area had 494 patients hospitalized, down from its all-time high of 508 on July 3. Prior to the recent spike in cases, the Bay Area had reached a high of 471 hospitalizations on April 7.

The rate of positive tests has also climbed to 6.8% — up from 5.6% last week. It had been holding steady at 4.9% the previous several weeks, and its steady climb indicates the infection is spreading more quickly now than before.

Deaths, however, are declining statewide and in the Bay Area — from an average of 69 per day in May to 64 per day in June in California. The average number of deaths went from 4.8 to 4.5 in the Bay Area during the same period. That may be because more young people are getting diagnosed and hospitalized, but the severity of disease among younger patients is not as acute as it is in older patients, Newsom said.

People line up to buy fireworks from a stand in San Bruno on Friday, July 3, 2020.
People line up to buy fireworks from a stand in San Bruno on Friday, July 3, 2020. Photo: Nick Otto / Special to The Chronicle

People line up to buy fireworks from a stand in San Bruno on Friday, July 3, 2020.Photo: Nick Otto / Special to The Chronicle
In the Bay Area, the average number of new cases per day spiked 114%, from 182 in May to 390 in June, and 800 the first four days of July. The Bay Area reported a record-high 1,010 new cases Thursday — the first time the region has surpassed 1,000 new cases a day since the pandemic began.

As of Monday evening, there were 2.9 million confirmed cases in the United States, including 130,284 deaths. California reported 273,303 cases, including 6,450 deaths.

Much of the recent increase has come from large clusters of infections at prisons and nursing homes, as well as community transmission among members of the public as counties have reopened restaurants and businesses over the last several weeks.

Marin County on Sunday said it will suspend indoor dining for at least three weeks, after previously allowing it. Marin is one of 23 counties on a state watch list of counties that are showing warning signs of coronavirus spreading at concerning rates.

The outbreak at San Quentin State Prison in Marin County, where nearly 1,400 inmates have tested positive for the coronavirus, is putting new strain on hospitals that are admitting the patients — in particular at nearby Marin General, Newsom said. The prison is now also sending inmates to Saint Francis Memorial Hospital in San Francisco and Seton Medical Center in Daly City so those hospitals can help share the responsibility of caring for the patients, Newsom said.

The San Quentin outbreak accounts for more than half of the 2,445 cases that have emerged inside state prisons.

The state over the weekend rejected Santa Clara County’s application to move faster toward reopening. A July 2 county order that allows some activities to resume — including outdoor gatherings of up to 60 people and indoor gatherings of up to 20 people, with some restrictions — is scheduled to take effect on July 13 or when the county gets state approval, whichever date comes later.

Over the holiday weekend, state regulators visited nearly 6,000 bars and restaurants and issued just 52 citations for violations of coronavirus safety guidelines. Newsom said it was an encouraging sign that most Californians are doing the right thing as the state struggles to reopen amid a surging caseload.

After ordering bars and indoor dining closed in most of the state last week, Newsom said that agents with the Department of Alcohol Beverage Control stepped up their enforcement during the Fourth of July weekend out of concern that more people would be out celebrating and visited 5,986 businesses between Thursday and Sunday.

The governor said his administration sent enforcement teams to six key regions across the state with known violators or high-risk workplaces, though he did not specify where those were. He said the effort was more about educating business owners, and state regulators cited only those who were unwilling or unable to make changes to their operations.

“There were only a handful of citations because the overwhelming majority of people were doing the right thing,” Newsom said at a news conference. “I was very encouraged by the team that came back and said that even if people were out of compliance, the engagement got people back into compliance very quickly.”

California is trying to control a coronavirus outbreak that has taken a turn for the worse in recent weeks, following a loosening of restrictions on businesses and public life.

The state is closely monitoring 23 of California’s 58 counties, including Contra Costa, Marin and  Solano in the Bay Area, because of their high rate of new infections, positive tests or increasing hospitalizations. Of the 20 most populous counties in the state, all but five — Alameda, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara and Sonoma — are on the watch list. Napa County is also not being monitored.

Santa Clara County, which was previously flagged for an accelerating rise in hospitalizations, fell off the list over the weekend. After being removed late last week, Contra Costa County was added back.

Counties that have been on the list for three consecutive days must close bars and indoor dining, wineries, tasting rooms, family entertainment centers, movie theaters, museums, zoos and card rooms for at least three weeks.

Coronavirus, Covid 19, Solano County CA

Solano County continues COVID-19 surge, adding 264 cases over the holiday weekend

Monday, July 6: 264 new cases today,
no new deaths. Since the outbreak started: 1,740 cases, 107 hospitalized, 25 deaths.

Compare previous report, Thursday July 2:Summary

  • Solano County reported 264 new cases over the 4-day holiday, total of 1,740 cases since the outbreak started.  Over the last 7 days, Solano reported 614 new cases, an average of 88 per day.
  • No new deaths today, total of 25.
  • Hospitalizations – Solano is reporting 13 fewer currently hospitalized, total of 27, but 2 more hospitalized since the outbreak started, total of 107.  (Hospitals discharging more than they are admitting.)
  • Solano reported 76 fewer ACTIVE cases today, total of 293.  This figure has been climbing: a week ago there were 70 active cases, increasing to a high of 369 on Thursday, and now back down to 293.  A whole lot of infected people among us, hopefully quarantined.
  • ICU beds Available increased 3% to 35%.  Ventilators Available dropped 2% to 88%.
  • Testing – Solano County reported 2,011 residents were tested over the 4-day holiday, total nearing 34,000.  We still have a long way to go: only 7.6% of Solano County’s 447,643 residents (2019) have been tested.

Details and Demographics tab

The County’s Public Health Dashboard includes a second tab (panel), “Details and Demographics” (shown here).  Note that the Summary tab and this Details tab are both user interactive – hover over a chart (or tap) to get details. On this Details tab, most of the small charts have a small additional tab showing the rate per 100,000.   Go there and explore the two tabs.  (Expand a chart by clicking the small button in its upper right corner.)

BY AGE GROUP

  • Youth 17 and under – 32 new cases today, total of 164 cases, and 1 new hospitalization.  Two weeks ago, there were only 70 cases among this age group – we’ve seen nearly 100 new cases in 14 days!  I continue to be alarmed for Solano’s youth.  Cases among Solano youth have increased in recent weeks to over 9% of the 1,740 total confirmed cases.
  • Persons 18-49 years of age – 165 new cases today, total of 1,027 cases.  This age group represents 59% of the 1,740 total cases, by far the highest percentage of all age groups.  The County reported 1  new hospitalization among this age group today, total of 29 hospitalized at one time, and 2 deaths.
  • Persons 50-64 years of age – 49 new cases today, total of 339 cases.  This age group represents 19% of the 1,740 total cases.  No new hospitalizations today, total of 35 hospitalized at one time.  No new deaths, total of 3 deaths.
  • Persons 65 years or older – 18 new cases today, total of 209 cases.  This age group represents 12% of the 1,740 total cases.  No new hospitalizations, total of 41 hospitalized at one time.  No new deaths, total of 20 deaths.  In this older age group, 20% were hospitalized at one time, a substantially higher percentage than in the lower age groups.  And this group counts for 20 of the 25 deaths, or 80%.

CITY DATA

  • Vallejo added 62 new cases today, total of 620.
  • Fairfield added 98 new cases today, total of 587.
  • Vacaville added 52 new cases today, total of 263 cases.
  • Suisun City added 21 new cases today, total of 113 cases.
  • Benicia added 4 new cases today, total of 33 cases.
  • Dixon added 25 new case today, total of 101 cases.
  • Rio Vista added 1 new case, total of 16 cases.
  • Unincorporated areas –Although the County still still shows Unincorporated at <10 (less than 10), a little math tells the story: Solano’s unincorporated areas must account for the 1 new case unaccounted for in the other City totals.
  • A “Rate” column shows the rate of positive COVID-19 cases (per 100,000 population) for each city.  Benicia is leading the way here, with a rate of only 119.7 cases per 100,000. Compare with other Solano cities in the chart, and note that the CDC reports today’s rate in California at 658 per 100,000 (up from 566 yesterday).  Johns Hopkins lists the overall Solano County rate at 330 (unchanged, as it reflects incomplete data for today).

RACE / ETHNICITY

The County report on race / ethnicity data 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 23% of cases, 21% of hospitalizations and 21% of deaths.
  • Black Americans are 13% of Solano’s population, and account for 13% of cases, but 29% of hospitalizations, and 38% of deaths.
  • Latinx Americans are 26% of Solano’s population, but account for 35% of cases.  They account for 26% of hospitalizations, and 17% of deaths.
  • Asian Americans are 14% of Solano’s population, and account for 10% of cases and 14% of hospitalizations, but 21% 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.

Coronavirus, Covid 19, San Francisco Bay Area

Getting grandma out of the care facility… build her a backyard cottage?

Bay Area backyard cottages boom as elderly parents and college students flee coronavirus

San Francisco Chronicle, by J.K. Dineen, July 4, 2020
Omar Abi-Chachine (right), son of the homeowner, stands next to the foundation for the Abodu accessory dwelling unit before it was installed in Millbrae.
Omar Abi-Chachine (right), son of the homeowner, stands next to the foundation for the Abodu accessory dwelling unit before it was installed in Millbrae. Photo: Lea Suzuki / The Chronicle

Bay Area companies that specialize in backyard cottages are seeing a surge in interest from homeowners who suddenly need to create additional living space for elderly parents or adult children displaced because of the coronavirus.

Some families are scrambling to move their parents out of assisted-living facilities, where the risks of contracting the coronavirus are high. Other erstwhile empty-nesters find themselves crowded as their young adult kids return from shuttered college campuses or look to escape small apartments in expensive cities like San Francisco or New York.

After California lawmakers embraced a series of statewide bills in 2017 to streamline building backyard cottages — also called accessory dwelling units or ADUs — the number of new units approved exploded to more than 7,000 in 2018, 50% higher than 2017. For many suburban residents, the backyard homes were seen as a more palatable answer to the housing crisis than large apartment buildings. But in a state that should build millions of homes to keep up with demand, critics said the cottages are a distraction from the need to build multiunit buildings at scale.

Abodu, a San Jose firm that makes ADUs, estimates that 10,000 will be permitted in California in 2020, based on a survey of city permits.

Adobu has seen orders for modular cottages more than double since the pandemic began, according to CEO John Geary. The units start at about $199,000, and with finishes, most come in at about $220,000.

Omar Abi-Chachine (center), son of the homeowner, stands next to the foundation for the Abodu accessory dwelling unit before it was installed in Millbrae.
Omar Abi-Chachine (center), son of the homeowner, stands next to the foundation for the Abodu accessory dwelling unit before it was installed in Millbrae. Photo: Lea Suzuki / The Chronicle

Another manufacturer, Sonderpods of Novato, had 3,000 visits to its website in the 90 days before the shelter-in-place order in March, but has seen that number jump to 25,000 over the last 90 days. Within a few weeks of the health order, the company had signed seven contracts to deliver backyard cottages and was negotiating an additional 92 deals. Sonderpods average about $139,000.

“We are sprinting to keep up with things,” said Edward Stevenson, CEO of Sonderpods.

Hank Hernandez, who owns Alameda Tiny Homes, said he has been flooded with inquiries.

“I get calls all day, every day,” he said. “The basic request is, ‘I want to put my parents in my backyard as quickly as possible.’”

Before coronavirus, Redwood City resident Jen Parsons was exploring options for her widowed mom, who was looking to downsize from her longtime home. She was exploring nearby retirement communities and possibly buying a bigger house that could accommodate three generations when the pandemic hit. Suddenly there was a pressing need. With two young kids, Parsons didn’t feel safe moving to an unfamiliar neighborhood in the middle of a pandemic and was not keen on moving her mom to a senior housing complex.

“You hear all these stories about retirement communities being on lockdown — you can’t even take your elderly parent to lunch or dinner, only to doctors appointments,” she said.

Instead, they decided to purchase an Abodu AD unit, which will arrive in August or September.

“Having an ADU unit back there for my mom will feel like a safe and peaceful environment at a time when there is a lot of stress because of COVID-19,” she said. “We can meet her in the patio and have snacks.”

Eric McInerney (left), Abodu co-founder, talks with Omar Abi-Chachine, the son of the homeowner, inside the accessory dwelling unit after it was installed in Millbrae.
Eric McInerney (left), Abodu co-founder, talks with Omar Abi-Chachine, the son of the homeowner, inside the accessory dwelling unit after it was installed in Millbrae. Photo: Lea Suzuki / The Chronicle

Faysal Abi, a retired police officer and yoga teacher in Redwood City, also ordered an Abodu. He said that the unit will provide housing for a friend who needs a place to live.

“A friend fell on hard times, and the Bay Area isn’t exactly cheap,” he said. “I feel like community is something we are lacking, especially since coronavirus. There is more isolation. One way to heal the world right now is through more community and knowing your neighbors and staying connected. I feel this will help accomplish that.”

Abi also persuaded his mother, Rabina Abi-Chahine, a 62-year-old social worker, to buy her own backyard cottage for her home in Millbrae. Abi-Chahine said she was motivated both by a desire to create some income as she approaches retirement and having a spot for her own father some day.

Geary said another client, a Palo Alto woman, had two children away at college suddenly return, joining two other teenagers at home, which immediately made the house feel crowded.

Stevenson, the CEO of Sonderpods, said that 70% of customers are older than 55 and 70% are women building units on their kids’ properties.

“A lot of it is Baby Boomers selling the family home and moving in into their kids’ backyards. People are re-evaluating what is important and trying to bring the family closer together,” he said. “We are not seeing a lot of people who are straight-up looking to make income.”

Thanks to a series of state and local bills, ADUs can be built relatively quickly with limited bureaucratic hassle in some cities. San Jose, which has been aggressive in encouraging the tiny homes, has seen permitted ADUs jump to 691 last year from 24 in 2014. So far this year, 321 applications have been filed.

The Abodu was the first ADU manufacturer preapproved by the city of San Jose — which cut multiple inspections and red tape. From the day the permit is pulled, Abodu can have the unit installed within 12 weeks.

Hernandez of Alameda Tiny Homes said that while his business has been steady for the past few years, clients’ motivation has changed. It used to be that most homeowners were looking for extra income. Now it’s to meet family needs.