Tag Archives: Dixon CA

Coronavirus, Covid 19, Solano County CA

Solano COVID update: 2 more deaths, test rate rises again

[For a complete archive of day by day data, see my Excel ARCHIVE – R.S.]

Monday, September 28: 91 new cases over the weekend, no new hospitalizations, 2 deaths.  Since the outbreak began: 6,400 cases, 389 hospitalized, 65 deaths.Compare previous report, Friday, Sept 25:Summary

  • Solano County reported 91 new cases today, total of 6,400 cases since the outbreak started.  Over the last 2 weeks, Solano reported 463 new cases, average of 33 per day.
  • Deaths – RECENT SPIKE: 8 new deaths reported last week and 2 new deaths today, total of 65 Solano deaths.  Both new deaths were persons 65 years or older.
  • Active cases – Solano reported 26 fewer ACTIVE cases today, total of 243.  Note that only 16 of these 243 people are hospitalized, so there are a lot of infected folks out among us, hopefully quarantined.  Is the County equipped to contact trace so many infected persons?  Who knows?  To my knowledge, Solano County has offered no reports on contact tracing.
  • Hospitalizations – the number of currently hospitalized persons dropped by 5 today, total of only 16.  The total number hospitalized since the outbreak started remained steady today, total of 389. (See age group hospitalization stats below).
  • ICU Beds –The County reported 55% of ICU beds available, up 5% today.  (After 8 weeks, still no information about availability of ventilators.)
  • Testing – The County reports today that 1,413 residents were tested over the weekend, new total of 88,202.  Solano has a long way to go: only 19.7% of Solano County’s 447,643 residents (2019) have been tested.

Positive Test Rate

Solano County reported today that our 7-day average test rate rose dramatically today from 3.9% to 5.3%.  Our supposedly smooth 7-day moving average has jumped all over the place recently (see note about delayed adjustments below).  For the record, just three weeks ago we saw Solano rates above 7% for the first time since we peaked at 9.3% on July 22.  Then two weeks ago we bottomed out at 2.7%.  The County’s line graph for positive test rate looks like a flat line and tells us absolutely nothing, not worth posting here.  Health officials and news reports focus on percent positive test rates as one of the best metrics for measuring the spread of the virus.  The much lower and more stable California
7-day test rate rose slightly today, from 2.8% to 2.9%.  (Note that Solano County displays past weeks and months in a 7-day test positivity line graph which also shows daily results.  However, the chart does not display an accurate number of cases for the most recent days, as there is a lag time in receiving test results.  The 7-day curve also lags behind current unknown results.) 

By Age Group

  • Youth 17 and under – 13 new cases over the weekend, total of 714 cases, representing 11.2% of the 6,400 total cases.  No new hospitalizations among this age group today, a total of 6 hospitalizations since the outbreak began.  Thankfully, no deaths.  In recent weeks it seems too many youth are ignoring public health orders.  Cases among Solano youth rose steadily over the summer, from 5.6% of total cases on June 8 to 11% on August 31 and has remained around 11% since then.  Youth are 22% of Solano’s general population, so this 11% may seem low.  The significance is this: 1) youth numbers have increased steadily and at a faster rate than the other age groups, and 2) youth are SERIOUSLY NOT IMMUNE (!) – in fact 6 youth have now been hospitalized.
  • Persons 18-49 years of age – 53 new cases over the weekend, total of 3,836 cases. This age group is 41% of the population in Solano, but represents 60% of the total cases, by far the highest percentage of all age groups.  The County reported no new hospitalizations in this age group today, total of 129 hospitalized since the outbreak began.  No new deaths in this young age group today, total of 5 deaths.  Some in this group are surely ignoring public health orders, and many are providing essential services among us.  I expect his group is a major factor in the spread of the virus.
  • Persons 50-64 years of age – 19 new cases over the weekend, total of 1,216 cases.  This age group represents 19% of the 6,400 total cases.  No new hospitalizations today, total of 104 hospitalized since the outbreak began.  No new deaths in this age group today, a total of 13 deaths.
  • Persons 65 years or older – Today the County reported 6 new cases, total of 633.  No new hospitalizations, total of 150.  2 new deaths, total of 47 of our elders who died of COVID.  Much of the recent spike in this age group may be related to an outbreak at the Parkrose Gardens Alzheimer’s and Dementia care facility in Fairfield, where 31 patients and 8 staff were reported on September 15 to have tested positive.  This age group’s 633 cases represent 9.9% of the 6,400 total cases.  In this older age group, 23.7% of cases required hospitalization at one time.  This group accounts for 47 of the 65 deaths, or 72%.

City Data

  • Benicia added 2 new cases today, total of 167 cases since the outbreak began.
  • Dixon added 4 new cases today, total of 417 cases.
  • Fairfield added 23 new cases today, total of 2,079 cases.
  • Rio Vista added 4 new cases today, total of 52 cases.
  • Suisun City added 7 new cases today, total of 468 cases.
  • Vacaville added 18 new cases today, total of 1,074 cases.
  • Vallejo added 33 new cases today, total of 2,123 cases.
  • Unincorporated areas remained steady today, total of 20 cases.

Race / Ethnicity

The County report on race / ethnicity includes case numbers, hospitalizations, deaths and Solano population statistics.  This information is discouragingly similar to national reports that indicate significantly worse outcomes among black and brown Americans.  Note that all of this data surely undercounts Latinx Americans, as there is a large group of “Multirace / Others” which likely is composed mostly of Latinex members of our communities.

  • Asian Americans are 14% of Solano’s population, and account for 9% of cases, 11% of hospitalizations, and 20% of deaths.
  • Black Americans are 14% of Solano’s population, and account for 11% of cases, but 18% of hospitalizations, and 23% of deaths.
  • Latinx Americans are 26% of Solano’s population, but account for 30% of cases, 30% of hospitalizations, and 20% of deaths.
  • White Americans are 39% of the population in Solano County, but only account for 21% of cases, 26% of hospitalizations and 26% of deaths.

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, Solano County CA

Solano COVID report on Fri. Sept 25: 31 new cases, 5 new hospitalizations, no new deaths

[For a complete archive of day by day data, see my Excel ARCHIVE – R.S.] [Please note that some of the numbers of new deaths and hospitalizations this past week may not actually be new.  The Fairfield Daily Reporter, quoting Dr. Matyas, is reported that some of the deaths reported Wednesday were updating discrepancies in reporting from last summer.  Dr. Matyas confirmed in an email to me on Thursday that some of the spike in hospitalizations are also adjustments rather than new hospitalizations.  No information as yet as to how many are new and how many are old.  Regardless, these illnesses and deaths are still serious, sad and disturbing…  – R.S.]

Friday, September 25: 31 new cases overnight, 5 hospitalizations, no deaths.  Since the outbreak began: 6,309 cases, 389 hospitalized, 63 deaths.Compare previous report, Thursday, Sept 24:Summary

  • Solano County reported 31 new cases today, total of 6,309 cases since the outbreak started.  Over the last 7 days, Solano reported 224 new cases, average of 32 per day.
  • Deaths – RECENT SPIKE: 3 new deaths reported yesterday, 3 the day before, and another 2 the day before that, total of 63 Solano deaths.  Thankfully, no new deaths reported today.
  • Active cases – Solano reported 7 fewer ACTIVE cases today, total of 269.  Note that only 21 of these 269 people are hospitalized, so there are a lot of infected folks out among us, hopefully quarantined.  Is the County equipped to contact trace so many infected persons?  Who knows?  To my knowledge, Solano County has offered no reports on contact tracing.
  • Hospitalizations – the number of currently hospitalized persons remained at 21 today.  However, the total number hospitalized since the outbreak started increased by 5 today, total of 389, an increase of 73 in just the last week. (see age group hospitalization stats below).
  • ICU Beds –The County reported 50% of ICU beds available, same as yesterday and down from 56% a  week ago Monday.  (After 7 weeks, still no information about availability of ventilators.)
  • Testing – The County reports today that 591 residents were tested today, new total of 86,789.  Solano has a long way to go: only 19.4% of Solano County’s 447,643 residents (2019) have been tested.

Positive Test Rate

Solano County reported today that our 7-day average test rate remained steady today at 3.9%.  Our supposedly smooth 7-day moving average has jumped all over the place recently (see note about delayed adjustments below).  For the record, just two weeks ago we saw Solano rates above 7% for the first time since we peaked at 9.3% on July 22.  Week before last we bottomed out at 2.7%.  The County’s line graph for positive test rate looks like a flat line and tells us absolutely nothing, not worth posting here.  Health officials and news reports focus on percent positive test rates as one of the best metrics for measuring the spread of the virus.  The much more stable California’s relatively stable 7-day test rate remained at it’s lowest point, 2.8% for the 5th consecutive day today.  (Note that Solano County displays past weeks and months in a 7-day test positivity line graph which also shows daily results.  However, the chart does not display an accurate number of cases for the most recent days, as there is a lag time in receiving test results.  The 7-day curve also lags behind current unknown results.) 

By Age Group

  • Youth 17 and under – 5 new cases today, total of 701 cases, representing 11.1% of the 6,309 total cases.  No new hospitalizations among this age group today, a total of 6 hospitalizations since the outbreak began.  Thankfully, no deaths.  In recent weeks it seems too many youth are ignoring public health orders.  Cases among Solano youth rose steadily over the summer, from 5.6% of total cases on June 8 to 11% on August 31 and has remained around 11% since then.  Youth are 22% of Solano’s general population, so this 11% may seem low.  The significance is this: 1) youth numbers have increased steadily and at a faster rate than the other age groups, and 2) youth are SERIOUSLY NOT IMMUNE (!) – in fact 6 youth have now been hospitalized.
  • Persons 18-49 years of age – 20 new cases today, total of 3,783 cases. This age group is 41% of the population in Solano, but represents 60% of the total cases, by far the highest percentage of all age groups.  The County reported 2 new hospitalizations in this age group today, total of 129 hospitalized since the outbreak began.  No new deaths in this young age group today, total of 5 deaths.  Some in this group are surely ignoring public health orders, and many are providing essential services among us.  I expect his group is a major factor in the spread of the virus.
  • Persons 50-64 years of age – 3 new cases today, total of 1,197 cases.  This age group represents 19% of the 6,309 total cases.
    No new hospitalizations today, total of 104 hospitalized since the outbreak began.  No new deaths in this age group today, a total of 13 deaths.
  • Persons 65 years or older – Today the County reported 3 new cases, total of 627, 3 new hospitalizations, total of 150.  Thankfully, no new deaths, total of 45 of our elders who died of COVID.  Much of the recent spike in this age group may be related to an outbreak at the Parkrose Gardens Alzheimer’s and Dementia care facility in Fairfield, where 31 patients and 8 staff were reported on September 15 to have tested positive.  This age group’s 627 cases represent 9.9% of the 6,309 total cases.  In this older age group, 23.9% of cases required hospitalization at one time.  This group accounts for 45 of the 63 deaths, or 71%.

City Data

  • Benicia remained steady today, total of 165 cases since the outbreak began.
  • Dixon remained steady today, total of 413 cases.
  • Fairfield added 5 new cases today, total of 2,056 cases.
  • Rio Vista remained steady today, total of 48 cases.
  • Suisun City added 3 new cases today, total of 461 cases.
  • Vacaville added 4 new cases today, total of 1,056 cases.
  • Vallejo added 19 new cases today, total of 2,090 cases.
  • Unincorporated areas remained steady today, total of 20 cases.

Race / Ethnicity

The County report on race / ethnicity includes case numbers, hospitalizations, deaths and Solano population statistics.  This information is discouragingly similar to national reports that indicate significantly worse outcomes among black and brown Americans.  Note that all of this data surely undercounts Latinx Americans, as there is a large group of “Multirace / Others” which likely is composed mostly of Latinex members of our communities.

  • Asian Americans are 14% of Solano’s population, and account for 9% of cases, 11% of hospitalizations, and 19% of deaths.
  • Black Americans are 14% of Solano’s population, and account for 11% of cases, but 18% of hospitalizations, and 24% of deaths.
  • Latinx Americans are 26% of Solano’s population, but account for 31% of cases, 30% of hospitalizations, and 21% of deaths.
  • White Americans are 39% of the population in Solano County, but only account for 21% of cases, 26% of hospitalizations and 25% of deaths.

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.

#VOTE, 2020 elections, 2020 Presidential campaigns, Solano County Registrar of Voters, Vote by Mail

Solano is mailing your ballot to you on Sept 26 – Benicia, Vallejo, Fairfield, Vacaville, Suisun City, Rio Vista, Dixon

By Roger Straw, Friday, September 25, 2020

When and how to VOTE EARLY!

In an email yesterday evening, Assistant Solano County Registrar of Voters John Gardner confirmed that “ballots are being mailed on Saturday 9/26.”  Gardner added, “All ballots will be delivered to the post office at the same time for delivery.”

In years past, we might then assume that our ballots would arrive in our mailboxes on Monday, September 28.  Given recent national stories about post office slow deliveries, we will have to watch and see.

Three ways to return your ballot early! (…and then there’s November 3)

  • Cast your ballot RIGHT AWAY: Mail it back on the same day you get it, maybe Monday or Tuesday, September 28 or 29.  Return it ANYTIME via US Postal Service (postage paid).
  • If you wait a week, you can drop it off in person beginning Monday, October 5: There are 15 NO CONTACT DROP BOXES (inside office buildings).  Here’s the list on the Solano County website, including City Clerks’ offices in all 7 Solano cities.
  • I hope you don’t wait until October 29, but if you do… There are 10 NO CONTACT CURBSIDE DROP-OFF LOCATIONS.  For 5 days before election day, beginning on Thursday October 29, and continuing on Oct. 30, 31, Nov. 2 and Nov. 3, you can drop off ballots “Curbside.”  (Stay in your car, hand ballot to pollworkers.)  Here’s the list of at least one in each city, on the County website.
  • And there’s 4 options on ELECTION DAY, Tuesday, November 3:
    1. NOT RECOMMENDED: It’s still possible to mail your ballot.  If (and that’s a big IF) the post office postmarks it on Nov. 3, it will be valid and counted.  Please DON’T do this!  I wouldn’t mail my ballot at all, but if you must, I’d say do it at least 2 weeks prior to election day – by October 20.
    2. The office building drop-off locations will still be available.  List of locations.
    3. The curbside drop-off locations will still be available.  List of locations.
    4. And there’s the good old In-Person voting at your local polling place.  Your polling place location will be printed on your ballot.  Note that some polling places may have changed since the last election.  To plan ahead, here is the County’s list of 100 polling places.  Better yet, to look up your location using your home address, go to this page on the County website: solanocounty.com/depts/rov/sample_ballot_polling_place_lookup.asp

Roger Straw, The Benicia Independent

Oh, and on a personal note… I am clearly encouraging everyone to vote for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.  Donald Trump is unfit in so many ways, a disaster already, and a threat to our democracy if returned for another 4 years.  Dems, GOPs and Independents please unite and do the right thing – Trump and Trumpism have got to go in a landslide victory for Biden/Harris!

Coronavirus, Covid 19, Solano County CA, Solano County Health Officer Bela Matyas

Solano County COVID numbers going in wrong direction

Guest dine inside at Johnny Carino’s in the Gateway shopping area in Fairfield, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2020. Restaurants in Solano County got the go-ahead for limited in-restaurant dining, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2020. (Glen Faison/Daily Republic)

Solano case numbers climb; total deaths up to 63

Fairfield Daily Republic, By Todd R. Hansen, September 25, 2020

FAIRFIELD — Solano County is going in the wrong direction – and so are the immediate hopes of moving to an even less restrictive Covid-19 tier.

The county reported Thursday that cases increased by 46, taking the total to 6,278.

Solano County’s daily case average needs to be around 18 in order to graduate from the red tier to the orange tier.

The seven-day testing positivity rate, listed Thursday at 3.9%, remains within the range to advance to the next tier, which requires the rate to be below 4.9%.

Solano County’s public health officer Dr. Bela Matyas addresses the Board of Supervisors about the novel coronavirus pandemic, 3/24/20. (Robinson Kuntz/Daily Republic)

Dr. Bela Matyas, the county public health officer, said two of the three new deaths reported Thursday were past cases, but one is new – an elderly resident who died at home, and like many other Covid-related fatalities, the person had underlying health issues.

The death total is now at 63.

The number of current hospitalizations is at 21, down one from Wednesday, while active cases climbed from 244 to 276, the county reported.

Fairfield added 16 cases to bring its count to 2,051, while Vallejo, now at 2,071, added 11 cases. Vacaville added nine, bringing its total to 1,052.

Suisun City (458) added five cases; Dixon (413) added three; Benicia (165) and Rio Vista (48) each added one. There were no new cases reported in the unincorporated area of the county, which has 22 cases.

The number of completed tests was reported by the county at 86,198, and increase of 513 over Wednesday’s update.

Solano County graduated Tuesday from the most-restrictive purple tier in the state’s color-coded Covid-19 monitoring system to the red tier, which allows limited business reopenings and opens the door for local school districts to soon begin some level of in-person classroom instruction.

A group of friends play cards in the Solano Town Center food court, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2020. Food courts like the one in the Solano Town Center could open to 25% capacity, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2020. (Robinson Kuntz/Daily Republic)

The purple tier represents widespread transmission of the novel coronavirus that causes Covid-19. The red tier represents substantial transmission of the virus, while the orange tier represents moderate spread of the virus and the yellow tier indicates minimal transmission.  [continued]