Tag Archives: Solano County CA

COVID-19 still spreading in Solano County – 76 new cases, Benicia now over 100 infected


[Note that 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 often corrected upward on a later date. For a complete archive of day by day data, see my Excel ARCHIVE – R.S.]

Wednesday, August 12: 76 new cases today, no new deaths.  Since the outbreak started: 4,414 cases, 41 deaths.
Compare previous report, Tuesday August 11:

Summary

  • Solano County reported 76 new cases today, total of 4,414 cases since the outbreak started.  Over the last 7 days, Solano reported 530 new cases, an average of 76 per day.
  • Deaths – no new deaths today, total of 41 deaths.
  • Active cases – Solano reported 10 more ACTIVE cases today, total of 231.  Note that only 37 of these 231 people are hospitalized, so there are a lot of infected folks out among us, hopefully quarantined.  I’ve been wondering for several weeks now… is the County equipped to contact trace so many infected persons?  Who will research this?  (See SF Chronicle report on contact tracing in Bay Area – “Solano County did not respond”.)
  • Hospitalizations – the number of currently hospitalized persons remained steady today, total of 37.  However, the total number hospitalized since the outbreak started gained 1, total of 176.  (The County no longer reports Total Hospitalized, but I can add the new hospitalization numbers in the Age Group report – see below.)  Again now for a third week, the County offers no information about availability of ICU beds and ventilators.
  • Testing – The County reports today that 804 more residents were tested, new total of 60,258.  We still have a long way to go: only 13.5% 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 rose from 4.1% yesterday to 4.4 today.  Solano had never registered below 5% since the County began publicly reporting test rates on July 13. (Note that the positive test rate graphic chart may be misleading – see NOTE at top of this page.)  The County posted a high of 9.3% on July 22.  CONTEXT: 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 California 7-day rate has been falling, but is reported up today from 6.2% to  6.9%.

By Age Group

  • Youth 17 and under – 8 new cases today, total of 441 cases. No new hospitalizations, only 2 hospitalizations since the outbreak began, and no deathsIt is clear that youth are catching the disease, and it seems too many youth are ignoring public health orders.  Cases among Solano youth have increased to 10% of the 4,414 total confirmed cases.
  • Persons 18-49 years of age – 46 new cases today, total of 2,703 cases.  This age group is 41% of the population in Solano, but represents over 61% of the 4,414 total cases, by far the highest percentage of all age groups.  The County reported no new hospitalizations in this age group today, total of 48 hospitalized since the outbreak began.  No new deaths among this age group, total of 3 deaths.  This young to middle age group is very active.  Some 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 – 14 new cases today, total of 843 cases.  This age group represents 19% of the 4,414 total cases.  The County reported no new hospitalizations in this age group today, total of 55 hospitalized since the outbreak began.  No new deaths among this age group, total of 4 deaths.
  • Persons 65 years or older – 8 new cases today, total of 426 cases.  This age group represents 9.7% of the 4,414 total cases1 new hospitalization today, total of 71 hospitalized since the outbreak began.   No new deaths in this age group today, total of 34.  In this older age group, almost 17% of cases required hospitalization at one time, a substantially higher percentage than in the lower age groups.  This group accounts for 34 of the 41 deaths, or 83%.

City Data

  • Benicia added 5 new cases today, totaling over 100 for the first time, 104 cases since the outbreak began.
  • Dixon added 11 new cases today, total of 279 cases.
  • Fairfield added 16 new cases today, total of 1,410.
  • Rio Vista remained steady today, total of 32 cases.
  • Suisun City added 4 new cases today, total of 325 cases.
  • Vacaville added 10 new cases today, total of 752 cases.
  • Vallejo added 29 new cases today, total of 1,496 cases.
  • Unincorporated areas – Unincorporated areas added 1 new cases today, total of 16 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 22% of cases, 23% of hospitalizations and 24% of deaths.
  • Black Americans are 14% of Solano’s population, and account for 13% of cases, but 21% of hospitalizations, and 27% of deaths.
  • Latinx Americans are 26% of Solano’s population, but account for 27% of cases, 32% of hospitalizations, and 24% 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.

Solano COVID-19 Daily Update: 64 new cases, positive test rate drops to 4.1%


[Note that 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 often corrected upward on a later date. For a complete archive of day by day data, see my Excel ARCHIVE – R.S.]

Tuesday, August 11: 64 new cases today, no new deaths.  Since the outbreak started: 4,338 cases, 41 deaths.
Compare previous report, Monday August 10:Summary

  • Solano County reported 64 new cases today, total of 4,338 cases since the outbreak started.  Last week, Solano reported 532 new cases, an average of 76 per day.  Nearly sustaining that rate over 2 weeks: 950 cases total, 68 per day.
  • Deaths – no new deaths today, total of 41 deaths.
  • Active cases – Solano reported 5 more ACTIVE cases today, total of 221.  Note that only 37 of these 221 people are hospitalized, so there are a lot of infected folks out among us, hopefully quarantined.  I’ve been wondering for several weeks now… is the County equipped to contact trace so many infected persons?  Who will research this?  (See SF Chronicle report on contact tracing in Bay Area – “Solano County did not respond”.)
  • Hospitalizations7 more currently hospitalized persons today, total of 37.  However, the total number hospitalized since the outbreak started remained steady, total of 175.  (The County no longer reports Total Hospitalized, but I can add the new hospitalization numbers in the Age Group report – see below.)  Again now for a third week, the County offers no information about availability of ICU beds and ventilators.
  • Testing – The County reports today that 1,631 more residents were tested, new total of 59,454.  We still have a long way to go: only 13% 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 fell from 5.7% yesterday to 4.1 today.  VERY GOOD NEWS – this is the lowest it has been since the County began publicly reporting test rates on July 13. (Note that the graphic chart may be misleading – see NOTE at top of this page.)  The County posted a high of 9.3% on July 22.  CONTEXT: Health officials and news reports focus on percent positive test rates as one of the best metrics for measuring the spread of the virus.  Due to issues with the state’s electronic laboratory reporting system, reporting on the statewide 7-day positivity rate shows an underreporting of actual positive cases.  That said, the State rate has been falling, and is reported at 6.2% today.

By Age Group

  • Youth 17 and under – 4 new cases today, total of 433 cases. No new hospitalizations, only 2 hospitalizations since the outbreak began, and no deathsIt is clear that youth are catching the disease, and it seems too many youth are ignoring public health orders.  Cases among Solano youth have increased to slightly over 10% of the 4,338 total confirmed cases.
  • Persons 18-49 years of age – 37 new cases today, total of 2,657 cases.  This age group is 41% of the population in Solano, but represents over 61% of the 4,338 total cases, by far the highest percentage of all age groups.  The County reported no new hospitalizations in this age group today, total of 48 hospitalized since the outbreak began.  No new deaths among this age group, total of 3 deaths.  This young to middle age group is very active.  Some 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 – 18 new cases today, total of 829 cases.  This age group represents 19% of the 4,338 total cases.  The County reported no new hospitalizations in this age group today, total of 55 hospitalized since the outbreak began.  No new deaths among this age group, total of 4 deaths.
  • Persons 65 years or older – 5 new cases today, total of 418 cases.  This age group represents 9.6% of the 4,338 total casesNo new hospitalizations today, total of 70 hospitalized since the outbreak began.   No new deaths in this age group today, total of 34.  In this older age group, almost 17% of cases required hospitalization at one time, a substantially higher percentage than in the lower age groups.  This group accounts for 34 of the 41 deaths, or 83%.

City Data

  • Benicia added 2 new case today, total of 99 cases.
  • Dixon added 9 new cases today, total of 268 cases.
  • Fairfield added 20 new cases today, total of 1,394.
  • Rio Vista remained steady today, total of 32 cases.
  • Suisun City added 2 new cases today, total of 321 cases.
  • Vacaville added 8 new cases today, total of 742 cases.
  • Vallejo added 22 new cases today, total of 1,467 cases.
  • Unincorporated areas – Unincorporated areas added 1 new cases today, total of 15 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 22% of cases, 23% of hospitalizations and 24% of deaths.
  • Black Americans are 14% of Solano’s population, and account for 13% of cases, but 22% of hospitalizations, and 27% of deaths.
  • Latinx Americans are 26% of Solano’s population, but account for 27% of cases, 32% of hospitalizations, and 24% of deaths.
  • Asian Americans are 14% of Solano’s population, and account for 10% of cases and 13% 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.

Solano reports huge weekend COVID numbers: 245 new cases, 1 death, 39 new cases in Dixon


[Note that 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 often corrected upward on a later date. For a complete archive of day by day data, see my Excel ARCHIVE – R.S.]

Monday, August 10: 245 new cases over the weekend, 1 new death.  Since the outbreak started: 4,274 cases, 41 deaths.

Compare previous report, Friday August 7:Summary

  • Solano County reported 245 (!) new cases over the weekend, total of 4,274 cases since the outbreak started.  Last week, Solano reported 553 new cases, an average of 79 per day.  Nearly sustaining that rate over 2 weeks: 991 cases total, 71 per day.
  • Deaths – 1 new death today, another of our elders, total of 41 deaths.
  • Active cases – Solano reported 18 more ACTIVE cases today, total of 216.  Note that only 30 of these 216 people are hospitalized, so there are a lot of infected folks out among us, hopefully quarantined.  I’ve been wondering for several weeks now… is the County equipped to contact trace so many infected persons?  Who will research this?  (See SF Chronicle report on contact tracing in Bay Area – “Solano County did not respond”.)
  • Hospitalizations7 fewer currently hospitalized persons today, total of 30.  However, the total number hospitalized since the outbreak started increased by 1, totaling 175.  Evidently more folks were discharged than the number of new admissions.  (The County no longer reports Total Hospitalized, but I can add the new hospitalization numbers in the Age Group report – see below.)  Again now for a third week, the County offers no information about availability of ICU beds and ventilators.
  • Testing – A remarkable 2,980 residents were tested over the weekend, total of 57,823.  We still have a long way to go: only 13% 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 fell from 6.5% on Friday to 5.7 today.  (The chart may be misleading – see NOTE at top of this page.)  The County posted a high of 9.3% on July 22.  CONTEXT: Health officials and news reports focus on percent positive test rates as one of the best metrics for measuring the spread of the virus.  Due to issues with the state’s electronic laboratory reporting system, reporting on the statewide 7-day positivity rate shows an underreporting of actual positive cases.  That said, the State rate has been falling, and is reported at 5.8% today, about equal to Solano County’s 5.7%.

By Age Group

  • Youth 17 and under – 30 (!) new cases over the weekend, total of 429 cases. No new hospitalizations, only 2 hospitalizations since the outbreak began, and no deathsIt is clear that youth are catching the disease, and it seems too many youth are ignoring public health orders.  Cases among Solano youth have increased to slightly over 10% of the 4,274 total confirmed cases.
  • Persons 18-49 years of age – 150 (!) new cases over the weekend, total of 2,620 cases.  This age group is 41% of the population in Solano, but represents over 61% of the 4,274 total cases, by far the highest percentage of all age groups.  The County reported no new hospitalizations in this age group today, total of 48 hospitalized since the outbreak began.  No new deaths among this age group, total of 3 deaths.  This young to middle age group is very active.  Some are surely ignoring public health orders, and many are providing essential services among us.  This group is no doubt a major factor in the spread of the virus.
  • Persons 50-64 years of age – 48 new cases over the weekend, total of 811 cases.  This age group represents just under 19% of the 4,274 total cases.  The County reported no new hospitalizations in this age group today, total of 55 hospitalized since the outbreak began.  No new deaths among this age group, total of 4 deaths.
  • Persons 65 years or older – 17 new cases over the weekend, total of 413 cases.  This age group represents 9.7% of the 4,274 total cases1 new hospitalization today, total of 70 hospitalized since the outbreak began.  1 new death in this age group today, total of 34.  In this older age group, just under 17% of cases required hospitalization at one time, a substantially higher percentage than in the lower age groups.  This group accounts for 34 of the 41 deaths, or 83%.

City Data

  • Benicia added 4 new case today, total of 97 cases.
  • Dixon added 39 new cases today, total of 259 cases.  This jump is highly unusual – possible outbreak somewhere in Dixon?
  • Fairfield added 68 new cases today, total of 1,374.
  • Rio Vista added 3 new cases today, total of 32 cases.
  • Suisun City added 9 new cases today, total of 319 cases.
  • Vacaville added 44 new cases today, total of 734 cases.
  • Vallejo added 76 new cases today, total of 1,445 cases.
  • Unincorporated areas – Unincorporated areas added 2 new cases today, total of 14 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 22% of cases, 23% of hospitalizations and 24% of deaths.
  • Black Americans are 14% of Solano’s population, and account for 13% of cases, but 22% of hospitalizations, and 27% of deaths.
  • Latinx Americans are 26% of Solano’s population, but account for 27% of cases, 32% of hospitalizations, and 24% of deaths.
  • Asian Americans are 14% of Solano’s population, and account for 10% of cases and 13% 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.

Solano County Election begins in September! Here’s your checklist for Election MONTH…

I know there must be a few of you out there like me. I never voted by mail before!

Roger Straw, The Benicia Independent

This year, most everyone will be voting by mail.  With all the talk about Trump trying to hobble the Post Office, I got to thinking we should be ready to vote by mail, AND… ready do it early!

So here’s our election calendar.

Your ballot will arrive by mail in late September.

Below is all you need to know, directly from the Solano County Registrar of Voters page, including an excellent 3-minute video and lots of detailed information to follow.

Voting Options and Information for November 3, 2020

In an effort to reduce the impact of the Coronavirus spread, the Solano County Registrar of Voters is preparing several voting options that voters should be aware of.  Please check this site often as information will be updated closer to the election.  Last updated August 1, 2020.

VIDEO: Check out the options you have for voting safely this Election Day

No Contact Voting:
As an option to in-person voting, all voters can vote without contact with our staff or office.

All voters will be mailed a vote-by-mail ballot for the November 3, 2020 election.  Ballots will be automatically mailed at the end of September, and voters have the following options to return ballots:

  Ballot Drop-Off:
Starting October 5 (29 days) – 14 Drop-Off locations are available – click for location and hours (drop box is inside an office building).
 Curbside Drop Off Curbside Drop-Off:
Starting October 29 (5 days) – 8 Curbside drop-off locations are available [NOTE: in nearby cities, but NONE IN BENICIA]click for locations and hours. (stay in your car, hand ballot to pollworkers)
 Vote at Polls Election Day Drop-Off:
Election Day November 3 (1 day) – 100 poll place drop-off locations are available – click for locations – all locations are 7am to 8pm.

Your ballot packet will provide all the options for returning your vote by mail ballot.  All postage is paid by the Registrar of Voters Office for voters mailing ballots back to our office.  Voters do not have to vote this ballot, and can still choose to vote in-person using one of the options listed below.  Other alternatives include:

Alternatively voters can Download a Ballot (Available Late-September)- print your ballot at home, and mail it, fax it, or drop it off at a drop-off location. This service is available to any voter without a special request and can be used up to and including on election day provided the ballot is returned to us post-marked by election day.
If you change your mind, you can still vote at your assigned polling place on Election Day.

Limited Contact Voting:

 Curbside Voting  At your assigned poll place, all voters can request to vote “Curb-Side” from the comfort of your vehicle. Look for the blue cone outside of your polling place, and call the number listed on the cone. Pollworkers will come out to your car with your ballot and will securely deposit it for you.
This same curb-side option is available if you want to drop off your vote by mail ballot. It may be preferable for you to remain in your vehicle and we support that option.

In-Person Voting:

 Vote at the polls Traditional poll place voting will be available in November.  Your assigned location will be provided in the mail towards the end of September.  Depending on health issues, the number of locations may need to be reduced in November, which may cause for additional time to vote.

COVID-19 INFO:
Pollworkers and Staff:
All poll workers will be required to wear masks and shields, additionally the Registrar of Voters will provide gloves, hand sanitizer, and disinfecting wipes.  Pollworkers will be trained on the proper use of this equipment and how to follow the procedures outlined for each workspace.

Voters:
Voters will be required to wear face coverings per the state law requiring such in public places.  Face coverings will be provided to any voter needing one.  Hand Sanitizer and disposable pens will be provided to all voters as well.   Voters without face coverings will be encouraged to vote from the safety of their vehicles, or when the pollworkers can clear the area for the safety of other voters.
We encourage all citizens to follow the mandated health requirements to help protect our staff and community partners. Without our staff and volunteers we cannot successfully execute an election!   Please help us minimize the risk to those helping to administer your voting rights!

Update Your Signature

  All vote by mail ballots are to be signed by the voter.  This signature must match your signature used when you registered to vote.  If you would like to update your signature,
Please fill out this form, and return it to our office.  We will update your signature based on the information provided.

All Election and voter services are available by phone or online:

707-784-6675; or elections@solanocounty.com
To visit us in-person, please: Request an appointment