Tag Archives: Solano County

California Department of Public Health, Coronavirus, Covid 19, Solano County CA

Coronavirus updates (March 18) from Solano County, State of California

UPDATE ON WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18:

Press Release, Solano County

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 17, 2020
News Contacts:
Matthew A. Davis, Sr. Management Analyst and Public Communications Officer, (707) 784-6111, MADavis@solanocounty.com (AND)
Jayleen Richards, Public Health Administrator, Health and Social Services Department, (707) 784-8616,  JMRichards@solanocounty.com

Solano County Public Health emphasizes the Governor’s measures to promote social distancing and self-isolation to stem the spread of COVID-19 virus

SOLANO COUNTY – Solano County Public Health Officials support California Governor Newsom’s orders regarding social distancing to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 in our community and are encouraging Solano County residents to review and implement these best practices.

Solano Public Health officials are encouraging vulnerable populations – older adults age 65 and older, individuals with compromised immune systems and individuals with serious chronic medical conditions like heart disease, diabetes and lung disease – to practice social distancing and stay at home, except for essential needs, including to get food, care for a relative or friend, get necessary health care or go to an essential job.  Solano Public Health is also advising these individuals to avoid group activities, making unnecessary trips and spending time in public areas (restaurants, gyms, entertainment venues, social gatherings, etc.).

“We are in full support of the Governor’s measures to promote social distancing and are reiterating this message to residents in Solano County,” says County Public Health Officer Bela Matyas, M.D., M.P.H.  “When people implement these best practices, it helps our health care providers with respect to staffing and capacity necessary to provide care to those who need it the most in our community.”

Multiple Bay Area Counties have announced their own orders that reiterate Governor Newsom’s orders for social distancing, as there has been sustained community transmission of coronavirus (COVID-19) in the San Francisco Bay Area. Solano Public Health is monitoring the situation in the Bay Area closely and is in contact with neighboring health departments, local hospitals and the state.

Solano Public Health is advising residents to follow these social distancing measures:
– Close bars, nightclubs, wineries, gyms and movie theaters
– Close restaurants, except for takeout service
– Maintain distance of at least 6 feet between yourself and others
– Postpone or cancel gatherings, meetings and community events where large numbers of people are within 6 feet off each other

In addition to social distancing, Solano Public Health encourages everyone to follow these simple daily routines to help stem the spread of respiratory disease in our community:
– Wash hands with soap and water, and rubbing for at least 20 seconds
– Cough or sneeze into a tissue, sleeve or arm (not your hands)
– Avoid close contact with people who are sick
– Stay home when you are sick
– Avoid touching your face, particularly your eyes, nose and mouth
– Perform routine surface cleaning, particularly for items which are frequently touched such as doorknobs, handles, remotes, keyboards and other commonly shared surfaces
– Get a flu shot to protect against the flu, which has similar symptoms to COVID-19
– If you feel ill, contact your health provider for advice and treatment options

For more information, visit these state and local resources on Coronavirus (COVID-19):
– Office of the Governor, Gavin Newsom, click here
– Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, click here
– California Employment and Development Department, click here
– California Labor Workforce and Development Agency, click here
– Solano County Small Business Development Center, click here
– Solano County Health and Social Services, Public Health website, click here
– Solano County Public Health Facebook Page, @SolanoCountyPH, click here

The public can review Governor Newsom’s directive to fight COVID-19 by clicking here.

State of California – Department of Public Health

Guidance Documents: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

A list of various guidance documents can be found below:

Coronavirus, Covid 19, Solano County CA

Solano County reports one new case of coronavirus COVID 19

By Roger Straw, March 16, 2020

UPDATE: See today’s latest information

Solano County is reporting a single new positive case of COVID 19, but the report is ambiguous, and seems to suggest that there are actually two new cases.  The total number of cases in Solano County reported on the County’s Public Health website rose from 6 to 7 on March 15.  UPDATE/CLARIFICATION: KRON4 News clarifies that there is only ONE person who is an adult dependent of a service member, and that the disease was from a community contact.

An additional Solano County case of COVID-19 found at Travis Air Force Base due to community acquired exposure

March 15, 2020

SOLANO COUNTY – Solano Public Health officials received confirmation that a Solano County resident and an adult dependent of a service member at Travis Air Force Base has tested positive due to community acquired exposure to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).  The individual is in isolation at their respective off-base residence. A Contra Costa resident and active-duty airman also tested positive for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and is in isolation at their respective off-base residence.

Solano Public Health is coordinating closely with Travis Air Force base to provide important care to these individuals. The agencies will continue to work together to mitigate the effects of the virus and provide pertinent updates as timely as possible.There continues to be a low risk of COVID-19 to the community. There are simple daily precautions that everyone should take, such as:

– Washing your hands with soap and water, and rubbing for at least 20 seconds
– Coughing or sneezing into a tissue, sleeve or arm (not your hands)
– Avoiding close contact with people who are sick
– Staying home when you are sick
– Avoiding touching your face, particularly your eyes, nose and mouth
– Performing routine surface cleaning, particularly for items which are frequently touched such as doorknobs, handles, remotes, keyboards and other commonly shared surfaces
– If you are an older adult (60+ years of age), avoid congregate and social gatherings
– Getting a flu shot to protect against the flu, which has similar symptoms to COVID-19

If you have recently returned from a country with ongoing COVID-19 infections, monitor your health and call your health care provider first before going to the medical facility if you develop fever and other sign/symptoms of a lower respiratory illness, such as cough or shortness of breath.

For more information about this rapidly evolving situation, visit cdc.gov/COVID19. For local updates, visit solanocounty.com/publichealth or the Solano Public Health Facebook page, @SolanoCountyPH.

For information about influenza activity and surveillance in California, visit the CDPH website at www.cdph.ca.gov

Benicia CA, Benicia Unified School District, Coronavirus, Covid 19, Solano County CA

Coronavirus updates from Solano County, City of Benicia and Benicia Unified School District

By Roger Straw

UPDATE: See today’s latest information

UPDATE ON FRIDAY, MARCH 15

Solano County

As of today [March 15], Solano County has 7 confirmed positive cases of the Coronavirus 2019 disease (COVID 19).   This number is updated daily at 2 pm on the website of the Solano County Department of Public Health.

Of particular interest: Solano County Fact sheet – Guidance for Vulnerable Populations at High Risk

Also: Solano County Press Releases

The City of Benicia

The City of Benicia has also published an online Coronavirus page.  Of interest: a March 11 press release from Fire Chief Josh Chadwick.  Of interest (excerpt):

…City Hall, Benicia Public Library, Benicia Community Center and Benicia Senior Center remain open and operational with appropriate measures in place to protect the health of staff and the community. In an abundance of caution, the following events are City of Benicia programs which will be postponed or canceled until further notice due to the difficulty in maintaining social distancing:

      • Wednesday, March 11: Family Reading Night for students at Robert Semple and Joe Henderson Elementary Schools
      • Wednesday, March 17: Objective Planning Standards Stakeholder meeting
      • Sunday, March 22: Ramana Vieira and Ensemble at the Library
      • Fridays: Board Game Evenings at the Library
      • Next two weeks: All Storytimes and After School Zone, due to limited space at the Library

The Benicia Unified School District

The BUSD sent the following announcement to parents this afternoon:

March 12, 2020

Dear Families,

Benicia Unified School District (BUSD) continues to monitor the COVID-19 with on-going, regular guidance and communication from Solano County Health Department (SCHD) who works directly with the Center of Disease Control (CDC), the State Department of Health (SDH) and the California Department of Education (CDE).  The health and safety of our students and staff continues to be our number one priority. At this time, BUSD has not been notified of any confirmed cases. As schools are deemed an essential service, schools will remain open unless ordered to close by The Solano County Department of Public Health. If the situation changes, BUSD will follow the COVID-19 school protocols established by the SDH in partnership with the agencies listed above regarding any further measures.

The Health Department continues to recommend and we continue to promote the following:

  • Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available
  • Cough into a tissue or your elbow
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth
  • Stay home when you are sick
  • BUSD staff are taking extra measures to deep clean buildings and classrooms each night

In addition, we are implementing social distancing protocols effective through the end of Spring break April 12, 2020, as outlined in new guidelines from SCHD. Therefore we will be:

  • Postponing all events at our facilities outside of the school day, including outside user groups
  • Postponing or canceling all field trips, fundraisers, music events, performances, enrichment activities, school assemblies, and club meetings
  • Having no classroom volunteers on campuses
  • Having no guest speakers or outside group performances
  • Having only Diablo Athletic Leagues (DAL) sanctioned supporting events and practices
  • Having no spectators, including, parents and guardians at sporting events; only those adults needed to manage the event will be allowed at the event

We are working on plans to provide a continuity of learning should the situation change or school(s) need to be closed in the future. As part of our ongoing partnership, we are asking our parents to look ahead and make contingent plans in case things change and we are forced to close schools. If your child has extenuating health circumstances, please contact your health care provider to get additional recommendations.

Please continue to refer to Solano County Public health and the CDC websites for updated information pertaining to the virus.  We will continue to provide updates as information is made available to us. Thank you for your patience and your partnership.

Sincerely,

Dr. Charles Young
Superintendent

Coronavirus, Covid 19, Solano County CA, Travis Air Force Base

Coronavirus news from Travis Air Force Base

UPDATE: See VIDEO: Quarantined Passengers Critical of Travis Air Force Base ‘Camp Corona’ and First person account of troubled quarantine at Travis Air Force Base

Travis upgrades health protocols amid Covid-19 spread off base

The Fairfield Daily Republic, By Glen Faison

TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE — The base implemented an enhanced health alert Wednesday as a result of the new coronavirus situation in communities outside the base and said there were no confirmed cases on base.

The move by Travis officials to implement what they call Health Protection Condition Bravo follows a public health emergency declaration Feb. 27 at the base. Solano County declared a public health emergency the previous day.

“This is a moderate health alert in response to public health risks in the local community,” Tonya A. Racasner, 60th Air Mobility Wing deputy chief of public affairs, said in a prepared statement. “The decision to elevate the HPCON is independent of quarantine operations currently taking place on Travis (Air Force Base), and directly correlates to the evolving situation in the local area.”

Racasner in the statement Wednesday said the base’s action was also taken in response to “the sustained transmission of coronavirus (Covid-19) in the surrounding community.”

The move comes two weeks after a Vacaville women became the first patient-to-patient or community-spread case of Covid-19 in the country that was not attributable to travel or close exposure to someone with the disease.

She arrived Feb. 15 at NorthBay VacaValley Hospital in Vacaville with flu-like symptoms and was transferred Feb. 19 to UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento once her condition worsened. She was tested Feb. 23 for the new coronavirus, which causes Covid-19. Test results came back positive Feb. 26.

Testing protocols at the time from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention limited who and under what conditions people could be tested for the novel coronavirus. Only a limited number of test kits were available in California at the time. The CDC has since loosened its protocols for testing and additional test kits have arrived in the state.

Travis has served as a quarantine site for several waves of U.S. residents who repatriated to the U.S. from China and Japan. Hundreds of passengers – all California residents – from the Grand Princess cruise ship have arrived this week to begin 14 days in quarantine at the Westwind Inn.

The California Office of Emergency Services announced Wednesday that up to 120 California passengers from the cruise ship will be housed at a vacant hotel in San Carlos because they are exhibiting mild symptoms that may be from the new coronavirus but do not require hospitalization. Another 24 passengers were previously sent to Asilomar State Beach and Conference Grounds in Pacific Grove, also because they were not free of symptoms.

None of those passengers have tested positive for Covid-19, Cal OES reports, but because they are symptomatic they cannot serve their 14-day quarantine at Travis Air Force Base.

A total of 149 passengers from the Grand Princess were transported Monday from the cruise ship to Travis for quarantine, Cal OES reports. Another 613 passengers arrived Tuesday at Travis for quarantine.

Racasner said in the statement Wednesday that base officials were monitoring the situation as it relates to the new coronavirus and are “closely engaged” with Solano County Public Health and CDC officials.

Practical implications of the escalation to HPCON Bravo at the base include direction for those on the base to practice social distancing and refrain from physical contact such as shaking hands, fist bumps and similar activities; and cancellation of all gatherings of 100 or more people through April 30 unless they are mission-essential as directed by a unit commander.

“While this measure may seem drastic, it will help to mitigate potential community spreading on base,” Racasner said in the statement.

Military and civilian personnel and dependents on the base are being asked to continue standard anti-virus activities such as washing hands with liquid soap and water and rubbing them for at least 20 seconds; wiping common-use items with disinfectant; covering their mouth and nose with a tissue or their sleeve (not their hands) when coughing or sneezing; staying home if they are sick; and getting a flu shot to protect themselves and others from flu, which has similar symptoms to Covid-19.

On-base child care facilities remain open, Racasner said in the statement. Officials with the Travis School District will make decisions about school operations independent of the base’s actions.

Anyone who develops flu-like symptoms with fever and cough or shortness of breath and may have had contact with a person who has Covid-19 or had recent travel to countries considered high-risk are asked to contact their health care provider before seeking medical care to prevent possible transmission in the health care setting.

People who are normally seen at David Grant Medical Center are asked to first call the TRICARE nurse advice line at 1-800-874-2273 or the David Grant Medical Center appointment line at 707-423-3000 prior to coming to the hospital.

“This is an emerging, rapidly evolving situation,” Racasner said in the statement. “We will continue to partner with local agencies to ensure the safety and welfare of our force and families.”

More information