Tag Archives: Vallejo CA

Solano County reports 91 new COVID cases over Labor Day weekend


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

Tuesday, September 8: 91 new cases over the holiday weekend, no new deaths.  Since the outbreak started: 5,762 cases, 48 deaths.Compare previous report, Friday, Sept 4:Summary

  • Solano County reported 91 new cases over the Labor Day weekend, total of 5,762 cases since the outbreak started.  Over the last 2 weeks, Solano reported 531 new cases, an average of 38 per day.
  • Deaths – no new deaths today, total of 48 Solano deaths.
  • Active cases – Solano reported 88 fewer ACTIVE cases since Friday, total of 225.  Note that only 33 of these 225 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 no reporting on contact tracing.
  • Hospitalizations – the number of currently hospitalized persons included 3 more individuals today, total of 33.  The total number hospitalized since the outbreak started increased by 4 today, total of 286.  For the first time today since July 27, the County reported on ICU beds available, 49%.  Still after 6 weeks, no information about availability ventilators.
  • Testing – The County reports today that 906 more residents were tested over the long weekend, new total of 78,020.  Solano has a long way to go: only 17.4% 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 rose today, from 5.3% last Friday to 5.6% today.  Solano’s high test rate contrasts sharply with the state of California’s rate of 3.8% today.  Last week we saw Solano rates above 7% for the first time since we peaked at 9.3% on July 22.  The County reported a 7-day test rate low of 4.1% on August 11, and the County’s rate peaked at 9.3% on July 22.  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 test rate fell over the weekend from 4.3% to 3.8%(Note that Solano County displays past weeks and months in a 7-day test positivity curve chart 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 – 11 new cases today, total of 636 cases.  No new hospitalizations among this age group, a total of 5 hospitalizations since the outbreak began.  Thankfully, no deathsIt seems too many youth are ignoring public health orders.  Cases among Solano youth have risen steadily over the summer, from 5.6% of total cases on June 8 to 11% last week and today.  Youth are 22% of Solano’s general population, so this 11% may seem low.  The significance is: 1) that youth numbers are increasing steadily and at a faster rate than the other age groups, and 2) that youth are seriously NOT immune – in fact 5 youth have been hospitalized.
  • Persons 18-49 years of age – 45 new cases today, total of 3,486 cases. This age group is 41% of the population in Solano, but represents 60.5% of the 5,762 total cases, by far the highest percentage of all age groups.  The County reported 1 new hospitalization in this age group today, total of 93 hospitalized since the outbreak began.  No new deaths among this age group today, total of 4 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 – 22 new cases today, total of 1,096 cases.  This age group represents 19% of the 5,762 total cases.
    1 new hospitalization today, total of 77 hospitalized since the outbreak began.  No new deaths  in this age group today, a total of 7 deaths.
  • Persons 65 years or older – 13 new cases today, total of 542 cases, representing 9.4% of the 5,762 total cases2 new hospitalizations today, total of 111 hospitalized since the outbreak began.  In this older age group, 20.6% of cases required hospitalization at one time.  This is a much higher percentage than in the lower age groups.  No new deaths in this age group today, total of 37 deaths.  This group accounts for 37 of the 48 deaths, or 78%.

City Data

  • Benicia added 2 new case today, total of 138 cases since the outbreak began.
  • Dixon added 6 new cases today, total of 392 cases.
  • Fairfield added 37 new cases today, total of 1,876.
  • Rio Vista remained steady today, total of 38 cases.
  • Suisun City added 5 new cases today, total of 415 cases.
  • Vacaville added 8 new cases today, total of 972 cases.
  • Vallejo added 33 new cases today, total of 1,913 cases.
  • Unincorporated areas remained steady today, total of 18 cases.

Cases, Hospitalizations & Deaths by Race / Ethnicity

The County report on race / ethnicity includes case numbers, hospitalizations, deaths and Solano population statistics.  Today I am again returning to the summary chart featuring all of these.  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, 12% 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 24% of deaths.
  • Latinx Americans are 26% of Solano’s population, but account for 32% of cases, 33% of hospitalizations, and 26% of deaths.
  • White Americans are 39% of the population in Solano County, but only account for 20% of cases, 21% of hospitalizations and 20% of deaths.

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.

Vallejo settlement in 2018 police shooting of Ronell Foster: $5.7 million

Family of man killed by Vallejo police to receive $5.7 million

San Francisco Chronicle, by Nora Mishanec, September 5, 2020
Ronell Foster (right), shown with his two chldren, was shot to death by a Vallejo police officer in February 2018.
Ronell Foster (right), shown with his two chldren, was shot to death by a Vallejo police officer in February 2018. Photo: SFChronicle, courtesy Foster family

Vallejo officials have agreed to pay $5.7 million to the family of Ronell Foster, who was shot and killed by a Vallejo police officer in February 2018.

The officer, Ryan McMahon, was cleared of wrongdoing in January by the Solano County District Attorney’s Office, which declared McMahon’s deadly use of force justified after an investigation that included body camera footage.

But Foster’s family brought a federal civil rights lawsuit against McMahon and the city.

Vallejo officials announced the settlement Friday. The city itself will pay the Foster family only $500,000. The rest will be paid by the California Association of Joint Powers Authorities, a municipal insurance provider.

The Foster family is “happy the truth has finally come out,” Adanté Pointer, a lawyer for the family, said Friday.

“Ronell did not deserve to die,” Pointer said. “True justice would be to see Officer McMahon walking into court as a criminal defendant.

“What the family found most disturbing are the lies the city put out to justify his death when they knew the whole time Ronell’s death was not justified and the officer’s conduct flat-out wrong.”

Vallejo Police Chief Shawny Williams indicated his intent to fire McMahon in March, based in part on his conduct during another fatal shooting, that of 21-year old Willie McCoy. The termination is pending, a spokeswoman for the city said.

In a March letter to McMahon that was made public, Williams said McMahon endangered the lives of other police officers, neglected basic firearm safety and demonstrated “unsatisfactory work performance including, but not limited to, failure, incompetence,” in connection with the McCoy incident.

McMahon was temporarily placed on paid administrative leave following the fatal shooting of Foster, but was later cleared to return to duty. One year later, he was one of six officers who shot and killed McCoy, who was asleep in a car in a Taco Bell drive-through lane.

Vallejo police spokeswoman Brittany Jackson declined to provide details about McMahon’s leave, calling it a “pending personnel matter.” McMahon was paid $219,433 in salary and benefits in 2018, the year he shot Foster, according to public records.

Foster, 33, was riding a bike in downtown Vallejo without a headlamp the evening of Feb. 13, 2018, when he was spotted and pursued by McMahon, who later told investigators that he stopped Foster in order to “educate the public on the dangers that this person was creating for himself and the traffic on Sonoma Boulevard.”

After a brief pursuit, McMahon said, Foster grabbed his metal flashlight and tried to strike him during a physical altercation, prompting McMahon to open fire. Foster died at the scene after being shot in the back of the head.

Police later said Mc­Mahon had no choice but to use deadly force after Foster threatened him with the metal flashlight. Dark, grainy body camera footage released by the Vallejo Police Department at the time did not clearly show whether Foster presented the flashlight in the “threatening manner” that police described in statements following the shooting.

Foster’s family disputed the Police Department’s account of the encounter.

Solano COVID-19 update Sept. 4: Another death, someone of 65 years or more, total of 48 deaths


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

Friday, September 4: 40 new cases today, 1 new death.  Since the outbreak started: 5,671 cases, 48 deaths.Compare previous report, Thursday, Sept 3:Summary

  • Solano County reported 40 new cases today, total of 5,671 cases since the outbreak started.  Over the last 2 weeks, Solano reported 623 new cases, an average of 45 per day.
  • Deaths – 1 new death today, total of 48 Solano deaths, someone in the 65+ age group.
  • Active cases – Solano reported 32 fewer ACTIVE cases today, total of 313.  Note that only 30 of these 313 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 no reporting on contact tracing.
  • Hospitalizations – the number of currently hospitalized persons included 2 fewer today, total of 30.  The total number hospitalized since the outbreak started remained steady, total of 282.  For several weeks now, the County offers no information about availability of ICU beds and ventilators.
  • Testing – The County reports today that 612 more residents were tested today, new total of 77,114.  Solano has a long way to go: only 17.2% 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 fell today, from 6.5% to 5.3%.  Solano’s high test rate contrasts sharply with the state of California’s rate of 4.3% today.  Earlier this week Solano saw rates above 7% for the first time since we peaked at 9.3% on July 22.  The County reported a 7-day test rate low of 4.1% on August 11, and the County’s rate peaked at 9.3% on July 22.  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 test rate fell today from 4.5% to 4.3%(Note that Solano County displays past weeks and months in a 7-day test positivity curve chart 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 – 7 new cases today, total of 625 cases.  No new hospitalizations among this age group, a total of 5 hospitalizations since the outbreak began.  Thankfully, no deathsIt seems too many youth are ignoring public health orders.  Cases among Solano youth have risen steadily over the summer, from 5.6% of total cases on June 8 to 10.9% most recently, and to 11% this week.  Youth are 22% of Solano’s general population, so this 11% may seem low.  The significance is: 1) that youth numbers are increasing steadily and at a faster rate than the other age groups, and 2) that youth are seriously NOT immune – in fact 5 youth have been hospitalized.
  • Persons 18-49 years of age – 25 new cases today, total of 3,441 cases. This age group is 41% of the population in Solano, but represents 60.7% of the 5,671 total cases, by far the highest percentage of all age groups.  The County reported no new hospitalizations in this age group today, total of 92 hospitalized since the outbreak began.  No new deaths among this age group today, total of 4 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 – 4 new cases today, total of 1,074 cases.  This age group represents 19% of the 5,671 total cases.  No new hospitalizations today, total of 76 hospitalized since the outbreak began.  No new deaths  in this age group today, a total of 7 deaths.
  • Persons 65 years or older – 4 new cases today, total of 529 cases, representing 9.3% of the 5,671 total cases.  No new hospitalizations today, total of 109 hospitalized since the outbreak began.  In this older age group, 20.6% of cases required hospitalization at one time.  This is a much higher percentage than in the lower age groups.  1 new death was reported in this age group today, total of 37 deaths.  This group accounts for 37 of the 48 deaths, or 78%.

City Data

  • Benicia added 1 new case today, total of 136 cases since the outbreak began.
  • Dixon added 3 new cases today, total of 386 cases.
  • Fairfield added 18 new cases today, total of 1,839.
  • Rio Vista remained steady today, total of 38 cases.
  • Suisun City added 5 new cases today, total of 410 cases.
  • Vacaville added 7 new cases today, total of 964 cases.
  • Vallejo added 6 new cases today, total of 1,880 cases.
  • Unincorporated areas remained steady today, total of 18 cases.

Cases, Hospitalizations & Deaths by Race / Ethnicity

The County report on race / ethnicity includes case numbers, hospitalizations, deaths and Solano population statistics.  Today I am again returning to the summary chart featuring all of these.  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 10% of cases, 12% of hospitalizations, and 18% 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 32% of cases, 33% of hospitalizations, and 27% of deaths.
  • White Americans are 39% of the population in Solano County, but only account for 20% of cases, 21% of hospitalizations and 20% of deaths.

Note that the above death percentages have not changed since yesterday even though the County reported a new death today.  One must assume that the new death was in the “multirace/other” group, for which I am missing yesterday’s number and so can’t confirm.

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 update: total of 5,631 cases, 345 currently active


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

Thursday, September 3: 43 new cases today, no new deaths.  Since the outbreak started: 5,631 cases, 47 deaths.Compare previous report, Wednesday, Sept 2:Summary

  • Solano County reported 43 new cases today, total of 5,631 cases since the outbreak started.  Over the last 2 weeks, Solano reported 625 new cases, an average of 45 per day.
  • Deaths – no new deaths today, total of 47 Solano deaths.
  • Active cases – Solano reported 22 more ACTIVE cases today, total of 345.  Note that only 32 of these 345 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 no reporting on contact tracing.
  • Hospitalizations – the number of currently hospitalized persons included 2 more today, total of 32.  The total number hospitalized since the outbreak started remained steady, total of 282.  For several weeks now, the County offers no information about availability of ICU beds and ventilators.
  • Testing – The County reports today that 544 more residents were tested today, new total of 76,502.  Solano has a long way to go: only 17.1% 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 fell today, from 7.1% to 6.5%.  Solano’s high test rate contrasts sharply with the state of California’s rate of 4.5% today.  This week Solano saw rates above 7% for the first time since we peaked at 9.3% on July 22.  The County reported a 7-day test rate low of 4.1% on August 11, and the County’s rate peaked at 9.3% on July 22.  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 test rate rose today from 4.1% to 4.5%(Note that Solano County displays past weeks and months in a 7-day test positivity curve chart 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 – only 2 new cases today, total of 618 cases.  No new hospitalizations among this age group, a total of 5 hospitalizations since the outbreak began.  Thankfully, no deathsIt is clear that our young people are catching the disease, with a recent increase in hospitalizations.  It seems too many youth are ignoring public health orders.  Cases among Solano youth have risen steadily over the summer, from 5.6% of total cases on June 8 to 10.9% most recently, and to 11% this week.  Youth are 22% of Solano’s general population, so this 11% may seem low.  The significance is: 1) that youth numbers are increasing steadily and at a faster rate than the other age groups, and 2) that youth are seriously NOT immune – in fact 5 youth have been hospitalized.
  • Persons 18-49 years of age – 25 new cases today, total of 3,416 cases. This age group is 41% of the population in Solano, but represents 60.7% of the 5,631 total cases, by far the highest percentage of all age groups.  The County reported no new hospitalizations in this age group today, total of 92 hospitalized since the outbreak began.  No new deaths among this age group today, total of 4 deaths.  This 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 – 5 new cases today, total of 1,070 cases.  This age group represents 19% of the 5,631 total cases.  No new hospitalizations today, total of 76 hospitalized since the outbreak began.  No new deaths  in this age group today, a total of 7 deaths.
  • Persons 65 years or older – 10 new cases today, total of 525 cases, representing 9.3% of the 5,631 total cases.  No new hospitalizations today, total of 109 hospitalized since the outbreak began.  In this older age group, 20.8% of cases required hospitalization at one time.  This is a much higher percentage than in the lower age groups.  No new deaths were reported in this age group today, total of 36 deaths.  This group accounts for 36 of the 47 deaths, or 77%.

City Data

  • Benicia added 1 new case today, total of 135 cases since the outbreak began.
  • Dixon remained steady today, total of 383 cases.
  • Fairfield added 19 new cases today, total of 1,821.
  • Rio Vista remained steady today, total of 38 cases.
  • Suisun City added 5 new cases today, total of 405 cases.
  • Vacaville added 9 new cases today, total of 957 cases.
  • Vallejo added 9 new cases today, total of 1,874 cases.
  • Unincorporated areas remained steady today, total of 18 cases.

Hospitalization rate by Race / Ethnicity

The County report on race / ethnicity includes case numbers, hospitalizations, deaths and Solano population statistics.  Today I am again featuring the tab that shows a calculated HOSPITALIZATION rate per 100,000 population by race/ethnicityAs with our case numbers and death rates, this information is discouragingly similar to national reports that indicate significantly worse outcomes among black and brown Americans.  Note that the Hospitalization Rate comparison here surely undercounts Latinx Americans, as there is a large group of “Multirace / Others” with a hospitalization rate much higher than every other group (130.8/100K, down from 134.2 yesterday).

Perhaps the best measure is to compare each group to the County’s overall hospitalization rate of 62.7/100KAs of today:

  • Asian Americans are 14% of Solano’s population, and account for 10% of cases, 12% of hospitalizations, and 18% of deaths (ALL INCREASING TODAY).  The hospitalization rate for Solano Asian Americans is 45.7 per 100K (up from 42.5).
  • Black Americans are 14% of Solano’s population, and account for 11% of cases, but 18% of hospitalizations, and 24% of deaths.  The hospitalization rate for Black Americans is 69.5 per 100K (unchanged).
  • Latinx Americans are 26% of Solano’s population, but account for 32% of cases, 33% of hospitalizations, and 27% of deaths.  The hospitalization rate for Latinx Americans is 69.1 per 100K (unchanged).
  • White Americans are 39% of the population in Solano County, but only account for 20% of cases, 21% of hospitalizations and 20% of deaths.  The hospitalization rate for Solano Whites is 29.0 per 100K (unchanged).

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.