Category Archives: Benicia CA

#wearamask, Benicia CA, Benicia City Council, Coronavirus, Covid 19, Face coverings, Omicron variant, Solano County CA, Solano County Health Department, Vaccine, Vaccine mandate

Solano Public Health corrects COVID numbers with huge increase, but offers no explanation for ‘different testing procedure’

By Roger Straw, Tuesday, March 8, 2022

Solano Public Health shared information with the reporter from the Fairfield Daily Republic that sheds some light on the huge increases in COVID cases reported yesterday.

Unfortunately we still have no idea why this information came to light so belatedly.

Below is the story from the Daily Republic, including details gathered from Public Health Officer Bela Matyas and his usual comforting spin – that these “corrections” aren’t so bad because more recent numbers are actually down.  >>Who is to say that today’s numbers won’t get a similar big boost later?!

Solano Covid numbers undergo big correction, but trend is down

Fairfield Daily Republic, By , March 8, 2022

FAIRFIELD — Monday was a massive correction day for Covid-related information in Solano County.

The country reported 4,115 new coronavirus cases – 114 since Friday’s report – and four additional deaths of Solano residents who died in out-of-county hospitals, one dating to December 2020, Dr. Bela Matyas, the county public health officer, said in a phone interview Monday.

Most of the cases came from January and February.

The new cases took the total for the pandemic to 83,793, but the daily average since the last report dropped to 38 over the three-day period, which is lower than the rate prior to the latest surge.

The 10-day daily average, based on active cases of 456, was at 45.6, down from Friday’s report of 56.7, the county reported.

There were 31 residents in local hospitals, with only six in intensive care units, the county reported. That was down from 37 and 10, respectively.

The deaths include a woman, between 50 and 65 years old, who died in December 2020. There were no vaccinations available to the public at that time. The other three – two men older than 65 who died in August and December; and a woman between 50 and 65 who died in October – were unvaccinated.

The number of Covid-related deaths in the county stood Monday at 402.  […continued]

 

HOW DOES TODAY’S REPORT COMPARE?  See recent reports and others going back to April 20, 2020 in my ARCHIVE of daily Solano COVID updates (an excel spreadsheet).

Click green text above or on the image.

>The data on this page is from the Solano County COVID-19 Dashboard.  The Dashboard is full of much more information and updated Monday, Wednesday and Friday between 4 and 6pm.  On the County’s dashboard, you can hover a mouse or click on an item for more information.  Note the tabs at top for “Summary, Demographics” and “Vaccines.”  Click here to go to today’s Solano County Dashboard.

See also my BENINDY ARCHIVE of daily Solano COVID updates (an excel spreadsheet).  I have also archived the hundreds of full CORONAVIRUS REPORTS posted here almost daily on the Benicia Independent since April 2020.

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#wearamask, Benicia CA, Benicia City Council, Coronavirus, Covid 19, Face coverings, Omicron variant, Solano County CA, Solano County Health Department, Vaccine, Vaccine mandate

Solano County follows ‘different testing procedure,’ reports 4,115 previously undisclosed COVID cases, 71 in Benicia

NOTE: The information below is not the latest.  TAP HERE for today’s latest information.

By Roger Straw, Monday, March 7, 2022
[See also March 8 follow-up: Solano Public Health corrects COVID numbers with huge increase, but offers no explanation for ‘different testing procedure’.]

Solano County reported 4,115 new COVID infections today, 4 new deaths.  Benicia’s total cases jumped up by 71.  The County will likely explain this dramatic turn sometime later today or tomorrow.  Meanwhile based on this reporting, the 7-day case count for both Benicia and Solano is now back in the CDC’s HIGH transmission rate.

Solano Public Health COVID dashboard, Monday, March 7, 2022:

NOTICE: Solano County Public Health will update its COVID Dashboard ONLY ON MONDAYS & THURSDAYS as of March 14, 2022

DEATHS:  Solano reported four new deaths in today’s report, two age 50-64 and two age 65+, one Black and three White. Trending: Fifteen new deaths were reported in February, ALL over 65 years of age.  We can’t be sure this is a final number because the County often post-dates hospitalizations and deaths. Until February, the County saw increasing COVID-related deaths each month since last November, rising to 30 in January.  A total of 402 Solano residents have now died of COVID or COVID-related causes over the course of the pandemic.

TRANSMISSION RATE: Solano moved back into the HIGH transmission rate today, with a total of 4,349 new cases over the last 7 days. This is up from only 419 on Friday.  CDC FORMULA: Based on Solano County’s population, 450 or more cases in 7 days places Solano in the CDC’s population-based definition of a HIGH transmission rate.  We would need to drop below 225 cases in 7 days to rate as having only MODERATE community transmission.

ACTIVE CASES: Solano reported 456 ACTIVE cases today, down from 567 at last report, and still far above the County’s 329 active cases on December 1.

CASES BY CITY – Monday, March 7, 2022:

  • BENICIA added 71(!) new cases today, a total of 3,095 cases since the outbreak began.  TRANSMISSION RATE: The County’s extraordinary update today pushed Benicia’s 7-day case count well into the HIGH range at 87 CASES.  But the County will surely explain tomorrow that many of these new cases are based on a ‘different testing procedure’ and many of them predate our last 7 days.  It is likely the County will not break this down into city-by-city detail, so we may not know Benicia’s CURRENT 7-day case count until another week goes by.  For a city with Benicia’s population, anything over 27 cases in 7 days is considered HIGH TRANSMISSION. (See chart below.)

  • Dixon added 158 new cases today, total of 4,311 cases.
  • Fairfield added 1,151 new cases today, total of 22,432 cases.
  • Rio Vista added 108 new cases today, total of 1,181 cases.
  • Suisun City added 273 new cases today, total of 5,863 cases.
  • Vacaville added 1,987 new cases today, a total of 21,442 cases.
  • Vallejo added 360 new cases today, a total of 25,271 cases.
  • Unincorporated added 7 new cases today, a total of 198 cases.

TEST RATE:  Solano County’s 7-Day Percent Positive Test Rate shot up after Christmas and continued through February at 13%, but fell dramatically in March and remains at 7% today. Even at this lower rate, SOLANO DOES NOT COMPARE FAVORABLY: The CALIFORNIA 7-day % positive rate fell today from 2.1% to only 1.8%.  [Source: Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Tracking Center]  AND the U.S. 7-day % positive rate fell today from 3.7% to only 3.2%. [Source: CDC COVID Data Tracker.] 

HOSPITALIZATIONS:

CURRENT The number of those currently hospitalized with COVID in Solano County fell today from 37 to 31 persons.  Current hospitalizations don’t tell the whole story, as it reflects both admissions and discharges.  Only from the increase in total hospitalizations can we know how many new admissions have come into our hospitals as of this date.

TOTAL hospitalizations over the course of the pandemic: Solano Public Health updated its Age Group chart today, but is highly mysterious – TOTAL hospitalization numbers reportedly FELL dramatically today, from 3,694 to only 3,664.  I have asked Solano Public Health for clarification, and will let you know what I find out.

ICU Bed Availability in Solano County rose today from 39% to 43%, in the County’s GREEN safe zone .

Ventilator Availability  fell slightly today from 73% to 72% available, in the GREEN safe zone. 

HOW DOES TODAY’S REPORT COMPARE?  See recent reports and others going back to April 20, 2020 in my ARCHIVE of daily Solano COVID updates (an excel spreadsheet).

Click green text above or on the image.

>The data on this page is from the Solano County COVID-19 Dashboard.  The Dashboard is full of much more information and updated Monday, Wednesday and Friday between 4 and 6pm.  On the County’s dashboard, you can hover a mouse or click on an item for more information.  Note the tabs at top for “Summary, Demographics” and “Vaccines.”  Click here to go to today’s Solano County Dashboard.

See also my BENINDY ARCHIVE of daily Solano COVID updates (an excel spreadsheet).  I have also archived the hundreds of full CORONAVIRUS REPORTS posted here almost daily on the Benicia Independent since April 2020.

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Air Quality, Benicia CA, Benicia Community Air Monitoring Program (BCAMP), Valero Benicia Refinery

VIDEO: Historic unveiling of Benicia’s Community Air Monitoring Program (BCAMP)

By Roger Straw, March 6, 2022

It was a LONG time coming, and thanks to the vision, hard work and persistence of Benicia activists and volunteers, Benicia now has a state-of-the-art air monitoring station just outside the Valero Benicia Refinery.

A culmination of the more than decade-long efforts of the Good Neighbor Steering Committee and a recently established and highly effective Governing Board, the Benicia Community Air Monitoring Program (BCAMP) was unveiled to the public in a webinar on March 3rd.

Benicia videographer Constance Beutel recorded the March 3 webinar, and has produced several options for you to view now (see below).

First, however, I am so proud of my friends, neighbors and all involved, and I want to offer profound thanks:

A HUGE THANK-YOU from the BenIndy!
    • Good Neighbor Steering Committee: Marilyn Bardet, Constance Beutel, Mary Frances Kelly Poh, Kathy Kerridge, Nancy Lund and attorney Dana Dean
    • BCAMP Board of Directors: Chair David Lindsay, Kathy Kerridge, Marilyn Bardet, Nancy Lund, C. Bart Sullivan
    • Argos Scientific Team, Don Gamiles, President and Founder
    • Ruszel Woodworks, accommodating and providing the site

Five Video options – BCAMP Webinar, Mar 3, 2022

Via a zoom webinar, attendees celebrated the official launch of the Benicia Community Air Monitoring Program (BCAMP), a non profit community run state of the art air monitoring system. This slightly edited (2 hour) video captures the historic launch of this critical community resource regarding air quality.

This edited video (just over an hour) from the launch of the BCAMP community project provides an overview and introduction to BCAMP, the BCAMP Board members and zoom webinar panelists.

This four-minute video is an extract from the 3/2/2022 zoom webinar launching BCAMP in Benicia, CA. It describes the state-of-the-art air monitoring equipment that is being used.
On March 2, 2022, BCAMP was publicly launched with a zoom webinar. This 6-minute video is an extract from the panelist presentation about the partnership of BCAMP with AirWatchBayArea.org

This 12-minute video extract from the zoom webinar on Mar 3, 2022 demonstrates the features and functionalities of the the BCAMP website: https://www.fenceline.org/bcamp/
#wearamask, Benicia CA, Benicia City Council, Coronavirus, Covid 19, Face coverings, Omicron variant, Solano County CA, Solano County Health Department, Vaccine, Vaccine mandate

Solano County has under-reported COVID cases, will report significant increase soon

By Roger Straw, Friday, March 6, 2022

‘Previously unreported cases were identified through a different testing procedure’

A pedestrian wears a face mask while walking along the Vallejo Waterfront, Friday, March 4, 2022. (Aaron Rosenblatt/Daily Republic)

Fairfield Daily Republic, by Todd R. Hansen, March 5, 2022

FAIRFIELD — Solano County expects to receive a significant report of previously unreported cases that were identified through a different testing procedure.

But Dr. Bela Matyas, the county public health officer, said the additions do not change the county’s continued decline in case trends.

There were two more Covid-related deaths reported Friday. A man over 65, living at home and vaccinated, was one of the reports, while a man between 50 and 65, living at home and unvaccinated, also died. Both had significant health issues, but the younger man apparently was unaware of his problems.

The two deaths take the pandemic total to 398, the county reported. Continue reading Solano County has under-reported COVID cases, will report significant increase soon →