Category Archives: Benicia CA

Benicia CA, Coronavirus, Covid 19, Quarantine, Solano County CA

Bay Area Counties recommend 10 to 20 day isolation for COVID-19 patients

Here’s how long most Bay Area counties are recommending COVID-19 patients isolate before returning to work

Those who were hospitalized, or those with underlying conditions, should isolate for 20 days.
ABC7 News, by J.R. Stone, August 4, 2020

SOLANO COUNTY, Calif. (KGO) — Most Bay Area counties are now recommending a 10-day isolation for COVID-19 patients instead of a 14-day quarantine before they come back to work.

The CDC is recommending this and it is also being backed by doctors from UCSF and Stanford.

“For the healthy individual, 10 days will be plenty and we just haven’t seen the evidence for spread after that period of time,” says Dr. Yvonne Maldonado with Stanford Health Care.

New CDC guidelines say those with coronavirus who have mild to moderate symptoms should isolate for 10 days from the start of symptoms or a positive test.

Those who were hospitalized, or those with underlying conditions, should isolate for 20 days.

“But it’s not everyone and there are still other pieces that have to be met, but the 10-day rule is still going to work a lot better for some of our workers,” says Dr. Ralph Gonzales of UCSF.

ABC7 News talked with a business owner in Benicia, who said, “10, 14, or 20 days. It’s hard to make sense of anything right now.”

“I had nothing given to me as a business owner, I don’t know, we’re doing the best we can and the rules change week by week,” says Dennis Cullen who owns Cullen’s Tannery Pub.

In fact, multiple counties are recommending people don’t get a second test before going back to work because dead COVID-19 virus cells can sometimes linger two to three months in patients, even if they’ve recovered.

“Some people do shed virus in our study up to two months, but whether or not that is infectious virus or not, that is unclear,” according to Dr. Maldonado.

Doctors tell us the number of people who are still contagious after that ten or 20-day period is so small, they don’t find it to be a major threat going forward.

Benicia CA, Benicia Mayor Elizabeth Patterson, Keeping Watch on Earth News

Elizabeth Patterson says 3 terms as Benicia mayor enough; will focus on climate change

Patterson says 3 terms as Benicia mayor enough; will focus on climate change

Fairfield Daily Republic, by Todd R. Hansen, July 31, 2020
FAIRFIELD — Elizabeth Patterson will not be running for a fourth term as mayor of Benicia.

Instead, she said she will focus her energies on what she called the “climate catastrophe.” Patterson said she wants to dedicate more time to the issue of climate change.

“We are in the future of climate change,” said Patterson, who was first elected to the City Council in 2003 and started her run as mayor with an election win in 2007.

Elizabeth Patterson

The outgoing mayor also had hoped to go to Michigan to work on the campaign for the Democratic presidential nominee, but is not sure of those plans due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Patterson also hopes to get into the outdoors more.

“There are more trails to hike and places to camp in,” she said.

Her decision not to run means the nomination period for candidates seeking to fill the mayor’s post will be extended to Aug. 12. She said she will be supporting a candidate in the race, but declined to say who that is at this time.

The mayoral candidates who have filed their election papers are current Councilman Steve Young, Christina Strawbridge and Jason Diavatas.

Terry Scott has filed candidacy papers for the City Council, while incumbent Councilman Tom Campbell and potential challenger Trevor Macenski have taken out papers, but had not filed as of Thursday morning. Because of Young’s decision to run for mayor, the nomination period is extended to Aug. 12 for his council seat.

Ken Paulk was expected to file his papers Thursday for re-election as city treasurer. City Clerk Lisa Wolfe has taken out papers.

Dixon Mayor Thom Bogue has not taken out re-election papers as of Thursday morning, either. Attempts to reach Bogue were unsuccessful.

If he chooses not to run, it will mean that there will be at least three new mayors among the seven Solano County cities.

Bob Sampayan

Bob Sampayan dropped his campaign for re-election as mayor in Vallejo, citing health concerns.

While there has been plenty of interest in possible candidates in Vallejo – Councilman Robert McConnell, M. Avonelle Hanley‐Mills and Cornisha Williams‐Bailey each has taken out papers for the mayor’s post – no candidate for any elected seat has actually filed papers as of Thursday morning.

The City Council election, for the first time, is by districts. In a twist, that means those council members who had been elected at-large, are not considered district incumbents.

Councilwoman Rozzana Verder‐Aliga has taken out papers for District 1, as have L. Alexander Matias and Vernon Williams III; Councilman Hermie R. Sunga has taken out papers for District 3, as have Jaci Caruso and Guillermina “Mina” Diaz; and Councilwoman Cristina Arriola and Councilman Jerry Bovee have taken out papers for District 6.

Whether Bogue seeks re-election or not, there are challengers for the mayor’s office in Dixon.

Councilmen Devon Minnema and Steve Bird have filed candidacy papers for mayor. That leaves their District 3 and District 4 council seats vacant. As of Thursday morning, only Kevin Johnson had filed papers to replace Bird in District 3. The nomination period for all offices, as the candidacy picture stands, will be extended to Aug. 12.

There could be yet another mayoral change if any of the challengers can unseat Rio Vista Mayor Ron Kott, who has filed his candidacy papers for a new term. Emily Gollinger also has filed papers. Rick Lynn pulled papers, but as of Thursday morning, had not filed. The nomination period ends Aug. 7.

Benicia CA, Coronavirus, Covid 19, Solano County CA

Benicia and most Solano cities more than triple COVID cases in July – Solano cities by the numbers

Coronavirus – it’s real in Benicia, Solano County

By Roger Straw, July 29, 2020

After 3 months of the coronavirus, as of June 29, Benicia had only 25 cases.  Benicia’s rate per 100,000 population on June 29 was 90.

Just one month later, as of July 28, Benicia had more than tripled its cases to 80 and its rate per 100,000 to 290.

See charts from the County’s COVID Dashboard below, followed by a Benicia Independent table comparing the June and July data.

July 29, 2020 – Solano County – COVID cases by city
June 29, 2020 – Solano County – COVID cases by city
July 28, 2020 – Solano County – COVID cases by city
July 28, 2020 – Solano County – COVID cases by city
All Solano Cities, by the numbers in July
Solano County COVID cases surge in July – Cities by the numbers
City Cases 6/29 Cases 7/28 Δ Rate/100k 6/29 Rate/100k 7/28 Δ
Benicia 25 80 320% 90.7 290.17 320%
Dixon 39 179 459% 197 904.31 459%
Fairfield 363 1124 310% 309.9 959.46 310%
Rio Vista <10 26 ? ? 276.13 ?
Suisun City 70 248 354% 237.7 842.19 354%
Vacaville 152 578 380% 153.8 584.98 380%
Vallejo 462 1142 247% 386.5 955.3 247%
Unincorporated <10 11 ? ? 56.18 ?
#Masks4All, #wearamask, Benicia CA, Coronavirus, Covid 19, Face coverings, Re-opening, Social Distancing, Solano County CA, Vacaville CA, Vallejo CA

State agents issue misdemeanor citations to Benicia, Vacaville, Vallejo businesses for coronavirus violations

Coronavirus: State cites several Solano eateries for violating state guidelines

Vallejo Times-Herald, by Kim Fu, July 25, 2020

Agents with the state’s Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control conducted compliance sweeps throughout Northern California earlier this month and found several eateries, including in Solano County, in violation of coronavirus guidelines.

John Carr, an ABC spokesman, said agents issued misdemeanor citations for violating state emergency health orders. A district attorney, he said, will determine whether to prosecute.

Meanwhile, ABC has not taken any action against licenses where the violations occurred, Carr said, as the violations remain under review. Should disciplinary action be pursued, business owners may request a hearing before an administrative law judge. Penalties can range from a fine to a suspension to a revocation.

Businesses cited between July 3-5 include:

  • Muay Thai Cuisine, Vacaville, for indoor consumption and employees not wearing masks.
  • Kazan Japanese Cuisine, Vacaville, for indoor consumption and employees not wearing masks.
  • El Patron Mexican Food, Vacaville, for employees not wearing masks.
  • Back Door Bistro, Vacaville, for employees not wearing masks.
  • Koreana BBQ, Fairfield, for indoor consumption.
  • Cullens Tannery Pub,  Benicia , for indoor consumption and employees not wearing masks.

Businesses cited between July 6-16 include:

  • Gentlemen Jims, Vallejo, for indoor consumption and employees not wearing masks.
  • The Loft,  Benicia , for employees not social distancing.