Category Archives: Coronavirus

#Masks4All, Benicia City Council, Benicia city staff, Coronavirus, Covid 19, Mandatory face coverings

Benicia City Council considers mandatory face mask order – staff recommends approval

The following business item is on the Benicia City Council agenda for Tuesday, June 16, 2020.  Below you will find instructions for sending your comment to staff and council members.

14.A – RESOLUTION REQUIRING THE WEARING OF FACE COVERINGS IN BENICIA (Assistant City Manager)

At the May 26, 2020 City Council study session, the City Council deliberated the merits of mandating the wearing of face coverings in Benicia. Council directed staff to collect data on COVID-19 infections and prepare a resolution requiring the public to wear face coverings indoors and in enclosed public spaces in Benicia. Staff has returned to Council with the requested data and resolution.

Recommendation:
Move to adopt a resolution (Attachment 1) requiring the wearing of face coverings in indoor and enclosed public spaces in Benicia.

COVID-19 Data from Bay Area Counties – click for larger view, or download PDF version.

 

HOW TO SEND YOUR THOUGHTS TO STAFF AND COUNCIL

(from a Benicia Happenings post by Jennifer Hanley)

ALL THE INFO YOU NEED TO PARTICIPATE IN OUR NEXT CITY COUNCIL MEETING, TUESDAY, JUNE 16th @ 7pm!
**They’ll be voting on the mask mandate, so send in your comments and explain why it is so important!!

-View live broadcast Ch 27, Tuesday, 6/16 at 7:00pm
-Watch Online at http://www.ci.benicia.ca.us/agenda
-Re-broadcasts on Ch 27: Thurs & Tues following the meeting, 8:30am

SUBMIT YOUR COMMENTS BY EMAIL
(copy the below email group and paste into “To:” field of email)

LWolfe@ci.benicia.ca.us, EPatterson@ci.benicia.ca.us,  CStrawbridge@ci.benicia.ca.us, TCampbell@ci.benicia.ca.us , SYoung@ci.benicia.ca.us, LLargaespada@ci.benicia.ca.us, LTinfow@ci.benicia.ca.us, AShear@ci.benicia.ca.us, BStock@ci.benicia.ca.us

You may choose to identify yourself, or remain anonymous. Briefly state which issue you will be speaking to. Limit submission to 750 words, or about 5 minutes reading length for clerk. ** Emails received PRIOR to 3pm on the meeting day will be distributed to council members, read privately, and recorded. Emails received AFTER 3pm & BEFORE 7pm on the meeting day will be collected by the clerk and read out loud during the council meeting broadcast.

SHARE COMMENTS VIA TELEPHONE DIAL-IN

Call in via Zoom: (669) 900-9128
Follow prompts, Meeting ID: 826 4906 6719 — Password: 440887
You will be placed in a virtual waiting room/queue. You will be prompted by the city clerk when it is your turn to share your comments. You will only have five minutes to speak (hard stop, no exceptions). Once complete, you will be muted to the council.

MAIL IN COMMENTS VIA USPS
Comments may be submitted by letter via the postal service. Standard postage will apply.
MAIL TO: City Clerk, Lisa Wolfe, 250 E L. Street, Benicia, CA 94510
Mailed comments must be received by end of business day on the day of the meeting and a copy will be distributed to each attendee.

For questions re: agenda, how to connect, submissions, contact:
City Clerk, Lisa Wolfe
250 E. L. Street, Benicia, CA 94510
LWolfe@ci.benicia.ca.us or (707) 746-4200
Business office hours 8am – 5pm.

View Current/Scheduled Meeting Agendas:
https://tinyurl.com/BeniciaCityCouncilAgenda

Guide to Council Meetings & Public Comment:
https://tinyurl.com/BeniciaCityCouncilGuide

Previous Council Meeting Agendas & Minutes:
https://tinyurl.com/BeniciaCCMPastMeetings

[Other City Officials that may Attend}
Lisa Wolfe – City Clerk
Lori Tinfow – City Manager
Alan Shear – Asst City Manager
Ben Stock – City Attorney
mgiuliani@ci.benicia.ca.us – Economic Dev, Mario Giuliani
police@ci.benicia.ca.us – Police Chief Erik Upson
JChadwick@ci.benicia.ca.us – Fire Chief, Josh Chadwick
mdotson@ci.benicia.ca.us – Parks & Community, Mike Dotson

Coronavirus, Covid 19, Solano County CA

Solano coronavirus – big jump in number of cases, holding steady in hospitalizations

Monday, June 15: 28 new positive cases (all on Saturday), no new deaths. Total now 685 cases, 23 deaths.

Source: Solano County Coronavirus Information & Resources

Solano County Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Updates and Resources.  Check out basic information in this screenshot.  IMPORTANT: The County’s interactive page has more.  On the County website, you can hover your mouse over the charts at right for detailed information.

Previous report, Friday, June 12

The County does not archive its dashboard.  Archives here: BenIndy’s Daily Count Archive.

Summary

  • Solano County reported 28 new positive cases on Saturday, and held steady on Sunday and Monday, total of 685.
  • No new deaths today, total of 23.
  • 6 fewer active cases since Friday, total 82.  (How is this possible with 28 new cases??)
  • Good progress in testing – reporting 1,339 residents tested since Friday (over 400  per day).
  • Youth – 1 new case since Friday among the 17 and under age group, total 40.  There have been 35 new cases among those age 17 and under in the last 33 days, with only 6 new cases over the 5 weeks prior.

BY AGE GROUP

  • 1 new case among those 17 and under, total of 40 cases, including one hospitalization. Our concern remains: cases among youth have increased in recent weeks to 5.8% of the 685 total confirmed cases.  And there have been 35 new cases among those age 17 and under in the last 33 days, with only 6 new cases over the 5 weeks prior.
  • 25 new cases among persons 18-49 years of age, total of 338 cases.  No new hospitalizations or deaths, total of 24 hospitalized at one time and 2 deaths.  This age group represents 49.3% of the 685 total cases, the highest percentage of all age groups.   24 of the 338 cases in this age group have been hospitalized at one time, 7.1% of total cases in the age group.
  • 1 new case among persons 50-64 years of age, total of 164 cases.  No new hospitalizations or deaths, total of 30 hospitalized at one time and 3 deaths.  This age group represents 23.9% of the 685 total cases.   30 of the 164 cases in this age group have been hospitalized at one time, 18.3% of total cases in the age group.
  • 1 new case among persons 65 years or older total 143 cases, including no new hospitalizations and no new deaths, total of 38 hospitalized at one time and 18 deaths.  This age group represents 20.9% of the 685 total cases.  38 of the 143 cases in this age group (26.6%) were hospitalized at one time, a substantially higher percentage than in the lower age groups.  And this group counts for 18 of the 23 deaths, over 78%.

CITY DATA

  • Vallejo added 3 new cases since Friday, total of 336.
  • Fairfield added 19 new cases since Friday, total of 172.
  • Vacaville added 3 new cases since Friday, total of 82 cases.
  • Suisun City added 1 new case since Friday, total of 46 cases.
  • Benicia added 1 new case since Friday, total of 25 cases.
  • Dixon added 1 new case since Friday, total of 14 cases.
  • Rio Vista and “Unincorporated” are still not assigned numerical data: today both remain at <10 (less than 10).  The total numbers for other cities add up to 675, leaving 10 cases somewhere among the 2 locations in this “<10” category (same as last reported).  Residents and city officials have pressured County officials for city case counts.  Today’s data is welcome, but still incomplete.

TOTAL HOSPITALIZATIONS:  93 of Solano’s 685 cases resulted in hospitalizations since the outbreak started, same as Friday and  steady at 93 since last Wednesday, June 10.  Cumulative hospitalizations is a most important stat to watch.  On May 1 there were 51 hospitalizations, and the daily increase was relatively steady, adding 2 or less each day.  But on May 22, the County reported 4 new hospitalizations, 9 more on May 29, and 3 more on June 2.  We are back to 1 or 2 a day lately or even remaining steady as today.  We need to keep our eyes on these numbers.

ACTIVE CASES:  82 of the 685 cases are currently active, 6 fewer than Friday.  This is a something of a mystery, given that the County is reporting 28 NEW cases since Friday.  Active cases had been trending lower until a steep increase last week.  We were at 72 active cases on May 28; down to 42 on June 8, and bouncing back up to 88 on Friday June 12.  Below you will see that only 14 of the active cases are currently hospitalized, which leaves 68 of these 82 active cases out in our communities somewhere, and hopefully quarantined.

HOSPITAL IMPACT: The County shows 14 of the 93 hospitalized cases are CURRENTLY hospitalized, same as last Friday, good news!  The County’s count of ICU beds available and ventilator supply remains at “GOOD” at 31-100%. (No information is given on our supply of test kits, PPE and staff.)
TESTING: The County reports that 16,849 residents have been tested as of today, an increase of 1,339 residents tested over the weekend and today (over 440 tested each day).  Testing will continue to be a very important way of limiting and tracking outbreaks – please go get a test if you can!  Testing sites in Vallejo and Vacaville are open to anyone – see locations below.  We have a long way to go: only 3.5% of Solano County’s 447,643 residents (2019) have been tested.

TESTING SITE LOCATIONS:
Vacaville – 1681 E Monte Vista Ave, Vacaville, CA 95688 (entrance at the end of Nut Tree Road)
Vallejo – 1121 Whitney Ave, Vallejo, CA (North Vallejo Community Center)

Solano’s curve – cumulative cases as of June 15

This chart shows that the infection’s steady upward trajectory is not flattening in Solano County.  Our nursing homes, long-term care facilities and jails bear watching, and social distancing is still incredibly important: everyone stay home if you don’t need to go out, wear masks when you do go out (especially in enclosed spaces), wash hands, and be safe!

Coronavirus, Covid 19, Solano County CA

Solano County COVID-19 report on June 12 – 14 new cases, including 2 more infected youths

Friday, June 12: 14 new positive cases, no new deaths. Total now 657 cases, 23 deaths.

Source: Solano County Coronavirus Information & Resources

Solano County Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Updates and Resources.  Check out basic information in this screenshot.  IMPORTANT: The County’s interactive page has more.  On the County website, you can hover your mouse over the charts at right for detailed information.

Previous report, Thursday, June 11

The County does not archive its dashboard.  Archives here: BenIndy’s Daily Count Archive.

Summary

  • Solano County reported 14 new positive cases today, total of 657.
  • No new deaths today, total of 23.
  • 8 new active cases since yesterday, total 88.
  • Good progress in testing – reporting 294 residents tested since yesterday (over 2,300 tested since Monday).
  • Youth – 2 new cases since yesterday among the 17 and under age group, total 39.  There have been 34 new cases among those age 17 and under in the last 30 days, with only 6 new cases over the 5 weeks prior.

BY AGE GROUP
(Note new bar graph key:the GREEN bar in the County’s chart no longer represents “Non-severe” cases.  Rather, it represents the TOTAL of all cases: non-severe cases, those hospitalized and deceased persons.)

  • 2 new cases among those 17 and under, total of 39 cases, including one hospitalization. Our concern remains: cases among youth have increased in recent weeks to 5.9% of the 657 total confirmed cases.  And there have been 34 new cases among those age 17 and under in the last 30 days, with only 6 new cases over the 5 weeks prior.
  • 10 new cases among persons 18-49 years of age, total of 313 cases.  No new hospitalizations or deaths, total of 24 hospitalized at one time and 2 deaths.  This age group represents 47.6% of the 657 total cases, the highest percentage of all age groups.   24 of the 313 cases in this age group have been hospitalized at one time, 7.7% of total cases in the age group.  (It is unclear whether the 2 deaths were ever hospitalized.)
  • 2 new cases among persons 50-64 years of age, total of 163 cases.  No new hospitalizations or deaths, total of 30 hospitalized at one time and 3 deaths.  This age group represents 24.8% of the 657 total cases.   30 of the 163 cases in this age group have been hospitalized at one time, 18.4% of total cases in the age group.  (It is unclear whether the 3 deaths were ever hospitalized.)
  • Good news – no new cases among persons 65 years or older total 142 cases, including no new hospitalizations and no new deaths, total of 38 hospitalized at one time and 18 deaths.  This age group represents 21.6% of the 657 total cases.  38 of the 142 cases in this age group (26.8%) were hospitalized at one time, a substantially higher percentage than in the lower age groups.  And this group counts for 18 of the 23 deaths, over 78%.  (It is unclear whether the 18 deaths in this age group were ever hospitalized.)

CITY DATA

  • Vallejo added 3 new cases today, total of 333.
  • Fairfield added 4 new cases today, total of 153.
  • Vacaville added 5 new cases today, total of 79 cases.
  • Suisun City added 2 new cases today, total of 45 cases.
  • Benicia remained at 24 cases.
  • Dixon remained at 13 cases.
  • Rio Vista and “Unincorporated” are still not assigned numerical data: today both remain at <10 (less than 10).  The total numbers for other cities add up to 647, leaving 10 cases somewhere among the 2 locations in this “<10” category (same as last reported).  Residents and city officials have pressured County officials for city case counts.  Today’s data is welcome, but still incomplete.

TOTAL HOSPITALIZATIONS:  93 of Solano’s 657 cases resulted in hospitalizations since the outbreak started, same as yesterday.  Cumulative hospitalizations is a most important stat to watch.  On May 1 there were 51 hospitalizations, and the daily increase was relatively steady, adding 2 or less each day.  But on May 22, the County reported 4 new hospitalizations, 9 more on May 29, plus 3 more on June 2.  We are back to 1 or 2 a day lately or even remaining steady as today – we need to keep our eyes on these numbers.

ACTIVE CASES:  88 of the 657 cases are currently active, 8 more than yesterday.  Active cases had been trending lower until a steep increase this week.  We were at 72 active cases just 12 days ago on May 28; down to 42 on this Monday June 8, and bouncing back up to 80 yesterday and 88 today.  Below you will see that only 14 of the active cases are currently hospitalized, which leaves 74 of these 88 active cases out in our communities somewhere, and hopefully quarantined.

HOSPITAL IMPACT: The County shows 14 of the 93 hospitalized cases are CURRENTLY hospitalized, 3 fewer than yesterday, good news!  The County’s count of ICU beds available and ventilator supply remains at “GOOD” at 31-100%. (No information is given on our supply of test kits, PPE and staff.).

TESTING: The County reports that 15,510 residents have been tested as of today, an increase of 294 residents tested since yesterday (over 2,300 tested since Monday).  We have heard rumors that there is talk of closing a testing site due to low numbers of Solano residents seeking tests.  Testing will continue to be a very important way of limiting and tracking outbreaks – please go get a test if you can!  Testing sites in Vallejo and Vacaville are open to anyone – see locations below.  We have a long way to go: only 3.5% of Solano County’s 447,643 residents (2019) have been tested.

TESTING SITE LOCATIONS:
Vacaville – 1681 E Monte Vista Ave, Vacaville, CA 95688 (entrance at the end of Nut Tree Road)
Vallejo – 1121 Whitney Ave, Vallejo, CA (North Vallejo Community Center)

Solano’s curve – cumulative cases as of June 12

This chart shows that the infection’s steady upward trajectory is not flattening in Solano County.  Our nursing homes, long-term care facilities and jails bear watching, and social distancing is still incredibly important: everyone stay home if you don’t need to go out, wear masks when you do go out (especially in enclosed spaces), wash hands, and be safe!

Coronavirus, Covid 19, Solano County CA

Solano County June 11 coronavirus report: 26 new cases in one day, including 13 in Fairfield

Thursday, June 11: 26 new positive cases, no new deaths. Total now 643 cases, 23 deaths.

Source: Solano County Coronavirus Information & Resources

Solano County Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Updates and Resources.  Check out basic information in this screenshot.  IMPORTANT: The County’s interactive page has more.  On the County website, you can hover your mouse over the charts at right for detailed information.

Previous report, Wednesday, June 10

The County does not archive its dashboard.  Archives here: BenIndy’s Daily Count Archive.

Summary

  • Solano County reported 26 new positive cases today, total of 643.
  • No new deaths today, total of 23.
  • 25 new active cases since yesterday, total 80.
  • Good progress in testing – reporting 448 residents tested since yesterday (over 2,000 tested since Monday).
  • Youth – no new cases since yesterday among the 17 and under age group, total 37.  There have been 32 new cases among those age 17 and under in the last 29 days, with only 6 new cases over the 5 weeks prior.

BY AGE GROUP
(Note new bar graph key:the GREEN bar in the County’s chart no longer represents “Non-severe” cases.  Rather, it represents the TOTAL of all cases: non-severe cases, those hospitalized and deceased persons.)

  • No new cases among those 17 and under, total of 37 cases, including one hospitalization. Our concern remains: cases among youth have increased in recent weeks to 5.7% of the 643 total confirmed cases.  And there have been 32 new cases among those age 17 and under in the last 29 days, with only 6 new cases over the 5 weeks prior.
  • 16 new cases among persons 18-49 years of age, total of 303 cases.  No new hospitalizations or deaths, total of 24 hospitalized at one time and 2 deaths.  This age group represents 47% of the 643 total cases, the highest percentage of all age groups.   24 of the 303 cases in this age group have been hospitalized at one time, just under 8% of total cases in the age group.  (It is unclear whether the 2 deaths were ever hospitalized.)
  • 6 new cases among persons 50-64 years of age, total of 161 cases.  No new hospitalizations or deaths, total of 30 hospitalized at one time and 3 deaths.  This age group represents 25% of the 643 total cases.   30 of the 161 cases in this age group have been hospitalized at one time, 18.6% of total cases in the age group.  (It is unclear whether the 3 deaths were ever hospitalized.)
  • 4 new cases among persons 65 years or older total 142 cases, including no new hospitalizations and no new deaths, total of 38 hospitalized at one time and 18 deaths.  This age group represents just over 22% of the 643 total cases.  38 of the 142 cases in this age group (26.8%) were hospitalized at one time, a substantially higher percentage than in the lower age groups.  (It is unclear whether the 18 deaths in this age group were ever hospitalized.)

CITY DATA

  • Vallejo added 6 new cases today, total of 330.
  • Fairfield added 13 new cases today, total of 149.
  • Vacaville added 3 new cases today, total of 74 cases.
  • Suisun City added 3 new cases today, total of 43 cases.
  • Benicia remained at 24 cases.
  • Dixon added 1 new case today, total of 13 cases.
  • Rio Vista and “Unincorporated” are still not assigned numerical data: today both remain at <10 (less than 10).  The total numbers for other cities add up to 633, leaving 10 cases somewhere among the 2 locations in this “<10” category (same as last reported).  Residents and city officials have pressured County officials for city case counts.  Today’s data is welcome, but still incomplete.

TOTAL HOSPITALIZATIONS:  93 of Solano’s 643 cases resulted in hospitalizations since the outbreak started, same as yesterday.  Cumulative hospitalizations is a most important stat to watch.  On May 1 there were 51 hospitalizations, and the daily increase was relatively steady, adding 2 or less each day.  But on May 22, the County reported 4 new hospitalizations, 9 more on May 29, plus 3 more on June 2.  We are back to 1 or 2 a day lately – will need to keep our eyes on these numbers.

ACTIVE CASES:  80 of the 643 cases are currently active, 25 more than yesterday!  Active cases had been trending lower until a steep increase yesterday and today.  We were at 72 active cases just 12 days ago on May 28; down to 42 on Monday and bouncing back up to 80 today.  Note that the county does not report WHERE the active cases are.  Below you will see that only 17 of the active cases are currently hospitalized, which leaves 63 of these 80 active cases out in our communities somewhere, and hopefully quarantined.

HOSPITAL IMPACT: The County shows 17 of the 93 hospitalized cases are CURRENTLY hospitalized, 2 more than yesterday.  The County’s count of ICU beds available and ventilator supply remains at “GOOD” at 31-100%. (No information is given on our supply of test kits, PPE and staff.).

TESTING: The County reports that 15,216 residents have been tested as of today, a good increase of 448 residents tested since yesterday (over 2,000 tested since Monday).  We have heard rumors that there is talk of closing a testing site due to low numbers of Solano residents seeking tests.  Testing will continue to be a very important way of limiting and tracking outbreaks – please go get a test if you can!  Testing sites in Vallejo and Vacaville are open to anyone – see locations below.  We have a long way to go: only 3.3% of Solano County’s 447,643 residents (2019) have been tested.

TESTING SITE LOCATIONS:
Vacaville – 1681 E Monte Vista Ave, Vacaville, CA 95688 (entrance at the end of Nut Tree Road)
Vallejo – 1121 Whitney Ave, Vallejo, CA (North Vallejo Community Center)

Solano’s curve – cumulative cases as of June 11

This chart shows that the infection’s steady upward trajectory is not flattening in Solano County.  Our nursing homes, long-term care facilities and jails bear watching, and social distancing is still incredibly important: everyone stay home if you don’t need to go out, wear masks when you do go out (especially in enclosed spaces), wash hands, and be safe!