Category Archives: Coronavirus

Benicia, Coronavirus, Covid 19

City of Benicia issues Proclamation of Local Emergency

Press Release -City of Benicia COVID-19 Update 03.15.20.pdf

PRESS RELEASE
CITY OF BENICIA
City Hall, 250 East L Street
Benicia, California 94510
Contact: Lorie Tinfow, City Manager
ltinfow@ci.benicia.ca.us

City of Benicia Declares Local Emergency in Response to COVID-19 Pandemic

Benicia, CA (March 15, 2020) — Today, City Manager Lorie Tinfow, in her authority as Director of Emergency Services, issued a proclamation of local emergency in the City of Benicia in accordance with California Emergency Services Act and Benicia Municipal Code in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The City Council will ratify the declaration within seven days.

“We have no diagnosed cases of COVID-19 in Benicia. Issuing a proclamation of local emergency follows actions already taken by the County of Solano and the State of California and positions the City of Benicia for possible reimbursement from the State and Federal agencies for costs incurred during this public health emergency,” said Tinfow. “Doing so also allows for greater management flexibility in issues associated with City employees as disaster service workers.”

“I know I speak for the entire City Council when I express our concern for the safety and well-being of our community members during this uncertain time, especially those most vulnerable among us,” said Mayor Elizabeth Patterson. “Our excellent City staff are taking necessary actions to protect the community. Council will ratify the declaration and do what we can to assist City staff in protecting everyone.”

The local emergency will continue until terminated by the Benicia City Council. For up-to-date information about the City of Benicia’s response to COVID-19, please go to ci.benicia.ca.us/coronavirus.

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Benicia CA, Coronavirus, Covid 19

Benicia Parks & Community Services – closed or postponed through March 31

March 13, 2020

Benicia Parks & Community Services Closures

PRESS RELEASE
CITY OF BENICIA
Benicia Fire Department
250 East L Street
Benicia, California 94510
Contact: Fire Chief Josh Chadwick
Benicia Fire Department
(707) 746-4275 jchadwick@ci.benicia.ca.us

CITY OF BENICIA UPDATE ON COVID-19

Benicia, CA (March 13, 2020) — The City of Benicia continues to closely monitor the ongoing Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak through local, county and state health officials. Our top priority remains the health, safety and well-being of our community.

California Department of Public Health issued guidelines on postponing or canceling gatherings and events through the end of March 2020 to protect public health and slow the transmission of COVID-19.

To that end, the City of Benicia Parks & Community Services Department announced that to address the possible spread of COVID-19, all Parks & Recreation programs, classes, events and rentals have been postponed or canceled from March 14 – 31, 2020 at the Benicia Community Center, Benicia Senior Center, Benicia City Gym and Benicia Clock Tower. Parks and athletic fields remain open.

City Hall and Benicia Public Library remain open and operational with appropriate measures in place to protect the health of staff and the community.

As conditions change, or City meetings or events are canceled, updates will be shared on the Coronavirus webpage at https://www.ci.benicia.ca.us/coronavirus.

What can you do?

• See the CDC’s Coronavirus Disease website for updates, news and
symptoms to watch out for: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
• Wash your hands often and cover coughs and sneezes.
• Increase your social distance (no hand shaking or hugging) at events and gatherings.
• Stay in touch with older adults and encourage them to seek medical assistance, if they develop symptoms.

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Coronavirus, Covid 19, Travis Air Force Base

VIDEO: Quarantined Passengers Critical of Travis Air Force Base ‘Camp Corona’

KPIX5 CBS SF Bay Area, March 13, 2020

TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE (CBS Sacramento) — People inside the Travis Air Force Base Coronavirus quarantine are describing a poorly-planned operation they call “Camp Corona.”

Robert Archer, 65, and Robert Graham, 61, are two of the 800 people quarantined at Westwind Inn on Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield. Asked how they would describe what they were going through right now, and they both picked the same word — “hell.”

“We’re surrounded by chainlink fences and there’s armed guards outside,” Graham said.

Besides describing stark surroundings, the pair also described a scene inside with little regard for isolation. Photos show the quarantined passengers sharing common space, lining up together for food and drinks, and sitting at tables in close quarters.

COMPLETE COVERAGE: 
Benicia, Coronavirus, Covid 19

Coronavirus – Benicia closes Senior Center and Community Center

This notice appeared around 2:30pm March 13 on Nextdoor:

City Closes Community Center and Senior Center

Based on recommendations from Solano County, we are cancelling all programming at the City Gym and Senior Center, and closing the two facilities until March 31st. The City will continue to post updates about COVID-19 on the website at www.ci.benicia.ca.us/coronavirus.

In a March 12 press release, the City of Benicia announced detailed closures and postponements:

In response to the guidelines, the City of Benicia has canceled or postponed the following:

  • All senior activities at the Benicia Senior Center will be cancelled from March 13 – March 31, 2020 except for the Meals on Wheels program on Friday, March 13. Staff is working with Solano County to provide home delivery of Meals on Wheels beginning Monday, March 16.
  • Due to the difficulty in achieving recommended social distancing, the following meetings or events have been canceled through March 31
    • Benicia Public Library:
      • After School Zone, all storytimes, all book clubs, art gallery
        receptions, board games evenings, ESL classes, GED
        classes, Great Decisions discussions, Language Lab,
        Resume & Career Counseling, Technology Help, Teen
        Advisory Board, Writers’ Salon, Writer’s Workshop
      • March 12: Arts and Culture Commission meeting
      • March 14: Friends of the Library Book Sale
      • March 15: Three Poets Welcome Spring event
      • March 16: Art Gallery Committee meeting
      • March 17: Objective Planning Standards Stakeholder
        meeting
      • March 19: Public Art Subcommittee meeting
      • March 22: Ramana Vieira and Ensemble
      • March 29: Poet Jane Hirschfield
    • City Hall Commission Room:
      • March 16: Community Sustainability Commission meeting
      • March 25: Economic Development Board meeting

City Hall, Benicia Public Library and Benicia Community Center remain open and operational with appropriate measures in place to protect the health of staff and the community.