Category Archives: Covid 19

Benicia CA, Coronavirus, Covid 19, Delta variant, Hospitalizations, Solano County CA, Solano County Health Department, Vaccine

Solano County nearing 1,000 active cases of COVID, reporting fewer hospital beds and ventilators available

By Roger Straw, Friday, August 13, 2021

Friday, August 13: Solano County reported 314 new infections over the last 2 days, updated total of 910 active cases, availability of ICU beds and ventilators down dramatically.

Solano County COVID dashboard SUMMARY:
[Sources: see below.  See also my ARCHIVE spreadsheet of daily Solano COVID updates.]

DEATHS: Solano County reported no new deaths today, the total remaining at 254 COVID deaths since the pandemic began.

CASES: The County reported  314 new COVID cases just since Wednesday, 157 per day!  CASES-PER DAY TREND: We are clearly experiencing a dramatic “summer surge” in cases.  Cases-per-day were trending downward in the Spring, but rose rapidly in July and are extremely high in early August:

ACTIVE CASES: Solano’s 910 ACTIVE cases is up from Wednesday’s 754, and nearing our remarkable July 30 high of 972.  Active cases are up alarmingly from 212 on July 2, and higher than anything since last February’s surge.

POSITIVE TEST RATE:  INCREDIBLY HIGH – much higher than US & California!  Our 7-day average percent positivity rate was up again today from 17.8% Wednesday to 18.9% today, more than double the purple tier margin, and nearly 4 times California’s rate and over 1½ times the U.S. rate.  COMPARE: The California  rate remained at 5.1% today, and today’s U.S. fell to 11.2%.  [Source: Johns Hopkins]   WARNING: The Delta Variant is among us and spreading fast.  Time to mask up again – watch out and take care!  
Hospitalizations up again today

CURRENT hospitalizations fell today from 127 to 105 persons.

ICU Beds Available took a dramatic turn for the worse today, falling from 30% to only 20%, in the yellow danger zone and lower than any time since January 29, 2021.

Ventilators Available also fell dramatically today from 74% to only 56%, lower than anytime since February 26, 2021.

TOTAL Hospitalized – The County’s Monday-Friday dashboard shows an intake/discharge total of CURRENTLY hospitalized cases (above), but never reports on the TOTAL hospitalized over the course of the pandemic.  That total must be independently discovered in the County’s occasional update of the Hospitalizations by Age Group chart.  The County updated its Hospitalizations by Age Group chart today.  The County reported 2 new hospitalizations today, 1 person age 50-64, and 1 age 65+. Percentages remain the same.  The Age Group chart shows a total of 2,043 persons hospitalized since the beginning of the outbreak, in the following age groups:

Age Group Hospitalizations % of Total
0-17 36 2%
18-49 582 29%
50-64 545 27%
65+ 880 43%
TOTAL 2,043 100%

Hospitalizations are also recorded on the County’s demographic chart labeled “Hospitalizations by Race / Ethnicity.”  The chart was updated today, adding 2 persons, both White.  Here are the current numbers.  Interestingly, the total doesn’t square with the total by age groups.

Race / Ethnicity Hospitalizations % of Total
Asians 323 17%
Black / African American 332 17%
Hispanic / Latinx 552 29%
White 626 33%
Multirace / Others 84 4%
TOTAL 1,917 100%
Face Coverings…

Good news!  Benicia Mayor Steve Young and Vice Mayor Tom Campbell are proposing a mandatory face covering policy for Benicia.  Benicia City Council will address the matter on Tuesday, August 17.  See also California’s recent Guidance for the Use of Face Coverings.  The guidelines include a recommendation for universal masking indoors statewide, adding of Adult and Senior Care Facilities to settings where all individuals must wear masks indoors, and a reference to new requirements for unvaccinated workers.  Some California cities and counties are returning to mandatory masks for all in crowded places.  In the Bay Area, Solano County REMAINS the only holdout against even RECOMMENDING masks in public indoors spaces.  It looks like Dr. Matyas will refuse to make the difficult decisions.  Sad – and dangerous!

STUDY SHOWS HIGHER RATE OF “BREAKTHROUGH” CASES AMONG THE VACCINATED  – About wearing masks again, Social Distancing & Vaccination…

We heard seriously shocking news on July 29 about the large number of FULLY VACCINATED persons who are catching the virus and actively transmitting it.  As the Washington Post reports, “A sobering scientific analysis published Friday found that three-quarters of the people infected during an explosive coronavirus outbreak fueled by the delta variant were fully vaccinated. …vaccinated people can spread the more transmissible variant and may be a factor in the summer surge of infections.” 

This is HUGE!  We were just beginning to associate more freely with fully vaccinated friends and family, and now we understand that some among us may be asymptomatic and unknowingly transmitting the virus, and inevitably helping spread the disease to someone who knows someone, who knows someone else, who knows yet another someone who is not vaccinated, or who is too young or too health-compromised to be vaccinated – and who may end up seriously ill or even dead!  Please mask indoors in public now, and maybe even indoors with vaccinated family and friends!  And PLEASE talk to anyone you know who isn’t vaccinated.  This thing ain’t over yet!

Cases by City on Friday, August 13:
  • Benicia added 14 new cases today, a total of 1,167 cases since the outbreak began, 4.2% of its population of 27,570.
  • Dixon added 13 new cases today, total of 2,100 cases, 10.6% of its population of 19,794.
  • Fairfield added 103 new cases today, total of 10,237 cases, 8.7% of its population of 117,149.
  • Rio Vista added 4 new cases today, total of 462 cases, 4.9% of its population of 9,416.
  • Suisun City added 19 new cases today, total of 2,660 cases, 9.0% of its population of 29,447.
  • Vacaville added 76 new cases today, a total of 9,840 cases, 10.0% its of population of 98,807.
  • Vallejo added 84 new cases today, a total of 11,081 cases, 9.3% of its population of 119,544.
  • Unincorporated added 1 new case today, a total of 117 cases (population figures not available).

Continue reading Solano County nearing 1,000 active cases of COVID, reporting fewer hospital beds and ventilators available →

#Masks4All, #wearamask, Benicia City Council, Benicia Mayor Steve Young, Benicia Vice Mayor Tom Campbell, Coronavirus, Covid 19, Delta variant, Face coverings, Masks

ALERT: Benicia City Council to consider mask mandate – Tuesday, Aug 17

By Roger Straw, August 13, 2021

Let Benicia City Council know you support masks in indoors public spaces!

At next Tuesday’s Council meeting, members will hear a request to implement a face covering mandate for the City of Benicia.

The request, submitted by Mayor Steve Young and Vice Mayor Tom Campbell, would establish a “mask mandate for inside commercial businesses.”

Two-step request, handwritten and marked urgent

City Council rules require a “two-step process” just to agendize discussion of a new  item.  The August 17 request is the first of the two steps, requesting the item be agendized for consideration at the August 24 meeting.  It’s an important first step – Young and Campbell will need three votes just to bring the item to Council  on August 24 for discussion and a vote.

Alert!

Your thoughtful input is needed!  See

Benicia CA, Coronavirus, Covid 19, Delta variant, Hospitalizations, Solano County CA, Solano County Health Department, Vaccine

Solano County hospitalizations on steep upward curve, now at 127 persons

By Roger Straw, Wednesday, August 11, 2021

Wednesday, August 11: Over the last 2 days, Solano County reports 294 new infections, current hospitalizations rising dramatically.

Solano County COVID dashboard SUMMARY:
[Sources: see below.  See also my ARCHIVE spreadsheet of daily Solano COVID updates.]

DEATHS: Solano County reported no new deaths today, the total remaining at 254 COVID deaths since the pandemic began.  (Updated details on yesterday’s 5 new deaths here.)

CASES: The County reported  294 new COVID cases just since Monday, 147 per day!  CASES-PER DAY TREND: We are clearly experiencing a dramatic “summer surge” in cases.  Cases-per-day were trending downward in the Spring, but rose rapidly in July and are extremely high in early August:

ACTIVE CASES: Solano’s 754 ACTIVE cases is up from Monday’s 626, and nearing our remarkable high the previous Friday of 972.  Active cases are up alarmingly from 212 on July 2, and higher than anything since last February’s surge.

POSITIVE TEST RATE:  INCREDIBLY HIGH – much higher than US & California!  Our 7-day average percent positivity rate was up again today from a 16.2% Monday to 17.8% today, more than double the purple tier margin, and 3 times California’s rate and nearly 1½ times the U.S. rate.  COMPARE: The California  rate fell slightly today to 5.1% and today’s U.S. rose to 11.3%.  [Source: Johns Hopkins]   WARNING: The Delta Variant is among us and spreading fast.  Time to mask up again – watch out and take care!  
Hospitalizations up again today

CURRENT hospitalizations today rose from 101 to 127 persons, higher than anytime since February 1, 2021.  This chart shows the steep curve in current hospitalizations:

ICU Beds Available are back in the yellow danger zone today, falling from 34% to 30%.

Ventilators Available rose today from 66% to 74%.

TOTAL Hospitalized – The County’s Monday-Friday dashboard shows an intake/discharge total of CURRENTLY hospitalized cases (above), but never reports on the TOTAL hospitalized over the course of the pandemic.  That total must be independently discovered in the County’s occasional update of the Hospitalizations by Age Group chart.  The County updated its Hospitalizations by Age Group chart today.  The County reported 6 new hospitalizations today, (1 fewer age 50-64), and 7 additional persons age 65+. Percentages remain the same.  The Age Group chart shows a total of 2,041 persons hospitalized since the beginning of the outbreak., in the following age groups:

Age Group Hospitalizations % of Total
0-17 36 2%
18-49 582 29%
50-64 544 27%
65+ 879 43%
TOTAL 2,041 100%

Hospitalizations are also recorded on the County’s demographic chart labeled “Hospitalizations by Race / Ethnicity.”  The chart was updated today, adding 6 persons: 1 Black, 3 Hispanic, and 2 White.  Here are the current numbers.  Interestingly, the total doesn’t square with the total by age groups.

Race / Ethnicity Hospitalizations % of Total
Asians 323 17%
Black / African American 332 17%
Hispanic / Latinx 552 29%
White 624 33%
Multirace / Others 84 4%
TOTAL 1,915 100%
Face Coverings…

See California’s recent Guidance for the Use of Face Coverings.  The guidelines include a recommendation for universal masking indoors statewide, adding of Adult and Senior Care Facilities to settings where all individuals must wear masks indoors, and a reference to new requirements for unvaccinated workers.  Some California cities and counties are returning to mandatory masks for all in crowded places.  In the Bay Area, Solano County is the only holdout against even RECOMMENDING masks in public indoors spaces.  Dr. Matyas needs to make some difficult decisions – and soon!

STUDY SHOWS HIGHER RATE OF “BREAKTHROUGH” CASES AMONG THE VACCINATED  – About wearing masks again, Social Distancing & Vaccination…

We heard seriously shocking news on July 29 about the large number of FULLY VACCINATED persons who are catching the virus and actively transmitting it.  As the Washington Post reports, “A sobering scientific analysis published Friday found that three-quarters of the people infected during an explosive coronavirus outbreak fueled by the delta variant were fully vaccinated. …vaccinated people can spread the more transmissible variant and may be a factor in the summer surge of infections.” 

This is HUGE!  We were just beginning to associate more freely with fully vaccinated friends and family, and now we understand that some among us may be asymptomatic and unknowingly transmitting the virus, and inevitably helping spread the disease to someone who knows someone, who knows someone else, who knows yet another someone who is not vaccinated, or who is too young or too health-compromised to be vaccinated – and who may end up seriously ill or even dead!  Please mask indoors in public now, and maybe even indoors with vaccinated family and friends!  And PLEASE talk to anyone you know who isn’t vaccinated.  This thing ain’t over yet!

Cases by City on Wednesday, August 11:
  • Benicia added 12 new cases today, a total of 1,153 cases since the outbreak began, 4.2% of its population of 27,570.
  • Dixon added 13 new cases today, total of 2,087 cases, 10.5% of its population of 19,794.
  • Fairfield added 80 new cases today, total of 10,134 cases, 8.7% of its population of 117,149.
  • Rio Vista added 8 new cases today, total of 458 cases, 4.9% of its population of 9,416.
  • Suisun City added 18 new cases today, total of 2,641 cases, 9.0% of its population of 29,447.
  • Vacaville added 69 new cases today, a total of 9,764 cases, 9.9% its of population of 98,807.
  • Vallejo added 94 new cases today, a total of 10,997 cases, 9.2% of its population of 119,544.
  • Unincorporated remained steady today, a total of 116 cases (population figures not available).

Continue reading Solano County hospitalizations on steep upward curve, now at 127 persons →

Benicia CA, Coronavirus, Covid 19, Delta variant, Hospitalizations, Solano County CA, Solano County Health Department, Vaccine

Solano County reports 5 more dead from COVID, over 100 currently hospitalized, 208 newly infected

By Roger Straw, Monday, August 9, 2021

Monday, August 9: Over the weekend, Solano County reports 5 COVID dead*, 208 new infections.

Solano County COVID dashboard SUMMARY:
[Sources: see below.  See also my ARCHIVE spreadsheet of daily Solano COVID updates.]

DEATHS: Solano County reported 5 new deaths today, 1 person age 50-64, and 4 age 65+.  The County total rose to 254 COVID deaths since the pandemic began. *UPDATE/DETAILS: The Fairfield Daily Republic reports that all the deaths were “from September to December 2020, and four were individuals who died at home. The other was an elderly man in a memory care facility….Of the community deaths, there was one man in his 50s, two men over 65 and one woman over 65. All had substantial health issues, [Solano Health Officer] Matyas said.”

CASES: The County reported  208 new COVID cases over the weekend, 60 per day (down from 162 per day last Friday).  TREND: Cases-per-day are dramatically up in July/August.  We are clearly experiencing a dramatic “summer surge” in cases.  Cases-per-day were trending downward in the Spring, but rose rapidly in July and are extremely high in early August:

ACTIVE CASES: Solano’s 626 ACTIVE cases is down from Friday’s high of 889, and nearing our remarkable high the previous Friday of 972.  Active cases are up alarmingly from 212 on July 2, and higher than anything since last February’s surge.

POSITIVE TEST RATE:  INCREDIBLY HIGH – much higher than US & California!  Our 7-day average percent positivity rate was down some today from a high of 20.7% on Friday to 16.2% today, still way over the purple tier margin, and 3 times California’s rate and nearly 1½ times the U.S. rate.  COMPARE: The California  rate fell slightly today to 5.4% and today’s U.S. rate fell to 10.9%.  [Source: Johns Hopkins]   WARNING: The Delta Variant is among us and spreading fast.  Time to mask up again – watch out and take care!  
Hospitalizations up again today

CURRENT hospitalizations today rose from 87 to 101 persons, higher than anytime since February 4, 2021.

ICU Beds Available took a slight turn upward today, from 29% to 34%, but barely out of the County’s yellow danger zone.

Ventilators Available fell slightly today from 68% to 66%.

TOTAL Hospitalized – The County’s Monday-Friday dashboard shows an intake/discharge total of CURRENTLY hospitalized cases (above), but never reports on the TOTAL hospitalized over the course of the pandemic.  That total must be independently discovered in the County’s occasional update of the Hospitalizations by Age Group chart.  The County updated its Hospitalizations by Age Group chart today.  The County reported 2 new hospitalizations today, 1 age 50-64, and 1 age 65+. Percentages remain the same.  The Age Group chart shows a total of 2,035 persons hospitalized since the beginning of the outbreak, in the following age groups:

Age Group Hospitalizations % of Total
0-17 36 2%
18-49 582 29%
50-64 545 27%
65+ 872 43%
TOTAL 2,035 100%

Hospitalizations are also recorded on the County’s demographic chart labeled “Hospitalizations by Race / Ethnicity.”  The chart was updated today, adding 2 persons: both White.  Here are the current numbers.  Interestingly, the total doesn’t square with the total by age groups.

Race / Ethnicity Hospitalizations % of Total
Asians 323 17%
Black / African American 331 17%
Hispanic / Latinx 549 29%
White 622 33%
Multirace / Others 84 4%
TOTAL 1,897 100%
Face Coverings…

See California’s recent Guidance for the Use of Face Coverings.  The guidelines include a recommendation for universal masking indoors statewide, adding of Adult and Senior Care Facilities to settings where all individuals must wear masks indoors, and a reference to new requirements for unvaccinated workers.  Some California cities and counties are returning to mandatory masks for all in crowded places.  In the Bay Area, Solano County is the only holdout against even RECOMMENDING masks in public indoors spaces.  Dr. Matyas needs to make some difficult decisions – and soon!

STUDY SHOWS HIGHER RATE OF “BREAKTHROUGH” CASES AMONG THE VACCINATED  – About wearing masks again, Social Distancing & Vaccination…

We heard seriously shocking news on July 29 about the large number of FULLY VACCINATED persons who are catching the virus and actively transmitting it.  As the Washington Post reports, “A sobering scientific analysis published Friday found that three-quarters of the people infected during an explosive coronavirus outbreak fueled by the delta variant were fully vaccinated. …vaccinated people can spread the more transmissible variant and may be a factor in the summer surge of infections.” 

This is HUGE!  We were just beginning to associate more freely with fully vaccinated friends and family, and now we understand that some among us may be asymptomatic and unknowingly transmitting the virus, and inevitably helping spread the disease to someone who knows someone, who knows someone else, who knows yet another someone who is not vaccinated, or who is too young or too health-compromised to be vaccinated – and who may end up seriously ill or even dead!  Please mask indoors in public now, and maybe even indoors with vaccinated family and friends!  And PLEASE talk to anyone you know who isn’t vaccinated.  This thing ain’t over yet!

Cases by City on Monday, August 9:
  • Benicia added 9 new cases today, a total of 1,141 cases since the outbreak began, 4.1% of its population of 27,570.
  • Dixon added 15 new cases today, total of 2,074 cases, 10.4% of its population of 19,794.
  • Fairfield added 61 new cases today, total of 10,054 cases, 8.5% of its population of 117,149.
  • Rio Vista added 2 new cases today, total of 450 cases, 4.8% of its population of 9,416.
  • Suisun City added 18 new cases today, total of 2,623 cases, 8.8% of its population of 29,447.
  • Vacaville added 49 new cases today, a total of 9,695 cases, 9.8% its of population of 98,807.
  • Vallejo added 53 new cases today, a total of 10,903 cases, 9.1% of its population of 119,544.
  • Unincorporated added 1 new case today, a total of 116 cases (population figures not available).

Continue reading Solano County reports 5 more dead from COVID, over 100 currently hospitalized, 208 newly infected →