Solano County COVID-19 Report
Tuesday, March 16, 2021, 5pm
The screenshot above is from today’s Solano County COVID-19 Dashboard. The Dashboard is full of much more information and updated weekdays around 4pm. On the County’s dashboard, you can hover a mouse or click on an item for more information. Note the tabs at top for Cases – Summary, Cases – Demographics and Vaccines – Summary. Click here to go to today’s Solano County Dashboard.
California by County at COVID-19.CA.GOV
(Please be patient – sometimes slow to load. Note that the State’s numbers don’t always agree with County numbers, due to delays in reporting.)
On February 26, a Benicia resident asked an intriguing question on Nextdoor:
How good are the Benicia Schools HVAC systems? Before we expel school board members and chop up the teachers union, how up – to date & how well maintained our our school’s hvac systems? If it costs approx $300,000 to recall a board member can we put that money into upgrading the schools’ hvac systems and hiring more janitors instead?
The Nextdoor question had obvious political implications, with which, incidentally, I agree wholeheartedly. Our school infrastructure, supplies and services for teachers and students are so important. The recent effort to attack and unseat two BUSD trustees is ridiculously expensive ($300,000!) and the recall is also misguided in intent, targeting two fine Trustees, including the School Board President. EVERYONE please DO NOT SIGN THE RECALL PETITION!
But… what stood out to me was the opening question, “How good are the Benicia Schools HVAC systems?”
I wondered if anyone has a good answer to that question. A little research uncovered that Benicia’s 2014 Ballot Measure S included significant provisions for upgrading the District’s HVAC systems.
So I dug around and found that I could write to Roxanne Egan, the Bond Director for Benicia Unified School District.
I emailed Ms. Egan some tough questions, and got a thorough response. Here is my opening contextual statement and my four questions:
Given the pandemic guidelines’ strong call for good ventilation and heating/AC in schools before returning to in-person learning, I would like to know some details:
What has been done to improve BUSD HVAC systems since passage of Measure S in 2014?
What improvements have been made to BUSD HVAC systems in direct response to the COVID-19 pandemic?
Has the BUSD received specific federal and state guidance on HVAC recommendations and requirements in order to provide safe space as we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, and if so, what are those recommendations and requirements?
In what particulars are BUSD schools up to HVAC standards proposed by the CDC and the CA Department of Health, and in what particulars are we still deficient?
Ms. Egan and directors of several other BUSD departments were thorough in gathering information that would address my questions. I received a two-page letter from Ms. Egan and Alfredo Romero, Director of Maintenance and Operations on March 11. After the opening thank you, Egan and Romero answered each question, beginning with the first:
What has been done to improve BUSD HVAC systems since passage of Measure S in 2014?
Measure S has funded HVAC improvements including the replacement of over 28 HVAC units, service and repairs to existing HVAC units, upgrades to HVAC economizers, which are the mechanical assembly that responds to the thermostat “demand” to allow fresh air intake. In addition to Measure S funding, BUSD received State Proposition 39 funding through the California Energy Commission for qualified energy improvements which included thermostat upgrades at all schools. The upgraded thermostats provide the ability to remotely access the thermostats including the ability to monitor fresh air intake and allow maintenance operators to increase and decrease the fresh air minimums based on ambient conditions. The minimums for fresh air intake are consistent with state building codes and during the COVID-19 pandemic, these minimums may be exceeded to introduce a larger amount of fresh air.
BUSD letter on HVAC improvements, March 11, 2021
The letter goes on like this. I find it on the one hand reassuring, but on the other, rather general and couched in technical language that leaves me wondering. I’m guessing the public might still have questions. Please read the whole letter, and see if you agree.
READ THE LETTER from Roxanne Egan, Bond Director, and Alfredo Romero, Director of Maintenance and Operations, March 11, 2021.
Questions?
If not for the pandemic, parents and grandparents like me could all gather in a school auditorium and ask questions, or maybe even get a guided tour with HVAC examples. I wonder if the District could convene a ZOOM meeting and interact with us on these and other in-person learning issues that concern us.
Thursday, March 11: 35 new Solano cases overnight, no new deaths. Since February 2020: 30,488 cases, over 940 hospitalized, 177 deaths.Compare previous report, Wednesday, March 10:Summary
CASES – Solano County reported 35 new cases overnight, a total of 30,488 cases since the outbreak started.
2021 SURGE IN DEATHS – the County reported no new deaths today, but 10 new deaths so far this week, all but one over 65, one was age 50-64. A total of 177 Solano residents have died with COVID since the pandemic began. In January-February, Solano recorded 66 coronavirus deaths, and 13 so far in the first 11 days of March. January through today accounts for 45% of Solano’s COVID deaths to date! While many other COVID stats have vastly improved, the 2021 surge in deaths is surely the final sad result of our holiday surge and the Super Bowl.
ACTIVE cases – Solano reported 105 fewer active cases today, a total of 177 active cases. Compare: Solano’s average number of Active Cases last October was 284, average in November was 650, in December 1,658, in January 2,185, then in February down to 481 and TODAY we are at 177. Much better – but note that’s still a bunch of contagious folks somewhere among us, 177 of them, hopefully quarantined and staying away from grandma and grandpa!
HOSPITALIZATIONS – Today, Solano reported 7 more currently hospitalized cases, total of 21. However, the County reported 8 new hospitalizations among the age groups, a total of 942 hospitalized in all age groups since the pandemic began. [For the numbers used in my manual calculation of total hospitalizations, see age group stats below.
ICU BEDS – In late January, Solano hospitals expanded their ICU capacity. Even with the expanded ICU capacity, Solano County has continued to fall in and out of the YELLOW DANGER ZONE. In the green zone today, the County reported 40% of ICU beds available today up from 34% yesterday. California’s COVID19-CA.GOV reports that Solano County had 17 available ICU beds yesterday, March 10. (For COVID19-CA.GOV info see BenIndy page, COVID-19 Hospitalizations Daily Update for Solano County, and for REGIONAL data see COVID-19 ICU Bed Availability by REGION.)
VENTILATORS available – Today Solano hospitals have 75% of ventilators available, up from 72% yesterday, and nearing last summer’s reports of 82-94% available.
Vaccines
The County has added a new page showing vaccine statistics. The numbers are technically dense with definitions, asterisks and multiple reporting entities reporting at different times – difficult to interpret or track. Click on the image to enlarge, and see for yourself. Or go to the County’s COVID-19 Dashboard and select Vaccines – Summary.
Solano County is now in the Red Tier. See details at SF Chronicle, “With the move out of the most restrictive purple tier, seven of the Bay Area’s nine counties are now in the red tier, meaning most of the region can enjoy at least limited indoor dining, fitness, movies and museum shows.” On Tuesday Solano County released the following formal announcement:
Solano County returns to Red Tier (Tier 2) effective March 10, loosening restrictions for certain businesses activities March 9, 2021 SOLANO COUNTY –– The State of California announced today that Solano County has moved from the most restrictive Purple Tier (Tier 1) to a less-restrictive Red Tier (Tier 2) of the State’s COVID-19 Blueprint for a Safer Economy. Effective Wednesday, March 10, more businesses and activities will be able to expand capacity or resume operations, including indoor services at restaurants, increased capacity at retail and shopping centers, youth sports activities and an opportunity for schools to reopen. More…
By Age Group
Youth 17 and under – 14 new cases over the last 2 days, total of 3,582 cases, representing 11.8% of the 30,488 total cases. No new hospitalizations were reported today among this very young age group, total of 19 since the outbreak began. Thankfully, no deaths have ever been reported in Solano County in this age group. But cases among Solano youth rose steadily over the summer, from 5.6% of total cases on June 8 to 11% on August 31 and has remained at over 11% since September 30. Youth are 22% of Solano’s general population, so this 11% may seem low. The significance is this: youth are SERIOUSLY NOT IMMUNE (!) – in fact at least 19 of our youth have been hospitalized since the outbreak began.
Persons 18-49 years of age – 34 new cases over the last 2 days, total of 16,829 cases. This age group is 41% of the population in Solano, but represents 55.2% of the total cases, by far the highest percentage of all age groups. The County reported no new hospitalizations among persons in this age group today. A total of 258 are reported to have been hospitalized since the outbreak began. Solano recorded no new deaths in this young group today, total of 10 deaths. Some in this group are surely at high risk, as many are providing essential services among us, and some may be ignoring public health orders. I expect this group is a major factor in the spread of the virus.
Persons 50-64 years of age – 7 new cases over the last 2 days, total of 6,348 cases. This age group represents 20.8% of the 30,488 total cases. The County reported 1 new hospitalization and no new deaths among members of this age group today. A new total of 249 are reported to have been hospitalized since the outbreak began. Deaths reported in this age group now total 27.
Persons 65 years or older – 8 new cases over the last 2 days, total of 3,718, representing 12.2% of Solano’s 30,488 total cases. 7 new hospitalizations were reported among members of this age group today. A total of 416 are reported to have been hospitalized since the outbreak began. No new deaths were reported today among our elders in this age group, now totaling 140 deaths, accounting for 79%of Solano’s 177 COVID deaths.
City Data
Beniciaadded 1 new case overnight, total of 864 cases since the outbreak began.
Dixon added 1 new case overnight, total of 1,772 cases.
Fairfield added 11 new cases overnight, total of 8,313 cases.
Rio Vistaadded 1 new case overnight, total of 337 cases.
Suisun City added 4 new cases overnight, total of 2,060 cases.
Vacaville added 10 new cases overnight, total of 7,999 cases.
Vallejoadded 8 new cases overnight, total of 9,051 cases.
Unincorporated areas remained steady today, total of 92 cases.
Race / Ethnicity
The County report on race / ethnicity includes case numbers, hospitalizations, deaths and Solano population statistics. This information is discouragingly similar to national reports that indicate significantly worse outcomes among black and brown Americans.
Asian Americans are 14% of Solano’s population, and account for 14% of cases, 15% of hospitalizations, and 18% of deaths.
Black Americans are 14% of Solano’s population, and account for 12% of cases, but 17% of hospitalizations, and 21% of deaths.
Latinx Americans are 26% of Solano’s population, but account for 32% of cases and 29% of hospitalizations, and 18% of deaths.
Multi-race / Others are 7% of Solano’s population, but account for 13% of cases, 8% of hospitalizations, and 7% of deaths.
White Americans are 39% of the population in Solano County, but account for only 29% of cases, 31% of hospitalizations, and 37% of deaths.
Wednesday, March 10: 28 new Solano cases overnight, 6 new deaths. Since February 2020: 30,453 cases, over 940 hospitalized, 177 deaths.Compare previous report, Tuesday, March 9:
The Benicia Independent editor is otherwise and very happily occupied tonight. After both vaccines and 2 weeks, we’re having the kids and grandkid over for dinner and hugs! YAY WHOOPEE!
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