Category Archives: Solano County CA

Coronavirus, Covid 19, Fairfield CA, Solano County CA, Testing, Vacaville CA, Vallejo CA

Solano County to test first responders and medical personnel this week – FEMA delivers 2500 test kits

Solano County says 88 have COVID-19; testing to begin for first responders on Wednesday

Vallejo Times-Herald, by John Glidden, April 6, 2020

Solano County reported 15 new COVID-19 infections on Monday, bringing the county’s total number of Novel Coronavirus cases to 88.

Officials began posting data on the number of cases in each Solano County city. Officials had originally resisted providing that information, arguing it violated the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

The city of Vallejo has the most COVID-19 cases at 28, closely followed by Fairfield’s 26. Vacaville has 14 reported infections, while the cities of Benicia, Dixon, Rio Vista, Suisun City, and unincorporated areas of the county all had less than 10 cases, according to the county.

Office of Emergency Services Manager Don Ryan said by phone Monday that the county will begin testing first responders and medical personnel at the Solano County Fairgrounds on Wednesday.

He stressed that the testing is not open to the general public, noting that tests for the public may begin next week, depending on supplies and the availability of personnel.

Ryan said the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provided the county with about 2,500 testing kits. The goal is test the medical personnel and first responders through Friday, he said.

“Of course, since they interact with the public so much, we want to make sure they are not spreading it,” he said.

Ryan said he hopes to test about 250 each day.

Vallejo Mayor Bob Sampayan said by phone on Monday said the testing was “sorely needed.”

“I’m thankful they are doing this,” he added.

County officials reported last week that an 85-year-old person was the first confirmed death associated with COVID-19.

They said the individual had recently traveled outside the country and had multiple severe underlying health conditions.

A bulk of the total cases, 64, are considered “non-severe,” according to the county. For this designation, there are 51 cases for individuals between the ages of 19 and 64, and 13 for persons 65 and older.

Coronavirus, Covid 19, Fairfield CA, Solano County CA, Vacaville CA, Vallejo CA

COVID-19 in Solano County – 15 new cases over the weekend, curve continues up, partial city listings, fewer tests

UPDATE: See today’s latest information

Monday, April 6 – 15 new cases – 3 on Saturday, 9 on Sunday, 3 more on Monday, total now 88:

Solano County Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Updates and Resources, April 1, 2020.  Check out basic information in this screenshot.   IMPORTANT: Note the County’s interactive page has more.  On the County website, you can click on “Number of cases” and then hover over the charts for detailed information.

Last report (Friday, April 4):

Summary:

Solano County reported 15 NEW POSITIVE CASES over the weekend and today – total is now 88.  No new deaths in Solano County – still only 1.

For the first time, County officials are disclosing case numbers for Solano cities.  Larger cities show numerical data: Vallejo 28 cases; Fairfield 26 cases; and Vacaville 14 cases.  Smaller cities are not assigned numerical data: all show <10 (less than 10).  Residents and city officials have been pressuring County officials for city case counts for the past two weeks.  Today’s response is welcome, but incomplete.

As of today, 63 positive cases were individuals between the ages of 19 and 64 (72% of the total – up 2% since last report), and 25 were 65 were older, (28% of the total – down 2% since last report).  35 of the 88 are active cases (2 more than previously reported), and 23 of the total cases have resulted in hospitalizations (1 more than previously reported).

TESTING seems to be minimal in Solano County and most recently somewhat on the decline.

Most recent numbers for specimens collected are:

    • 3 on Saturday, April 4
    • 4 on Friday, April 3
    • 6 on Thursday, April 2.

Check out basic information in the screenshots here on Benicia Independent.  IMPORTANT: Note the County’s interactive page has more.  On the County website, you can click on “Number of cases” and then hover over the charts for detailed information.

Solano’s steep upward curve

The chart at right gives a clear picture of the infection’s trajectory in Solano County.  Our coronavirus curve is on a steep uphill climb!

Everyone stay home and be safe!

Contra Costa County, Contra Costa Health Services - Hazardous Materials Programs, Coronavirus, Covid 19, Solano County CA

Contra Costa County reporting coronavirus cases by city – Solano County has yet to do so

By Roger Straw, April 5 2020
[UPDATE: On Monday April 6, Solano County released new information showing cases by cities, but detailing only the three largest cities in Solano.  Smaller cities like Benicia are still in the dark.  See COVID-19 in Solano County – 15 new cases over the weekend, curve continues up, partial city listings, fewer tests.  – R.S.]

On Sunday, April 5, the Antioch Herald published information clearly showing a city-by-city listing of positive COVID-19 cases in Contra Costa County.

Contra Costa Health Services: Data reported to CCHS as of 4/5/2020 at 11:30 a.m. Data is manually compiled from CalREDIE and hospitalization data is collected via phone survey. All data points could be a snapshot at different times. We are continually working on improving the data collection.

This information comes from the Contra Costa Health Department’s coronavirus Dashboard – see coronavirus.cchealth.org/dashboard.  The listing also notes City population and Cases per 100,000.  (Note that the Dashboard was slow to barely functional at the time of this writing.  I’m guessing this is due to high traffic volume.)

SOLANO COUNTY REFUSAL

Solano County officials have been approached on multiple occasions with requests for more detailed information as to the whereabouts of cases in our county.  On advice of County Council Bernadette Curry, the Solano Health Department has refused to release a city-based listing.  Curry claims that releasing city specific data would violate the County’s obligations under HIPAA, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act that was passed by Congress in 1996.

Note that Contra Costa is disclosing the number of cases in several cities smaller than Benicia.

On March 27, we reported that Orange County CA is also releasing a city-based listing of cases.

We hope the Solano County Counsel will reconsider and permit the Health Department to be more transparent.  Residents and businesses deserve to know more about the facts and trends in our home towns.

Benicia CA, Coronavirus, Covid 19, Solano County CA

Coronavirus COVID-19 – new page on the Benicia Independent

By Roger Straw, April 5, 2020

Information about Coronavirus in Benicia, Solano County and beyond is now easier to find on the Benicia Independent.


BenIndy’s new CORONAVIRUS page shows:

Find the page easily using the “Coronavirus” BUTTON in the menu at top.

And if you are looking for specific information, you can always use the SEARCH box at top left on any page.