County Public Health orders laboratories testing for COVID-19 to report more comprehensive testing data to state and local authorities

March 25, 2020

SOLANO COUNTY – The Solano County Health and Social Services Department, Public Health division joins the seven Bay Area jurisdictions in taking a regional step to combat the spread of novel coronavirus. Solano Public Health has announced an order with new reporting requirements for laboratories that test for the novel coronavirus. Laboratories must report results of tests for all residents to the ordering health care provider and the appropriate state and local health officials.

Currently, labs report only positive results, making it difficult for public health officials to know how many people are being tested overall. The new order requires laboratories to report all positive, negative and inconclusive results, and information that allows health officials to better locate the person tested. The more comprehensive information will improve health officials’ understanding of the rates of infection and the location of possible infection clusters.

“This order expands reporting beyond the positive results to include negative and inconclusive results so that we have better understanding about the transmission of the disease in the region,” said Dr. Bela Matyas, M.D., M.P.H., Solano County Health Officer. “Accurate and precise diagnostic testing is essential for combatting the spread of COVID-19. Receiving this critical information from the laboratories will help our health department track the cases, predict its spread, and take a more streamlined approach in responding to the situation.”

Growing availability of testing through commercial and academic laboratories expands the overall testing capacity beyond small, specialized public health laboratories. The public health laboratory network offers only limited testing for emerging infections such as COVID-19 as other commercial and academic laboratory sectors come online. Because of the limited capacity of public health laboratories and the absence of further reporting requirements of private laboratories, the current percentage of cases that are detected through testing is important but reflects only a small portion of the total number of people infected in Solano County.

The laboratory reporting order follows new data of increasing local transmission of COVID-19, with 24 confirmed cases in Solano County, and over a thousand confirmed cases have been reported in the entire Bay Area region. For more information about COVID-19 in Solano County, visit www.solanocounty.com/publichealth and on Facebook www.Facebook.com/SolanoCountyPH.

COVID-19 and April 10 Tax Deadline Statement

March 24, 2020

SOLANO COUNTY – The Solano County Treasurer, Tax-Collector, County Clerk’s Office (TTCCC) is currently closed until at least April 6, 2020 due to Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19).  Despite the lobby and over-the-counter closure, TTCCC staff is currently working with residents and property owners to address questions and concerns surrounding the April 10, 2020 property tax deadline.

“Our office has received several phone calls, emails and questions from tax payers about the possible extension of the April 10 property tax deadline due to the social and financial impacts of the COVID-19 virus,” said Chuck Lomeli, Solano County Treasurer, Tax-Collector, County Clerk.  “While we cannot change the April 10 property tax deadline, as it is set by California state law, we can work with individual property owners to waive penalties due to legitimate and reasonable circumstances, including those related to COVID-19.”

The April 10 property tax deadline penalty waiver process requires tax payers to provide documentation as to how they were personally impacted by COVID-19, including reduced work hours, layoff, business closure, hospitalization and other circumstances that prevented timely payment.

“We are fully aware of and understanding of the impacts of COVID-19 affecting our personal lives both physically and financially,” says Lomeli.  “We encourage residents with concerns about the April 10 property tax deadline to give us a call or send us an email, as we have staff available to help.”

Property tax payments may be made by mail, online or in the drop box located at the Solano County Administration Center, located at 675 Texas Street in Fairfield.  Updates on the status of the TTCCC office closure can be found on the Solano County website at www.SolanoCounty.com/Depts/TTCC and by phone at (707) 784-7485.

Please note, should changes to the April 10, 2020 property tax deadline be changed by state authorities, information will be posted on the TTCCC website.  If the TTCCC office is closed on April 10, 2020, the property tax deadline, by statute, will move to the next business day the office is open.

The Johns Hopkins COVID-19 map is updated constantly.  Below is a snapshot of Solano County, California. This snapshot is NOT interactive. Click here to go to the Johns Hopkins interactive version.  ON THE JOHNS HOPKINS MAP: To get to our local data, first drag on the map or click on United States in the left margin. Then, zoom in to a state or city of interest. Finally, click on a red dot such as the one located over Fairfield, California to get local statistics.

As of 9:30 am on March 25, the map shows Solano County with

• • Confirmed: 31
  • Deaths: 0
  • Recovered: 0
  • Active: 31