Category Archives: Solano County CA

Coronavirus, Covid 19, Solano County CA, Solano County Health Department

‘Stay at Home’ declaration coming for Solano County

UPDATE: Just before 5:30pm on Wednesday, March 18, Solano County issued a formal “Stay at home” order. See

Fairfield Daily Republic, March 18, 2020 at 3:24 pm

FAIRFIELD — Solano County is expected to release “stay at home” guidelines today.

Mayor Harry Price confirmed he had been informed by a county official about the upcoming announcement, and Suisun City Mayor Lori Wilson, on a conference call with local ministers and nonprofits, said it will essentially follow the same kind of guidelines that are found in the “shelter in place” health orders issued previously by seven Bay Area counties.

Solano and Napa counties were not part of that coordinated effort, a point of frustration for Supervisor Erin Hannigan.

Napa County on Wednesday afternoon announced its “stay at home” order to begin at noon on Friday and continue through April 7. The release came minutes after the conclusion of a 3:15 press conference on the matter.

It was not immediately clear when Solano’s order was going to be released. Details were not available.

Hannigan said having Solano and Napa left out of the action taken by the other counties left the impression that Solano County was not addressing the Covid-19 concerns as thoroughly as the other counties.

“And that is not the case,” Hannigan said.

Essentially what the Solano County guideline will mean, Hannigan said, is that anyone who does not have “an essential” reason for leaving their homes – including work, grocery shopping, picking up food from a restaurant, health appointments and the like – should instead stay at home.

That is particularly true for those segments of the population that are at a higher risk from the novel coronavirus, such as those 65 or older and those with underlying health issues.

“People have to hear there is a deep concern and there is a deep concern,” Hannigan said.

If residents do have to leave their homes, officials said they should practice the 6-foot social distance practices.

Coronavirus, Covid 19, Solano County CA, Solano County Health Department

Solano County issues guidelines for childcare workers

COVID-19 Guidance for Childcare Providers

SOLANO PUBLIC HEALTH | MARCH 18, 2020

To limit the spread of COVID-19 disease, contact with infected or exposed individuals must be reduced as much as possible. Conventional school classes have been dismissed, but the Solano Public Health recognizes the need for continuity of childcare to ensure that essential services and wage-earning activities can continue.

Solano Public Health recommends the following guidance for childcare providers, effective immediately:

1. Childcare ideally should be provided in the child’s home, by non-elderly household members not living in the household or ill individuals.

2. Group childcare may be used for children for whom in-home care by household members is not available. It should be prioritized for use by essential service employees and those who would otherwise not be able to work.

3. Group childcare should:
a. Be in stable groups of 10 or fewer children (“stable” means that the same 10 or fewer children are in the same group each day). Children should not change from one group to another.
b. If more than 1 group of children is cared for at one facility, each group should be in a separate room. Groups should not mix with each other. For example: meals, playground time, and toileting activities should be separate for each group.
c. Childcare provider(s) should also remain solely with one group of children (providers should not move from group to group or room to room).

4. Infection control measures:
a. Screen children and staff for cold or flu-like symptoms or signs of a respiratory illness (i.e., fever, cough, shortness of breath) daily, before entering childcare.
b. Exclude ill children and employees (those with symptoms specified above) from the facility.
c. Children or staff who develop symptoms at childcare should be sent home immediately.
d. Ill children or staff should not return to work or childcare until they are well.
e. Children and staff should wash hands with soap and water for minimum of 20 seconds or use alcoholbased hand sanitizer (if hands are not visibly dirty) before and after eating, drinking, touching eyes/nose/mouth, toileting or diapering, and physical contact with each other.
f. Clean high-contact areas and surfaces frequently, using 10% bleach solution or EPA-approved disinfectant against novel human Coronaviruses: counters, toys, telephones, doorknobs, etc.
g. Staff and children should practice good respiratory hygiene including coughing/sneezing into the sleeve and covering coughs.

California Department of Public Health, Coronavirus, Covid 19, Solano County CA

Coronavirus updates (March 18) from Solano County, State of California

UPDATE ON WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18:

Press Release, Solano County

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 17, 2020
News Contacts:
Matthew A. Davis, Sr. Management Analyst and Public Communications Officer, (707) 784-6111, MADavis@solanocounty.com (AND)
Jayleen Richards, Public Health Administrator, Health and Social Services Department, (707) 784-8616,  JMRichards@solanocounty.com

Solano County Public Health emphasizes the Governor’s measures to promote social distancing and self-isolation to stem the spread of COVID-19 virus

SOLANO COUNTY – Solano County Public Health Officials support California Governor Newsom’s orders regarding social distancing to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 in our community and are encouraging Solano County residents to review and implement these best practices.

Solano Public Health officials are encouraging vulnerable populations – older adults age 65 and older, individuals with compromised immune systems and individuals with serious chronic medical conditions like heart disease, diabetes and lung disease – to practice social distancing and stay at home, except for essential needs, including to get food, care for a relative or friend, get necessary health care or go to an essential job.  Solano Public Health is also advising these individuals to avoid group activities, making unnecessary trips and spending time in public areas (restaurants, gyms, entertainment venues, social gatherings, etc.).

“We are in full support of the Governor’s measures to promote social distancing and are reiterating this message to residents in Solano County,” says County Public Health Officer Bela Matyas, M.D., M.P.H.  “When people implement these best practices, it helps our health care providers with respect to staffing and capacity necessary to provide care to those who need it the most in our community.”

Multiple Bay Area Counties have announced their own orders that reiterate Governor Newsom’s orders for social distancing, as there has been sustained community transmission of coronavirus (COVID-19) in the San Francisco Bay Area. Solano Public Health is monitoring the situation in the Bay Area closely and is in contact with neighboring health departments, local hospitals and the state.

Solano Public Health is advising residents to follow these social distancing measures:
– Close bars, nightclubs, wineries, gyms and movie theaters
– Close restaurants, except for takeout service
– Maintain distance of at least 6 feet between yourself and others
– Postpone or cancel gatherings, meetings and community events where large numbers of people are within 6 feet off each other

In addition to social distancing, Solano Public Health encourages everyone to follow these simple daily routines to help stem the spread of respiratory disease in our community:
– Wash hands with soap and water, and rubbing for at least 20 seconds
– Cough or sneeze into a tissue, sleeve or arm (not your hands)
– Avoid close contact with people who are sick
– Stay home when you are sick
– Avoid touching your face, particularly your eyes, nose and mouth
– Perform routine surface cleaning, particularly for items which are frequently touched such as doorknobs, handles, remotes, keyboards and other commonly shared surfaces
– Get a flu shot to protect against the flu, which has similar symptoms to COVID-19
– If you feel ill, contact your health provider for advice and treatment options

For more information, visit these state and local resources on Coronavirus (COVID-19):
– Office of the Governor, Gavin Newsom, click here
– Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, click here
– California Employment and Development Department, click here
– California Labor Workforce and Development Agency, click here
– Solano County Small Business Development Center, click here
– Solano County Health and Social Services, Public Health website, click here
– Solano County Public Health Facebook Page, @SolanoCountyPH, click here

The public can review Governor Newsom’s directive to fight COVID-19 by clicking here.

State of California – Department of Public Health

Guidance Documents: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

A list of various guidance documents can be found below:

Coronavirus, Covid 19, Solano County CA, Travis Air Force Base

Travis airman’s adult dependent, two others test positive for novel coronavirus

The Reporter, Vacaville CA, March 16, 2020

Latest cases through ‘community spread’ reported Monday raise to nine the number of Solano residents who have tested positive amid the pandemic

A Travis Air Force Base C-17 Globemaster soars into the air over the flight line at Travis Air Force Base. An airman and an adult dependent who, while living off base, have tested positive for the novel coronavirus and, in accordance with Department Of Defense directives and public health requirements, are quarantined at their residence. (Joel Rosenbaum — Reporter File Photo)

The worrisome tally keeps rising.

The number of Solano County residents who have tested positive for the novel coronavirus rose from six to nine Monday, with local public health officials confirming that an adult-dependent of a service member at Travis Air Force Base and two others had fallen victim to “community spread.”

The Air Force member “is in isolation at their respective off-base residence,” Public Health Administrator Jayleen Richards, of the county’s Health and Social Services Department, noted in a press release. Solano County spokesman Matthew Davis reported the news about the two others but provided no additional information at press time Monday.

Also, a Contra Costa County resident who is an active-duty Travis airman also tested positive for coronavirus disease, COVID-19, and is, likewise, in isolation at their respective off-base residence, information confirmed by Col. Jeffrey Nelson, 60th Air Mobility Wing commander at the sprawling base south of Vacaville. (That case is not part of the county number.)

United States Air Force Col. Jeffrey W. Nelson, Commander, 60th Air Mobility Wing, Travis Air Force Base

Solano public health leaders are coordinating closely with Travis officials to provide important care to those who have tested positive, Richards added. The military and county agencies will continue to work together “to mitigate the effects of the virus and provide pertinent updates as timely as possible,” she wrote in the prepared statement.

In his prepared statement, Nelson explained that public health officials have begun “the contact tracing process” to notify those who may have come into contact with the positive individuals.

Master Sgt. Amanda Currier, a Travis spokeswoman at the base public affairs office, said the affected individuals would remain in isolation for 14 days, in accord with public health guidelines.

She provided no additional details about the affected individuals, such as age, gender or rank, noting current privacy regulations from the Secretary of the Air Force and the Department of Defense.