Category Archives: Solano County CA

Coronavirus, Covid 19, Solano County CA

Solano County cautions about COVID from religious observances and spring break

Press Release, Solano County Public Health, April 1, 2021

Solano Public Health urges public to remain vigilant, practice COVID-19 safety measures during religious observances and spring holidays amidst uptick in cases

April 1, 2021

SOLANO COUNTY – The Solano County Department of Health and Social Services, Public Health division, urges the public to practice COVID-19 safety measures to protect oneself, family, friends and others who are more likely to get very sick from COVID-19 while participating in religious observances and spring break holidays.

“The rising number of COVID-19 cases is concerning especially as we approach the holidays where the risk of spread can increase,” said Bela T. Matyas, M.D., M.P.H., Solano County Health Officer. “Being in the Red Tier does not mean we can let our guard down. Until a majority of our residents are vaccinated, we continue to urge everyone to take these precautions seriously – wear a mask in public, maintain physical distance as much as possible, avoid crowds and wash hands often – to protect our community members, prevent a surge of cases, and keep our County from reverting back to the Purple Tier.”

As religious observances such as Holy Week, Easter, Passover, Orthodox Easter, Ramadan and other spring holidays near, faith-based leaders, local organizations and the public are urged to plan and adhere to safety protocols, including keeping wearing a mask and maintaining 6-foot physical distancing between households. There are also many ways that religious practices can still be observed, including watching events online through social media platforms and celebrating safely at home.

UPCOMING VACCINE CLINICS
To date, about 35 percent of Solano County residents 18 and over have received at least one shot of the COVID-19 vaccine. Solano Public Health reminds residents who have not yet been vaccinated to sign up on the Solano County vaccine interest form by visiting www.solanocounty.com/covidvaccine, as well as the State’s MyTurn notification system at www.myturn.ca.gov, to receive notices about upcoming vaccine clinics. Notices are sent out to those who are eligible for the vaccine in Solano County.

COVID-19 INFORMATION
For the most recent local COVID-19 health information, visit the Solano County website at www.SolanoCounty.com/COVID19 and on Facebook at Facebook.com/SolanoCountyPH (@SolanoCountyPH).

California, Coronavirus, Covid 19, COVID-19 tier assignments, Re-opening, Solano County CA

I may be wrong, but it seems we’re getting mixed signals on Coronavirus…

By Roger Straw, April 3, 2021

…and maybe heading for another surge

Roger Straw, The Benicia Independent

Things aren’t looking so good for coronavirus trends here in Solano County.  But wait…  the State is easing restrictions?

Here on the Benicia Independent, I have documented coronavirus weekday reports in Solano County since April of last year.  I’m a layperson, untrained in public health, but I’ve paid attention to the COVID spikes and trends we have experienced in the Solano cities of Benicia, Vallejo, Fairfield, Suisun City, Vacaville, Rio Vista and Dixon.

Recently increasing numbers of positive cases here in Solano County (292 new cases last week) are nowhere near what they were this January, when we averaged 274 new cases per day.  But modest upturns in the numbers have caught my attention, and have begun to make news in major Bay Area media (see below).  Our typically overly optimistic Solano Public Health officer has even issued a warning.  What gained my attention yesterday was these two seemingly contrary headlines:

    • SFGATE: Solano County may get bumped back into the COVID purple tier  “Too early to call it a surge now but that doesn’t mean it’s not the beginning of a surge only time will tell,” Bela Matyas, the county’s health officer told KRON. “We are now starting to get uncomfortably close to the level of the disease reported each day that would put us back in purple.”
    • SF Chronicle: California planning to dump color-coded tier system  “California is preparing to retire its color-coded tiered reopening plan as vaccination rates improve and coronavirus cases continue to drop, state officials said Friday, as several Bay Area counties prepared to move into a less restrictive tier next week.  Details about a so-called green tier — which would presumably allow almost all activities to resume in counties with very low threat from the virus — will be “coming soon” as part of the state’s transition toward shutting down the tiered system entirely, said Dee Dee Myers, the state’s top economic adviser.”

There are news stories like these all over the map, from rosy re-opening stories to dire warnings of a fourth surge.  This morning’s Vallejo Times-Herald is FULL of coronavirus articles with contradictory messaging: we’re winning against the virus, we’re losing the battle.

Cause for concern…

I am seriously concerned that Solano County is headed for another surge.  And I think the State of California is not helping.  Easing of restrictions at this moment in our national and local crisis is wrong.

My home state of Michigan is seeing new cases soar in recent weeks, to more than 5,600 cases a day from about 1,000 on Feb. 21.  The Michigan Governor is setting up 37 new ‘popup’ COVID testing sites for Spring Break, doubling down on vaccine administration, and asking for masking and distancing, but it’s clearly too little, too late.

Will California go the route of Michigan?  I hope not, but I’m worried I’m wrong.   Will Solano County Public Health officials learn to ignore the deniers among us, including certain County Supervisors?  Maybe it will come down to City officials again, and Benicia’s new City Manager Erik Upson will need to take it into his own hands to declare a public emergency, as did his predecessor.

Coronavirus, Covid 19, Solano County CA

SFGATE: Solano County could be bumped back to purple tier

This Bay Area county could be bumped back to the purple tier

SFGATE, by Amy Graff, April 2, 2021
@kurteek found twin bridges by Carquinez Bridge.
@kurteek found twin bridges by Carquinez Bridge. Instagram / kurteek

Public health officials in Solano County are concerned about increasing COVID-19 cases and are warning that the county could move back from the red tier to the most restrictive purple tier, forcing many businesses to close indoor operations.

“Too early to call it a surge now but that doesn’t mean it’s not the beginning of a surge only time will tell,” Bela Matyas, the county’s health officer told KRON. ““We are now starting to get uncomfortably close to the level of the disease reported each day that would put us back in purple.”

More than half of the Bay Area counties — including Alameda, Marin, San Francisco, Santa Clara, San Mateo — have already moved out of the red tier into the orange tier.  Solano County has been in the red for three weeks.

“No, we’re not moving into orange this week,” Solano County Public Health Administrator Jayleen Richards told the Vallejo Times Herald. “Last week we started to see some data not trending upwards. We could actually go from the red tier back to purple if we don’t start following all the guidelines. We’re not there yet, but I’m worried about the slight increase of positive cases.”

If Solano were to fall back into the purple tier, restaurants, gyms, movie theaters, and places of worship would no longer be able to host people indoors. Personal services and retail would be allowed to continue operating indoors.

With the Easter holiday weekend ahead, Maytas encouraged residents to wear their masks and socially distance.

Matyas told KCBS Radio that the bulk of new cases in the county are appearing in younger people who aren’t eligible for the vaccine.

Solano County opened up eligibility to individuals 50 and over last month ahead of the state guidelines. California broadened eligibility to those 50 and over on April 1 and will expand to 16 and over on April 15.

The state’s COVID dashboard showed Friday morning that Solano’s adjusted case rate was 5.4 new cases per 100,000 people, the 7-day positivity rate was 1.9% and the health equity quartile was 2.3%.

The county’s dashboard showed different numbers with the 7-day positivity rate at 6.6%.

“We’re doing really well in the equity rate measure, but we’re not quite there in other categories,” Richards told the Times Herald. “I want to have businesses reopen and be operating just as much as anyone, but we must keep doing things like masking and keeping a safe distance apart to to keep the elderly and vulnerable healthy.”

The state’s color-coded reopening framework assigns a tier to each county, dictating which business sectors and activities can operate. The state announces new tier assignments on Tuesday, and on Wednesday counties can move forward with reopenings.

The state’s system sorts counties into four tiers — “purple” (widespread), “red” (substantial), “orange” (moderate) or “yellow” (minimal) — that measure the spread of COVID-19 and dictate what types of businesses and activities are allowed to open.

A county’s tier assignment is based on three metrics: the adjusted case rate (number of new cases per 100,000 residents, adjusted based on testing volume); the positivity rate (percentage of people who test positive for the virus of all individuals who are tested); a health equity metric; and the number of vaccines administered.

Counties in the purple category are reporting more than 10 new daily cases per 100,000 residents and have positivity rates above 8%. For a county to move into the red tier, it must report an average of four to 10 daily cases per 100,000 residents and a test positivity of 5% to 8% for 14 consecutive days. The orange tier requires one to 3.9 cases per 100,000 and a test positivity of 2% to 4.9%, and the yellow less than one case per 100,000 and lower than 2% positivity.

Solano County didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on this story.
"High enough body count", Coronavirus, Covid 19, Solano County CA

Solano continues sharp uptick in COVID cases, especially among those age 18-49

By Roger Straw. Friday, April 2, 2021

61 new COVID-19 cases overnight!  Ages 18-49 most likely to catch the virus.

The County reported 61 new positive COVID cases overnight among our neighbors today, adding to yesterday’s 51 new cases.  Solano has reported a total of 292 new cases this week, averaging 42 per day, edging us back toward the State’s purple tier.  Active cases numbered 332 today, increasing every day since March 24.

Case rates by age group

Note that those of us age 18-49 are most likely to catch the virus.  The chart shows the rate of cases in Solano County (per 100,000 population, as of today).

>> The virus is still on the move here.  Stay safe, get vaccinated, wear a mask and social distance!

FOR THE RECORD: Screenshots from Solano County COVID Dashboard on Friday, April 2:COMPARE: Screenshots from Solano County COVID Dashboard on Thursday, April 1:

The screenshots above are from today’s and yesterday’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 Summary, Demographics and Vaccines.  Click here to go to today’s Solano County Dashboard.
Sources