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No, how would that possibly help!

We have been here before…… it is just time to tighten up.  The coronavirus numbers were shooting up too fast all over the State, including Yolo County.  The State is "tapping the breaks"… well, maybe even a little bit more than that.  But it does not mean we should freak out.

You know the things to do personally:  

1.  Limit your exposure to anyone who may have the coronavirus.
2.  Wash your hands.
3.  Get sleep, exercise, and eat properly.
4.  Be kind to other people.
5.  Wear the damn mask like a proud American!
6.  Get tested for the coronavirus and……

GET THE FLU SHOT!

I just listened to the emergency press conference of the Santa Clara County Health Department and officials there were saying, "We have been here before, we can do this" and reminding people of the importance of getting the flu shot to avoid complicating your life and our health system with dual viral attacks.  The Santa Clara County Health Department is going to have a Flu Shot Health Fair this Saturday…… and they do not require appointment, physician authorization and they do not charge anything.  (I got my flu shot a few weeks ago as did my Mom…… just sayin').

So, don't freak out.  Be prudent….. and if you have plans to travel for Thanksgiving, cancel them.  It's not worth the risk…. especially when there is a promise of a vaccine ahead and better days.

Take care people and be kind!

John

Dear Folks,

Good morning.  Hope you enjoyed a restful and rewarding week-end.

In my "environmental scanning" of articles about the pandemic, I came across an interesting piece in the Davis Vanguard recently written by Madison Forwood on/titled  "Healthy Davis Together"  I would recommend this article as it gave a useful review of that program.

One element that particularly caught my eye was the final two paragraphs:

Councilmember Dan Carson stated, “I am particularly excited about the Healthy Davis Together Partners Program, I think you are tapping into downtown and Chamber really well to help in these efforts because not only are they good at communication but they are a trusted source of communication to our local businesses…We are all impressed with the wide variety of things you are undertaking here. I think it’s going to make us a safer community, no question.”

However, Carson also raised a concern, stating, “You are doing so well on the numbers, but I think when I counted it was five or six clicks through websites to try and get to your dashboard and your numbers. The contrast I would give you is the Yolo County Coronavirus website. It’s one click and you are there with all of the numbers. If you could make your numbers easier to navigate, I think it would be helpful to all of you.” 

Here Dan Carson is obviously comparing the apparently less accessible UC Davis Public Facing CV Dashboard to the Yolo County Public Health Department version which is easier to navigate.

Which raises a question for me that has come up over and over:  Why does UC Davis have a separate, distinct, different Public Facing Coronavirus Dashboard at all?  From training and research in public health I know that the organization of data sources, data flows, and data displays can be complicated at the same time that it is very, very important for both communication and decision making purposes.  Especially in the midst of a pandemic!  So, why have two different dashboards with different display and presumably different data management protocols?

Can somebody help me understand why UCD has a SEPARATE public dashboard?

Regards,

John

PS  Don't want to miss Carson's positive comment about the Partners Program.  Noted!

Dear Folks,

Don't know about you, but I have never dined at French Laundry. 

This is how Lonely Planet describes this outstanding restaurant:

The pinnacle of California dining, Thomas Keller’s three-Michelin-star rated French Laundry is epic, a high-wattage culinary experience on par with the world’s best. Book one month ahead on the online app Tock, where tickets are released in groupings. This is the meal you can brag about the rest of your life.

Yes, as I said, I have never been there *** But our Governor has.  And recently.  He and the wife went to a birthday party for one of his "advisors".  Who is also a lobbyist.  Jason Kinney.  Turned 50.  Hmmm…… 

And there were so many people (a dozen) there from so many different households that they violated the guidelines from the California Department of Public Health.

Oh my!  What's up with that?

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Hello Folks,

My dear friend Brian recently got married and when we were chatting for my birthday this week, he invited me over to dinner at his home in Sacramento with his new wife Pennie.  He is a high school buddy and we have had a wonderful friendship ever since our Freshman year in high school when we were both on the Track Team at a Bay Area high school.

So, I was really interested in his invitation.

But I thought…. "Better ask him a couple of questions first".  So, I did.

ME:          Brian, did you or anyone else in the wedding party get sick after your wedding?  

BRIAN:   Not that I know of.  

Hmmm, ok.  that's good news. Sort of.  Kind of qualified, though.  But still, on the positive ledger.

And then,

ME:        Brian, have you gotten tested for the coronavirus?  

BRIAN:  No, dadgumit, I have tried to get tested at my health care provider *** but they say I do not qualify!

Further,

ME:        Well, you HAVE gotten the flu shot, haven't you?  That's pretty available now.

BRIAN:  To be honest John, I have not done that before, so no I have not gotten the flu shot this year, but I AM thinking about it.

BOOM!  Knocked me back on my feet.  Here is my dear friend, someone I have been good buddies with for OVER 50 years asking me for a first dinner at his home with his new wife (and I hear she is a good cook!) to celebrate my birthday and I REALLY wanted to go!

So, what did I tell Brian?  (Please note:  Brian knows I am spending a fair amount of time caring for my 91 year old Mother in her condo nearby).

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Dear Folks,

That's the "Test positivity" rate of Yolo County @ 6.15%  (as of a few minutes ago) vs the 10 counties of the Bay Area that are at 3.7%.  

It helps explain a few things….. on the news in the Bay Area is a new warning from the collective Bay Area Public Health Departments…. they are saying "If you are going to travel outside of the Bay Area for the holidays please check the % positivity rate of your destination before you go and decide accordingly".

And they add that if you go to a high positivity area, please self-quarantine for 14 days after you come back.

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Dear Folks,

As Yolo County is on the precipice of going in the wrong direction (from the Red Tier to the Purple Tier), we might pause and wonder:  Why is Napa County doing so much better than us?

They are firmly in the Orange Tier.

Well, maybe we can look at the dashboards for each county and see what we can find:

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Yikes!

That's the message that will be sent out to various types of business and all places of worship next week if Yolo County does not avoid sliding into the "Purple Tier" of coronavirus status.

Question: Which businesses are involved?

Restaurants for sure. Gym/fitness centers. Movie theaters. Might be more but those are for sure. I sure hope that moving to PURPLE does NOT affect the Davis Farmers' Market! The Market Manager there has been very diligent about reminding people about mask wearing and has spread out the physical positioning of booths to reduce risk of virus transmission.

Question: When will we find out?

Next Tuesday, November 10th. The State of California will review our numbers for a two week period and if we are showing bad performance in the key coronavirus indicators, then they will issue a "Move to PURPLE" order. There is some room for negotiation if the numbers from the preceding 10 days are showing improvement.

Question: How do you keep up/find out more?

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Hey Folks,

Happy Election Day! Hope you are using your franchise to exercise your voting rights. I have. Feels downright American!!

While we await the results of today's election, we as a community are also awaiting the results of the State of California's determination if we are required, based on the numbers, to move to the more restrictive "PURPLE" category of coronavirus prevention and precaution.

You may have seen the article in Sunday's Davis Enterprise about this…. top of the fold, front page:

"COVID cases, hospitalizations up in Yolo County" By Anne Terns-Bellamy. Anne does a great job of laying out the reasons that we seem to be sliding into purple…. not good news for isolation weary residents or for our local businesses (read: Big part of our tax base).

So, what's going on?

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Due to new opportunities for voting, I have already voted. Filled out my ballot, went over to the Nugget Market and dropped my ballot in the official ballot box there. Boom! Another vote for Jim Provenza.

Why did I vote for Jim?

He's smart. He asks good questions. He listens to the answer. And then he makes thoughtful decisions.

During this pandemic he has done a masterful job of balancing the public health needs of the entire community and the needs of businesses. He has helped specific businesses stay open safely and helped many businesses generally by legally facilitating curbside pick up and home delivery for many businesses in Yolo County.

If you have not had a chance to talk to Jim personally… and he is quite personable, check out his performance at the live streamed Board of Supervisor Meetings. Jim does not hog the microphone but you can tell from his questions and comments that he has done his homework, he comes to the meetings prepared and ready to make a contribution.

Jim is competent, conscientious, and committed. And he knows the law. When the pandemic started, messaging from the County was English-only…. several of us went to the Supervisors and said "These communications must be in both English and Spanish because the Latino Community is suffering greatly from the Coronavirus Pandemic"….. Jim worked with the other supervisors and the Yolo County staff to ensure that the messaging was sent out in a culturally and linguistically appropriate manner.

Jim has demonstrated his competence in office…. at this time in our lives and livelihood in Yolo County, I urge you to vote for Jim Provenza for County Supervisor…. he'll work for us, for all of us!

Thanks,

John Troidl

PS If you are still not quite convinced by my endorsement check out the long list of supporters who want to re-elect Jim…. including Helen Thomson, who gave her strongest endorsement to Jim in a facebook posting. Check it out on his candidate FB page:
Jim-Provenza-for-Yolo-County-Board-of-Supervisors

Life is so difficult right now, but we have been fortunate to have Supervisor Jim Provenza’s leadership and experience when it matters most. A man of integrity who puts service above all else, Jim's continued work on our behalf is imperative.

Jim’s style isn’t what one expects in politics. He gravitates toward complex tasks instead of the limelight. As a volunteer with the Friends of the Yolo Crisis Nursery I saw this when the Nursery nearly closed. Jim rolled up his sleeves and made sure our most vulnerable children and their families would be cared for. These children are highly diverse, and in need of equity and inclusion. Jim has been their champion all along.

Under Covid, Jim fast-tracked essential supplies to the Nursery and other agencies serving young children. He also led the way to raise funds to support our fragile nonprofit network.

Over the years, Jim has continually earned my respect and my vote and I hope you’ll join me by voting for him November 3, 2020.

Veronica Stanton