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Autos for Autism launching fundraiser News, Page 6
High school ‘Homestaying’ celebration Features, Page 1
Volume 138, Number 10 — Locally owned since 1884
First South African variant cases found in County By Anne Ternus-Bellamy McNaughton Media The first known cases of the South African coronavirus variant have been found in Yolo County. One case was identified in an adult Davis resident who had not yet been vaccinated against COVID-19, according to Healthy Davis Together, which is working with the UC Davis Genome Center to genotype all positive samples from its free community testing. The B.1.351 variant is more contagious — with a 50 percent higher transmission rate — than the original virus and there is laboratory evidence that suggests the efficacy of the three COVID-19 vaccines authorized for use
in the United States may be impacted by the variant, according to a press release from Healthy Davis Together. Hours after Healthy Davis Together announced its finding on Tuesday, Yolo County’s health officer, Dr. Aimee Sisson, said she had been notified by the California Department of Public Health that another case of B.1.351 was confirmed by a different lab in a Yolo County resident. “We haven’t had a chance here at the health department to investigate that, but it appears that we now have two cases of B.1.351 in Yolo County,” Sisson told the Yolo County Board of Supervisors.
The hometown paper of Alan Clarey
Winters, Yolo County, California, Wednesday, April 7, 2021
Yolo County likely to remain in orange until mid-April, State looking to move to new phase By Anne Ternus-Bellamy McNaughton Media California has hit its goal of administering 4 million COVID-19 vaccine doses in the state’s hardest-hit communities, making it easier for counties to progress through the color-coded, tier-based blueprint by relaxing caserate metrics. But the change won’t have an immediate impact on Yolo County, where the adjusted daily case rate of 2.3 per 100,000 residents on Tuesday still exceeds the yellow tier metric. The county will remain in the orange tier until at least April 21, according to Yolo County Health Officer Dr. Aimee Sisson. Had the county met the yel-
low tier adjusted case rate metric of 2 or less this week, it could have moved to the less-restrictive yellow tier as soon as next Wednesday, provided it met the metric again next week. Instead, the case rate remained too high and both the countywide test positivity rate and the health equity quartile (which measures test positivity in the county’s most impacted communities) rose during the week ending March 20. The test positivity rate increased from 0.5 percent to 0.6 percent and the health equity quartile increased from 1.9 percent to 2.3 percent. Only the countywide test positivity rate meets the requirements for the yellow tier. Moving to yellow would allow for increased indoor ca-
pacity at gyms, wineries and breweries and family entertainment centers and would allow bars to open indoors at 25 percent capacity. And while the county will likely remain in orange for the next two weeks at least, additional activities will be allowed come April 15. On that date, gatherings, private events and indoor seated live events will be able to resume with modifications. In the orange tier, gatherings will be permitted outdoors for up to 50 people and indoors for up to 25 people or 25 percent capacity, whichever is smaller. However, the state continues to discourage indoor gatherings altogether. Large private events can be held outdoors for up to 100
See ORANGE, Page 3
See VARIANT, Page 5
Putah Creek Committee looking to transition to a new commission By Edward Booth Express staff writer The Winters Putah Creek Committee met on March 15, talked about an event where Winters Police Department officers took down play structures built by local kids near the creek and passed a motion to transition the committee into becoming the Natural Resources Commission, with current members of the committee transitioning over as well. “We’re not going to drop the creek, we’re just going to expand our role,” said Kurt Balasek, chairperson of the Putah Creek committee. The transition will need to be officially approved by the Winters City Council. The proposed mission statement for the new commis-
sion, attached to the committee agenda, says the commission “considers and promotes the preservation, conservation and enhancement of geologic, hydrologic, ecologic, biologic, atmospheric and other natural resources that are important to the City Winters and provides expertise to the City Council, other advisory commissions, and staff. In committee discussion, soil and hydrogeologic resources were added to the list as additional areas of interest. The document goes on to say that the commission will be a successor to the committee, that the seven members of the commission will be residents of Winters or nearby unincorporated areas with interest or expertise
See CREEK, Page 3
Index
Weather
Features ........................ B-1
Date Rain High Low
Classifieds ................... B-4 Community .................. A-6
March 31 .00
77˚ 46˚
April 01 .00
83˚ 42˚
April 02 .00
86˚ 46˚
April 03 .00
87˚ 48˚
Eventos hispanos ....... A-7
April 04 .00
74˚ 40˚
April 05 .00
72˚ 45˚
Opinion ......................... B-3
April 06 .00
72˚ 43˚
Real Estate ................... B-2 Sports ........................... A-2
Rain for week: 0.00 in. Season’s total: 7.84 in. Last sn. to date: 12.82 in. Winters rainfall season began 7/1/20. Weather readings are taken at 9 a.m. daily.
Courtesy photo
Courtesy photo
Petra Rodriguez (left) and her twin sister Isabella were the first Winters babies born in 2021 on Jan. 14.
Twin sisters win Express First Baby of 2021 contest By Crystal Apilado Editor-in-Chief Twin sisters Petra and Isabella Rodriguez officially hold the title of the Winters Express First 2021 babies. Born on Jan. 14, Petra arrived first at 2:24 a.m. followed by Isabella at 2:25 a.m. to mother Monica Rodriguez of Winters. The twins were born at the UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento. At birth Petra weighed 3 pounds, 5.3 ounces and measured 16.54 inches.
Isabella weighed 3 pounds, 4.9 ounces and measured 15.55 inches. Their grandpa is Benjamin Rodríguez, uncle and aunt Jeffrey and Marisela Chavez, uncle and aunt Benjamin Jr. and Julie Rodriguez, and cousins Diego and Isaac Rodriguez. Their mother, Monica said everyone loves them over to the moon and back. She said that at almost three months old their little characters are coming through. She said Petra is reserved, but is more vo-
cal and loves to talk. Isabella is very loving and has a lot of facial expressions. They both love their binkies the most and enjoy bath time. The new babies are receiving a welcome basket of gifts from Pacific Ace Hardware, Caliber Home Loans, El Pueblo Meat Market & Taqueria, First Northern Bank, Pizza Factory and The Baby Shop. The Express First Baby Contest was sponsored by Caliber Home Loans.
County targeting homeless populations, agricultural workers for one-dose vaccine By Anne Ternus-Bellamy McNaughton Media Yolo County has received supplies of all three COVID-19 vaccines but is targeting the one-dose Johnson and Johnson vaccine at transient populations that may be harder to reach for a second dose. Those populations include the homeless, inmates at the Yolo County jail and agricultural workers, according to county spokeswoman Jenny Tan. Currently three vaccines are authorized for emergency use in the United States: the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, which require two doses sev-
eral weeks apart, and the Johnson and Johnson vaccine, which is a single dose. The Pfizer vaccine is authorized for those 16 and up while Moderna and Johnson and Johnson are only approved for those 18 and up. All three have been shown to be 100 percent effective at preventing COVID-19-related hospitalizations and deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, though the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have higher overall efficacy rates than Johnson and Johnson. Tan urged county residents on Thursday to not be picky about the vaccine they re-
ceive, noting that “all three are safe, effective and free.” “The best vaccine to get is the one offered to you,” she said. Gov. Gavin Newsom magnified that message on Thursday by receiving the Johnson and Johnson vaccine during an appearance in Southern California. “It’s an opportunity to highlight the (Johnson and Johnson) vaccines that are coming in,” said Newsom. “One and done.” Newsom received the vaccine on the first day of eligibility for everyone ages 50 and up in California. With that eligibility change, Tan said those seeking vaccines at
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county clinics will no longer need to provide proof of employment or age to receive a shot. “What we will do is show residents a list of currently eligible groups and ask if you meet one of these groups. All you need to do is say, ‘Yes’ if you are eligible,” said Tan. “We may ask you for your drivers license or something that shows you are a Yolo County resident. However, if you work in Yolo County and live elsewhere, you can say that at the clinic as well.” But while eligibility for the COVID-19 vaccine expanded Thursday to everyone 50 and
See VACCINE, Page 5
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