Daily Republic: Friday, March 19, 2021

Page 1

Suisun plans full calendar of events through year A3

FRIday  |  March 19, 2021  |  $1.00

dailyrepublic.com  |  Well said. Well read.

covid-19 pandemic

Solano in a postsurge lull; health metric may be best chance for orange Todd R. Hansen

thansen@dailyrepublic.net

FA I R F I ELD — Solano County reported three more Covid-related deaths Thursday, and with 40 new cases, the county remains clearly embedded in a post-surge lull. The daily case rate for the past seven days is 31.7, which normally would edge the county back into the purple matyas tier arena if that number did not improve over the next seven days. “But keep in mind, that red tier threshold was changed to 45 (cases per day) for us,” Dr. Bela Matyas, the county public health officer, said in a phone interview.

“But 32 doesn’t get us to where we want to be, which is orange.” However, the health equity metric is getting close enough to the 2% required for the yellow tier, so if the county can reduce its number from 3.5%, that a lone could pull Solano into the orange tier. The seven-day positivity rate is at 4.5%, solidly in the red tier. “So overall, I think our numbers are pretty static,” said Matyas, comparing them to the same lull experienced after the summertime surge. A move from the red

Robinson Kuntz/Daily Republic

Mary Bird Early Childhood Education Center pre-school teacher Claire Locke shares some outdoor time with

Fairfield-Suisun campuses opening to students at all levels

See Lull, Page A8

Todd R. Hansen

thansen@dailyrepublic.net

FAIRFIELD — Kris Corey said she teared up when she saw the preschoolers return to the Mary Bird Early Childhood Center for the first time since March 2020. “I was over there (Monday), and seriously, I started crying,” said Corey, the superintendent of the Fairfield-Suisun School District. “It was so amazing to see.” The school welcomed back 95 children, ages 3 to 5, with 50 opting to remain corey in the afternoon distance learning program. “Wow, it was wonderful; so heartwarming to see all the students engaging and learning and the staff engaging with them,” said Anna Mansker, the new principal at the education center. She arrived in the FairfieldSuisun district just two weeks ago and had about six days to prepare for the opening.

Tribune Content Agency

Michael Reynolds/Sipa USA/TNS

The U.S. will vaccinate its 100 millionth against r e s ident Covid-19 on Friday, meeting the momentous benchmark more than a month ahead of schedule, according to President Joe Biden. Biden announced the expected timeline for the 100 millionth shot while providing an update Thursday on his administration’s effort to vaccinate the nation out of the deadly pandemic. “I am proud to announce that tomorrow, See Biden, Page A8

However, she said the staff has been working on the opening throughout the pandemic. At several points, in fact, they believed the center would open, only for that to be delayed, she said. “There was never a lapse in services,” Mansker said. “The real planning for in-person (instruction) has been ongoing.” The district has had periodic small-group or one-on-one, in-person instruction since the schools were closed in March 2020, but Monday marked the first official day for the Fairfield-Suisun preschools and elementary selfcontained special education classes to open. Children in transitional kindergarten and kindergarten will come back next week, followed by firstthrough third-graders the week after that, Corey said. The rest of the grade levels will start April 12, after the spring break. “Just excitement, happiness,

Police: Spa shooting suspect visited Atlanta locations before Tribune Content Agency ATLANTA — Police on Thursday said their investigation has revealed that the suspect in Tuesday’s spa shooting spree in the metropolitan area had visited both of the northeast Atlanta locations in the past. “I can say that he had frequented both of those locations,” deputy police Chief Charles Hampton Jr. said at a news conference Thursday. “Unfortunately, they were at that location. I can’t say that he specifically tar-

geted those individuals. He did frequent those two locations.” The suspect, Robert Aaron Long, was arrested in South Georgia on Tuesday night. The 21-year-old from Woodstock has been charged with eight counts of murder and one count of aggravated assault. Hampton said police are not ready to release the names of the four women gunned down at the two Atlanta spas during the deadly See Atlanta, Page A8

this weekend SUNDAY Parade coming this weekend. Look for the insert in the Daily Republic.

some of her students, Thursday. Some children went back to school this week for the first time since last March.

Back to classroom

Biden says US will hit 100 million vaccine goal Friday

President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the state of Covid-19 vaccinations in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., Thursday.

Grijalva helps NAU regain NCAA cross country title B1

glee,” said Corey, describing her anticipation of when that day arrives and 9,000 of the 20,500 districtwide students will be on the district campuses. “Some of the people who chose to stay home, it’s not necessarily for safety reasons. Some are just comfortable with the routine.” For example, some parents saw the abbreviated on-campus schedules and preferred to keep the full-time distance learning schedule, she said. Although there are some variations in the schedules, the superintendent said the core schedule calls for middle and high school students to be back on campus two afternoons each week, though that could be expanded. The elementary schools will be open to students for 2½ hours each weekday morning. The county Public Health Division has reported that about 60% of school personnel have opted to be vaccinated, though that does See Levels, Page A8

Xavier Becerra confirmed as HHS secretary Tribune Content Agency

Curtis Compton/The Atlanta Journal-Constitution/TNS

U.S. Army veteran Latrelle Rolling, left, and Jessica Lang pause to pray after dropping off flowers at Young’s Asian Massage where four people were killed, Wednesday, in Acworth, Georgia. INDEX

Arts ������������������� B4 Classifieds �������� B6 Comics ������� A7, B5 Crossword �� A6, B4

Obituary ������������ A4 Opinion �������������� A5 Sports ��������������� B1 TV Daily ������� A7, B5

weather

62 40 Sunny. Complete five-day forecast on B12.

WASHINGTON — Xavier Becerra was narrowly confirmed as the health and human services secretary Thursday on a near party-line vote. The Senate voted 50-49 in favor of Becerra, who will be the first Latino to lead the agency. The vote also made him President Joe Biden’s 20th appointee confirmed by the equally divided See Becerra, Page A8

Leigh Vogel/Pool/Getty Images/TNS

Xavier Becerra was confirmed as Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary, Thursday.

how to reach us Breaking news updates at

dailyrepublic.com Want to subscribe? Call 427.6989


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.