Two new Solano county coronavirus cases were passengers on Diamond Princess ship

SOLANO COUNTY, Calif. - Solano County, home to the nation's first case of community-spread coronavirus, now has two more residents testing positive. 

But unlike the hospitalized woman, they are not ill and the source is not a mystery. The unidentified husband and wife were on the Diamond Princess cruise in Japan.

They are among two dozen ship passengers to test positive, and be moved from quarantine on Travis Air Force Base to area hospitals for monitoring in isolation.

"I can say they pose no risk to anyone because these are people who have'been under tight control from the moment they came back," said Dr. Bela Matyas, Health Officer for Solano County.

Because the couple lives in the area, they are now being allowed to segregate themselves at home.

"Home is familar and a hospital is not," said Matyas. "So I'm sure it's a relief because they've been cooped up in a hospital, on a base, an airplane, and on a boat for a long time."

Matyas said surveillance continues for 93 health care workers and 2 ambulance drivers who were exposed to the community-infected woman before she was tested and diagnosed.

Eleven of those staffers are showing mild symptoms.

"It has been obvious to us at the local level that we have had people spreading this for a long time," said Matyas, noting that coronavirus percolated in the population, rather than exploded, but that numbers will accelerate. "Now that you know what you're looking for, you look for it, and you find more."

As for those who doubt the transparency in government numbers?

"Here at the local level, we don't have the bandwidth to do conspiracies, we're not that smart. we just do what needs to be done and we tell it like it is," said Matyas.

In the last few days, Matyas has heard of shoppers making runs on cleaning supplies and sanitizers, clearing out store shelves.

"People are afraid, it's new, it's unknown, and that makes it scary," he admits.

But the value of face masks?

"The mask will do nothing to protect you from coronavirus out in the community, absolutely nothing," said Matyas.

Vallejo's mayor says he hears rumor and misinformation daily.

"I just want to make sure that our residents don't panic," Bob Sampayan told KTVU.

When the county and CDC announced the community-acquired case, Sampayan was in Fairfield, taking notes on the briefing.

"When my office begins receiving multiple phone calls about coronavirus, I'm going to get out as much information as I can to the public," said Sampayan. "Whatever information we put out has to be factual, has to be correct, and has to be consistent."

Friday night in Vallejo, a community crab feed wasn't hampered in the least by a coronavirus scare.

At the Veterans Hall, vets served up plate after plate of dungeness crab to more than 100 hungry diners.

"I didn't even think about it, all I thought was hurray, we're having our event, our crab feed is here," said organizer Nancy Gilman, of the Community Congregational Church of Benicia. 

Added Pastor Renie Stamm-Kirk, "we're full speed ahead because we understand as long as you wash your hands and you're careful, then everything is fine."

That is the approach health officials encourage, with the county in the early days of a local State of Emergency. 

"I can't live my life worrying I'm going to get this virus," said Gilman, "and this event is in its tenth year, it's our church family and our community all together and that's more important."