COVID-19

CALIFORNIA — California will roll back its mask requirement next week for vaccinated residents in most indoor spaces, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday. The state implemented the mandate in mid-December as COVID-19 cases began to spike due to the highly infectious omicron variant, requiring residents...

WASHINGTON — A highly infectious variant of the coronavirus that was first identified in Britain has become the most common source of new infections in the United States, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday. The worrisome development comes...

MONTEREY COUNTY — More Covid-19 vaccines have arrived in Monterey County as planning begins for the next priority tiers for vaccinations, including those who are age 65 and older as announced by the state this week. On Wednesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom said the state is...

CALIFORNIA — Outdoor amusement parks in California counties in the red tier of the state’s Covid-19 reopening plan will be allowed to welcome back customers next month, the California Department of Public Health announced Friday afternoon. Live outdoor sporting events and performances will, too, be...

MONTEREY COUNTY — Frontline Workers Counseling Project (FWCP), a San Francisco-based nonprofit that pairs frontline and essential workers with private-practice therapists for pro bono counseling services, is expanding its service area to Monterey County. FWCP, formerly called the Covid-19 Pro Bono Counseling Project, was created...

MONTEREY COUNTY — Covid-19 pandemic restrictions for businesses in Monterey County ended on June 15, but County Health Officer Dr. Edward Moreno said state guidelines remain in effect and businesses need to become familiar with guidance from CalOSHA. Moreno advised residents to remain vigilant about...

The U.S. job market remains challenging, with the government reporting Thursday that initial claims for state unemployment benefits rose last week. A total of 741,000 workers filed first-time claims for state jobless benefits last week, an increase of 18,000, the Labor Department said. It was...

MONTEREY COUNTY — Monterey County is seeing another increase in Covid-19 cases, announced County Health Officer Dr. Edward Moreno during last week’s media briefing. According to Moreno, specimens sent for gene sequencing have determined a statewide average of 40 to 50% of Covid-19 cases are...

MONTEREY COUNTY — Monterey County’s health officer is joining 10 other officials from the Bay Area in stressing the importance of taking safety precautions, such as masking indoors, as the region experiences a new surge of Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations. The Bay Area now has...

SALINAS VALLEY — Monterey County health officials have been working with agricultural companies and have reiterated safety plans with the onset of the new growing season, with the goal of keeping ag workers safe and the food supply network stable. “With the start of the...