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Salinas
January 2, 2026

Children in elementary schools don’t need to be 6 feet apart, CDC says

In a major policy revision intended to encourage more schools to welcome students back full time, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Friday that elementary school students and some middle and high school students could be spaced 3 feet apart in...

A year like no other: Monterey County health officials reflect on coronavirus anniversary

Covid-19, novel coronavirus 2019
MONTEREY COUNTY — Representatives from Monterey County’s hospitals reflected on the one-year anniversary of the Covid-19 pandemic and the many impacts felt locally during last week’s press briefing. ā€œThis past year has been very challenging for Monterey County residents,ā€ said Dr. Edward Moreno, the county’s...

Monterey County lifts most indoor mask mandates

MONTEREY COUNTY — In alignment with the state of California, Monterey County and nearly a dozen other Bay Area jurisdictions have lifted universal mask requirements for most indoor public settings beginning Wednesday. Last week Monterey County announced that it would join the counties of Alameda,...

More contagious virus variant is now dominant in U.S., CDC chief says

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 supervisor proposes plan to rehire laid-off hospitality workers

MONTEREY COUNTY — Monterey County Supervisor Luis Alejo submitted a pandemic economic recovery ordinance for the county on Feb. 3, aimed at recalling laid-off county hospitality, restaurant and travel workers when the economy re-opens.  The ordinance would request those recalls based on greatest length of...

Mass vaccination clinics launch throughout Salinas Valley

SALINAS VALLEY — Monterey County companies, organizations and agencies have partnered to host mass vaccination sites weekly, with the latest having taken place at the Salinas Valley Fairgrounds in King City last Saturday. Two mass clinics had already taken place earlier this month in Salinas,...

Monterey County reports nearly 4,000 new cases and 39 deaths from Covid-19 so far in 2021

Covid-19, novel coronavirus 2019
MONTEREY COUNTY — Nearly 4,000 new cases and 39 deaths related to Covid-19 have been reported in Monterey County since the beginning of the new year. Just this week, an additional three deaths were added Friday, followed by nine on Thursday, four on Wednesday and...

Greenfield McDonald’s offers free Big Macs for vaccine registrants

GREENFIELD — Community members who registered for a Covid-19 vaccine at McDonald’s in Greenfield recently were able to get a free Big Mac. The two-day event was held Aug. 6 and 7 in partnership between McDonald’s and Virus Integrated Distribution of Aid (VIDA) Monterey County,...

Why Covid took off in California, again

Between reinstated mask mandates and spiking coronavirus case numbers, this summer is starting to feel a little too much like 2020. Even in California, a state with a vaccination rate well above average, the number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 has nearly doubled in the...

Northwest Laboratory to open new Covid-19 testing site in Salinas

Covid-19, novel coronavirus 2019
SALINAS — Northwest Laboratory will open and operate a new drive-thru Covid-19 testing site in Salinas starting March 3. ā€œOur organization has worked closely with the communities across the U.S. since this pandemic began, providing laboratory analysis for multiple community testing programs,ā€ said Jennifer Bull,...

Local News

Gonzales Police

Gonzales Police Department receives traffic safety grant

GONZALES — Gonzales Police Department has received a $30,000 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration,...