COVID-19

COACHELLA, Calif. — The sun-baked desert valley tucked behind the San Jacinto Mountains is best known for an annual music festival that draws 100,000 fans a day and a series of lush, oasis resort towns where well-heeled snowbirds go to golf, sunbathe and party....

CALIFORNIA — Arts advocates and elected officials in California called Thursday for additional government spending to avert what one organization leader called a “pending cultural depression” brought on by the pandemic. “There is no economic recovery in our area unless a working creative engine is...

KING CITY — Salinas Valley Fairgrounds remains in a modified state of operation as Covid-19 pandemic health guidelines continue to restrict the types of activities that can be carried out in public settings.  The upcoming in-person Livestock Grading Show and Online Auction are being planned...

MONTEREY COUNTY — Monterey County Health Department’s Covid-19 Stipend Program has ended as of March 31, the decision of which came as vaccine rates increase and the number of new cases has decreased. The Stipend Program started in December 2020 with the aim of helping...

California is opening up eligibility for booster coronavirus vaccine shots to include anyone 18 or older, making it at least the second state to expand official eligibility beyond older adults and people in high-risk circumstances. Colorado took a similar step this week. California’s vaccination sites...

Even though the pandemic has taken a disproportionate toll on people of color and on low-income communities, Americans in wealthier counties have been getting vaccinated against the coronavirus at higher rates than those who live in more distressed, impoverished counties, federal health researchers reported...

MONTEREY COUNTY — Monterey County Board of Supervisors has voted to suspend the masking requirement of its indoor face covering ordinance, effective immediately. “This means while wearing face coverings in indoor public settings remains strongly recommended, it is no longer required,” according to Maia Carroll,...

If you’ve been following the news on the coronavirus in California this week, you may have noticed a stark contrast in how the pandemic is playing out across the state. While hospitals in Central and Northern California called in National Guard troops to help staff...

CALIFORNIA — Facing swelling political pressure and numerous lawsuits by businesses forced to shut down, Gov. Gavin Newsom of California on Monday lifted a strict stay-at-home order and handed to local authorities greater control over whether restaurants, hair salons and other commerce could reopen. The...

SOLEDAD — A small group of about a dozen family members and activists protested Saturday outside the entrance of Salinas Valley State Prison and Correctional Training Facility in Soledad. Their goal was to raise awareness of the increasing Covid-19 infections and deaths inside the facilities,...