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Salinas
February 25, 2026

Why Omicron was first found in San Francisco

As soon as the first U.S. case of the omicron variant of the coronavirus was reported in San Francisco, California officials began sounding the same message: Don’t panic. ā€œWe are not surprised by this. This was predictable. This was predicted,ā€ Gov. Gavin Newsom said in...

Health officials plan for next Covid-19 vaccine distribution in Monterey County

MONTEREY COUNTY — Monterey County officials have already started planning the next phases of Covid-19 vaccine distribution and recipient prioritization after distributing the first round of vaccines last month. ā€œMonterey County will have, to date, an allocation totaling 12,550 vaccines that includes both the Moderna...

Monterey County, Bay Area health officers urge caution as Covid cases rise

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...

Monterey County inches closer to red tier of California reopening plan

Covid-19, novel coronavirus 2019
MONTEREY COUNTY — Infection rates are declining in Monterey County, with fewer daily confirmed cases of Covid-19 as time goes on, reported county health officer Dr. Edward Moreno during the March 3 press briefing. ā€œIf we continue to avoid gatherings and stay home as much...

U.S. prisons start to resume allowing visits to inmates, with added virus precautions

State prison systems across the United States have begun allowing visitors for the first time since the pandemic started, presenting challenges for facilities that want to balance much-needed contact between inmates and their families with the need to limit the spread of COVID-19 in...

Monterey County job centers expand hours as pandemic unemployment benefits expire

MONTEREY COUNTY — On Sept. 4, the federal unemployment insurance program, known as the Pandemic Unemployment Insurance benefit, created under the CARES Act, will expire in California and across the states. ā€œStarting today, over 3 million California workers impacted by the expiration of these critical...

California lost 175,000 ā€˜creative economy’ jobs, study finds

CALIFORNIA — Arts advocates and elected officials in California called Thursday for additional government spending to avert what one organization leader called a ā€œpending cultural depressionā€ brought on by the pandemic. ā€œThere is no economic recovery in our area unless a working creative engine is...

Monterey Bay Aquarium loans freezer to help Mee Memorial fight coronavirus

KING CITY — Monterey Bay Aquarium has loaned a freezer capable of reaching sub-zero temperatures to Mee Memorial Healthcare System in an effort to help the South Monterey County hospital administer Covid-19 vaccines in the area. ā€œWhile vaccines remain in short supply in Monterey County,...

California’s next vaccine eligibility expansion

Well, the moment many of us have been waiting for has arrived: Californians 50 and older will be eligible to be vaccinated starting April 1, and residents older than 16 will be eligible starting April 15, state officials announced Thursday, in an effort to...

Monterey County’s Covid-19 vaccination rates remain stable

MONTEREY COUNTY — Monterey County Health Officer Dr. Edward Moreno said the county continues to make Covid-19 vaccines available and is looking toward younger demographics to raise vaccination rates during a press briefing on June 9. Of county residents age 12 and older, 63% have...

Local News

Salinas Valley Police Reports | Published Feb. 18, 2026

Police Reports are obtained from the local police departments. KING CITY Jan. 112:10 a.m. Robbery on Broadway St.3:57 p.m. Possession of a controlled substance on Broadway...