COVID-19

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,...

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...

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

UNITED STATES — The average number of vaccine doses being administered across the United States per day topped 2 million for the first time Wednesday, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A month ago, the average was about 1.3...

MONTEREY COUNTY — Medical professionals from area hospitals discussed progress toward quelling the Covid-19 pandemic during Monterey County’s press briefing last week. Among the guest speakers at the May 19 briefing was family practice physician Dr. Joshua Deutsch from Mee Memorial Healthcare System, who spoke...

MONTEREY COUNTY — For those feeling stressed, anxious and lonely in the wake of the ongoing pandemic, Interim’s Crisis Counseling Program (CCP) continues to provide outreach opportunities. Interim’s short-term program offers support to individuals struggling with mental illness, and their families who have been affected...

MONTEREY COUNTY — Monterey County Board of Supervisors has moved forward with a countywide indoor face covering ordinance, which could take effect in late October. Last week the board introduced language for the mask mandate and met on Tuesday for approval. However, due to amendments...

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...

The surge in unemployment filings in March 2020 provided one of the first clear warnings of the havoc the pandemic was wreaking on the U.S. economy. One year later, that klaxon is still blaring. More than 746,000 people filed first-time applications for state unemployment benefits last...

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...