COVID-19

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’s Covid-19 vaccination plan is not going quickly at all, and if things remain as they are with low weekly shipments, it could take until September 2023 to vaccinate 80% of adults in the county.  Such trickle availability has caused the...

California became the first state to issue a vaccine mandate for all educators in public and private schools when Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday ordered teachers and school staff members to provide proof of vaccination against COVID-19 or face weekly testing. “We think it’ll be...

UNITED STATES — States have continued steadily lifting restrictions, despite warnings from top federal health officials like Dr. Anthony Fauci that new coronavirus cases in the United States have plateaued at a very high level after their drastic drop has stalled and that the...

MONTEREY COUNTY — As demand for rapid testing skyrockets, Monterey County Board of Supervisors has unanimously agreed to spend up to $1 million to purchase additional Covid-19 tests for the community. In a 5-0 vote last Tuesday, the Board committed to bringing more rapid tests...

SALINAS VALLEY — Monterey County residents were able to get vaccinated with six sessions of a mass Covid-19 vaccination effort last weekend at Greenfield Memorial Hall and Soledad Community Center. A total of 3,000 vaccine doses were distributed at the events, which were separate from...

SALINAS VALLEY — Mee Memorial Healthcare System received its allocation of 500 doses of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine on Dec. 22, with priority vaccinations of frontline workers beginning that same day. The vaccines were delivered to Mee Memorial Hospital in King City at 11:30 a.m....

MONTEREY COUNTY — Thousands of new cases and dozens of deaths related to Covid-19 have been reported in Monterey County since the beginning of the new year, less than two weeks ago. According to California’s Covid-19 reporting system, last updated Jan. 12, Monterey County’s virus...

SALINAS VALLEY — A photo of the father she lost to Covid-19 was close by as Maria Munoz cut into red felt fabric and participated in the Rose River Memorial project launched by Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare System (SVMHS). “My dad’s battle with Covid lasted...

The delta variant is really throwing a wrench into our vaccinated summer. The super contagious strain of the coronavirus is spreading rapidly, leading, once again, to a rise in COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths, prompting leaders to reverse course on guidance that if you’re inoculated, you...