COVID-19

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...

MONTEREY COUNTY — The case rate metrics are not yet at a point where Monterey County can shift from the Orange Tier to the less-restrictive Yellow Tier, but county Health Officer Dr. Edward Moreno said the overall pattern observed is a positive trend toward...

YUMA, Ariz. — The Rev. Emilio Chapa was delivering a homily on a recent Sunday when he paused to lament a sight that had shaken him as he entered the sacristy before Mass. The board where his staff posted requests for funeral services was covered...

CALIFORNIA — California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday announced that the state is “setting our eyes on fully reopening by June 15 — with commonsense measures like masking.” Newsom made the announcement via Twitter, and reiterated the state’s plan to eventually forgo the current four-tiered,...

MONTEREY COUNTY — Elementary schools in Monterey County may begin planning to reopen after the Feb. 16 announcement that the county’s adjusted case rate has fallen to 24 infected per 100,000 residents. The school grades affected would be pre-kindergarten through sixth grade. Schools wishing to...

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...

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...

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...

GONZALES — Community Foundation for Monterey County partnered with the City of Gonzales, Gonzales Fire Department and Gonzales Pharmacy to host two mass vaccination events on April 28 and 29, totaling 1,170 doses of Covid-19 vaccine.  These doses were the second shots, with recipients having...

MONTEREY COUNTY — A new Covid-19 variant has been detected in several California counties, including Monterey County, according to the California Department of Public Health. CDPH announced Jan. 17 that a 452R variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, was identified using genetic sequencing...