COVID-19

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...

MONTEREY COUNTY — Hospitals in Monterey County have implemented new restrictions on visitors to reduce the transmission of Covid-19 to staff and patients. Beginning Wednesday, Aug. 11, all visitors to area hospitals will be required to show either proof of full Covid-19 vaccination or proof...

MONTEREY COUNTY — A new community program called VIDA (Virus Integrated Distribution of Aide) was announced with a formal name during the March 31 press briefing for Monterey County, in which the City of Gonzales is a founding partner group. The formal start to the...

CALIFORNIA — A variant first discovered in California in December is more contagious than earlier forms of the coronavirus, two new studies have shown, fueling concerns that emerging mutants like this one could hamper the sharp decline in cases overall in the state and...

The U.S. vaccination campaign has been rolling along and picking up steam. Some 22% of California’s roughly 40 million residents are fully vaccinated, and more are signing up for appointments. COVID-19 case rates in the state are at some of their lowest levels since...

Vaccinated Californians will be able to go mask-free in indoor stores, bars, restaurants, movie theaters and many other places as part of the state’s grand reopening next Tuesday, officials announced on Wednesday. The new rules are aligned with federal guidance, meaning that face coverings will...

SOLEDAD — As the City of Soledad prepares for its centennial event, 2021 also marks the year one of its residents, Jennie Aquino, becomes a centenarian.  Aquino, who celebrated her 100th birthday on Jan. 27, was born in Mexico and came to the United States...

SACRAMENTO — For the first time in more than a century, California recorded a net loss in population last year, a demographic reversal caused by the deadly toll of the coronavirus and declining immigration and birthrates. The small but startling 0.46% drop — a decline...

MONTEREY COUNTY — Monterey County Health Department has announced plans to expand the eligibility for Covid-19 vaccinations to more individuals this week. As vaccine supply allows, county residents age 65 to 74 who work in the industry sectors of food and agriculture, education and childcare...

MONTEREY COUNTY — Frontline Workers Counseling Project (FWCP), a San Francisco-based nonprofit that pairs frontline and essential workers with private-practice therapists for pro bono counseling services, is expanding its service area to Monterey County. FWCP, formerly called the Covid-19 Pro Bono Counseling Project, was created...