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December 18, 2025

California surpasses New York in coronavirus deaths

CALIFORNIA — Dozens of times a day in COVID-19 wards across California, a scene like this plays out: A hospital chaplain watches as a death is announced by machine. Kristin Michealsen, a hospital chaplain in Los Angeles, stood at a man’s bedside, holding his hand....

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...

California to require Covid vaccines for students by fall 2022

Gov. Gavin Newsom of California announced Friday that the state plans to add the coronavirus vaccine to other vaccinations required to attend school, such as measles and mumps, starting as early as next fall. The vaccine mandate, for public and private schools, will be phased...

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. “Starting today, over 3 million California workers impacted by the expiration of these critical...

Delta variant causes surge in Monterey County cases

MONTEREY COUNTY — Monterey County Health Officer Dr. Edward Moreno has announced that cases of Covid-19 continue to rise both statewide and in Monterey County, with the Delta variant of the virus now accounting for a large majority of the infections. “What we’re seeing here...

Monterey County hospitals coordinate to fight growing pandemic

Covid-19, novel coronavirus 2019
MONTEREY COUNTY — Representatives from Monterey County’s four hospitals spoke during a press briefing Dec. 9 to share how they are coordinating to react to the recent surge in Covid-19 infections and hospitalizations. Mee Memorial’s Chief Medical Officer Robert Valladares was joined by Natividad’s CMO...

Monterey County Health Department launches updated Covid-19 data dashboard

MONTEREY COUNTY — Monterey County Health Department’s Public Health Bureau has launched an updated Covid-19 data dashboard to further improve accessibility to data for residents and stakeholders. The dashboard displays data on Covid-19 cases, hospitalizations, fatalities and outbreaks, as well as community testing and vaccination...

Additional loans available for Monterey County businesses affected by Covid-19

MONTEREY COUNTY — Cal Coastal has announced additional small business loans to assist Monterey County businesses impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. “New economic support is available for businesses in Monterey County, which are still being negatively impacted by the pandemic,” said Maia Carroll, the county’s...

Monterey County’s state-supported Covid-19 testing sites close

MONTEREY COUNTY — California Department of Public Health (CDPH) recently notified the Monterey County Health Department that utilization of Logistics Health Inc. (LHI) Covid-19 testing sites continues to decline in Monterey County, similar to other jurisdictions.  Consequently, CDPH and LHI will again be decreasing Covid-19...

California is reinstating an indoor mask mandate

California will once again require residents to wear masks in indoor public settings everywhere in the state, amid uncertainty surrounding the rapid spread of the omicron coronavirus variant and rising case rates as the holidays approach. The mandate will go into effect Wednesday and will...

Local News

Monterey County Sheriff’s Office investigation

Deputy involved in shooting of suspect armed with rifle in Soledad

SOLEDAD — In the early morning hours of Dec. 16, Monterey County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) deputies were dispatched to a report of a suspicious...