COVID-19

As soon as the first U.S. case of the omicron variant of the coronavirus was reported in San Francisco, California officials began sounding the same message: Don’t panic. “We are not surprised by this. This was predictable. This was predicted,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in...

In a sharp turnabout, federal health officials Thursday advised that Americans who are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus may stop wearing masks or maintaining social distance in most indoor and outdoor settings, regardless of size. The advice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention...

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...

MONTEREY COUNTY — Federal, state and county agencies, including Cal Coastal, continue to offer assistance to local businesses, with two new programs having recently begun to help them bounce back from the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic. Cindy Merzon, director of Cal Coastal’s Small Business...

CALIFORNIA — Coronavirus cases have continued to recede. President Joe Biden said that there will be enough vaccine available for all U.S. adults by the end of May, sooner than previously expected, because of a deal with Johnson & Johnson to boost supply. More...

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...

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...

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 — Monterey County Workforce Development Board (MCWDB) will administer a second round of grants through the Monterey County CARES Small Business Relief Program (SBRP) to assist more small businesses in the county that have suffered financial losses due to Covid-19. Monterey County Board...

MONTEREY COUNTY — Vaccination numbers continue to climb in Monterey County, with County Health Officer Dr. Edward Moreno announcing that more than 35% of county residents age 16 and over have received at least one vaccine dose. During a March 31 press briefing, Moreno noted...