Covid-19, wildfires present challenges for Salinas Valley winery
SALINAS VALLEY — Standing in his vineyard as a brisk wind runs amuck with his curly, sandy-blonde hair, Denis Hoey reveals why the Salinas Valley region — known for its vast agriculture — should also be noted for fine winemaking.
“We make wines here that...
Pop-up sites increase access to Covid-19 testing for South Monterey County residents
SALINAS VALLEY — Free pop-up Covid-19 testing sites have been emerging lately in South Monterey County as part of an effort to increase testing access after a new site was added to Castroville to the existing lineup of Salinas and Seaside.
When available, local residents...
Children in elementary schools don’t need to be 6 feet apart, CDC says
In a major policy revision intended to encourage more schools to welcome students back full time, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Friday that elementary school students and some middle and high school students could be spaced 3 feet apart in...
More contagious virus variant is now dominant in U.S., CDC chief says
WASHINGTON — A highly infectious variant of the coronavirus that was first identified in Britain has become the most common source of new infections in the United States, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday. The worrisome development comes...
Monterey County, Bay Area health officers urge caution as Covid cases rise
MONTEREY COUNTY — Monterey County’s health officer is joining 10 other officials from the Bay Area in stressing the importance of taking safety precautions, such as masking indoors, as the region experiences a new surge of Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations.
The Bay Area now has...
Taking the vaccine into the fields to help vulnerable farmworkers
CALIFORNIA — Before state officials announced that 40% of California's new vaccine doses would go to low-income communities, leaders were struggling to make good on promises to prioritize vulnerable Californians in the vaccine rollout.
As my colleague Miriam Jordan recently wrote, farmworkers were among those...
California’s next vaccine eligibility expansion
Well, the moment many of us have been waiting for has arrived: Californians 50 and older will be eligible to be vaccinated starting April 1, and residents older than 16 will be eligible starting April 15, state officials announced Thursday, in an effort to...
Vaccination rates are lower in disadvantaged counties, CDC reports
Even though the pandemic has taken a disproportionate toll on people of color and on low-income communities, Americans in wealthier counties have been getting vaccinated against the coronavirus at higher rates than those who live in more distressed, impoverished counties, federal health researchers reported...
Monterey County Covid-19 community testing sites change hours and days
MONTEREY COUNTY — Hours and days are changing for the state-supported community Covid-19 testing sites in Monterey County.
According to Monterey County Health Department, the demand for testing has decreased as more of the population has received Covid-19 vaccinations and access to home testing has...
Monterey County advises residents to wear masks in indoor settings, regardless of vaccination status
MONTEREY COUNTY — Residents in the counties of Monterey, Napa, San Benito and Santa Cruz are being advised to wear masks indoors in public places, regardless of vaccination status.
Announced Monday, the multi-county recommendation is not an order, but was issued in response to cases...
