COVID-19

President Joe Biden on Tuesday signed a two-month extension of the Paycheck Protection Program, which offers loans for small businesses struggling with the economic toll of the coronavirus pandemic. Biden signed the extension in the Oval Office alongside Vice President Kamala Harris and Isabella Casillas...

MONTEREY COUNTY — Monterey County Board of Supervisors has voted to suspend the masking requirement of its indoor face covering ordinance, effective immediately. “This means while wearing face coverings in indoor public settings remains strongly recommended, it is no longer required,” according to Maia Carroll,...

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...

MONTEREY COUNTY — Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula, Mee Memorial Healthcare System, Natividad Medical Center, Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital and the Monterey County Health Department are urging all residents to act now to protect themselves and their families against respiratory viruses circulating this...

SOLEDAD — Correctional Training Facility (CTF) in Soledad has the most active cases of Covid-19 among those incarcerated throughout the entire California state prison system. As of Thursday, there are currently 773 inmates infected with the coronavirus at CTF, with 779 new cases reported in...

CALIFORNIA — California surpassed 50,000 known coronavirus deaths Wednesday, the first state to reach that chilling milestone. The news comes as a bleak reminder that the recent progress the state has made against the pandemic may be fragile. Most of those deaths were recorded recently,...

MONTEREY COUNTY — Monterey County Health Department announced Tuesday that it would move into the Yellow Tier of the State of California’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy this week after meeting the requirements. Beginning Wednesday, June 2, all activities authorized under the state’s Yellow Tier...

SALINAS VALLEY — Monterey County Health Department announced the closure of the free Covid-19 testing site at Greenfield Library effective Oct. 17, with the facilities moving to Seaside beginning Tuesday. “We did get state support to move our testing operations from Greenfield to Seaside High...

KING CITY — Mee Memorial Healthcare System in King City has received a federal grant to help improve Covid-19 vaccine confidence throughout its service area in southern Monterey County, spanning more than 55 miles between Soledad and Bradley. Health Resources and Services Administration provided the...

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...