COVID-19

A sharp uptick in Covid-19 cases over the past week, coupled with the rise of hospitalizations and the upcoming holiday season, have health officials concerned that the county could be headed backward in its fight against the virus. At a press conference on Nov. 9,...

At least 177 employees were laid off at stores in the Gilroy Premium Outlets since early April, state filings show, as “non-essential” businesses across the country fight to stay alive during a pandemic-induced shutdown. Rosewood CordeValle in San Martin, meanwhile, laid off 263 employees on...

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, color-coded reopening system during...

Health officials across nine Bay Area jurisdictions announced their criteria Thursday to eventually lift the region's requirement to wear a mask indoors regardless of vaccination status. The health officers in Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara and Sonoma counties and...

Santa Clara County will receive about $2.4 million from the California Microbusiness Covid-19 Relief Grant Program (MBCRG) to aid very small businesses adversely affected by the pandemic, according to county officials. On Jan. 11, the Board of Supervisors accepted the grant and approved community partner...

Four out of Santa Clara's five mass vaccination sites are closing in the next few weeks, but it is not a bad thing, county health experts said.  With nearly 80 percent of the eligible county residents vaccinated, temporary emergency sites are no longer needed.  Remaining vaccine...

In 2020, a South County dentist launched a donation drive of medical machines to help battle a shortage of ventilators in the Covid-19 fight. Now, Dr. Kusum Atraya is joining volunteers from around the globe to help India, which is undergoing a deadly wave of...

By Barry Holtzclaw Santa Clara County is one of 19 California counties on a Covid-19 “watch list.” Gov. Gavin Newsom’s announcement July 1 to apply a three-week “dimmer switch” closing bars and state park parking lots, dine-in restaurant service, fitness centers and movie theaters in Santa Clara...

Santa Clara County has received its first report of a case of the Omicron variant of Covid-19, county officials said Friday. The case was reported Dec. 9 involving someone who was fully vaccinated but has not received a booster. The person had recently returned from...

Gilroy has the highest rate of Covid-19 infections of any city in Santa Clara County, according to statistics released by the county’s department of public health.  “The rates in the city of Gilroy are actually higher than elsewhere,” Santa Clara County Public Health Officer Sara...