COVID-19

WATSONVILLE—Tenant advocates saw a modest increase in eviction notices in June, the month immediately following the Watsonville City Council’s decision to allow its citywide eviction moratorium to expire. The council at its May 26 meeting voted 5-2—Mayor Rebecca Garcia and councilman Francisco Estrada voted “no”—to...

WATSONVILLE—The Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees on Wednesday unanimously voted to delay a decision on how to resume classes in August, to give district officials time to investigate all of their options. Still undetermined is which risk level the district will use...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Santa Cruz METRO has increased its passenger capacity by 50% in an effort to accommodate more riders, but that decision has raised concerns within the union representing the bus operators still working during the Covid-19 pandemic. METRO CEO Alex Clifford announced on June...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Santa Cruz County health officials identified 37 new Covid-19 cases—the county’s largest single-day jump since the virus started its spread—on Monday, increasing the number of new cases over the last eight days to 142. There are 216 active cases in the county, and...

MONTEREY COUNTY—Businesses across the Pajaro River Bridge were dealt another tough blow this week, as Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday called for Monterey County restaurants, wineries, movie theaters, zoos, museums and card rooms to close their indoor operations.  Newsom also said the county’s bars must...

WATSONVILLE—The road has been rocky this year for the Pajaro Valley Unified School District, as the state went from a rosy pre-coronavirus budget surplus in January to the potential of $19 million in reductions in May. Those numbers have changed yet again, after Gov. Gavin...

WATSONVILLE—Obtaining a Covid-19 test in Watsonville is still a challenge for some, as long waits and limited options are plaguing those that might have been exposed and are asymptomatic but need a test to find out if they can safely return to work. The OptumServe...

SACRAMENTO—California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday ordered bars and restaurants in 19 counties to close their indoor dining options for at least three weeks, as the state faces increasing cases of Covid-19 and residents plan for the busy July 4 weekend. The state saw 5,898...

Health officials throughout the nation have said testing is an essential factor in the battle against the novel coronavirus, and with case numbers rising in communities near and far getting a test is critical to understanding where the virus is and how officials can...

Faith and community leaders with the California Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF) celebrated a victory Tuesday after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a budget which includes an expansion of the California Earned Income Tax Credit (Cal EITC) to undocumented workers with young children. While not a full...