COVID-19

CAPITOLA—Efforts to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom are picking up steam, with proponents having gathered 911,000 signatures since June 10. The all volunteer, grassroots group behind the drive—Recall Gavin 2020—has until March 17 to gather about 1.5 million signatures to qualify for a special election. Another group,...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Masks, capacity limits and several other mandates imposed by the state to slow the spread of Covid-19 will all become a thing of the past on Tuesday. And while Santa Cruz County health officials in their first press conference since May called...

SANTA CRUZ—Staff of Life, a popular natural foods market in Santa Cruz for more than 50 years, announced Monday that an employee tested positive for Covid-19. “We have made the decision to temporarily close after learning a member of our staff has been diagnosed with...

WATSONVILLE—Thanks in part to a massive surge in online sales, the City of Watsonville is adding roughly $1.7 million to its 2020-21 fiscal year budget. The allocation, unanimously approved by the City Council at Tuesday’s virtual meeting, means some departments will bring back positions originally...

WATSONVILLE—Brian Orozco prides himself in putting his clients at Functional Fitness Training Center through a vigorous workout that challenges them both physically and mentally. Weaving his way through the Employment Development Board’s system to file an unemployment claim put his strenuous workouts to shame. He tried...

WATSONVILLE—Covid-19 vaccines are now available by appointment only for residents 75 years and older at the county’s new mass vaccination center at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds. Residents who are at 95019, 95076 and 95077 zip codes must register at https://mhealthsystem.com/santacruzfairgrounds to schedule an appointment....

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—More than one million people have so far received a Covid-19 vaccine, according to the Centers for Disease Control.  These “frontline” workers in tier 1a of the state’s protocol include health care workers, first responders and other people who interact directly with patients.  In...

WATSONVILLE—The County of Santa Cruz recently announced the opening of a new mass vaccination center in downtown Watsonville, and officially welcomed residents 65 years and older to sign up for their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine. The new OptumServe site, located at the old...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District (METRO) is stepping up to help battle the pandemic in offering free local transit rides to and from Covid-19 vaccination appointments in Santa Cruz County. METRO spokeswoman Danielle Glagola said riders who are interested in using METRO...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—School district superintendents from 11 districts throughout Santa Cruz County will hold a town hall meeting Thursday to talk about bringing younger students back into the classroom. The discussion, led by Dr. Steven McGee of Dignity Health and Dr. Nanette Mickiewicz of Dominican...