Santa Clara County Local News: COVID-19

All Local COVID-19 News articles contributed by our local media allies and other local newsrooms.

Image caption: States have expansive powers to protect the health of the general public.

STATEWIDE EXPLAINER

The State’s Broad Power to Protect Public Health, Explained

Since long before the COVID-19 pandemic, states have possessed broad authority to protect public health, even to suspend laws and commandeer private property. Here’s why, and how it works.

From Los Angeles Times...

COVID-19 Health State of California

State COVID Surge Over But More to Come

10/02/2024
The summer COVID surge in California may be finally abating, but people are still advised to get update vaccines in anticipation of a resurgence in the fall and winter.

From Palo Alto Online...

COVID-19 Public Safety Health

COVID Surging Locally

08/07/2024
Testing of wastewater shows sharp increases of COVID circulating in Santa Clara County.

From The Mercury News...

COVID-19 Health City of San Jose

COVID in San Jose Wastewater Surges

07/05/2024
Wastewater testing for COVID shows the virus is surging in San Jose.

From Mountain View Voice...

COVID-19 Business, Economy & Jobs Resilience City of Mountain View

Mountain View Adopts Economic Vitality Plan

04/24/2024
In its April 23 meeting, the Mountain View City Council approved a plan to address the slow recovery from economic effects of the pandemic.

From CalMatters...

COVID-19 Education

California Schools Gained Billions During COVID-19. Now the Money is Running Out

03/04/2024
California schools got $23.4 billion in federal pandemic relief money. Low-income schools that got the most may be hardest hit when the funds expire this year.

From CapPublicRadio...

COVID-19 Health Crisis & Personal Support

Antidepressant Prescriptions to Young People Surged During the Pandemic

02/27/2024
The monthly rate of antidepressants being dispensed to young people increased about 64% more quickly during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a study in the journal Pediatrics.

From San Jose Spotlight...

COVID-19 Business, Economy & Jobs

How Many Santa Clara County Tech Workers Have Been Laid Off?

02/20/2024
Silicon Valley made everything the world needed when the pandemic hit—and with that came a hiring frenzy. But after COVID subsided, tech workers started losing their jobs, with nearly 16,800 laid off since July 2021.

California Local Pin Marker From California Local...

COVID-19 Art, Culture & Media Elections & Politics Sports

Taylor Swift Has San Francisco-Hating Trump Fans Rooting for the ’49ers

02/08/2024
Image for display with article titled Thanks to Taylor Swift, San Francisco-Hating Trump Fans Are Rooting for the ’49ers in the Super Bowl

Image for display with article titled Thanks to Taylor Swift, San Francisco-Hating Trump Fans Are Rooting for the ’49ers in the Super Bowl

Fears that pop superstar will encourage her “Swifties” to vote for Joe Biden has Trump fans declaring “Holy War.”

From CalMatters...

COVID-19 Business, Economy & Jobs

Sacramento Joins San Francisco as California’s Slowest Cities to Recover From the Pandemic

01/30/2024
San Francisco is coping with a “doom loop” of declining employment and business activity in its downtown core, but a new study suggests Sacramento may be in worse shape.

California Local Pin Marker From California Local...

COVID-19 Public Safety Health Transportation Crime & Justice Government

Death on the Roads: Traffic Fatality Crisis Far From Over

01/14/2024
Image for display with article titled Death on the Roads: California Traffic Fatality Crisis Far From Over

California in 2024 has implemented two new, potentially important traffic safety laws

From Daily Post...

COVID-19 Business, Economy & Jobs City of Palo Alto

Retail Nearly Recovered to Pre-Pandemic Levels in Palo Alto

01/12/2024
In a sign of continued recovery for Palo Alto retailers, the city’s sales tax revenue is nearly back to pre-pandemic levels, although some parts of town and certain business segments are doing better than others.

From Palo Alto Online...

COVID-19 Business, Economy & Jobs Housing State of California

As State Evictions Boom, Whether Tenants Get Lawyers Depends on Where They Live

01/11/2024
As evictions soar across California now that COVID-era moratoria have expired, advocates are pushing for more cities and counties to follow San Francisco's example of guaranteeing tenants access to an attorney in eviction proceedings.

From CalMatters...

COVID-19 Elections & Politics Crime & Justice Government

A Step Forward for Free Speech in Kern County?

12/28/2023
Kern County agrees to better protect free speech in a deal with the state Justice Department—inspired by the county’s’ 2020 squashing of COVID contracts to organizations that advocated defunding police.

From San Jose Spotlight...

COVID-19 Business, Economy & Jobs Land Use & Development

Silicon Valley Office Vacancies Stuck in Double Digits

12/19/2023
Silicon Valley’s offices are rapidly emptying out, as the paradigm-shifting remote work culture brought on by the pandemic continues to affect the commercial real estate market.

From Morgan Hill Times...

COVID-19 Business, Economy & Jobs Agriculture, Food & Gardening State of California

California’s Food Insecurity Rises as Pandemic Aid Ends

12/18/2023
Image for display with article titled California’s Food Insecurity Rises as Pandemic Aid Ends

Food insecurity in California ticked upward over the past year, bringing the share of hardship back up to levels early in the COVID-19 pandemic, according to data released by the California Association of Food Banks.

California Local Pin Marker From California Local...

COVID-19 Health Community Service & Support Government

Medi-Cal Recipients Surprised by Sudden Loss of Health Coverage

12/18/2023

Image for display with article titled Californians Get Rude Surprise at the Doctor's Office—Their Medi-Cal Coverage is Cancelled

Some recipients say they received no notice or warning that the state had pulled their health coverage.

From Palo Alto Online...

COVID-19 Business, Economy & Jobs Land Use & Development City of Palo Alto

Restaurants Blast Plan to Remove Downtown Parklets

12/18/2023
As Palo Alto prepares to redesign University Avenue, downtown restaurants are rallying to protect a treasured asset that sustained them through the darkest days of the pandemic: their recently constructed parklets.

From CalMatters...

COVID-19 Education Community Service & Support Government State of California

Are the Kids All Right? New California K-12 Performance Data is Out

12/15/2023
Despite a few improvements, results show students are still struggling on several fronts.

From Gilroy Dispatch...

COVID-19 Business, Economy & Jobs Land Use & Development City of Gilroy

Need for Parklets Doubted by Some Gilroy City Council Members

12/14/2023
Image for display with article titled Need for Parklets Doubted by Some Gilroy City Council Members

A split Gilroy City Council elected not to extend a downtown restaurant’s pandemic-era parklet as city officials work to create a set of rules for outdoor dining areas in public parking spaces.

California Local Pin Marker From California Local...

COVID-19 Families & Children Health Community Service & Support Government

How This Government Policy Is Making Food Insecurity Worse

12/13/2023
Image for display with article titled How This Government Policy is Making Food Insecurity Worse