Health

Avian influenza, a “highly pathogenic” viral disease that infects poultry and birds—and is potentially transmissible to humans—has been detected in San Benito County, according to local public health officials.  The disease, also known as “bird flu,” was found recently in poultry flocks in a number...

In an effort to cut costs as Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital (HHMH) faces a potential bankruptcy, the San Benito Health Care District Board of Directors voted Jan. 6 to close the hospital system’s home healthcare department.  The board’s vote was in line with a recommendation...

Hollister’s Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital welcomed the first baby of the year just after midnight on Jan. 1—a girl who weighed in at nearly 6 pounds, according to the hospital.  Parents Elizabeth Hernandez and Gilbert Valencia welcomed their daughter, Genesis, to the world at 12:04am...

With the Bay Area currently showing the highest Covid-19 infection rates in California, health officers are reminding people of the importance of safety precautions such as continued masking indoors and vaccine boosters. The current wave of infections is fueled by the highly contagious Omicron subvariants,...

Gov. Gavin Newsom and state Sen. Nancy Skinner announced a proposal Dec. 5 to penalize oil companies in an effort to deter gas price gouging. The proposal would make it illegal for oil companies to charge excessive refining margins—the price difference between the cost of...

For more than two years, people have clamored for the return to “normal” after the uncertainties of a pandemic. In 2022, we got a taste of normalcy, but it was far from being predictable. Covid-19, which dominated the headlines in 2020 and 2021, seemingly took a...

Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital will participate in a public forum on Monday, Jan. 9 at 5:30pm at the Veterans Memorial Building in downtown Hollister. Hospital leaders will provide an update on finances, address the implications to the community of a hospital closure and present...

In an effort to solidify their emergency response coordination strategies as reports of potentially perilous accidental gas line damage increase in the tri-county region, PG&E and local public safety agencies held a joint safety drill at Hollister Municipal Airport on Aug. 24. During the drill,...

Thousands of households in San Benito County who have received extra CalFresh benefits due to pandemic-related hardships will see a reduction in their monthly allotments as of April 1, and local service providers are preparing now to meet the inevitable surge in demand that...

The San Benito County Behavioral Health Department recently announced the launch of its new community Mobile Crisis Response program, which aims to bring crisis management and support to residents wherever they are.  The phone number for the Mobile Crisis Response Team is 831.902.2911. The line...