COVID-19

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued its approval Monday of the first non-prescription at-home Covid-19 test that also detects the flu.  The test allows users to swab the inside of their nose and send the sample to the test's manufacturer, Labcorp, for analysis. In...

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,...

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a second Covid-19 booster vaccine dose Tuesday for some immunocompromised people as well as all adults over the age of 50.  A second booster dose of either mRNA vaccine will be available for eligible people at least four...

California will lift its indoor mask requirements Tuesday for unvaccinated people and March 12 for schools and child care facilities, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Feb. 28. The changes will mark the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic began that both unvaccinated people and students will...

Starting Feb. 23, a mobile OptumServe Covid-19 testing bus will be offering appointment-based and drop-in tests in Hollister, says a press release. The testing bus will be located at Brigantino Park, 2045 San Juan Hollister Road in Hollister. The Covid-19 mobile testing bus will be...

While California K-12 students will still be required to wear masks once the state's indoor mask mandate ends this week, one of the state’s top health officials said Monday that a decision on in-school mask requirements could be made by the end of the...

Nearly every county in the greater Bay Area will lift their indoor mask mandates next week, aligning them with the state's plans to lift its mask requirements.  San Benito will join Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Monterey, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Sonoma and...

Federal regulators issued their full approval Jan. 31 of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine, the second approval of a Covid vaccine outside of its emergency use authorization.  The FDA issued its full approval of the vaccine after considering data from roughly 14,000 vaccine recipients and 14,000...

As the county and state continue to experience an unprecedented surge in demand for Covid-19 testing, San Benito County officials this week sent out a lengthy informational update in recognition of limited test availability and longer-than-expected testing turnaround times.  “We understand the challenges these issues...

Covid-19 hospitalizations among California's children—especially those too young to go to school—are the highest they have been since the pandemic began. Chalk it up to the highly contagious omicron variant, kids exposed during in-person instruction at school and other public places, and infants and preschoolers...