COVID-19

In 2020, a South Valley dentist launched a donation drive of medical machines to help battle a shortage of ventilators in the Covid-19 fight. Now, Dr. Kusum Atraya is joining volunteers from around the globe to help India, which is undergoing a deadly wave of...

San Benito County Public Health officials report the number of new Covid-19 cases continues to be minimal, but a new death was reported in one of their latest newsletters.    On April 14, the county reported its 63rd death of the novel coronavirus in San Benito...

About 24 percent of San Benito County has been fully vaccinated against Covid-19, but officials want to see more accurate, complete reporting of the numbers from local providers. As of April 14, public and private providers have administered 30,675 doses of Covid-19 vaccines to San...

San Benito County, the City of Hollister and other local jurisdictions are in the process of figuring out how to spend more than $20 million they expect to receive from the American Rescue Plan, a massive federal stimulus program approved earlier this year to...

California public health officials updated the state's guidance for places of worship and cultural ceremonies Monday, removing capacity limits for both indoor and outdoor gatherings.  Since unveiling the tiered Covid-19 reopening system late last August, the state has faced pushback from religious groups and advocates...

The Supreme Court late Friday lifted California’s restrictions on religious gatherings in private homes, saying they could not be enforced to bar prayer meetings, Bible study classes and the like. The court’s brief, unsigned order followed earlier ones striking down limits on attendance at...

It’s back to school season—sort of, as school districts in San Benito County are hustling to get things organized before students return to campus. It’ll be the first time in months that kids will get to be in the same room with some of...

State public health officials on Tuesday announced that San Benito County has entered the Orange Tier of Covid-19 restrictions, as the daily local case rate continues to decline. The announcement came on the same day that Gov. Gavin Newsom said the state could be “fully...

California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday announced that the state is “setting our eyes on fully reopening by June 15—with commonsense measures like masking.” Newsom made the announcement via Twitter, and reiterated the state’s plan to eventually forgo the current four-tiered, color-coded reopening system during...

New state and federal Covid safety guidelines that reduce the recommended minimum distance between students from 6 feet to 3 feet should make it easier for California schools to return students to classrooms full time, but most districts are not likely to make the...