The existence of a coronavirus variant containing two worrisome mutations, first discovered in India two weeks ago, is confirmed in California.
Recovery & Reopening
Posted inCOVID Today
Have you seen a doctor lately? Delays likely to trigger deaths, poor health
Other than COVID-19, Californians are still dying at about the same rates from heart disease, cancer and other disorders. But doctors fear the year-long delays in medical care could lead to early deaths and severe health problems.
Posted inVaccine Watch
California nears COVID-19 vaccine target that would ease more reopening rules
California is on the precipice of administering 4 million COVID-19 vaccine doses in its most disadvantaged areas.
Posted inPandemic Life
PHOTOS | Indoor yoga returns to Santa Cruz County under a fitting reopening-tier color: orange
Santa Cruz County’s move into the orange tier of COVID-19 restrictions on Wednesday allowed for various businesses to reopen — including the beloved Yoga studios.
Posted inCOVID Today
Biden warns ‘we’re in a life-and-death race’ with COVID-19
Biden accelerates COVID vaccinations, while a top health official says she has a sense of ‘impending doom’ amid a new wave of infections and deaths.
Posted inHousing & Development
‘Very good experience’: Streamlined permitting process shows early success for CZU fire home rebuilders
An expedited permit system, and a 40 percent reduction in fees for fire victims, are aimed at easing the path to recovery for owners of homes lost in the blaze that ripped through the Santa Cruz Mountains in August and September. Can county officials keep it up?
Posted inVaccine Watch
Even if you’re vaccinated, Easter and Passover bring COVID-19 dangers. What to know
Even as vaccinations increase and COVID-19 cases low in California, officials urge caution during the spring holidays, including Easter and Passover.
Posted inCoast Life
‘To some I’ll never be seen as a local’: Hundreds gather to honor Atlanta victims, support AAPI cause
Anti-Asian hate crime was the impetus for local members of the AAPI community to gather Saturday and share their stories of encountering racism, as people of all ages gathered around the county building in Santa Cruz.
Posted inVaccine Watch
Blue Shield CEO: Vaccine appointments may be backed up for several weeks
The CEO of Blue Shield predicts it will take until the end of April to ease California’s backlog. “When you make millions of people eligible overnight, there’s not millions of appointments immediately available,” he told CalMatters.
Posted inCOVID Today
Another racial disparity that may be heightened by the pandemic: access to outpatient care
In the first six months of the pandemic, potentially avoidable hospitalizations plummeted for white Angelenos but fell hardly at all among Black residents, reflecting a disparity in access to outpatient care.