COVID-19

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The Santa Cruz County Office of Education (COE) has launched a dashboard that summarizes Covid-19 testing results across schools countywide. The dashboard is a partnership with school districts, Inspire Diagnostics and the Santa Cruz County Department of Public Health, COE spokesman Nick Ibarra...

WATSONVILLE—Pajaro Valley Unified School District will begin the year with distance learning for all students when classes begin on Aug. 17, a measure meant to keep students and staff safe from Covid-19 as the virus continues to spread throughout the state. PVUSD Superintendent Michelle Rodriguez...

SACRAMENTO—Gov. Gavin Newsom on April 22 announced plans to allow hospitals to resume surgeries and other procedures that were delayed while the state grapples with the novel coronavirus pandemic. These procedures include heart valve replacements, angioplasty and tumor removals, and key preventive care services, such...

WATSONVILLE—The road has been rocky this year for the Pajaro Valley Unified School District, as the state went from a rosy pre-coronavirus budget surplus in January to the potential of $19 million in reductions in May. Those numbers have changed yet again, after Gov. Gavin...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—For many, Spring has always been the season to clear out unused and unneeded items from garages, attics and closets. And with people at home during shelter-in-place, Spring cleaning has increased exponentially. “People are cooped up with nothing to do,” said Alan C....

WATSONVILLE—Graduation for Pajaro Valley Unified School District’s 1,179 seniors this year will look drastically different than it has at any time in its history. That is because the school closures imposed April 1 by state education officials have required students to learn from home for...

WATSONVILLE—Every year on the outskirts of Watsonville, late summer brings the intoxicating aroma of fried food, along with the sweet summer cacophony of carnival rides, livestock and giant, jubilant crowds. But those voices will fall silent this year at the Santa Cruz County Fair, after...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Santa Cruz County on Wednesday announced that a man in his 60s died from Covid-19 on Aug. 15. County spokesman Jason Hoppin said that the man was unvaccinated and had underlying health conditions. The death was the 210th in Santa Cruz County attributable to...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Watsonville Community Hospital and Dominican Hospital have restarted offering elective procedures after they were put on hold to help slow the spread of Covid-19 and to prepare for a surge of patients with the disease.  This includes procedures such as surgeries, endoscopies, cardiac...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved a proposal to allow restaurants and businesses in the unincorporated areas of the county to use their parking lots for outdoor eating and shopping areas.  The plan was designed to help ease...