Santa Clara County and San Jose officials voted separately but unanimously Dec. 15 to cap food delivery fees to help businesses retain income during the pandemic. Delivery service fees charged by third-party delivery companies such as Uber Eats, DoorDash, GrubHub, Postmates and others will be capped at 15% of the value of an order. San...
After getting a COVID-19 vaccine, can we ditch our masks? Santa Clara County weighs in
The moment America has been waiting for since mid March has arrived. Truckloads of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccines departed a warehouse in Michigan this week and made their way by truck or plane to hundreds of locations across the country. Santa Clara County received its first batch of 17,550 shots Dec. 15, kicking off the start...
New virtual platform connects Santa Clara County youth with mental health services
Mental health services are of the utmost importance during the COVID-19 pandemic and especially as the holiday season approaches with continued lockdowns, isolation and uncertainty, according to the Centers for Disease Control. To address this need among young people in Santa Clara County, Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County on Dec. 15 launched a platform...
UPDATE: San Jose extends paid sick leave as COVID-19 spreads
Fearing the federal government won’t help residents, San Jose leaders voted unanimously to extend local paid sick leave protections through an emergency measure. Councilmembers Magdalena Carrasco, Sylvia Arenas and Maya Esparza spearheaded the measure because they worried the federal government wouldn’t extend its Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), which has provided paid sick leave...
COVID-19 vaccine arrives; San Jose mom in trial tells what it feels like
Carolyn Bauer said she wasn’t afraid when she decided to take part in a COVID-19 vaccine trial earlier this year. In fact, she thought it was just common sense. “I’m a very healthy individual, and someone has to do this,” Bauer said. “To me, I didn’t realize how big a deal some people thought that...
South Bay Vietnamese Americans wrestle with COVID-19, lack of information
On a clear December day, the glowing sun hit a scant array of faces walking toward the Grand Century Mall in San Jose. In a plaza once teeming with visitors, particularly Vietnamese Americans, there were mostly shop owners and workers tending to business: distributing supplies, cleaning facilities and fulfilling to-go orders for loyal customers. San...
COVID-19 vaccines are coming to Santa Clara County. Here’s how they’ll be distributed and tracked
With the FDA’s approval of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccination on Dec. 11, thousands of health care workers may soon receive immunization shots in Santa Clara County within the next week. Health officials expect 17,550 doses of the Pfizer vaccine and 39,300 doses of the Moderna vaccine to be available in the county over the next few...
3 Santa Clara County hospitals out of ICU beds; 1,700 new cases in single day
Three Santa Clara County hospitals have run out of Intensive Care Unit beds while health officials reported 1,700 new COVID-19 cases in a single day this week. The county has hit a critical point in the pandemic, health officials said, and urged people to follow health orders, especially in light of this weekend’s Lady of...
Santa Clara County starts free COVID-19 workplace testing for transit employees
About 175 bus drivers, train operators, mechanics and administrators lined up to take COVID-19 tests at the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority’s Guadalupe rail yard on Dec. 10. “Some of our folks weren’t getting tested for whatever reason,” said John Courtney, president of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 265. “But when we bring it to...
Silicon Valley will recover faster from COVID-19, report says; local economists unsure
A Bloomberg report found that according to economic infrastructure and demographic metrics, Silicon Valley ranks first among the top 100 U.S. metropolitan areas most likely to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic the quickest. “Known for their information technology, electronics manufacturing, venture-capital funding and research universities, the economies in the Bay Area boast industries that have...