San Jose tenants suffering financial setbacks due to coronavirus have been protected by city, county and state eviction moratoriums since March. But with those temporary protections set to expire at the end of August, the city rolled out a mediation program this month to help landlords and tenants resolve rental disputes on their own. The...
Haircuts and pedicures on Santa Clara sidewalks raise new challenges
Sean Nguyen finally picked up his electric razor again. “It feels weird to be honest,” Nguyen said Tuesday after finishing his first appointment since March. “But at least I got a client.” A barber with 13 years of experience, Nguyen was in high demand. His shop, Sean’s Barber Shop, always had “a line of people waiting” but...
Silicon Valley educators worry about data privacy as classes remain online
Local educators say students could be at risk of data breaches as schools continue online classes amid the pandemic. “We need to protect our communities,” said Roxana Marachi, a San Jose State University professor of education. “Especially communities of color, who are the most vulnerable to data exploitations,” Big tech companies in Silicon Valley have eyed the...
California, Santa Clara County unemployment rates improve, but uncertainty looms
California’s June unemployment rate improved from previous months amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but it remains to be seen how recent statewide closures due to spiking cases and hospitalizations affect jobs across the state. In June, the state’s unemployment rate improved to 14.9%, with the state adding a record 558,200 jobs, according to figures released Friday...
San Jose nonprofits say city hasn’t coughed up money for free meals
As the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated hunger in San Jose, nonprofit food distributors say city leaders have stalled on reimbursing their costs to supply food to the South Bay’s most vulnerable residents. Nonprofit executives say demand for food has tripled since the pandemic shuttered businesses and slashed jobs in mid-March following Santa Clara County’s shelter-in-place order....
San Jose teachers don’t feel safe returning to school, district delays in-person classes
Despite pressure from President Donald Trump to reopen schools, San Jose teachers say they’re not willing to risk their lives amid a global pandemic. One of San Jose’s largest school districts — the San Jose Unified School District — announced late Thursday classes on Aug. 12 will resume online only at least until Oct. 2....
Coronavirus LIVE BLOG: July 2 to July 15
Catch up on our current Coronavirus LIVE BLOG here. 1:35 p.m. July 15: Most California schools not likely to reopen in-person, state educational official says California’s top public school official said Wednesday most schools likely would not reopen for in-person learning due to the spread of the novel coronavirus across the state. After the state Department...
Good Samaritan nurses in San Jose protest unsafe staffing, COVID-19 risks
At war with the hospital. That’s how a top nurses union leader outside Good Samaritan Hospital in San Jose on Monday described a dispute over working conditions at the hospital. Roughly 50 nurses cheered in agreement. “And by God, we have to win it, because if we don’t win it, we could end up dying...
Hours after reopening, Santa Clara County businesses will have to close again
Just hours after reopening Monday under Santa Clara County’s new health order, hair and nail salons, gyms, tattoo parlors and other personal care services have to close yet again. During his noon briefing, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced immediate closures for indoor operations of restaurants, wineries, tasting rooms, movie theaters, card rooms, family entertainment centers, zoos and...
Silicon Valley leaders want employees to mostly work from home
Notably grueling Silicon Valley commutes have been slashed dramatically as the COVID-19 pandemic rages on. While working from home presents its own unique challenges, Santa Clara County Supervisor Cindy Chavez wants to transition this aspect of social distancing into the post-COVID-19 life, a move she says will maintain productivity while decreasing climate impacts. Chavez announced a...