Santa Clara County Health Officer Dr. Sara Cody, who led the charge on the nation’s first shelter-in-place order, is a tough person to nail down these days, but on Friday she sat down to answer San José Spotlight readers’ questions. The exclusive Q&A session was streamed online by San José Spotlight on Facebook and moderated...
Construction unions lobby Santa Clara County leaders to loosen restrictions
Statewide and regional stay-home orders have passed the one-month mark, and nearly all businesses are hurting as many employees remain unable to work, upending their finances despite a $2 trillion government stimulus package. Now, a local construction and trades union is asking the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors to recommend the county to relax...
San Jose Police Chief talks crime trends during COVID-19 shutdown
Serious crime rates in San Jose have dropped while the city’s nearly 1.1 million residents shelter in place, but concerns still linger, particularly for business owners and domestic violence victims, according to Police Chief Eddie Garcia. Garcia addressed some of those concerns Thursday in an hour-long webinar, moderated by the Silicon Valley Organization’s President and CEO Matt Mahood and incoming...
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Unsung heroes of Silicon Valley: Michael Catalana
From coaching high school sports to serving as a community service officer in the San Jose Police Department, Michael Catalana is a team player through and through. Since the coronavirus hit the South Bay, Catalana and his fellow CSOs have been out in the neighborhoods handling non-emergency calls, collecting crime scene evidence and interviewing witnesses....
‘Every single window was smashed:’ Asian-owned San Jose businesses targeted
San Jose Police identified Tai Van Trinh as the suspect responsible for vandalizing multiple businesses in San Jose and Milpitas on April 22. Trinh, who hasn’t been caught, allegedly smashed the glass door and windows of at least five businesses Asian-owned businesses in San Jose, including Tastea, Lee’s Sandwiches and Seven Leaves Cafe, in the...
Coronavirus: Milpitas first in Santa Clara County to require face coverings
Milpitas became the first Santa Clara County city to require face coverings this week in an effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Beginning Friday, workers and customers must wear masks inside essential businesses in the South Bay city. The city’s actions come as six Bay Area counties now require face coverings when in public, including...
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Silicon Valley Holocaust remembrances keep memories alive — virtually
Tamar Jacobs has for years recounted memories of living in Nazi Germany alongside family, friends and Jewish community members. This year she took part in Holocaust Remembrance Day while standing in front of a camera. Sheltering at home during COVID-19 mitigation efforts in Santa Clara County, the 91-year-old Holocaust survivor was interviewed for one of...
Surviving the pandemic: How to get into a homeless shelter in Silicon Valley
With nearly 10,000 homeless residents sleeping on Santa Clara County’s streets every night, regional leaders say they’re concerned the novel coronavirus could rapidly spread among one of the county’s most vulnerable populations. County leaders have ramped up their efforts to protect the homeless community from a massive outbreak in the South Bay, which quickly emerged as a...
Santa Clara County had the first U.S. coronavirus deaths, officials say
Santa Clara County may have had the earliest coronavirus-related deaths in the nation, pointing to weeks of the virus circulating in the county before anyone realized, according to new autopsy information revealed this week. The county’s medical examiner-coroner released data on three newly identified coronavirus cases that resulted in death dating back to February 6....
Newsom loosens stay-home order restrictions as hospitalizations stabilize
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has announced the state’s first step in loosening the restrictive stay-at-home order that has shut down businesses, schools and kept residents inside except for specific tasks. Hospitals that were once barred from pushing forward so-called elective surgeries, or procedures that could wait, can begin doing those operations again, Newsom said Wednesday...