After COVID-19 scrapped their clinical rotations in 2020, five South Bay nursing students turned their focus to educating children about the virus. Elaine Pham, Liz Nguyen, Elaine Fu, Vivian Doan and Tina Tran created the 15-page book “Let’s Learn About COVID-19” containing coloring diagrams, crossword puzzles and other activities that explain the virus. Nguyen, Fu,...
Researchers turn to human waste to sniff out clues about COVID-19 in Santa Clara County
Seeking to better understand the spread of COVID-19, researchers from San Jose, Santa Clara County and Stanford University are looking at an unusual source for answers: Human waste. It turns out excrement can carry the coronavirus, which is why researchers and health officials are examining it to compile more accurate data on the virus in...
Trump signs COVID-19 stimulus package; South Bay nonprofits weigh-in
WASHINGTON, D.C. — After threatening to blow up a deal that provides relief to struggling Americans, President Donald Trump on Sunday signed a major coronavirus stimulus package along with an annual spending bill. The move avoids a government shutdown before a Monday night deadline. “I applaud President Trump’s decision to get hundreds of billions of...
How San Jose homeless shelters are adapting to the COVID-19 surge
COVID-19 has been tearing through sheltered living spaces in San Jose, but at least one operator of such facilities has managed to keep all of its women residents safe during the pandemic. CityTeam, which offers temporary housing to people in need, has so far kept its four women’s shelters in San Jose COVID-free, although it has had...
San Jose business owners hit hard by COVID-19 now have another worry — the end of an eviction moratorium
Businesses that barely survived 2020 have another tough blow ahead — the end of the county’s moratorium on evictions. The measure bars landlords from evicting commercial tenants who haven’t been paying their rent. It expires on March 31 and, when it does, businesses that haven’t paid rent are on the hook for paying all of...
San Jose restaurants still waiting for DoorDash grants — one month later
San Jose restaurant owner Jennifer Echeverri was promised a $5,000 grant to help her survive the winter amid tightening COVID-19 restrictions. One month passed. The money never came. As of Dec. 22, none of the 30 San Jose restaurants that were notified of a grant had received one. They also were not told when the...
Coronavirus LIVE BLOG: SJSU student fights for on-campus COVID-19 testing
As of Dec. 23, Santa Clara County reported 59,923 confirmed coronavirus cases and 632 deaths. The county saw another massive spike — 1,311 new cases recorded in one day. California had 1,964,076 positive cases and 23,284 deaths as of Dec. 22. However, health officials have warned recent figures have been underreported due to issues with...
COVID-19 tries to cancel Christmas dinner for San Jose homeless — but fails
With a COVID-19 positive case forcing a quarantine and temporary closure of CityTeam’s kitchen, the San Jose nonprofit is scrambling to make sure its annual Christmas Day feast doesn’t sour. “We normally feed the homeless every day,” said CityTeam spokesperson Darlene Tenes. “But Christmas Day is a particularly special day because we invite them all...
With Santa Clara County hospitals overwhelmed with COVID-19, health officials urge residents to cancel holiday plans
With local COVID-19 cases and deaths soaring and area hospitals at risk of being overwhelmed, local officials are urging residents to cancel their holiday plans. The novel coronavirus is on the verge of becoming the third-leading cause of death this year in Santa Clara County, the officials said Dec. 23. Already, the county has recorded...
COVID-19 has led to widespread food insecurity in Silicon Valley. Thousands of volunteers are helping fight it.
The South Bay’s staggering increase in demand for food assistance during the coronavirus pandemic is being met with help from a newly raised army of volunteers. Second Harvest of Silicon Valley, which has been coordinating much of the local effort to distribute food to needy residents, has faced the dual challenge of feeding more people than ever...