Unemployment claims have skyrocketed in California as state leaders anxiously watch for what has become a contentious coronavirus stimulus bill to pass through Congress. More than 1 million unemployment claims have been filed since March 13, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Wednesday. By comparison, before the respiratory disease caused state leaders to issue a wide-reaching “stay...
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Santa Clara County passes renter protections due to COVID-19
The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously adopted a countywide eviction moratorium, effective immediately. The ordinance, in effect through May 31, will protect renters throughout the county from being evicted due to loss of income because of the novel coronavirus. Evictions have been top of mind for local leaders as Bay Area...
Coronavirus LIVE BLOG: March 11 to March 25
Catch up on our current Coronavirus LIVE BLOG here. 9:30 p.m. March 25: State leaders push Gov. Newsom to ban evictions A group of state leaders, including Sens. Jim Beall, Scott Wiener and Assemblymen Ash Kalra and Kansen Chu, urged Gov. Gavin Newsom to sign an executive order banning all evictions during California’s State of...
Congressmembers talk coronavirus in Silicon Valley, stalled funding bill
Silicon Valley residents are hungry for answers about the fast-spreading coronavirus as Congress fights over bills to fund America’s response to the pandemic. But on Tuesday, residents got a chance to question four U.S. House of Representative members representing parts of Silicon Valley during a “virtual town hall” to talk about Washington’s response to the...
UPDATE: San Jose lawmakers OK plan for paid sick leave during COVID-19 pandemic
While the U.S. aims to “flatten the curve,” low-wage employees without paid time off continue to show up to work — even if they’re feeling sick. But the threat of contagion has San Jose leaders worried these workers will continue to spread the coronavirus. On Wednesday, a San Jose City Council committee voted 4-1 to...
Too many people flocked to state parks amid coronavirus. Now they might be closed.
Californians were evidently feeling a bit of cabin fever this weekend when many rushed to local beaches and parks to stretch their legs days after California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a new “stay at home” order. The order aims to get residents to stay inside except for specific, essential tasks and exercise. When outside, state...
Coronavirus: Fears, misinformation spreads in San Jose over police enforcement of orders
In the midst of the coronavirus crisis, rumors and misinformation can spread just as quickly as the disease. In San Jose, social media posts proliferated alleging police officers were stopping people in low-income neighborhoods for violating the state’s “shelter-in-place” order, which asks residents to stay inside unless they need to do essential tasks. The claims alarmed police...
Coronavirus: Q&A with Santa Clara County’s top health official
As the top health official in Santa Clara County, Dr. Sara Cody never imagined she’d be tasked with addressing a major pandemic that has taken root in the South Bay, killing 16 so far and infecting at least 375 as of Tuesday. “This is absolutely unprecedented,” she said Tuesday during a virtual “town hall” call...
Coronavirus testing numbers to become clearer in Silicon Valley, statewide
Santa Clara County residents — and Californians across the state — are set to get more information about coronavirus testing, a key piece of information needed to understand the contagious disease’s spread. Seven Bay Area jurisdictions, including Santa Clara County, announced a new order Tuesday that will increase reporting requirements for private labs doing patient...
Amid criticism, San Jose eases some ‘sunshine’ rules in the wake of coronavirus
Among the emergency laws signed in the wake of the coronavirus, Gov. Gavin Newsom expanded health care for California residents, eased restrictions to qualify for unemployment and issued a statewide stay-at-home order. But tucked inside the slew of measures was an order to loosen the state’s sunshine laws, including the Brown Act, which ensures greater...