San Jose Councilmember Sylvia Arenas tested positive for COVID-19 yesterday after falling ill during this Tuesday’s City Council meeting. The District 8 representative posted on Facebook this morning that both she and most of her family members contracted the virus and are exhibiting “somewhat mild symptoms compared to others.” “It appears that a member of...
Santa Clara County health officials fear immigrants may not take COVID-19 vaccine over privacy concerns
Santa Clara County officials worry a federal data sharing plan may spark distrust among immigrants and discourage undocumented people from taking the COVID-19 vaccine. “We’re very concerned about the fact that any information transfer may discourage people from participating in the vaccine program,” said County Executive Jeff Smith. Assistant County Counsel Douglas Press said his...
UPDATE: San Jose details how it is spending $650 million in Measure T funds
Two years after San Jose voters passed a $650 million disaster preparedness bond, the city says it is making headway on fixing roads, preventing floods and improving emergency response times. The City Council voted unanimously to put Measure T on the 2018 ballot after dilapidated roads, mismanaged land and lack of emergency centers threatened resident...
South Bay legislators hit the ground running in new posts
New state Senator Dave Cortese and San Jose Assemblymember Alex Lee both introduced large pieces of legislation on their first day in Sacramento. On Dec. 7, within hours of beginning his post as representative of California’s Assembly District 25, Lee introduced AB 20, called the Clean Money Act. The legislation seeks to bar all businesses...
1,450 new COVID-19 cases as hospitals fill up in Santa Clara County
Santa Clara County saw 1,450 new COVID-19 cases over the past few days and hospital beds filled up as health officials announced a vaccine could be arriving next week. “We are clearly seeing increased levels of transmission in our community, and we know from historic data that about 10% of individuals diagnosed with COVID will...
Silicon Valley leaders ask for help solving the ‘poverty pandemic’
Santa Clara County elected officials, business and faith leaders are asking the community to help low-income people hit hardest by the pandemic. Through the new United Against the Poverty Pandemic coalition, formed during the pandemic by Brett Bymaster, executive director of Healing Grove Health Center, the group is working to find solutions for low-income families...
‘We don’t know what to do’: San Jose restaurants prepare to close in-person dining
Surrounded by patio heaters and tables filled with patrons dining on Mexican food, a three-person mariachi band played under the tent canopy outside Mendoza’s Taqueria in San Jose on Sunday – the last day of the year restaurants could seat people under Santa Clara County’s most recent health order. “I’m going to miss watching them...
Santa Clara County fines hospitals for failing to comply with COVID-19 testing order
Santa Clara County has issued more than $40,000 in fines to private health systems for failing to comply with its coronavirus testing order. HCA Healthcare’s Regional Medical Center in San Jose was fined $22,750 for failing to adequately notify patients of their right to a COVID-19 test. An enforcement officer inspected the center Oct. 20,...
Congress considering $908 billion COVID-19 relief package
WASHINGTON, D.C — A bipartisan group of senators unveiled a $908 billion coronavirus relief proposal this week as millions of Americans continue to grapple with the ramifications of the pandemic. Among other provisions, the plan designates approximately $288 billion for small businesses and $160 billion for local and state governments. It would also provide a...
Santa Clara County issues COVID-19 stay-at-home order
Health officials around the Bay Area accelerated a stay-at-home order that starts this weekend for most of the region, including Santa Clara County. The order goes into effect at 10 p.m. Dec. 6 and lasts until Jan. 4. It enacts the same restrictions as the state order, requiring all nonessential operations to shut down with...