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Santa Clara County Public Health discontinued the last of its COVID-related regulations on Monday. Dr. Sara Cody, the county’s public health officer, issued an order eliminating remaining local requirements such as teleworking and social distancing, but businesses and governments will still need to determine the vaccination status of personnel through self-attestation. On Friday, the California...
Fentanyl deaths in Santa Clara County rise during pandemic
The number of fatal fentanyl overdoses in Santa Clara County nearly tripled during the pandemic, and experts say the two are intricately linked. “(The pandemic) seems to have exacerbated a lot of latent trauma that our clients have,” said Gary Montrezza, CEO of Pathway Society, a substance abuse counseling center based in San Jose. “Those who are...
Santa Clara County first to make Juneteenth a holiday
In light of the recent decision to make Juneteenth a federal holiday, Santa Clara County leaders hope residents will become more aware of African American history. President Joe Biden signed a bill Thursday recognizing Juneteenth as a federal holiday. Federal employees will observe the holiday on Friday, although this year Juneteenth is on Saturday. Prior to...
Santa Clara County workers get revised mask rules
California’s workplace safety board has changed its rules on masks again—this time to align with the entire state which reopened Tuesday. Cal/OSHA ruled Thursday that vaccinated workers can shed their masks in the workplace—even if some of their colleagues are unvaccinated—except in places where they are required for everyone such as public transit. Workers also...
Silicon Valley’s top health leader reflects on lessons learned as COVID-19 rules lift
Even after death threats, Dr. Sara Cody stands tall. She especially stood tall Tuesday, the same day the state reopened, and for the first time publicly removed her mask. Fifteen months after Cody declared a shelter in place order — the first in the country to do so — the county’s top health official reflected...
‘Not a place for Black people:’ NAACP leader leaving Silicon Valley
A prominent organizer and community leader in Silicon Valley for more than a decade, Rev. Jeff Moore II has left the South Bay in search of better opportunities in Atlanta. Serving as San Jose-Silicon Valley NAACP’s fourth president, Moore organized and advocated for a number of racial and equity causes since 2008. Last Friday, Moore told...
What does California reopening mean for Santa Clara County?
Santa Clara County residents can return to life near normal as California officially reopens today following more than a year of COVID-19. Starting today, the majority of businesses can operate at full capacity and vaccinated people can mostly remove their masks while grocery shopping, eating at restaurants or working out at the gym. The relaxation of...
Silicon Valley city limits public input at meetings
In one Bay Area city, public meetings are going to run a bit differently, with more or less transparency depending on who you ask. In a split 3-2 vote, the Los Gatos Town Council this month approved a change to the consent calendar—a list of items usually approved with a single vote of the council—that...
San Jose students survey residents on Reid-Hillview Airport closure
When Yajaira Gutierrez first heard of a widespread survey about the potential closure of Reid-Hillview Airport in East San Jose, she was surprised by what it found. “I thought the results were really alarming,” Gutierrez told San José Spotlight. “It didn’t make sense to me that the community would rather keep that airport open than shut...
How long will South Bay government meetings stay online?
During the pandemic, government meetings went online to allow for greater public participation and compliance with social distancing guidelines. But with COVID-19 on the decline, some are wondering when meetings might return to an in-person format. Hybrid meetings may be the answer. Both the San Jose City Council and Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors...