After months of anticipation from lawmakers and parents, Santa Clara County on Wednesday gave its first COVID-19 shots to some of its youngest residents. Hand-in-hand with their parents, a few hundred kids flocked to clinics across the South Bay to get the first jabs of the kid-size COVID-19 vaccine. The line for the clinic at...
UPDATE: Santa Clara County lawmakers narrow redistricting proposals
Santa Clara County lawmakers will focus on three possible maps for changing local political boundaries. The Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 Tuesday to advance three maps for further consideration at a meeting later this month. The maps being advanced are titled Yellow, Purple and Equal and Equitable (EE) 2.0. The final boundaries must be adopted...
San Jose kids could get COVID shots in a few days
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends COVID-19 shots for children ages 5 to 11, opening the way to vaccination for approximately 167,000 children in Santa Clara County. A CDC advisory committee voted Tuesday to recommend the use of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for children. The agency’s director, Rochelle Walensky, has final approval, which experts...
Santa Clara County wants options for emergency housing sites
Local lawmakers are racing to build more emergency housing amid a growing homelessness crisis, but where these sites will go is still undecided. A pair of Santa Clara County officials want to use vacant or underutilized lots for a new temporary housing or safe parking site. The plan is to replicate the Casitas de Esperanza...
The Dragon Mountain still closed after Santa Clara County shutdown
Santa Clara County shut down a local, privately-owned park in 2019 over a number of land use and permit violations. The property owner is now claiming county officials are delaying and stonewalling his efforts to fix these issues. For several years, South Bay resident Keith (Kiet) Ngo watched thousands of people from all over the...
Santa Clara County preparing to roll out COVID kids vaccine
COVID-19 vaccines for young children are potentially days away from being rolled out in Santa Clara County, a critical step to ending the pandemic. On Tuesday, a Food and Drug Administration advisory committee recommended a low dosage of the Pfizer vaccine for children ages 5 to 11, saying the benefits of the shot outweigh any...
A few high paid Santa Clara County officials give up COVID bonus
Thousands of Santa Clara County employees will receive a COVID-19 hazard pay bonus before the end of the year. Not everyone plans to keep the money. Assessor Larry Stone informed County Executive Jeff Smith earlier this month that he will donate his $2,500 bonus to charitable nonprofits, including affordable housing agencies and local art organizations....
Santa Clara County holds hearing on long COVID
Santa Clara County has led the way when it comes to managing COVID-19 infection. But now officials are grappling with a growing concern: long COVID. Long COVID is when symptoms continue for more than 12 weeks after infection. A recently published study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that one third of...
COVID-19 booster shots available in Santa Clara County
Santa Clara County is ready to administer COVID-19 booster shots of the Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines. Public Health Officer Dr. Sara Cody and Vaccine Officer Dr. Marty Fenstersheib spoke at a news conference Friday where they said booster shots are now available for residents who qualify. All residents 65 and older are eligible...
No endorsement in contested Santa Clara County supervisorial race
The Silicon Valley Democratic Club is not endorsing a candidate in the race for the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisor’s District 1 seat — at least for the time being. The club held a vote for its members following a forum where the three candidates—Morgan Hill Mayor Rich Constantine, Los Gatos Vice Mayor Rob...