The streets are eerily empty today when I look outside the window, except for a scattering of rain-soaked tents where people without homes live. This is Day One of America’s shelter-in-place — or you can call it self-quarantine— as we all hunker down in fear of being exposed to or infected with COVID-19. We never...
Immigrants seeking health care for coronavirus exempt from ‘public charge’ rule
Federal immigration policy has created barriers for some immigrants to get tested and treated for coronavirus, a rule which Santa Clara County officials have decried as dangerous to the public. The “public charge” rule penalizes immigrants who are enrolled — or likely to enroll — in federally funded public assistance programs like Medicaid, reducing their...
UPDATE: Fund for Santa Clara County nurses raises nearly $600K as more first responders fall sick with coronavirus
One day after Santa Clara County nurses put out a plea for donations of medical safety supplies to protect themselves from the coronavirus pandemic, a powerful group of allies came together to answer the need. On Friday, the Silicon Valley Leadership Group announced it had launched a drive to collect money and supplies for the...
What does California’s ‘stay at home’ order mean for Silicon Valley?
Want to do your part in fighting coronavirus? Then stay home. That was the message California Gov. Gavin Newsom delivered Thursday night to all 40 million Californians as he announced an official “stay at home” order. So far, 675 people have tested positive for the virus statewide and 16 people have died from coronavirus, known as COVID-19....
San Jose officials push efforts to eliminate empty downtown storefronts
San Jose has long had dozens of boarded-up businesses lining the main drags of the city’s downtown core, giving way to unsightly scenes of blight, drug use and crime. As residents gripe about empty storefronts plaguing downtown’s streetscapes, Councilmember Raul Peralez, who represents downtown, has vowed to put an end to the drab storefronts by...
San Francisco 49ers announce donation for coronavirus recovery
Levi’s Stadium, home of the San Francisco 49ers, sat empty Thursday amid the county’s “shelter in place” order to slow the spread of coronavirus, as the NFL team announced plans to help residents get back on their feet. 49ers President Al Guido announced the team donated $49,000 to the Silicon Valley Community Foundation’s newly-created emergency...
Shaw: Homeless shelter clients shouldn’t be pushed out after 120 days
I like to book a hotel room some weekends to rest up and get a quick break from life at the Sunnyvale Shelter. It’s not that the shelter is not well run or that I don’t like the people I live with — it is and I do. Anyone who’s ever lived in any kind...
Paying it forward: How coronavirus has inspired generosity in San Jose
Despite the growing fear and anxiety from the rapid spread of the coronavirus and shelter-in-place orders across the Bay Area, a slew of local business owners are stepping up to make things a little brighter. Tony & Alba’s, a family-run San Jose gem that serves pizza and pasta, last weekend offered free pizza and free...
Silicon Valley cities launch new coronavirus initiatives as companies step up
Silicon Valley government and nonprofit leaders on Wednesday launched a new initiative, called Silicon Valley Strong, to centralize coronavirus resources for residents and small businesses. Those leaders also called on residents and companies to step up with their time, energy and perhaps most importantly, money. But across the Bay Area, organizations have already begun to...
As coronavirus spreads, Newsom works to secure hospital beds, find rooms for homeless
California Gov. Gavin Newsom in the past 36 hours has announced a slew of measures to combat coronavirus, including placing the state’s National Guard on alert, devoting money to secure hospital beds, trailers and shelters for homeless residents and signing orders to peg $1 billion to slow the spread of the deadly virus. As of...