When forced to choose between public health or the economy, the majority of Santa Clara County residents surveyed in a new poll said they’re more concerned about public health — despite the county’s shelter-in-place order ravaging local businesses. The poll, conducted from May 14 to May 18, surveyed 1,000 randomly selected county residents by telephone,...
San Jose record stores can open under new health order, but will it be too late?
Owners and managers of record stores in Santa Clara County are relieved that curbside pickup is now an option for retail businesses after the county updated its stay-at-home order last week. However, some said curbside pickup can’t replace browsing in person, an experience that won’t be fully restored until quarantine is over. On Friday, Santa...
Coronavirus fears grow for vulnerable Santa Clara County residents as economy reopens
As businesses across Santa Clara County begin to reopen, some officials worry poor communities of color hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic will experience a surge in new cases. To prevent a spike among some of the county’s most vulnerable residents, Board of Supervisors President Cindy Chavez penned a proposal to create an outreach team that...
South Bay nurses unions file complaint, allege unsafe conditions at nursing homes
Two local unions are accusing Santa Clara County of endangering nurses by failing to inform them of coronavirus-infected patients or provide them with the required protective equipment. The Santa Clara Registered Nurses Professional Association (RNPA) and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) have joined forces in leveling a slew of charges against the county. The...
San Jose: Memorial Day in age of coronavirus is like no other
This Memorial Day was like no other for Oak Hill Memorial Park as it hosted its flag-raising ceremony online for the first time due to the COVID-19 crisis and shelter-in-place orders. Oak Hill Memorial Park has hosted its flag-raising ceremony at the San Jose cemetery for more than 100 years. But this year felt a...
Data gap complicates efforts to aid LGBTQ community during COVID-19
Local leaders are searching for more insights into how the COVID-19 pandemic is impacting members of the LGBTQ community in the South Bay.
From tears to tests: Finding out if I have the coronavirus
Anxious tears accompanied my calls to clinics across Minneapolis on March 13. I sat alone in a friend’s apartment, where I spent the morning on hold trying to find a test for the coronavirus before going home to see my family. Did you recently travel overseas? No. Do you know anyone who’s tested positive? No....
Amid ‘unprecedented’ unemployment numbers, Silicon Valley feels blow slightly softer
California is seeing record unemployment numbers, with the largest single month of job losses ever recorded and a 15.5 percent unemployment rate in mid-April, about a month after the state began sheltering-in-place due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. But the blow has been a little softer overall in Silicon Valley, local experts say. The unemployment...
Surviving the pandemic: How you can donate to help those in need
The need for assistance – financial and otherwise – is growing in Silicon Valley, more than two months after the COVID-19 pandemic shut down businesses, workplaces and livelihoods in Santa Clara County. With a multitude of different ways to help, finding the right organizations and funds to donate to can be overwhelming, even for those...
Santa Clara County’s newest health order took effect. Here’s what’s new.
Santa Clara County’s latest shelter-in-place order took effect Friday, moving the South Bay into California’s second of four stages for allowing businesses and activities to reopen during the COVID-19 pandemic. Here’s a quick look at the major changes that went into effect. What’s open? All retail stores can now reopen for curbside or outdoor pickup...