Santa Clara County employees can likely expect a bonus in their paychecks come December in recognition of their hazardous work during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved a request to pay more than $76 million to help each of the county’s 22,000 employees by Dec. 3. Employees will receive $2,500 for...
coronavirus
San Jose extends COVID vaccination deadline for city workers
San Jose made a last-minute change to its COVID-19 vaccination policy that gives reluctant employees more time to get the jab before punishments start. Thursday was the deadline for city employees to be vaccinated, but Mayor Sam Liccardo said workers will be given a one-week grace period to get their first shot before being placed...
Santa Clara County breakthrough COVID hospitalizations remain low
The hospitalization rate for unvaccinated Santa Clara County residents is 23 times higher than those immunized against COVID-19, new county data shows. Between July 29 and Sept. 3, 464 people were hospitalized in the county due to COVID-19. This includes both county-run and private hospitals. County officials told San José Spotlight 360 patients either were not fully...
Santa Clara County prepares for potential COVID boosters
Santa Clara County is ready to offer all eligible residents COVID-19 booster shots within 24 hours of federal approval, but whether the plan is needed—and to what extent—remains unknown. After intense debate Friday, vaccine advisers to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration rejected Pfizer’s request to add a third shot to its two-doses regimen for the general...
State opens more funding for Santa Clara County supportive housing
When Charlotte Burris first called the Santa Clara County Office of Supportive Housing to get out of the van she uses for shelter, there were only spaces for unhoused residents with COVID-19. Burris said she tested positive shortly after calling and received temporary housing, describing it as a gift in disguise. “I’ve been homeless for...
San Jose mandates COVID shots for city workers, silent on vax rates
San Jose employees will have to submit proof of COVID-19 vaccination by the end of this month or face suspension, the city announced Wednesday. The city will no longer allow employees to submit weekly tests instead of vaccination proof. The decision comes as the city still can’t say how many employees are fully inoculated after...
Santa Clara County sees few breakthrough COVID hospitalizations
Despite concerns about breakthrough COVID-19 infections, the number of hospitalizations among vaccinated residents in Santa Clara County remains low—and is mostly driven by older residents and those with underlying health issues, county health officials say. At county-run hospitals, only 12 of 52 patients with COVID-19 involve people who are fully vaccinated, which health experts say suggests breakthrough...
Santa Clara County workers catch COVID after return to office
COVID-19 infections are rising across multiple Santa Clara County departments about a month after management ordered workers back to the office, and some employees are frustrated and bewildered that they have to return. A county spokesperson told San José Spotlight that 221 positive infections occurred among approximately 22,000 employees between between July 3 and Aug....
San Jose shops fined for COVID violations can’t get grants
Over the last year, Santa Clara County has cited hundreds of businesses—big and small—with fines that now add up to more than $5 million for violating COVID-19 restrictions. The county put that money into a grant program to help struggling businesses—but those with violations say they’re not getting financial help. Dung “Calvin” To has cut...
San Jose schools report COVID cases as students return
Weeks after students returned to campus, San Jose’s three largest districts have reported nearly 120 COVID-19 cases. Officials say the low count is a sign that masks are working to fend off the virus. At the San Jose Unified School District, the largest district in the region with more than 30,000 students and 4,000 employees,...