KAZU COVID-19 Coverage & Resources

With sheer precision, a farm worker harvests a row of strawberries. He tosses the bruised berries that won’t sell on the ground, the others into plastic packaging. It’s hard work, even without a pandemic and wildfires. 

When you study COVID-19 data for the Monterey Bay Area, you'll notice a trend that is also present nationwide - people of color are being disproportionately affected by the coronavirus. Locally, it's the Latino and Hispanic communities. 

Before the pandemic, county health officers mainly worked behind-the-scenes. Now, they are center stage. In a one-on-one conversation, KAZU’s Erika Mahoney interviewed Dr. Gail Newel, the Health Officer for Santa Cruz County. They discuss a variety of topics, from new evidence on the effectiveness of masks to how the pandemic has affected her daily life. 

Anastacio Cruz spent three months in hospital battling COVID-19. At one stage, the Salinas resident was given a slim chance of survival. But he did survive. He and his family shared their story with KAZU's Michelle Loxton.

The CEOs of four hospitals in Monterey County held a joint news conference Wednesday to announce a COVID-19 call to action. As the number of hospitalized patients increases locally, the hospitals have put aside competition to emphasize the need for public assistance to slow the spread of the coronavirus. 

Most schools in Santa Cruz and Monterey County start in August. Classes will begin online as districts grapple with how to teach in a pandemic. The decision to open with distance learning favors student and teacher safety, but comes with challenges and sacrifice. 

As COVID-19 boomerangs in California, local hospitals are treating a record number of patients. KAZU News checked in with Dr. Allen Radner, Chief Medical Officer of Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare System.

A Monterey County doctor spent two months working on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City. He was deployed as part of the military’s response to the coronavirus.

New COVID-19 cases have been spiking in Santa Cruz County. Health officials are preparing to handle even more cases.

Museums in Monterey County have been ordered to close again. The uncertainty surrounding COVID-19 has forced museums around the region to reassess how they connect with their guests, even while their doors are shut.

California is now asking Monterey County to reclose a number of businesses. It comes after the state placed Monterey County on its COVID-19 watchlist due to elevated COVID-19 transmission.

On July 2, the California Department of Public Health added Monterey County to the state’s COVID-19 watch list due to elevated disease transmission and hospitalizations. County officials also announced sweeping beach closures. This year, Fourth of July will feel quite different.