KAZU COVID-19 Coverage & Resources

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. 

As California grapples with the balance between public health and economic recovery, businesses across the state are beginning to reopen with new regulations. Many business owners are finding that reopening is a lot harder than shutting down; the road back to normal is filled with red flags, red tape and a lot of red ink.

The opioid epidemic may not be in the spotlight these days, but it’s still very much present in our local community. Hospitals continue to see overdoses and the coronavirus pandemic is making the situation even worse. 

A young COVID-19 patient from Salinas has a message for other people his age. He says, if you don’t think you can catch COVID-19, you’re wrong.

Earlier this spring, the California State University system announced it will hold most fall classes online. Online classes existed at CSU before the pandemic, but never on this scale. Now many in academia are wondering if virtual classes are a short-term solution or a long-term trend.

In September 2019, a year-long experiment began. Publicized as the largest Central Arctic expedition in history, it was to be the closest ever look at the Arctic to better understand climate change. This experiment involves hundreds of scientists from around the world, including two from right here in Monterey. But it is currently compromised because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Emergency relief for undocumented immigrants became available last week in California, but demand outweighs the supply of cash. For years, advocates have been fighting to shore up the economic safety net for these workers, many of whom are in essential industries. Now, they say more assistance is crucial. 

Adequate COVID-19 testing is seen as one of the key requirements needed to contain the coronavirus outbreak. This week, California health officials announced how much testing local counties need to be doing in order to qualify to re-open their communities.