Coronavirus Archives

Local Unions push back against layoffs

April 21, 2020 6:20 AM Jocelyn Ortega

MONTEREY, Calif. (KION) General Employees of Monterey (GEM) is the union representing some of the 100 city workers who are being considered for…

President Trump announces he will suspend immigration into the U.S.

April 20, 2020 8:17 PM Aaron Groff

WASHINGTON (KION) President Trump announced he will be halting immigration into the United States, because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In a Monday…

Better Ask Barry: Need masks? Here’s one source

April 20, 2020 11:11 AM Barry Brown

As the coronavirus pandemic continues, more and more companies are retooling their plants to produce medical equipment and protective gear. In Los…

Monterey County cannabis cultivators asking for tax freeze amid COVID-19 pandemic

April 20, 2020 2:30 PM Drew Andre

This 4/20 is being celebrated differently than years past by cannabis lovers and growers alike. Amid the changes during the coronavirus pandemic,…

Monterey expresses concern over county’s plan for alternate housing sites

April 20, 2020 11:04 AM Megan Meier

Concern erupted last week after Monterey County announced its plan for several alternate care and housing…

City of Seaside uses mulch to keep people away from skate park

April 20, 2020 5:05 PM Avery Johnson

Seaside City Manager Craig Malin shared a picture showing how the city is keeping skaters away from the skate parks and promote social…

Central Coast residents organize parade to celebrate farm workers

April 20, 2020 4:31 PM Mary Coleman

There have been hundreds of parades that have taken place across the country celebrating our brave first responders and health care…

Trump takes swipe at Maryland and Illinois governors

April 20, 2020 2:18 PM CNN

President Trump took a swipe at two governors at today’s coronavirus press…

Central Coast teacher working tirelessly to keep healthcare workers protected

March 27, 2020 4:17 PM Mary Coleman

Kevin Brookhouser is the Director of Technology at York School in…

Monterey County seeing cleanest air in decades, as shelter-in-place continues

April 20, 2020 1:35 PM Mary Coleman, Zach McIntyre

(KION) The air we breathe on the Central Coast is usually fantastic. But right now, it’s getting even better. The shelter-in-place order has…

Governor Newsom provides update on state’s response to COVID-19 outbreak

April 20, 2020 11:47 AM Avery Johnson

California Governor Gavin Newsom is providing an update on the state’s response to the COVID-19…

Oil price goes negative as demand collapses; stocks dip

April 20, 2020 12:04 PM The Associated Press

Oil prices plunged below zero on Monday as demand for energy collapses amid the coronavirus pandemic and traders didn’t want to get stuck owning…

Governor: 16,000 hotel rooms to house homeless in California

April 20, 2020 10:54 AM The Associated Press

California is on its way to leasing more than 16,000 hotel rooms to house the homeless during the coronavirus pandemic.…

US lockdowns coincide with rise in poisonings from cleaners

April 20, 2020 10:46 AM The Associated Press

Reports of accidental poisonings from cleaners and disinfectants are up sharply, and researchers believe it’s related to the coronavirus epidemic.…

Monterey County tourism industry sees hundreds of millions in losses, dozens of hotel closures

April 17, 2020 5:42 PM Avery Johnson

The COVID-19 pandemic has created challenges for businesses around the world, and Monterey County…

San Benito County preparing cloth face covering requirement

April 17, 2020 6:10 PM Avery Johnson, Josh Kristianto

The San Benito County Public Health Officer is preparing a cloth face covering order scheduled to go into effect in the coming…

New COVID-19 rapid tests in Salinas for critically ill

April 17, 2020 5:06 PM Max Tarlton

A new rapid test kit for COVID-19 is being used at Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital.…

Santa Cruz Nursing homes fight to keep COVID-19 out of their facilities

April 17, 2020 1:36 PM Drew Andre

As of Friday, there have been no residents in Santa Cruz county nursing facilities to test positive for COVID-19.
There has been protocol for weeks…

Monterey Bay Aquarium reducing workforce by 38 percent, some salaries reduced

April 17, 2020 10:05 AM Mary Coleman, Megan Meier

Officials with the Monterey Bay Aquarium tell us they will be laying off 93 employees and furloughing and additional 128…

California tops 1,000 coronavirus deaths as economy tumbles

April 17, 2020 6:28 PM The Associated Press

California surpassed 1,000 deaths from the coronavirus as the pandemic pushed the state into recession.…

Trump announces multi-billion dollar coronavirus food assistance program

April 17, 2020 2:44 PM CNN

President Trump announced Friday that the Department of Agriculture will be implementing a new multi-billion dollar relief…

Taylor Swift has canceled all shows, appearances for 2020

April 17, 2020 3:48 PM The Associated Press

Taylor Swift is canceling all of her performances and appearances for the rest of the year because of the coronavirus pandemic.…

Hope takes the reins on Wall Street, stocks rally worldwide

April 17, 2020 2:54 PM The Associated Press

U.S. stocks joined a worldwide rally and closed out their first back-to-back weekly gain since the market began selling off two months ago.…

Felton Fire Protection District to tour neighborhoods, greet residents

April 17, 2020 2:19 PM Avery Johnson

A new social media trend has popped up around the country– people are going outside to howl at 8 p.m., and the Felton Fire Protection…

Four former California governors join council to revive economy

April 17, 2020 11:53 AM Avery Johnson

California Governor Gavin Newsom is providing an update on the State’s response to COVID-19…

Diapers, wipes run out at Monterey County distribution

April 16, 2020 5:00 PM Avery Johnson

First 5 Monterey County and the Food Bank for Monterey County are hosting diaper and wipe distribution…

Chevron commits to donating $100,000 to Food Bank for Monterey County

April 17, 2020 12:28 PM Avery Johnson

Chevron announced that it is committing $100,000 to help the Food Bank for Monterey County as it helps community members struggling due to the…

AAA offers free roadside assistance to first responders, healthcare workers

April 17, 2020 11:47 AM Avery Johnson

AAA Northern California said it will be offering free roadside assistance to first responders and healthcare workers through the end of…

California, farm workers, farm worker housing, housing

Watch: Monterey County farmworkers practice social distancing in strawberry field

April 17, 2020 11:09 AM Avery Johnson

United Farm Workers shared a video of Monterey County farmworkers harvesting strawberries while a Shelter in Place is in…

Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter opens free pet food pantry

April 17, 2020 10:42 AM Avery Johnson

The COVID-19 pandemic has left many in need, including pet…

Comic-Con canceled over coronavirus, plans 2021 return

April 17, 2020 10:24 AM The Associated Press

This year’s San Diego Comic-Con has been canceled due to coronavirus-related restrictions around large gatherings.…

History making art makes its way to Santa Cruz and Monterey County hospitals

April 17, 2020 4:05 AM Jocelyn Ortega

WATSONVILLE, Calif. (KION) Artists from all over are making one of a kind memories as a symbol of support for front liners battling the COVID-19…

Report: Opening windows can prevent the spread of Covid-19

April 16, 2020 5:38 PM Max Tarlton

Bringing some fresh air inside could help prevent the spread of the coronavirus according to experts in health, the built environment and…

Santa Cruz County may loosen shelter-in-place restrictions after May 3

April 16, 2020 10:03 AM Avery Johnson, Drew Andre

Santa Cruz county may lift some of its shelter-in-place restrictions when the current order…

City of Monterey announces plans to layoff dozens of employees

April 16, 2020 12:02 PM Victor Guzman, Megan Meier

The streets may be quiet, but City of Monterey facilities have been even quieter. Several have been closed since March 14 and the city said they are…

California governor expects $7 billion in virus spending

April 16, 2020 5:43 PM The Associated Press

California Gov. Gavin Newsom plans to spend up to $7 billion this year battling the coronavirus and the economic disruption it has caused.…

White House guidelines call for phased reopening

April 16, 2020 1:48 PM The Associated Press

The Trump administration has issued new guidelines for states, individuals and employers on how to ease up on social distancing to deal with the…

SUHSD waiving some graduation requirements for this year’s seniors

April 16, 2020 2:34 PM Avery Johnson

The Salinas Union High School District is waiving some of its graduation requirements for students graduating this…

Watsonville church makes masks for first responders, healthcare workers, seniors

April 16, 2020 1:45 PM Avery Johnson

A Watsonville church is helping local first responders, healthcare workers and seniors by making…

California to provide extra paid sick leave for food service workers

April 16, 2020 11:54 AM Avery Johnson

California Governor Newsom is providing a daily update on the State’s response to…

Commercial laundry service launches sanitary mask program for essential businesses

April 16, 2020 3:50 AM Jocelyn Ortega

MARINA, Calif. (KION) Monterey Bay Laundry is launching a sanitized mask program to provide for essential workers as they continue to battle to…

California to give cash payments to immigrants hurt by virus

April 15, 2020 11:38 AM The Associated Press

Governor Newsom is set to provide an update on California’s response to COVID-19…

Monterey Peninsula Unified School District approves “pass/no pass” grading

April 15, 2020 10:31 PM Aaron Groff

MONTEREY, Calif. (KION) School closures during the COVID-19 pandemic are changing much more than just how learning is done – grading for the…

Sharing Your Confinement: Central Coasters Coming Together

March 24, 2020 12:20 PM Josh Kristianto

Recording and keeping record of what life is like now in this time is important, to remember these days in hopes of appreciating more deeply the life…

Monterey County first responders address COVID-19 challenges, share advice

April 15, 2020 5:51 PM Avery Johnson

Everyone is facing a new set of challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, and first responders are on the front…

Better Ask Barry: High-tech devices show promise in detecting health changes

April 15, 2020 12:05 PM Barry Brown

In the absence of widespread Covid-19 testing, medical groups and entrepreneurs are working to develop high tech tools and wearable devices that…

Watsonville cancels all city special events in 2020

April 15, 2020 1:19 PM Drew Andre

Watsonville city manager Matt Huffaker made the tough decision to cancel all special events in the city for the remainder of the year. This decision…

Housing Matters gets shelters to help with social distancing

April 15, 2020 6:52 PM Avery Johnson

In an effort to create more distance between residents at the Paul Lee Loft, Housing Matters bought ten Pallet…

Trump says new coronavirus guidelines will be announced Thursday

April 15, 2020 2:32 PM CNN

(CNN) President Trump said Wednesday that new guidelines regarding preventing the spread of coronavirus while reopening the economy will be announced…

Monterey County eyes fairgrounds as potential homeless quarantine site

Monterey County releases list of potential care, housing sites to be used if there is a COVID-19 surge

April 14, 2020 2:44 PM Avery Johnson

Monterey County has been preparing for a potential surge in COVID-19 cases, and it has been looking for alternate care and alternate housing…