COVID-19

WATSONVILLE—Many students unable to return to class when school starts on Aug. 14 due to Covid-19 restrictions will attend a virtual academy, an all-online option created by Pajaro Valley Unified School District as it plans for the coming academic year. The PVUSD Board of Trustees...

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WATSONVILLE—When health officials on March 16 laid out new orders for all Santa Cruz County residents to stay at home as a precaution against the spread of the novel coronavirus, it was meant for everyone. For some Pajaro Valley seniors, the blanket 24/7 rule...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—Massage therapy, nail salons, tattoo parlors and other personal services can reopen in Santa Cruz County on Friday, the county announced Monday. The county said those businesses should follow state guidance released by the California Department of Public Health June 12 which requires...

WATSONVILLE—The Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees on Wednesday got a first look at its budget for the coming school year, which has taken a severe hit both by declining enrollment and the loss of revenue from the Covid-19 crisis. PVUSD Chief Business...

WATSONVILLE—The City of Watsonville will have to make several tough cuts to meet a projected $6.5 million budget deficit for the upcoming fiscal year.  But more than two dozen community members defending the value of youth sports programs at Tuesday’s virtual City Council meeting urged...

WATSONVILLE—Restaurants and retail stores in city limits can now operate outdoors thanks to an emergency order signed by City Manager Matt Huffaker on Friday. Businesses looking to take advantage of the alfresco option would need to receive approval of a Temporary Covid-19 Encroachment Agreement from...

SACRAMENTO—The California Department of Education (CDE) on Monday released a set of guidelines for schools statewide to use as they seek to reopen in the fall, nearly three months after they closed to slow the spread of Covid-19. While the state agency leaves actual policymaking...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The County of Santa Cruz announced that five local food businesses have been chosen to deliver fresh, nutritious meals to hundreds of local seniors during the Covid-19 pandemic. Great Plates Delivered serves food to vulnerable older adults through a federal economic stimulus for...

WATSONVILLE—To say Watsonville City Councilman Francisco “Paco” Estrada had mixed feelings about the emergence of the four Covid-19 ‘clusters’ in Watsonville would be an understatement. The spike in cases was traced back to four separate family gatherings during Mother’s Day weekend, including one in which...