Coronavirus

The Scotts Valley Chamber of Commerce put on a Holiday Passport Event on Small Business Saturday, Nov. 28. More than 100 families traveled throughout commercial Scotts Valley to 36 local businesses in a safe and spirited fashion. At each business, households received a stamp, children...

By Jacob Pierce, Good Times Editor Businesses all over Santa Cruz County are getting ready to close down or reduce their operations, as a new stay-at-home order takes effect. The order goes live at 11:59pm Thursday, now that the Bay Area region hit a threshold wherein...

By Todd Guild, Katie Evans and Christina Wise California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Dec. 30 released a plan under which schools could reopen as early as February. The plan, which streamlines the process of applying for a waiver to bring students back for in-person instruction, is...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—California health officials on Tuesday moved Santa Cruz County into the less restrictive “Moderate” or Orange tier, meaning that several businesses can reopen and welcome in more customers. The move means that the county is seeing 1-3.9 new cases per 100,00 in population....

This year, because of the Covid-19 pandemic, Toys For Tots will not be hosting public collection sites for toy donations for the first time in its history. Normally, the collection points at fire stations and businesses throughout the county are responsible for the lion’s share...

At a time when residents of the San Lorenzo Valley and Scotts Valley are struggling with losses experienced in multiple crises, gifts of food or financial support can make all the difference to a local family. Enter Valley Churches United (VCU), a highly-regarded and essential...

At least four concertgoers have tested positive for the novel coronavirus after attending a Grateful Dead-themed performance in Felton, although none had to be hospitalized, Santa Cruz County health officials said Tuesday. “That meets the definition of an outbreak,” said Santa Cruz County spokesperson Jason...

On Oct. 27 Santa Cruz County entered the Orange Tier of the state’s Covid-19 reopening plan. The lowered rate of positive tests has enabled many more businesses to open with precautions, such as indoor waxing and bookstores, and increased capacity at restaurants, movie theaters...

Frightened of a blank calendar this Halloween? Never fear. There are many fun and Covid-19-safe opportunities this year.  According to a 1,000-parent survey conducted by See’s Candies, a little over 50 percent of families plan to stay in this Halloween, with a movie. However, for...

In alignment with the state, 11 Bay Area counties, including Santa Cruz County, and the City of Berkeley will lift universal mask requirements for most indoor public settings on Feb. 16. Unvaccinated individuals over the age of 2 will continue to be required to wear...