For months, the message has been pretty simple. Wear a mask to help stop the spread of COVID-19. Now, many months into the pandemic we have a clearer picture of which masks work and which actually spread the virus. Researchers at Duke University created a simple technique to analyze the...
Only California Bans Beauty Salons From Operating Indoors, Tuesday Rally Seeks Change
California hair and nail salons can only provide services outdoors. A planned Tuesday rally at the state Capitol by several hundred beauty professionals seeks to change that. Alicia Orabella runs a hair salon in the Bay Area. After several months of being shut down and seeing many of her friends...
Saint Agnes’ ‘Pledge to Protect’ Campaign Needs Your Photos
What started off as a small idea at Saint Agnes Medical Center is snowballing into a full-blown social media movement. Several hundred Saint Agnes employees signed onto the "Pledge to Protect" campaign. The goal is to raise awareness about the key ways to slow the spread of COVID-19 in the Fresno...
California COVID Data Glitch Has Been Fixed, Top Health Official Says
SAN FRANCISCO — A technical glitch that has plagued the data system California relies on to make decisions about reopening businesses and schools has been fixed but it could take up to 48 hours to get the numbers updated, a top health official said Friday. Dr. Mark Ghaly said that...
Bitwise’s PodUp Helps Families Share Online Schooling, Childcare
When schools abruptly closed last spring to stem the initial spread of the coronavirus, Michelle Skoor and Skoor's wife were faced with the same challenges as other parents of preschool and school-aged children — how to care for their kids and keep them engaged and learning with online school, while...
Last-Ditch Virus Aid Talks Collapse; No Help for Jobless Now
WASHINGTON — A last-ditch effort by Democrats to revive Capitol Hill talks on vital COVID-19 rescue money collapsed in disappointment Friday, making it increasingly likely that Washington gridlock will mean more hardship for millions of people who are losing enhanced jobless benefits and further damage for an economy pummeled by...
Masks Strongly Encouraged, but Not Required to Vote This November in California
Secretary of State Alex Padilla's office has put out guidance saying Californians don't have to wear COVID-19 masks to vote in November's presidential election. However, mask-less voters may be asked to use a voting station with additional physical distancing to protect the safety of others. Counties also must make disposable...
California Sets In-Person Voting Rules Amid Coronavirus
SACRAMENTO — Worried about the unpredictable coronavirus wreaking havoc on the November election, California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday signed a law to let counties offer fewer in-person polling places in exchange for opening the sites earlier. The change follows another law Newsom signed in June requiring counties to mail...
Hit Hard by COVID-19, Where Do We Go From Here?
Six months into the COVID-19 pandemic, and our nation is seeing the alarming spread of this deadly virus – with more than 155,942 deaths and rising rates of spread. California continues to feel the impacts, with the San Joaquin Valley especially hard hit and fighting to contain the virus. The coronavirus...
Virus Aid Talks on Brink of Collapse; Sides ‘Very Far Apart’
WASHINGTON — Washington talks on vital COVID-19 rescue money are teetering on the brink of collapse after a marathon meeting in the Capitol Thursday night generated a wave of recriminations but little progress on the top issues confronting negotiators. “There’s a handful of very big issues that we are still...