Santa

The number of new coronavirus cases recorded on a daily basis has begun to decline in Santa Clara County, but efforts to manage the public health crisis will continue for a long time. After roughly 50 to 70 new cases were reported in Santa Clara County each day during the first half of April, numbers…

An aerial view of downtown San Jose. Image by Janice BittersUnemployment rates across California spiked last month following record lows across the state and Silicon Valley, according to data released Friday.Santa Clara County’s unemployment rate rose to 3.3 percent last month, according to the California Employment Development Department, which handles workforce services including Unemployment Insurance.While these…

A month into the statewide stay-at-home order due to COVID-19, life in Santa Barbara County is markedly different. Some of the biggest changes – closing schools, bars, dine-in restaurants and “non-essential businesses” — were already implemented by the time Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the order on March 19. The shutdown has had a huge economic toll,…

The entire 24-bed outpatient care unit on the first floor of the hospital can be converted for treating COVID-19 patients needing intensive care. Normally, the unit would be used for pre- and post-surgery care when patients are undergoing elective medical procedures. Conversion of the entire unit would triple the number of ICU beds in the…

Well, here we are. It has been nearly a month since Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a statewide stay-at-home order and even longer since the country turned off the economy. Both actions were taken in a sincere attempt to ensure that hospitals and our health-care system would not be overwhelmed by the coronavirus pandemic sweeping the…