Larry Elder on California mask mandate: The whole thing is a joke

"As you saw at the Super Bowl, 78,000 people not wearing masks, although remember the L.A. mayor wasn’t wearing a mask the other day at the NFC championship game. He was holding his breath. 78,000 people were holding their breath the entire game," Elder said in part.

California will not yet lift indoor mask mandate for schools

California on Monday decided to keep its indoor mask policy in place for school settings, even though the winter coronavirus wave is receding fast.

Ban on school mask mandates passed by Virginia House; Gov. Youngkin plans to sign

The Virginia House of Delegates banned school mask mandates Monday, handing a victory to Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin after his effort to impose the ban by executive order stalled in court.

Feds allege record $25 million in claims from jobless scam

An unemployment scam operated out of California prisons sought a record $25 million from the state and U.S. governments, netting more than $5 million that went for vehicles, furniture, handbags and jewelry, federal authorities said Friday.

West Oakland grocery store's closure leaves void, concerns of food desert

Neighbors say the West Oakland neighborhood will be worse off without its only full-size grocery store in the area for the last 40 years. Community Foods Market closes for good Sunday.

California assemblymember proposes bill mandating businesses require employees get vaccinated

Assemblymember Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland) is among California lawmakers introducing legislation to mandate all businesses require employees to get the COVID-19 vaccine. She says this is the way out of the pandemic's perpetual uncertainly that has persisted for nearly two years. 

Salesforce sending employees to California redwoods to connect in-person

Salesforce is offering employees a new way to get back acclimated to in-person work as the country emerges from the COVID pandemic that altered workplace environments.

Novato police concerned over city worker COVID bonus pay distribution

The North Bay city of Novato is rewarding eligible employees who worked during the coronavirus pandemic with thousands of dollars in bonuses.

California to soon begin ‘endemic’ approach to pandemic

California health officials next week will outline a new approach to dealing with the coronavirus that assumes it’s here to stay, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Wednesday.

Santa Clara County not easing up on indoor masking yet

On Wednesday, Santa Clara Co. officials announced their indoor mask rules will remain in place for the time being.

COVID sick pay restored to California workers under new law

California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation on Wednesday to extend COVID-19 supplemental paid sick leave for workers and bolster California’s investments to support small businesses hit hard by the pandemic. 

Can you get long COVID after an infection with omicron? Here's what you need to know

Experts say it's too early to know whether people infected with the omicron variant will develop long COVID. Doctors believe it's possible to have long-term effects from omicron.

Who's lifting the indoor Bay Area mask mandate? A county by county breakdown

California will end its indoor mask requirement for some people in a week, meaning that people who are vaccinated will no longer be required by the state to wear a mask indoors. But that's not a sure bet that you can whip off your KN95 on Feb. 15.

Millions who are unvaccinated provide virus new opportunity for variants, expert says

An infectious disease expert from UC Berkeley says with millions in the U.S., who remain unvaccinated, there are no assurances there won't be future COVID variants. He says easing the mask mandate can be done safely as cases plummet.

Too soon? Reactions to California's lifting of mask mandate

California's indoor masking requirement is set to expire February 15. Monday afternoon, state officials announced they will not extend it. But this move doesn't mean face coverings are a thing of the past.