Coronavirus Tracker — SF Chronicle
“The average number of new coronavirus cases reported daily in the Bay Area for the week that ended June 6 and included the Memorial Day holiday with limited reporting was 177, down from 200 the previous week. The daily average for May, which included a backlog of more than 1,000 cases being reported in Alameda County on May 4, was 231. That number is down from 470 in April and down from more than 3,500 per day in January.”
Unemployment Improves In East Palo Alto Area: Feds — Patch
“The unemployment rate in the East Palo Alto area has largely improved since the beginning of the pandemic and there was some improvement from March to April, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. San Mateo County's unemployment rate was 4.8 percent in April, which was down from 4.9 percent in March. That reflected significant improvement from April 2020, when the unemployment rate stood at 11.8 percent. San Mateo County's April unemployment rate is lower than California's 8.1 percent rate, according to the latest local figures from the BLS.”
From farms to families: How a federal program to help farmers during the pandemic is changing the local food landscape — The Almanac
“The Farmers to Families food box program was announced in April 2020, when the USDA created a Coronavirus Food Assistance Program. A total of $16 billion was set aside to provide direct payments to agricultural producers and $3 billion went to create and implement the Farmers to Families Food Box program. Later funding in December 2020 added another $1.5 billion to the program. The program had five contract rounds, and in the first two, the Concord-based Fresh Approach was included. Fresh Approach, a nonprofit that provides locally-grown produce, nutrition education and gardening skills to Bay Area communities, collaborated with local farms and organizations. While the pandemic exacerbated local hunger needs, there was already a significant amount of food insecurity, both nationally and locally. Reports vary, but the average rate of food insecurity was about 17% in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties pre-pandemic, according to the Silicon Valley Institute for Regional Studies, which authored a report on regional food insecurity.”
What Works: Grassroots Solutions Around The Bay— KALW
“During the past year, COVID-19 hit some Bay Area communities harder than others. The neighborhoods that suffered the most have long faced racial and health inequities. This series presents stories of trailblazing leaders and groups who banded together to lift people up during the most difficult of times.”
Ethnic Media Reporters recognized for covering 2020 epic events — East Palo Alto Today
“Selected from 235 submissions from reporters working in print, digital, TV and radio platforms in eight languages, the winners were chosen by judges with language and cultural fluency who know the challenges of working in the sector. ‘Ethnic media has quickly become an increasingly indispensable bridge for communicating with diverse populations within our state,’ Governor Gavin Newsom said at the opening ceremony.”
