PLEASE TAKE NOTE! The City of Monterey continues to take a proactive response to the virus, as it as done from the beginning in March 2020, in order to help protect our community. We are learning that the surge in transmission is occurring within households and resulting from gathering with members outside of one's immediate household. This is important - please take precautions and do NOT visit and socialize with people outside your household bubble as much as possible. As we learn more, we will continue to update you. The more we all comply, the sooner we will all be past the pandemic and this very disruptive situation. Here are today's numbers for 93940:

NEW TODAY FROM CHOMP: They have added new ICU bed capacity which raises the maximum capacity to 23 from 20 to respond to the surge in cases. We can all help the frontline health workers by remaining vigilant.

IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT TODAY'S DATA: Directly from the Monterey County Health Department Facebook page posted at 2:00 PM today: Due to technical difficulties this is the first update of case numbers since Jan 2nd. Today's report includes the deaths of 20 Monterey County Residents. Our thoughts are with the family and loved ones of these individuals. Monterey County laboratory confirmed (PCR) COVID-19 cases 30,110 up 1,759. 

Note: Numbers may not represent true day-over-day change as reporting of test results can be delayed. (See numbers listed at the bottom of this email and at www.mtyhd.org/datacovid19)

Read Monterey County Health Department's 2019 Novel Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) Vaccines: Eight things you need to know now, including a list of vaccine phases, number of doses in our county, FAQs and more.

The California Office of the Small Business Advocate (CalOSBA), part of the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz), announced that the deadline for the first round of applications for the Small Business COVID-19 Relief Grant Program will be extended until January 13, 2021.

The program, which officially opened December 30, experienced high traffic – receiving thousands of completed applications. However, due to the high traffic, some businesses may have had trouble accessing the application. Adjustments to the program’s website have been made and the application period has been extended to ensure that all interested applicants have the opportunity to apply. The Round 1 application deadline has been extended from January 8 to January 13, 2021 at 11:59 p.m. For more information on grant requirements and eligibility, visit careliefgrant.com.

NEW today: California is also accepting applications for the California Competes Tax Credit. $80M in tax credits is available for businesses that are expanding and adding quality, full-time jobs in California. Deadline is 11:59 p.m. (PST) January 25. Application webinars are available this month. More info: bit.ly/3s0PZoH

A message from Monterey Peninsula Unified School District: "Happy New Year! We look forward to welcoming students back virtually on Wednesday, January 6! Please remember there are student and parent resources available to you. Please visit MPUSD.net for more information. Let’s finish this year strong!"

The California Arts Council is accepting applications for six funding opportunities, responding to the current and urgent needs of the state’s arts workforce and businesses. These state arts grants will support organizational operations, individuals, and project-based activities, prioritizing relief and recovery for organizations and individuals impacted by COVID-19. More info: https://arts.ca.gov/press_release/announcing-california-arts-council-grant-season/

Today is National Bird Day, and Monterey is a bird watcher's paradise. More than 180 different marine birds visit or live in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, represented by two main groups: shorebirds and waders, and seabirds.

Pictured is the black oystercatcher. The early bird catches the...oyster? Black Oystercatchers eat everything from limpets and mussels to crabs, chitons and barnacles—everything, that is, but oysters! Be on the lookout and give them plenty of space along the shores of the Monterey Bay to feed, rest, and nest. Photo and caption by Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary

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