With kids heading back to school and end-of-summer travel at near-record levels, involving lots of close contact, you may be wondering if it's time to pack a COVID-19 surge test kit, if you or a loved one has a fever, sore throat, or other symptoms.
If you do, be sure to check the expiration date. Many test kits distributed for free by the U.S. government or that continue to be available from other public agencies may be expired or nearing their expiration date.
The good news is that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has extended the expiration dates of several test kits from certain manufacturers.
“An extended expiration date means that the manufacturer has provided data showing that the shelf life is longer than was known when the test was first licensed,” according to the FDA.
The agency lists authorized home tests with information on whether the expiration date has been extended for certain manufacturers.
This includes information on expiration dates (as well as additional details, such as how to administer each test) for three dozen manufacturers.
The FDA has said that COVID-19 test manufacturers conduct studies to show how long after manufacturing they perform as accurately as the day they were made. The shelf life is the length of time the test should perform as expected and is measured from the date the test is manufactured. The expiration date is set at the end of the shelf life and is the date until which the test is expected to perform as accurately as when it was manufactured.
Testing to determine this time period is called stability testing because it confirms the period of time over which performance is expected to remain stable.
There are different types of stability testing. The most accurate is real-time stability testing, where the manufacturer stores the tests for the proposed shelf life period (plus some extra time to ensure the expiration date can be trusted) and then assesses their ability to perform accurately. For example, for a proposed shelf life of 12 months, the manufacturer would assess performance after storing the test for 13 months.
In some cases, accelerated testing provides a faster way to estimate the stability of a test's performance over time by storing the test for a shorter time at a higher temperature and then evaluating its ability to perform accurately.
However, since accelerated testing only estimates the stability of the test, it does not provide as much confidence as real-time data, especially over longer periods of time.
Based on experience with stability testing and testing, accelerated testing generally provides sufficient confidence to label tests with a shelf life of up to six months.
Because it takes time for test manufacturers to conduct stability testing, the FDA typically authorizes at-home COVID-19 tests with a shelf life of about four to six months from the day the test was manufactured, based on initial study results, and may be expanded later as additional data is collected.
County Executive Mike Callagy has named Dr. Shruti Dhapodkar as the new director of the San Mateo County Department of Emergency Management, which is responsible for coordinating emergency planning, response and recovery for the entire county.
While the appointment is subject to confirmation by the Board of Supervisors in a vote at its Sept. 12 meeting, Dhapodkar will play a key role in addressing challenges arising from earthquakes, wildfires, tsunamis, pandemics, climate change and other threats and crises, both natural and man-made.
Shruti Dhapodkar, who was born in India and moved with her family to Illinois, will become the first woman to lead the county's emergency management agency.
“We have faced many different types of crises in a short period of time in San Mateo County and I know Shruti is extremely prepared to take the department to new heights,” Callagy said. “With her leadership, I am confident we will be prepared to respond to the needs of our residents before, during and after any crisis.”
Dhapodkar (pronounced “Dha POD Car”), served as emergency manager for the San Mateo County Health Department since 2017, and was brought into the fold at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
As COVID-19 case numbers grew in the spring of 2020, Dhapodkar provided information and insight to policymakers and served as a liaison to the Bay Area Association of Health Officials, then helped launch and coordinate mass vaccination and testing sites with a focus on reaching the most at-risk communities.
“During those early days of the pandemic and throughout that crisis, I was impressed with Shruti’s work ethic, her decision-making, and her ability to accomplish what seemed impossible,” Callagy said.
In that regard, he added that Dhapodkar played a key role in establishing a drive-thru model vaccination center and used his creative emergency response skills to help keep the San Mateo County community safe and vaccinated.
Shruti Dhapodkar trained as a surgeon, however she was drawn to the complex challenges of disaster planning and emergency management.
“These past few years have been unprecedented in the number, variety and complexity of challenges we have faced as a county,” Dhapodkar said. “What these challenges have shown us is that it is more important than ever that we collaborate and coordinate with a wide variety of community groups and partners to prepare for whatever comes next.”
With an annual budget of $5.3 million and 10 employees, the Department of Emergency Management supports the 20 cities within San Mateo County during large-scale disasters and emergencies.
The department also serves as a lever through which local agencies can request assistance from the state and federal governments.
“I am always the one who finds calm in the chaos,” Dhapodkar said.
Dhapodkar is expected to assume his new role on Monday, October 2. He will succeed Don Mattei, who is retiring after a career of more than 40 years in public safety.
Parts of Santa Clara County have been placed under quarantine after invasive oriental fruit flies were detected in cities including Santa Clara and Sunnyvale, county officials said.
California’s agriculture secretary has quarantined a 112-square-mile portion of the county, which includes all of Santa Clara and parts of Cupertino, Milpitas, San Jose and Sunnyvale. The quarantine went into effect Sept. 1 and will likely last until June 1, 2024, according to county officials.
The California Department of Food and Agriculture will treat the area near where the pests were trapped and will likely continue to do so through early March 2024, county officials said.
Residents of quarantined areas are advised not to remove homegrown fruits and vegetables from their properties to prevent the spread of invasive flies.
“However, these fruits and vegetables may be consumed or processed (for example, juiced, frozen, cooked, or ground in the garbage disposal) on the property where they were grown. Affected residents may also dispose of homegrown fruits and vegetables by double-bagging and sealing them and placing them in their regular trash containers, not in containers designated for organic material and food scraps,” county officials said.
The Oriental fruit fly infests more than 230 types of fruits and vegetables, including avocados, apples, citrus and stone fruits, tomatoes and peppers, county officials said.
Invasive flies pose a significant threat to California's agricultural industry, according to the CDFA, which noted that state crops threatened by the species in 2020 were worth $19.3 billion.
Two arrested in Redwood City shooting, a pair of suspects who allegedly fired multiple 9mm rounds at people inside a car in a restaurant parking lot two months ago have been arrested.
The shooting was reported around 2 a.m. on July 8 outside the Denny's at 1201 Broadway.
After a fight inside the restaurant, the suspects allegedly fired about 15 rounds at the victims and their vehicle in the parking lot, Redwood City police said Thursday.
According to police, it does not appear that anyone was hit by the gunfire.
Investigators identified the shooters and arrested one of them, Sergio Montaño Zaragoza, 33, on August 25.
According to police, a search warrant was served at his Redwood City home, where a loaded 9mm handgun was seized. Authorities also seized suspected cocaine packaged for sale.
Montaño Zaragoza was booked into the San Mateo County Jail on suspicion of crimes including attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon and possession of cocaine for sale.
Detectives obtained an arrest warrant for his alleged accomplice, Omar Saavedra Reynaga, 22, of Redwood City, on suspicion of being an accessory to the crime.
He was arrested Wednesday and also booked into the San Mateo County Jail.
Los estadounidenses AAPI de Indiana dicen que un ataque contra un estudiante chino en Bloomington a principios de este año creó un sentimiento de solidaridad más fuerte dentro de la comunidad.
Arriba: Michelle Waugh-Dahl y la copresidenta de la NAPAWF Melissa Borja delante de la casa de Waugh-Dahl en Franklin, Indiana. (Crédito: Rong Xiaoqing)
Anne Watkins dice que el apuñalamiento del 11 de enero de un estudiante chino-estadounidense de 18 años supuestamente por parte de Billie Davis, de 56 años, que es blanca, cambió fundamentalmente su percepción de la ciudad que llama hogar.
“Cuando sucedió en Bloomington, pensé: están un paso más cerca”, dice Watkins, un estadounidense taiwanés y recién graduado de la cercana Universidad de Indiana. Watkins trabaja actualmente como subgerente en un Starbucks en el campus universitario de Bloomington.
Pero para Katherin Chi, china-estadounidense nacida en Indiana y exalumna de IU, el ataque no fue una sorpresa. Chi, miembro activo del capítulo de Indiana del Foro Nacional de Mujeres Americanas de Asia y el Pacífico (NAPAWF), fue testigo del aumento del odio contra los asiáticos en todo el país y advirtió a los funcionarios y residentes de Bloomington sobre el peligro inminente.
“Ese era nuestro mayor temor”, señala Chi, recordando el ataque no provocado en una parada de autobús local.
Davis supuestamente dijo a los investigadores que apuñaló a la víctima porque era china, diciendo que “sería una persona menos para hacer estallar nuestro país”, según la declaración jurada de la policía. La víctima sobrevivió al ataque. Su familia ha pedido que permanezca en el anonimato por temor a su seguridad.
Un gran jurado federal decidió en abril acusar a Davis de un cargo de delito de odio. La víctima y su familia no han hablado públicamente sobre el incidente y rechazaron solicitudes de entrevista para este artículo. El hijo de Davis, por su parte, dijo a los medios locales que su madre tiene una enfermedad mental.
Billie Davis (izq.), presunta agresora en el apuñalamiento el 11 de enero de un estudiante chino-americano en la Universidad de Indiana en Bloomington.
El silencio que siguió en torno al caso preocupó a Watkins. “Sentí que era un tema candente en Bloomington durante dos o tres días, y después simplemente desapareció”.
Sin embargo, para los miembros de la creciente comunidad API de Indiana, sigue habiendo ansiedad y miedo persistentes. Para algunos, el ataque fue una llamada de atención que llevaba mucho tiempo gestándose.
‘Ese podría haber sido yo’
“Pensé que era blanca antes de los 30”, dice Michelle Waugh-Dahl, una adoptada coreana que creció en Franklin, una hora al norte de Bloomington. No fue hasta 2016 y la elección de Donald Trump que Waugh-Dahl comenzó a tener dudas sobre su propia identidad y sobre cuestiones más amplias de raza y equidad.
Comenzó a distribuir comida fuera de su casa, luego se unió a las protestas de Black Lives Matter y pintó lemas en apoyo del movimiento en su patio delantero. Los amigos estaban confundidos, algunos comenzaron a rechazarla. Pero para Waugh-Dahl, el ataque le dejó una lección inquietante: “Ese podría haber sido yo en el autobús”.
La comunidad API de Indiana casi ha duplicado su tamaño desde 2010 a más de 191 mil, lo que representa el 2.8 por ciento de la población general del estado. Y aunque hay alrededor de 150 organizaciones que prestan servicios API en todo el estado, según un estudio de Asian American Alliance Inc., que se centra en potenciar el liderazgo empresarial y cívico asiático-estadounidense, la mayoría se ha centrado principalmente en la promoción cultural y los servicios sociales. Luego vino NAPAWF Indiana.
Fundado en 2020, el grupo defiende a las mujeres API y es un feroz promotor de cuestiones de justicia social. Su llegada a Bloomington no podría haber llegado en un momento más crítico, ya que los ataques dirigidos a estadounidenses de origen asiático ese mismo año aumentaron hasta en un 145 por ciento en ciudades de todo el país, según datos del Centro para el Estudio del Odio y el Extremismo de California. Universidad Estatal, San Bernardino.
Si bien los datos sobre Indiana no identifican una raza o etnia específica, el Departamento de Justicia de EE. UU. encontró 87 incidentes de ataques motivados por “raza, etnia o ascendencia” en 2021, el doble que dos años antes.
Miembros de NAPAWF Indiana, que aboga en nombre de las mujeres API del estado. (Cortesía de NAPAWF Indiana)
Mientras tanto, los estadounidenses de origen asiático en el estado dicen que la atmósfera se ha vuelto notablemente más hostil, citando una serie de incidentes, incluido el tiroteo masivo de 2021 que mató a ocho personas, incluidos cuatro empleados sij en una instalación de FedEx en Indianápolis, donde la mayoría de los empleados son sij. Este año, el rector de la Universidad Purdue del Noroeste, Thomas Keon, fue captado en una grabación burlándose de los idiomas asiáticos durante un discurso de graduación.
Incluso en el Bloomington, más liberal, los residentes de API dicen que han visto un número creciente de vehículos ondeando la bandera confederada, mientras que un enfrentamiento en 2019 entre grupos activistas y nacionalistas blancos en un mercado de agricultores de la zona acaparó los titulares nacionales.
Para la copresidenta de NAPAWF, Melissa Borja, en el momento del apuñalamiento en enero, “ya estábamos agotados, no es sostenible reaccionar continuamente. Tenemos que establecer conexiones con otras personas de la AAPI en Indiana antes de que ocurra un evento”.
Pero Borja y otros miembros de NAPAWF señalan que ni siquiera está claro dónde están los asiático-americanos en Indiana. “Necesitamos crear espacios de manera proactiva para establecer redes, organizarnos y generar solidaridad”.
past as predicate
Ese sentido de solidaridad fue evidente durante una manifestación en Indiana luego de un tiroteo en 2021 que mató a siete mujeres, seis de ellas asiático-estadounidenses, en Atlanta. Rupal Thanawala, presidenta del grupo de defensa Asian American Alliance, dice que esperaba que tal vez dos docenas de personas se presentaran ese día. En cambio, asistieron más de 200 personas, lo que la convirtió en la protesta de este tipo más grande de residentes asiático-estadounidenses en el estado.
“Organizaciones chinas, coreanas, indias, birmanas, todas nos unimos”, recuerda Thanawala.
Ese mismo mes, NAPAWF Indiana entregó una petición firmada por más de 2.700 personas y 49 organizaciones locales al gobernador republicano Eric Holcomb pidiéndole que abordara la violencia contra los asiáticos.
El campus de la Universidad de Indiana en Bloomington, Indiana. (Crédito Rong Xiaoqing)
Kwan Hui llegó a Indiana hace 34 años. Hoy se desempeña como presidente de la Asociación de Chino-Americanos de Indiana, que, según él, desde su creación en 1973 se ha centrado principalmente en la promoción cultural. Pero, añade, “la sociedad está cambiando… hemos añadido la discriminación racial a nuestra lista de vigilancia”.
Hui, investigador jubilado de la farmacéutica Eli Lilly, dice que hasta hace poco las organizaciones API en Indiana se mantenían mayormente reservadas. Eso ahora ha comenzado a cambiar en respuesta al aumento del odio contra los asiáticos, que según Hui ha impulsado a los grupos a trabajar juntos.
“A la persona que apuñaló al estudiante de IU no le importaba si eras chino o no. Esto va en contra de todos los asiáticos”.
An uphill battle
En un estado donde el 84 por ciento de los residentes son blancos, defender protecciones más estrictas para API y otros grupos minoritarios puede resultar desalentador.
Si bien el Partido Demócrata de Indiana tiene un Caucus Afroamericano y un Caucus Latino, no existe tal caucus para la comunidad API. Tampoco existe una comisión legislativa sobre asuntos de API similar a las comisiones sobre cuestiones de negros, latinos y nativos americanos.
En su petición más reciente enviada al gobernador Holcomb a principios de este año, NAPAWF instó al estado a establecer un comité asesor estatal sobre asuntos de la AAPI. Hasta el momento no ha habido respuesta. (La oficina del Gobernador no respondió a las preguntas de este periodista).
Mientras tanto, las herramientas jurídicas para luchar contra la discriminación suelen ser inexistentes.
Hasta hace poco, Indiana se encontraba entre un pequeño número de estados que no contaban con una ley sobre delitos de odio. Eso cambió en 2019, cuando Indiana finalmente aprobó un proyecto de ley que creaba por primera vez una legislación sobre delitos de odio en el estado.
Pero los críticos dicen que el lenguaje del proyecto de ley sobre la protección de grupos específicos es tan vago que casi le quita sentido. Un análisis realizado por el Centro Brennan para la Justicia en 2020 todavía incluía a Indiana como uno de los cinco estados sin una ley sobre delitos de odio debido a que “no enumera las clases protegidas”.
Moving forward to face the hate
Para muchos miembros de la comunidad API, presentar una queja puede no ser una opción, dice Randy Diaz, especialista en extensión a inmigrantes del Departamento de Policía Metropolitana de Indianápolis. Los inmigrantes “pueden no sentirse cómodos hablando con un oficial de policía”, explica Díaz, citando el estatus migratorio y las barreras del idioma como algunas de las razones de esta reticencia.
Díaz dice que la ausencia de una legislación sobre delitos de odio en el estado le deja las manos atadas. “Cuando se comete un delito contra alguien basado en el odio… porque no tenemos (un código de delitos de odio), es difícil denunciarlo”, dijo Díaz. “No puedo arrestarte por algo que no existe”.
El Centro Cultural Asiático de la Universidad de Indiana en Bloomington se ha convertido en un hogar para los estudiantes asiáticos. (Cortesía del Centro Cultural Asiático)
Otros dicen que la solución está en las urnas y en una mayor participación política de las comunidades API. “¿Cuántos (asiáticos) quieren postularse para un cargo?” preguntó Thanawala de la Alianza Asiático-Americana. “Quiero que la gente de mi comunidad sea parte del sistema”.
En 2020, NAPAWF Indiana lanzó una campaña de movilización de votantes en varios idiomas asiáticos. La organización prevé replicar la operación en futuras elecciones.
En mayo, Shruti Rana, decana adjunta y profesora de derecho internacional y derechos humanos en la Universidad de Indiana en Bloomington y cofundadora de NAPAWF Indiana ganó una primaria para convertirse en la candidata demócrata al concejo municipal, un puesto que probablemente gane dado que allí No hay ningún candidato republicano en su distrito.
“No tenemos la opción de darnos la vuelta y pretender que no existe la discriminación, o que no existe el prejuicio racial, o que no existe la discriminación de género”, dijo Rana. “Estos son temas que nos importan y que vamos a abordar”.
En el Centro Cultural Asiático en el campus de IU en Bloomington, la directora Melanie Castillo-Cullather se está preparando para el nuevo semestre en un día abrasador a principios de agosto. Bajo su liderazgo, su centro se convirtió en el centro de comando para que la comunidad asiático-americana de Bloomington abordara sus temores después del apuñalamiento. Sabe que el trauma del apuñalamiento seguirá con los estudiantes cuando regresen para el semestre de otoño. Si bien no puede ofrecer actualizaciones sobre el caso o la víctima, puede ofrecer algo más.
“Démosle a ella y a su familia algo de espacio y tiempo”, dice Castillo-Cullather, quien también es miembro fundador de NAPAWF. “Cuando la sobreviviente está lista, sabe que estamos aquí y que la respaldamos. Aquí hay una comunidad asiático-americana”.
Esta historia fue producida en asociación con el Instituto Vincent Chin como parte de una serie que analiza los impactos a largo plazo del odio en las comunidades de California y de todo el país. El original chino apareció en las páginas del Sing Tao Daily New York.
This publication was supported in whole or part by funding provided by the State of California, ayou administeredred by the CaliFornia State Library.
En el corazón de Redwood City, una extraordinaria instalación artística se exhibe ahora en el Art Kiosk Showcase hasta el 1 de octubre, cautivando la atención de los entusiastas del arte y de los transeúntes.
All Eyes on You! “Todos los ojos puestos en ti” es un proyecto nacido de la imaginación y las ágiles manos de los niños de la organización comunitaria Casa Circulo Cultural, en colaboración con el renombrado artista contemporáneo turco Berkay Bugdan.
Esta innovadora exposición presenta 18 máscaras pintadas de forma intrincada, cada una de las cuales cobra vida gracias al ingenio de la robótica, una idea que Bugdan introdujo para elevar el proyecto a nuevas cotas.
Photos: Anna Lee Mraz
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Bugdan, considerado uno de los artistas contemporáneos más destacados de Turquía, aportó su visión única a esta colaboración. Su trayectoria artística le ha llevado de la pintura y la animación al mundo de la escultura y la robótica. “Antes era pintor y animador. Ahora también soy escultor. Me encanta hacer todo tipo de cosas raras”, comenta con humor Bugdan al reflexionar sobre su evolución artística.
Photo: Anna Lee Mraz
Su decisión de unir fuerzas con Casa Círculo Cultural se debe a su inquebrantable creencia en el poder del arte para elevar a las comunidades y a las personas. “Redwood City Improvement Association, en colaboración con Fung Collaboratives empezó a trabajar con Casa Circulo Cultural; yo sólo quería aumentar su trabajo. Esto es un escaparate de los niños; ellos son los artistas”, subraya Bugdan. Su dedicación a mostrar el talento y el potencial de los niños, niñas y jóvenes artistas es evidente en cada pincelada y movimiento de la instalación.
Photo: Omar Quezada
All Eyes on You! encarna la colaboración y la creatividad de los niños. Casa Círculo Cultural alienta a los jóvenes artistas a expresarse, a empoderarse y a desarrollarse como líderes del mañana para su comunidad. El arte que producen refleja perspectivas, sueños y emociones únicos.
Photos: Omar Quezada
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Los niños y niñas pintan las máscaras con gran cuidado y detalle, y cada una sirve de lienzo para su propia historia. El innovador uso de la robótica por parte de Bugdan da vida a estas máscaras, proporcionando una experiencia interactiva que involucra profundamente al público. El propio artista Bugdan quedó impresionado por la profesionalidad y la atención al detalle de las máscaras, un tributo al talento y la dedicación de los jóvenes creadores.
Photo: Omar Quezada
“All Eyes on You!” es una celebración de la colaboración, de comunidad y del inmenso potencial de los jóvenes artistas. Casa Círculo Cultural y Berkay Bugdan han colaborado para crear una obra que muestra la destreza creativa de estos niños y lleva el arte al corazón de la comunidad, invitando a todos a compartir la maravilla de sus creaciones.
Mientras la instalación adorna el quiosco de arte hasta el 1 de octubre, se invita a todos a tomarse un momento para apreciar la belleza que surge cuando el arte trasciende las fronteras y une voces diversas. “All Eyes on You!” nos recuerda que el arte puede inspirarnos y unirnos a todos, atrayendo nuestra mirada colectiva hacia las infinitas posibilidades que surgen cuando nos unimos en la creatividad y la colaboración.
Following the election result that left President Bernardo Arevalo, the political transition has become complicated, leaving a tense situation that generated an institutional coup d'état in Guatemala, as stated by the president-elect himself.
At the moment, there is not a coup d'état as aggressive as has been seen on other occasions, however, the country is going through a difficult situation, as political scientist Mynor Alonso said in a chat with Manuel Ortiz during the radio program Península 360 Press in collaboration with Marcos Gutiérrez from «Hecho en California».
Mynor Alonso, who is part of the mission of observation and documentation of the elections in Guatemala by Global Exchange, an organization based in San Francisco and of which he is also a member Peninsula 360 Press and other organizations, said that there is an attempted coup d'état by a group of people who are in control of some institutions, few, but they are key in this transition process.
He said that there is currently an abuse of the Guatemalan justice system, and they are trying to prevent the Semilla Movement, the party to which Arévalo belongs, from assuming power on January 14.
"It is not a coup d'état as we are used to in Latin America with many soldiers or imposition with violence, what is really happening is more of a psychological war, something more social and there is also the discreet but constant abuse of legal resources," said Mynor.
A few days ago, a court pressured the civil registry to rule that the formation of the Semilla Movement was illegal and to temporarily suspend its legal status, under an alleged investigation into false signatures; however, this fraud has not yet been proven.
In any case, this is illegal, because in cases like these the person responsible is accused and not the entire political party, in this way the intentions against the Semilla Movement party can be seen very clearly, he stressed.
He also said that what they are looking for is to use legal resources against the Semilla Movement and in this way not leave any candidate from this party any chance of being elected.
What is expected, he stressed, is that the legal system will react to these provocations in the correct manner, that the necessary investigations will be carried out and that the truth will come to light, so that, if nothing is proven, the transition of powers will be carried out in the best possible way, as the law dictates.
Otherwise, if the Semilla Movement were to be cancelled, which would be a step backwards in the Guatemalan legal system, the deputies in Congress would have to remain alone, as independents, but they would be deprived of certain essential rights.
The transition is looking more complicated for Guatemala every day, but it is hoped that justice will determine the next steps and that we will be able to reach January without further damage to the citizens.
One person was struck and killed by a Caltrain train Monday night, the agency said.
At approximately 8:54 p.m., northbound train No. 268 fatally struck a person as it approached the Redwood City station, Caltrain said.
At 9:50 p.m., emergency personnel were still on the scene and train service was halted in the area.
There were approximately 166 passengers on board at the time and seven bicycles, Caltrain said, and all were taken to the platform area. No other injuries were reported.
The Control District Santa Clara County Vectors has confirmed the presence of mosquitoes positive for West Nile virus in part of San Jose and Milpitas.
Officials said that, weather permitting, those areas will be treated to reduce adult mosquito populations using truck-mounted equipment on Monday, September 11, beginning around 10 p.m. and ending two to four hours later.
The District's mosquito control program focuses primarily on preventing mosquitoes from reaching the adult biting stage by proactively attacking immature stages of mosquitoes found in standing water.
However, when a mosquito with West Nile virus is detected, the District takes the additional step of performing control treatments on adult mosquitoes.
The District said in a statement that it is critical that adult mosquito control treatments be carried out as quickly as possible upon finding a positive mosquito, as any delay in the request would present an imminent threat to public health and safety, exposing the public to possible vector-borne injuries or even death.
It is noteworthy that treatments to control adult mosquitoes reduce the mosquito population in the area, which decreases the risk of human infection with West Nile Virus.
According to studies, it is normal to see an increase in West Nile virus during the summer and early fall because mosquitoes thrive in warm climates.
Given this, the District said it has a surveillance program dedicated to detecting the presence of diseases such as West Nile virus, St. Louis encephalitis and Western equine encephalitis, all of which are transmitted by the bite of infected mosquitoes.
The data collected through surveillance is used to predict locations most likely to have these disease-carrying mosquitoes.
The District said it has been regularly conducting truck-mounted adult mosquito control treatments since 2003 to successfully reduce populations of mosquitoes that transmit West Nile virus.
The Vector Control District stressed that it is not necessary to relocate during the treatment to control adult mosquitoes, as they represent a minimal risk to people, pets, animals and the environment when applied by an authorized professional.
However, he said, those who wish to take extra precautions can keep their family members and pets inside during the roughly four-hour mosquito control treatment, with windows and doors closed.
In the morning, the pesticide breaks down quickly when exposed to sunlight. Since the District applies pesticides in ultra-low volume, people are unlikely to breathe or touch anything that has enough pesticide on it to be harmful.
Since West Nile virus arrived in California in 2003, more than 7,000 people across the state have contracted the disease; nearly 400 of those cases were fatal. In 2022, there have been 15 human deaths related to West Nile virus; 2015 was a record year for deaths in the state with 55 deaths.
A decades-old blighted corner that once housed a gas station near Santa Clara University will be transformed into high-density housing.
The Santa Clara City Council voted 6-1 earlier this week to approve a new housing development near the university. Councilmember Kevin Park was the lone vote against. The approval is key to starting construction on the mixed-use housing complex planned at 2655 The Alameda, to revitalize a long-abandoned lot and create much-needed housing near the city’s transit hub.
“The project will ultimately transform a blighted corner and 30-year-old eyesore into a beautiful mixed-use building for the community,” Kapital Partners developer Anjuli Nanda Habbas said at the meeting.
Completing this project will require an amendment to the city's general plan. Councilman Anthony Becker said he is not in favor of repeatedly amending the general development plan, but in this case it would move the Alameda project forward.
The developer plans to build a four-story mixed-use complex with 39 units and 1,500 square feet of ground-floor commercial space. Five of the units, or 15 percent, will be designated as affordable housing to meet city requirements for new development. The complex is within walking distance of the university, bus routes and the Santa Clara Caltrain station.
Mountain View-based Kenneth Rodriguez & Partners designed the building, with Swenson Builders serving as general contractor. Kapital plans to begin construction early next year, with a completion date targeted for late 2025.
Santa Clara frequently faces public opposition whenever a high-density housing project is proposed. But the Alameda development won over city leaders. They praised its architectural design and plan to transform a triangle-shaped vacant lot, where trash and couches are often dumped, into much-needed housing. The site of the former gas station that closed in the 1980s remained vacant until Kapital bought the less-than-half-acre property in 2021, for $1 million.
The Santa Clara Planning Commission voted last month to recommend approval of the development. Shreya Chokshi of Catalyze SV, which advocates for more affordable housing, said the organization supports the project.
Santa Clara resident Claudia Daw and several others spoke at the meeting in opposition to the project. Daw said the building is too tall at four stories. City staff said the building's height is comparable to nearby student housing and is consistent with infill requirements under state law.
Daw said she was also concerned about a 2004 finding of contaminants in the soil at the site left over from the former gas station. Andrew Crabtree, director of community development, told the council that the contamination came from a previous leak from an underground storage tank. He noted that an initial study found that with mitigation, the contaminants will have a less than significant impact on the neighborhood.
Crabtree said the developer changed the project’s design based on public feedback to reduce the building’s height and add an outdoor gathering space. He said the project is exempt from local parking requirements because of its proximity to transit hubs, but offers 34 parking spaces and about 80 bike spaces.
Councilman Raj Chahal asked the developer to consider increasing the number of affordable housing units to 20 percent. But before the developer could respond, Santa Clara City Attorney Glen Googins said council members should avoid making demands to modify the plan at this stage.
Councilman Park, while enamored with the building’s location and design, said it could become another “off-campus dormitory” with too little commercial space and too little parking.
“I feel like it’s designed and targeted at students,” Park said. “If we’re asking for a general plan amendment, it should be something better than what the general plan offers. I don’t see any benefit to the community here.”
