The Californian from Salinas, California • A4

4A FRIDAY, JANUARY 8, 2021 THE SALINAS CALIFORNIAN LOS ANGELES California health authorities reported Thursday a record two-day total of 1,042 coronavirus deaths as many hospitals strain under unprecedented caseloads The state Department of Public website listed 583 new deaths, a day after 459 deaths. The previous two-day record total was 1,013 deaths at the end of December. death toll since the start of the pandemic rose to 28,045. The hospitals are trying to prepare for the possibility that they may have to ration care for lack of and beds and hoping they have to make that choice. California avoided surging cases for months, but now the virus is raging out of control there and across the nation in the wake of Thanksgiving holiday gath- erings that authorities say vastly spread infections.

Only Arizona tops California in cases per resident. A travel advisory issued Wednesday people from out of state from entering California. It also said Californians should avoid traveling more than 120 miles from home except for essential purposes. The previous advisory, issued in November, encouraged people to stay home or within their region with- out giving a range in miles. It outlined quarantine guidelines for out- of-state travelers but did not explicitly discourage travel.

California this week ordered hospi- tals in the hardest-hit areas to delay many elective surgeries in order to free up space. In Los Angeles County, Methodist Hospital of Southern California con- vened an in-house triage team that makes daily evaluations the se- verity of critically ill patients that al- lows us to distribute resources to those who need it the chief strategy of- Daniels said. The hospital rationing care we hope we get Daniels said. However, guidelines posted on the website warn: a patient becomes extremely ill and very unlikely to survive their illness (even with life- saving treatment), then certain re- sources may be allocated to another patient who is more likely to Los Angeles County, the most populous with 10 million resi- California sees 2-day record of virus deaths Don Thompson ASSOCIATED PRESS See VIRUS, Page 8A Kimbley Craig, the new mayor of Salinas, she was diagnosed with COVID-19 this week. She was home the week between Christmas and New Eve and wrote via text that she really have much contact with anyone.

She also noted that Salinas City Hall is closed to the public. have worn a mask, worked from home, washed my hands, socially dis- I still got she wrote. what that tells me is that it is widespread and easily transmitted at this She asked people to do everything they can to stay at home and slow the spread. Craig said she felt it was important to dis- close her positive test results to help lift the stigma. wanted do right by telling people so that they can self- quarantine and go get she said The Monterey Herald reported that Craig was experiencing some symp- toms as of Tuesday morning, including loss of taste and a muted sense of smell.

As of Monday, there were 194 pa- tients currently being hospitalized for COVID-19 in Monterey County, accord- ing to the Daily Situation Report. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say the following safety measures could prevent infection: Wear a mask to protect yourself and others and stop the spread of CO- VID-19. Stay at least 6 feet (about 2 arm lengths) from others who live with you. Avoid crowds. The more people you are in contact with, the more likely you are to be exposed to COVID-19.

Salinas mayor has COVID-19 Angelica Cabral Salinas Californian USA TODAY NETWORK Craig Many people experience what they consider miracles both big and small at some point in their life. The authors behind Miracle chronicle their journey both as friends and as receivers of miracles. First, Joan Luise Hill. Her son had a cardiac abnormality. Her close friend, Katie Mahon, escaped se- rial killer Ted Bundy.

And the third woman in the trio, Mary Beth Phillips, had a daughter survive an act of violence and went on to help start the California Trustline Registry. sort of wrote The Miracle Chase as a way to try and make sense of these experiences that we Hill said. The three women were living in Mo- raga, Calif. at the time of their miracles and they began to tell their stories to each other when they met up in a cof- fee shop. They thought they would ish the book quickly, but it took years of writing to Throughout the book, they also looked at miracles in other cultures, science, religion and more.

decided at the end after we published the book, that what the book turned out to be about was this faith, friendship, and Mahon said. faith part was obvious be- See BOOK, Page 8A JANUARY BOOK CLUB looks at friends Angelica Cabral Salinas Californian USA TODAY NETWORK The pandemic brought many challenges to pub- lic service programs across the country. Some of these programs and resources are still thriving and leading by example, including Castro- ville Library's U.S. Citizenship Program. U.S.

Citizenship Program Since the statewide shutdown, the Castroville Branch, Andy Ausonio Library has continued ing its U.S. Citizenship Program. The program was started in 2010 by Sally Childs, library assistant and Homework Center coordina- tor. The program classes, help with citizen- ship paperwork, exam tutoring, and interview prac- tice. The U.S.

Citizenship program meets virtually and in-person day. The in-person learning is held outside of the library for interview practice and par- ticipants follow social distancing protocols. not only that they need to know the 128 ques- tions. That is (a) misconception; that if you know the 128 questions If you know your per- sonal information going to said Luis Arreguin, NMCUSD U.S. Citizenship instructor.

need to show they have basic English con- versational skills. When they meet the in the waiting room, the time when the starts evaluating the English skills of the Not only does the program serve students of all ages, but students come from across Monterey County. All prints and assistance for completing the N-400 Application for U.S. Naturalization are free. The fee of the application can cost $640, and with an $85 biometric fee costing up to $725 in to- tal.

Applicants who choose to get an attorney would most likely end up paying more money just in at- Library citizenship help The Castro Plaza Family Resource Center offers citizenship help. ANGELAYDET ROCHA See LIBRARY, Page 8A Assistance available at Castroville branch Angelaydet Rocha Salinas Californian USA TODAY NETWORK.