Monterey County Health Department
A majority of readers have spoken: When they need information about Covid-19 they choose the Monterey County Health Department. While early on in the pandemic they were slow to start regular media briefings, county officials soon got the message and started daily briefings that allowed reporters to ask questions and in turn relay the latest information to their audiences. (Big props to Maia Carroll, county communications coordinator, for organizing and hosting those virtual briefings. They continue to this day, now as a weekly event.) The Health Department website was beefed up with information in English and Spanish on just about every subject residents might need to know: where to find free testing; vaccination sites; prevention; information for businesses and health care professionals; school-related information; where to get resources for those who are infected; and much more. It’s still the daily go-to for the latest data on new Covid infections and, sadly, deaths, which still continue.