In order for all area residents to have important local information on the coronavirus health emergency, Palo Alto Online is providing unlimited access to its website, effective immediately.
Until further notice, visitors to the website can follow the news without the normal seven-story limit per month for non-subscribers.
"At a time of heightened anxiety and a high demand for accurate and highly localized information, we want to make our reporting as widely available as possible," Embarcadero Media President Bill Johnson said.
"Our editorial staff is working overtime to follow and report on every aspect of this ongoing story. During such emergencies our policy is to suspend the pay meter as a public service," Johnson said.
The Palo Alto Weekly and its sister papers, the Mountain View Voice and the Almanac, have been working together and coordinating local coverage of their Midpeninsula cities since the outbreak of the coronavirus. Read the latest updates here.
Comments
Atherton
on Mar 9, 2020 at 2:06 pm
on Mar 9, 2020 at 2:06 pm
Thank you. This is the right thing to do and demonstrates true community leadership.
Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Mar 9, 2020 at 2:49 pm
on Mar 9, 2020 at 2:49 pm
Thank you. This makes a lot of sense.
I tried to start a thread on early Saturday where we could list current local cancelled events, kids sports, shows, concerts, theaters, church/faith services, etc. It would be extremely useful to be able to add to this list on an ongoing basis as we find the cancellations occurring. Thanks.
Menlo Park
on Mar 9, 2020 at 2:49 pm
on Mar 9, 2020 at 2:49 pm
Thanks
Charleston Meadows
on Mar 9, 2020 at 3:23 pm
on Mar 9, 2020 at 3:23 pm
Are Americans overeacting to this coronavirus?
Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Mar 9, 2020 at 4:28 pm
on Mar 9, 2020 at 4:28 pm
@Zhao,
I don't think so. If anything, they've underreacted. There is a theoretical window in which the virus could be prevented from becoming endemic, and it's beginning to look like that opportunity has been lost because of it not being taken seriously.
Thank you, Weekly. Can you please make it possible for me to donate without having to register? I don't want to register.
Professorville
on Mar 9, 2020 at 8:48 pm
on Mar 9, 2020 at 8:48 pm
Good call, Palo Alto Online! well done!
We should also give a shout out to commenter “Hair-Sniffing Presidential Candidate” who wrote on March 7:
“I’m not going to tell you how to run your business, but here’s a thought:
Since you are providing useful health information to the community during the current COVID-19 alert, why not remove your “7 free articles per month” limit until the crisis has subsided. Thank you for your consideration.“
Barron Park
on Mar 10, 2020 at 1:00 am
on Mar 10, 2020 at 1:00 am
This is very public spirited. Thank you.
Midtown
on Mar 10, 2020 at 7:44 am
on Mar 10, 2020 at 7:44 am
Thanks! Although I'm a subscriber, my daughters who go to college outside of California will really appreciate being able to get updates without the paywall. Great call!
Downtown North
on Mar 10, 2020 at 9:27 am
on Mar 10, 2020 at 9:27 am
Could the Weekly present a localized map (i.e. counties) citing the various outbreaks, deaths & quarantines?
This would be very helpful as we have stocked up at Costco and our children will not be returning to public school until the outbreak is officially over.
A relative is currently on missionary work in SE Asia and was due to return this upcoming April. He wanted to stay at our home before returning to Salt Lake City & we have advised him to stay put over there as we do not want him bringing any bugs over from the area.
Palo Verde
on Mar 10, 2020 at 10:09 am
on Mar 10, 2020 at 10:09 am
Thank you Palo Alto Online. This is very much appreciated.
Midtown
on Mar 10, 2020 at 10:51 am
on Mar 10, 2020 at 10:51 am
[Post removed.]
Downtown North
on Mar 10, 2020 at 11:56 am
on Mar 10, 2020 at 11:56 am
Thank you. There is no such thing as too much journalism.... real, carefully edited news is what we need.
another community
on Mar 10, 2020 at 12:40 pm
on Mar 10, 2020 at 12:40 pm
Palo Alto Online:
You should drop that seven-story limit per month for non-subscribers. You lose readers when you do that. You need to apply for grant funding to run your newspaper. I refuse to subscribe. If you block me from reading your newspaper, no problem, I simply go elsewhere to read the same news.
pearl
Downtown North
on Mar 10, 2020 at 12:43 pm
on Mar 10, 2020 at 12:43 pm
"I simply go elsewhere to read the same news."
Until they get swallowed up, as well. Good luck when it's down to facebook.
Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Mar 10, 2020 at 12:55 pm
on Mar 10, 2020 at 12:55 pm
Pezrl- if you notice the number of free articles has been slowly decreasing. I think they are not getting more subscribed so they are gradually phading out free articles. I think this will backfire.
Palo Verde
on Mar 10, 2020 at 1:04 pm
on Mar 10, 2020 at 1:04 pm
Thank you! I appreciate the reporting on PAOnline. It's my go-to source for local news.
Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Mar 10, 2020 at 1:14 pm
on Mar 10, 2020 at 1:14 pm
Thank you for providing this forum for discussing our concerns.
Should we be closing our libraries? Are they being kept clean? How much more use will they get as things are cancelled, people are working from home and people get more bored?
Downtown North
on Mar 10, 2020 at 2:18 pm
on Mar 10, 2020 at 2:18 pm
You shouldn't limit your news story ever. Ways to get around it though.
Charleston Gardens
on Mar 10, 2020 at 2:47 pm
on Mar 10, 2020 at 2:47 pm
COVID-19 is already beginning to subside in China and there are way more inhabitants in China than in the United States.
Like gas, it will pass.
Palo Verde
on Mar 10, 2020 at 4:53 pm
on Mar 10, 2020 at 4:53 pm
> COVID-19 is already beginning to subside in China and there are way more inhabitants in China than in the United States.
If you believe the news from China, I'm sure you'd be interested in some shopping malls and high-rise apartment real estate there.
Anyway, big thanks to PAO for their free information. I have found the information here about CoVid more useful than SCC.gov's site and twitter feed. PAO is more organized for SCC information, now that cases here are increasing.
News Now is a good news feed for current coronavirus headlines. : Web Link