City News Service

UC San Diego is boosting its coronavirus testing efforts and increasing the number of samples taken for wastewater early detection, among other efforts to prevent the spread of the virus on campus, university leaders announced Tuesday.

San Diego County health officials reported 1,378 new COVID-19 infections and 22 deaths Tuesday as hospitalizations continue to surge with nearly triple the number of people hospitalized compared to a month ago.

A young bobcat that was nursed to health in the San Diego area after being badly burned in a San Bernardino County wildfire was returned to its natural habitat Tuesday for release back into the wild.

The shelter opened its doors in April as a measure to halt the spread of COVID-19 among San Diego's homeless population, and currently houses around 900 people per day, and housed a peak of 1,300 people daily.

An additional 10,000 households economically impacted by COVID-19 are able to apply for rent relief from San Diego County Tuesday, part of $27 million county supervisors allocated for just such a purpose.

Santa Ana winds will return amid dry conditions this week, significantly raising the risk of wildfires in the San Diego County mountains and western valleys, according to the National Weather Service.

California has been battered by 10 previous atmospheric rivers this winter.

The latest in-custody death comes on the heels of news that a sheriff’s deputy was arrested for allegedly having illegal drugs on county jail property.

Officials with the U.S. Department of Transportation issued a statement in response to Southwest's cancellations, noting that the department will be looking into the situation.