this is an opportunity to move in the right direction, to flatten the curve. >> napa county and soon solano county join in ordering people howeople in several san frcisco social distancing or not. g a coronavirus test to local women with serious concerns. >> now your health, your safety. this is abc7 news. >> stay at home. napa county and now solano county are taking similar steps and asking residents to help flatten the curve, as we say. good evening. i'm dan ashley. >> and i'm kristen sze. thanks for joining us. we are seeing a steady increase in the number of local coronavirus cases. >> as expected, a sixth person now has died of the virus in santa clara county. the county now has 175 cases, up 20 from yesterday.

san mateo reports 80 cases, 14 more since tuesday. >> san francisco now has 51 confirmed infections. napa remains the only county with no reported cases and is taking new measure, though, to stay that way. >> abc7 news reporter laura anthony is in napa. laura, they just issued a stay at home order there. >> yes, hi, dan. that's what they're calling it. a stay at home order. with that order, they also reveal that they've tested 40 individuals to date in this county and so far no confirmed cases of covid-19 among original or residents who originated here in this county. there are some suspected case, however, and the results of those tests have yet to come back. >> this is an opportunity to move in the right direction, to flatten the curve. >> perhaps more than any other community in the bay area, napa know house to do emergencies. whether earthquakes or fires, but now they'll experience a new one. one they can't see that will

require residents to stay inside. >> i've prepared the shelter at home order as a precautionary measure and to help contain the spread of covid-1919 in our community. >> in downtown napa, it didn't take an official order for many tasting rooms, retail stores and restaurants to close or offer very limited service. >> i know a few other restaurants are probably going to be staying open just to do to go orders. >> he has owned ristorante alegria for ten years and feels like he has been down this road before. at least this time he can still offer takeout. >> every other year it sounds like something happens in napa, but this is something that's happening all over the world, not just in napa. >> napa's many wineries have already closed their tasting rooms thanks to governor gavin newsom's weekend directive, but katherine hall says her business will survive and so will her

community. in the long-term, do you see this community rebounding yet again? >> oh, no question. no question. we're strong. we're hardy, and we've got great wine. >> and this community has proved that many times before. they are a hardy community. now this order does not go into effect midnight tomorrow night. they want to give residents time to prepare. they will then reassess it. it will run through april 7th. they will reassess like so many other counties at this time. laura anthony, abc7 news. >> laura, thank you. bay area counties are ramping up their response efforts to the coronavirus every day. abc7 news went inside the marin county emergency operation center in san rafael this afternoon for a look around. employees are coordinating emergency operations emergencies among all the local jurisdictions in the county. now in the east bay, the alameda county emergency operation center has been partially activated. the sheriff's office tweeted this photo collage showing some

of the workers there. they say people need to continue to shelter at home and continue to practice social distancing. if you're looking live right now over san francisco from sky 7, it's day two of the shelter in place order and you can see san franciscans are taking it very seriously. the skyway, which would normally be packed just a few cars getting on to the certainly jobs or duties. today san francisco mayor london breed appeared on the new abc7 daily program "pandemic: what you need to know." she talked about social distance while reiterating that people are allowed 20 get fresh air. >> we see people in san francisco complying with the order for the most part. every now and then you have people walking around the neighborhoods, but also respecting the social distancing. >> so we went the several san francisco neighborhoods to get a sense for what people are doing and if they truly are practicing social distancing. abc7 news reporter kris reyes joins us in the city with more.

ray, kris. >> good afternoon, kristen. we were driving around for almost four hours. it was completely bizarre. now if you asked me are people social distancing, my answer would be a soft yes. we definitely saw enough gaps between people. but here is the thing. people are still out here, in some place morse than others. take a look. for nearly three hours, we cruised all over san francisco, visiting beloved neighborhoods. this would be almost impossible before this new reality. it would just be too hard, too much traffic. but not today. today empty roads, deserted streets, shuttered shops. we tried to get a sense of whether people were complying with shelter in place rules. the answer is a little gray. the embarcadero, for example, had a steady stream of joggers and runners and people walking their dogs. that's allowed. but what happens when there is a little too much of it happening? we also saw people hanging around in groups, but mostly they appeared homeless, gathered around makeshift tents on the

sidewalk. hard to shelter in place when you have nowhere to go. the busiest stretch we saw was in chinatown. stores opened. some weren't selling food at all. grocery stores are essential service, but not clothing shops, for example. and the markets inside felt a little kroulded. and in places like golden gate park and dolores park, social distancing at least felt a little easier, people alone on benches or walking dogs by themselves, or families trying to stay sane. still, the question on a lot of people's minds, should they even be out there? we saw sfpd out and about in different neighborhoods, but we didn't see anyone getting stop order questioned. some places felt eerily empty. only if we've only known them no other way but to be full of people, like fisherman's wharf. here is an example of what we saw all afternoon. you see a pretty busy embarcadero. most people are by themselves. some are just with one other person. as they're passing each other

by, they might be inadvertently cutting that social distance in half, for example. that story by the way just a slice of our live stream. we were out there for almost four hours. if you want to take a look, that's on our facebook page. we did try to take you to neighborhoods and places that you might miss because you're stuck at home, including the ocean. live on the embarcadero, i'm kris reyes for abc7 news. >> thank you. now widespread testing for coronavirus remains a real challenge in the bay area. there is a growing level of frustration about who, when and how people can get tested. abc7 news anchor liz kreutz spoke with three different women, all with similar concerns. >> this is sarah sanders, a librarian who says she started getting symptoms for coronavirus on friday. she immediately called her doctor, noting her daughter has a compromised immune system but was told she couldn't get a test. she tried again the next day and after that. >> same drill. it doesn't matter that you work

with kids. it doesn't matter that your kid is immune compromised. we're only allowed to test people that have been in contact with someone who is positive or traveled abroad. >> finally on monday she got approved for testing and now she waits. but still quite frustrated by the process? >> very frustrated by the process. and as are the doctors. >> also in marin county, a woman in her early 40s says she's had a similar experience. >> if i'm one more case in marin county, i want the world to know there is one more case in marin county. it's also extremely frustrating to hear how many powerful and famous people are getting tested with or without any symptoms where a normal person who has almost every single symptom with the exception of fever, thank goodness, cannot get tested at all. >> in san mateo, there is wendy who says when her son began showing mild symptoms, she turned to the new googler havely screening site set up with the government. >> primarily i was not comfortable taxes the medical

system in san mateo county. >> still no luck. >> the anlss were basically basically at the end of it, go to the cdc website. that was essentially at the end of every thread, almost every thread. that's where it sent me. >> we've heard from a loft people who have a lot of questions about this verily site. they're currently targeted at the most high risk populations. governor newsom says more than 350 people have so far been tested through that partnership. liz kreutz, abc7 news. >> thanks to liz. now here are more of the big developments today. >> as we told you just a few minutes ago, two new bay area counties, napa and solano are issuing shelter in place orders to control the spread. >> italy hit hard by the virus reported 475 new deaths. the dow dropped more than 1300 points, losing nearly all of its gains since president trump's inauguration. >> the president today says he will invoke the defense

production act. it will expand production of hospital masks and other medical supplies to prevent a shortage. still to come, a big surprise for a freelance sports writer. out of nowhere, money is deposited into his ven

the shelter in place orders are hitting local gyms very hard. the bay club in san francisco closed yesterday. the gym sent out an email to members today saying it plans to continue to pay salaries and benefits for workers. to make it happen, the club is asking members to choose one of three options, continue to pay full dues, pay 50%, or pay nothing. meantime, local ymcas are asking members to keep paying dues so they too can continue paying their employees. it is a worrisome time for workers who have seen their jobs and their paychecks disappear as businesses close. a sports writer in the south bay received a surprise this week from a stranger. it's an act of kindness that is

inspiring others to do the same. abc7 news reporter david louie has the story, and he is life working from home with that. david? >> dan, what a great story this is. you know, many people these days work as freelancers so there aren't benefits in most cases, and no steady paychecks. a sports writer in detroit who is working full time is depositing small amounts of cash by surprise into the accounts of freelancers whose income has been shut off by the coronavirus. john brood is a freelance journalist in san jose. he was surprised to see money deposited that he wasn't expecting. >> i is a this venmo come through, and i didn't recognize the name, and i honestly thought it was scam. >> it wasn't. the money was deposited by larry lage. he created a fundraising campaign on facebook to cut freelancers whose income was cut off when coronavirus put a hold on team sports. his first goal was to raise $2,000.

he raised the goal to $20,000. the donations of 50 or $100 won't cover the rent, but their impact has even greater value. >> it also instills hope in people and also gives ways for other people to be inspired by this tough time and to think of others and not themselves. >> that's true for john root, who sees this warm hearted act of kindness as something positive as society faces an unpredictable future. >> wow. i have so much uncertainty in my life and so many people in other industries, i want to do good because larry has done good to me. >> the campaign could inspire other ones for jobs affected by the pandemic. however, there are acts of kindness that don't involve money. >> my roommate and i have been talking about how we can help out some of the elderly in the neighborhood and maybe make grocery store runs to really mae a difference. and larry has inspired that. >> well, larry lage has helped 30 sports writers so far. some people have been turning down his gifts. and if they do, he asks for

names of others who can use the money. if you would like to donate, we'll post where you can do that on our website, abc7news.com. we're live, david louie, abc7 news. >> great. david, thank you so much. there are several big-name company news hiring, and you're probably wondering is it safe to touch packages delivered to you. >> a lot of people want to know the answer to that. it's 7 on your side's michael finney is live from his home practicing social distancing tonight. michael? >> yeah, let's start with just a tiny bright spot for some of those who need to earn some extra money or perhaps were laid off because of the shelter in place order here in the bay area. there are companies hiring, including amazon. the online retail giant is hiring 100,000 warehouse workers nationwide, including here in the bay area. safeway is hiring 2,000 store employees and delivery drivers across northern california, nevada, and hawaii, but the majority of those are right here in the bay area. other stores hiring are raley's,

mainly up out of sacramento, and grocery delivery company farm stat. they're big here in san francisco. kaiser permanente is hiring seasonal contract workers. the social security administration says it closed its offices yesterday until further notice due to the coronavirus crisis. this includes disability insurance appeals. people can still contact the agency by phone and online. any appointments already made will be rescheduled. social security payments are not affected. are the packages you ordered online safe from covid-19? well, they have been looking into that, and according to the centers for disease control they found there is a low risk of spreading the virus from products and packages shipped over a period of days or weeks at ambient temperatures. the cdc does not remedies infecting the packages. now have i more information on all of these topics if you need it. just go to abc7news.com.

look for the 7 on your side page. >> okay, michael, great information thank you very much. let's turn our attention to the weather forecast, again from a safe distance. we want to know what is to come. still a little cool out there, sandhya, and more rain? >> absolutely. temperatures today were only in the 50s. and we still have some showers going. we're going to keep them going. but if you're looking for a break, that's coming too. let's check out doppler 7 right now. you will notice that those showers are really just kind of scattered around the bay area. getting you down to street level radar right now in the north bay. san anselmo, fifth avenue, you're getting wet. very light stuff around livermore, across 580. as we look towards the south bay, santa clara, willow glen, san jose, you will notice right around south bernardo avenue also getting wet. so this is still turning to snow in the mountains. lighter stuff in the sierra nevada where winter weather advisory is in effect until 5:00 a.m. tomorrow. by the way, the statewide snowpack is doing better, 47% of

average thanks to all the recent snow. temperatures right now in the 40s, 50s. so we are feeling the chill. do you know that spring begins tomorrow? yeah, the vernal equinox is taking place tomorrow night at 8:49 p.m. the sun will be directly over the equator. and as we close out winter and begin spring, we're going bring you some more showers. here is a view from our exploratorium camera. seeing sunshine break through the clouds. scattered showers tonight. spotty tomorrow for spring. a break is coming friday through sunday morning. so the hour-by-hour timeline, 6:00 tonight. still looking at some wet weather going into tomorrow morning. we will have clouds. we will have some fog. and then at noontime, you will notice just a couple of showers around the region. 3:00 p.m. around the south bay, the santa cruz mountains. 6:00 p.m., a little more activity. but it's not going to be quite as much as today. and then it winds down by tomorrow night. now in the morning, you will feel the chill. so just in case you want to get outside with the kids, get a walk in, definitely bundle them up, and bundle yourself up.

temperatures will be in the 30s, 40s with the clouds, even some patchy fog. and then for the afternoon hours, temperatures will range from the mid 50s to the low 60s. 58 in the city. 55 in half moon bay. low 60s from santa rosa to napa. 60 in livermore. 61 in san jose. can't rule out a few showers well into the evening hours as you look at the accuweather seven-day forecast. spring begins with spotty showers tomorrow night we're looking at dry conditions for friday, saturday. milder, notice near 70 degrees around the bay and inland. sunday afternoon/evening, we will see some rain. and that's a level 1 system. more likely monday, tuesday, and wednesday that we will be experiencing wet weather. but i know with all that's going on, especially with this crisis, it's nice to see some sunshine for a change and really for people to be able to just step outside, even if it's just for a few minutes. dan? >> it does a world of good. >> it definitely does. >> thanks, sandhya, very much.

well, a local restaurant's in flux. >> we know these are times of struggle. next, a look at some of the ways bay area hello, i saw you move in, and i wanted to welcome you to the neighborhood with some homemade biscuits! >>oh, that's so nice!

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the pandemic isn't just affecting humans. the east bay spca is stopping adoptions. >> there is ways to help the animals. here is melissa pixcar. >> with coronavirus, many shelters are having to halt all of their public facing operations. that means not doing adoptions, not being able to take in strays. many shelters are, however, ramping up their foster programs and trying to get their animals out into foster homes during this time while people are at home. our foster program is open to anyone. benefits of fostering animals are numerous. for the people right now a lot of people are feeling isolated and having a pet in their home is wonderful. it helps them get out at least

for walks, but also just having a sense of companionship in your home. and for the shelter animal, it gives them a break from the shelter setting. so if anyone is interested in fostering, it is so appreciated at this time. >> can still help those dogs and cats. well, we have been seeing countless local restaurants having to rapidly change entire business models just in a matter of hours with this shelter in place order. >> yeah, neato's in the jack london square area is one of the spots brainstorming on the fly. it's reducing prices and offering special deals for customers. >> it's combining menus with its neighboring margarita garden for cocktails to go. nido's said customers appreciative if customers opt for takeout. >> sometimes they're still taking a fee and we already reduced our prices. being able to stay afloat, make ends meet all happens best when

folks are physically able to stop by themselves. >> the gm there says they have plenty of space to socially distance while you grab your food and then head back home. this long-time restaurant in west berkeley has set up drive-through lane for curbside service. people getting creative, doing everything they can. picante is taking orders daily from 11:00 to 9:00. employees are wearing masks and gloves. the owner tells abc7 news this is a way to keep his business going, even though the dining room is closed. >> and abc7 was at a safeway this morning where people were lining up to get in. many people coming out have full carts. dave canepa wants to introduce a resolution that would only let people buy four items at a time. >> i don't want to legislate responsibility, but when we see places wiped out of goods, things to buy, whether it's poultry, whether it's meat,

whether it's toilet paper, there needs to be some sort of reason. >> canepa says some stores are enacting their own limits, but it's not consistent from store to store. he wants to mandate stores open an hour early for elderly, disabled and pregnant shoppers. more 20 come here. the san francisco zoo is closed amid the city's shelter in place order. >> yeah, but we'll show you how the

for people with heart failure taking entresto, it may lead to a world of possibilities. entresto is a heart failure medicine prescribed by most cardiologists. it was proven superior at helping people stay alive and out of the hospital. heart failure can change the structure of your heart, so it may not work as well. entresto helps improve your heart's ability to pump blood to the body. and with a healthier heart, there's no telling where life may take you. don't take entresto if pregnant; it can cause harm or death to an unborn baby. don't take entresto with an ace inhibitor or aliskiren, or if you've had angioedema with an ace or arb. the most serious side effects are angioedema, low blood pressure, kidney problems, or high blood potassium.

ask your doctor about entresto for heart failure. entrust your heart to entresto. well, finally here for the moment, a couple of feel good stores, we need them. the san francisco zoo is doing its part to entertain people while the shelter in place. >> a southern two-toed sloth. our incredible vets are providing excellent care for our animals. some are doing what they can to keep everyone's spirits up as the coronavirus causes hardship and fear. in colorado, a man wearing a mr. incredible costume did his part to spread some joy. >> he ran from house to house, leaving a rose on everyone's porch. the act of kindness was captured on laura's security camera and wanted to share it because it brought a smile to her face. that's nice. >> and sharing his super hero

strength. >> good for him. "world news tonight" with david muir is next. ♪ do you recall, not long ago ♪ we would walk on the sidewalk ♪ ♪ all around the wind blows ♪ we would only hold on to let go ♪ ♪ blow a kiss into the sun ♪ we need someone to lean on ♪ blow a kiss into the sun ♪ all we needed somebody to lean on ♪ ♪ ♪

♪ all we need is someone to lean on ♪

tonight, the coronavirus now in all 50 states. president trump calling himself a wartime president. will industry now be asked to make ventilators and masks? two navy ships on their way to u.s. cities. and the new warning tonight to younger americans. what the white house said today about cases involving young people. in new york city, the number of cases doubling in 24 hours. new york's governor calling for 110,000 more hospital beds within 45 days. you will hear from e.r. doctors on the front lines. what they're seeing, what they need. masks, how many ventilators do they have? at some hospitals, do they have any at all? the alarming images. long lines waiting for testing in this country. the white house is asked why some high-profile people like nba stars are getting tests more quickly even when they're asymptomic