life-changing climb now has to wait. weathhether you're infected sick, not sick, infected, not infected, social distancing is the treatment. >> that's the message from south bay leaders right now in the attempt to slow the covid virus. good evening. thank you for joining us. i'm dan ashley. >> and i'm kristen sze. >> abc7 new's reporter chris nguyen is live with more. chris. >> reporter: county officials know that a lot of people are becoming restless, but, again, with the exception of essential activities, they're urging the public to stay home to help

reduce the spread. nearly two weeks after a regional shelter-in-place order went into effect, no word on how much longer it's going to last. >> to make sure we have fewer people in the hospital beds and fewer people dying is for us to stick to this social distancing. >> reporter: but as some grow impatient about having to spend more time at home, there are new reminders about why the measure is so important. >> what we know from our modeling and what we think that means -- >> reporter: earlier this week there were suggesting based on a european mod thal 2,000 people here could die of coronavirus despite efforts to contain it. >> statistics can be misleading because they're based on presumptions, and they don't predict the future. they don't tell us what's going to happen to you as an individual. what's going to happen to you as an individual depends on what you do, what's in your control.

>> reporter: at the santa clara convention center, a temporary federal station is being built to help ease the strain on medical facilities with space to hold up to 215 covid-19 patients, the center is for those discharged from the hospital but in need of a safe place to recover. >> they might be here for as many as two, three weeks before they're safe. >> reporter: as of friday, communications in san jose has been closed to the public to reduce overcrowding. city and county officials say they won't hesitate to close other parks if people aren't practicing social distancing. >> we know that the social distancing takes at least two weeks to start to have an effect because the incubation time period for the disease is at least two weeks. >> reporter: the confirmed case count is now up to 574, but because of limited testing, county officials say that

represents only a small fraction of the total number of cases of those who have the disease here in santa clara county. we're live in san jose. i'm chris nguyen, abc7 news. [ indiscernible ] >> the last thing we want to do, as i said, is to start to close the last bit of fresh air that we're able to get during this very difficult time. and so parks, we know, are essential, and i know other places have chose on the close parks and other places down. we don't want to get to that place, but if we see more people playing on basketball courts, if we see more people playing volleyball with one another and baseball and some of these sports that are more team related, we will have no other

choice. >> a lot of parking lots will be closed the weekend as the state and city look to control the crowds and get people to follow the stay-at-home order, and police chief bill scott said patrols will be out as well. governor newsom announced a state wide moratorium on evictions through may 31st. dozens of cities have announced similar bans. renters must pay and must tell their landlords if they're not going to be able to make a payment. some much needed financial help be coming to millions of americans, maybe you. this afternoon president trump signed an unprecedent $2.2 trillion economic rescue package into law. it reached the president's desk after it overwhelmingly passed the house. it will speed payments of $1,200 to most americans and increase jobless benefits to those out of work. it will also provide loans to businesses as well as grants and

tax breaks. for the first time gig workers will be eligible for unemployment under the stimulus bill. >> let's bring in 7 on your side michael finney with a lot of information on this. michael? >> you know, when a lot of people think about the gig economy, especially older people, they think in terms of maybe uber drivers, but the gig economy is much, much bigger than that. ♪ you're the one that i want aol ooh, ooh, ooh ♪ >> bev and pat work as performers arranging karaoke nights at a local bar to performing with roller-skating. the stay-at-home order cut them off from gigs. >> we're now missing our living money, right, our groceries, how we pay our rent, everything. >> reporter: travis is an audio engineer in a local theater. the shutdown left his economic footing on shaky ground.

>> essentially i'm still coasting on the money paid out to me from the last round of paychecks. after that, i'm not sure what i'm going to do. >> reporter: travis, patrick, and beth should all qualify for benefits as independent contractors or gig workers under the stimulus bill. >> we take a lot of gigs as stagehands living in san francisco, so i was happy to see unemployment benefits were extended. >> bev and th and patrick are r a baby. >> it's pretty scary wondering are we going to be able to pay our rent, how long is this going on for. >> that's rough. her spits have been lifted because so many friends have been dropping off toilet paper and food for her family. that brings us back to the abc newsro newsroom. everyone here, all of us have a

friend like that, you might want to buy them a gift certificate. we're going to talk more about that tonight at 6:00 right here on abc7 nevers. >> that's a wonderful idea. thank you. it's inevitable. in hard times some people would try to find an angle for financial gain. that's happening in some of the regions tonight. we have more from sonoma county. >> reporter: this is what a superficially perfect day looked like, a favorite vacation spot unseen by a dark cloud pandemic that could even reach this place. it's a rare day when tourism is not welcome along the russian river. because of coronavirus, hotels and rentals are considered nonessential but look at some trying to make a buck. >> take a look at these airbnb.

they're offering pandemic-ready and quarantined rentals despite restrictions. >> unfortunately they're not compliant with our order. >> reporter: that's linda hopkins via facetime. she's ready for enforcement. >> if we wind up here like we're seeing in new york city, our capacity will quickly become overwhelming and some who don't need to die will die. >> some are saying that're available for essential workers. others took the high road, they took their properties off the market completely. >> i mean i think it feels like the socially responsible thing to do. >> reporter: the marketing is particularly ericsome to jeff. he spent more than a million dollars bringing back his hotel after last year's floods. he remains closed while others

still advertise. >> i heard that and i think it's irreprehensible. >> reporter: in sonoma county, wayne freedman, abc7 news. the coronavirus is having an enormous impact on family life. we put a spotlight on the impact it's having. >> is it okay if my baby's in the shot? >> reporter: we set up a virtual town hall with eight mothers and moms-to-be. >> folks are stressed to the max. >> reporter: as a mother of three and founder of mama's facebook group, with schools closed, she said what many parents are experiencing. >> i would cry on my way to work knowing what i was going home to. >> reporter: kathy is a nurse. she's 29 weeks' pregnant with her fifth child and just went on maternity leave. >> the stress of going in to

work with everything going on, it was an added layer of that. >> reporter: francine say doula. >> is the work that we do considered essential and is it safe for us to go work with our clients? >> reporter: maggie and janie are both due in the next week. >> i don't know what the next week will look like. daily i'm checking. is the hospital going to be overwhelmed? is my husband going to be allowed to attend the birth. >> reporter: an ob-gyn delivered three persons yesterday. she said a support person is essential. >> it's not only critical for the woman who desperately needs that support and it's a very special and intimate time for a couple, but it's critical for us as providers to have that additional support and interaction in the labor suite. >> reporter: dr. callen is on staff where one support person

is still allowed, but she said hospitals are still trying to establish protocol for babies born to a mother positive for covid-19. >> the problem with separating babies from their moms for 14 days is one approach. we're not doing that at cpnc. we want to work with people to -- at least i do to make sure we don't -- that the cure isn't worse than the disease. >> reporter: as a result of hospital restrictions, more families are considering home births. alice works for a birthing center in san francisco. >> we've seen a 25% increase of birth tub rentals since this all began. >> reporter: still so many unknowns. as it enters the world, more answers and solutions will be revealed. indicate larsen, abc7 news. life at the zoo, it's different now that there are no

visitors. >> how some animals are noticing the changes. plus next -- >> i left my entire life behind. >> a dream delayed, but maybe not a dream deferred. one man's lifel do you have concerns about mild memory loss related to aging? prevagen is the number one pharmacist-recommended memory support brand. you can find it in the vitamin aisle in stores everywhere. prevagen. healthier brain. better life.

the coronavirus pandemic is disrupting the dreams of athletes everywhere including hikers with plans to tackle one of the west's most challenging

trails. abc7 news reporter with a man whose trip is put on hold. >> reporter: it's been a goal for 25-year-old alex berger to walk its length from mexico to canada since high school. he was set to start the hike next month. however, the coronavirus has closed the trail. how crestfallen will you right now. >> it was devastating. >> reporter: berger started training a year ago. he had to assemble gear and supplies to sustain him for six months. he essentially gave up the life behind. he was in the hospitality industry. he got rid of his car. he broke his lease so he could focus on his goal. then a health emergency derailed everything. >> as of right now i'm cast out

into limbo. i'm maintaining my fitness trying to maintain a positive outlook and see what the future holds. >> reporter: while there's disappointment, he puts others health first. >> we typically would resupply by going into small town as i long the trail, buy food every four to six days, so i could be transmitting this disease to unwitting people all up and down the length of our country. >> reporter: besides testing his own perseverance and skills he was raising donations for a mental health organization. he's hoping ing to hike the tra later this year, although it appears he'll have to wait until next year. parks have been shut down. they've been largely

overcrowded. the city warns they could close more parks if people continue to ignore the order and avoid social distancing guidelines. the regional park district says due to overcrowding they've closed down castle park and several others. they've closed down parking lots at other parks. covid-19 shelter-in-place orders are taking a hit. no visitors means no revenue, but there's still lots of mouths to feed. we report from the oakland zool. >> reporter: that whistle means it's enrichment time otherwise known as feeding them sna sna s while they frolic in the pool. >> bears are so smart f we want to keep them active, get up in

the morning and give them something to do. >> reporter: he said it was easier before the oakland zoo had to close its doors and send 90% of its workers home because of the coronavirus shelter-in-place order. what's left is an >> we're going to be doing cutbacks and furloughs for the rest of the staff so we can get through the summer. >> reporter: the animals still have to eat and there still must be veterinarians on staff to care for them. it's hard to tell if many of the animals miss crowds of humans visiting daily. these gibbons are the exception. >> what do you do when there are no visitors? >> i think they're kind of bored. >> reporter: as are people stuck at home. that's why the zoo plans to unveil a website. lit feature skpibts.

for the remainder of spring, it's trying to stay afloat until they're allowed to reopen. zero revenue is a huge drop tochl find out how you can help, go to their website. be sure to check that out. friends of a ucsf doctor's wife kept asking how to donate masks to her huh. instead she took it to the city and organized a two-day drive. people could donate without getting out of their cars. >> i've gotten a lot of individual requests of my friends, hey, i want donate masks to your husband, how do i do that. >> i'm amazed at their courage into walking into those situations. >> the collection continues from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. tomorrow inside the bonaire center parking lot in green bay. all right. get your umbrellas out because it could be a rainy weekend.

>> spencer christian will be along with the forecast. that's next. i of metastatic breast cancer.e but i did pick clarity by knowing i have a treatment that goes right at it. discover piqray, a treatment that specifically targets pik3ca mutations in hr+, her2- mbc. piqray is taken with fulvestrant after progression on hormone therapy and helps people live longer without disease progression. do not take piqray if you've had severe allergic reactions to it or any of its ingredients. piqray can cause serious side effects, including severe allergic and skin reactions,

high blood sugar levels, and diarrhea, that are common and can be severe, and pneumonitis. tell your doctor right away if you have symptoms of severe allergic reactions or high blood sugar while taking piqray. your doctor will monitor your blood sugar before and during treatment, and more often if you have type 2 diabetes. before starting, tell your doctor if you have a history of diabetes, skin reactions, are or plan to become pregnant, or breastfeeding. common side effects include rash, nausea, tiredness, weakness, decreased appetite, mouth sores, vomiting, weight loss, hair loss, and changes in some blood tests. ask your doctor about piqray. all right. onto the weather forecast. it's going to be a little different than it was today. >> yeah. spencer, finding the perfect

time to go cycling. what do you think. >> i don't know about that. cycle with an umbrella. it's dry across the bay area. we've had bright skies across the day. in san francisco, 55 degrees. 60 in oakland and mid- to upper 50s right now. at redwood city, san jose, gilroy, and half moon bay. this is the view from the golden gate bridge look at blue sky up north and increasing clouds as well. temperature readings right now, mid-50s. napa, 61. 57 at concorde, 54 at livermore. on we go. we'll have a weekend storm. it will start with light showers. they'll become more widespread going into the daytime hours tomorrow. sunday will be a rainier day than saturday and a warmer pattern will be setting up for early next week. it's a storm of light intensity, but it will produce periods of

showers tomorrow and periods of rain, steadier rain and in some cases sunny and breezy at times. forecast shows increasing clouds and even the development of a few spotty showers mainly near the coastline before midnight, but after midnight this become as much more active is. it will be wetter in areas, going into the morning hours tomorrow. it would be a rainy day, but there will be a lot of wet spots and much rainier early sunday morning. even pockets of heavy downpours here and there and that will taper off sunday evening and the rein will move out of here, but we will be left with fairly oppressive rainfall totals. by sunday night look for rainfall totals ranging from a ten ofgt an inch in areas not so hard hit to a half inch or more in the wetter locations. and for overnight conditions, look for low temperatures in the 40s.

although, it will be a little bit chillier where the lows will drop into the upper 30s. then tomorrow as the showers continue to spread across the region, we'll see high temperatures ranging from mid-50s at the coast to upper 50s near the bay and inland. it's going to be rather day for this time of year. but it will be warmer. after we get through the wet weekend, look for mainly sunny skies next week. a nice warmup in the mid ol' testify week, tuesday, wednesday. mid-60s on the coast and temperatures will drop off just a couple of degrees, but it will remain mild and dry on thursday and friday. so very nice week ahead and some much needed rain over the weekend. >> very good. >> kristen. >> there's spring. that's next week. >> that will be a nice week. thank you. a personal trainer gets personal about the n

coming up tonight, we're going to give you a look at the pandemic response unit and the local firefighter stepping up in a big way.

also the iteam ran the numbers. it doesn't lookgood for california. and from seven on your side arc simple way you can help businesses and the left force gnat make it through this very tough time all comes up in a half hour on abc7 news at 6:00. finally tonight, a special look at the new normal of living with a shelter-in-place in the bay area. >> here's one person's personal sto story. n bba 220 has has has has time. i'm a personal trainer at barry's boot camp. i've been on instagram and facebook doing workouts not even to get paid but just to help people keep their sanity while at home, but at the end of each workout i do say f you can

donate, if you can't, it's fine. i'm still going to keep doing what i'm doing. the support from these people is -- it's -- it doesn't make sense, like it's these people are watching multiple instructors and potentially donating to instructors throughout the day, so the support from them is just unbelievable. it's hard to wrap my head around it. >> that's powerful. covid-19 diaries is an abc7's original limited series telling the personal stories as the bay area works together to cope with the virus. that's helpful stuff. >> we've all been so resilient, right? finding different ways to do what we have to do. >> it is inspiring. people are digging in. world news is next. we appreciate your time. my name is dan ashley. >> and i'm kristen sze.

for michael finney, spencer and the rest, we'll see you. >> bye for now.

tonight, with the u.s. now leading the world and the highest number of people testing positive for coronavirus, surpassing italy and china, the president issuing a order compelling gm to make ventilators. part of the defense production act after the president took aim at gm tonight, trying to force them to act. the new statement from them at this hour, as doctors and nurses sound the alarm that they do not have enough ventilators and masks. and the alarming images inside an e.r. overflowing with patients in new york city. new york's governor now warning the number of cases doubling every four days and that we are still three weeks from the peak here. with other cities now seeing a