a stark warning tonight from santa clara county's top health official. her prediction for how long the social distancing will last and what it could mean for school this fall. >> finding more beds in san francisco. the city says icu inventory is up. abc 7 news goes to a new covid-19 hospital unit. a bounty on used ventilators. the south bay puts out a plea the same day the governor says the state has enough of them. also ahead don't ride a crowded bus. a new push in san francisco as massive cutbacks get under way. bart is also cutting back. bay area janitors are deemed essential workers so why are they protesting about not getting their fair share? how this coronavirus is similar to the polio epidemic and why that matters.

heodel mainturnt has and us the time well within the next few weeks to have enough ventilators we believe to meet the needs of 40 million californians. >> in fact, governor newsom is so confident of the state's ability to meet the demand he is now sending 500 ventilators to the national stockpile. they can quickly be redirected to hard hit areas like new york. governor newsom says the state will get the ventilators back if the need arises here. good evening. >> thanks for joining us tonight. >> while the governor is loaning out ventilators to the federal government, santa clara county is looking for some. local officials held a news conference today issuing a bounty for a thousand ventilators, new, used, or broken. >> we'll be giving a thousand dollars per ventilator but we're also really excited to take

donations. i mean, so if you can donate it, it would be great. >> santa clara county is the hardest hit county in the bay area with more than 1200 cases and 39 deaths. right now the county has some 650 ventilators, about 217 of them being used. >> santa clara county's public health director was the first to sound the alarm about the coronavirus. she is seen by some as the dr. fauci of the bay area. today i talked to her about the growing pandemic and how her early action may have slowed the spread on covid-19 in the bay area. take a listen. >> the coronavirus came to the bay area in late january at a press conference on the 31st and the doctor made the grim announcement a man who spent time in wuhan, china had returned to san jose with the virus. >> we are making sure anyone he did come into contact with is being monitored for symptoms. and staying at home away from others. >> reporter: at that point did you expect we would be where we are today with more than 1200 cases in your county? did you expect more?

less? >> what i can tell you is that in january, you know, late january and early february, the experience we were having was, like, being in a dark theater. and so we just had one little sign. you know, one traveler and then two travelers returned with this infection. but we didn't have the tools in place to allow us to understand whether there was spread in the community and if so to what degree. that has become clearer and clearer with every passing day. but to be honest it is still not completely clear. >> across the country and the globe the number of reported coronavirus cases has continued to climb. there are now over 350,000 cases in the united states alone. on march 16th the doctor led the charge to order people to stay home and slow the spread of the virus locally across six counties. >> these orders were crafted with great thought and with great care. they're also crafted very, very quickly. >> the state of california

followed with its own order three days later but experts still expect a surge in new cases here. we're now entering our fourth week sheltering in place in the bay area. why is a surge still expected to come if we've been sheltering in place for this long now? >> we have to remember that everyone in our community is likely susceptible. if exposed to the virus would become infected. and so when we have conditions like this, we expect a surge. what our shelter in place order does, though, is slow things down so that we spread the cases out over a longer period of time and we spread the number of people who are severely ill and require hospitalization out over a longer period of time as well. >> the bay area's early adoption of shelter in place rules have since led to a slowing in infections, a possible bending of the curve we keep hearing about. just over 3700 cases have been reported in the bay area.

new york city waited six days to take the same measures. today they have more than 65,000 cases. >> we're not out of the woods. i am cautiously optimistic that we've put our hospitals and health care partners in a better position to manage the infections that we expect will continue to be coming. >> but the doctor says the coronavirus is here and it will be part of daily life for the foreseeable future. >> i just have to keep reminding myself this is a marathn. we have to keep ourselves nourished somehow. we have to keep our energy good because we'll be at this for a very, very long time. >> good conversation. it's a marathon, right? a rather noisy protest today in san francisco as janitors marched over some recent lay-offs. abc 7 news was there as cars

went by and honked in support of the group. they say more than 150 of them were let go last week by boston properties, which runs the embarcadero center. the union which represents them has filed a grievance against the cleaning contractor able building maintenance and claims able failed to negotiate the cutbacks. we have not heard back from able or from boston properties. we'll continue to try. muni is suspending service on most lines. the main reason? simply not enough drivers. >> these drivers work really hard for us. they are people who are out there every single day. they are essential workers to our work force. people who do not need to use muni, please don't. >> under the cuts just 17, just 17 of muni's 68 routes will b in operation. here they are. muni will begin phasing in the changes tomorrow. muni officials say 40% of their drivers were not expected to report for shifts today.

riders, though, are being caught right in the middle. >> i was going to catch the 39 up to fillmore where i work. and there was no bus there. so i had to literally walk from market street over here to gary. >> today it's like a half bar in between. buses and they're all crowded. i had to get off two buses. this is the third bus i'm trying to get to work on. >> these cuts come after muni eliminated subway and lightrail operations last week replacing the lines with buses. the system is also facing massive deficits because of a huge drop in ridership and revenue from the city. bart has announced it will only run trains every 30 minutes monday through friday. the transit agency says it is reducing service because of the historically low ridership which is now at 7% of normal. weekend service remains unchanged. the move will potentially save bart $3.7 million per month. bart crews will work on other projects.

as san francisco prepares for a surge of coronavirus patients questions tonight about whether hospitals have enough beds, supplies, and personnel. >> reporter: it is a much welcome sight. a new floor at st. francis memorial hospital with the first 10 of 40 beds dedicated to the coronavirus response. >> we would be able to share and pull our supplies as needed if we did indeed need all 40 beds. >> according to health officials in san francisco the number of medical surgical beds has increased from 1,055 to now 1,600. the greatest increase has been in the number of intensive care unit beds. >> san francisco hospitals have managed to increase the city's intensive care unit beds from 277 to 530. a 91% increase. >> more beds became available after the department of public health ordered that all routine

medical appointments and elective surgeries be postponed. in addition to st. francis making more beds available ucf health will add more than 50 at its mount zion campus by may 1st to help meet the anticipated demand. also, sutter california pacific medical center on buchanan which has been closed will reopen, giving the city an additional 290 beds. the site will need some maynino improvements before it is operational but we anticipate opening it within the next ten days. >> the key health officials say is not everyone gets sick at the same time. that is why the stay at home order is so important to keep this virus in check. in san francisco, abc 7 news. think about this. six days from now will mark the 65th year since dr. jonas salk developed the polio vaccine. it's poignant considering what

we are dealing with now. we have more on what we can learn more from then. >> reporter: if we're going to talk about history best to begin in the present and what strange times these are. it used to be we looked at masked men suspiciously. now with the threat of covid-19, it's the other way around. if it feels as if we've entered unfamiliar territory it is only unfamiliar to us in this generation. small pox alone killed 500 million people before it was eradicated in the first half of the 20th century the biggest killer infectious diseases. there was nothing we could do about them. >> we've been really fortunate to live in a time relatively free of the scariest pandemic diseases of human history. >> professor conas from uc berkeley is a medical historian. if the world seems scary now look back she says at polio. >> movie theaters closed. church services canceled. festivals canceled. kids kept home from school. swimming pools closed.

it shut down american towns. >> reporter: this footage comes from a documentary called "the shot that saved the world" about dr. jonas salk and the fight for a vaccine. >> what people have to realize is that polio last century was the most feared disease in america. >> reporter: cases. where we're worried about enough ventilators now we faced a shortage of iron lung machines back then. polio paralyzed people mostly children. the mechanical lung would breathe for them. then as now parents and relatives could not visit the wards for fear of spread. >> in both cases you are dealing with an unseen enemy that comes like a horror film and you don't know who it'll attack next. >> but there were differences. americans had more faith back then. they believed in doctors, in the march of dimes, in government. now we have so many pointed fingers. >> today feels like a red blue strategy with everyone doubting each other. back then we had this collective spirit that if we pulled

together we all could win and we could all defeat the common enemy. >> after the polio vaccine, americans enjoyed an extended period free of fears pretty much until aids came along. we have just left a golden age. >> so that moment in which we really had excellent control over infectious diseases was fairly short lived. >> here we are again doing what we've done since bubonic plague. we are taking refuge. it's in our nature. this generation just didn't know that until it had to. in berkeley, abc 7 news. >> fascinating stuff. the acting navy secretary blasted captain brett closure today calling him stupid during an address to the crew of the u.s.s. roosevelt. cruiser was fired last week and over the weekend tested positive for coronavirus. the firing came after he criticized the navy's response sickened at least 155 sailors on the roosevelt. his memo expressing concern was leaked to the san francisco

chronicle and on thursday he was ousted and led off the ship in guam. that's where acting secretary thomas modly made the comments today. >> if you didn't think that information was going to get out into the public, and this information age that we live in, then he was a, too naive or too stupid to be the kmapd commanding officer of a ship like this. the alternate is that he did it on purpose. >> he also responded to joe biden's comment that the firing was criminal by saying, quote, i assure you it was not. a lot more to come. driving less and doing something about it. the insurance company returning $600 million as part of a shelter in place payback program. >> plus pitching in. high school students spearhead a drive to print much needed ♪ oh, oh, oh, ozempic®! ♪ (announcer) once-weekly ozempic® is helping many people with type 2 diabetes like james lower their blood sugar. a majority of adults who took ozempic® reached an a1c under 7 and maintained it. here's your a1c. oh!

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problem. your license can be suspended if you are convicted of the violation. >> you just heard the highway patrol say it. people are speeding along the bay area's empty freeways. the chp's golden gate division tweeted this picture showing some of the tickets the drivers have been issued. 100 miles an hour? officers claim some drivers exceeded a hundred. even faster than that. their message is simple. please obey all the traffic laws. let's not cause more problems. >> a lot going on in the consumer world, too, today. money back from insurance companies and airlines. >> 7 on your side's michael finney is here with those stories. michael? >> reporter: hey, dan. think of the first one as a coronavirus rebate. we're driving a whole lot less so insurance companies are paying less for accidents so now they're going to cut back and you'll get part of the deal. consumer advocates called on auto insurance companies to give money back, saying taking the money from policy holders amounted to a windfall profit.

after two weeks of the sound of cricket two companies have stepped forward. allstate and american family. allstate is rebating $600 million. most customers will receive a 15% rebate for the months of april and may. this puts pressure on all other insurance companies to do the same. airlines will be returning money, too. consumers have been complaining that airlines were refusing to refund air fares to passengers whose flights had been canceled because of the pandemic. the airlines often insisted on issuing credits rather than cash when flights were canceled because of the pandemic. they said shall we didn't cancel them. the disease did. now the u.s. transportation department has ordered airlines to refund money when a flight is canceled. now bad news. the coronavirus could cause health premiums to shoot up, health insurance premiums i should say, could shoot up over the next year.

it is said premiums to rise as much as 40%. covered california says this is a lot more fall out from the nationwide pandemic that no one saw coming. we're going to hear a lot more about the cost of health care as we go on. i think 40% may actually be a low number. i'm keeping close track of this. i'll report back when we get more information. >> we know you will. thank you. great stuff. volunteers from across the bay area are doing what they can to help health care workers combat the coronavirus pandemic. abc 7 news community journalist dustin dorsey introduces us to a team of teenagers using technology to create life saving equipment in the south bay. >> there is a dangerous shortage of ppe or personal protective equipment for doctors and nurses during the covid-19 crisis but a group of high school students in palo alto are doing their part to help the cause. >> i first saw the request for face shields on facebook so we started making our own. >> after all her senior year activities were canceled and

school moved online thisgun high school student knew she had time to give back. you and your fellow students began 3d printing parts of face shields. >> there is also a clear mask like part over it. that printer is printing the reinforcement at the bottom that keeps the mask curved. >> reporter: she works alongside other students at makex where the 3d printers can be used for any number of needs and now the need is for public health. >> we're printing four at once. that really upped our productivity. we can only come in once a day. >> reporter: the process produces eight shields per day and has created 50 to date. with a larger group of 300 volunteers in the south bay creating and donating these parts. the products are quality checked and distributed to local hospitals. the group hopes to complete 200,000 face shields to help people on the front lines during the global pandemic. >> i feel really lucky to have this technology in the first place and to be using it for good. this is just like a really cool

way to help people out. using the advanced technology we have in the silicon valley. >> in palo alto, abc 7 news. >> isn't that great? good job. we could see some rain, lightning, even hail for the next several

when will we get our spring back is what everyone wants to know. >> right. not normal. just nice, good weather. >> yeah, i know. it's really been pouring outside across parts of the bay area. we even have some thunderstorms. we'll get our spring warmth back but that is later on this week. let's look at live doppler 7 right now. we have thunderstorms in the north bay just fired up as you can see right around sonoma county. as we track this for you you will notice where the storms are heading. novato at 5:33. watch out. definitely the possibility of some hail with those thunderstorms. in the east bay and in the north bay we are seeing moderate pockets of rain, street level

radar right now around larkspur into berkeley, 580, obviously coming down. we are seeing wet weather coming. skyway. crocket area. also heavier rain. it is turning to snow over mount hamilton. our higher peaks definitely getting the winter weather. over the last lommond. 5 inches of rain. hayward 1.7. kent field about 0.5 in san francisco. as we check out the temperatures anywhere from the 40s to the low 60s well to our north it's the 1 on our impact scale. showers with the brief downpours. thunder. hail chance. our highest peaks will continue to see snow. low pressure continues to spin and so we're seeing the moisture rotating up. it is certainly dumping some snow in the sierra. up to 3 feet has fallen over some of the higher peaks. a lovely view from tahoe tonight.

we're heading in the right direction. showers tonight a chance of thunder. morning fog giving way to a slight possibility of a few drops. then the warming trend coming your way late in the week. 6:00 tonight definitely some wet weather. if you have to run out to the groceries take your umbrella with you. 7:00 p.m. still looking at showers. 9:00 p.m. they're beginning to waned down but not done. until tomorrow. that is when we'll see the fog at 5:00 a.m. and then winding down but occasional showers not out of the question here. it is going to be dry otherwise. chilly with the fog around for the afternoon. a little milder. looking at low to mid 60s with an isolated shower or two. beach hazard statement tomorrow morning through wednesday morning. there is a higher risk of rip currents and sneaker waves so be careful. the accu weather seven-day forecast isolated drops tomorrow. after that dry, milder weather. look at this. you're asking for spring. low to mid 70s. friday through monday. including easter. low 60s at the coast. if you're doing back yard easter egg hunts for your kids

definitely going to be dry for those egg hunts. >> now we're in business. >> yeah. that is really good especially this holiday week. >> thank you. all right. still ahead from the pantry. just like covered california teammateshelps you finder find a way to win, health insurance you can afford. they're the only place you can get financial assistance to help pay for health coverage. plus, this year, the state is providing more help than ever before. and because a new law requires californians to have health coverage or pay a penalty,

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coming up on abc 7 news at 6:00 sadly a coronavirus outbreak at an east bay nursing home has turned deadly. the i-team finds this may be exposing serious problems at the facility. the rules of social distancing are part of a public health order. new at 6:00 see who is making sure people take it seriously all coming up in half an hour on abc 7 at 6:00. finally tonight, project thanks. the small acts of kindness we're seeing around the bay area. >> a restaurant in san francisco is doing its part to help its neighbors especially seniors who can't go to the grocery store. >> the art bistro in the outer richmond district sat at a table with a few unsold food items and supplies. since then the kindness snowballed to all of this. >> fabulous. you can see two tables full of food not only from art bistro but also donated from neighbors. people pitching in in so many ways. >> amazing. >> "world news tonight" with david muir is next. we appreciate your time as always.

>> for all of us here at abc 7 thanks for inviting us into your home. >> we will see you again in half an hour at 6:00. bye for now. i do motivational speakingld. in addition to the substitute teaching. i honestly feel that that's my calling-- to give back to younger people. i think most adults will start realizing that they don't recall things as quickly as they used to or they don't remember things as vividly as they once did. i've been taking prevagen for about three years now. people say to me periodically, "man, you've got a memory like an elephant."

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tonight, the death toll in the u.s. surpasses 10,000. president trump just moments ago responding. and the breaking headline. british prime minister boris johnson moved to intensive care. here in the u.s., the death toll mounting. more than 1,000 dying in just 24 hours. tonight, governor andrew cuomo on the numbers, and what they could now be showing. we're on the front lines inside one new york city hospital. at the javits convention center, where teams of doctors are taking in coronavirus patients. and the governor who said today he asked the president if the navy ship comfort could now take patients with the virus. the president just addressing this and we'll have it. all of this after the surgeon general warned that in this country, the next two weeks will be the hardest yet. that this is going to be our

pearl harbor, our 9/11 moment.