>> recommended face coverings in the past, and now as of midnight tonight, it will be a requirement. >> city of san francisco joins other bay area communities like alameda, sonoma, contra costa, and marin counties now requiring people to wear masks outside of their homes. good afternoon. thanks for joining us. i'm larry beil working from home. >> and i'm dion lim. we'll have much more on the new mask requirements in just a few minutes, but we begin now with the plan to start reopening the state. and today governor newsom announced his advisory council will get things started. >> we have an advisory committee that represents the diversity of our state. >> we will develop a plan that works for all californians, with a particular focus on those hardest hit by the pandemic. >> but we also know that we need to be smart about how we reopen our businesses so that everyone can feel safe. >> abc7 news reporter lauren

martinez joining us live now in the newsroom with the details behind today's announcement. lauren? >> the governor said we're at a point where we can begin a very thoughtful phased in approach to reopening the state of california, and ultimately, reopening our state economy. >> we're at a point where we can start toggling back and begin a very thoughtful phased in approach to reopening the state of california. >> no dates will be attached to the announcement of reopening california. but at today's news conference, governor newsom did announce a new advisory committee of 80 leaders who will work on a strategy to get californians back to work. it's co-chaired by bay area philanthropist and former democratic presidential candidate tom steyer. >> we will try to come up with a recovery plan that is worthy of california's past and pushes us to a better future and remedies some of the injustices that the covid-19 pandemic have revealed

in our society. >> steyer is the governor's chief of staff. other members include apple ceo tim cook, disney chair bob iger, and former federal reserve chair janet yellen. the advisory group will also include all four former living governors of the state, pete wilson, gray davis, arnold schwarzenegger and jerry brown. disney is one of the largest employers in the state. >> almost 100 years old. whether it's world wars or global economic crisis or terrorist attacks, what we do, what we do for people is always wanted and always enjoyed. and so we tend to have an ability to bounce back because we just -- we manufacture happiness in so many different ways. >> other states are beginning to reopen. some nonessential businesses in louisiana reopened today. in texas, the governor there wants to reopen on april 27th. governor newsom says the virus

knows no borders, and that california won't be rushed. >> we're not going to get ahead of ourselves. we're going to do this thoughtfulfully and judiciously. >> the group is called the governor's task force on business and jobs recovery. they will reach out to people across the state, including activists, labor groups, or philanthropists to develop a plan. back to you. >> yeah, lauren, did the governor mention a statewide mask mandate? >> he did say the task force is leaning in towards that direction, but he did not say that that was for sure. live in the newsroom, laura martinez, abc7 news. >> all right, lauren, thank you. well, the governor's comments come as several bay area counties announced requirements for residents to wear face covers when in public. now face covers will be required in contra costa, marin, alameda and sonoma counties and san

francisco. santa clara, san mateo, napa and solano counties are not requiring masks at this time. abc7 news reporter stephanie sierra is explaining the change in policy. >> as of midnight tonight, it will be a requirement. >> reporter: face masks no longer recommended but now required for anyone in san francisco to wear in public. >> any type of mask, face covering, a scarf, or something that will cover your nose and your mouth. >> mayor london breed makes clear it applies to anyone inside an essential business or walking outside. >> any time you're indoors or within close proximity of others within an essential business or at work. >> san francisco is the latest county to require face covers, following contra costa, sonoma, marin, and alameda county, where residents there are adjusting to the new normal. >> it's probably a good idea, i

guess. but i always felt if i stayed away from people, gave everyone distance, that we'd be fine. >> we need the law. most people don't wear them. yeah, you go to a store and there is a mixed bag. >> but city leaders stress the new order will not replace existing social distancing requirements. >> wearing a face covering is not a substitute for stay agent home, staying six feet apart and frequent hand washing. >> if you don't have a mask yet, dent worry. enforcement for the order won't start until next wednesday. >> if you are not a police officer, don't act like one. we're not expecting people to police one another. >> in san francisco, stephanie sierra, abc7 news. a new covid-19 drive-through testing site is now open in san francisco. it's located at seventh and brannon south of market and opened at noon today. it is important to note, though, you can't just show up. people who want the get tested

must be screened for symptoms before setting up an appointment. if you have symptoms and want to get screened, here is the email address. go on to project baseline.com/covid-19. now the story of survival in the midst of this pandemic. a bay area woman who is in her 80s beat the odds of the coronavirus, and those odds were really high considering the fact that she had some serious underlying medical issues. but now she is telling her story of hope to abc7 news reporter cornell bernard. >> hello. >> hey, doris, how you doing? >> i'm doing pretty good. >> doris block of san francisco will settle for pretty good considering the wild month she's had battling coronavirus. >> do you feel lucky to be here? >> you bet i do. very lucky. i feel like i dodged a bullet. >> that was doris being admitted to ucsf medical center on march 14th with a fever after falling outside her home. she got the diagnosis a day

later. >> then a doctor came in and said well, honey, i feel afraid. and he said well, you're in good hands. >> doris was the hospital's tenth patient with covid-19 and the 39th confirmed case in san francisco. she was kept in isolation and never went to the icu. even so, the odds were stacked against her. >> you have to understand that i'm an old lady with type 2 diabetes, lung cancer survivor, and asthma. and i survived. there is hope. >> it was really scary. >> daughter lisa felt helpless and feared the worst. >> the thing that i kept thinking about the most were the stories of all these parents and grandparents in italy that were dying alone because their families couldn't come visit them. >> but grim question from doris' son helped her turn the corner. >> are you dying, mom? and i said no, absolutely not. and i think that helped me gain strength.

>> doctors can't say why some patients don't survive the virus, but others like doris do. >> i've heard from many of my colleagues that they've been able to discharge and send home people who are older and had other medical conditions. and so it really plays to the fact that we're just learn mortgage day by day. >> doris knows all too well it's a time of great fear and sorrow. >> but this is also a time for us to find strength and to continue to use that strength to see another day. >> doris block turns 85 next month. cornell bernard, abc7 news. >> how inspiring is that? you talk about beating diabetes, lung cancer, asthma, and the coronavirus? doris! >> you know what we call that, larry, we've got to call that toughness. congratulations to her. >> yes. well, at least two major retailer, amazon and walmart have started doing employee temperature checks to prevent

the spread of coronavirus. governor newsom this week suggested restaurants may do it when they reopen to diner, but temperature checks aren't perfect. abc7 news reporter david louie joins us live from his home to explain why. hey there, david. >> hi, dion. as many of us know, fever is one of the symptoms of covid-19. but as much as temperature cecks might be a tool to screen out infected people, experts say there are just too many variables to be reliable as the sole test. 98.6 degrees as the normal body temperature dates back to research by a german doctor in 1851. however, there is evidence it's about 1 degree lower today. that's a factor that can't be overlooked with proposals to do temperature checks for employees and customers, says our special correspondent dr. alok patel. >> your temperature, my temperature can vary depending on medications we've taken, clothing, time of day. we know temperature can be based on age, demographic, even their

gender. >> even the type of thermometer used will produce different results. rectal thermometers are widely considered the most accurate but not practical for screenings. touchless devices measures skin temperature, not body temperature. skin temperature can be influenced by cosmetics or room temperature. 100.6 is the benchmark used to indicate a fever. however, dr. patel says an infected person could slip by. >> if you have back pain and you take ibuprofen or tylenol and you happen to have coronavirus, you very well could be dropping your fever and you could walk right past one of those temperature screenings. >> there are other factors a temperature check could miss. studies indicate typical covid-19 patients don't develop fever until day five. but it can range from day two to 14. a study in china suggests people are most infectious two to three days before getting a fever. the equal employment commission has issued guidance that temperature checks are allowed during the pandemic. however, a person denied access

could argue a case of discrimination according to employment law specialist michael warren at the mcmanus law firm in san jose. >> so it's really important that if a temperature screen process put in place, it be done in an unbiased nondiscriminatory neutral man earp. >> now dr. patel and other medical experts say temperature shifts are just one tool for screening. testing and questionnaires are important too, along with of course social distancing and hand washing. live working from home, david louie, abc7 news. area rapper e40 is making a plea to locals who plan to celebrate 2-20 on monday. his message is simple. stay home. >> this is the bay, we're bay area strong. stay in the house, man. we love 4-20. but let's not get out in crowds and do that. it got to be canceled this year.

>> san francisco mayor shared the video of e 40 on twitter. she announced the event is canceled and may be cited if they celebrate in public like years past. e40 called coronavirus the real deal and said sheltering at home is the only thing to do this year. dion? >> all right. taking it from e40. just ahead, crooks are on the lookout for you. the texts and emails you've got to avoid. plus, the outbreak immediately raised concerns it could hit san francisco's chinatown very hard. at 4:30, we'll hear from supervisor aaron peskin about how the neighborhood managed to get ahead of the curve. plus, grading on a curve. a proposal to give everyone at some bay area schools an a. some parents are upset. details coming up. i'm spencer christian. bay area temperatures continue to drop, and some raindrops are coming our way. i'll have the accuweather forecast in just a moment as abc7 new about making choices.

well i didn't choose metastatic breast cancer. not the exact type. not this specific mutation. but i did pick hope... ...and also clarity... ...by knowing i have a treatment that goes right at it. discover piqray, the first and only treatment that specifically targets pik3ca mutations in hr+, her2- mbc, which are common and linked to cancer growth. piqray is taken with fulvestrant after progression on hormone therapy and has been proven to help people with a pik3ca mutation live longer without disease progression. do not take piqray if you've had a severe allergic reaction to it or to 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 lung problems known as 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 you start and during treatment and may monitor more often if you have a history of type 2 diabetes. before starting, tell your doctor if you have a history of diabetes, skin reactions... ...are pregnant, breastfeeding, or plan to become pregnant. common side effects include rash, nausea, tiredness and weakness, decreased appetite, mouth sores, vomiting, weight loss, hair loss, and changes in certain blood tests. if you've progressed on hormone therapy, and have a pik3ca mutation... ...ask your doctor about piqray. eveso we can stillg a answer your calls. now. and we are monitoring our system 24/7 to ensure that we have a fast reliable network, keep the customers connected, and making sure people are staying safe. and we're still on the road. solving critical issues as they arise. ♪ go to xfinity.com/prepare. thank you.

boy, hard to believe we've been sheltering in place for over a month now. to help you keep track. today is friday, april 17th, day 32 of our shelter in place in the bay area. we all know coronavirus is gutting california's workforce. now we have numbers to prove it. the state unemployment rate jumped to 5.3% in march. that's up from 3.9% in february. the one-month increase is the largest on record going back to the mid 1970s. it ends the state's record of adding jobs for ten straight years. let's get to some consumer news. 7 on your side's michael finney joining us live from his home with today's headlines. hi, michael. >> hey, you guys. we're getting a better idea today just how aggressively scammers are becoming in using the coronavirus to try and steal your personal information and of course eventually your money. google says it has seen more than 18 million

coronavirus-related malware and phishing emails during the last week. and get this. that's in addition to the more than 240 million scam emails mentioning the virus being sent every day. the tech giant is warning users to be on alert. authorities in maine are sending out a warning about a text message scam that's trying to trick people into thinking they've been exposed to the virus. some in maine are receiving a text saying, quote, someone who came into contact with you tested positive or has shown symptoms of covid-19 and recommends yourself-i s you sel get a test. police are warning recipients do not click that link, saying it could be a phishing scheme. as more consumers turn to delivery apps to bring their necessities to them, instacart is launching a prescription delivery service in partnership with costco. the company piloted the program

last fall and is now expanding it to almost 200 costco locations, including some in california. with this new feature, costco club members will receive a text when their prescription is ready. it will contain a link where they can say yes, i want it delivered, and then they deliver it to your home. we're making great strides in staying at home and getting all the things we need here in a quick fashion. larry andy on, back to you. >> thank you, michael. well, three twins ice cream, a favorite in the north bay has closed its doors for good, and owners say coronavirus is to blame. the petaluma-based company announced the closure on social media earlier today. the statement says finances had been tough already, but the pandemic took things from bad to worse, and it was too much to overcome. three twins had been in business since 2005. at the end of this month, a san francisco school board will vote on a controversial plan that would give students in

grades six through 12 a's in all subjects. everybody gets an a. the proposal is controversial. parents have mixed feelings about this plan. abc reporter lyanne melendez reports on the implications of this proposal. >> the san francisco school board is known for coming up with some novel proposals. the latest one would give students in grades six through 12 all a's for this semester. board president mark sanchez says there is a legitimate reason. >> the reason a lot of us wanted to move in this direction is we want to acknowledge that all of our students are doing the very best in a really hard time. >> some of on the board also feel that not all students have the technology or internet connection to do virtual learning. so teachers should cut them some slack. but some parents believe it's not fair those those students who have worked so hard to earn an a, and yet it rewards kids who simply don't care. michelle parker has two children in san francisco schools. they have been doing distance

learning. she worries about the implications it will have on students applying to colleges. >> if they can't really tell how students in san francisco were evaluated because they all got the same mark, that could put our students at a disadvantage. >> the school board has been advised by the legal department that giving all a's is not currently an option offered by the california department of education. the board is more likely to end up voting to give a pass or no pass grade like other districts are doing. the akalanis union high school will give students credit or no credit grades. but even there some parents are now circulating this petition, asking the district that students also be given the option to get letter grades. san francisco is also considering that option. most parents in san francisco say the board should give itself an a for trying to come up with an equitable solution.

in san francisco, lyanne melendez, abc7 news. san jose state university welcoming its new students in a brand-new way. they're launching a virtual open house that kicks off tomorrow. the vice president of student affairs released this video inviting everybody who has been admitted for the upcoming fall semester the week-long online open house will feature a different video every day. all right. >> the best we can do right now. shifting to the weather now. larry, i don't know if you've seen this on your social media, but my friends have been posting pictures from outside on tuesday and wednesday, comparing it to today and yesterday. and boy, what a difference a couple of days makes. >> yeah. >> well, welcome to by area weather, right? things change rather rapidly. we had much warmer weather, as you know earlier in the week. but right now temperatures are dropping. here's a look at what's going on across the bay area at the

moment. 24-hour temperature change shows most locations much cooler than they were yesterday. especially in the east bay and up in the north bay. let's move along and give you a view of the san francisco skyline, as we take a look at current temperature ratings. it is 57 in san francisco. 62 at oakland and redwood city. san jose 66. 57 in gilroy. 55 at half moon bay. and looking northward from the golden gate bridge, a look at some other temperature readings right now. 59 in santa rosa. low 60s at plume marks napa, fairfield, concord and livermore. and we still have a beach hazard statement in effect until 11:00 tonight. wave heights are elevated. the surf is rough. you shouldn't be going to the beaches right now anyhow, but still this reminder there is the increased danger of sneaker waves and strong rip currents. bear in mind. overnight we'll see an increase in clouds, and this chance of spotty drizzle near the coastline. overnight lows will be mainly in the upper 40s to low 50s. it will be relatively mild overnight. here is our forecast animation starting 5:00 tomorrow morning.

little patches of green near the coastline. there will be isolated showers that may dot the coastline. as we get later into the day, skies will become sunnier and the risk of any showers will end. and then clouds will surge back across the bay overnight tomorrow night into sunday. high temperatures in the sunnier afternoon tomorrow will range from upper 50s at the coast to where it will be a bit breezy to mainly mid-60s right around the bay shoreline to upper 60s in our inland communities. and now we bring in the abc7 news storm impact scale. we do have this light system approaching, which ranks one on the storm impact scale. it's expected to produce light rain or showers, beginning early monday morning. and current models indicate that it may be a little bit weaker than we had initially thought. but we still could see up to a quarter inch of rain in some spot, although a few hundreds of an inch would be more likely. zooming our forecast animation. at 11:00 sunday night, notice that's about the time the first batch of light showers will start to move onshore.

5:00 monday morning, as some are commuting, there may be some wet spots on the roadways. and it looks by midday or certainly into the mid afternoon, we'll see the showers tampering off and giving way to at least some partial clearing. so once again, this is a weak system. but it's likely to produce some light rain or showers during the day on monday. here is a look at the accuweather seven-day forecast. tomorrow and sunday will be very similar, except a little brighter in the afternoon. tomorrow a little cloudier on sunday. high temperatures both days will range from upper 50s at the coast to mid-60s around the bay to near 70 inland. and it cools down a bit on monday with the showers arriving. but look at how the temperatures bounce back up tuesday. and in the middle of next week, highs up to the mid-70s inland on tuesday. upper 70s by wednesday. and we may see 80 degrees or higher inland on thursday and friday with mid-70s around the bay shoreline and mid 60s on the coast. so a nice warming trend will build next week. but this weekend will not exactly be warm. so just bear in mind.

larry and dion? >> thank you, spencer. 70, partly sunny, that's fine. we'll take that that's pretty nice. yeah. well, just ahead from new york to california, two states with two very different outcomes. so what made the difference? plus giving thanks through art. the artists bringing a lit and change the world. here at abbvie, we're inventing medicines of the future to create tomorrows that will be healthier... ...and happier, while making medicines that help people right now. because that's the present we wanted to live in. and that's the future we all want to see.

abbvie. here. now. that could mean an increase byin energy bills.. abbvie. you can save by setting your heat to 68 or lower... unplugging and turning off devices when not in use... or just letting the sun light your home. stay well and keep it golden.

first responders expressed their support to those on the front line. sky 7 flew over good samaritan hospital in san jose this morning where police officers and firefighters gave doctors, nurses and staffers a much deserved round of applause. similar displays of gratitude taking part all around the country. you might recall five good samaritan workers were sent home in january after being exposed to the virus by a local man who sought treatment there. all the workers were cleared. >> better together. well, the croce has affected

many industries across the country, including the art community, but that isn't stopping artists in san francisco from creating works of art on boarded storefronts. as part of abc7's better bay area project thanks, artists are bringing life back into our streets. >> when you walk down the streets of san francisco, you can't help but noticed the boarded storefronts as nonessential businesses remain closed. local artists are bringing life and beauty to our streets, sending messages of love to people in their community. within the last few day, artist doozer has painted three murals filled with hearts. >> right now it's so important that people feel love and know there is love in the communities and it doesn't look like armageddon has happened. it provides some sort of comfort for people. >> our agency building 180, a nonprofit art for civil discourse are teaming up in an effort called paint the void. it brings murals to shuttered

businesses while funding artists who have been affected by covid-19. meredith winter is making connections between businesses and artists. >> we just thought that beautifying the streets with murals would be a good place for people who are still working on the front lines and getting out there every day. we wanted to bring hope to the community and inspire people. >> amos goldbond plans to use the canvas as a homage to the influenza epidemic that happened a century ago. >> they think one is showing us that history repeats itself, and this may seem crazy and unprecedented and in many ways it is, but there are lessons we can learn from the past and maybe that will be of some comfort to us. >> paint the void has received an outpouring of support from the local community and artists. once the shelter in place is lifted, many artists plan to auction their murals and donate to those in need. >> it's amazing to see how people have come together. when we get out of this, there will be a lot of great art to look at. >> in san francisco, melissa

pixcar, abc7 news. >> brings a smile to your face. we invite you to join better bay area project thanks and share your gratitude for everyone on the front lines of the covid-19 battle. you can use the #betterbayarea to show us how you're saying thank you, and we'll share the thwhich, if i'm not mistaken, papadia. is latin for "better than a sandwich." heh-even has a better pickle... get a new papadia for six bucks. better ingredients. better pizza. better than a sandwich. papa john's.

for people with heart failure taking entresto, it may lead to a world of possibilities. entresto helps improve your heart's ability to pump blood to the body. 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.

now, your health, your safety. this is abc7 news. >> checking headlines. several bay area counties have announced a requirement for residents to wear face covers when they're out in public. face coverings will be required in contra costa, marin, alameda and sonoma counties as well as san francisco. two people who helped hand out foods to oakland's school children have tested positive for coronavirus. the district says both workers were asymptomatic at the time, and their work sites have been cleaned. and the cal state system is doing away with s.a.t. and a.c.

requirements for the 2021-2022 years. two states, two very different outcomes. why did california have fewer cases of the novel coronavirus than new york? and that's what we wanted to know. so we put the states side b stss side for comparison. and what we found is california's quick action made all the difference. california saw its first coronavirus case on january 26th in southern california. new york saw their first on march 1st. but the empire state saw nearly ten times as many cases of the coronavirus. why? an interactive timeline now available at abc7news.com lays out day by day the difference in how two of the country's largest states handled the outbreak of the coronavirus differently. >> we need to take an official action. >> while san francisco and other counties were declaring states of emergency, days later new york governor andrew cuomo told

cnn there is no reason for concern. both leaders setting the stage for the pandemic that would sweep across the country. you can now follow along day by day as each state waged a war against covid-19. we've included videos of news coverage from the day. >> i want to remind everybody that state continues to take advantage of every hour of every day. >> watched as the number of reported cases grew, and tracked what city and state leaders were saying as the pandemic unfolded. >> we are now the epicenter of this crisis. >> the pandemic is not over, but as california and the nation are reopening after months of sheltering in place, it is clear the golden state's quick and sweeping actions saved thousands of lives while new york struggled to rein in the spread of the coronavirus. >> well, san francisco's chinatown is one of the most densely populated neighborhoods in the city, and made up of many seniors, yet swift action has resulted in the neighborhood being ahead of the curve in coronavirus cases.

so joining me live today via zoom is supervisor aaron peskin, who worked closely in making this happen. aaron, many thanks for you being here with us live. >> thanks for having me. >> all right. first off, how did the foresight of the chief executive of san francisco's chinese hospital help in handling coronavirus in chinatown? because it was recognized quite early here. >> so number one, nobody should be patting themselves on the back at this time. it is way too early to say that we're winning this battle, but the chinese american community of san francisco, particularly in chinatown was way ahead of this curve for many, many reasons, and the chinese hospital, the chinese company, many of the institutions that have been part of the 150-year history of chinatown have been way ahead of this curve and have

flattened that curve in chinatown so far, knock on wood. >> yeah. i think it's important for you to say that we are not out of the woods yet, because there has been so much talk of a peak, and people sometimes get that false sense of security. moving on to the demographic makeup of the neighborhood and the conditions they live in, social distancing seems especially challenging. we also have perhaps a language barrier to contend with. elaborate a little bit more on that. >> so move the people who live in chinatown, and not only in chinatown, in the tenderloin, in the mission, in parts of north beach live in settings. and we have been doing as a city everything that we can to have increased cleaning supplies and janitorial services in those

situations. and where there are cases or presumptive cases to get people out of those environments, it's not going as smoothly as we would like, but we've never been to this rodeo before. and i'm working with the mayor and my colleagues to speed it up. >> and something else that goes along with the demographic breakdown. i've reported on various issues in chinatown and the language barrier sometimes is a challenge. how did the importance of staying safe get conveyed to the public? >> so i really have to say the institutions in chinatown, many of which have existed for over one hundred years. the chinese consolidated benevolent association, the chinese chamber of commerce, the chinese hospital, all of these organizations existed before the year 1900, put the word out very early. i was honored to be with them in early february, and

interestingly enough, chinatown has defied gravity. and as "new york times" said this morning, actually in so far as they actually are in a transmissive environment, are defying the curve. >> and part of that defying the curve not only because of social distancing, but the use of masks. we heard from mayor breed earlier on today in her press briefing about the requirement to wear masks. talk about the importance of that and also what you have seen in this community. because i know this from firsthand experience that in asian cultures, it's socially acceptable to be wearing a mask on a regular basis. >> so starting in early february, the middle of february, and i live in north beach on the edge of chinatown, when i cross broadway to the south, everybody was wearing a mask. when i crossed broadway to the north, more caucasian community,

nobody was wearing a mask. chinatown was ahead of the curve. and you're absolutely right. that was socially acceptable in the asian american community, and it's now become acceptable everywhere. and chinatown and the chinese american community not only because of that, but also because they were very acutely aware of their relations with china and wuhan in particular, where we had a daily flight from wuhan, they got it. they got it early, and they have taken all the steps long before all the rest of us did. >> and that has helped so much. supervisor aaron peskin, always a pleasure. thank you for being with us. >> and i just want to say, god bless the chinese hospital. they've been fantastic. >> yeah, they played a vital role. aaron, thanks. larry, back to you. >> all right, dion. oakland mayor libby schaaf says her city will establish a

task force to investigate possible racial disparities in coronavirus cases. schaaf spoke about the subject today on midday live. she said the task force will collect data to see if there have been disproportionate numbers of people of color in oakland being infected and dying from this virus like there has been in other cities. >> health disparities by race are not new. the fact that it's getting attention during the covid-19 crisis is in some ways hopeful because this has been a persistent inequity forever. >> new data released by the state after we do that interview with the mayor shows that african americans in california represent a disproportionately higher percentage of deaths compared to the overall population while latinos are a disproportionately lower percentage of deaths compared to the population at large. well, closing in on a winner in "american idol." and a bay area native is now in

the top 20. we'll catch up with francisco martin. plus, hitting the surf plus, hitting the surf without any water. wow! i'm original. one of a kind. you feel me? love ya'. oop! you look cute. better than you! wherever drama pops off pop my 100% all-white-meat classic or spicy popcorn chicken combo for just $5.99. in this time of crisis we run with them, toward those in need. we are 7,000 doctors, nurses, pharmacists and therapists

supporting their efforts on the ground and virtually. and just as we are by their side, we're by yours, too. with answers to your most pressing questions and expert advice at cigna.com/covid19 eveso we can stillg a answer your calls. now. and expert advice and we are monitoring our system 24/7 to ensure that we have a fast reliable network, keep the customers connected, and making sure people are staying safe. and we're still on the road. solving critical issues as they arise. ♪ go to xfinity.com/prepare. thank you. is so irresistible, you'll wanna eat them anywhere, so don't resist! pop 'em outside, or on the go, or on the way home! pop my 100% all-white-meat

classic or spicy popcorn chicken combo for just $5.99. all right. time now for the four@4. as more time goes by, fewer americans believe a return to normalcy will come by the start of june. so take a look at these statistics from the latest abc news poll. 31% of people believe things will go back to normal by june 1. a majority of people believe it will happen by the end of the summer. the poll also found that more people are wearing face masks when leaving the house. so i want to open up the panel and ask if we have any predictions on when we'll reopen and if we're going to see more people wearing masks. let's start off with dan ashley. >> hey, dion, everybody. i think we'll see a lot more people wearing masks. it's being required by more and more counties and cities. but i think people are becoming acclimated to that idea and

recognizing that it might be helpful. as far as getting back to normal, hard to predict, but it's going to be a while. even the plans of the state of california and the president have outlined all these different phases, if you look at them closely, they are weeks and weeks and weeks of different thresholds to meet before we can begin to reopen in any real full way. >> and dan, something we should mention is that a lot of government officials are warning let's not get ahead of ourselves. let's take this one step at a time and maybe not make these predictions that don't necessarily always back up science. >> yeah, agreed. >> governor newsom is launching a new task force to help get the state's economy back on track. he's tapped 80 business leaders. to focus on building businesses and recovering jobs. the council includes all four of california's living governors, along with names like apple's tim cook, disney chairman bob iger and former democratic presidential candidate tom steyer. the governor says the task force will be divided into groups focusing on hospitality, retail, and entertainment. the goal is to plan steps for

rebuilding that can happen right now, not months down the line. so we asked the question, what are you most looking forward to when things start reopening. i for one, as much as i enjoy watching team handball, a sport i did not know existed until about 48 hours ago on an obscure channel, i'd love to see the nba play-offs. how about you, spencer? >> well, i'm a lot like you, larry, i do miss sports a lot. i miss simple things like going to the cafe to pick up my favorite cappuccino or going to the movies, walking through any department store. but i think the number one thing i miss is going out to eat. i love going out to have dinner at a restaurant. >> dan, you too? >> all of the above. i love going to a movie. i also look forward to just being able to walk around and seeing my colleagues in the newsroom or out on the street and not have to feel that we have to stretch away from one

another and act like we're all radioactive. i look forward to getting more comfortable with one another again. >> yeah, it's almost funny. i watch tv now and i see people hugging, and i think my goodness, it's so strange to see them. i'm not used to it. moving on, if you need a hug during this time of social distancing, go look for a tree. yes, that's what i said. it's what iceland's forestry service is recommending. this is an actual look at their website. now the photo you see here is that of a forest service employee who came up with the idea. he doesn't seem too happy there. i don't know. organizers say hugging the tree will help us overcome that sense of isolation that many people are feeling right now. oh, dear, i don't know. i feel like there is a really terrible joke involved here. but maybe you're becoming more one with nature. spencer, what do you think? do you think it's valid? >> i haven't hugged a tree lately. i think if i had to hug anything

in the plant world, it would probably be a grapevine. but i still hug one of my favorite people once in a while. >> oh, brother. >> i never thought of tree hugger as being a literal thing, but i guess it is, right? >> find a human that's not positive. if that's possible. i don't know. anyway, people getting kind of creative during this time where they feel like they're in captivity. there is a surfer. he desperately misses being able to ride the waves. so he has gone indoor to catch waves. he is a civil engineer living in malaysia, avid surfer on lockdown, hasn't surfed since january. he created this unique trip to catch some waves. surreal stop motion ocean using bedsheets, pillowcases, yoga mats and towels. he says his surfer staycation, i'm not even sure what's going on here. i can't figure out how he is doing this. was inspired by other homemade

videos that he has seen online. this obviously required a great deal of effort, and, you know, maybe as much physical stamina as actual surfing. i don't know. i don't know what was going there. >> i think it might be easier to learn to surf than to pull that off. i know you can surf, but wow. >> but he came up with something, at least. and it probably occupied a few hours of his time, which i think was the actual goal. >> people just having fun with this as best they can. it's nice. >> got to do what we got to do. all right. that's it for the four@4, everybody. five years ago, i had psoriasis everywhere. my skin hurt, i felt gross. but then i started cosentyx and i haven't really had to think about it. real people with psoriasis... look and feel better with cosentyx. don't use if you're allergic to cosentyx. before starting get checked for tuberculosis. an increased risk of infections and lowered ability to fight them may occur. tell your doctor about an infection or symptoms if your inflammatory bowel disease symptoms develop or worsen... or if you've had a vaccine or plan to.

serious allergic reactions may occur. ask your dermatologist about cosentyx.

is my 2020 census data safe? after sending your census response, your personal information is kept safe. by law, it can't be shared with any other government agency, law enforcement, or landlord. no one. so, take your 2020 census with peace of mind. ♪ shape your future. start here. visit 2020census.gov. well, another one bites the dust here. one of the nation's biggest pop culture events will not be held this year. today organizers canceled comic can, which had been scheduled for late july in san diego. this will be the first time the event has not been held in 50 years. anybody who already purchased a badge for comic-con 2020 will have the option to request a

refund or transfer it to next year's event. and the san francisco beer festival is going digital. organizers announced today that participants can take part in the event by ordering the beer in advance, and then taking part in a special virtual beer tasting on may 2nd. organizers say this year's festival will feature ten special release beers as well as brewery swag. it will be delivered to participants' homes for a $30 fee. we are sharing stories of people showing extraordinary acts of kindness during these extraordinary times. today i met a man in the south bay who was feeding thousands of front line workers with a filipino treat. he is a chef at google but during the shelter in place has time on his hands. inspired by his sister, who works long hours at a hospital, francis decided to learn how to bake. in just a week and a half, he has baked, get this, nearly 3,000 filipino pan de sal

breadth abreads all over the bay area. through word of mouth and social media, they request the bread and catch it from his unit or he lowers it down by a pulley. the bread is so popular, people are donating supplies to francis from around the country. >> a couple of people in colorado, milwaukee, even as far as like san diego donating because they're not close by. so they would venmo me. people are just asking me, what do you need? oh, you know what? i need a box of ziploc bags. can you grab me a box of ziploc bags? and people have been really, really generous, dropping off bags of flour, sugar. even butter. >> francis says he is having so much fun baking, that he is going to continue for the duration of the pandemic, and who knows, mybe start selling

them one day. can't wait to get my hands on some of those. >> those look good. bay area native francisco martin, he has been an "american idol" front-runner since his first audition, and now he has a 1 in 20 chance of actually winning it all. abc7 news community journalist dustin dorsey caught up with the local star to see how his "american idol" journey is going during this covid-19 pandemic. >> the last time we saw francisco from san francisco, he was labeled as a top ten talent and earned his way to hollywood where the competition truly started. >> i feel like tv doesn't really portray as stressful as it was. i lost my voice at the end of hollywood week. hollywood week is very, very hard and stressful, and it all kind of paid off in hawaii. >> after surviving the genre and duet challenges, francisco earned a spot in the top 40 and the trip to hawaii for the next leg of the journey. ♪ >> there the shy kid who auditioned in sun river, oregon transformed into a star on the stage, wowing the island fans

thanks in part to a conversation that francisco had with the "idol" judges. >> the judges gave me a pep talk to believe in them, believe in myselves. enough with the nervousness. i feel like the nervous kid from sun river is definitely way far off than who i am now. >> unfortunately, just as francisco earned a spot in the top 20 and shook his nerves, the coronavirus pandemic put the show on hold. he has taken the time while sheltering in place to look within for preparing when live shows return to abc7 this sunday. >> before the quarantine, i was always in my studio writing music or recording music. i've been finding ways to medicate, listen to music, and really remember why i'm here and why i'm doing this. >> "idol" will look a little different when the show returns with virtual competition. but francisco remains as motivated as ever to win for himself and for those he hopes to inspire. >> prior to "idol," i was very insecure as a kid. i felt like i wasn't good enough to even audition for "idol." i'm really starting to realize why i'm here, why i'm doing.

this and it's to inspire others who do feel that way about anxiety and oh, i can't do this, you know. i'm not good enough. it's possible. and it's really nice that i can do that and use my platform for that. >> in san francisco, dustin dorsey, abc7 news. >> and you can catch never before seen video of francisco martin sunday on abc7 news. the top 20 will resume with a competition on april 26th. we had him in studio before we went into lockdown, everything shut down. i tell you what, he can really, really sing. what a talent. >> yeah, and we wish him so much good luck. all right. one last check of weather with spencer broadcasting from home. hey, spencer. >> hey, dion. well, we can expect increasing clouds tonight. low clouds, high clouds, maybe even some coastal drizzle. overnight lows will be around 50 degrees. tomorrow we'll start with clouds in the morning, but we'll see some sunshine in tavern. hang hawaiis will range from upper 50s a the coast to mainly mid-60s around the bay to almost 70 inland.

here is the accuweather seven-day forecast. both weekend days will be very much alike. a little cloudier late saturday. early -- i'm sorry, cloudier on sunday, i beg your pardon. then on monday morning, we expect some light showers, but then after that, the rest of the week looks mainly sunny and progressively warmer until the end of the week when high temperatures reach 80 degrees. larry andy dion? >> nice. >> next coming up our moment of zen. first, let's get a check with dan on what's coming up on abc7 news at 5:00. >> new at 5:00, in homes across the bay area, the mounting fear about domestic violence. one woman's story about surviving one horror and then developing coronavirus. plus, the bike company changing gears and now helping frontline health care workers. we'll explain. and the chain reaction unleashed by one family's creativity. it's something else. those stories and

in nearly 100 years serving the military community, we've seen you go through tough times and every time, you've shown us, you're much tougher your heart, courage and commitment has always inspired us and now it's no different so, we're here with financial strength, stability and experience you can depend on and the online tools you need because you have always set the highest standard and reaching that standard is what we're made for ♪

now to today's moment of zen. we leave you with a look at crystal springs in san mateo county.

it's only human to find inspiration in nature. and also find answers. our search to transform... ...farm waste into renewable natural gas led chevron to partner with california bioenergy. working to provide an alternative source of power... ...for a cleaner way forward.

today i stand in front of you sobered by the reality of the last few weeks. >> next at 5, the governor offers a grim assessment of the california economy while announcing a task force packed with big names to get the state moving again. >> the order goes into effect in seven hours. workers and residents will be forced to wear face coverings in san francisco. >> coronavirus detectives. the ramped up effort to prevent further spread. >> in homes across the bay area, the mounting fear about domestic violence and the new push to help people in need. >> screening for fevers. it's a way to reopen the economy. >> and an ambassador of bay area style wants everyone to follow