new numbers on covid-19. top officials say there's reason to be confident, but they warn of a deja vu and now we'll need to be more cautious. plus, ground zero in the fight against coronavirus, handing out 50,000 masks to those who may need them most. also ahead, the deadline to register to vote online now just hours away. this turnout is already reaching record levels. gusty winds and high, dry conditions. high fire danger is back. abc7 news meteorologist sandhya patel will be here with the time line. >> building a better bay area for a safe and secure future. this is abc7 news. we begin with optimism about coronavirus in california eight months into this pandemic. the state appears to have contained its transmission. the governor says that's in

stark contrast to most of the country now facing a new surge. >> roughly 38 states have experienced a 10% increase over the last seven days of total number of cases. this is that dreaded third wave that some had projected for california. >> but with due diligence, that third wave hasn't couple. good evening. i'm ama daetz. >> and i'm dion lim. the bay area is also doing well. abc7 news news reporter stephanie sierra joins us live to break down the latest totals. stephanie? >> dion, 25,000 cases were reported nationwide each day. now that daily average has doubled to 50,000 cases. even though california isn't seeing as much of a spike, the governor was quick to point out today we could be there soon. a third wave of covid-19 is moving quickly and broadly across the u.s., but if you look closely at california, the r

effective number, or rate of spread, shows it has declined slightly to 0.96. in other words, it is considered stable. epidemiologist george weatherford. >> we decreased the effective reproductive number, we're limiting transmission x it's all going in the right direction. >> especially here in the bay area. state data indicates the rate of transmission in san contra costa county, san mateo, solano and napa counties is stable. sonoma is the only one reporting a slight increase. but as rutherford pointed out -- >> we've been here before. we were doing good at the end of may and it got away from us. we don't want that to happen again. >> california's positivity rate declined slightly over the a last two weeks, but the governor made it clear the 14-day averages for both hospitalizations and icu

admissions don't always give the full picture. >> if i put up a seven-day slide , that slide would show a positive increase, not a decrease. the same would be true of icu admissions. if i put a seven-day slide, it would show an increase of 5.4%. >> this means the incoming wave may just be incoming, not a great sign with three holidays around the corner. >> holidays are very tempting. you want to go visit your friends and family. it's a time too hunker down. >> hunker down and wait until a safe vaccine is approved. when that happens, the essential workforce, health care workers, first responders, and high-risk populations will receive priority. >> the number of vaccines will be very, very limited. >> not only limited, but once vaccines have been approved, each company will have different storage requirements and distribution plans. so the process will take time.

but the governor did announce today the state has launched a vaccine steering com com com will work through the logistics. >> it is a good resource. stephanie, many thanks. meantime, san mateo county's newly formed covid compliance team hit the streets today to make sure businesses are enforcing the mask requirement. it's made up of eight people who can issue fines of up to $3,000 to businesses not following county health guidelines. a new free temporary covid testing site is now open at the b.a.r.t. station in union city. >> ac transit is collecting fares again and bus riders are allowed to board through front door. the pandemic brought both the a halt. it's working on a contactless payment system. transfer tickets are being discontinued. you will need to use a clipper card. in the north bay, a

county nonprofit is working to make sure everyone has a face mask especially those struggling to make ends meet. cornell barnard shows us this effort to help build a better bay area. >> they're giving it away to the community. >> wonderful. >> douglas muñoz spent monday afternoon reaching out to his neighbors in san rafael's canal district. giving away free face masks. >> [ speaking spanish ] >> he was executive director of the multicultural center of marin, a nonprofit serving low-income families. thousands of masks were donated to his organization and other groups serving the community. he says it's a big help. >> sometimes, you know, buying a mask costs money, $5, $10, $15 or more dollars. >> these masks, 50,000 of them are a gift from the marin community organization. the nonprofit wants to protect

essential workers. >> many of them doing essential work but they have a hard time financially. so our determination was to make these masks available. >> another effort, marin together, a public/private partnership between the county, san rafael, kaiser, and equip, set up these bins with information inside envelopes. >> they're free for the community to pick up whenever needed. >> the county says the canal district once had a 30% positivity rate of covid-19, but over the past few months that number has decreased to 6%. >> we have seen the numbers reduced in marin county and the canal neighborhood and we hope this will contribute to improve that as well. >> douglas plans to distribute more masks this weekend. in san rafael, cornell barnard, abc7 news. >> shifting to the weather now. a new red flag warning starting tonight as winds picking up speed. let's get to meteorologist sandhya patel with more on that. hi, sandhya.

>> hi, there. the concern is a combination of gusty winds and dry conditions. take a look at the winds right now. they are out of the south. that is going to change direction and we're going to see drier conditions develop because of this. right now it is pretty dry in places like vacaville, 19% humidity. livermore, 24%. the numbers will be coming down as the dry offshore winds develop. red flag warning tonight at 11:00 p.m. in the north bay hills. it runs until wednesday morning. so it's the combination of the gusts up to 40, low humidity, and dry fuels that leads to any fires that develop will rapidly spread. it expands to the east bay hills wednesday night until friday morning as wind gusts up to 40 will increase the fire risk. i'll be back with a full look at the forecast coming up. >> sandhya, thank you. new developments. effective immediately oakland police have a new use-of-force policy to follow.

the police commission announced it today including a ban on using carotid restraints also known as choke holds. it requires de-escalation tactics and requires officers to intervene if they see other officers using inappropriate force. the commission calls the changes a first step in rebuilding trusted relationships. a group called defund sf pd now gathered outside san francisco police headquarters this afternoon to protest a recent deadly police shooting. organizers also streamed the virtual town hall police were holding to discuss the incident where a 21-year-old man was killed. police released several videos, including the body camera footage from the officers involved. they say vargas was suspected of an attempted carjacking near market and gough. a man from watsonville faces

charges accused of an attack at a free speech rally in san francisco. a warning, some may find if following video disturbing. police say 35-year-old adora anderson punched rally organizer philip before the rally. the victim lost two teeth. the charge against adora anderson includes a hate crime enhancement. the race to register, the deadline to register to vote online is today. but there is another option. also ahead, the battle over housing the homeless and the race to secure state funding. the hotel that's been picked and the stereotype some say are getting in the way of a solution. the count down for the big

. we're just 15 days away from the election that will decide our next president. so far here in the bay area, voters are responding in record

numbers. ballot boxes and election centers are swirling with activity. all this as today marks the deadline for registering online in california. here's abc7 news reporter laura anthony. >> the election may be two weeks away but the action is in full swing at the contra costa county elections headquarters where by day's end, registrar debbie cooper expects she will reach a new zblooils contra costa is going to go over the 20,000 ballots mark, nearly a third of our registered voters and it will be the most we've ever received this early in the process. >> the ballot boxes around the county are filling up, almost as fast as election workers can empty them. >> i saw you give the box a little pat there. >> yes. just praying for good luck. >> tonight is the deadline to register online, but it won't be the last chance to register in person. >> otherwise we'll have opportunities here at our main

martinez office or one of our 17 regional early voting sites and at our 150 plus polling places on election day. >> besides the deadline to register online, voters should also be aware of another deadline that is october 31st to make sure they get their ballots in to be counted on election day. >> it's a reality that many voters told us they consider a top priority, especially this year. >> we want to vote early to make sure that our ballot is counted. >> i have never voted by mail or early ever. just felt really important to get that in the mail early this year. >> at the current pace, contra costa expects turnout could exceed the record set in 2008 with more than 80% of registered voters casting a ballot. in parents, laura anthony, abc7 news. san mateo county's election officer says his office received 105,000 ballots. we got a look inside the polling center today.

election officials explained their equipment takes a picture of the signature which is sent to a verification unit for confirmation. abc7 news saw a steady stream of people driving up to drop off their ballots. poll workers are getting creative with covid safety measures. you see a man using tongs to take people's ballots and place them into the ballot box. there was also a line of people waiting to vote at the county courthouse. check out abc7news.com for information about the election along with registration information. we also have mail-in ballot versus in-person voting information and key dates and deadlines. now to the south bay where there is a new push to stop the conversion of a hotel into permanent housing for the homeless. we are talking about an extended stay america hotel in milpitas. the city's mayor is worried about a loss in revenue while others say the project represents a rare opportunity to take advantage of state funds. more now from abc7 news reporter chris win. >> tonight a possible setback in

the fight against homelessness in santa clara. >> the overarching them is there's not enough to make the voices heard. >> it was awarded money as part of the home key program that purchases vacant apartment buildings into housing for the homelessnessment county leaders want to use the money to convert this extended stay america in milpitas into 132 units of supportive housing with move-in as early as next spring. but the mayor says residents are concerned about the speed of the project and are also worried about the length of the lease. >> the residents i've spoken to don't want to commit to a 55-year relationship only after a 90-day dance. >> under assembly bill 83 signed into law this summer, projects like these can bypass zoning roles. this man isn't against building housing for the homeless but

questions the project's proximity to nearby parks, schools, and neighbors, as well as the milpitas town center across the street. he wants the county to press pause on the project and is concerned that those currently unhoused in milpitas wouldn't necessarily get first dibs on the units. >> unless we address the concerns, i don't want something to come into our city which we start blaming the county and the county blames us and it's just going haywire. i don't want that to happen to the city of milpitas. >> but time is running out. if the county doesn't move forward with the plan by mid-november, it runs the risk of losing the allocated money from the state. destination home, a partner on the project, says it would be a shame to see the proposal fall apart. >> the apartments would be a community asset and a resource. we just know we need to do everything we can to get people inside as quickly as possible. >> the county, which currently has around 10,000 homeless residents, is expected to make its final decision sometime this week. in milpitas, chris nguyen, abc7

news. it was a picture-perfect day to do some fishing or whatever you want to do outside. plenty of sunshine and cooler temperatures compared to the temperatures compared to the weekend. the unfair money bail system. he, accused of rape. while he, accused of stealing $5. the stanford rapist could afford bail; got out the same day. the senior citizen could not; forced to wait in jail nearly a year. voting yes on prop 25 ends this failed system, replacing it with one based on public safety. because the size of your wallet shouldn't determine whether or not you're in jail. vote yes on prop 25 to end money bail. but i can't say i expected this. because it was easy. to fight these fires, we need funding - plain and simple. for this crisis, and for the next one. prop 15 closes tax loopholes so rich corporations pay their fair share of taxes. so firefighters like me, have what we need to do the job,

and to do it right. the big corporations want to keep their tax loopholes. it's what they do. well, i do what i do. if you'ld like to help, join me and vote yes on prop 15. woman 1: get your woman 2: you can stay healthy and fill it out from the safety of home. surfer: or you can fill it out anywhere. man 1: it's easy to mail it back. you don't even need a stamp. man 2: or you can use an official drop box. woman 3: you can even drop it off at the polls.

man 3: then, track it to confirm your county got it. see? they got it! woman 4: mail ballots are the simple, safe, and secure way to ensure that your vote is counted. > fire officials say cigarettes started a fire in seems we are starting to cool off age. let's get to abc7 news meteorologist sandhya patel back with the fire danger and more. sandhya? >> yeah. it's unfortunate this time of year ama isfire danger does rise and this week is no exception. we have a few periods of gusty offshore winds with low low l humidity. winds pushing the fog along.

live picture right now. temperatures are down eight degrees in santa rosa of the for most areas, it's a cooler day. live picture from our sutro tower camera, san francisco is looking good, a few patches of fog, but that will be changing. 62 in the city right now. 71 in oakland. mid-80s around san jose. 55 degrees in half moon bay. from our mount tam cam, the marine layer spapexpanding overnight. hot in fairfield, 94. upper 80s in concord and livermore. live doppler 7 showing you patchy fog along the coastline as we head into the overnight hours that will be changing a bit. from our east bay hills camera, showing you a hazy view looking towards mt. diablo. high fire danger this week. cooler pattern thursday through sunday. i want to show you the hour-by-hour forecast tomorrow morning. you see fog right along the coast and around the bay.

it's not a solid marine layer but we will have fog around. as we head into the afternoon and evening, still some fog hanging around near the coast. so it's not going to be as "a" strong offshore wind event. it's going to be gusty in the north bay hills and it will warm us up, though, because of the downsloping winds. tomorrow morning starting off with the upper 40s to upper 50s. a cool start, some patches around the coast and bay. tomorrow afternoon it's a warmer day in the south bay. 90 in gilroy. 85 in san jose. 82 in sunnyvale. on the peninsula, 84 in redwood city. near the coast, 69 in half moon bay. downtown san francisco, 74 degrees. 69 in the sunrise district. north bay temperatures, mid-80s. 89 in santa rosa. 90s around lake port and ukiah. east bay, 79 degrees in oakland. nice and pleasant. 81 in fremont. 82 in castro valley. heat inland.

92 in fairfield. the accuweather seven-day forecast, fire danger the next couple of days. red flag warning in effect, gusty in the hills. low 90s inland, upper 60s coastside. cooler pattern beginning on thursday. you will notice only low 80s taking you into the weekend with mid-70s. but i do want to point out the fact that fire danger will be elevated again with the next round of gusty winds coming your way. and then another round of gusty winds over the weekend. even though the temperatures are going down, the fire danger will not be dropping. keep that in mind a good time too remain vigilant. >> thank you, sandhya. we are about to get a new way to park. that story

but that's tough to do on a fixed income. i'd be hit with a tax penalty for moving to another county, so i'm voting 'yes' on prop 19. it limits property taxes and lets seniors transfer their home's current tax base to another home that's closer to family or medical care.

being closer to family is important to me. how about you? voting 'yes' on prop 19. hi, everyone. milea michael finney here. i know many of you are waiting for your covid-19 payments. i asked the edd what's going on. why can't our viewers get their money? >> there's a number of different things that could impact someone's eligibility. >> 7 on your side got your emails, hundreds of emails all about the edd, and you deserve better. that's why i promise to keep asking the tough questions and getting answers. so stay with us and we'll stay on it.

coming up on abc7 news at 6:00, we go in-depth into the violence that happened at a weekend free speech rally in san francisco. the i-team's dan noyes spoke to both sides including the victim who got two teeth knocked out. michael finney is helping homeowners in high fire risk areas and dealing with high home insurance rates as a result. he'll show you ways to save money. that's all coming up in half an hour on abc7 news at 6:00. this week an attraction put up the celebrate the 150th anniversary of golden gate park will finally open to the public, a giant observation wheel. >> the wheel's first spin is a story of rebirth and even rejuvenation for one of the most famous parks in the country. it sits shrouded in the morning fog, like a performer waiting for the curtain to lift and the show to begin. and when this giant observation

wheel begins to whisk visitors into the air, they'll be looking down at golden gate park that has literally been transformed during the covid crisis. >> you know, this wasn't the 150th anniversary we had hoped or planned for, but very quietly while the park has been open to san francisco over the last seven months, we've gone about the business of 150 park improvement projects throughout the park. >> some happened in plain view, like the new multimillion-dollar tennis center and clubhouse which crews are working to finish. others were like waving a wand inside a castle wall. at the japanese tea garden, typically open 365 days a year, gardeners used the temporary shutdown to work magic on ponds and walkways. >> words can't describe from the day one when we shut down, they were here every day. >> crews at the conservative of flowers used the time to reshape the stunning canopy. >> we're seeing things bloom that maybe wouldn't have before. we're seeing our banana tree

produce tons of fruit. >> while at the nearby botanical gardens, a mix of new plants greeted returning visitors. >> i was here at 7:30 in the morning along with the birders who were just so thrilled to have the gates open. >> did you have fun? >> at stow lake, families can glide across the water on a fleet of brand-new boats. ♪ while a few hundred yards from the ferris wheel, strings of classic music drift from the newly refurbished band shell, a joyous symphony for a public ready for a rebirth after so many months. even if it's seeing a sleeping giant spin back to life. >> it no longer is a symbol of hope. it's actually a wheel of hope. >> love that symbolism. "world news tonight" with david muir is next. i'm on. >> i'm ama daetz. thank you so much for inviting us into your homes tonight. our next newscast is at 6:00.

see the you then.

when was the last time your property tax bill went down? what? never. are you kidding me? for years, the residential burden has gone up. while the corporate burden has gone down. prop 15 reverses that. it closes corporate loopholes and invests in schools, small business, and firefighters. and when the big corporations pay more, your tax bill goes down. that's right. a savings of a hundred twenty-one dollars a year for the average home. give homeowners a break. vote yes on 15.

tonight, president trump goes on the attack against dr. anthony fauci. less than 24 hours after dr. fauci gave an interview saying he wasn't surprised the president got covid and showed he now has federal protection because of threats against him after covid precautions have become so politicized, the president today calling fauci, quote, a disaster, calling the doctors idiots. the death toll now more than 220,000 in this country, as the u.s. now averages more than 50,000 new cases a day. 15 days until election day now. the first day of early voting in the all-important battleground of florida. and what we witnessed there today. you'll hear from voters. and what the polling shows tonight. the chilling warning about coronavirus here in the u.s. the respected medical expert now