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empty store shelves and covid cases on the rise, but one doctor tells us it is not all bad news here in the bay area. a day ahead of dia de los muertos altars like this one adorn san francisco's mission district to remember those who have died from covid. record warmth to kick off november today, and that warm weather, it's going to be sticking around. we'll have all the details in the accuweather forecast. abc7 news at 11:00 starts right now. >> announcer: building a better bay area for a safe and secure future, this is abc7 news. the pandemic tightening its grip. at least 31 states reported at least one record high day of new coronavirus cases in the past month. that is according to johns hopkins university data. good evening and thank you so much for joining us. i'm dion lim. our nation hit a single-day

record of coronavirus cases. more than 99,200. cases rising in 48 states, every one but nebraska and delaware. several countries are seeing a case spike with england expected to enter a new national lockdown on thursday. bars, restaurants, and many businesses are being forced to close once again. here in california, the state reported more than 4,500 new cases of the coronavirus today. that is higher than the daily average. the 14-day average is around 4,200 cases. abc7 news reporter j.r. stone joins us live now from the newsroom with some insight. j.r., you spoke with a doctor who says people in the bay area should be concerned but not necessarily panicked. >> that's right, dion. he says that the health departments in our area have been very strict in rules, and he believes that has been key to keeping the numbers down and in better shape than other places in california and across the country. very few paper towels left at this target store in pleasant

hill. the same story with baby wipes. just a couple of packages left. fears tonight among many when it comes to the surge in covid-19 cases across the country and talk of a possible shutdown. >> i definitely think there's going to be a rise. there's a bunch of people that i know that i've seen having parties, not socially distancing. >> i think the second wave is going to hit us way harder than the first wave. >> reporter: according to doctors at stanford, this does not appear to be the second wave. it appears to be the third. while there is concern among those we talked with, dr. dean winslow says the bay area is in much better shape than the state and the country. >> at this point my sense is, though, that we're going to be okay here in the bay area because all of the county public health departments have really approached this in a very careful and evidence-based way. >> reporter: while we may see certain things like water and paper towels flying off the shelves, dr. winslow doesn't

think we'll see another shutdown, but he is in favor of a national mask mandate and covid checks before any holiday family gathering. >> you have just one person that's actively shedding virus in a crowded indoor environment, you know, everyone will likely get sick. >> reporter: to be fair, toilet paper at this target and martinez walmart was in stock. but just the fact that things like paper towels, water, and wipes were out is upsetting to many. >> to hoard things is not the right way to do it. they'll have plenty if you just practice what you normally do. >> reporter: now, dr. winslow believes that there is a certain covid-19 fatigue out there that has contributed to the recent rise in cases around the globe. people not taking the virus as serious as they should because they're tired of the restrictions. dion, now back to you. >> much appreciated, j.r. thank you. news reports out of london say that prince william tested positive for the coronavirus back in april. the sun newspaper says prince william kept his diagnosis

private because he didn't want to worry anyone. he was treated by palace doctors and followed government guidelines by isolating at the family home. kensington palace refused to comment but didn't deny the report. health is an issue, of course, that we focus on in our commitment to help build a better bay area. and a day ahead of dia de los muertos, community groups in san francisco and san rafael celebrated and remembered the lives of those who have passed. this year, there was a special focus on the lives lost to covid-19 throughout the bay area. abc7 news reporter luz pena has this story. >> my great, great, great-grandmother anna maria. >> reporter: her photo gracing this altar with tamales waiting for her to visit. >> food always has to be present because we are inviting them to come and commune with us, so we have to offer them a feast that they loved when they were alive. >> reporter: across from the altar, dancers cleansing the air. every movement and sound has a

purpose. >> just clean away the bad spirits. feathers are what captures and likes moves and cleanses the air. our shakers pushes the bad spirits away. >> reporter: a day ahead of dia de los muertos, this mexican celebration of the dead meant something different this year. with latinos in san francisco making up 50% of covid-19 cases despite this demographic making 15% of the population. >> the entire theme is related specifically to covid-19 related issues. >> reporter: in san rafael, the celebration pivoted to a virtual gathering and this. >> instead of the walking process, pro session, we had a car procession. >> we had an entire family playing music on the back of a truck. >> reporter: giving community members an opportunity to reflect about those who have passed. >> today i'm remembering my

mother. >> reporter: and as many wait for their loved ones to visit, they believe this is part of paving the way. in san francisco, luz pena, abc7 news. now to your voice your vote. both campaigns today took their message to voters across key battleground states. abc news reporter alex presha has a look now at how the candidates are trying to win votes on this final weekend before election day. >> reporter: president trump holding five rallies across five states on sunday, states he needs to win again if he wants to stay in the white house. beginning his day in michigan. >> we are going to win the state of michigan again. >> reporter: his second stop, iowa, where he holds a seven-point lead over joe biden in the latest des moines register poll. throughout the day, the president downplaying the coronavirus. >> and we're rounding the turn on the pandemic. we're rounding the corner. we're rounding the turn. >> reporter: joe biden continues to slam the president's response to the pandemic. >> if this president just wore a mask instead of mocked it from

the beginning. >> reporter: the rice tightening in pennsylvania since last month. biden holds a slight seven-point advantage, down two points from october. >> two more days, we can put an end to this presidency that has from the very beginning sought to divide us, to tear us apart. >> reporter: with millions of americans voting by mail, it may take time to count all those votes. democrats arguing in court ballots postmarked by election day should be counted, and many state laws support that. in texas where more than 9 million voters have already cast their ballot, a federal judge will hear arguments on monday in a case brought by texas conservatives challenging more than 100,000 ballots cast at ten drive-through locations in harris county, which is largely democrat. >> we are fighting as hard as we possibly can to protect every single vote that has been cast. >> reporter: president trump continues to insist a winner must be declared election night. >> we should know the result of the election on november 3rd.

>> reporter: the president's final stop of the day, florida. more than 8 million floridians have already voted in an extremely tight race. alex presha, abc news, washington. the fbi is investigating reports that a group of trump supporters harassed a biden campaign bus. it happened on friday as the bus was traveling from san antonio to austin. the biden campaign says the trucks tried to run their bus off the road, and biden staffers on the bus called 911, and law enforcement eventually assisted the bus to its destination. neither biden nor senator kamala harris were onboard. president trump said his supporters were protecting the bus. the votes of young americans could play a pivotal role in the outcome of tuesday's election. today some first-time voters urged their peers to vote. marchers demanded change when they left san francisco's embarcadero plaza. a group called youth advocates

for change organized the event. activists believe in the power of gen z. >> the youth vote is usually the one that's the least amount in elections, and we need to come out here and talk about it. we need to speak on climate change. we need to talk about black lives matter. we need to talk about bleaklgbt rights, women's rights, all the marginalized communities. >> it is our duty to fight for our freedom. >> this afternoon's march ended with a rally at the san francisco federal building in the civic center. in santa clara county today, people were dropping off ballots and voting in person. more than 579,000 residents have returned vote by mail ballots already. officials say the numbers from the first day of early voting compared to early voting for the primary seem to show turnout would be high. ballot sorting and processing are under way. now, we'd like to know how voting is going for you. you can share your experience by voting by mail, dropping off your ballot, or voting in person through a form we've posted at

abc7news.com/election. we'll get a new view of san francisco's chinese new year's parade. that story is ahead. and a different kind of court battle for the warriors. the issue involving their former arena that has the team asking the state supreme court to get involved. yay. do you want to open it? >> and a very special delivery that had a profound effect on a teenager's life. the story behind a small act of kindness that made a huge difference. and i'm meteorologist drew tuma. we are wrapping up a warm end to the weekend, and that november warmth continues tomorrow. we'l

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the warriors are looking to take a legal battle involving their former arena to the highest court. the oakland alameda county coliseum authority says the warriors owe more than $40 million for renovations back in 1996. so far, the courts have agrees. the authority says the warriors have now filed for a hearing with the state supreme court. the warriors are disputing the amount of debt but told chronicle insider and abc7 news contributor phil matier they will pay what the courts determine they owe. you can read phil's columns in the chronicle every wednesday and sunday. a milpitas woman has converted her homeintoa dia de los muertos altar. it started as an idea to do something fun to help the stanford organization families at the border, which is dedicated to supporting refugees in tijuana. she and her family had no idea how it would go, and then people started coming by with donations. >> a lot of people have been coming out and donating a lot of baby supplies and, you know, just passing by and enjoying and

dropping a few dollars in the cash box for families at the border. >> look at that pile of her makeup, all the colors, baby clothes, diapers and wipes, you saw it all. if you want to help out, the home is located on the 1700 block of dennis avenue in milpitas. you can blame the pandemic for changing a 150-year-old san francisco tradition. there will be no live chinese new year festival and parade next year. san francisco's chinese chamber of commerce announced its decision today, citing safety concerns due to covid-19. organizers say the parade is the largest lunar new year parade outside of asia, and next year you'll see some floats on display along with statues celebrating the year. ox in san francisco. now to the ups driver who shows us how small acts of kindness can really make a difference in a person's life. abc news anchor tom llamas has more now from vermont. >> reporter: this right here may

look like just another ups delivery run. but the driver, kip youngman, is about to make someone's day. >> it's just an extension of my life. it's not even a job, never has been. >> reporter: waiting for his arrival, 14-year-old max finn. max is autistic. he rarely speaks. and besides his daily routines, ups trucks are among his favorite things. since march, with both parents working from home and home deliveries much more frequent, kip's visits to the house twice a week have become much more anticipated. >> have a good day. >> reporter: so when it came time for halloween -- >> why not just encourage him? it's from us at ups. >> reporter: kip with that special delivery. >> yay! do you want to open it? >> reporter: a ups vest hat, gloves, and truck bringing out a rare smile, making a connection.

>> that connection is so important. all right certainly our weather situation a little bit different from that story we saw here. we are talking about more warm weather, drew. >> we are, dion, and that warm weather today set one record in gilroy at 91 degrees. we're going to hang on to that warm weather for another day tomorrow. tonight on live doppler 7 along with satellite, we do have some low clouds and fog very close to the coast. in fact, when we switch live doppler 7 over into visibility mode, you can see half moon bay is down to zero miles visibility with some locally dense fog along the coast. so first thing tomorrow morning, we do anticipate that fog to linger close to the coast as the sun gets up here. now, right now it is cool in half moon bay with that fog, 48 degrees. still 60 in the city at this late hour. 58 in oakland. the same in san jose. we're down to 48 in santa rosa. overnight tonight we'll track that fog limited to just the immediate coastline. most areas remain mainly clear

overnight tonight. and most areas in the mid-40s to lower 50s for our starting temperatures first thing tomorrow morning. now, future tracker temperatures as we go hour by hour on your monday, it does warm up pretty quickly. by 10:00 in the morning, you can see we're well into the 60s if not in the low 70s already. and if we just stopped here, this would be about average for this time of the year. but those numbers will continue to warm. and as we approach lunchtime we're all in the 70s if not breaking 80 degrees. so tomorrow is another warm day across the bay area. highs on your monday, 76 in the city tomorrow. going for 80 in oakland. it is warm in the east bay. 83 in san jose. 88 in morgan hill, so it's very warm in the south bay. 85 for santa rosa. 80 in vallejo and concord up to 84 degrees. a beach hazard statement in effect until 5:00 p.m. tomorrow evening just for an active ocean current, which has increased our rip current risk.

so just shall be aware of that. air quality, we'll still have a bit of haze in our atmosphere. i think it's the smoke coming from the creek fire hundreds of miles away. however, we do still have moderate air quality on monday. it improves a bit on tuesday with a bit more of an onshore flow with most areas going into that good category. as we fast forward into election day on tuesday, there are no weather concerns at all. it is quiet across much of california, even in the bay area we have lots of sunshine and temperatures very comfortable in the 70s to low 80s. so here's the accuweather seven-day forecast. november warmth once again tomorrow. we'll kind of hang on to that pattern through thursday. then those temperatures just take a nosedive, dion. by friday, there's the chance of some wet weather. it's trending drier right now, but we know for sure it's going to feel much cooler next weekend. >> aha, that is where fall is,

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an historic family-run gift shop reopened today in san jose after being shut down for eight months because of the pandemic. carolyn owns the store, in business now for 92 years. her brother says she has put covid safety measures in place and now feels it is safe to reopen. the store was able to survive being closed for so long because the family actually owns the building, one of the oldest in japantown. now let's get to chris alvarez with a look at sports. >> coming up in sports, we'll take a trip down memory lane for giants fans. do you know where you were ten years ago today? and the injury bug strikes again for the 49ers. several stars forced to leave the game early, and russell wilson and t

who's sujoe biden.rop 15? biden says, "every kid deserves a quality education and every family deserves to live in a safe, healthy community. that's why i support prop. 15." vote yes. schools and communities first is responsible for the contents of this ad. it's made for this guy a veteran who honorably served and it's made for her she's serving now we made it for all branches and all ranks whether they served one tour or made a career of it. we also made usaa for military spouses and their kids usaa is easy to work with and can save you money on auto, home and renters insurance. become a member today. get an insurance quote at usaa.com/quote usaa. what you're made of we're made for traffic and air pollution will be even worse after the pandemic. that's why we support measure rr to keep caltrain running. which is at risk of shutdown because of the crisis. to keep millions of cars off our roads,

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>> announcer: sports on abc7 is sponsored by your local toyota dealers. last year the 49ers and seahawks' two games were decided in the final seconds. not today and the injury bug once again striking the game. with two games in four days, the niners may be without two of their top offensive players against the packers. pregame, jimmy g smiling. that wouldn't last. jamychal hasty, this will make him smile. his first career touchdown. watch him reach over the goal line. that's good, 7-6 san francisco. russell wilson through two touchdowns to d.k. metcalf. just so big. 12 receptions, 161 yards, two scores and the seahawks were up six at the break. after a seahawks touchdown, it all starts to go wrong. kickoff return dante pettis, the seahawks recover the ball. pettis left the game with a shoulder injury. wilson avoids the sack and finds david moore for the score.

the seahawks are up 20 and rolling. jimmy garoppolo pressured all day long, sacked three times. right here going to go down awkwardly. you'll see him visibly struggle there on the sidelines. he left the game with an ankle injury. nick mullens. george kittle makes a great grab in traffic, gets hit hard. he leaves the game with a foot injury. that's got to be concerning to gm john lynch. the 49ers lose by ten. they're now 4-4 overall. the trade deadline is on tuesday. they host the packers on thursday. >> i was disappointed with the kwho whole group. no one played great. that always starts with me. glad we've got a game coming up soon. >> after a loss like this, you want to get the taste out of your mouth. you want to play football again. so happy we can turn around and get back on the field in just a few days. >> i was really proud of our fight, the receivers, the linemen, they've been battling all game and they could choose to lay down right there, but

they didn't. so i was proud of that. >> here's the niners' next opponents. it's cal's aaron rodgers and the packers. they'll be in santa clara thursday. dalvin cook had four touchdowns for the vikings. the first visiting player to do that at lambeau since 2008. final play of the game, packers down six. rodgers trying to create some magic but he's hit from behind. the vikings recover. was it a fumble or incomplete? after review, it is a fumble and the play stands. packers lose 28-22. that setting up an interesting matchup thursday at levi's. got to be glad you're not in cleveland. winds up to 36 miles an hour at kickoff for browns and raiders. some tough weather. raiders trying a 41 yard field goal with daniel carlson and the wind says i don't think so. off the upright. his only miss of the game. second quarter still scoreless. browns go 41 yards. cody parky sneaks it in and the browns take the lead. tide at six, third and goal. derek carr is going to find hunter renfroe.

sneaks on in, 112 yards passing but no interceptions for carr. jon gruden and the raiders win 16-6. they're now 4-3. on this date ten years ago today, the giants won the world series over the texas rangers. the beard, brian wilson, finishing up with a strikeout. then you get a buster hug and all the guys come pouring out. that was the first of three championships in the decade. giants won again in 2012 and 2014. always great to see this video of the guys rushing the field. there's lincecum. the motto of the team that year, torture because of all those close games. abc7 sports sponsored by your local toyota dealers. just ahead, after dealing with the pandemic, crime, and racism over the past several months, business owners in san francisco's chinatown are gearing up for the holidays. coming up, how they're remaining optimistic it will be successful. and how the pandemic is

did i miss it? but you can't sleep through my breakfast. because it's served all day, every day! thanks, jack. try my $4.99 french toast sticks jumbo breakfast platter. part of my all day, everyday breakfast.

tv: this is the greatest play i've ever seen! what'd i miss? but you can't sleep through my breakfast. because it's served all day, every day! thanks, jack. try my $4.99 french toast sticks jumbo breakfast platter. part of my all day, everyday breakfast. >> announcer: building a better bay area for a safe and secure future, this is abc7 news. we are just weeks away from thanksgiving and this year because of the pandemic, there is a new way to holiday. all week abc7 examined how the holidays intersect with the key pillars of building a better bay area. and one of those is race and social justice. in the early days of the pandemic, much fear and hate were directed at the small business owners of san francisco's chinatown. this year it looks very different, but i found one optimist who is so confident chinatown will come back, he's actually opening a new business there right now. >> during all this time, we will

to pay rent. >> reporter: small business owner steven lee doesn't need a reminder of how challenging operating a restaurant is during a pandemic. >> we're probably down maybe 80%. >> reporter: but he's still willing to risk an awful lot of investor cash to open lion's den, a bar and nightclub in the heart of chinatown just in time for the holidays. >> how long have you been working on the renovation? >> we actually got permission to start in january. >> reporter: during november and december, chinatown usually becomes a bustling hub for shoppers and diners who have made chinese food their go-to meal over the traditional turkey. >> a lot of europeans in the fall. >> reporter: business in chinatown was already suffering, down 35% before the start of the pandemic. once covid broke out, many merchants took a 90% hit or more. many shuttering permanently. >> there was only 25 stores open including the banks, and originally we have about 200

stores. >> reporter: that decline is also directly related to the xenophobia toward asian-americans. >> i want you to know our nation is going to defeat this terrible china virus as we call it. >> reporter: with more than 3,000 reported incidents across the country, in a six-month period as gathered by the stop api hate online portal. because of the drastic decline, a group formed out of necessity. the chinatown merchants united of san francisco. their belief, education and doubling down on the neighborhood's history will bring customers back. >> it's all boarded up. the reason is since the pandemic we close on march 17th, and we have a lot of graffiti, a lot of people start tearing it off, so it was really messy. >> reporter: this zodiac wall has been a chinatown landmark erected by nancy yu's husband the last several years. the goal is to bring it back in december for the year of the ox, a place where guests can safely gather outdoors and even take a selfie or two for social media.

>> chinatown, mainly they have a lot of history. we want to see the people come back for the culture. >> reporter: and while the future of the lunar new year parade and festivals are still up in the air, there are plans to make the celebrations and history available online. so when it is safe to return, tourists and locals will. steven lee reflects on the past. >> have an entertainment place like they did back in the '40s and the '50s. people used to come to chinatown dressed up in tuxedos. we had movie stars come. >> reporter: in order for him and chinatown to survive and flourish in the future. it is a community with so much resilience. for so many businesses, the holiday shopping rush is the most critical time of year. but this year like so much else amid the pandemic, there's also a lot of uncertainty. so what does the state of retail look like? here's abc7 news anchor liz kreutz with the breakdown. >> reporter: okay. it's an annual tradition for almost all of us, holiday shopping. >> excuse me. >> yes.

>> i'm trying to find terminator. >> me too. >> do you have any more in the back? >> reporter: but this year -- >> sorry. >> reporter: it's likely going to look a lot different. but just how different? how is the covid-19 pandemic going to impact how we shop this holiday season? to get some answers, we turned to jill standish, the head of retail for accenture, a company that analyzes consumer behavior. >> we have to admit there's still a lot of people that are afraid, and afraid of going into a store, afraid of going into a mall. >> reporter: knowing that, it's probably no surprise to hear that jill says this year online shopping will be more popular than ever. for instance, last year 65% of people said they planned to do their holiday shopping online. this year, that number is up to 75%. now, that might sound like bad news for brick and mortar businesses, but listen to this. >> the other thing that's interesting in san francisco is you guys still love stores. >> reporter: according to this story, 70% of san franciscans said they still plan to do some

of their shopping in stores. the nationwide average is 53%. that said, we are going to spend less. last year the average san francisco household spent $751 on holiday shopping. this year, the average is expected to be around $497. so almost $250 less. that might have to do with the kinds of gifts people are planning to give. >> instead of being experiential gifts, we're actually seeing an uptick in products. >> reporter: among products, the number one category this year is expected to be gift cards followed by apparel. in fact, a lot of bargains for apparel have already started much earlier than usual. >> i like to say we're trying to flatten the curve of holidays so we're not having those big crowds. >> reporter: something else is that people are trying to be more mindful of how they shop. according to jill, people want to reward companies that they feel are taking care of their employees during the pandemic, and they also want to shop at businesses that stand for some of their moral values. >> four in ten actually want to shop with minority-owned

businesses. >> reporter: so this year the holidays might not feel exactly like they have in the past. but safe to say they're still going to be special in their own unique way. >> i think it's going to be a real human holiday, and that could be a real positive one. >> reporter: for that, we can be thankful. >> one of the biggest challengers for holiday shoppers this year could be getting gifts to their destinations on time. salesforce tells 7 on your side that online shopping will surge as much as 35% over last holiday season, and that could put a strain on shipping. but two big-name companies say they are gearing up. fedex plans to hire an additional 70,000 seasonal employees while ups will add 100,000. facebook has launched a buy black friday initiative and a gift guide to go along with it. all of this is a big push to celebrate and support black-owned businesses. one business owner featured in the guide told us what it means to her. >> what you need is visibility. i think as a company, as a

designer, as an artist, i always had faith in my products and what i'm celebrating in terms of the prints and the sustainability and inclusivity. that was something i knew was good. it was a matter of getting seen. this is kind of amplifying us so the whole country through facebook. >> the gift guide is a partnership between facebook and the u.s. black chamber of commerce. it features more than 60 different businesses, and we have more information on the gift guide and a link at our website, abc7news.com. still ahead on abc7 news at 11:00, the office holiday party is dramatically changing because of covid-19. the virtual events or gifts

-i hear someone go, "did-strangers cough at me.ys?" -move away from me. -someone spit towards my direction. -all the stereotypes that we've worked so hard to break are just going to be reversed. and i won't let that happen. -we all have to play our part. -i donate my plasma. -i've been making masks. -we deserve respect just as much as everybody else. -i'm a firefighter, not a virus. -i'm a mask maker, not a virus. -i'm a nurse. -i'm a delivery woman. -chef. -a neighbor. -artist. -bus driver. -i'm a doctor. woman: after covid, my hours got so we can't pay our bills. and now our family budget is gonna be hit hard with prop 15.

the yes on 15 ads say it only raises taxes on big corporations. that's not true - we're all going to pay. $11 billion in new property taxes will get passed on to small businesses and farms. they'll raise prices... ...higher gas, health care, food...even day care. we can't make ends meet now. families can't afford 15. no on prop 15. we've all faced new challenges during the pandemic, and the same is true for charities that feed the hungry in san francisco. more people are relying on them while many volunteers are unable

to serve others due to covid-19. st. anthony's dining room now provides meals in to-go boxes. it's also gone from serving around 2,200 meals per day to 2,800 since the pandemic began. buying to-go containers and hiring temporary workers to replace volunteers is also costing st. anthony's tens of thousands of dollars every month. >> the budget is 40% higher than it was pre-covid. due to the loss of volunteers, we usually have 100 volunteers a day, but because of covid we've stopped that. >> holiday meals will also look different at food kitchens. glide memorial church plans to set up tables in the street for its thanksgiving and christmas meals. the pandemic has opened up some new categories for holiday hiring. this year stores are looking for cart sanitizers, curbside delivery workers, and mask enforcers. but the big demand is for warehouse workers. the online recruiter snag a job says retail jobs were down 13% last month while warehouse jobs

were up nearly fourfold. amazon and walmart are among those hiring thousands of workers in their fulfillment centers. the office party is changing this holiday season. since employees won't be able to gather together. however, companies and event planners have some ideas to reward employees for enduring hardships during the pandemic. abc7 news reporter david louie shows us what to expect. >> no one wants to dance in front of their computer on a friday night. >> reporter: the over the top office party with spectacular entertainment, food, and libations as you see here isn't feasible due to covid. event planners say companies have often spent top dollar to reward employees at holiday time. >> they range from the lowest is probably $250 per person to $800 per person. >> reporter: this year sheila burns says companies are asking her to create gift boxes equivalent to what they'd spend on a lavish event such as this tapas picnic box.

>> it's like having a picnic at your house, and hopefully you either have a virtual event that coincides with it or just enjoy it at home. >> reporter: other boxes might feature custom printed apparel or a cashmere throw or exotic delicacies. as sheila mentioned, a virtual event can be held to tie into a box sent to each employee. it could be a shar cutery class, for example, organized by san francisco's glow events. >> we'll ship out, you know, all the different kits and the supplies and make sure everything arrives on time, and then we'll be there to support you during the entire zoom experience to make sure that everything goes really smoothly. >> reporter: it could be a cookie decorating class, something that kelly teaches over zoom with plain home baked cookies that she sends out along with icing to decorate them. >> you really, truly can be super creative. with this one, it just looks like a -- we call it a frame cookie. nothing spectacular. and on the other side, abc7 with a santa hat. >> oh, i like that design. >> reporter: kelly has discovered that a decorate it yourself cookie party works

because it's interactive and creative. and employees with kids at home can get them to join in. >> you get cookies, you get to decorate, do whatever you want. draw a smiley face on a christmas tree and then you get to eat it. >> reporter: and virtual office parties work well during the daytime. >> you do it during the day, during normal working hours. that feels like a treat alone because employees are kind of getting the day off. >> reporter: some companies are trying to line up a few surprises such as a big-name entertainer who can perform live or recorded. >> they can prerecord all of that in advance, and then give us the footage, and we can, you know, upload it somewhere. >> reporter: this season's office party may not be the same as last year's, but it won't leave employees saying bah humbug. david louie, abc7 news. >> i'll just take a cookie. i'll be happy with that. still ahead, the workplace is also changing for santa this year. coming up, what you can expect

asof being stretched too thinar to do my job right. and it's not just health care workers. our teachers and school staff are going the extra mile for our kids. our firefighters are taking on unthinkable missions to keep us safe. how can we keep giving billions in tax breaks to rich corporations when our communities need that money? prop 15 closes corporate loopholes and invests in our schools, health care, and public safety. help us do our jobs.

vote yes on 15.

a lot of bay area merchants are already well into planning for the holiday season and how to make it fun even during covid-19. one big challenge with visits with santa, whose workplace is definitely changing during the pandemic. but don't worry. drew tuma reports that even if kids can't sit on santa's lap, they can still have some quality time with old st. nick. ♪ >> reporter: santa's workshop is getting a makeover, complete with a wide variety of virtual visits to the north pole. >> so tell me, have you been washing your hands with soap and water a lot? >> sometimes i do it more than 20 seconds. >> oh, excellent. >> reporter: this santa is coming to children online through a company called hire santa, which was featured a couple of years ago on the abc

show "shark tank". >> hire santa uses some of santa's friends to help spread the christmas cheer. >> reporter: but a lot of these santa friends are older and now at high risk for covid-19. so to keep both them and visiting children safe, the elves are making modification for in-person visits. we got details straight from the head elf. >> we're using what we call a santa shield, which is an acrylic shield between santa and the child. you still get that traditional santa picture but you're not coming into direct contact with them. >> reporter: brookfield properties, which owns three bay area malls is also working on new socially distant santa sets. visits start in late november at stonestown galleria, new park mall, and southland mall. santa will wear a mask and get daily health checks. the malls are also partnering with jinglering for their version of santa online. it allows many family members in different locations to watch the visit with a focus on making it

personal. >> so that anybody anywhere can experience santa the way they see santa and the way they want to tell the story in their family. >> reporter: jinglering is offering santa visits in multiple languages, including american sign language. there are santas trained to work with special needs children and various versions of mrs. claus. the company is also reaching out to military families. >> so, for example, if there's a military base in japan or south korea, right, or somewhere over in germany or the middle east, we've got santa performers who are committed to getting up, working in the middle of the night so that they can facilitate jinglering experiences for those around the world. >> reporter: jinglering has also lined up some racially diverse santas, and they're looking for more. >> there are estimates of around 5,000 actors who play santa throughout the united states and canada. the problem is we're looking for black santa. we're looking for latino santa,

maybe asian santa, polynesian santa. what we're finding is there just aren't many of them. >> reporter: so would-be santas, now is your chance. and since the visits are online, you can apply from anywhere. all these santa experiences require reservations, and prices vary depending on how early you book and the type of visit you choose. but check out macy's for a free online christmas activity. the stores are changing up their long history of holiday traditions and creating a virtual tour of santa's village led by elves and followed by snapping a selfie with santa. it starts november 27th. we have links to all of this holiday magic on our website. drew tuma, abc7 news. >> so many great ideas. all very inspiring. now, if you'd like to watch all of our stories on the new way to holiday from this week, there are plenty of ways to do it. you can watch these stories on-air, on our website, and on our new tv app.

it's available on apple tv, android tv, fire tv and roku. just search "abc7 bay area" and download it for free. with that, that's it for tonight, everybody. i'm dion lim. abc7 news continues bright and early tomorrow morning at 5:00 am. for drew and chris, thank you so much for joining us. we leave you tonight with a gorgeous shot of san francisco's city hall lit up red, white, and blue just ahead of election day. be sure to vote. we have all the information on how to do it at

traffic and air pollution will be even worse after the pandemic. that's why we support measure rr to keep caltrain running. which is at risk of shutdown because of the crisis. to keep millions of cars off our roads, to reduce air pollution and fight climate change. and measure rr helps essential workers like me get to work and keep our communities healthy. relieve traffic. reduce pollution.

rescue caltrain. [all] yes on measure rr. official ballot drop box near need to fiyou?he closest just visit vote.ca.gov to find your nearest location. then drop off your ballot. your vote will be secure and counted. there are other ways to vote too. just return your vote-by-mail ballot at your voting location or mail it back. or you can vote safely in-person during early voting or on election day. vote the way you're most comfortable - but vote by 8pm on november 3rd.

(john a.) tonight, 24 americans lay it all on the line. their whole lives have been leading up to this one moment of glory. (music distorts) (barking) (john h.) oh, boy. (john a.) ooh. let's hope they have a plan "b." (john a.) they've come from all over the country and from all walks of life to vie for $50,000 and the ultimate bragging rights. at the end, only the top three competitors will make it to the final challenge--the wipeout zone.