covid cases forcing san francisco to roll back reopening. some businesses will be hit especially hard. tougher times ahead in contra costa county. it's also moving in the wrong direction. also, the important role california is playing in today's supreme court challenge to the affordable care act. the health insurance of millions lies in the balance. and the big housing plans an oakland activist has, now that she's won a seat on the city council. >> announcer: building a better bay area for a safe and secure future, this is abc7 news. after months of declining infections amid stricter reopening rules, covid-19 is spreading once again, and this uptick in the bay area and in the counties across the state has top health officials alarmed. >> we anticipate if things stay the way they are, that between this week and next week, over half of california counties will have moved into a more restrictive tier, and that certainly is an indication that

we're concerned. >> good evening, i'm dan ashley. >> and i'm anna dates. thank you for joining us. concern over coronavirus has the city of san francisco taking a surprising turn, backward. mayor london breed says at the end of the day friday, the city will eliminate indoor dining, reduce capacity at gyms and movie theaters and pause reopening at high schools, elementary and middle schools can proceed. here's the reason why. three weeks ago, there were 3.7 cases per 100,000 people in san francisco, and now there are 9 per 100,000. san francisco is averaging 80 new cases a day. that's up from 32 a day in early october. city health officials say that rate is increasing more quickly than the summer surge. >> it is entirely plausible that we will face a situation where our health care system could become overwhelmed and reverse the current progress that we've made. >> the hard choices that we make now will help make things better

for us in the future. it will get our city open. it will get our businesses open. it will get our kids back in school faster. >> health officials warn, there could be another shelter-in-place order over the holiday season in san francisco if residents don't flatten the curve again. contra costa county is sliding backwards, today officially going from the orange tier into the more restrictive red tier because of this sharp spike in covid cases we're seeing. abc7 news reporter leslie brinkley talked with churches, restaurant owners, and breweries about these new restrictions. >> reporter: after two weeks of life on the less-restrictive orange tier, the state officially moved contra costa county back up to the red tier today. that means indoor dining restricted to 25% of capacity again, gyms must operate at only 10%. >> indoor pools need to close. indoor bowling alleys need to close. offices need to be remote,

except for essential staff. in the last two weeks, numbers have increased dramatically. we've also seen hospital cases double in our county. so we need to act quickly. >> yeah, it's wearying. it's super wearying. but we're pressing on because we want to make sure that we serve our people. >> reporter: north creek church is a sanctuary that can accommodate over 1,200 worshippers. orange meant only 200 at a time. the red tier dials them back to only 100 people per service. they've adjusted to being flexible. other churches don't have to change because they never cranked up to a higher capacity. at this walnut creek brewing company, indoor seating will now have to go back to 25%. and if you want to have a cold beer, you have to also order a meal. >> we've also put in heaters recently so that we can improve the comfort level of our outdoor seating when it does get cold. and you know, just being grateful that we're still in business. >> reporter: contra costa county

health officials say there are lots of things conspiring against us -- colder weather, holiday travel, indoor gatherings, college students coming home. they said, get used to being on the red tier, and unless we can reverse things, we could end up going into a more restrictive purple tier. in the east bay, i'm leslie brinkley, abc7 news. and then there's this. today, the united states surpassed 1 million newly confirmed coronavirus cases in just the first ten days of november. this comes as stanford says it's created a computer model that predicts how the virus spreads in cities. the university says it studied 98 million americans in ten major cities using demographics, epidemiology and cell phone locations. the key risk factors were where people go, how long they stay, and how many other people were at the same place at the same time. researchers found most infections occurred at restaurants, fitness centers, and cafes, where people were in close quarters for extended periods. >> and the study found that grocery stores actually had the lowest rate of spread in

comparison to these other businesses, so those should stay at the same capacity, but that doesn't underscore the fact that it's still really frustrating that we are still stuck right now. >> researchers say this could serve as a tool for officials to help minimize the spread of covid-19. and keep track of where your county stands at abc7news.com. you can see which tier your county is in and what that means for local businesses. the supreme court today heard oral arguments on a case that will determine the future of the affordable care act, and president-elect joe biden says a lot is at stake. >> this argument will determine whether health care coverage of more than 20 million americans who acquired it under the affordable care act, will be ripped away in the middle of the nation's worst pandemic in a century. over 100 million people with pre-existing conditions, like asthma, diabetes, cancer, could once again be denied coverage. >> now, this case seeks to invalidate the landmark health reform law. and as abc7 news reporter chris

nguyen explains, california has a big role in how it turns out. >> reporter: the fate of the affordable care act is once again in the hands of the supreme court as it considers california v. texas, which aims to invalidate the entire law. >> life is incredibly unpredictable, and the aca really is that safety net. >> reporter: kayla williams is a recent college graduate who gets coverage through her parents' health insurance, a provision that could go away if the aca is struck down. >> when you are able to stay in that health home that you've been in for as long as possible, you maintain quality care. >> reporter: more than 20 million americans could lose their health insurance if the current law isn't upheld and protections for nearly 54 million people with pre-existing conditions could also be eliminated. the case was brought forth by the trump administration and 18 republican-led states who argue that the law is unconstitutional, since the individual mandate is no longer in place. >> this is a very technical case about this question, the doctrine of severability and to

what extent you can separate parts of a large act. >> reporter: santa clara university constitutional law professor deepgula sakurum says california, who is a co-defendant in the case, has a great interest in making sure aca stays for emergency medicine and emergency care, among other services, due to its large population. >> i think we might get some indications of whether this supreme court is willing to allow congress to address the %-p. >> reporter: some say the potential cuts would be devastating for families across the state. raymundo espinoza leads a non-profit network of health clinics serving close to 36,000 people in silicon valley, the majority of whom are either uninsured or get their health insurance through obamacare. >> these challenges are just making it worse at a time where people are really, i think, tired as a result of the impact that covid has had and the stress of not having jobs. >> reporter: a decision from the

supreme court is expected by next june. in san jose, chris nguyen, abc7 news. coming up, will joe biden's administration embrace big tech? insiders reveal what they think about the future. and fitting in. how kamala harris will likely

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

as the biden/harris transition into office unfolds, silicon valley technology leaders see signs of better relations than they had under president trump. that could boost the economy, which is one of the pillars supporting our efforts to build a better bay area, as you know. abc7 news reporter david louie sat down with two key executives about their hopes for change. >> they are dialed in. they always were. and i think we're going to see big differences. >> reporter: tech entrepreneur john fisher co-hosted two bay area fund-raisers for joe biden last fall, tapping into a

network of tech colleagues, many of them from start-ups and small companies. >> it was a small room. it was only 50, 60 of us. after his speech, he went around, he talked with everyone, he heard their ideas. it was remarkable to see him operate with such care. >> reporter: that gives him hope that the president-elect will study the key issues that matter to tech and support them, issues such as immigration policy, which impacts the ability to attract top talent from overseas, privacy, and perhaps the thorniest of all, antitrust action initiated against google under the trump justice department that could snarl other dominant companies. the silicon valley leadership group with wide company membership across the valley looks at vice president-elect kamala harris as an ally of longstanding. she could help as new ceo to tackle the persistent lack of blacks and women in tech leadership roles. >> it's about innovation and market share that's lost when our leadership teams don't reflect the communities that we serve. i know she gets it.

i know she leads from a place of authenticity. >> reporter: thomas is also hopeful that biden's belief in science will also lead to a change in climate change policy, an important issue in the valley. >> and we truly hope that we'll be looking at data, looking at the climate and how it's changing, seeing the threat, which is a real threat to our economy as well as our long-term livelihood. >> reporter: a reboot could be on the horizon. david louie, abc7 news. well, just as every presidency is different, so is every vice presidency. as reporter brian todd explains, those who know kamala harris says she is well positioned to fill her role in the biden administration. >> you have to be willing to have someone with you who will tell you the truth if they think you're wrong. >> reporter: that means kamala harris could be the last voice in the room when the biggest decisions are made, a role biden had demanded that he be given with obama, and that could start during the transition. given her experience as california's attorney general and as a high-profile u.s.

senator, analysts believe she could have a strong voice in the selections of the u.s. attorney general and cabinet positions. >> i definitely think that harris will be the one in biden's ear letting him know who she thinks would be perfect for those roles. i mean, harris is going to be working with all of these cabinet members in tandem along with biden. >> reporter: harris' experience on the senate intelligence and judiciary committees, observers say, could be something joe biden leans on. >> maybe helping pick a future supreme court nominee, if democrats win control of the senate and there is a supreme court vacancy. maybe she will be, in some ways, like vice president biden was in the obama administration, sort of almost a second secretary of state, going abroad. >> reporter: but analysts believe kamala harris could also be a uniquely positioned leader for this extraordinary period, that she's the person in the next administration who can take the point on issues of racial justice and helping joe biden

navigate through the next potentially devastating months of the coronavirus surge. >> that means coronavirus pandemic mitigation efforts. perhaps she'd be using that to communicate to black and brown communities, to places that she has focused heavily on as senator. >> reporter: analysts tell us that in addition to being joe biden's bridge to those minority communities in america, that it's also likely that he'll count on kamala harris at age 56 to be his bridge to younger americans, and that will also help position her for the office that she might seek after the biden administration. brian todd, washington. former giants outfielder mac williamson filed suit today against the owner and operator of oracle park. the case comes from the concussion-related injuries williams suffered when he stumbled over the left field bullpen mound, then slammed right there into the padded wall while trying to catch a foul back in april of 2018. williamson says his life hasn't been the same since suffering the injury, which he claims ended his career. >> everybody's career ends at

some point, but to have it taken from me because of the mounds, the bullpen mounds were unnecessarily placed on the field is very hard to cope with. >> the giants moved the bullpens from foul territory to behind the center field wall before this past season. the team issued a statement, saying williamson's claims shouldn't be resolved through court but through, quote, the collectively bargained grievance process and the workers' compensation system. new signs of progress for san francisco's massive project to improve transit along van ness avenue. crews were putting down red concrete in the center lanes where muni buses will run. there will also be platforms for riders built along the new medians. the $309 million project started in 2016. it was originally scheduled to be completed last year. that's now been pushed back to 2021. all right, another cold night lies ahead, but what about the rest of the week?

california phones offers free specialized phones... like cordless phones. - ( phone ringing ) - big button, and volume-enhanced phones. get details on this state program. visit right now or call during business hours. cgrand openinge flooin san leandro! safely shop our wide aisles and be amazed with our even wider selection. discover the perfect floor at the perfect price in whatever way is perfect for you. floor and decor's newest location is now open. also open in milpitas and burlingame.

i felt gross. it was kind of a shock after i started cosentyx. four years clear. 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. learn more at cosentyx.com. and accessoriesphones for your mobile phone. like this device to increase volume on your cell phone. - ( phone ringing ) - get details on this state program visit right now or call during business hours.

oh, my god! >> oh! that was insane! >> wow! >> kayakers and paddle boarders couldn't believe humpback whales swam so close to them last sunday off the coast of san luis obispo county. later that same day, the same photographer watched two of the other kayakers get capsized by a whale. so it's incredible and beautiful, but a little scary, dan. >> that's crazy! wow! >> yeah. well, take a look at this raccoon invasion -- speaking of crazy -- caught on cell phone video today. three raccoons are digging through the trash at san francisco and embarcadero center. while raccoon sightings are not rare, they are rarely seen in daylight. they are nighttime creatures. of course, this area is not as busy with foot traffic as it used to be. but of course, the raccoons were

wearing their masks. time now for the accuweather forecast. abc news meteorologist sandhya patel is here. hey, sandhya. >> i like that, the raccoons are wearing their masks. let's look at live doppler 7. this morning it was just freezing cold! mid and upper 20s in our coldest inland valleys. it's not going to be as cold because of the cloud cover that you're looking at on live doppler 7. don't get me wrong, it's still going to be chilly, chilly enough to warrant a frost advisory for the north bay valleys, 3:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. tomorrow. so, if you have any trender plants, definitely cover them up, protect those sensitive plants, because temperatures will fall to the low 30s with some patchy frost in the morning. emeryville camera showing you a little peek of sun there. san francisco 53 degrees. it is 60 in oakland right now and also in san jose. it was a warmer day today. most areas were between the mid-50s to the upper 60s. 52 degrees in gilroy and the clouds are stacked up from our kgo roof camera. not much of a wind there. 58 in santa rosa, napa, 63

concord, 58 in livermore. a lovely view from our san jose camera as we look at the shark tank there. chilly overnight, frosty in the north bay. showers return at the end of the week, and we are looking at milder weather early next week, if you're just really tired of the cool afternoons, or if you're enjoying it, then you still have a few days to do that. hour by hour we go. 5:00 a.m. tomorrow, you're going it see some fog and high clouds as well. might even see a little drizzle out there. increasing clouds as we go into the afternoon and evening tomorrow. and those temperatures will fall as a result for the afternoon hours. tomorrow morning, down to 31 at lakeport, 33 in santa rosa, some of our colder spots. but you will notice most areas around the bay and along the coast will be in the 40s. it's still going to be chilly enough, too, where you'll need a sweater or jacket. tomorrow, 56 in half moon bay, 62 santa rosa, 60 in a narrow range of temperatures. a level one system coming in for

friday-saturday, scattered showers. highest totals in the north bay and breezy conditions at times with this system. so, the best opportunity for rain will be friday going into saturday. as you will notice, this will produce some snow showers in the sierra, mixing in with the rain. now, as far as rainfall totals go, could see up to a third of an inch in our wettest locations, like clear lake, cloverdale area, santa rosa 0.27, but looking at san jose, only 0.01 inches. so a wide variety in terms of showers. and i will tell you, another computer model is actually wetter for friday than this computer model, so we'll have to see how they align. the accuweather seven-day forecast, a little cooler tomorrow, mid-50s to mid-60s. thursday night there's a slight possibility of a shower in the north bay, but i wouldn't bank on that. it's really friday into saturday, level one system, mid-50s to mid-60s. we are expecting some showers. and then going into sunday, the second half of your weekend is going to be dry with sunshine.

milder weather will follow on monday, as you will notice. 70s showing back up in the accuweather seven-day forecast and another opportunity for showers on tuesday. we need every drop we can get, but i will have to tell you, every time we get closer to the event, models start drying things out, so, stay tuned. for now, it's a one on friday and saturday. >> not a done deal quite yet, but looking that way. >> not yet. >> thanks very much. new administration, new plans on coronavirus. local experts talk about their wish list, when abc7 news at 5:00 returns.

superior accuracy in the palm of your hand. the new accuweather app from abc7 news. minute-by-minute forecasts, plus realtime radar and alerts, keeping you safe. search "accuweather" in your app store and download now. coming up on "abc7 news at 6:00," if you want to quarantine before seeing family for thanksgiving, now is the time to start. and if you're hoping the

coronavirus test will clear you to get together, you may already be too late. we're hoping you plan ahead safely. and when it comes to christmas, speaking of planning ahead, will you find the gifts you want in stock? 7 on your side's michael finney looked into that. he's either bringing good news or being the grinch. you'll see for yourself coming up in a half hour on abc7 news at 6:00. finally here tonight, for month experts, the new administration reflects a fresh start and an opportunity to make needed changes in the battle against covid-19. >> to gauge what they're thinking, abc7 news reporter stephanie sierra asked a single question -- what would you like to see the biden team do first? >> reporter: we directed our question to four of the top medical and infectious disease experts in the bay area, dr. yvonne maldonado of stanford and doctors george rutherford, bob waechter and monica gandhi of ucsf. >> you know, i think my first one or two things would be to consider a national mask mandate or really work hard on getting

facial masking out of politics and into science, and how i think it's an incredibly important pillar. >> reporter: ucsf colleague dr. george rutherford agreed and added to the wish list. >> the other two things that would be right at the top of my list are expanded access to testing -- basically, testing on demand, with the right kinds of tests. and then the other is how we're going to distribute the vaccine. >> reporter: to streamline that response, stanford's dr. yvonne maldonado argues, the new administration should have tighter coordination between federal agencies and individual states. >> well, the first thing i would do is create a national strategy that is uniform and not mandatory but highly recommended and supported for all the states to follow. so, it integrates cdc, nih, fda, and then pull together a national response. >> reporter: finally, ucsf dr. bob waechter believes new

messaging is critical to winning back public support needed for widespread vaccine distribution and other critical measures. >> we have a lot of work to do to rebuild the trust of the american public and rebuild our institutions so that people believe that the government's doing the right thing and is paying attention to the science and the evidence and being honest with all of us about what we need to do. >> reporter: an aggressive to-do list for a new administration. in san francisco, stephanie sierra, abc7 news. >> and by the way, both stanford and ucsf are currently running covid vaccine trials and three members of ucsf have just been appointed to the biden advisory team, so a lot going on, dan. >> absolutely. >> all right, "world news tonight with david muir" is coming up next. thanks for joining us. i'm anna dates. >> and i'm dan ashley with sandhya patel. appreciate your time and we'll see you again tonight at 6:00. we are the thrivers.

women with metastatic breast cancer. our time... ...for more time... ...has come. living longer is possible- and proven in postmenopausal women taking kisqali plus fulvestrant. in a clinical trial, kisqali plus fulvestrant helped women live longer with hr+, her2- metastatic breast cancer. and it significantly delayed disease progression. kisqali can cause lung problems or an abnormal heartbeat, which can lead to death. it can cause serious skin reactions, liver problems, and low white blood cell counts that may result in severe infections. tell your doctor right away if you have new or worsening symptoms, including breathing problems, cough, chest pain, a change in your heartbeat, dizziness, yellowing of the skin or eyes, dark urine, tiredness, loss of appetite, abdomen pain, bleeding, bruising, fever, chills, or other symptoms of an infection, a severe or worsening rash, are or plan to become pregnant, or breastfeeding.

avoid grapefruit during treatment. ask your doctor about living longer with kisqali.

tonight, several developing headlines as we come on the air. the numbers just in. 165,000 new cases of coronavirus in just 24 hours. and tonight, the news, cases are now on the rise in all 50 states. by one estimate, 74 americans diagnosed every minute. tonight, the refrigerated trucks we have not seen since the spring. the hospitals in the heartland running out of beds. and news on that pfizer vaccine tonight. when could it be widely available and what dr. fauci just said about when americans will likely get this. and how they'll have to transport it. i needs to be kept at 94 degrees below zero. also tonight, the other breaking headline. 24 hours after president trump fired his defense secretary in a tweet, tonight, three more top pentagon officials out. martha raddatz standing by.