next at 5:00, a surge in covid-19 in two bay area counties is getting new attention tonight. a new look at how facilities are prepared to deal with the onslaught. plus students under stress. the sobering reality of a teen mental health crisis in the middle of a pandemic. also ahead the emeryville company getting the green light for the first at-home covid test with same-day results. how it works and what you have to do to get one. and cleaning it forward in oakland. an uplifting story about putting people to work and making a city safer. >> announcer: building a better bay area for a safe and secure future. this is abc 7 news. and we'll begin this wednesday with covid cases continuing to surge across the state and here at home as hospitalizations hit a new record across the bay area. >> we unfortunately are seeing this daily average of over 1,000 deaths per day. this should not be normal. we should not be getting

desensitized to these numbers. imagine three boeing 747s crashing every single day. that's what we're looking at right now. >> that's abc -- >> that's abc 7's special -- >> go ahead, ama. please. >> sorry, dan, go ahead. >> that's abc 7 news special correspondent dr. alok patel who just spoke on our 7:00 news getting answers. good evening to you. i'm dan ashley. >> and i'm ama daetz. dr. patel talked about 1,000 deaths a day. experts say that could soon hit 2,000, matching or exceeding what we saw in the spring. that's because just a little while ago we learned that a quarter of a million americans have died from the coronavirus, passing the number dr. anthony fauci predicted in march. and tonight several counties are seeing the most covid patients admitted in a single day since the last wave hit in july. it raises the question will hospitals have to ration care? abc 7 news i-team reporter stephanie sierra is digging into this question and leads us off tonight. >> i have not been in the military and i have not been in war. however, it sort of feels that

way. it's you gear up, gearing up for battle. >> reporter: strong words coming from a strong sense of fear as parts of the bay area hit a grim new daily record of covid hospitalizations. dr. andra blomcas, stanford's department of emergency medicine chair, is preparing for the worst. rationing care. >> at that point it becomes a prioritization based on morbidity. >> reporter: according to an abc 7 data analysis, 36 new covid patients were admitted into hospitals across the bay area yesterday. a majority in contra costa and santa clara county. while that's not the highest percentage in the state, it is one of the highest spikes reported since the latest july surge. stanford's e.r. department is already preparing triage centers. >> we would probably start having to open those up shortly after thanksgiving because i predict that some people would just not be able to resist the temptation to meet with family and that's when i expect that they'd spike. >> reporter: this video provided by stanford gives you an idea of what the centers will look like

if needed. she says the e.r. can open up portions of the parking garage like this and transform waiting rooms. >> within the walls we have oxygen and suction and all those things we might need to if we had to line up beds in the waiting room. >> reporter: according to state data, both contra costa and santa clara counties have double the number of covid patients than icu beds available right now. >> reporter: did you dr. blomcant says that likely won't become a problem. >> that is that spectrum, and in this most recent surge we noticed that a lot more people had covid, had the disease, but weren't necessarily at that very sick stage. >> reporter: aside from stanford, john muir health in walnut creek is preparing to triage patients by adding mobile treatment centers similar to this one. as well as the presidio field hospital in san francisco that can accommodate close to 100 patients. both are not being used yet but will be ready if needed in the coming weeks. stephanie sierra, abc 7 news.

along with coronavirus cases, san francisco mental health professionals say that teen suicide, anxiety and depression are really on the rise. abc 7 news reporter kate larsen spoke with the experts about the mental health crisis and what parents can do to help. we know the need for help can be urgent. we are keeping the phone number for national suicide lifeline on the screen for the duration of kate's report. >> kids have hit a wall. >> reporter: psychologist christine garcia says on halloween night eight teenagers ended up in a san francisco emergency room after attempted suicides. >> typical is usually i would say one or two at most. and eight is an insane number. >> reporter: garcia is the director of edgewood center for children and families in san francisco. they run 28 different mental health programs and last year helped more than 11,000 bay area teens and young adults. the pandemic has led to an influx of referrals, particularly for their inpatient

program. >> we've had 65 to 70 referrals for just 20 beds. >> reporter: the reasons range from direct impacts of covid. >> his parents had died of covid. and then his grandparent got covid. and subsequently died. >> reporter: to loneliness and isolation from friends. >> you're stuck with your family all the time. and of course all those family issues that come up during the teenage years become heightened. there's a higher number of reports of child abuse and family violence. >> since the start of the pandemic our number of patients who've been hospitalized for eating disorders has more than doubled. >> reporter: dr. jason agada is a ucsf pediatrician specializing in adolescent and young adult health. >> a lot of people are fearful about experiencing weight gain, what they call the quarantine 15. >> reporter: he says being at home near the kitchen all the time presents opportunities for binge eating and that the excessive amount of time teens now spend on zoom and social media can be a trigger.

>> there's always cameras on you. and so people are a little more concerned about their body image. >> reporter: so what can parents do to help? garcia says to be flexible when it comes to expectations for your teen. and if you can vet other families and ensure mask wearing and social distancing, allowing outdoor pods can be helpful. >> i think podding is important so that kids can actually have moments to see each other and be away from their families. >> reporter: kate larsen, abc 7 news. >> and you can take action and find your ally at abc7news.com/takeaction. we have links to local bay area resources on suicide and other issues like eating disorders. there's? promising news today on the vaccine front. pfizer's vaccine is moving along. new data shows it's more than 95% effective. the vaccine, made in conjunction with biontech, is getting good results across all ages and ethnicities. the company's plan to request fda emergency authorization by the end of the week. the ceo says between this vaccine and others he hopes a

majority of the u.s. will be vaccinated by next fall. also hopeful news for testing today. an emeryville biotech company started by four cal grad students is releasing a home test kits under emergency fda approval. luciger health developed the kit to diagnose flu but was able to modify it for covid. abc 7 news reporter david louie talked to the principal investigator about how it works. >> reporter: the palm-size test kit produces results in 30 minutes or less. the optimum time to test according to its developer luchlt lucera health is a couple days after symptoms develop. the primary investigator explained the timing. >> because we're really testing for the virus within the nose itself, and if it's too early in the incubation period you can have negative results when patients do have virus, just not enough quantity. >> reporter: the mucus sample on the swab then goes into a vial with a reagent that starts the diagnostic process. a positive covid result takes 11 minutes while a negative one takes longer, 30 minutes. more than 100 patients

participated in the clinical trial to obtain fda emergency authorization with a 94.1% accuracy rate. patients, especially children, find the lucera device less invasive because the swab is inserted only about an inch to inch and a half. the swab is rotated five times in each nostril. this differs from the nasopharyngeal test done in the field. >> original swabs had to be high because we were looking for actual genetic material from the virus itself and the antigen. this is a molecular-based test. so it's much easier for to us do it from a shallow swab. >> reporter: the covid-19 all-in-one test kit will be available soon through sutter health in the bay area for about $50. the unit is single use. lucera says it can be disposed in the trash. it hopes hope testing will address concern about transmission of symptomatic patients. >> this is going to be a giant step forward for them because this negates the need for them to have to go outside and therefore expose other people

and particularly if they're feeling unwell. >> reporter: david louie, abc 7 news. in oakland a local non-profit is trying to help make that city's homeless encampments a little bit cleaner and safer amid this deepening pandemic. but as abc 7 news reporter laura anthony explains it's an invaluable program that may soon come to an end. >> sweep it up. tighten it all up. and then pick up the little stuff -- >> reporter: these are the people who clean up what oakland public works crews leave behind. serving a growing homeless community that often feels left behind. >> i haven't been working in over -- almost four years. >> reporter: until recently jerome senegal lived right here, part of a sprawling encampment underneath the freeway, one of dozens like it in oakland. now he's part of the team doing their part to make it a little cleaner, a little safer. >> it makes me feel like somebody cares and also gives me a chance to have pride in my own area, to have pride in my own

community. >> this is called operation covid-19 mitigation. we're supplying them with resources. we're supplying them with dignity. and they're helping clean up their own area. >> reporter: once the city crews come through and take away the large items, this area looks relatively clean. but on closer examination it's definitely not. once all the debris is gone, these crews spray the entire area with covid-killing hydrogen peroxide, a process that plays out daily at nearly 50 other illegal dumping sites around the city. the workers, mostly from the camps themselves, are paid a stipend loaded onto a mastercard. right now the pilot program is funded with a $175,000 grant from the federal cares act. but that money is set to run out on december 30th. >> so i'm hoping that, you know, the new president, kamala, the d.a., anybody that can help advance this program because

it's working. we're killing the covid virus. we're helping the community. we're cleaning up. >> reporter: in oakland laura anthony, abc 7 news. next at 5:00, small businesses are now in survival mode. what happens in the next few weeks could mean the difference between weathering the crisis or closing their doors. and apple gets fined over batterygate. has this happened to you? the company settlement after slowing down its my psorii had enough!s pain?

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well, it is certainly not the news any warriors fan wants to hear, especially as they make the second pick in the nba draft tonight. klay thompson suffering a new leg injury during a workout today. espn reports thompson will undergo tests to determine the severity of the injury. this is a different leg than the one where he tore his acl in the 2019 nba finals, remember. he's been rehabbing that for

more than area now. the warriors were optimistic that klay would be at full strength and able to return for the upcoming season. so we'll see. it was a busy day at a testing site in san jose. gardner health services and the school of arts and culture at mexican heritage plaza had been providing free covid tests for asymptomatic people every wednesday since august. those tested today received a packet with masks and soap handmade by bank of america employees. the site will be testing on monday of next week. so people can get their results before thanksgiving. meanwhile, on the peninsula a new plea from small businesses. shop for the holidays now. oobs 7 news reporter chris reyes paid a visit to some local shops to find out why they need extra support and understanding from customers this year. >> reporter: it may look like the holidays inside these stores but there's a kind of quiet that's a little eerie, especially at this time of the year. inside joey ray boutique in san carlos only five customers are allowed inside at a time. at gump's in downtown san

francisco ten customers. >> we're just trying to encourage everyone to shop early this year because of social distancing protocols and different things like that. it's not going to be your normal holiday season. >> being a san francisco icon for over 150-plus years, we survived because of our local support from our customer base here in san francisco and across the country. >> normally snaul businesses would rely on foot traffic, word of mouth. but this year that's just not as effective. so we reached out to a strategist for some tips on how small businesses can pivot. >> go digital if you haven't already. share some stories on social media about your customers that you have. have a small contest maybe. make them aware that you're struggling. talk to them on a regular basis. you can really transform your business in days. >> reporter: a new american express poll shows that 75% of customers plan to shop local for the holidays to support small businesses through the pandemic. from online stores to private

shopping to fast deliveries, small businesses are trying to go above and beyond. their only ask, shop early because their suppliers are also struggling. >> there's going to be shortages of merchandise. we're already seeing it. >> in order to make sure that perfect present gets to the person on time, we definitely suggest you shop just as soon as possible. >> reporter: small business saturday this year is on november 28. in san francisco kris reyes for abc 7 news. how's a $19 flight out of oakland sound to you? and apple is paying again in its batterygate scandal. 7 on your side's michael finney is here with consumer news. starting, michael, with apple's latest lawsuit settlement. >> i'm going to tell you, this scandal has cost the cupertino company a ton of money. this time $113 million to settle a suit. let me explain what's going on because i know it probably sounds vaguely familiar. more than 30 states filed a lawsuit including california. the state's accused the iphone

maker of hiding issues with batries by slowing down iphone performances. now, earlier this year apple agreed to pay up to $500 million to settle a private class action lawsuit over the exact same issue. the company has apologized but it has not admitted any wrongdoing. both writers and drivers -- oh, i should say lyft has a new safety feature for riders and drivers. if they feel unsafe during a ride. it's called emergency help. and it allows riders to use the lyft app to contact an agent from adt security company silently or through a phone call. both riders and drivers can also call 911 silently with just one touch. the app will alert officers to the rider's or driver's location. you'll soon have a new way to fly out of oakland international. this is what dan was just talking about. discount airline frontier is set

to start service there in february. frontier will offer nonstop service to denver, phoenix, and las vegas. flights will be available on a changing seasonal basis to help launch the service. frontier is offering $19 flights between february and may of next year. if you think the vaccine you guys have been talking about for much of this newscast is actually going to get done, you might want to think about that frontier, dan. >> good point. michael, thank you. a lot of unsettled weather today. we should see a dryer, quieter day tomorrow. abc 7 news m

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in the east bay uc berkeley today removed the names of le conte hall and barrows hall following a formal review process. until more permanent flames chosen the two buildings will be called physics south and physics

north. the former barrows hall will be called the social sciences building. joseph le conte, seen here, and his brother john were members of the uc faculty. david prescott barrows was uc president from 1919 to 1923. the three had connections to slavery or white supremacist views. cal says removing their names is in response to growing awareness of the men's controversial legacies. all right. let's turn tower attention now to the forecast. not quite as much rain as yesterday. and it wasn't bad outside today, sandhya. >> no. we had some showers around. we had some sunshine. a little bit of everything for everyone, ama and dan. let me show you a gorgeous shot right now. this is just absolutely amazing. from our emeryville camera. we're just seeing a few clouds. i think we should frame this one. and plenty of color there. areas of dense fog for the morning commute. cold mornings and mild days through the weekend. and now it's looking like a dry pattern through the middle of next week. wasn't exactly dry. today we did have scattered showers around.

and this is just taking you back in time. right now we only have a couple of sprinkles mainly over the higher terrain. it's all pretty much gone. so rainfall totals the last 48 hours, ben lohman picking oup over three inches of rain, two inches at kentfield, just over half an inch in san francisco, .07 in san jose .16 oakland. santa rosa over an inch. and places like concord and livermore quarter to .27 of an inch. not bad for this system. 50s, 60s right now in terms of your temperatures. as you take a look at the sierra, they are seeing thunderstorms and snow showers right now. snow is expected to drop down to lake levels. so travel plans could be impacted. probably best to hold off. winter storm warning until 6:00 p.m. above 6,500 feet. the heavy wet snow, additional eight to twelve inches is expected along with the gusty winds. i want to show you the hour by hour forecast for us. we're watching the fog. it will be developing tomorrow morning for the commute. it's going to be thick in spots. as we head into 8:00 a.m. some

high clouds start to come in over the fog. we'll continue to see the high clouds filtering the sunshine while into the afternoon. so the morning commute, the biggest thing you're going to have to watch out for is that thick fog. temperatures will be in the upper 30s to upper 40s. bundle up. it's sweater weather when you get going tomorrow afternoon. just a beautiful day. yes, it's not going to be completely clear. there's going to be high cloudiness which will filter the sun but overall just a nice day. 64 in santa rosa. 62 san jose. 64 concord. 63 oakland. 62 san francisco. and 57 degrees in half moon bay. here's a look at the accuweather seven-day forecast. and we do have a foggy start for tomorrow followed by some very cold mornings friday, saturday, sunday. near freezing in our inland valleys. afternoons, though, will be very pleasant. we're looking at mild conditions for most of you away from the coast. going into next week the temperatures will be upper 60s inland. upper 50s along the coastline. obviously we are watching the weather carefully as it gets

closer to thanksgiving. right now it's looking like it's going to be dry, at least through wednesday. dan and ama? >> all right. that sounds great. thank you, sandhya. well, coming up here next, a my psorii had enough!s pain? it's not getting in my way.

joint pain, swelling, tenderness...much better. my psoriasis, clearer... cosentyx works on all of this. four years and counting. so watch out. i got this! watch me. real people with active psoriatic arthritis look and feel better with cosentyx. cosentyx works fast for results that can last. it treats the multiple symptoms of psoriatic arthritis, like joint pain and tenderness, back pain, and helps stop further joint damage. 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. i just look and feel better. i got real relief with cosentyx. watch me! feel real relief. ask your rheumatologist about cosentyx.

coming up new on abc 7 news at 6:00, the coronavirus like you've never seen it before. really fascinating. we're getting a better picture of what we're fighting thanks to some super computing using chips from the bay area. really amazing. and the pandemic means a lot of tourists in san francisco are not here. but it's residents who feel likely the long-term impact of that. and 7 on your side has told you about the thousands of people struggling to get the unemployment money that they

deserve from the e.d.d. tonight the opposite problem. some people have been paid too much. all coming up in half an hour on abc 7 news at 6:00. hope you can join us then. but finally tonight, a rousing show of support for an injured san francisco firefighter. [ cheers and applause ] >> that warms your heart. firefighter matt vann received a lengthy ovation as he left the hospital bound for a rehabilitation center. vann was critically injured on november 2nd when a muni bus driving by the scene hit a hose line, propelling it into the air, hitting the firefighter. the six-year veteran fell to the ground, hit his head and was knocked unconscious. the department issued a statement saying vann is in good spirits and thanked the hospital staff who "worked tirelessly to care for him." and we wish him well on his recovery. >> absolutely. >> "world news tonight" with david muir is coming up next. i'm ama daetz.

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or call during business hours. tonight, breaking news. that chilling new number. the u.s. has now marked 250,000 american lives lost. the emergency steps in new york city tonight because of the virus. the country's original epicenter now forced to immediately shut down public schools again for in-person learning. a sign of the worsening situation across the nation. hospitalizations in the u.s. hitting a record high. new york's governor predicting a significant spike after the holiday. tonight, the warnings now from other governors. and arkansas's governor with a prediction, how many more lives will be lost this year in his state alone if we don't act. kentucky, michigan and oregon among states imposing new restrictions tonight. the long lines for testing from connecticut to california. and the growing reports of shortages at the supermarkets. also tonight,