next, the dire warning from top health officials that's prompting local leaders to leap into action. and no curfew yet in stran but you'll see why that may not be the long in san francisco. >> plus, making the case against the curfew. some say it is discriminatory. and johnson and johnson's vaccine trial. for them, it is personal. we begin with two big stories about the dangerous surge in coronavirus cases. the city is on pace for record hospitalizations meaning it may enter the purple tier of restrictions as early as this sunday. and the county is saying it recorded its highest number of cases and is on track to exceed

capacity in three weeks. good evening. >> thank you for joining us. a lot to get to tonight. officials say the hospital capacity could be maxed out in a matter of weeks. >> tonight an urgent call to action ahead of thanksgiving. >> cancel your holiday plans. don't travel. >> over the past week, covid-19 hospitalizations in the santa clara county have gone up by 50%. health officials say at this rate, hospitals county wide could exceed capacity in just three weeks. >> other if you're going to have people from outside your household, limit to it two other households, wear just face covering and keep your distance. >> today 407 new cases were reported county wide. the highest daily number since the start of the pandemic. the county is in talks with hospitals. they've also stocked up on ppe.

>> we're talking about surge planning, what contingency plans are with hos, bringing in staffing from outside entities, bringing in their own staffing from noncritical are areas. to in-patient care. >> reporter: with demand for testing on the arrives, they are expanding the facility at the santa clara fair grounds. they'll be able to accommodate 3,000 appointments a day. the goal is to ramp up are to twice the current capacity. officials are pleading with the public to do its part to help reduce the spread. stanford hospital is ready to add extra beds if necessary. infectious disease expert dr. an lu says the next couple weeks will be critical. >> we don't want to punish our kids and elderly folks in our communities by continuing to drag this out because of the desire. which is really strong and very human, to want to get together over the holidays. >> the trajectory of there deadly disease in the hands of the greater commit.

abc7 news. san francisco once a covid-19 success story is seeing cases skyrocket and could soon move into the purple tier. live tracking the latest for us. when can that curfew take effect? >> once san francisco moves back to purple, it can take effect immediately. the state requires it be implemented within 48 hours of the move. as we heard from dr. grant colfax today, that could happen as soon as sunday. >> this third surge. no question now. this is not if it will happen. it is happening. >> reporter: a stern warning from dr. grant colfax as the covid cases are surging at the highest rates seen since the beginning of the pandemic. >> what is really important. the steep slope of increasing cases. >> reporter: the 14-day average of new covid cases has increased 152% since november 1st. one of the highest spikes in the bay area. to put it in perspective.

217 new covid cases were reported in mid-october. nearly a month later that number is 768. >> this rate of increase is higher than we experienced during our summer surge. >> reporter: on monday, san francisco was safely in the red zone. today's data indicates the city's cases per capita is far past the threshold to be in purple. a spurng could overwhelm hospitals across the city that are already reporting limited icu space. >> the health care system bracing for an influx of patients. >> reporter: the doctor is the medical director of ucsf emergency department. he expects the next surge will be more severe cases. >> in the second week of their illness is when we know people tend to start getting better or might get more sick. as the infection gets a little worse, or pneumonia develops, those patients may end up in the e.r. again is a good number will be hospitalized. >> reporter: the city's field

hospital can accommodate 99 patients to help with the surge but dr. colfax expects the city could have hundreds of people in the hospital by late december, early january. to help avoid reaching that point, the message to stay home, limit gatherings couldn't be more clear. >> the choices we, you, i make in the next two weeks will determine the trajectory of this holiday season. >> reporter: to reiterate, he made it very clear today. this surge is more widespread and serious than the last two. if case counts do not improve, the city will be closing indoor gyms, museums, movie theaters, worship facilities, as well as limit capacity in retail businesses. live in the newsroom. abc7 news. >> lots of changes. thank you. starting tomorrow, all california counties in the purple tier will be under a curfew from 10:00 p.m. until 5:00n the morning.

some activists question whether it is discriminatory. melanie woodrow has that story. >> reporter: the california curfew will be in effect from 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. for all counties in the purple tier. it will continue for a month and affects more than 94% of the the state's population. the governor tweeted, together we can flatten the curve. but not everyone believes it is the way to go. >> this is going to allow police to indiscriminately pull over black and brown people, like we saw in the last set of curfews out here where black men were being targeted as soon as the curfew was enacted. >> reporter: in june, the abc7 news i-team analyzed 2818 arrest data voluntarily reported to the fbi by city and county police departments. the data showed discrepancies and arrest rates for black people in the bay area. black people were 4.2 times more

likely across the entire bay area to be arrested than white people. the disparity was higher in some bay area cities. in albany, black people were 16 times more likely to be arrested than white people. in san bruno, 15 time more likely. and palo alto and el cerrito, 13 types more likely. she would prefer to see it directed on specific establishments. >> as opposed to having this blanket reasonable suspicion that you've created in every person that is driving through town. >> reporter: in a statement, the california highway patrol said the mission is unchanged. the chp does not make arrests on race, ethnicity, gender, political affiliation, sexual orientation, religious beliefs or for any other reason than violations of the law. they said they are monitoring the situation and working the ensure that government response does not create disproportionate harm to vulnerable populations.

particularly communities of color which have been hit hardest by the contagion. abc7 news. now to the latest on the race for a vaccine. the fda says the committee will meet december 10th to discuss it. that's of doses could begin shipping next month. kaiser permanente is expanding the trial to adolescence in santa clara and sacramento. 2,000 teens in sacramento will participate. and johnson & johnson has begun the final stages of its clinical trials with researchers in the bay area taking a key role. of course, abc7 is committed to keeping you fully informed about every development with the coronavirus 19 vaccine. when it is approved by the fda, it will be the most reliable way to beat the virus. >> we've assembled the vaccine team.

we'll have complete coverage and answer critical questions about when the vaccine will be available and who will get it first. >> tonight kate larson looks at the efforts by johnson & johnson. she got the first inside look at their vaccine trial as bay area volunteers showed up to get injected with a shot of hope. >> i have friends around the world affected by this pandemic. >> she is a neonatal nurse. she just got injected either a placebo or the johnson & johnson covid candidate. it has the same hope as most participant i've spoken to in blind trials. >> i hope i got the vaccine. >> reporter: johnson & johnson is enrolling 50,000 people globally. >> when the several sprakss will be approved are on the market, i think it will be one of the most feasible a single injection, not requiring any special delivery or temperature controls. >> reporter: the stanford

infectious disease specialist is the chief investigator. emthey've enrolled about 50 beam a goal of 1,000. participant diversity is important. >> up in one, when we roll out the vaccine, there will be trust within the community. the second key point is you want a population at risk for coronavirus. >> i mean, i absolutely want to represent women, overweight, mexican, older. >> reporter: the richmond resident's veering is personal. >> to get together with friends and have dinner together again. to touch people and be touched. it has been a very long time. >> reporter: with so many vaccine candidates showing promising trials -- >> there is a light at the end of the tunnel and very excited. i'm hopeful everybody will roll the sleeves up and get the vaccine.

>> help make sure this gets resolved. that we can go back to being the social people that we are. >> the doctor is expecting efficacy data by march and says they are planning another trial with two doses of the vaccine instead of one on 12 to 17-year-olds. enrollment is open and we have the information on our website. i'm kate larson. aib abc7 news. phase ii will target people over 65, critical workers like teachers and people under 65 who are in prisons. phase three would include young adults and people who work in factories. after that, everyone else can get the vaccine. coming up, a scandal at the sheriff's department expands. an indictment is reaching the upper echelons. plus, a moment to honor the lives lost as we speak to one local artist who created a mural

for the community

for people with heart failure taking entresto, it may lead to a world of possibilities. entresto helped people stay alive and out of the hospital. don't take entresto if pregnant; it can cause harm or death to an unborn baby. don't take entresto with an ace inhibitor or aliskiren, or if you've had angioedema with an ace or arb. the most serious side effects are angioedema, low blood pressure, kidney problems, or high blood potassium.

ask your doctor about entresto. snnlt the second in command of the santa clara sheriff's office is formally on leave. he is charged with an alleged role for concealing permits for the re-election campaign. the grand jury also indicted captain james jensen. prosecutors plan to outline the exact nature of the charges against the two on monday. >> today is transgender day of remembrance. they raised the trans pride flag. how one bay area artist is

marking this special day. >> it is not every day that supervisors raise a transgender flag above city hall. just one day a year, this day, november 20th. a day with a name and a purpose. >> i was born kit. i was named monica. >> this afternoon, she spent the day editing clips for nine films that will air this weekend as part of the transgender day of remembrance. >> when bubbles was shot and killed in san francisco's tenderloin three years ago, it marked yet another murder of a transgender person in the bay area and across the nation. that death, part of a much longer list.

from 2020, there are 33 names. >> early 30s. that's the life speck attentiony. then we should ask ourselves, why? we have a society that for whatever reason has created the us and them mentality. 1590 feet of letters that take on new meaning from a distance. all black, trans, queer, women, disabled, imprissed. lives matter. >> these are identities that don't always make the news media when our lives in danger. >> reporter: the day of remembrance, 30 years and running, though really it is every day. >> a nonprofit serving the community has a new center. the official ribbon cutting took place today and included a special social distance open

house. they worked a broad range of issues including immigration and social justice advocacy. the new center is inside donated space in a special home painted yellow and pink. in foster city today, quite a few people were on the bay trail. running or walking. tomorrow will be another good day to get

good news for anyone looking for outdoor activities. bay point shoreline has reopened after more than a year of construction. crews have been working on parking, better bathrooms and trails. it was also built to withstand climate change like rising sea levels. now sandhya, it's inching closer to thanksgiving. you can start to predict the weather. >> yes. and the weather cannot be better

for thanksgiving. it is going to be cold at night and mild during the day. let me show you a live picture. this is what is to come. a gorgeous view as the sun set. mid to upper 50s, novato, napa, livermore, you're starting to feel the cooldown. concord, 62 degrees. a lovely view from our golden gate camera. not a lot in the way of clouds and fog to hold the temperatures up. bundle up. it will be a cold one. 60 in oakland, 59 in san jose. if you're getting out of town, here's a look at your hawaiian airlines travel forecast. bay area airports, sunny and mild. light winds, mid 60s. as you look at honolulu, it is in the warm category. chicago will be looking at

partly sunny skies. los angeles, mostly cloudy, 75 degrees. live doppler 7 locally showing you the absence of rain. we need it. we don't have any in the forecast, as you'll notice on the wider perspective. everything is going up and to the north of us. into the pacific northwest where the storm track will remain right through thanksgiving. here's a live look from our san jose camera. it is looking bright and sunny. santa rosa, lake port, 31 degrees. it will be code in livermore and concord. morgan hill, 30s. if you have early morning walks planned with the dog or you'll go out for a run, i would bundle up. 68 in the south bay, morgan hill, 66 in san jose. a few high clouds and that will be it on the peninsula.

san francisco, 63 degrees and it will be bright skies in the north bay. 67 in san rafael. east bay, 65 oakland, 63 free mont. in the mid to upper 60s. pretty mild. a subtle change. it will throw more clouds our way and cool us down a little bit. so here's the accuweather forecast. it will be just gorgeous to sit outside and have a nice meal with your immediate family. mid 50s to mid 60s with bright skies continuing into friday. >> that's something to be thankful for. nice weather so we can be outside. >> i agree. >> and as christmas trees start to go up here and across

abundant wind and solar energy, we have the power to take on climate change. use less from 4 to 9 pm to keep california golden.

and i live in san francisco, california. i have been a sales and sales management professional my whole career. typical day during a work week is i'm working but first always going for a run or going to the gym. i love reading. i love cooking healthy. it's super important to me. i was noticing that i was just having some memory loss. it was really bothering me. so i tried prevagen and it started to work for me. i wish i had taken prevagen five or ten years ago. prevagen. healthier brain. better life. abc7 wants to remind you to

wear a mask for you, your loved ones and your community. please, wear because you care. coming up new on abc7 news at 6:00, looking into the death of a former marine who was missing for a month before his body was found. plus, the coronavirus outbreak in berkeley. the focus is on golden gate field. and michael finney is back tackling issues with the e.d.d. and the problems people are having getting unemployment checks and stimulus checks. all coming up with more at 6:00. but finally, as we wrap up the week west wanted to take a lighter note of all the christmas trees starting to be installed. >> yes. the trees are up in washington, d.c., san francisco and sack. if 2020 were a christmas tree, we now have an idea what it might look like. >> reporter: when cincinnati's christmas tree arrived all

trussed up -- ♪ it's beginning to look a lot like christmas ♪ >> reporter: the tree detonated on twitter. you think you're having a bad year? this is the city of cincinnati's actual downtown christmas tree. it was called miss shapen, pathetic. >> patchy gaps, missing branches. >> reporter: the cartoonist needled the tree. someone suggested it looks line cynthia from rugrats. >> you're cranky and you need a nap. >> reporter: the tree didn't sound yank on its own twitter account. like all of us, i'll just doing the best i can in these trying times. some defended it. i feel like cincinnati's christmas tree looks. just throw some tinsel and lights on and let us be. posted someone else, cincinnati's christmas tree looks like it has covid. stop with the insults. people noted the tree definitely exudes a good grief charlie brown vibe. but will ornaments help?

>> i've killed it. oh! >> reporter: the team in charge of the tree in fountain square acknowledges the jokes. >> we know it is funny and it looks goofy. >> reporter: they say just wait until it's fluffed up and beautified and it began to shape up. this, by the way, is what fluffing looks like. how it started, how it is going. linus had the perfect line. >> i never thought it was such a bad little tree. >> reporter: with a little, make a lot of tender loving care. even a battered tree can bounce back. ♪ to the newborn king >> reporter: new york. >> all trees deserve love. i really believe that. >> i agree. i really love that. world news is next.

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learn more at factsonhand.com today. tonight, several developing stories as we come on. seeking emergency approval as pfizer officially requests authorization for its covid-19 vaccine. the possible timeline. when americans may start receiving the first doses. the lines to get tested growing tonight as the pandemic pummels the nation. more than 186,000 new cases. and nearly 2,000 u.s. lives lost in just 24 hours. also tonight, looming lockdowns? the new restrictions. an overnight curfew in california. in newark, new jersey, a ten-day stay-at-home advisory. new york city on the verge of a major step backwards. and tonight, the growing lines at food banks as millions fall into poverty during this pandemic. some parents skipping their own