running out of hospital beds fast. the bay area county that says it's just a matter of days now before covid pushing its hospital system to the limit. with covid cases on the rise, what's it like inside bay area hospitals? i'm laura anthony, coming up, we'll hear from one nurse working on the front lines. also, the pandemic is dramatically increasing the demand for pets to help with loneliness and tension. why the better business bureau is urging extreme caution. and firefighters show how they're fighting fires even before they start. >> building a better bay area for a safe and secure future. this is abc 7 news. covid hospitalizations have hit a new record tonight in the bay area. and we've also just reached a new milestone for the number of deaths. now at 2,000.

good evening, everybody. >> i'm dan ashley. thank you for joining us. it's especially urgent in santa clara county. new data reveals hospitals could exceed capacity by mid-december. the county pleads with the public to follow covid-19-related rules and restrictions including the new 14-day mandatory travel quarantine. abc 7 news reporter chris ngueyn has the story. >> reporter: the coronavirus rages on, a grim assessment this afternoon, hospitals in the areas of the county hit hardist by covid-19 are nearing capacity as administrators scramble to ensure they have enough beds. more specifically the hospitals serving east san jose collectively have less than a dozen icu beds available. >> hospitals throughout the county are working together engaging in phone calls at least daily to redistribute patients as needed to ensure that we are continuing to provide safe and high quality care.

>> reporter: with the growing number of patients being admitted to hospitals each day, county leaders are urging the public to follow covid-19-related restrictions. all travel is strongly discouraged. and a mandatory 14-day quarantine remains in place for those returning or coming from more than 150 miles away. >> most laws in our society rely on us to do the right thing and do our part on a daily basis. right? that's true of encouragement. this week the county submitted its covid-19 vaccination plan to the state. detailing its plans for community engagement. and vaccine distribution and manageme management. facilities have also been constructed throughout the county to properly store the vaccines upon arrival. which will first be made available to health care workers on the front lines who have a high risk of contracting the disease. >> the decision doesn't begin with this first decision.

we'll continue to review the data on the efficacy and safety of all vaccines. >> reporter: dr. grace lee from stanford's school of medicine serves on the cdc advisory committee responsible for making vaccine recommendations. >> we will continue to re-evaluate the impact of these vaccines in the population in order to ensure that we are protecting everybody. >> reporter: steps being taken now in the midst of all this uncertainty. in santa clara county, abc 7 news. santa clara county is also dealing with covid-19 outbreaks at two of its juvenile hall facilities. nine young people and four staff members have tested positive at the main juvenile hall facility and the william james boys ranch outside morgan hill. all young people and staff who have had contact are now under quarantine. the county is conducting covid tests for all youth and staff members at both facilities. and as hospitals near capacity in santa clara county, other bay area hospitals are managing the pandemic well so far. abc 7 news reporter laura

anthony reports on how it's working despite continued heartbreak on the front lines. >> we've been dealing with this for almost a year now. >> reporter: a nurse on the covid floor at john muir medical center devery is on the front lines of the fight to save those so sick. they need to be hospitalized. it also means being there when the battle is lost. >> so we've had to deal with that quite a few times. and it's heartbreaking to just be around other human beings especially in their last moments of life and not be able to hold their hand or look at them in the eye. >> reporter: despite a surge in overall cases, so far most major hospitals in the bay area including john muir are weathering the storm. >> we have been, you know, preparing ongoing for the last ten months and so we have absolutely known that there would be another surge headed our way, but at this point, it's very, very manageable. >> reporter: sutter ucsf, stan ford and kaiser all report they, too, have adequate capacity and right now are not canceling most elective surgeries.

still, preparations are under way if things get worse. at john muir this includes this temporary waiting room outside the emergency entrance so patients can distance safely. despite the seriousness of the covid situation, this hospital and others want to remind people do not delay seeking care and don't be afraid to come in for other potentially life-threatening medical issues. >> we have been working at this for ten months, and we are absolutely ready to keep everyone safe. >> reporter: devery told us he and his colleagues are ready to treat more covid patients. but hoping for fewer. >> you have to look at the greater good right now. multiple vaccines that should be coming out pretty soon, you need to seriously consider taking them because you have to protect the general public in order to get over this virus. >> reporter: in walnut creek, laura anthony, abc 7 news. several troubling state covid records for set today. for the first time california's daily case count is above 20,000. the number of covid patients in

the hospital set another record for the fourth straight day at more than 8 rk,500. that's a 100% increase from 2 weeks ago. california's test positive rate over the past seven days is now at 7.3%. that rate was 6.9% over the last 14 days but was much higher back in may. just one week, one bay area county, i should say, remains in the less restrictive red tier tonight. marin county officials concede, though, they are seeing a rise in cases and if that trend continues, the county will move into the purple tier. could be a week, maybe two. but for now, abc 7 news reporter wayne freedman explains that marin county is a red island in a sea of purple. >> reporter: it is the bridge painted orange, golden gateway between the land of the purple covid tier in san francisco and the red in marin. >> went from purple to a red region. >> doesn't bother me. >> no? >> just a flu.

>> reporter: but here's the difference a tier can make. in san francisco there's no parking for this iconic landmark. in marin atavist vista point ag goes. >> you're not wearing a mask. >> no, we don't do that in montana. we live free in montana. >> reporter: which does not play well in neighboring sausalito. >> needs to put a mask on, everybody does. >> reporter: especially here in a place where visitors often stop first when they come in from more infected areas. it's a legitimate concern for dr. matt willis who runs marin county health. >> the possibility of sort of a destination is increasingly concerning. >> reporter: if you look at the infection rates for marin's cities, sausalito isn't even in the top five. it's number 12. but infection rates have doubled here in the last month. that's a concern and the county still tiered red likely to go to purple in one to two weeks. >> we were in orange just a couple weeks ago and our case rates are rising. they're just rising less than others around us. >> reporter: marin county tests twice as many people as the

state average. it helps to identify cases early, but people from out of town remain the unknown factors. at the sausalito bakery and cafe, farita azar wonders constantly about outsiders bringing the virus here. >> we are very close to the city and more convenient for people to come from city to visit us. for sure, it's more concern here than elsewhere. >> reporter: unrealized thus far but trending. in marin county, wayne freedman, abc 7 news. and san mateo county health officials are cracking down on businesses now that the county there is in the purple tier. many businesses can remain open in purple, but they have to adhere by certain health order requirements. a compliance team has been giving warnings, but the county manager says now they're moving to the citation phase for any business that has not complied. >> the message that we're sending to everyone right now is that this is the time to be extremely careful. to really be vigilant and to

make sure that you comply with all the said the most frequent complaints are not enforcing social distancing and not requiring masks. a couple flying from sfo to kawhi we arrested after boarding a united flight reportedly with positive covid tests. the quarantine station at sfo said it told them to isolate and not get on the plane. once they discovered that the man and the woman had boarded, anyway, sfo alerted kawhi police. after landing at the airport, police escorted them to an isolation room. they face charges of second-degree reckless endangerment tonight. maraga, a used a flame thrower-type device to do a controlled burn at painted rock, near ream boulevard and maraga road. it put up a lot of smoke in the

area. residents were asked to keep their windows closed. officials said this will help keep the area safe in event of a fire, a controlled burn today. a lot more to come here, the new timeline for approval of pfizer's coronavirus vaccine. the white house prediction. that's next. puppy scam. 7 on your side's michael finney has good advice. we may be close to a vaccine but some businesses don't have time to wait.

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all right. the white house coronavirus task force says americans who celebrated thanksgiving with people outside their household should assume they are infectious and a danger to others. the task force advises older americans that they should be warned to stay away from indoor public spaces and to have groceries and medications delivered. now, as for a vaccine, a chief scientist in the trump

administration's effort to produce and distribute a vaccine says one will come soon. operation warp speed's chief science adviser says he hopes by december 10th or 11th a pfizer vaccine is approved in the u.s. today british authorities jumped in front by approving the same vaccine today. abc 7 is committed to keeping you informed about developments with the covid-19 vaccine. we've assembled the abc 7 vaccine team to stay on top of it all. you can count on them for updates as new information comes in. volunteers are needed to try a covid-19 test intended to detect the virus in a person's saliva. stanford researchers developed the test. they say it takes no more than ten minutes to self-administer. results are expected within 30 minutes. researchers say the test has an accuracy rate similar to clinical tests performed in hospitals. the saliva test is expected to cost about $5. now, one in three small businesses is on the edge and may not survive the next thee

months without help. that's the dire forecast by the bay area group, small business majority. the economy is an important pillar of building a better bay area, of course, and while help at the federal level hasn't surfa surfaced, abc 7 news reporter david louie shows us what's being done at the state and local level. >> reporter: california is home to over 4 million small businesses. the pandemic has had the hardest impact on ones owned by minorities. and they often don't have access to traditional lenders. a public/private partnership of community groups, lenders and government has formed the california rebuilding fund to make low-interest loans to help small businesses survive. >> there's no better bet than on a small business owner who has, you know, pours their heart and soul and effort and time into making their business a success. >> reporter: $50 million has been raised so far to make short-term loans up to $100,000 that have to be repaid in 3 or 5

years at 4.25% interest. a key provision is interest only is due during the first year. deanna is an entrepreneur who has had three small businesses pre-pandemic with 30 employees. two of her businesses have closed while she focuses on keeping the restaurant, little skillet, going with a skeleton staff of seven. >> it's their families, it's helping keeping them employed and having means to survive and put food on the table which in turn helps our neighborhoods and helps the greater community. so, for me, that's my motivation. >> reporter: a loan from opportunity fund is helping her weather the pandemic. pacific community ventures says mentorship is just as important as lending capital. >> imagine your town without your favorite restaurant or your favorite shops. your main street. so keeping main street businesses alive through this crisis is really a part of keeping our communities alive as well. >> reporter: the california rebuilding fund already started receiving what it expects to be thousands of loan applications. david louie, abc 7 news.

a dream force users conference unlike any other before is now under way. salesforce ceo mark benioff kicked off the virtual event delivering opening remarks outside in the shadow of the company's massive tower. he told attendees that this wasn't the dreamforce he dreamed of because of the pandemic, but it will be one they always remember. >> we are together. we're together digitally. we're coming together spiritually. we're coming together in new ways, and that's what this dreamforce is all about. it's a dreamforce we'll never forget. it's definitely a unique dreamforce. >> he addressed the pandemic by thanking health care and essential workers. he also called business the greatest platform for change touting his company's philanthropy which has donated $120 million to public schools in san francisco and oakland. american airlines is getting ready to put the boeing 737 max back into the air. the dallas-based carrier took

reporters onboard a max flight to its tulsa, oklahoma, maintenance base to demonstrate how it was getting ready to put the jetliner back into service. the faa lifted its ban on the max last month. american will become the first u.s. airline to fly passengers on the max when it puts the plane back in the air december 29th on a flight between its miami hub and new york's laguardia airport. a popular cruise line delays plans to leave port and criminals are taking add vvanta of pet lovers. 7 on your side's michael finney is here with today's consumer news. hey, michael, you have words of advice for people looking to get a pet. >> i do. you know, we have talked about this so often on "7 on your side" and now it's getting worse. scammers are taking add van tvan an uptick in people getting pets during the pandemic. we're being warned about an increase in so-called puppy scams. the better business bureau says it has received more reports in april about fraudulent websites offering pets than in the previous three months combined.

some advice, meet the animal in person or do a videoconference with the seller and see the animal to reduce the chances of being taken in by one of these puppy scams. for anyone considering booking a norwegian cruise line vacation, you're going to have to wait. norwegian today said it will suspend its -- suspension of voyages through march of next year. will increase them. the cruise line had been booking trips in january. they say contact your travel adviser and get a refund, if need be. just in time for holiday shopping, walmart is offering free shipping for subscribers of its walmart plus plan. currently, walmart plus customers pay $98 a year for membership which includes free shipping for orders over $35. now that minimum has been

dropped. the new minimum free shipping, however, does not cover groceries. the $35 minimum is still in effect. the walmart plus program launched two months ago. it is a direct competitor to amazon's prime program. now it's a much more direct competitor. >> yeah. >> back to you guys. >> sounds like it, michael, thank you very much. all right. time to see if there are hi, i'm pat and i'm 75 years old. we live in the mountains so i like to walk. i'm really busy in my life; i'm always doing something. i'm not a person that's going to sit too long. in the morning, i wake up and the first thing i do is go to my art studio. a couple came up and handed me a brochure on prevagen. i've been taking prevagen for about four years. i feel a little bit brighter and my mind just feels sharper. i would recommend it to anyone. it absolutely works. prevagen. healthier brain. better life.

all right, liz, sandhya teases me when i say this. i'm saying it, anyway. clear and crisp today. >> it really was, sandhya. if you look outside, i mean, those are good distributors, it's quite beautiful out there. >> i actually missed that, dan, and, yes, it is absolutely beautiful, liz, outside. crisp and clear. no. we have high clouds right now, let's take a look at a live picture. it's absolutely beautiful. santa cruz camera now showing you the post-sunset glow. it's a very peaceful scene, but

don't be fooled because those waves are coming up. there's a beach hazard statement until 4:00 p.m. tomorrow. a long period swell, the west-northwest facing beaches have the highest risk. and it's going to be high to extreme risk of sneaker waves so just definitely be careful. risk of rip currents as well. what's bringing it, you see these storm systems out in the pacific, those are responsible for the swells. unfortunately, they're not bringing us any rain here in the bay area. just some clouds to look at and allowing us to enjoy some lovely sunsets. from our golden gate bridge camera right now, we do have a little bit of a breeze. some clouds out there. 59 in the city. oakland, 62. it is cooling off in gilroy, 53 degrees. 57 in san jose. temperatures today were mainly in the 60s except around solano county got up into the low 70s. here is a postcard shop from our emeryville camera as we look back toward san francisco. 58 in santa rosa. 56 in fairfield. 62 degrees right now in concord. one last live picture from our san jose camera, those are just passing clouds.

chilly nights. mild days into next week. gusty winds and fire dangers starting sunday afternoon. and there's still no rain in sight, unfortunately, over the next seven days. let's look at the hour-by-hour forecast. you'll notice some fog down below tomorrow morning and some higher clouds as well. that pattern continues until late morning. that's when we'll start to see all of that beginning to clear and by the afternoon we will be looking at plenty of sun. i think those temperatures are going to come down a few degrees as a result of the change in our weather. fog tomorrow morning, mid 30s to the upper 40s. we'll also have the higher clouds up above then tomorrow amp you'll see more sunshine, 62 in san francisco, despite the fact it starts off gray. 65 in san jose. 64 oakland. concord, liverm vallejo, mid 60s along the santa rosa, 63 degrees in san rafael. looking for rain. searching. you can see everything's going up over the pacific northwest. far northern california saturday night might see a few showers but for us we're not expecting

any precipitation. that pattern continues. look at that all way through december 9th and even beyond that. so we're still waiting on rain. the accuweather seven-day forecast, morning fog and high clouds followed by another chilly morning and a mild day on friday. we will see just minor fluctuations in those temperatures, but the winds sunday afternoon into monday morning are going to be a factor in our higher fire risk especially with such dry fuels. they're nearing record territory for december. so we'll be watching for that. and always keeping track of the crisp and clear. dan and liz? >> that's it in a nutshell, sandhya. thank you. >> that's right. >> thanks, sandhya. all right. up next, a sneak peek of the huge floating fire station. yes, floating. that

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coming up on abc 7 news at 6:00, hopes and fears about a coronavirus vaccine. hear what a ucsf doctor says keeps him up at night. our current winter surge has eclipsed the summer surge. tonight, we're going to compare the two to see which counties have it worse and which have managed to flatten the curve. plus, the bay area's biggest transit agency is in trouble, facing a budget deficit and

warning of layoffs. we're bringing in abc 7 news contributor and "krchronicle" insider to talk about this coming up in half an hour an abc 7 news at 6:00. hope you can join us then. finally tonight, san francisco is about to get a fire station, liz, unlike any other. >> that's right. drone view 7 hovered over the station which is currently floating, that's right, floating alongside treasure island. the two-story structure will be moved across the bay to pier 22 1/2. and the department decided to put the station on the water rather than on the embarcadero due to the effects of climate change. >> really exciting about it is it's going to be able to go up and down with the tides. we know if there's going to be sea level rise which we're expecting, it will be resilient for that. >> because it floats, the station will also be able to withstand earthquakes which is pretty interesting. it opens for service in the spring. very creative. >> that is so cool. >> yeah. all right. thank you all for joining us. "world news tonight" with david

muir is next. >> i'm dan ashley. for sandhya

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a formulation they recommend can be found in salonpas. salonpas. it's good medicine. hisamitsu. tonight, the new and dire warning. the covid risk to all americans is, quote, at an historic high. that warning from the white house coronavirus task force today. the head of the cdc now predicting the u.s. could see 200,000 more deaths by february. what top health officials are now telling americans over 65 about leaving the house. tonight, the uk, the first country to approve the pfizer vaccine. the rollout now under way. and here in the u.s., when authorities now say to expect emergency approval here. with that news overseas, the pfizer vaccine approved and likely soon here, we ask, how sure can americans be that it is safe? should they expect any side effects? dr. jha is right here tonight answering your questions. despite that new warning from president trump's own task force on the virus, e