building a better bay area for a safe and secure future, this is abc 7 news. we can begin to turn millions of americans' hopes into reality. a sigh of relief for so many americans, a vaccine is on the way. the fda has cleared the way for pfizer's covid-19 vaccine, distribution of the doses could start today. among those first to get the shot will be health care workers and those in long term care facilities. good morning, everybody, it's saturday, december 12th, i'm liz kreutz. we are joining you now instead of "good morning america" because we are bringing you college football on abc at 9:00 a.m. it is a busy morning, lots of news to get to. pfizer says it expects to have a vaccine rolling out of the kalamazoo facility tomorrow morning. a couple of hours ago the fda tried to reassure americans that the covid vaccine is safe to

use. we applied our high standards of review, in reviewing this product, so that americans can have trust and confidence that the vaccine meets fda's rigorous standards for safety and effectiveness. we are near the end, what has been truly a year unlike any other in modern times. while this year has been marked by tragedy, sadness and sacrifice, it is also a year that has generated unparalleled scientific achievement that will resonate for many future generations. >> the fda commissioner there and the fda added they plan to be completely transparent with the public, they will release documents how their decision was made to give the vaccine emergency approval. and this is the letter to pfizer that made it official, saying the fda reviewed the data and determined the vaccine was safe for emergency use for people 16 and older. the systems are in motion for distribution to begin. abc 7 news reporter luz pena has more on what could be the beginning of the end of an

outbreak that has killed hundreds of thousands of americans. >> reporter: the wait is over. hospitals across the country are gearing up to receive the first batch of the pfizer covid-19 vaccine. president donald trump categorizing this -- >> this is one of the greatest scientific accomplishments in history. >> reporter: according to operation warp speed 3 million doses of pfizer's vaccine are expected in the first shipments nationwide. >> the first vaccine will be administered in less than 24 hours. the governors decide where the vaccines will go in their state and who will get them first. we want our senior citizens, health care workers and first responders to be first in line. >> reporter: for distribution california created a framework, where health care workers and nursing home residents will receive the first doses followed by essential workers at risk of exposure to the virus. >> which means there's 327,600 doses of the vaccine on their way to the state of california. >> reporter: the authorization

of the pfizer vaccine comes as more than 291,000 americans have died from the virus. according to the cdc. >> together, with other vaccine manufacturers, this collaboration is expected to deliver hundreds of millions of doses to americans by the end of next year. >> reporter: after nearly 44,000 people were part of the clinical trial, the fda found the vaccine is over 90% effective, but it's still unclear how long the vaccine protection will last. governor newsom announced on wednesday that california is expecting 672,000 doses of moderna's covid-19 vaccine once authorized. in the newsroom, luz pena, abc 7 news. it will be a while before most americans can get the vaccine, but many bay area residents are taking this news as a hopeful sign. >> very excited for it. hoping that people will still follow the precautions, even though the vaccine is here,

because it's going to take a long time for all of us to get it. >> happy, really happy, excited for it to be available. >> it's two-sided for me, it was kind of quick so the skeptic in me says, oh, man, it's kind of kick. did they go through the proper checks, the proper channels? you know, is it really best for public safety right now? then the second half of me is like, yes, now we can finally begin to slowly reopen, yes, now we have some hope. >> i'm sure so many people in the bay area are feeling that exact same way right now. the state, though, is still determining who will be next in line for the vaccine behind health care workers and nursing home residents, abc 7 news reporter matt boone looks at what's being done to make sure powerful businesses or wealthy people can't just buy their spot in line. >> reporter: so phase 1a is first and then phase 1b, likely essential workers and then a tiered system within that. the makeup of those tiers, though, is still being worked

out. >> i think it would be a mistake to pretend that it's completely immune from the potential for political influence. >> reporter: david magnus is a biomedical ethics professor at stanford university. >> we're trying to as much as possible maximize the amount of benefit, minimize harm. >> reporter: broadly he expects the process in california to be ethical. but what is being done to make sure a powerful person or industry can't purchase access. >> it helps that at the largest levels these decisions are being made and these recommendations concretely are being made by individuals who are clearly pretty high minded people being motivated by considerations of equity, justice, trying to make sure -- and it's a pretty transparent process. >> reporter: one of those people helping craft california's vaccine rollout list is dr. louise aaronson. >> the process so far seems incredibly rigorous and thoughtful and impressive. >> reporter: she's part of the state's drafting guidelines work group. as the first vaccines make their way to california, their group is

currently writing the phase 1b tiers, she can't reveal what that will look like yet but she says they learned a lot from the uneven way testing was rolled out. >> that all happened really quickly without much planning and with at least, at the federal level, a government that didn't want to take charge across the nation. >> reporter: she hopes the vaccine rollout is more transparent, though with limited supply for now, she cautions -- >> it's not going to go the way everyone wants. >> reporter: matt boone, abc 7 news. and holiday shipping could be slowed down because of the coronavirus vaccine. fedex and ups will ship the first wave of covid-19 vaccines across the united states over the next few days. this is expected to disrupt an already busy shipping process. experts say shoppers are making more online purchases than ever before this year. they are warning people to ship packages early so that they arrive on time for the holidays. keep in mind, the deadline for ground shipping for ups, fedex and the u.s. postal service is december 15th for delivery by christmas. and the centers for disease control and prevention is

holding a virtual emergency meeting this morning, happening right now, to discuss the fda's approval of pfizer's coronavirus vaccine. this is a live look at that virtual meeting that's happening now, later today the cdc is expected to vote on whether to recommend it. that meeting is happening now, and is under way, we'll bring any updates as they come in. we are dedicated next week to bringing you in depth coverage from our team of reporters and medical experts on the vaccine, if you have questions about the vaccine we'll try to answer all of them in our vaccine week, just head to abc7news.com/vaccine to submit your questions. and also monday night at 10:00, a special edition of "20/20, the shot, race for the vaccine," this will cover the safety, access and timing of the vaccine. don't miss that monday at 10:00. we had our first rain as well in about a month last night. so more good news. how's today looking? let's get over to frances dinglasan with a check of the forecast. hey, frances. >> hi, liz.

good morning, everyone, it's actually going to be mostly dry the rest of the day but we're still dealing with a few lingering showers and i want to show you that with live doppler 7. we did have some rain falling over the past hour in mount hamilton and the mountains east of san jose and north of gilroy. as you can see here little bits of green but here's your day planner for today. so mostly cloudy for the rest of us, spotty showers still possible over the next few hours, drying out, definitely by lunchtime, temperatures in the 50s. sunset's at 4:51. and we'll be near 60 degrees in the afternoon for many bay area locations. dropping into the 40s for inland areas this evening. and then get ready for our next round of rain, it arrives very late tonight, and continues through tomorrow morning, i'll let you know how much more you can expect in your neighborhood coming up. >> all right, frances, thank you. the vaccine news comes just as california is breaking more pandemic records. the state reported a whopping

35, 468 newly diagnosed cases yesterday, a single day record, the number of deaths is 159. records also were set with hospitalizations and people in the icu, and the bay area saw its icu capacity drop to 16.7%. remember, just a few days ago it was 25%. if it hits 15%, the entire region has to enact a stay at home order. and a covid-19 outbreak in santa clara county tied to a private youth basketball program that traveled to a tournament last month. there are 77 case, including 39 players, three coaches, and 35 additional contacts. the investigation has also revealed 17 more cases in other counties. officials say the program was in violation of local and state health orders, and has been cited. and we have new details this morning about the covid outbreak at golden gate fields in berkeley, likely all of the 541 workers had reportedly been exposed to the virus. according to the chronicle more than 300 people have tested

positive. berkeley's health department ordered nearly 200 employees who have not tested positive to quarantine away from the track for 14 days to stop the surge. the city says it's assuming that everyone who works there has been exposed. one trainer has died from the virus. it's unclear when the track is going to reopen. and happening today, playgrounds in santa clara, and across the state are reopening, but santa clara specifically are reopening for the first time since the start of the pandemic, earlier this week, remember california updated its stay at home guidelines to allow outdoor playgrounds to stay open. the state is requiring face masks to be worn at all times, and encouraging social distancing. there will be a limit on how many people can be at a playground and for how long. the city has spent the week sanitizing equipment, and putting up signage. >> and in the north bay, a stay at home order is now in effect in sonoma county, coronavirus cases have doubled in recent days, leading the county to shut down outdoor dining and close hair and nail salons. gyms will remain open, but only for outdoor operations.

sonoma county says all three of its hospitals have icu capacity above the state's threshold of 15%. san mateo, napa and solano are the only places that have not enacted a stay at home order. you can see what's open and what's closed in your county anytime. our team is constantly updating this exclusive county tracker, as new guidelines come in. you can check it out at abc7news.com, or on the abc 7 news app. and today is the last day to get a free flu shot at the santa clara county fairgrounds. officials say people sick with the flu crowd hospitals and urgent care clinics, urging people to save hospital capacity for those who need it most. the fairgrounds are open from 9:00 to 4:00 today. still ahead, part of lake tahoe is locking down as covid cases rise there. but will bay area tourists listen? and state officials, have set a new opening date for the dungeness crab fishing season, when fishermen will be able to hit the waters again, just in

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#. the zodiac killer terror rised the bay area more than 50 years ago and the murders remain -- the 340 cipher, an encoded message the killer sent has finally been solved. abc 7 i-team reporter dan noyes spoke with members of the international team that finally cracked it. >> reporter: the zodiac killer is responsible for five murders in the late 60s, usually at lovers lanes around the bay area and a san francisco cab driver. the most compelling piece of evidence, this 340 character cipher sent to the san francisco chronicle, a puzzle unsolved all that time until now. a programmer from belgium, a mathematician from australia and a cryptologist from the united states cracked the code last weekend. i spoke with david oranchak from his home in virginia. >> by saturday morning we had a pretty good idea of what the full message was and i contacted

the fbi and within minutes they confirmed the solution to me. >> reporter: one of the first lines that appeared from the cipher was a major clue, that wasn't me on the tv show. someone claiming to be the zodiac had called into the kgo morning show in 1969. >> that's what really stood out and that's when i knew, okay, this has got to be something real, and that's when my heart rate just really shot up. >> reporter: in the rest of the message the zodiac taunts law enforcement saying he's not afraid of the gas chamber and i hope you're having lot of fun trying to catch me. >> an early version of the troll where he's trying to evoke a response from people by manipulating their emotions through this persona he's crafted around his crimes. >> reporter: while he's thrilled he and the team have cracked the code he worries about the effect on the victims' families. >> the message that comes out is another one of those -- you don't want to see that, however many years later, after you're

trying to process what's been done to your family members. >> reporter: oranchak had to wait several days while the fbi contacted the families. he has made a fascinating video of how they cracked the code, and i'm posting a link to it at abc7news.com. for the i-team, dan noyes, abc 7 news. fascinating story, and abc 7 has been covering the zodiac killer from the very beginning, we went back and pulled several of our stories from the archive. you can stream them all right now on our abc 7 bay area app on roku, amazon fire, and apple tv. san francisco is holding a gun buyback event today, it is being put on by gun violence prevention group united playaz. sfpd and the mayor's office. they hope it will lower fire arm related crimes in the city. related crimes in the city. owners can drop off handguns and assault rifles for $200. completely anonymous. since 2014 they have taken nearly 2,000 guns off the streets of san francisco, the event runs from 8:00 this morning until noon.

many bay area art and cultural institutions are finding ways to connect with people of all ages despite being closed due to covid and for the tech interactive in downtown san jose that includes engaging with visitors online instead of in person. it launched an entirely new website featuring interactive challenges and virtual field trips delivering exhibits to thousands of homes and opening countless minds. >> at the heart of the mission is to make innovators and problem solving skills. we realize when the pandemic hit we had to close our doors that all of the staff put those skills to work. >> it's been wonderful to see the dedication to try to keep the building going. >> reporter: curators have created a new 5,000 square foot exhibit called solve for earth using technology and other interactive displays to teach about our environment and sustainability. and we have been covering the state of the arts all this past week so if you want to read about more organizations or help out we have information on how you can do that at abc7news.com/betterbayarea.

click on state of the arts. bay area catholics, especially in the latino community, urged to roll back plans for lady of guadalupe day today due to the spike in covid cases. local church leaders in santa clara county are asking the faithful not to gather with others to celebrate the feast day, which marks an appearance of the virgin mary to a young indigenous man on december 12th, 1531. it's a national holiday in mexico. officials say drastic measures are needed to protect the latino community. >> sacrificing today ensures the celebration of many, many more years to come so we sacrificed thanksgiving in order to have many more thanksgivings, we sacrifice how we do our celebration to our beloved lady in order to be able to celebrate -- >> 56% of covid cases in santa clara county are in the latino community. lake tahoe is closed to

visitors for at least the next three weeks. it's part of the greater sacramento region which became subject to the state's stay at home order after icu capacity dipped below 15%. among other things that means non-essential travel is off limits. some hotels have been cancelling reservations, but we found some people preparing for ski season at sports basement and they are still planning their trips for now. >> less concern about when we are actually skiing since we'll be distancing with each other. we'll have our mask on. so in terms of that, i think it's pretty safe. >> i'm not going to be near nobody, by myself snowboarding. >> businesses on the california side are closing, the nevada side remains open with fewer restrictions. >> and california set the opening date for dungeness crab fishing season, the fish and wildlife department says the season will start december 23rd. the official opening date was november 15th but had been delayed to protect migrating

whales from getting trapped in fishing nets. last year's commercial season was also put on hold to protect the whales. all right, frances, tracking the forecast for us this morning with that rain. >> yeah, definitely, liz. in fact, we have had some measurable rain over some of the higher elevations, just in the past hour, but for most everyone it's dry, although we are dealing with some fog right now. here's a look at live doppler 7, you notice we are picking up some returns. just in the higher elevations. east of san jose at this point. so we are starting to quickly dry out as well. and check out this gorgeous live shot as we look over the bay. we're even seeing a little bit of blue there, break in the clouds. temperatures are in the 50s for the most part, san francisco 54, oakland 58, san jose 54, and half moon bay still socked in, with visibility down to a fourth of a mile because of the fog. the fog is starting to lighten up, though, across the golden gate bridge as you can see here with this live shot and roads

are drying out. it's been cooler in the north bay, santa rosa still hanging on to 46 degrees. fairfield at 48 right now, concord at 49 degrees. and here's another pretty shot from our roof looking out towards the ferry building. here's what you can expect, so we have a few more lingering showers in the morning but mostly dry for everybody for the rest of the day. another wave of rain arrives tomorrow. in fact, it arrives really late tonight and will continue overnight. the heaviest rain will be overnight and into the morning hours and with that comes a coastal flood advisory, and a high surf advisory that starts tomorrow as well. on abc storm impact scale, this storm is a 1 out of 5. it's light. periods of rain through tomorrow. mainly light to moderate but we could see some heavier rain in the hills and also in the mountains. and i want to show you forecast animation so you notice today mostly dry, just cloudy throughout the day. and then 8:00 tonight we'll start to see a wave off the

coast, but it really doesn't move in until about 4:00 in the morning to the north bay. the areas of yellow showing you the more moderate rainfall. it slides south by 8:00 in the morning. the bay area under quite a bit of rain, or widespread rain, and then by lunchtime, it starts to taper off again, also bringing snow to the sierras, you can see in the white and pink over there, and then we start to dry out for the beginning of the workweek. so rainfall amounts expected, anywhere from a quarter of an inch to another half an inch tonight to tomorrow and highs today will be near 60 degrees with the cloud cover. so you can get out today. just grab a jacket and whatever you need to do to walk your dog as well. here's a look at lows, 40s to near 50 around the bay area, lots of cloud cover with that rainfall. here's the accuweather seven-day forecast, so lingering showers, but again, mostly dry if you need to get out today, steadier rain overnight through tomorrow morning, slightly cooler as well.

brighter skies on monday, we'll be drying out, but then we have our next chance of rain heading our way, towards thursday, and then possibly as we look way ahead into the future, even into next weekend, and we are hoping for that rain, liz, because we are well below average, only at about 10 to 20% of the season right now. >> yeah, we've been waiting for this, so people are saving hundreds on the most reliable in a land not so far away, network with xfinity mobile. they can choose from the latest phones or bring their own.

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celia cruz was still winning grammys at 77 john wheeler illuminated our ideas of the universe at 70 and roger crouch was 56 when he first went into space your best is yet to come this past week we've been exploring the state of the arts in the bay area, with so many struggling through this pandemic. one of the groups that's trying itself best to hang on is a wonderful local nonprofit called performing which offers music, theater, dance and art classes to low income children in marin city. tonight is their 30th anniversary gala and it's going virtual.

executive director felecia gaston said they're trying to adapt as best they can, going door to door dropping off baskets with arts and activities for children. >> as a little girl i wanted to take ballet when i was growing up in georgia. it wasn't available because of segregation. today the reason i started performing stars is to provide an opportunity for children to be able to get connected to the arts. because it provides character, discipline, self-esteem, confidence, all of these things which makes you to be a more productive person. >> how has the pandemic sort of changed for you guys, changed how you raise money, changed what you're able to offer? >> yes, when -- in march when the pandemic hit, automatically we had to -- everything just stopped and so we were not able to provide any of our after school or summer program in the way that we normally would be doing, and especially because we

were planning to get ready for our 30-year anniversary. we were planning a big gala, sitdown gala at the jewish community center, 300 people, people paying $100 a person to support our after school and summer enrichment programs but it became clear in march that we had to refocus and say no, this is going virtual. >> the performing stars 30th anniversary virtual gala is tonight at 6:00. you'll hear from alumni. including the now principal dancer at boston ballet. tickets available on the group's website, starting at about $30. check it out at performingstars.org. still to come on abc 7 mornings, a live update from operation warp speed is about to begin in a few minutes, after the fda has when i found out . . . . . . i had hiv, it was difficult for . . . . . . me to accept. i decided . . . . . . hiv doesn't define me. my name's dimitri. and i'm on biktarvy. biktarvy is a complete, one-pill, once-a-day treatment . . .

. . . used for hiv in certain adults. it's not a cure, but with one small pill . . . . . . biktarvy fights hiv to help you get to and stay undetectable. that's when the amount of virus is so low . . . . . . it cannot be measured by a lab test. serious side effects can occur, including kidney problems and kidney failure. rare, life-threatening side effects include a build-up of lactic acid and liver problems. do not take biktarvy if you take dofetilide or rifampin. tell your doctor about all the medicines and supplements you take, . . . . . . if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, or if you have kidney or liver problems, including hepatitis. if you have hepatitis b, do not stop taking biktarvy without talking to your doctor. common side effects were diarrhea, nausea, and headache. if you're living with hiv . . . . . . keep loving who you are. and ask your doctor if biktarvy is right for you.

building a better bay area for a safe and secure future, this is abc 7 news.

good morning, again everybody, a busy saturday here as we learn more about the vaccine that is now authorized and soon to be on its way to california. but first, if you are just joining us, let's get you another quick look at the weather. we are tracking that rain. hey, frances. >> hi, liz. and the rain is on its way out of the bay area right now. we have a few possible lingering showers in the next few hours, but as we look at live doppler 7 you notice that we are drying out and we have some cloud cover and some fog, and that's what we'll be dealing with over the next few hours, pretty live shot from emeryville, looking out towards the bay, so temperatures in the 50s, with the spotty showers over the next few hours, but drying out by lunchtime, sunset's at 4:51. lots of cloud cover but temperatures near 60. and then tonight, temperatures will drop into the 40s for the inland areas first, around bay low 50s, increasing clouds, rain arrives and next system, overnight tonight through tomorrow, and i'll have all those details and how much more rain you can expect in your

neighborhood. liz? >> all right, frances, thank you. shipping of the first covid-19 vaccine could start as early as today. this comes just one day after the fda gave the go ahead for pfizer's vaccine to be distributed here in the u.s. abc news reporter ty hernandez has more on the rollout. >> reporter: as early as this morning pfizer is expected to begin shipping the first 2.9 million doses of the coronavirus vaccine to more than 600 locations across the u.s., after the fda authorized the country's first vaccine for people aged 16 and over late friday. president trump praising the effort. >> we are deeply grateful to every person who has worked round the clock on this monumental national project to save lives. >> reporter: health and human services secretary alex azar calling the authorization nothing short of a miracle. the fda saying it is not sacrificed scientific standards but adds it's unclear how long immunity will last after a person receives both doses. among the first to get immunized

will be health care workers, and those in long-term care facilities, pfizer which produced the vaccine alongside german company biontech will ship the doses from its michigan warehouse directly to sites preselected by governors and local health officials. >> we could be seeing people getting vaccinated, monday, tuesday of next week. >> reporter: the cdc projects the u.s. death toll could reach 362,000 by january 2nd, nearly 70,000 americans in just three weeks. >> we are in the time frame now that probably for the next 60 to 90 days we're going to have more deaths per day than we had in 9/11 or pearl harbor. >> reporter: ty hernandez, abc news, new york. the vaccine's authorization is prompting a huge demand for dry ice, needed to pack millions of doses for shipments around the world. abc 7 news reporter cornell barnard toured the bay area company ready for the challenge. >> so you can see here these are the 5/8 inch pellets here. >> reporter: a big chill of

pacific dry ice, where thousands of frozen pellets and blocks are standing by. >> all hands on deck with the covid-19 vaccine. >> reporter: the operations manager says his crew and manufacturing plant are gearing up to produce enough dry ice needed to pack covid-19 vaccine doses for shipment across the bay area and west coast. the pfizer vaccine must be kept at 94 degrees below zero fahrenheit. >> dry ice is at minus 109, which is the main reason why dry ice is a great product to use to keep the vaccine cold. >> reporter: manager tim ramos is getting a lot of calls. >> we're getting ready to help people out. help the counties out. got a call today from napa county looking for ice. >> reporter: dry ice, once a fun prop for halloween, is now playing a critical role in the pandemic. >> dry ice is just solid co 2, carbon dioxide. >> reporter: its shelf life is short, but dry ice is constantly fogging itself back into gas,

ten pounds can disappear within 24 hours. so the more dry ice the better to keep vaccines safe during transport. >> it's going up in smoke as we speak. >> reporter: but supplies of the gas used to make dry ice may not keep up with demand. >> overall there is a finite supply of co 2. which equates to a finite supply of dry ice. >> reporter: no shortages yet and for now destinations are unknown. this company like others across the country are ready to roll and freeze to help a country in need. >> it's great to be part of the solution and to play our part in getting it from, you know, manufacturer to distribution to, you know, the folks that need it. >> reporter: cornell barnard, abc 7 news. the bay area could be vaccinating health care workers as early as next week, bay area counties like marin are receiving vaccines from state stockpiles on a per capita allocation with some modifications based on the number of hospitals.

for instance, marin county is going to receive nearly 2,000 doses of the pfizer vaccine, meantime kaiser permanente tells abc 7 news it's applied to be a vaccine provider in every market where it operates and will offer it to those who meet the criteria in each phase of it as well. we want to get you live to a press briefing happening right now with operation warp speed regarding the vaccine. let's listen in. >> ups, fedex, federal and local law enforcement agencies to ensure safety and security of the vaccine. make no mistake, distribution has begun. right now boxes are being packed and loaded with vaccine with emphasis on quality control. within the next 24 hours they will begin moving vaccine from the pfizer manufacturing facility to the ups and fedex hubs. and then it will go out to the

636 locations nationwide. which were identified by the states and the territories. we expect 145 sites across all the states to receive vaccine on monday. another 425 sites on tuesday. and the final 66 sites on wednesday, which will complete the initial delivery of the pfizer orders for vaccine. at the sites the vaccine will marry up with the ancillary kits that we've already distributed. these kits include needles, syringes, dilutant and other supplies necessary to administer the shots. and we remained agile and adaptive to what the situation brings to us. as we work through many time zones, many areas of concern, we will manage the distribution on

a day-to-day process. it is only through the foundation established by the incredible experts of cdc, the capability and capacity of commercial industry, including pfizer, mckesson, fedex, ups, walgreens, cvs and many others, and most importantly the governors, public health officers and health care communities, that this plan will be successful. energy, the whole of america approach, i am absolutely 100% confident that we are going to distribute safely this precious commodity, this vaccine needed to defeat the enemy covid. many of you want to know who will receive the first vaccine. and while i leave that up to the experts at the health and human services organization, i remind you of this.

nearly 100,000 americans have already rolled up their sleeves and participated in clinical trials across america. they were the true first recipients of the vaccine. they deserve our utmost respect and appreciation. without them we could not be here today, true american heroes. this is a monumental week for us all as we distribute the first millions of doses of vaccines to the american people. but each week that follows we will have more doses ready for allocation and distribution. we are also posturing for the phase -- to phase in moderna vaccine if they receive an eua. this is about a steady cadence of delivery to bring the american people to a place of confidence that vaccine is coming. we want to ensure the vaccine arrives safely, and that it can

be effectively administered once arrival occurs. it is so important that all vaccine that's available is utilized as a shot in an arm and nothing is wasted. this is our sole focus, every single day, every waking minute that we have. we know every day american lives are lost. more fall ill every day. more struggle with the circumstances of the pandemic. so while today we applaud everybody who's been a part of the team, part of the collaboration, part of the success that's brought us here today, we know that we are not done. we are not done until every american has access to the vaccine. to every american that wants it receives it. this is our only goal. we work every day to achieve it. i ask all of us to be vigilant,

to understand what we're doing, to collectively read about the vaccines. to make decisions about the vaccine and your use of it accordingly. i think it will be a wonderful time as we deliver more vaccines every day, and more and more people receive the vaccine. we'll be working hard the next couple days to ensure these first shipments go very well. it is the foundation for all future deliveries. i know you will have questions, so i commit to keep updates to you on a regular basis, starting with monday morning as we go through an update on where we are operationally. i have 100% confidence that we will get the vaccines to the american people, and that it will be safe, and it will be secure when it arrives. so i want to say thanks to everybody for getting us here today. i want to say thanks for your time to listen to my comments,

and now i'm ready for some questions that you may have. thank you. >> all right, you're listening to operation warp speed there, the u.s. army giving an update on how the vaccine is going to be transported, assuring folks that it will be done safely and efficiently, and that they will be very transparent in this process. we will be continuing to stream

safari west in santa rosa may be closed but today they will host a virtual fundraiser,n safari west live includes giraffes, rhinos and so much more to anyone around the world. today's fundraiser is called romp with the beasts, raising money to expand their new program. the event starts at 5:00 tonight on the safari west website. and let's get over to frances now, you are looking in great holiday spirit, frances, with your beautiful christmas

tree. >> thanks, liz. i try. we've got a great day ahead of us because we're getting a break from the rain and the showers. there may be a few lingering showers during the morning hours but enjoy this pretty shot from emeryville looking out toward san francisco where there's thick fog along the coast. oakland got .2 of an inch with this last system. i'll let you know how much rain you can expect with this next system, and when you can expect

here a live look outside from our mt. tam camera, the fog is out, sun is up, very nice. there's a nonprofit this oakland helping cats find the perfect home, cat town, matches stray cats with those looking to adopt. >> our adoption center here is cage free so the cats are free roaming in a large space. once we take fear out of the equation the cats can show who

they truly are and blossom and find loving homes. ♪ >> cat town is a nonprofit animal welfare cat rescue o, our mission is to help cats from the local shelter system most at risk of youth nay sha, we do that by taking the cage out of the equation, cats in a traditional shelter often react with fear to the scary shelter environment. it's an opportunity to just come into a relaxing, welcoming space. with creative art and structures, see some miniature oakland landmarks and just have a fun relaxing time with cats. and so, yeah, people generally

really enjoy it. there's -- kids have a great time here too, lots of fun cats to play with. sort of the traditional rescue model most organizations are helping a high volume of animals, that are young, healthy, confident, you know, highly desirable pets. cats that most really need help of an outside organization are the least likely to get it. they're the cats hiding in the back of the kennel, hissing, reacting with fear or aggression. our main focus is to help those cats that would otherwise be overlooked. because of that we've been able to help the oakland shelter reduce its euthanasia rate since 2011. ♪

>> it's just an open, welcoming place for the public. people, no pressure here, so chemocan come and just relax and have a good time with the cats. if they're interested in adoption they can take as long as they need and get to know the cats in a more natural environment before they decide to adopt. there are really, really great, wonderful pets available for adoption here at cat town, or at, you know, any of the other really wonderful rescue or shelter organizations in the area. so i definitely encourage people to adopt if they're looking for a pet. >> and you can watch more stories like this on localish.com and on all the social media pages, sweet little cats. let's get a check of the forecast now with frances dinglasan. i realize before we couldn't see you and your christmas tree. now we can. it's very pretty.

>> yeah, thank you, liz. yeah, now you can see it. it's behind me with all my homemade decorations, i actually moved it so it would be in my background, truth betold. we had a wet morning start and we're drying out, live doppler 7, you notice the showers are quickly diminishing. we just had a few showers over some of the higher elevations right now, especially mount hamilton, east of san jose, and you can see possibly off the coast as well. here's a pretty shot downtown san francisco, some break in the clouds right now. temperatures are mostly in the 50s, san francisco 54, oakland 59, san jose 54, half moon bay socked in at 55 degrees. but the fog is starting to dissipate as well. across the golden gate bridge right now. roads are drying out, cooler in the north bay, santa rosa has fog at 46 degrees, napa foggy at 52. and concord and fairfield, still in the upper 40s.

from emeryville, looking at a very calm bay at this point right now but here's what you can expect. so possibly a few more showers this morning, but then the rest of the day will be mainly dry, another wave of rain coming our way tomorrow, moves in very late tonight, and with that system comes a coastal flood advisory as well as a high surf advisory. on abc 7 storm impact scale the storm is a 1 out of 5. this continues through tomorrow, periods of rain, mainly light to moderate, but we could see some heavier rainfall in the hills and in the mountains. and that's where we'll have greater amounts as well. forecast animation shows mostly cloudy conditions, but dry throughout the day into this evening. and by 8:00 we'll notice our first wave start to move in, offshore, and then tomorrow morning, very early, overnight, we'll start to see it in the north bay, the heavier rain in yellow there near cloverdale and ukiah, slides southeast throughout the morning hours by

8:00, lots of widespread rain over the entire bay area, and then by lunchtime we'll still see some scattered left overshowers, the area of pink and white there in the sierra, that's snow up there. they have another winter weather advisory for tomorrow as well. and total rainfall amounts will range anywhere from about a quarter of an inch to half an inch, you'll notice higher rainfall amounts towards cloverdale and parts of the north bay coast as well. there's a very, very slight chance of a thunderstorm through northwest sonoma county, just to keep that in mind, highs today will be near 60s for the most part, for everybody. san francisco 60, and 61 in oakland, and in san jose. so tomorrow a wetter start. it will stay wet throughout the morning hours. we'll be in the 40s for the north bay, lakeport 43, one of the cool spots around the bay, upper 40s to near 50 degrees as that rain moves through the bay

area tomorrow morning. and a coastal flood advisory starts tomorrow as well. continues through tuesday. high tide, each morning, will be over seven feet. so expect a localized flooding, the areas highlighted in green there. here's the accuweather seven-day forecast. so a few lingering showers possible still today, but you can get out, go for a walk, walk your dog to your grocery shopping, and then steadier rain will be more difficult tomorrow morning, temperatures range in the 60s, almost all week long, brighter skies on monday. and then looking dry for the beginning of the workweek, our next chance of rain looks like it's heading our way on thursday. still a slight chance, and then hopefully next weekend we will be getting more rain, because as liz you mentioned it is easier to stay indoors, and when it is raining, and we could certainly use it because we are still well below normal for rainfall at this time. >> yeah, we sure are, and anything to get us to stay inside right now, it's so hard. all right, frances, thank you. next, hundreds of children

in the south bay will get a special holiday gift courtesy of police officers, we'll tell you all about the annual shop ♪ do you recall, not long ago ♪ we would walk on the sidewalk ♪ ♪ all around the wind blows ♪ we would only hold on to let go ♪ ♪ blow a kiss into the sun ♪ we need someone to lean on ♪ blow a kiss into the sun ♪ all we needed somebody to lean on ♪ ♪ ♪ the volvo xc90 recharge plug-in hybrid. ♪ ♪ for members like martin. an air force veteran made of doing what's right, not what's easy. so when a hailstorm hit, usaa reached out before he could even inspect the damage. that's how you do it right. usaa insurance is made just the way martin's family needs it with hassle-free claims, he got paid before his neighbor even got started. because doing right by our members, that's what's right.

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today more than 200 underserved san jose third graders will be getting a special holiday gift from police. they will be treated to a covid friendly shopping spree, it is part of the 13th annual shop with a cop event. this is video from a previous event. each child receives $125 gift card from target to spend on gifts and themselves. parents will also be given a gift card to purchase groceries. due to the pandemic, families will drive up to pick up the gifts today. let's get one final check of the forecast, a little bit dryer today, frances. >> a little drier, liz, in fact, i wanted to show you forecast animation that shows you the rain clearing out from the bay area through today. what we really have to get ready for is the rain heading our way tonight that's going to move back in overnight, again

tomorrow, and into tomorrow morning, through the bay area. and the accuweather forecast shows that basically we're going to have dry conditions starting on monday, temperatures will be hovering near 60 degrees for the most of the week and sorry about that, my graphics are a little bit behind. and then we get our next chance of rain on thursday. so expect another quarter to half an inch of rain overnight tonight, into tomorrow. liz? >> all right, frances, thank you. good seeing you as well. thank you all for joining us here on abc 7 mornings. i'm liz kreutz, along with frances dinglasan in for lisa argen. just ahead, we have another packed day of espn college football here on abc. next at 9:00 a.m., michigan state faces penn state at beaver stadium, 12:30, 17th ranked north carolina takes on 10th ranked miami at hard rock stadium, then at 4:30, usc versus ucla at the rose bowl. abc 7 news continues at 8:00

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