building a better bay area. moving forward. finding solutions. this is abc7 news. i am kristen kristen you are watching getting answers life on abc 7, hulu live, and wherever you stream. we ask experts to get answers in real time. we have a labor and employment attorney to answer your questions about new worlds for collecting unemployment benefits. new child tax credits, rent relief and more. let's begin with rising covid- 19 cases. the state is averaging 3000 new cases a day. this is happening as doctors is are noticing breakthrough cases , vaccinated people getting covid-19. joining us to share what he has been seeing at zuckerberg

general hospital is chief of emergency medicine, dr. chris colwell. you have seen an uptick in cases among vaccinated people at zuckerberg. how big of an uptick? >> the uptick in vaccinated patients is still not a big uptick. in that group. we are seeing a significant rise in overall covid-19 cases and 10 days ago we were down to one patient in the hospital and we have been as high as nine and two in the icu. numbers are more than tripled although still very few of them are in the vaccinated cases. several have needed to be admitted to the hospital. there are cases where our breakthrough cases, getting through the vaccinations, the large majority have not been sick. thankfully even the few that have been hospitalized have been discharged and to have

done well. >> vaccinated people do seem to be asymptomatic if they catch covid-19? >> it is not asymptomatic but they are not getting sick enough to need -- to be admitted to the hospital or certainly not sick enough to go to the icu. >> to those breakthrough cases fall into a certain age category? are they older or have a certain gender? >> they do come from all all groups but they tend to be older and they tend to be those with underlying comorbidities or medical conditions. in particular type ii diabetes. also there have been otherwise healthy people that have gotten breakthrough infections. >> you mentioned most of the cases are people who had not been vaccinated. what percentage of that is the delta variant? >> about 50% and that is in the

bay area san francisco. it is higher in other places in the country. >> numbers can be been sleeting so help us understand. we have seen that in california. 74 vaccinated people have died as of july 19. do we know how many died from covid-19? do we know that? >> is an important question and the answer is we don't. some of them dead but we don't know if all 74 truly died from covid-19. some are in the older age categories with underlying conditions. we don't know the exact number that truly died of covid-19. we are seeing higher numbers of breakthrough infections. the delta variant is very infectious. >> of the 20 million people vaccinated in california, about one in 2000 have come down with covid-19.

what about efficacy? >> we haven't generate kind of data with a lot of other viruses but we do know those that have been vaccinated for the influenza have gotten the influenza. it probably is similar although we don't have the exact comparison numbers to say that. my impression based on the data is that it is similar and we have seen this before. >> why is it so shocking to people because we have seen this with other vaccines against other viruses. we knew that during the trials moderna and pfizer, 95% effective. some people will still get it. some who will look at this result and say, you see, the vaccines may be better not at that effective.

>> i would say vaccines are very effective and really it represents not only best but maybe our only real hope of getting to this pandemic. it's important to say why are we shocked. we have been now involved with the worst pandemic this world has seen in over a century. this has been a big shock to all systems and there is no question that people are looking for an end to this. in many cases all of us are desperate for an enemy. the vaccine was a true answer but this is a good reminder that all the vaccine is very effective, our best chance of getting to the pandemic, it's not perfect and we will see breakthrough infections. it is not time yet to let down our guard although we can loosen these restrictions if we are careful. >> here is a question from lisa

sullivan. how many new cases are there who have had covid-19 once before. >> we are saying that although it is equally if not even more rare that somebody who has had covid-19 in the past has gotten it. we just have evidence that came out published today. it is hot off the press. in a study published in the journal of the american medical association, they found that those had had covid-19 and gotten vaccinated are probably in the best situation of being protected against this disease. it does look like even if you have the disease, clearly there is a benefit to getting the vaccinations. the ones that have been reinfected have been those that have had an infection before but have not been vaccinated. >> i don't know of anybody who has have the disease and been vaccinated got it after that.

>> no protection is 100% but getting vaccinated is the best protection you can get. a viewer says, if i tested negative, on a rapid test, and friends tested positive, we are all fully vaccinated, what precautions should i take? must isolate be the answer? >> the real question are we potentially infected or infective without having symptoms. we don't have the perfect answer for that yet. i would be on the cautious side however most important issue is do you have symptoms. if you have no symptoms and are vaccinated, the chances of you being infectious meaning you are likely to transmit the disease is extremely low. i can't say zero but extremely low. if you have symptoms, then you need to isolate. without symptoms and fully vaccinated, the chances of that

are very low. >> we have to not confuse very low with not happening to anybody out there at all. here's a question from don. how many kids under 12 without pre-existing conditions are currently in the hospital due to covid-19? >> there are -- as far as i know, as of this morning, there are none in san francisco. i can't say that with 100% positivity because we are updating numbers. as of this morning, none were under 12 admitted to the hospital. >> i think i was reading today that mississippi's health officer says seven children in mississippi are currently in the icu with covid-19 with two on life support. does that change the conversation around covid-19's impact on children? >> that is not new.

we have had reports of young kids getting sick with this. it changes the conversation in a way that i think emphasizes that vaccinations are the answer . i think we can say there is no age group that even the healthy young patients that are young people that are truly immune from this disease are not going to potentially get sick. i think it is fair to say that the risk of having covid-19 infection is higher than the risk of the vaccine in virtually every age group. we don't have as much data for those under 12 for the vaccine, most things suggest that statement is fair for that group. >> dr. colwell, a new ucsf study shows reluctance among young adults to get vaccinated, a quarter, or so, said they would not get vaccinated. can we safely absorb that

population and safely get herd immunity? >> i am concerned and yes, i don't think it eliminates the opportunity to achieve herd immunity. it represents a big risk. the biggest risk will be in that group of unvaccinated. ifn a group chooses not to get vaccinated, they represent a risk to our achieving herd immunity. it is a service to their community. >> let's look at the national picture. it is different from state to state. a lot of it depends on the vaccination levels. chicago is asking for covid-19 test for people coming in from missouri and arkansas. what is happening there?

>> in areas with low vaccination rates, the numbers are being concerning and the time that would suggest we could face a search if we are not careful. places like chicago and others looking at reinstituting restrictions are recognizing that the patterns we see now are consistent with patterns we've seen before surges. the vaccinated population is different now and does not mean we are not still with risk. they are trying to take that preventative measure which i believe is smart. >> we will hey, i just got a text from my sister. you remember rick, her neighbor? sure, he's the 76-year-old guy who still runs marathons, right? sadly, not anymore. -what, you mean-- -mhm. -just like that. -wow. so sudden. um, we're not about to have the "we need life insurance" conversation again, are we?

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we are back with zuckerberg san francisco general emergency hospital, dr. chris colwell, chief of emergency. tell us what you think. what are the situations? the supreme court chose not to hear a lawsuit by a man in florida who wanted to get rid of this mandate on public transportation. what is your thought? >> it's hard to say. we need to be careful and keep our guard up. if i am meeting with a small group of people like 6 to 10, then i know there vaccinated, i am concerned. in bigger groups, and i don't know vaccination status indoors, i am wearing my mask. someone argued that is overly cautious. as we look at what's happening across the country and in some areas in the bay area, we need to be on the side of caution.

you can't be too cautious for preventing a surge. >> yesterday we had a hollister man who was fully vaccinated. took his first vacation in forever. drove to avoid flying. once he was there he was not wearing his mask and came home two days later and had covid-19 in a bad case. right now on facebook life, a viewer said she just got back from vegas and she is fully vaccinated and tested positive. this is becoming more common than we thought. i don't want to say is that vegas. i'm sure it is not. what should the takeaway be? >> it is not vegas. the delta variant is very infectious. it's important to differentiate infection from verlyn's. it is not necessarily creating

more severe disease but it is so infectious and clearly can get through. we do know the vaccines were not perfect so 5% or in some cases even more than that, going to get the disease even when fully vaccinated. now what we see without the is more people exposed and it's infectious. we should not be that surprised by these numbers, even in a population that is mostly vaccinated. >> what would you consider the pandemic over? we were debating that today. we were talking about the cdc saying on airplanes we will lift the mask role when the centers for disease control and prevention deems it over. we disagree. >> most importantly the answer is not yet. i know a lot of us have started to go back to normal activities almost as if it is over and it

is clearly not over. a lot of things we can debate about as to how to define that. i do believe we will fall into a situation like we do with influenza where we make it a shot every year and we see continued infections. my definition would be once we have a consistent rate for a period of three to six months, where we see no increase or decrease, then we are over the pandemic. i don't know if we will ever be totally over covid-19. >> thank you. i appreciate this conversation. thank you for sticking around to answer questions. we hope to have you again soon. next, get your labor and employment questions in now because we have

a big change in california as of three days ago affecting folks receiving unemployment. we received a lot of questions last time we did a segment. joining us not to talk more to answer your questions about lots of things is employment and labor attorney angela reddick. thank you for joining us. you are the managing partner and founder of the reddick law group. getting the extra $300 of federal unemployment benefits just got harder for californians who are out of work. what is the edd now requiring? >> we may recall 15 months ago when the pandemic started, or at least we started to go out from work related to the pandemic. people started to apply for benefits. the federal government in many

governments like california passed laws that allow for individuals to get extra money as a part of unemployment benefits during the time of the pandemic. during that time, individuals no longer had to prove they were looking for work. it was acceptable and understood if they were necessarily looking for work. what the california edd has decided as a part of incentivizing people to get back to work and get the economy moving is going back to older rules which say that in order to continue receiving unemployment benefits, whether the extended benefits or even your normal benefits, you have to prove you are looking for work. if that work is tied to your skills, your background, experiences, that it is real work you are looking for. >> what counts as proof you are looking? what are reasonable efforts?

where, when, what status. did you submit a resume. what is expected in terms of reasonable efforts is expected to at a minimum that everyone will register with the state jobsite. then it is suggested you should register with other sites like indeed and sites that are known for having jobs available and recruiting individuals. some individuals as we know don't actually want to return to their old jobs or want to do something new. the edd said that's okay but we need proof you are seeking training and retraining, or ret

doing something to advance your goals of ultimately becoming employed. >> are they really able to verify if claimants have started to look for work? >> we know the edd has been behind. this last year has been to see if individuals are applying for jobs. >> don't mess with that. >> when will california end the enhanced benefits? many states have already done so with some citing it as an

impediment to kickstarting their economy. >> i have to double check but i think it is scheduled to end the summer although the governor with the surplus we have in california is adding new benefits in terms of rental assistance, child care assistance, and possibly as a part of that, will extend the added benefits for individuals on unemployment. it is still a constantly moving target and discussion evolving. because california is in a place of having a surplus, we may see where individuals can receive support for longer than was originally expected. >> there is debate over the enhanced benefits and if it is causing worker shortages. are you seeing that? what are factors keeping people out of the market? >> a short trip way to look

it. there may be some individuals receiving unemployment benefits and would like to extend that as long as possible. the statistics show that there have been many other factors this past year. some people now are taking care of their elderly family members or parents or spouses or children are not back in school. they have family obligations that may keep them from returning to work. for others, the year has been a toll on them. wrapping the emotional and mental mindset around returning to work is challenging for some people. as employers want to get people incentivized, they have to recognize this has been a tough year on many people and it may not be an issue we will pay you more money or give you more benefits. you have to show employees you are prepared to help them and

support them and understand the impact of this year. i don't think it is just about unemployment benefits. concerns about returning to a place that will be safe and healthy. we also have this past year, the protests and the rise of black lives matter and companies making commitments to diversity and equity. some people will be looking to change companies or ensure there going back to companies that supports and when they say they will do something or commit to something that they will hold of that. there are many factors impacting the job market now. it is an employees job market. >> can employers require vaccines? >> they can.

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tonight, several developing stories as we come on the air. the chilling 911 calls just made public. the calls for help from the night of tt collapsesnhet tbull. walls ripped off, tenants trapped in the parking garage beneath. water pouring in as they tried to climb back up the stairs. and tonight, after three weeks of search and recovery missions, what we've now learned. victor oquendo in florida. the extraordinary rise in covid cases in this country fueled by the delta variant. cases now on the rise in at least 42 states. in new york city alone, cases doubling in a week. doctors in miami seeing more covid patients in their 20s and 30s. cases in missouri up 181% in a month. in