symptoms develop or worsen. serious allergic reactions may occur. learn more at cosentyx.com. >> those who have been waiting your shot now.val sh >> full approval for pfizer. the food and drug administration signs off after reviewing hundreds of thousands of pages of data. >> the public can be confident that this vaccine meets the fda's gold standard for safety, effectiveness, and manufacturing quality. >> the contact tracing technology that schools are using to protect against covid outbreaks. >> building a better bay area. moving forward, finding solutions. >> thank you for joining us. >> you're watching abc 7 news at

5:00. pfizer's approval is expected to open the door for a new wave of vaccine mandates. >> does it mean people who were hesitant before our going to get the shot now? luz: there are multiple factors influencing vaccine hesitancy among the communities. one is mistrust of government. another is mistrust of information on social media. another, safety. for the science community, it is a milestone. but for those holding off to get vaccinated, today's approval is what they were waiting for. >> that area or is now removed -- that barrier is now removed. luz: so far, more than 200 million doses of this vaccine have been an district. more than 40 million in california alone.

epidemiologist dr. rutherford sees this as a necessary step. >> the amount of data and screwed has been intense. we know what we are going to know. i don't think there is a lot more to know. luz: in line to get covid tested in the mission district, we met ruben cruz. today, instead of only getting a covid test, he was considering the vaccine. >> [speaking spanish] luz: ruben is not alone. based on the latest state, pacific islanders, asians, latinos are among the minorities with the lowest vaccination numbers. nearly 45% of latinos in california are unvaccinated. >> a small group of that is religious. some other ones were really old account for the full approval of

the vaccine. luz: 47%ifni are unvaccinated. the african-american faith-based coalition is bringing the vaccines to churches. >> fda approval is not their main concern. they are concerned in terms of the mistrust in government. >> another group that is vaccine hesitant, young adults. nearly 50% of young adults nationwide were holding off for safety concerns. >> do you believe young people will be influenced by the inconvenience of not being vaccinated, or the fact that the fda approved the vaccine today? >> i think the fact that the fda fully approved the vaccine today will be a big factor. but i do think the rules and regulations such as college vaccine requirements will sway a significant amount of young adults. luz: another aspect contributing to this hesitancy is the thought

of long-term term effects of the vaccine. dr. rutherford does not believe there will be any long-term effects of the vaccine. they say they do not propagate or get into the dna of our body. ama: what are community leaders doing to address vaccine hesitancy with this safety layer that has been lifted? luz: creating vaccine info sessions, taking them to workplaces, schools, even door-to-door. in the black community, the african-american faith coalition is targeting religious leaders, into the neighborhoods where vaccination rates are low. they tell me it is all about having those individual conversations and explaining any of these thoughts that the communities are having. larry: the pentagon says that it

will not require service members to be vaccinated, a timeline to be provided in the coming days. united airlines say employees now have until september 27 to get fully vaccinated or risk termination. the world health organization once a two-month moratorium, saying there are too many nations with low vaccination rates and they should have a chance to inoculate more of their population first. in the east bay, antioch's mayor will bring a measure to mandate that city employees, volunteers, and contractors be vaccinated or tested weekly. >> as public officials, public servants to a city employees, to serve as an example for our residents if we want to truly get past this point and reach beyond a 62% vaccination rate in the city of antioch.

213 people are covid. ama: the city ophoeciiscounty as indoors. it is a popular move with some, not so much others. >> we could call it 3% land. that is how venetia has faired compared with solano county. his 3% good enough? the mayor says no britain >> i am frustrated -- the mayor says no. >> i am frustrated because we are back at a point where we were a year ago. in the county, in the state, if everyone had been vaccinated, wearing a mask, we would have this in our rearview mirror. wayne: they are talking about

reinstating indoor mask mandates here. >> if we can all eventually build up antibodies, just like the virus, eventually it will dissipate. wayne: area county to not have an indoor mask mandate. it also has a 20% infection rate in the past few days. >> there is no question that when eight other public health records are doing one thing, our public health records are saying the opposite, you have to ask the question why. wayne: city council members say they would appreciate a mandate but they face a tough crowd. >> i would like to see it not happen. >> we will see what happens at the city council meeting

tomorrow night. ama: students go back to learning in person. there been numerous outbreaks across the country. some local educators are deploying the latest contact tracing technology to keep people safe. >> every school hopes for no interruptions caused by covid as classes resume. at woodside priory, all students will have an app on their mobile phone or tablet that will trace with whom they have been in close contact. it is a platform called trace and it is specifically designed for schools. >> they forget who they had lunch with yesterday, they forget who they interacted with in the classroom. so being able to provide more reliable information and quicker can really remove that human error from the contact tracing process. >> the data uses bluetooth to track proximity and duration of

contact. >> just provided us that confidence that if there was tracing that we needed to do, we had really clear, unequivocal data we could use. >> the database collects contact details for 14 days, then is deleted. >> our parents at those questions. that is good diligence for us, or a check for us. >> san francisco-based trace innovations says their app is being used across the u.s. and in some places overseas. >> we provide the information to then take those next steps so that the school can keep everyone calm. >> physical distancing remains an important safety protocol. >> governor newsom is: on the president for a disaster

declaration to help the state that'll -- help the state battle all these wildfires. the largest fire in the country is burning near south lake tahoe. it is only 5% contained. it is already burned 106,000 acres before it started -- since it started 10 days ago. calfire's chief says crews are doing everything they can to keep that fire out of the tahoe basin. >> i personally do not believe the fire will get into the basin proper but i could be borne wro ng about that. >> the dixie fire is 40% contained. you can get more with our interactive wildfire tracker. ama: coming up next, cycling safety on mount diablo.

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larry: the bahamas is now on the cdc list for very high risk travel destinations. that means more than 500 cases per 100,000 residents in the last eight days. people are urged to avoid travel to these level four locations. anyone who must travel should be fully vaccinated first. a stay for one mountain view couple, is not covered by their travel insurance. >> it is a trip many people dream of. >> we arrived in italy on the 18th.

>> their anniversary has turned into a nightmare. >> the night we arrived here to italy, i woke up in the middle of the night with a fever. >> the next morning, matthew tested positive for covid-19 despite he and his wife taking two tests before they left and both being fully vaccinated. now they are stuck in quarantine in their hotel for anywhere between 10 and 21 days. >> i tested negative this whole time. if i continue to test negative, i can leave on day 10 because i have been in contact with a positive case. >> the trip could end up costing them close to $10,000, a fee that will not be covered but the travel insurance they purchased. >> we thought we had really good travel insurance both through our credit card and employer. that is one of the first things we looked into. >> it is a cautionary tale, says

randy warren, who advises everyone traveling abroad to read the fine print of whatever insurance policy they may get. >> quarantine is not medical treatment, it is medical isolation without any treatment and may well be excluded. >> for now, they are hoping their story serves as a cautionary tale for others thinking they may get away. >> the risks of traveling, be fully aware of all the procedures. larry: that is a rough one. they got the travel insurance and still are not covered. we make the transition to 7 on your side. michael: more proof tonight that the pandemic is making lasting changes to our lives. we are now spending more with amazon then we are with walmart.

the new york times looking at numbers on wall street, reporting that in the 12 months ending this past june, amazon token $610 billion to walmart $566 billion. walmart sales have driven -- have risen dramatically since the pandemic but they did not keep up with amazon, who has hired half a million workers since the start of last year. another study showing just how much more we pay for homes here compared to nearly everyone else. the inspection support network looked at how much house $300,000 buys throughout the united states. san francisco at the highest prices. assuming you could find a a at the median square foot cost, that would be just a 347 square foot home. the same money buys you the most

in arkansas where at the median price per foot, $350,000 buys you a the credit card swipe will soon be a thing of the past. mastercard has announced its magnetic stripe is reaching its expiration date. the company will be the first to phase out the stripe. the company says the stripes are not used much anymore, replaced by magnetic chips and antennas. the swipe showed up in the 1960's and led to the widespread acceptance of credit cards. >> contacts lists -- is the way to go these days. ama: santa clara county received a boost today. the side of the old dick's dic's

supermarket. path ventures. developments such as google and apple are also part of this public-private partnership. >> it takes many different components to develop these types of projects. they often take a lot of time. >> the complex>> the complex>> m 4th street, is set to open at the end of next year. larry: cycling at mount diablo will get safer. the new state budget includes $1.5 million for up to 77 turnouts, which allow cyclists to pull off the road and let cars pass by. cycling enthusiasts gave credit posthumously to 88-year-old joe shammy, who was hit and killed in april. he wrote -- he advocated for

those turnouts. >> as a result of his efforts, we are dedicating the bike turnouts today to joe, the legend of mount diablo. larry: mount diablo cyclists say on a given saturday, there are 500 drivers and 700 cyclists. there is no timeline yet for construction of those turnouts. let's take a live look outside. our air quality is improving but hi, i'm debra. i'm from colorado. i've been married to my high school sweetheart for 35 years. i'm a mother of four-- always busy. i was stting to fe little foggy. just didn't feel like things were as sharp

as i knew they once were. i heard about prevagen and then i started taking it about two years now. started noticing things a little sharper, a little clearer. i feel like it's kept me on my game. i'm able to remember things. i'd say give it a try. prevagen. healthier brain. better life. things may be different, but at denny's, one thing will always remain the same... our dedication to safely serving guests the food they love. and hey... if you love to feed people too, we want you to join our family. apply at dennys.com today. does your vitamin c last twenty-four hours? only nature's bounty does. immune twenty-four hour plus has longer lasting vitamin c. plus, herbal and other immune superstars.

only from nature's bounty. plus, herbal and other immune superstars. i don't just play someone brainy on tv - i'm an actual neuroscientist. and i love the science behind neuriva plus. unlike ordinary memory supplements, neuriva plus fuels six key indicators of brain performance. more brain performance? yes, please! neuriva. think bigger. ama: a new view of the red planet. this mars panorama is courtesy of curiosity rover. it took 120 nine images traveling up the side of mount sharp. you see a 360 degrees view of nasa's gail creator.

we don't want to dry up anymore. we have hit our peak. >> weather for earthlings. >> it is unfortunately not great in tahoe but it is good here in the bay area. you will see just how smoky this ghaisar. air quality in that area anywhere from unhealthy to hazardous. our air quality has been pretty good since yesterday. right now, dealing with good to moderate air quality. part of the reason for this is a nice sea breeze. let's check out that surface smoke. pretty good for most of you tomorrow morning but there will be a pocket of some hazy skies. that trend carries over into wednesday morning with the sierra bearing the brunt of most of the -- in the in the in the the atmosphere, we are still dealing with some impacts.

good to moderate over the next three days. the winds, but -- gusting to miles perthe same wind directiog to keep the smoke out of here. that trend will carry over into tomorrow afternoon and evening. near the coast, fog and low clouds. you can see it right now, it is a healthy marine layer. 75 in mountain view. low to mid 70's from palo alto to san jose. 69 in santa rosa. upper 70's around fairfield. today, our warmest spots in the low to mid 80's. clouds over the golden gate bridge. low and average, sizzling inland for the and of the week. morning, the low clouds expand.

spotty drizzle at 5:00 a.m. only to return as we typically expect later in the evening. temperatures in the 40's, 50's, i think you will need a light jacket to get out the door. watch out for those slick spots. afternoon, low 60's around half-moon day. low 70's, santa rosa. 68 in oakland. not getting much beyond 82 degrees in our inland valley. 76 in san jose. here is your seven-day forecast. below average temperatures the next couple of days. noticeably warmer on thursday. friday and saturday, triple digits inland. the heat eases toward the second half of the weekend and early next week. i think we have pretty decent air quality and it is not too hard. ama: a colorful addition,olorfu,

people were afraid i was contagious. i felt gross. it was kind of a shock after i started cosentyx. four years clear. real people with psoriasis look and feel better with cosentyx. don't use if you're allergic to cosentyx. before starting, get checked for tuberculosis. an increased risk of infections —some serious— and the lowered ability to fight them may occur. tell your doctor about an infection or symptoms, or if you've had a vaccine or plan to. tell your doctor if your crohn's disease symptoms develop or worsen. serious allergic reactions may occur.

learn more at cosentyx.com. ama: do not forget, you can get our live newscast, breaking news, weather, and more with our

new abc 7 bay area news app. just search abc 7 bay area and downloaded. larry: did you know you can now walk in a rainbow? ama: it is actually a rainbow colored pedestrian bthe ribbon e pedestrian bridge across the expressway. larry: the city mayor was so excited that he wore his finest for the occasion, including a top hat. >> every time i look at it, i want to quality rainbow bridge but there is no water under it. i will call it the rainbow dust ran over crossing. ama: it is gorgeous. the steel pedestrian bridge runs north-south between the edge apartment building at the second floor of the transit center parking garage, and includes elevator access. you can add a splash of color to the neighborhood. >> more with -- world news

tonight with david here is next. >> thank you so much for inviting us into your homes. our next newscast is at 6:00. we'll see you then. you doing okay with those new spicy tiny tacos, jack? yeah, it's funny some of those people you see, they... they can't handle it at all right? no, they can't. that's not you. that's not me. no. try my new spicy tiny tacos starting at $3.50.

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i waited to get treated. thought surgery was my only option. but then i found out about nonsurgical treatments. it was a total game changer. learn more about the condition at factsonhand.com tonight, several major headlines as we come on the air. the fda giving full approval now to the pfizer vaccine and what this could mean for vaccine mandates in this country. and the news coming in from afghanistan tonight. the evacuations. how many americans, how many afghan interpreters remain? and will the president extend that august 31st deadline? tonight, the taliban with a warning if he does. first, the coronavirus and tonight, pfizer now the first covid vaccine in the u.s. to be fully approved for americans 16 and older. until now, it had been given emergency use authorization, now full approval. found to be 91% effective at preventing the virus. federal authorities have long

hoped this moment would help with the unvaccinated, providing additional proof of the vaccine's safety. what this could mean for vacci