>> ling a better bay area, moving forward, finding solutions, this is abc 7 news. >> at this time, the m at this outstripped our ability to supply them. >> extremely frustrating. >> this is the third testing site i went to today. [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org] >> you can hear the frustration as people wait in hours in the rain for a covid taste. i am on a day. >> i am dan ashley. you're watching abc seven. in the north bay, the demand for covid-19 testing is leading to long lines and the shortages of test kits, and many health-care care workers are feeling overwhelmed. explain how folks are trying to cope. >> i thought it was going to be

a little bit shorter. >> thomas conley needed a covid test, but didn't expect that would mean standing in the rain for more than two hours in santa rosa. it is the only test site in sonoma county accepting walk-ins. camilla founded out the wrong way. >> this is the third testing site i went to today. the second one was closed because a couple people got sick with covid. >> hears time lapse video of how long that line was. >> we had 700 the day before. >> the health care company contracted by the county to do the testing says demand is overtaking supply. >> i ordered a bunch of test supplies, but they have been slow all over the state. >> she is trying not to turn anyone away. >> we have about 20 people who are out diagnosed with covid. >> natalie was forced to

temporarily close her brewpubs this week due to lack of staffing. she says the county needs more testing. >> the lack of testing has been crippling businesses because our employees cannot get a test. they cannot schedule a test in a timely manner. >> our cases have basically tripled in the past three weeks. >> sonoma county's covid positivity rate is the highest it has ever been, 15%. officials need more testing supplies. for now, their advice -- >> if you can put off getting your test, do so. >> russian river brewing is using their own a home test kits until more are available. >> we want to make sure everybody stays healthy. >> cornell barnard, abc 7 news. >> san mateo county is expanding its testing capacity. this testing site opened at the

event center. organizers say it can handle about 1500 pcr tests. turnaround time for results is about three days, but organizers hope to narrow the timeframe. >> there is huge demand because of omicron. laboratories across the nation are backed up. we are at about 72 hours right now, but we are opening up to more laboratories. >> the county currently supports 10 sites that offer pcr lab tests. it is purchasing 50,000 at home test kits for distribution. dan: positive covid cases continue to cause issues at local hospitals not just for the patients but for health care workers, as well, as zach fuentes explains. >> our major concern is staffing with omicron causing more illness. zach: the doctor is directorocto

health preparedness for santa clara county. he says the county has seen an increase in patients, but during this urge, many people there are therefore other complications. >> it is less than it was about covid than it was before and more around issues of staffing and health care workers calling out. zach: the south bay situation, similar to what other parts of the area are facing. though there are causes for concern in santa clara county, he says things are not at their worst. >> generally, the standard is each icu nurse takes care of two patients, and we have not had to deviate. zach: he says they are getting creative with ways to make sure the most important needs are being met. >> trying to see if some

elective procedures can be delayed, ramping down some of the operating room volume. zach: what should you do if you test positive? dr. kemal messages -- echoes other messages, testing positive doesn't mean you need to go to the hospital. >> staying safe, hydrating is very important, and coming to the emergency room if they are having trouble breathing or having a severe respiratory problem. zach: zach floyd is, abc 7 news. ama: san francisco's critical services are taking a hit from the surge. mayor london breed these numbers that 184 members of the police department, 140 of the fire department and, 122 muni workers are out because of covid. across the bay, ac warning riders there could be

lots of delays starting today. there's been a spike in positive cases, which is impacting service. dan: 12 schools in oaklandlandld to close because of a teacher sick out. they are demanding more safety protocols because of the covid surge. a caravan of teachers traveled to the school district headquarters. the district says it does have k n95 masks it started delivering yesterday and has ordered them for students. teachers say there needs to be an emergency protocol, clear communication, and some would like to see mandatory testing. >> it feels like a wildfire, and we need to be able to communicate. we are on the front lines. we are with students every day. dan: the school district called today's sick out unapproved and technically illegal. zach: following suit with other

school districts, oak grove school district will begin a new outdoor masking policy for schools next week. as dustin dorsey explains, parents are still split on the decision. dustin: the school playgrounds were mostly empty due to wet weather, and when schools return to recess next week -- >> the school board of trustees did approve an outdoor masking policy, which will include outdoor masking on all district property, including net drop-off and pickup. dustin: students and staff will be required to mask up outside unless it is a mask break or participating in physical activity. >> with the new variant, we've seen how the numbers have increased. we are confident this is a another layer of protection. dustin: similar mask policies

are in effect for other bay area school districts, but oh gst parents remain mixed on the decision. 54% of the campus community voted against the change when the district sent it out in december. >> i feel like we missed of the mark by not doing it early in the year. two people reeling things in when cases have not been shown to be spread at school are difficult for me as a parent to understand. >> i'm going to trust the public health leaders to decide what is the safest measure for our kids, and i've been really happy with the safety measures that have been taken so far. i feel comfortable following their lead with this enforced a mask policy. dustin: the policy will remain throughout the last of the year -- the remainder of the year. dan: uc berkeley announced it will begin the semester with most classes offered remotely.

some students and staff expressed concern that berkeley was the only university of california undergraduate campus not planning to offer remote learning. full in person instruction will resume on january 31. ama: hospitalizations among children under five have hit a pandemic high. according to the cdc, the rate is up to 4.3 per 100,000. the cdc signed off on on recommendation to get a moderna booster five months after your initial series instead of six, and the supreme court heard arguments over vaccine mandates today. the conservative majority seems ready to reject the requirement for large businesses. dan: alyssa lou withdrew from the u.s. figure skating championships after testing positive for coronavirus. she said she was fully vaccinated, was wearing a mask,

and twice tested positive for covid before traveling to nashville. she then tested positive this morning. the east bay native was third in the short program thursday and in good position to make the olympic team. ama: the bay area is drying out after a wet start to the day. this is a live look at the conditions at the golden gate bridge. dan: for details, let's go to meteorologist sandy patel. sandy: take a look at picture from our san jose camera. it is a sign of what is to come for your weekend, which is sunshine, but a beautiful view of the setting sun. we did have some light rain in the sierra. they've seen some snow showers, and you will notice those rainfall totals were on the light side. two hundredths of an inch in oakland. trace amounts, concord, san jose. i will let you know if there is

any more rain chances in the accuweather 7 a forecast, plus a closer look at your weekend, coming up. dan: remembering sydney poin tier. we will hear about how he opened doors for generations to come. ama: a public memorial service has been announced for john madden in the bay area. in a recent clinical study, patients using salonpas patch reported reductions in pain severity,

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ama: hollywood has lost an icon. academy award-winning and racial barrier breaking sidney poitier has died at age 94. he was revered for a career filled with firsts. he became the first black man to be nominated for best actor at the academy awards in 1958. he became the first to win for "lilies of the field."

in 1967, he starred in one of hollywood's first interracial love stories, "guess who's coming to dinner?" dan: that film was partly set in san francisco and was one of many that helped poitier break stereotypes. dion lim has more on his impact and how he did more than just pave the way for black actors in hollywood. dion: to many, sidney poitier was known as one of the most popular actors of his generation. in movies such as defiant , lilies of the field, and one movie that had a tremendous impact on friend, fellow actor and ebay area's own danny glover. >> i first remember seeing sidney poitier in "guess who's coming to dinner?" in all of this movies,

substantive. dion: his legacy goes beyond just the movies. >> i don't think you can measure how important he was. he didn't just pave the way for denzel washington, but i believe th he paved the way for obama. he was the first black person to win the oscar for not playing a slave. dion: his movies tackle many of the same issues of race and social justice america is grappling with today. >> he was transformative in people's thinking. he was the biggest box office star in the 60's, and white people were going to his movies. poitier former mayor willie ralph not to know him through politics. he hopes the next generation will understand the gravity of his work. >> people in their 20's do not

understand the necessity of the history of black people in america. they are going to be doomed to repeat some things gone through like sidney poitier. dion: through childhood poverty to his status as an icon, poitier is seen by many as a beacon of hope. >> to see those movies is to know that things are possible. dion: dion lim, abc 7 news. dan: in 1994, poitier was on disney's board of directors. disney is the parent company of abc 7. ama: the nfl is planning a public memorial for john madden. it is scheduled for february 15. further details will be announced in the near future. madden coached the raiders for 10 seasons, leading them to a super bowl title. he passed away last week at the age of 85. the madden family has been overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support.

dan: a heartwarming reunion in san francisco after a stolen dog san francisco after a stolen dog is found, entresto is the number one heart failure brand prescribed by cardiologists and has helped over one million people. it was proven superior at helping people stay alive and out of the hospital. don't take entresto if pregnant; it can cause harm or death to an unborn baby. don't take entresto with an ace inhibitor or aliskiren, or if you've had angioedema with an ace or arb. the most serious side effects are angioedema, low blood pressure, kidney problems, or high blood potassium. ask your doctor about entresto.

dan: the restaurant that helped to uptown oakland is closing its doors. lucas tap room and lounge is being forced to close because the landlord is doubling the rent. the owners tell the paper paperr landlord would not budge. hp investors issued a statement to the mercury, expressing disappointment a deal couldn't be reached. lucas struggled in the pandemic and shifted to community service, providing meals to the service -- the homeless. ama: a san francisco man is relieved to be reunited with his service dog after she was brazenly stolen. lucky mckenzie has epilepsy. his german shepherd helps to

prevent his seizures. someone grabbed a summer on octavia and waller streets and ran off. a dog matching summers description showed up at animal services, and the two were reunited. >> i was actually shocked that i was able to get her back. when i said, i don't know how to pay for the fees, and those were waived, i got her back, and it was wonderful to see. ama: project open paw nonprofit that helps animals for the un-housed, provided summer with some specialized food. dan: it is time not to check on the weekend weather. ama: sandy is here with what is coming our way. >> i want to show you a snow view from mount rose. they got some snow with the weak

system that brought the rain. 141% on average. tahoe is reporting some light snow. here in the bay area, we have a few clouds around. here's a look from our pier 39 camera. temperatures, low to mid 50's right now. se. here's a look at those temperatures. 54, fairfield. getting away this weekend, hawaiian airlines forecast featuring mid to upper 50's and a bright sunny day tomorrow. if you are in the honolulu, a slight chance at showers. it is going to be chilly in chicago with drizzle. los angeles, 61 degrees.

from our san jose camera, areas of dense fog. it is going to be dry and mainly sunny for the afternoons, especially saturday. overnight tonight, fog begins to form. it is going to spill over from the central valley, and then it will disappear by the afternoon. be aware that we will have some areas of thick, heavy fog tomorrow morning. mid 30's to mid 40's, so tomorrow, make sure you bundle up. 56 degrees in san rafael. mid 50's from san francisco to san mateo. 58 degrees in san jose. we are waiting for opportunities. monday, we have the possibility of wet weather, and thursday,

there is the slight chance of a few showers. the accuweather 7 day forecast, a morning chill and fog saturday and sunday. it is still going to be a dry weekend, a few extra clouds sunday, and milder temperatures, low 60's around the bay before we bring in another opportunity for wet weather thursday. dan: 34 in chicago and new york, pick your number three under graphic. [laughter] sandhya: i don't blame you. ama: tonight is the season premiere of rupaul's drag race, and we will hear from one of the contests representing the bay area. dan: coming up, it is monday doubleheader saturday. a special edition of nfl countdown coverage starts at noon. the kansas city chiefs take on the broncos at 1:30. that is followed by the cowboys and eagles in philadelphia.

join us - hi mommy! - hi honey! oh i missed you! you just want to video call the kids. ok. ♪ hush little baby...♪ ♪...don't say a word...♪ but if slow upload speeds turn your goodnight call into an accidental horror movie...

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apple tv, fire tv and roku. just search abc 7 bay area and download it. ama: tonight, season 14 of rupaul's drag race premieres, and this season, san francisco will be represented. dan: reggie aqui had a chance to catch up with america's next drag superstar lady canada. >> are you feeling the butterflies? >> i'm feeling the butterflies, not just the ones in my hair. [laughter] reggie: i know you are a seasoned performer. you come from the world of dance and ballet, and we've seen you in san francisco, but it is another level to be on national tv. >> i will say it is harder to do ballet in the high heel shoes. reggie: there have only been two other contestants from san francisco on rupaul's drag race, hon a mahogany -- honey mahogany

and rock'em sakura. what do you want people to think about lady camden? >> she's fabulous, darling. a bunch of different things, honestly. what makes me quintessentially san francisco is i am a bit of an audible. -- an oddball. i think that is encompassing of all of sf drag. i cannot represent the entire eclectic san francisco drag community other than being myself and being the oddball that san francisco is full of. reggie: i get the feeling since the first time i saw you that you are going to let them have it, and i know you will. i look forward to your journey. ama: there is a watch party tonight in the castro. the episode starts at 8:00, and

lady camden will be there as she promises a special performance. dan: world news tonight with david muir is next. say hello to 2022 with xfinity and you'll get fast and reliable internet for only nineteen ninety-nine a month for twelve months. plus, you can get twelve times the speed for the same price when you add xfinity mobile. you'll save hundreds over at&t. say hello to kicking off the year with this amazing offer. and with xfinity mobile, you can get a 5g phone on us and three hundred dollars back during our

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tonight, the moment in court. the judge and what he said to the three men convicted of murdering ahmaud arbery. three white men convicted of chasing, shooting, and killing arbery, facing life in prison. the judge had to decide whether to ever give them a chance at parole. what he said in that courtroom today before sentencing them, revealing his decision. tonight, the deadly winter storm across the northeast. multiple accidents. heavy snow from washington, d.c. to philadelphia, new york to boston. more than a foot of snow in some spots and where this turned deadly. what's now coming right behind it. and rob marciano timing it out. tonight, the cdc sounding the alarm on the number of children being hospitalized across the u.s. what authorities are now saying to parents who have not vaccinated their children. and tonight, what the cdc

director is now sang