gatherings. one county cracking down on indoor and outdoor gatherings amid a spike in covid cases. kumasi: and emergency school closures. there is no option but to shut down for the whoteachers and stg to this decision. reggie: a return to distance-learning. kumasi: and it it medical breakthrough. the heart from a genetically altered pig paving the way for a new era in surgery. you are watching abc seven mornings live on abc seven. yesterday? we are going to do it again today. a lot of us going back into the 60's for another mild winter day. down to a mile in petaluma and santa rosa.

we are starting the really nice note. we expect a really mild day later on today. fog in the north bay early on and we will have some high clouds. it's not totally bright like yesterday. grab lunch outdoors. and we have the mild temperatures, everyone in the 60's once again. sunrise by the way at 7:24 a.m. kumasi: we want to get you caught up on the latest covid headlines. covid-19 cases are surging among kids. more than 500,000 kids tested positive just last week. starting saturday, you can get insurance reimbursement for the covid-19 tests. up to eight tests covered a month. more if ordered from a doctor.

the red cross is facing an unprecedented need for blood donors. reggie: we are seeing pandemic era highs in regard to the number of americans in the hospital with covid. and a concerning rise and the number of people dying. jobina: both are climbing sharply, more than 141,000 americans are in the hospital. the highest figure since we began fighting covid. deaths are up 34% in the last week. hospitals are becoming swamped with covid positive patients. reporting a critical staffing shortage with doctors and nurses out sick. we told you about a solution yesterday morning. california is allowing covid positive health care workers

with no symptoms to return to work immediately without isolating or testing negative. >> we are in this industry to care for others. and yet we are asking to put others in potential harm. reporter: an east company will play a vital role to send 500 million free tests to americans. there is a $190 million contract to provide those tests. kumasi: it's the last a people in sonoma county will be able to gather. gatherings of more than 100 people are banned. they are recommending everyone shelter-in-place for the next 30 days. reporter: look at this marquee. advertising shows can't happen.

it they have seven shows books that will need to be canceled or postponed or they will have to shrink the audience significantly. indoor events can have a maximum of 50 people. anything larger needs to be canceled. outdoor events can happen with no more than 100 people. those at high risk of covid should be in crowds no larger than 12. the county is trying to slow the spread of the omicron variant. >> while we may be done with covid, covid is not done with us. our case rates have never been higher and our hospitalizations are beginning decline. reporter: the county is also recommending that people shelter-in-place. it's just a recommendation but

it all goes into effect tomorrow. for the next month, residents are asked not to leave their homes except for essential business like school, work, health care, or the grocery store. sonoma is the first county to take these steps. reggie: education is a key part of building a better bay area. in oakland, one school principal says that they have no choice but to close for a week. oakland school for the arts is a charter school not part of oakland unified. >> during our class, the teacher told us that school would be closing for the rest of the week. reporter: 20 teachers are out with covid or out having been

exposed to covid. >> our teacher was gone the whole last week. the math teacher was gone and the english teacher was gone. reporter: they say we are unable to provide person-to-person instruction and need to institute emergency school closer. -- closure. mike says they are able to offer distance learning and that is why they've made the decision to close for the next week. >> i have been here every day and i've had to cover a few other people's classes. >> it is unclear if they will make up the days by the end of the year. dozens of students at the six-12th grade school or out. >> a wonder if they got covid from the school. i don't want to be here if they got covid from the school.

and if they can't find a test, they will be able to get one before school on that return day. they don't know what to expect with this covid surge. district is going back to school for a week. and there are fewer teachers available. chromebook's yesterday. reggie: not appear to be impacting high school sports. they have not heard of any schools pausing or postponing

games. each can pause games on a wider scale. if you want to stay up-to-date on the latest covid headlines, go to abc7news.com/coronavirus. drew: tracking another mild winter day. we made it to the 60's yesterday, the warmest in more than a month. bit cooler this morning compared to yesterday with 30's on the board. watch what is happening on the east coast right now. it is winter feeling. it feels like -14 in albany, five in new york city. they are in the throes of a very cold winter spell. typically when it's cold on the east coast, it's warm on the west coast.

the storm track well to the north. the stubborn area of high pressure is in control for the next couple of days. temperatures at lunch time you can. we will see some clouds moving in from time to time. another warm day. 64 in santa rosa and hit about 61 in concord. let's say good morning to jobina. jobina: this is going to be in castro valley. according to chp, major injuries are involved. this is eastbound 580 pass redwood road involving a big rig and at least one other car right now.

an account commute direction. to work for the holiday for new voting rights. vineyard estate might have you saying how many buildings are included in the listing.

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for better breathing in as little as two weeks. and can reduce, or even eliminate, oral steroids. and here's something important. dupixent can cause serious allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis. get help right away if you have rash, shortness of breath, chest pain, tingling or numbness in your limbs. tell your doctor if you have a parasitic infection, and don't change or stop your asthma treatments, including steroids, without talking to your doctor. are you ready to du more with less asthma? just ask your asthma specialist about dupixent. kumasi: happening today, president biden will renew the push for the voting rights legislation. the john lewis voting act and the freedom to vote act

stalled. republicans say changing the senate rules would be a partisan power grab. abc 7 and wherever you stream. reggie: voting on a measure that would allow all adult residents to vote including non-us citizens. >> this is a moment to declare that we are not dispensable. we work, we contribute, we raise our children and we deserve to vote on city leadership. >> it would recognize the contribution of the city's most marginalized communities. kumasi:

focusing on a pair of doors that were left open. >> it was too much. >> the property owner claims that the building did have self-closing doors. but that is the unanswered question at the heart of the investigation. if these doors are self-closing, why is the apartment door left open. kumasi: investi investi investi space heater because this fire. reggie: it is critical that people be extra cautious using space heaters in their homes. space heaters are among the leading causes of residential fires in the country. according to local firefighters, it is so important to read the manufacturer's instructions. outdoor heaters should never be used inside and you should be aware of where you set the indoor heaters.

>> if you use something like a space heater or any heating element, maintain three feet of clearance. also a three foot no kids zone. reggie: just in stockton says every home should have functioning fire extinguishers, smoke alarms, and carbon monoxide detectors. kumasi: san francisco police need your help to find a suspect in a violent sexual assault at mclaren park. it happened on january the fifth. the 71-year-old victim was brought to a hospital with multiple injuries including bites to her face. if you have any information, call police. reggie: governor newsom's budget proposal could make history.

the 286 billion dollar plan attacks the states five biggest issues. covid, the climate crisis, homelessness, tackling the cost of living, and keeping our streets safe. newsom is also a proposing to expand health coverage to all the adults in the state, including those that are here illegally. >> if this proposal is supported, this would be the first state in the country to achieve universal access to health coverage. reggie: the governor is planning to spend huge surplus. taxes for businesses and pause a scheduled gas tax increase. direct cash payments have not been ruled out and they will be decided when the revised budget is due in may. kumasi: excitement in the north bay this morning.

recent heavy rains have created a flow of steady water that makes it easier for salmon to migrate into the hard-to-reach creeks. salmon had not been seen in the area in two decades. with the right resources and the right regulations, it could return from the brink of extinction. the luxury estate where adele filmed her easy on me videos is now for sale reggie: it's 173 acres, a vineyard and hit the market for a whopping $4.3 million. the state has six buildings including a castle, a guest house a large garage. if you're rolling in the money, this is for you. kumasi: we live in the bay area. drew: please.

that's two bedrooms at best here. kumasi: i thought it was going to be like something. reggie: i want a castle. kumasi: somebody will buy that. drew: i try to get tickets in vegas, couldn't get on the waiting list. and now i'm on a ticket site and for last row on the second mezzanine, $700. kumasi: i get it. reggie: that is not what i expected you to say. drew: i expect massi to be the voice of reason. kumasi: get it. you will be there and you will cry. what have we learned about covid? live while you can. drew: good morning, everybody. we have a warm day on the way. winter taking a backseat for the time being and we find that fog

is developing again for the north bay. petaluma improved on the air. this is always our trouble spot of the morning where you have that shelter valley. right now. a little bit cooler start compared to yesterday. as you go hour-by-hour, we have sun mixing with clouds from time to time. partly cloudy skies later on today. temperatures again in the low to mid 60's and above average for this time of year. the same in oakland. 66 in san jose.

a mix of stars in the clouds out there with temperatures in the upper 30's to mid 40's. take a look at future weather over the next several days. the storm track stays well away from us and much of california will remain dry over the next several days. above average today. bit of a dip thursday and friday but the dry pattern continues. lots of temperatures above average. kumasi: coming up, seven things to know this morning. reggie: a medical milestone, using a pigs heart to save a man. kumasi:

your doctor gives you a prescription. “let's get you on some antibiotics right away.” we could bring it right to your door. with 1 to 2 day delivery from your local cvs. or same day if you need it sooner. but aren't you glad you can also just swing by to pick it up, and get your questions answered? because peace of mind is something you just can't get in a cardboard box. that's how healthier happens together with cvs.

kumasi: here are the seven things to do this morning. starting tomorrow, sonoma county is battering indoor gatherings. county leaders are also asking everyone to shelter-in-place for the next 30 days. to slow the spread of the omicron variant. reggie: starting today, here are unified goes back to remote learning for a week.

the district has hundreds of covid positive students and teachers. kumasi: a covid problem -- a color problem shut down at least eight testing sites yesterday. reggie: daly city residence on alert after spotting a cougar. a search yesterday turned up th here's how the day shaping up, a mix of sun and clouds out there. going back to the 60's. jobina: the crash we are following has been updated. one other car on eastbound 580 past redwood road. kumasi: green day tickets go on sale at 10:00 this morning. the acts and could metallica, pink, 21 pilots, and will be

20 7, 28, 29. reggie: a man with terminal heart disease has received a transplant from a pig. >> medical breakthrough. >> we have never done this in a human. >> surgeons cautiously celebrating an apparent medical breakthrough, successfully implanting a pig heart into a patient with late stage heart disease. >> we hope the recovery that he is having now will continue. reporter: chance for survival after he was deemed ineligible for a traditional transplant. >> hope that he can go home and have the kind of life that he so much d>> and what thi what t could mean for other future organ transplants.

examiner confirmed there is no foul play or drug use. but it could take four months to know the cause of his death. he was found unresponsive in his hotel room on sunday and was 65 years old. reggie: we now know betty white suffered a stroke six days before her death. the beloved starved golden girls and mary tyler moore show died new year's eve, three weeks before her 100th birthday. kumasi: the u.s. shipping out quarters with maya angelou yesterday. the award-winning autho civil-rights activist is the first of five travelers and american women.

was 12 and when she was a teenager she became the city's first african-american female streetcar conductor. reggie: panasonic is jumping on the four-day workweek bandwagon. the announcement and hopes to implement the optional third they offer employees in japan by 2023. the ceo says this is about supporting the well-being of employees and giving them more time to live their lives, volunteer, or pick up a second job. there is a boost in productivity and overall happiness and employees working a shorter workweek. it's unsure if that applies on a global scale. kumasi: companies it takes before it becomes a thing. reggie: we need more news companies to do it. very specific to our situation.

struggling to stay alive, a feeling of déjà vu and how they are trying to cope with the surgeon omicron. kumasi: whether having to pay for out-of-pocket. reggie:::::::::

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madge and -- and if a legend john madden today. we're going to do it twice. it's an mode and issues to the north are typical trouble spots. the sun it will improve when the sun comes up in the next couple of hours. certainly cooler than this time yesterday. we don't need the rain gear. today is another dry day. the this early morning hour. starting out in the 30's and 40's, the coast is much warmer at the mid-50's. it's a blend of sun and clouds later today. a beautiful looking day. grab lunch outdoors again if you can and if you -- and by the

afternoon, will be five to 10 degrees above average for this time of year. reggie: sonoma county is doing something no other bay area is doing. it's locked down light. the county is asking residents to stay home as much as possible. hard to recover from the first shut down, you see the marquis and they will need to be postponed or canceled. it is the new help order in sonoma county. indoor gatherings must be canceled if they have more than 50 people. anything larger needs to be shut down for now. outdoor events can have no more than 100 people.

those that are susceptibre susce covid should not be with more than 12 people at a time unless it is a family gathering. case rates have never been higher so they're trying to take this step to slow down the spread of omicron. >> effect. we believe this is necessary to reduce the likelihood of any individual and and spread of the omicron variant. all residents shelter--p and t's not an order, it's a recommendation. they want residents to avoid people from other households. the recommendation is not to leave the house except for

essential business. no other bay area county has taken a step like this, but the county says it has to do it because case rates are so high saying numbers are up 398%. that's over the past two weeks. kumasi: and is not just covid concerning doctors, it's the flu. advice from doctors about what to do. >> the flu and covid are circulating simultaneously. how can you tell each apart? both have similar symptoms. it's very difficult to tell the difference without testing. doctors recommend you call your health care provider because testing and treatment options differ. stay hydrated, monitor your

temperature, breathing, and rest. recognize when it's time to get help. >> consider going to the emergency room or calling your doctor if they have severe shortness of breath, confusion, productive cough, bringing up a lot. or any other symptom that they can't take care of themselves at home. reporter: the best protection is to get vaccinated and boosted and get your seasonal flu vaccine. people with mild symptoms can care for themselves at home. reggie: facebook's parent company is changing vaccination policy for employers returning to the office. it will require covid booster shots. it's also announcing the

reopening day has been delayed from this month to march 28. employees will decide if they will work remotely full-time. >> the supply chain is causing a shortage of health care workers. there are concerns about allowing covid positive health care workers to return without isolating. >> we need to be healthy so that we can care for our patients and not be a vector spreading this virus. we need this weakening of the guidance to be rescinded. kumasi: is impacting hospitals nationwide.

volufingges. they say it's needed in order to keep the doors open. >> the district is asking parents to step up and fill support staff positions stretched thin during the pandemic. >> a lot of the work we do is not glamorous work. and her parents came through. reporter: close to 600 parents responded by the next afternoon. they say anything to keep them in person is paramount. >> schools are essential. reporter: this comes at a time

when covid 19 cases are surging. they pointed to the district's 280 plus cases this last week. >> it loses all value anyway. >> people should assume they've come into contact with someone with covid and test weekly. parents are not concerned about having more people on campus because volunteers are required to be vaccinated. >> i think we are to see firsthand what is going on with school. >> they say it's important to know what their kids are up against. are now dealing with unexpected costs.

jacklin nursing schoollin nursil their doors after two kids tested positive and others were exposed by siblings. this school doesn't get outside funding. the school is concerned how they will pay for tests for children. >> it is 120 tests every sunday that we need. there is no possible way that we can find that. kumasi: of san francisco has updated. reggie: a computer problem is expected to be resolved today after people waited hours to get tested to be turned away. eight testing sites were shut down yesterday but the computer issue affected six locations in san francisco. it comes on top of reduced testing hours.

the board will discuss reassigning possibly 500 city employees to work it testing sites. >> we have the track record and we have the infrastructure and ability to deploy and move staff and city resources around. reggie: tests online have a protection against price gouging. kumasi: struggling to stay open. it is déjà vu for the local restaurant industry. san francisco eateries are shutting down. in the city's financial district, they are hoping to

reopen tomorrow after covid force the owner to close for 10 days. >> what are we going to do. i have people and employees are sick. i want to make sure everybody's fine before they come back to work. >> he say say say say say to limiting indoor capacity. restaurant say that they're starting to see more people ask for outdoor dining and take out for safety reasons like we saw in 2020. reggie: the cdc is considering an update on mask guidance. the new guidance will be to where the n95 or k n95 mask if you can. right now the cdc recommends wearing a mask that has at least two liters of cloth. and 95 and k and 95 masks are more by health-care workers and better at blocking out tiny droplets that can linger in the

air. >> on the lookout for a mountain lion. stationed in baltimore and westmore avenue where neighbors start -- spotted a cougar yesterday morning. this all happened as cory and her dogs stepped into the backyard and the dog started barking at a tree. >> as i approach the tree, i noticed a very long bushytailed and i went under the tree and i looked up and there is a huge mountain lion looking down at me. i said a lot of things i won't repeat. i ran and screamed and was able to get the dogs back inside. >> a neighbor who started mowing the lawn spooked the mountain lion which ran into a nearby backyard and they have not seen the animal since then. but look at this. alpacas roaming the streets of an east bay city. we will tell you about their miles long journey after a neighbor helped officers corral

them after an escape. >> a tiny member of the team. but first, a check of the weather. drew: a live look outside and we have good visibility across much of the region. one spot has fog in the north bay. in control, it acts like a lid on the atmosphere. our storm tracker will to the north, stays there because of this high-pressure. right now, visibility down 2.5 miles but that is an improvement over the last hour or so. the temperature change cooler across the board.

we are allowing good radiation will cooling to happen. temperatures are mainly in the 30's and 40's. we'll see a mixture of sun and clouds out there but a really nice-looking afternoon. out on the low 60's. jobina: a couple of crashes to talk about, and according to the chp, major injuries and there is a jackknifed big rig. we have a multicar crash more injuries here on westbound 80.

looklooklooklook check out the

reggie: today, congress will pay tribute to nfl legend john madden. it will be a special quarter hour on the house floor. ben coach the readers for 10 seasons leading them to a super bowl title. he grew up in the bay area. men died last month at 85. kumasi: a pair of bottlenose dolphins are providing therapy for veterans in the florida keys. the vets have injuriesnjuriesnjj from missing limbs to

post-traumatic stress. organizers say helps veterans step out of their comfort zone and open up or opportunities. reggie: a pair of alpacas roaming the streets of oakland. kumasi: father and son alpacas stopped bystanders in their tracks. this was near nolan was they went under a freeway overpass and went into a residential neighborhood. people wondered if the animals escape from oakland zoo. and they shut up the hill. i saw them on the hillside in the park. >> they traveled four miles before they were finally corralled.

people just have alpacas? i did not know that. reggie: are you confusing them with a lame? drew: maybe. kumasi: i wasn't going to go find out, i would just admire from a video. they are so cute. if you liked yesterday, today will be gorgeous as well. mainly clear skies with numbers right now, the lone exception is

the breeze this time of year. certainly a cooler morning than yesterday. it is wild. these are wind-chill numbers. feels like -10 in boston. it's that is how it is shaping up today. some mixing with high clouds and the sun will warm us up later on today. hitting 62 in the city. in antioch. temperatures pretty similar tonight. s to'o leo.

pat average today and mild tomorrow. closer to where we should be this time of year and the weekend shaping up nicely. get out and enjoy the 50's and the 60's. reggie: i looked it up. alpacas do spit. they are closely related to a llama and you can crossbreed them. tickets go on sale for the annual bottlerock music festival. kumasi: metallica, pilots and luke comes. other acts flash and pit bull. bottlerock it will be held may 27, 28, and 29.

after the warriors game was over, klay thompson get to the game ball. -- gifted the game ball. it was delivered by steph curry's-year-old son. clay scored scored scored scored first game back after two and half years. >> is already a superstar and now steph curry has something else to brag about. he's on gq's global sports issue. it details his record-setting career and their run of success so far this year. >> the fda clearance just announced. >>

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reggie: the pandemic has hurt us in so many waysre er of rme money in 2022 in lightpas causingincludir this year, and looking for things that can be cut. start investing including saving for retirement or looking at real estate. perhaps it's time for a new job with a bigger paycheck. and check your credit report to spot issues. and then eliminate debt so the burden is not so heavy. 23 and me me me me me me me me e test for a specific mutation.

information on the risk of developing other health conditions. reggie: wanting to boost their appeal among young adults. kumasi: goldfish crackers and kids is relatively new when they really launched back in 1962, they were marketed as a bar snack that appeared with cocktails. adults never really stopped eating the crackers and half of the customers do not have kids. reggie: i love those goldfish crackers, you don't need to make them bigger, though. kumasi: don't they have air in the middle? won't it fall apart if it is big? reggie: i don't think we needed this.

vela goldfish. drew: i think it's a new flavor? reggie: keep the classic. drew: have you ever had the extreme chatter version? reggie: i don't need all that. drew: i love goldfish so much. we have clear skies and your air quality for today and tomorrow fluctuates between good and moderate. synovus we do have the haze in the atmosphere because of high-pressure overhead. it traps near the surface and keeps us warm later on. opens up a bit of a chill. 30's and 40's in the early morning hour. yesterday is mild and beautiful. 62 in the city. 66 in san jose. 64 in santa rosa. these are five to 10 degrees above average for this time of year. >> fighting back illness illnesl

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>> building a better bay area, moving forward, finding solutions, this is abc 7 news. reggie: top stories at

how the officials urging neighbors to shelter-in-place to stop the rise of omicron. that is far from of the county health order ends. kumasi: classroom closures because of covid. set to start distance learning, but another local school handed a much worse situation. reggie: put away the pocketbook for at home covid tests. the new rule that will cover your costs completely. do not put them totally away. [laughter] just --just --just --just --jus- get reimbursed. good morning, you are watching abc 7 news, live on abc 7, hulu live, and wherever you stream. we are going to start with the nice forecast. drew: a lot of people were telling me it is beautiful, they loved it. we do it again today. the mild pattern continues. his ability, we had issues in the north bay. sin arose improved, we were down to a mild visibility and we have improved to the