>> building a better bay area, moving , finding solutions. this is abc 7 news. >> we don't have any many space in our waiting rooms. >> the demand for covid casts -- test is causing problems in the er. you are watching abc 7 news at 5:00 on abc 7, who live and wherever you stream. some emergency rooms grapple with an influx of people try to get a covid test. the result is long wait times and a backlog of patients in need of eminent care. stephanie sierrahanie sierrahanr from doctors.

question emergency rooms across the bay area are close to hitting a breaking point. >> we have seen more covid during the past three weeks to a month that we have at any other time in the past two years in the emergency department. >> dr. maria raven is the chief of emergency medicine at ucsf. >> everyone is feeling pretty mentally and physically exhausted in the er. er. every time i am in the department, patients are waiting to be triaged. >> as raven and her team are preston, eight nurses out sick yesterday. her emergency department is filling up with people trying to get a covid test. >> how long has that been happening? >> it has been for about the past three or four weeks. no one can find a rapid test

anywhere. >> the i team found the problem is facing hospital systems in every bay area county. it has even caused a backlog at san mateo county june -- general. >> the testing volume is increased. they don't have the ability to o turn away people, especially if they are some dramatic. >> this is the county health emergency preparedness manager. she says on average, emergency departments across the county seat 500 patients per day but now that number is up to 750 patients per day. >> a significant surge for our emergency department. >> are you finding patients in need of care are having to wait? >> it is taking longer. patients that need emergency surgery or emergency care get stuck in the triage line. >> creating unnecessary chaos

that could be prevented. for the i team, stephanie sierra, abc 7 news. >> a nationwide day of action today. they are demanding the hospital industry invest in safe staffing and optimum work protections. a nurse says people working 12 hour shifts without breaks. >> we are asking our hospital to improve our working conditions with safe levels of staffing. strengthen isolation guidelines for health care workers. california is allowing health care workers to return anyway to alleviate staffing shortages. quick students and teachers are excused from school tomorrow as part of a wellness day. still, some teachers decided not to relate until tomorrow and called out sick today. some students are threatening to strike next tuesday.

leah melendez is in the newsroom with more. >> it is a long time to be without instruction. if you can today and the following few days including monday which is a holiday. it will complicate things. what we are hearing is that there is an enormous amount of anxiety at some of the schools. >> they do not have enough teachers, 1400s of students to stay home again. quinton manahan is a montana teacher. >> we are receiving email saying we are in most contact with positive covid cases and some teachers have gotten 20 this week or more. that causes severe stress and anxiety. >> forcing those schools to close for instruction.

-- construction. >> we don't want to go to school knowing that our families are unsafe. we don't want to go to school knowing that one of our friends could have covid. >> she and other students are demanding that open unified provide kn95 masks for every student, twice-weekly covid testing and more covered outdoor spaces. we have done as much as any district in california when it comes to getting our students and staff. following the guidelines of those health officials, the district says testing should not be mandatory. many teachers do. >> most of the time, these cases are a symptom attic and they are continuously spreading covid

around without knowing. >> more demands were put on the table at the school board meeting. >> we would like to go on distance learning until we have all the materials to come back. it does take a mental health toll. >> the online learning that students grew accustomed to is long gone. it expired last year and is no longer funded by the state. districts like oakland are offering a much less interactive independent study plan. >> on top of everything the school district is also trying to persuade more students to get vaccinated. oakland has a mandate for students 12 and older to get vaccinated by the end of this month because unlike other districts, they have not been all that successful. >> in the newsroom, leanne melendez, abc 7 news. >> leanne has a passion for education. she wants to know what is happening with education where you live. you can reach her on twitter at

leanne melendez. her instagram is leanne, underscore melendez. >> the sonoma county officer of education announced that the school district is scheduled to close tomorrow. that is because of covid cases and exposures to students that includes the four schools you see on your screen. >> today's matinee concert at the symphony was abruptly canceled just half an hour for the -- before the show was scheduled to start. the last minute decision came after routine testing of numbers of the orchestra. so far, there has been no announcement regarding upcoming shows. >> bay area-based cybersecurity company is one consumers about purchasing for covid-19 pcr tests results from people out to get your personal information. that is the real hidden agenda. melanie woodrow is on the story. >> negative covid-19 pcr tests results for as little as $200.

doctors can turn the test results around in as little as five minutes or just one day. >> this is taking advantage offf these situations. >> check when software is seeing an influx of thick negative covid 19 pcr tests results as omicron variant cases continue to grow. the thick test results are on apps like telegram. that way buyers can use the negative results for travel. >> that is over the big distinction compared to creating fake documents of card stock. >> dr. peter chen hong worries about what is mean could mean for someone using a fake test result to get into the united states. >> there could be future results that could be -- variants that could be more lethal. if you are bringing somebody from another country with a variant like that and you escape border control, you could have

serious consequences. >> the crypto currenc traceable and they seem willing to negotiate. one writing how much could you afford? this is a whole process. while a buyer may get what they want in the short run, a negative pcr tests result, the person selling it to get something you didn't want to get out in the long run. >> you are providing your personal information for somebody that can't be trusted. that is the big warning. >> the trend speaks to the need for a more standardized system. >> what are you seeing as the consequence of having a hodgepodge patchwork network of various ways in which you can designate whether or not your negative or if you have had vaccines? >> a growing market aimed at taking advantage during the ongoing -- ongoing pandemic. >> checking the covid headlines, the way that's is getting another 500 million rapid tests to send to americans for free. bringing the total to one billion.

the website to order your test is supposed to rollout next week. the government is deploying military medical teams to hospitals to fight the surge. today, the supreme court the government's vaccine or test requirement for large workplaces. they did allow a mandate for workers to have federally funded health care facilities. still to come, exploring a new option that could help determine the future of california's water supply and it is all with the help of a high-tech toy that looks like a spaceship sized hoop suspended from a helicopter. >> the protest in san francisco today held by solar energy workers. why they say a new proposal could cos

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to california public utilities in san francisco today. they are concerned about a proposal that would tax rooftop solar customers and reduce compensation for clean energy. protesters call it a money grab by the state's biggest utilities who lost profits to solar providers. represented from affordable clean energy for all supporting the change told abc 7 today's protest misses the point. >> the rooftop solar systems today are being paid for by customers who don't have rooftop so systems. those in california are lower income, picked income, that is wrong. needs to be fixed. >> supporters of the new proposal says the change would mean everyone who uses the states power grid including those who have solar would pay for the upkeep and maintenance of the grid. >> climate change and extended drought patterns will likely force the changes here in california when it comes to water. now the state and water managers

in the bay area are turning to a high-tech tool to explore a different option. looking at those options is part of our focus on climate and the environment as we look to build a better bay area. spencer christian has the story. >> if it looks like something that could transport you into the future, in a sense, it is. this spaceship sized tube suspended from a helicopter is ashleigh barty of advanced detection system and the information it is gathering could help determine the future of california's water supply and where we store it. >> i have seen similar studies that say let's not even think of building aboveground reservoirs. conducting aerial surveys using an electromagnetic system. she says they are able to penetrate the ground, yielding vital data of natural

groundwater basins. 3d maps help pinpoint attractive sites made up of materials marked in red like sand and gravel that allow water to sink in. >> here is a connected pathway that will get me down to the water table. get this water down where it will be useful. >> our groundwater basins are a gift. they are bigger than any above ground reservoir that we already have letlow that we could possibly build. >> plan -- while they are not as a bull like our aboveground reservoirs, states estimate that they could hold as much as 15 times as much water when there replenished and with climate change, and he stated drought looking to disrupt the normal snowpack and river melt cycle. some believe there could be critical for capturing and keeping the water to get. >> identifying and maximizing the capacity of california's groundwater system is part of an aggressive statewide record. these are just elitist examples.

>> they direct the survey program for the state apart and water resources. this can help recharge groundwater basins. or they can create saturation pond. >> we can choose locations on the surface where we now the top is connected to the aquifer and we can cite our recharge upon their that way we can know and be sure we are getting the groundwater into the aquifer we want it to be in. >> recharge efforts have been going on for years but experts say there is new momentum building since the passage of the sustainable groundwater management act in 2014 with a focus on emerging strategies like diverting floodwaters to farms and orchards where the underground -- >> we are curve is getting more extreme.

>> estate built on water projects launched more than a century ago facing the urgent challenges of climate change. spencer christian, abc 7 news. >> you may have noticed how great and smoggy it looked. we will tell you about the air quality and why it is worse first psoriasis, then psoriatic arthritis. it was really holding me back. standing up... ...even walking was tough. my joints hurt. i was afraid things were going to get worse. i was always hiding, and that's just not me. not being there for my family, that hurt.

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>> we have talked a lot about testing kits and -- how are students doing academically now that they have been back in person for several months? earlier in this clear i chatted with teresa hall, she teaches second grade. i checked back with her for an update. >> last time we talked after the school you started, the main challenge was stamina, getting the kids through the long school day. has that resolved? >> it has gotten better.

they worked so hard on trying to stick with the whole day. have more time to work at the pace of the student needs. >> now that winter break is over, what is the challenge to work on? >> our school is good about doing a smartstart where they come in and it is games and activities and that good adding to know you all over again and just rebuilding that stamina after they have been on break and then i think we will keep pushing forward. this school year looks so different from any other school year because they're back in school but they are not quiet where they used to be after winter break. >> i asked teresa if things don't feel really weird. she says she takes it feels great.

she said that when she takes a picture -- unhealthy. you can see all the conditions from our various cameras. the moderate range means those sensitive to particle pollution are advised to reduce outdoor activity as much as possible. for more, let's go to abc 7 news. high clouds, look at the sums set. this is just dropdead gorgeous. we do have pockets of moderate

air quality. it is good in our surrounding areas. visibility, it is being impacted by some of that haze. eight miles in fairfield. four miles in half moon bay. if you're going to be out and about, it will be moderate. if you are sensitive to pollution, you will want to limit the amount of time you spend outside. mid 50's in san francisco and oakland. san jose is a little cooler. look at this spectacular shot for our emeryville sky camera. this is from santa rosa to napa. all of those high clouds due to this cutoff low off the southern california coast, there are some showers in southern california. we had a system pushed through the pacific northwest. that set the stage for the cooler weather. there is still a bit of cloud cover.

no rain but i have some great news. look in our rainy season. it is hazy out there, breezy and gusty winds. temperatures rebound tomorrow afternoon and it will be more mild for the holiday weekend. let's check out the weekend, low to mid 60's. alone more sun after the fog on sunday. mlk day, it will be dry. temperatures will be dropping down, up or 30's to the upper 40's. chillier. you will need to be -- you would to bundle up. hazy skies. six to five in santa rosa, 60 in san francisco. 53 in san jose, livermore, the

accuweather 7-day forecast will feature nice-looking weather, gusty in the hills, milder in the afternoon and the mild pattern will take us through the holiday weekend. think it is encouraging to see the changes in our deficit with some of this -- some of the storms that have come through. >> several dozen of the state cannabis growers and sellers rallied at the capital. the protesters consider themselves part of the most terms -- most harmed by the original war on drugs. they held an antidrug war rally in response to the governor's recent budget proposal. governor newsom promised better support for california possible small licensed operators at the plane include a repeal of attacks for small retailers as well as a cultivation tax for

>> if you drive in san francisco, you better pay attention to this be limit because it is decreasing in several key business districts. along some of the busier corridor as it would be lowered from 20 miles per hour down to 25.

passage of a new state law allowing local jurisdictions to reduce speed limits in key areas. >> finally tonight, bay area kids have yet another great place to get out and play. >> wonder was opened today at the california academy of sciences inside golden gate park. the area is billed as a garden play where kids can be creative and use their imaginations while getting dirty at the same time. >> today, the average kid spends less than 10 minutes a day playing outside. that is 90% less than their parents and their grandparents. we need to connect kids with nature for their health and for the health of the places that we live. >> the area includes quiet intimate places where kids can invent art to logs where they can jump around. spaces that will help them improve both their motor and social skills. i love the name, wonder words. >> real news tonight with david

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tonight, the major supreme court ruling against president biden and his vaccine mandates for large companies. in a 6-3 vote, the conservative justices blocking his mandate requiring large businesses to vaccinate employees. but the court allowing the vaccine mandate for health care workers at federally-funded hospitals and clinics. 17 million health care workers. as tonight, the omicron variant spreads. the u.s. now averaging more than 761,000 new covid cases a day. tonight, the president sending military medical personnel to help across six of the states r. what doctors in those hospitals tonight are seeing right now. the extraordinary move from the justice department tonight. the most serious charges yet for the january 6th assault on the capitol.