>> building a better bay area. moving forward, finding solutions. this is abc 7 news. larry: high hopes for economic recovery in 2022, but to weeks into the new year, the op ms. him tempered. >> everyone was excited about the way things are going into this was a kick in the teeth. larry: small businesses in the north bay say they are suffering because of a health order that is the strictest in the bay area. and some are now wondering if the hustle and bustle in the financial district will return. >> many employees had to postpone coming back to the office. larry: thanks for joining us. ama: you're watching abc 7 news at 5:00 on abc seven, hulu live and wherever you stream. tonight, several key indicators

seem to indicate recovery from the pandemic is slow going, and highlighting the economy is part of our effort to build a better bay area. stephanie sierra has a closer look. reporter: over the past month, it has felt eerily silent. conference rooms empty. >> omicron made us take a step back. reporter: the chamber of commerce reports a 20% drop in foot traffic downtown since omicron hit the bay in early december. >> we have seen that a dip in the downtown core, from offices and tourism, taking a temporary timeout. reporter: now reflected on the roads. there has been a 12% to 13% drop in a bridge traffic moving into the city in the last month. >> the figures, interestingly on the bay bridge, are very comparable to where they were precisely this time last year. keep in mind, we were at the

peak of the delta wave year ago. reporter: at that time, we did not have to deal with scenes like this, but more like this. michelle works at an i.t. consulting company in san francisco and expects that to be the norm. >> the first week, we asked everyone to work remote from home. reporter: are you concerned about going back fully? >> i'm more concerned about larger companies, with downtown so empty. it is a different fear, economic and isolation in the city. reporter: new data compiled from the san francisco chamber of commerce shows 50% of companies plan to stay remote prominently. another 15% are not coming back to the office. more than 50% adopting a hybrid model. >> we were so excited, we thought downtown was going to come back january 4, and many

companies had to postpone plans. reporter: major tech companies like facebook have pushed back a return to the office until late march. airbnb delayed until september. meanwhile, popular app rope -- robin hood going fully revoked. paypal saying it will be an option until further notice. stephanie sierra, abc 7 news. larry: there is a bit of good news for san francisco's commercial real estate industry. according to the chronicle, beauty company sephiora is moving from their current space and they spare in the new building because many of the employees in the building are working remotely. ama: in the north bay, anger and confusion in the business community over sonoma county's

new health order prohibiting public gatherings meant to slow the spike in covert cases. but as cornell barnard tells us, the order has taken some businesses by surprise and has left many paying the price. >> this was a kick in the teeth. reporter: a frustrating week for peter rumble, who says he was caught offguard by sonoma county's recent public health order banning large public indoor and outdoor events for the next 30 days to help slow the spread of new covert cases. >> we have businesses not reliant on events at all calling members saying we just lost all of our business for the next two months because people feel like sonoma county is now unsafe. reporter: the order left many businesses scrambling. epicenter sports and entertainment had to cancel to upcoming comedy shows, and lost some corporate events and private parties. >> frustration is where we are at right now. we want to do what is right and comply with the health orders

and the requests, but they are not very clear. reporter: the mystic theater just canceled all its upcoming concerts and website says it is looking to reschedule all of them. officials have also asked residents to voluntarily shelter-in-place and limit themselves to essential travel only. the public health officer says the county is seeing its biggest covid surge yet, more than 80 people hospitalized, and is giving advanced warning to business leaders wasn't possible. >> we understand the order went out quickly, because we want to get in front of this. we are already behind. reporter: the russian river brewing company has postponed a rollout until march 25. >> we did not feel comfortable inviting 25,000 people while the county is asking people to stay at home. reporter: the county hopes the

order will help slow the spread of the omicron variant, allowing people to return to normal life. in sonoma county, cornell bernard. larry: more covert headlines -- the cdc officially updated its mask recommendations. it warns that loosely woven cloth masks provide the least amount of protection. you might want to upgrade to an n95 mask, but any mask is better than none at all. the white house is launching a website to distribute free at-home tests starting on wednesday. and for the second day, california's test positivity has decreased, but we are talking ever so slightly. it was 23% and now 22.9%. ama: santa clara county officials say the demand for covid tests exceeds supplies by a lot. they released new guidelines today. both pcr tests and at home antigen test can determine whether someone has contracted the virus. >> if you have symptoms of

covid, isolate yourself right away. that is the most important step you can take. you can use either test to figure out if you have covid. please do not use emergency rooms as testing centers. ama: they cannot stress that enough. the county's new guidelines follow new framework released by the cdc earlier this week. it recommends people get a covid test when they are experiencing symptoms or five days after known close contact with someone who tested positive. larry: today was a so-called wellness day for oakland students and teachers, and of a short break from the chaos caused by the omicron variant in recent days. what they can expect next week is anybody's guess as of dr. fauci says the omicron variant will find just about everybody. our senior education reporter has the story. >> over the first two weeks of school, i received over 10 notifications. reporter: at least 10 times he has come in contact with someone with covid.

meet edgar, an oakland teacher trying to stay calm in the classroom as the omicron variant spreads through his school. >> i've had a lot of anxiety and the range of emotions, from fear to anger at the district for not having f resources. reporter: most teachers and students are vaccinated, and if they get covid, their symptoms will most likely be mild. but that is not always a given, and that is what students like blue la paz want to convey. she's asking for safer environment at school. >> i am fully vaccinated. i had covid and i had a terrible experience. reporter: yesterday, and oakland unified begin handing out kn95s to students. now there have been complaints the masks are too big for a few of the younger students. that aside, the concern among some is the distribution is not happening fast enough. >> i think there have been attempts to meet the needs but

they have not been sufficient. reporter: the first week of january has been the most disruptive of the school year. oakland unified like other districts is struggling to keep the doors open. >> concerns have been raised by omicron, which convinced a lot of people to get vaccinated. we are hoping we see a lot more of that. reporter: nearly 70% of oakland students are fully or partially vaccinated. for those 12 and over, it is now mandatory. students have until the end of the month to comply. ama: say they are ready to do everything they can to help the school district repair and respond to the ongoing pandemic. the board's youth, young adult and family committee held a meeting today where they released the latest information on the impact of covid on young people. job and under 18 represent only 12% of covid cases in the city. most only have mild symptoms with few hospitalizations and no deaths.

even so, officials say the city needs to be prepared. >> we need to manage the pandemic so we can keep our kids and families, educators and school sites safe. moreover, we want to mitigate the impact so we can keep our schools open. ama: the hearing comes after the district and several labor unions reached a tentative agreement on covid safety conditions. this masks to students and staff. there will be an additional 10 days of covid sick leave for employees and weekly coronavirus testing will be offered to students and staff. larry: in an effort to combat retail theft, the san francisco police department says it conducted a shoplifting enforcement operation this week. melanie woodrow has more on the arrests. reporter: the san francisco

police department says it arrested four people for shoplifting at this market street safeway on wednesday. the commander of the field operations a pyramid road division says in addition to shoplifting charges, two had outstanding warrants. >> this was a planned operation based on discussions we had, not only to provide visibility but enforcement to try to address some of the ongoing shoplifting issues that have been impacting some of their locations through the city. reporter: the safeway, once open 24 hours, had to reduce hours because of shoplifting. this video shows an entire isle of products locked up to deter shoplifting. a spokesperson says safeway is proud to partner with sfpd and the stores committed to crating a positive expense for shoppers. >> our goal is to make sure the

community feel safe when they frequent establishments. reporter: this san francisco supervisor -- >> we are really happy sfpd is showing a presence. reporter: sfpd say they consider the operation at success, which be -- which could be a model for other businesses experience in retail theft. ama: still ahead, a court case that could cost the santa clara county sheriff her job. the latest on the corruption allegations. larry: plus, honoring the celena sheriffs recruited shot and killed on an east bay freeway. killed on an east bay freeway. we're all ready for a real vacation. one where you can sip tropical drinks with fruity garnishes, without having to get up. a vacation where you don't have to sweat the small stuff, like rummaging for room keys. and a vacation where drinks and wi-fi that's fast and reliable, are all included. because when you're on a real vacation with princess where you don't have to think about anything

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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. ama: 10 days after he was shot and killed near the bay bridge toll plaza in oakland, the body of an alameda sheriffs county -- county sheriff's recruit was

brought home. we have more on the emotional procession. >> i saw his body in the bag. they put the flag on him. reporter: those words from barbara nguyen came when she first heard her brother david have been shot and killed january 4. today, his casket left the corner. >> it is hard to believe he is gone. reporter: the 28-year-old sheriffs office recruit was days away from graduating the 172nd academy. scribed as hard-working and fit, working in the sheriffs's office was his dream. >> so much potential. it is really sad we won't be able to see how he developed to be a fantastic law enforcement officer. reporter: david's death is being investigated by the california highway patrol, and comes amid a number of high-profile shooting deaths on bay area freeways. a 23-year-old, and a

29-year-old, both in november. we've made a number of requests for specific numbers on freeway shootings in the bay area in 2021. we pressed the agency for weeks but have yet to receive thorough data for the entire year. however, the partial stats we have received indicate a sharp increase in freeway shootings over 2020. sky seven flew overhead as david's body arrived at woodlawn cemetery. sharing the good times. >> he was so funny. everyone loves my brother. reporter: david was the breadwinner for his family. his parents, immigrants from vietnam, who live in bayview, still too heartbroken to attend today. the sheriffs office set up a gofundme. >> they need a lot more. if you can do anything for the family, it would be wonderful. reporter: the sheriffs office vowed to remember david with dignity, honor and respect. his sister shortly after his

passing shared what her brother would have wanted. >> care for people and have a genuine heart for people and enjoy the small things in life. larry: so sad. you wonder why. eight robbery suspects pistol whipped a store clerk in palo alto yesterday. they entered a smoke shop just before closing time, and one suspect ordered the dark to get on the ground and another hit him on the back of the head. they grabbed merchandise, a cash register, an undisclosed amount of money, and ran off. the victim has minor injuries. ama: today, the santa clara county sheriff appear to virtually san mateo county court to face allegations of corruption. civil grand jury is accusing her of providing concealed carry permits in exchange for campaign donations. she did not enter a plea. if the trial proceeds, the process would involve a jury and

witness testimony. instead of sentencing, unanimous guilty verdict would prompt the sheriff to be removed from office by the court. larry: here is a site you don't see every day, a congresswoman in the driver's seat of a big bus. what jkie

ama: today, president biden announced what he is calling historic investment in the nation's bridges. he plans to allocate $40 billion from last year's bipartisan infrastructure law to build new bridges and fund repairs. the president says of 45,000 bridges in the u.s. are in poor shape, many in small communities that struggle to come up with funding for needed repairs. larry: california set to receive more than $850 million of that federal bridge funding. congresswoman jackie spear and peninsula transportation officials say they plan to aggressively pursue funds to repair 20 san mateo county bridges deemed to be deficient. that means the spans have

maintenance concerns but don't necessarily pose a safety risk. she says they will also work to get funding for the highway 92 and 101 interchange improvement project as well as the highway 101 woodside road interchange, serves the redwood city port, google campus, stanford clinics, and kaiser hospital. >> getting that particular interchange improved is truly lifesaving and life delivering. larry: and takes a while. according to jackie speier, the interchange has been on the list to be improved since 1988. ama: after the introduction news conference, a hands-on lesson on how to drive a transit bus from the driver of the year. the congresswoman did not take the bus out for a spend, but she learned how things work. larry: that would be fun. right? assuming everybody else got out of the way. [laughter] we are going to get a check of the weather. ama: at least i have an idea of what is going to happen with the weather. >> let me show you the forecast

in a moment. first i want to show you something really great, the air quality is good, as we suspected. the gusty offshore winds helped mix up the atmosphere little bit and improved our air quality. mount diablo is gusting to 35 miles per hour. knoxville, 26. the down sloping wind warmed us up. look at the warmest spots. 70 degrees in january in fairfield. 69 in santa rosa. mid 60's in san francisco. it was a nice-looking day. as we look from our east bay hills camera, you are looking at a beautiful view of the setting sun. moderate air quality the next four days and less you have -- and unless you have any sensitivity, you are good to enjoy the holiday weekend. seeing a little bit of haze and high clouds paid it is 61 in san francisco, mountain view, 62.

we are checking out pier 39 right now. a few clouds, some into upper 50's. 59 in santa rosa. if you are getting away, here is our hawaiian airlines forecast. hazy sunshine locally at the airport. mild day, light breeze, low to mid 60's. hawaii looking at isolated showers, but who cares in honolulu? 80 degrees. mid 20's in new york city and chicago. really cold in chicago with snow showers. los angeles looking at wet weather, 66 degrees. live doppler 7 showing our dry pattern continues well into next week. tomorrow morning's temperatures will be in the upper 30's to low 50's. there will be patchy fog but we have a drier air masses on not expecting as much fog as this morning. tomorrow afternoon in the south bay cama los gatos 64 degrees.

another mounds day on the peninsula. 62 in half moon bay. north bay temperatures with hazy skies, some high clouds. 64 in santa rosa. east bay, low 60's. walnut creek, 61. 60 in livermore. here's a look at the 70 forecast. mild afternoon. low to mid 60's sunday. a little fog and then we keep the hazy skies going for martin luther king jr. die. -- martin luther king jr. day. temperatures will go up again and by friday in the mid 60's for the warmest spots. at this point, nothing until perhaps the end of this month in terms of rain for early february. larry: it of the month? spencer: yes. -- >> yes. ama: thank you. larry: a big nine on abc 7 to see if oakland's amy schneider

can unseat one of jeopardy's greatest champions. heading into tonight's show, schneider has won 32 consecutive games, meaning she is tight or the all-time consecutive wins. tune in tonight and see if her streak conties to be a thriver with metastatic breast cancer means asking for what we want. and need. and we need more time. so, we want kisqali. women are living longer than ever before with kisqali when taken with an aromatase inhibitor or fulvestrant in postmenopausal women with hr+, her2- metastatic breast cancer. kisqali is a pill that's significantly more effective at delaying disease progression versus an aromatase inhibitor or fulvestrant alone. kisqali can cause lung problems, or an abnormal heartbeat, which can lead to death.

it can cause serious skin reactions, liver problems, and low white blood cell counts that may result in severe infections. tell your doctor right away if you have new or worsening symptoms, including breathing problems, cough, chest pain, a change in your heartbeat, dizziness, yellowing of the skin or eyes, dark urine, tiredness, loss of appetite, abdomen pain, bleeding, bruising, fever, chills or other symptoms of an infection, a severe or worsening rash, are or plan to become pregnant, or breastfeeding. avoid grapefruit during treatment. ask your doctor about living longer with kisqali.

larry: if the line of cars at your kids at school drop off was less crowded than usual this morning, he might have this next event to thank for it. ama: about 40 families participated in a bike and bus ride. it is a group of people who cycled together on a set round. today's route included several schools and was organized by members of kids safe sf, including super dad, who opted not to fly. >> it is fun to get a group together. also to enable some kids to bike to school who have never done it before. larry: kid safe is a group committed to preserving a few safe spaces for children across the city. a great idea. we have the abc 7 cycle train? ama: that would be fine.

thanks for joining us. world news tonight is next. larry: thank you for joining us, we will see you in half

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develop or worsen. serious allergic reactions may occur. watch me. ask your rheumatologist about cosentyx. tonight, the states of emergency already. we're tracking a major winter storm moving in across several states tonight. more than 30 states under winter alerts from missouri to georgia, up and down the east coast. heavy snow, ice, and freezing rain. washington, d.c., up through philadelphia, new york, and boston, all getting hit this weekend. wind chills plummeting overnight, dropping as low as 40 degrees below zero in some areas. rob marciano standing by to time this out. also developing late today, news on masks tonight. the cdc now issuing new mask guidance for millions of americans. we'll tell you what they're saying now. and news tonight on free at-home test kits. and in new york, what the governor is now saying about the numbers they're seeing here. the pentagon warning that russia could be preparing for