omicron variant?

but strike between the oakland school district will continue on monday. >> experts say weerts say weerts area for the omicron variant. >> there is a slight chance of rain before the end of january. abc 7 news at 11:00 starts right now. >> building a better bay area, moving forward, finding solutions, this is abc 7 news. >> good evening and thank you for joining us. we are watching abc 7 news 11:00. right now, teachers with the oakland unified district will not remain in strike tomorrow, but it remains a possibility.

it is not been able to come to an agreement with the district. j.r. stone is following the story and has the details. reporter: the oakland unified school district has the best scene numerous walkouts like this, now with talks of possible strikes. oea and usd negotiatedtedted hours until 5:00 a.m. on saturday. negotiations resume on monday. oea is not on strike at this time. some ousd teachers want more than just weekly testing, high-quality masks, and qualified subs. >> no tentative agreement should be reached that does not include a return to a virtual learning. that is the key act we need to take right now. >> market as an instructor at

the sojourner truth study, which is a k-12 academy that is virtual. the small school now has more than 1000 kids. some parents say they are not on board with anything virtual and fully oppose any strike. >> i do not know why we are continuing to use our children as the ball in this game between the district and the teachers unions. reporter: the discord between union leaders and those with the district are why some teachers like this one have left. >> beings in a large school district that are hard to find isolation zones for so many families, it felt very hard for them to think outside the box. it was frustrating to me as a teacher and parent to have my kids be virtual all year long. reporter: we reached out to

oakland unified for comment, but have not heard back. school is still in session as of now. j.r. stone, abc 7 news. anchor: today, dr. anthony fauci said he is confident that omicron cases will peak in most states by february. luz pena spoke to several experts who believe that the bay area is better prepared than many places across the country. reporter: for the first time, the nation's first -- top infectious disease expert says that patterns are clear. >> things are looking good. we do not want to get overconfident, but they look like they are going in the right direction. reporter: dr. fauci confirmed that cases had already peaked and climbed in the northeast and midwest. but parts in the west are still seeing increases in cases. dr. monica gandhi says that most

areas in the bay area have already peaked. >> i think he is right that by mid february, we may be peak where cases are manageable. reporter: the san francisco hospital is remaining cautiously optimistic. >> what is it looking like today? >> today it went up just a little bit over the weekend, so we are certainly keeping our eyes close on the data to see the plateau we are talking about, but it is not clear yet. reporter: hospitalizations continue to go down across the bay area. this doctor says we are getting closer to an endemic. >> deaths are going to lag behind case counts may be up to three or four weeks. reporter: dr. gandhi suggests

that omicron cases will go down by march. >> 50% of the planet has seen omicron. if you have seen omicron, you have developed antibodies across the entire virus. even if you see another sars covid to variant in the future, you have immunity against the whole virus. even if you -- it has changed, you still have some immunity against the virus. anchor: in the east bay, electricity is back on for pg&e customers who saw their power knocked out this weekend. pg&e cruise spent all of today working on power lines and transformers. the utility restored power to 26,000 customers overnight, and a few thousand more southern lights come on earlier this evening. locals tried hard not to let

power outages ruin their weekend plans. >> the kids are all keeping fun and the neighbors are helping us out. some of the neighbors have battery backup here now. anchor: the windstorm toppled trees in the hills friday into saturday, brushing cards -- cars like this one. a wildfire near exert in monterey county is 35% contained tonight. highway one is closed in both directions to lake sir. as crews battle with fire from the air and on the ground, using winds on saturday did prove the upper hand. cal fire says a wildfire in january brings concern. >> we are talking grass grass gs twigs, ground litter that is all dry and you put some wind behind that, and that really got the fire moving. anchor: hundreds of residents

between carmel and exert remain evacuated tonight. there are no reports of any injuries. san francisco has a case of 49ers fever tonight and it is a wash in red tonight. several landmarks are all illuminated in that 49er color. the team will play for a spot on the super bowl next sunday. the 49ers know their opponent and where they will be traveling to next weekend. chris alvarez joins us with more, and you have got to love this rivalry. chris: the bay versus l.a.. the niners and rams a week from today at sophia stadium, which is also the site of super bowl 56. the rams held off top as the tampa bay team to 37.

you mentioned icing and san francisco has won six straight games against the ramsr season. a week 10 win back on monday night in november, and the rams -- 49ers beat l.a. a while ago. now i trip to the super bowl 56 is on the line. >> you really enjoy this and we have got to get ready for a team that has been a tough matchup for us. >> some of the stuff we went through this year that i do not ever want to happen, but that has made us who we are and that is why we are still standing. chris: we have so much sports that i figure i might as well play football. anchor: [laughter] that scares me. that must be why we have one of

our engineers waiting in the wings in case something breaks. chris, thank you very much. moving on, we are hearing for the first time from a victim of a violent attack in chinatown. what we have learned about the hunt for the suspect. and protesters in them north bay are tired of the vaccine mandates. >> the mild dry spell continues, it there may be a hint of rain in the seven day forecast, which i will hav

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and that's exactly why you should join. be the latest city attacked by

anti-mandate flyers. according to community members i spoke with, similar flyers were found in the miami area. police have increased patrols. nearly identical flyers were found in southern california last month. the jewish city council says that they are working with the san francisco police department and urging people from not shying away to going to synagogues. in the north bay, a bay area group held a rally today against vaccine mandates. they say is -- it is their first step in finding -- fighting orders. >> stop the mandate. reporter: this group calling themselves marin parents united and marched around the county civic center protesting covid-19

mandates. >> we are against mandates in any form, masking, vaccines. >> i do not believe people should be forced to take the vaccine. reporter: the group says it is considering a lawsuit against the marin county office of education. >> those school districts are discriminating against parents and children who are not vaccinated and choosing not to vaccinate, for example, they are not allowed to attend sports events for their children if they are indoors if they cannot produce their vaccine card. reporter: in washington dc, thousands of activists attended this rally, denoting -- two years into a pandemic that has claimed thousands of lives in

the u.s., vaccine mandates are needed to save lives. >> the only thing that is going to move the dial in the u.s. are mandates and they really speak to the benefit of the community and speak to the benefit at the hospital level. it prevents us from being overrun with issues from covid. reporter: dr. chin-hong says sas people who are vaccinated are less likely to be hospitalized. the superintendent mary jane burke attend sports events need to be vaccinated, especially where transmission rates are high. dion: we are hearing from the first time from the senior callously shoved to the ground in oakland's chinatown. videos from multiple angles show

a woman who only wants to be identified as miss get shoved to the ground in oakland. she went to chinatown to see her doctor and then to the bank to help a friend. >> i was getting ready to go home. i was pushed from behind. i fell but did not get hurt. i'm ok. thank you for everyone's care. dion: this incident outraged many in the community to the point where a witness punched the suspect in the head. the improvement council helped to identify the victim. they are calling on organizations from chinatown to unite during this time of aap i hate. this suspect has been arrested.

she also reminds anyone watching tonight to be careful, especially as people get ready for lunar new year. be on high alert if you are heading to the beach. there is a warning for rip currents through monday until 1:00 p.m. among the beaches where conditions are expected are montero beach in san mateo county. officials say this is a good reminder you should never turn your back to the ocean. spencer, joining us now with a look ahead, and things are looking mild out there. spencer: they are indeed. the winds are calm and the weather is mild. the beach has been stagnant. through tomorrow night, waves are high. it is probably a good idea to not spend time along the ocean. there are strong rip currents through the day tomorrow. the wind is calm and the weather is calm.

here's a look lr sawe hose. the view from emeryville, a nice clear view looking across the way. it is 42 degrees in santa rosa. it is 39 in napa. concord at 46 degrees,,,, nice view looking across the bay. these are the forecast futures. chilly conditions overnight, mainly dry and mild days in the week ahead and a slight chance of rain at the end of the month. for tonight, no rain or clouds in sight. tomorrow, some low clouds rushed to the coastline, but it will be a bright day. cool skies and it is, with temperatures dropping into the upper 30's in the northern bay and the inland east bay.

mainly 40's around the bay coastline. tomorrow will be highs of 50's near the coast did in land areas, low to mid 60's. relatively milder than the weekend has been. looking at the week ahead, you can see the storm track remaining well to our north. this may produce a sprinkle or tube who -- two. next sunday evening is a bigger chance of rain coming our way. here's the accuweather 7 day forecast. the next seven days, does not look like much of a chance of rain at all. mainly sunny with mild conditions. clouds will increase next weekend, and with that increase in clouds comes the slight, slight chance of rain. we are begging for now. please let it drain.

-- rain. dion: thanks. a big night at the chase center. 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.

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family appreciation night at the chase center. the nonprofit helps people living with down syndrome land a job at public venues. the people you see in this video work as enthusiastic greeters for fans coming to the chase center. chris alvarez once again joining us with a preview for sports. chris: coming up, the nfl division weekend was wild. the rams are set for a

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river rock casino. chris: the nfc championship will be the niners and rams at sophia stadium in l.a.. tom brady and the bucks take on the rams. matthew stafford took cooper kupp 70 yards to the house. rams up 17 at the half paid l.a. led 27-3. ellie turned it over four times. brady and the bucks back in business down seven under a minute. fourth in one. into the end zone and we are

tied with 42 seconds. what a comeback with the rams zipping right down the field. matt gay with the game-winning field goal. the rams win. we will see about future. l.a. will host san francisco next sunday at the nfc championship. >> finding a way to win a football game is what it is all about. we got a group of guys in the locker room that all believe in each other, so it was a whole lot of fun. we were just going out there to execute and have fun and enjoy the moment. chris: wild game in kansas city. second seconds -- six seconds to go. ellen finds davis's forced touchdowns in the game. alan is 13 seconds away from the afc title game, but that was too

much time for patrick mahomes. he had ranged allen stunned. harrison bucker ties it and we e go into overtime. here we go to the coin toss. the chiefs take the ball. touchdown wins the game and mahone's finds kelsey in the quarter. game-winner. alan absolutely stunned. chiefs win 42-36. they will host the bengals next week. the warriors hosting the jazz. stephen curry was one of 13 and five of 20 overall, but takes former warrior to give 13. jordan poole with a team high of 20 in the spot start. the warriors up too late in the fourth and donna vekic, this is not right sony a's tip with the

buzzer. the warriors escape 94-92. abc 7 sports sponsored by river rock casino. dion: more signs of the escalating tensions over ukraine. the announcement made today by the united states and the promise made by president biden. and just how bad is it for bay area restaurants? the i team taps into new data that shows how far

moving forward, finding solutions, this is abc 7 news. this is abc 7 news.

dion: a second weapons shipment from the united states has arrived in ukraine as tensions rise over a potentially russian invasion. the united states is a warning citizens in ukraine to evacuate now. a tense standoff between the rest -- west and russia is intensifying. reporter: tonight the u.s. u.s. government officially authorizing some american diplomats in ukraine to evacuate, ordering their families to leave. the latest memo set dating -- stating that conditions could deteriorate without notice. >> we are tracking at hour-by-hour. reporter: there is no real sense of alarm here in give on the ground. this is more about the state

department not wanting to be caught off guard should the worst happen. reporter: americans will most likely fly out commercially. flying in, more ammunition and aid this week to support ukrainian troops. the kind of help that ukraine says they will need to protect from the russia. tonight u.s. officials also weighing in on new accusations from the british government, claims they have intelligence that russia is looking to install a pro-russian leader in ukraine. >> there will be serious consequences if this -- if russia tries to install a regime. reporter: this weekend president biden at camp david meeting with members of his national security team. biden again warning there will be swift consequences should russia invade ukraine.

on abc's this week, senator joni ernst saying the u.s. must fight for democracy on broad. >> it is important we step up far allies in europe. one democracy is stable, that means our troops and citizens are much more safe. reporter: secretary blinken admitting today that it is possible he has already made up his mind. dion: the house committee investigating the january 6 insurrection at the u.s. capitol has reportedly interviewed former attorney general william barr. he was a staunch supporter of donald trump during his tenure. the chair of the commi commi coi they have had multiple conversations with barr. >> we have had

conversations with the former attorney general already. we have concerns military was part of this big lag on promoting that the election was false. >> the panel is also focusing on the trump family. phone records have been obtained from eric trump and they are requesting an interview with the president's daughter. hearings are expected in the spring. china's olympic organizers are reporting 72 covid cases in people who are part of the winter games. none of those who have tested positive our athletes. 39 of the cases were caught by pcr tests of people arriving at the airport. china is implementing a bubble protocol for all of these cases and there will be no contact between anyone involved in the games and the public. all of this is to keep covid out of the olympic venues.

animal activists have filed a presentation -- petition to ban the hunting of black bears in california. the department of fish and wildlife reports that more than 1000 black bears roam throughout the state. the humane society says that the number of bears killed in a season should not represent the population. space x's dragon is hanging back to earth from the international space station. the ship is bringing medical supplies and nearly 5000 pounds of research. it will be transferred to the kennedy center in florida. the dragon is expected to splash down off the coast of the florida panhandle monday afternoon. it is no secret that bay restaurants are struggling to survive during the pandemic. justice things were looking up, along came omicron.

the i team looks at new data that shows how the variant has affected businesses already. spencer: for our nextextextext there is pleasant wind to enjoy in the meantime.

building a better bay area. as the pandemic drives on, any businesses are finding themselves having to make a difficult decision. restaurants are hitting a breaking point. legacy businesses are contemplating closure, but how bad is really bad? stephanie sierra has been digging into new data and gives us a closer look. reporter: this data is coming right from the source.

our cell phones. it is the most source of data we have. it reveals which areas of the bay counties are struggling the most. what you do not see behind those table settings is the reality of restaurant recovery in california. >> it is more detrimental. >> to the point where you are like, i am done. reporter: the food they serve is deliciously different, but they are all writing the same roller coaster. >> it has been a roller coaster, emotional, financially. reporter: alberto is the owner of gabata. >> i told myself to stop thinking of what to do next because every time you make a plan, you have to change it. reporter: the restaurants got a glimpse of life pre-pandemic did

now post omicron -- >> if we finish with 45, it is maybe good. reporter: the slower recovery is moving at a snail's pace and the number prove it. we analyzed analyzed analyzed ad estimates visits to restaurants across california fell 58% between january 2020 and april 2020. since then, foot traffic has improved some, but when omicron hit -- >> you could see things dive down. reporter: restaurants visits r went to a decline statewide. in the bay area, the impact hit harder. >> the more difficult it is to get people back into the city. reporter: tony businesses struggling even more

than previous surges as federal aid has run out. >> downtown, it is a ghost town. >> for the city needs to be flowing with more people feeling comfortable to come into work, but it has not been allowed to work. reporter: san francisco count sn dropped the most from january 2022 december 2021. santa clara county followed suit and alameda county following third. all three counties impacted more than the state has's overall decline last month. >> we cannot say that everything is going to come back because i do not think it is going to be like it was before. reporter: as the omicron surge begins to plateau, the hope for busier days is on the horizon. >> we hope that things will go

down. how long is it going to last? we just have to go with the flow and hope for the best. >> hope for the best is right. it is hard to do with inflation and federal relief aid gone. only one in three restaurant owners got access to the restaurant fund before it ran out. dion: that is eye-opening. there is a sign today that the industry may be rebounding. data from opentable shows an 8% increase in reservations. while the percentage percentager francisco restaurants taking reservations on open tables rose 15 percentage points in the earlier month, the weather and the omicron surge made for a difficult time for the industry. shops are being set up in

chinatown for the lunar new year celebrations. the lunar new year pop-up market is happening every saturday and sunday through february. all of the proceeds will go to helping san francisco small businesses. one less check of the weather with spencer. spencer: we have got elevated wave hikes right now. we have heights up to 10 feet at some points. there is a risk of steeper waves and rip currents. the coastline overnight has clear skies and chilly conditions. the inland areas will be low 50's. low 60's are near the bay shoreline and low to mid 60's foremost inland locations. here's the seven day forecast. through friday, we are expecting

sunny and mild conditions with high temperatures in the mid 60's near the bay and inland. over the weekend, we will expect increasing clouds. a little bit of a cooldown and a slight chance of rain. we hope that the year of the tiger will come roaring in with rain. dion: as long as it is not over the parade. let us get chris alvarez with a preview of sports. chris: coming up in sports, one week from today either the niners or rams will be punching to the super bowl. the nfc championship awaits. after my car accident, wondnder whahatmy c cas. so i called the barnes firm. i'm rich barnes. youour cidedentase e woh than insurance offered? call the barnes firm now to find out. yoyou ght t beurprpris ♪i want to break free♪ (vo) imagine a place where we can finally be free. call the barnes firm now to find out.

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river rock casino. chris: time expired expired expd at lambeau, eliminating the

packers and advancing to the championship game. the niners special team was the star of saturday night. jimmie ward ended the first half. that was big kid in the fourth quarter, jordan willis blocks a punt. the scope and score. name time touchdown and robbie kicking a game-winning field through the snow. niners advanced to the nfc championship over green bay. >> going to the championship so i would rather go back and play another game. we talked about how important it is all week long, and we went to get a block punt for the touchdown which was the only touchdown we had all game long. >> we had a special team advantage with this one. . to be able to say that and have it come to fruition was huge for

those guys and huge for our team. chris: it will be the 49ers and the rams in the nfc championship. san francisco has one fix straight against the rams. the week 10 win on monday night paid -- night. the niners beat the rams in l.a. on the final day of the season to clinch a playoff. next, a trip to the super bowl 56 is on the line. >> we have got to get ready for a team that has been a tough matchup for us. >> some of the stuff we went through this year that i do not ever want to happen, but that is what has made us who we are. that is why we are still standing. >> we have won many games over the last couple of weeks. >> we find ways. that is what makes a good football team and that is who we are.

chris: this means the end of the season for the pride of san mateo. tom brady said he wants to play until he is 50, but nobody would be surprised if he hung them up. he was asked if during the game this might be at. >> this is my mentality to always put it out there and give my team the best chance to win. >> what would be the biggest factor for use in making that decision? >> i am thinking about this game and not thinking about anything five minutes from now. chris: seven years ago today, chris scored a record number of points against sacramento. head coach called it a religious experience. unfortunately for the doves, he had a knee scratch and did not plays -- play against the jazz tonight. just one of 13 from deep tonight and becoming the first player to

win a game missing 12 plus threes and just making one. that is a unique stat. for staff, the confidence never wavers. >> who gives a dam about the excuses. you make shots. so we have stock -- got to start making shots. >> he is reminding everyone that he is human. >> the work will show. just sticking with it and keep winning games in the process. chris: mark foss and cal hosting arizona. foss was ejected in the first cap -- half. a lead in the second half and ad cal defense has no resistance there. 96-71 in plus five streaks. abc 7 sports sponsored by river

rock casino. dion: that is it for this addition of abc 7 news at 11:00. the news continues early tomorrow morning at 5:00. thank you for inviting us into your homes. we leave you with a live look outside. you can see on the left-hand side of your screen, you can see city hall all lit up in the red and gold celebrating the 49ers's big win yesterday.

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>> announcer: "this week with george stephanopoulos" starts right now. reset. >> i did not anticipate that there would be such a stalwart effort to make sure that president biden didn't get anything done. >> at the start of his second year in office, president biden adjusts course, major setbacks