thank you so much for joining us. i'm laura garcia. and i'm marcus washington along with kari and mike. we're working on the story impacting our team here and of course you at home. we're talking about the coronavirus crisis. here's the latest this half hour. the number of cases in the bay area climbing. there are nearly 900 cases, santa clara county still has the most with 321 and there are also now 17 reported deaths. a san jose foodmaxx is closed for cleaning after an employee who tested positive died. the company says the employee became infected while traveling. >> around the world more than

330,000 people are sick, more than 14,000 people have died. also new the lockdown in wuhan, china, will be lifted on april 8th. that comes as china reported no new infections there as of late last week. live team coverage ahead. meteorologist kari hall has been tracking the forecast for us. driving in to work today i noticed the sprinkles on the windshield. yes, we will have rain off and on as we go into today as well as tomorrow as we see a cold front that drops through the bay area bringing us some scattered showers. let's get a look at that radar right now. we are going to see the rain especially in the north bay right now and then as we go into the rest of the day. all of that starts to work its way into the bay area and so we'll need the umbrella as we head out for this morning into the afternoon. so rain and cooler temperatures. we'll talk more about this and a chance of thunderstorms. mike, how is it looking out

there? right now everything except for one spot is clear. unfortunately, as we take you out to the maps, we're showing you southbound 17. now the south bay moves very smoothly until just past highway 9 and then a block by a roll over crash. we're told it's a deadly crash. our crew was just behind chp and a tow truck and was able to put the shot up for you. we do see a lot of activity and the coroner has been called out. with a deadly crash they cannot clear that until the coroner gives the okay. we don't have an update on when they'll clear southbound 17 just past highway 9. and that's why it's going to be a tough drive if you're trying to head down to the santa cruz side. you may know the local roads well. if you do, go for it. if you don't, i can't talk you through a good alternate. the rest of the bay very clear. across the state california is waking up to tougher enforcements of social distancing policies especially after a weekend where so many people seemed to gather at state parks. governor newsom yesterday authorizing closing all parking

lots on state park grounds. the people who live near pacifica state beach say something had to be done but not everyone agrees. >> i agree with it. we live in town. we're lucky enough to come walk by the beach. we didn't have to get in our car and cross a bridge. >> craziness and anxiety. people are coming to the beach to calm down, chill out. we could be more mindful of the six feet kind of rule, but in general, i wish they would reconsider. >> more closures may be on the way at city levels as well. san francisco mayor london breed saying if behavior doesn't change within the city she may be forced to shut down more places. and a similar story in santa cruz where deputies there are telling everyone to avoid hanging out at the beaches. exercise is still okay as long as social distancing guidelines are followed and people remain six feet apart. the sheriff says anyone who fails to comply may be cited or even arrested.

san francisco building inspectors are prioritizing safety over blight concerns when it comes to boarded up businesses. many restaurants and retailers like these union square stores did so last week when governor newsom first ordered nonessential businesses closed. taggers have since been targeting some of the properties. the city's building inspections department tells "the chronicle" in normal times they might be cited. these are not normal times. families are starting to feel the financial stress of the shelter at home order after losing their jobs and their paychecks. "today in the bay's" kris sanchez joining us live this morning with a little help available now. kris? >> reporter: well, hi there, marcus, and welcome back. it's estimated california, by the time this is all over,0,000r and clearly some of you are already starting to feel that pressure and that instability. right now you may just be home for the duration of the shelter

at home order here in longer be available once the order is lifted. a lot of small businesses and restaurants tell us they are in trouble. at this point if you are home and you are sick, there is some help available. first, you have -- if you have paid sick leave under california law you are entitled to use that. if you're sick for a while you may be eligible for disability benefits as well. you can apply for those. the governor ordered the waiting period waived so people don't have to wait as long to apply. if you were infected with coronavirus or covid-19 on the job you would be eligible for workers compensation, and if you are caring for family members you can apply for paid family leave as well. if you are self-employed we are expecting help from the federal government in the form of a $1,200 check. we're still trying to sort out the details on when people might get that and how they can apply for it or whether they need to apply for it, if it will just appear in their paychecks.

if you own a small business you may be eligible for disaster relief through the federal government. go to benefits.gov, that's the site there. if you are already applying for unemployment benefits it's hard to get anybody on the phone right now and the site is overwhelmed. if you need to apply for the unemployment benefits, keep at it. the site is overwhelmed. a lot of people are rushing to get in but just keep going to it. hit refresh, hit refresh, hit refresh until you finally get the answers that you need. coming up in the next half hour we'll talk about some businesses that are actually adding jobs at this point. it probably won't surprise you what those are, but we'll talk about those coming up at 5:00. >> thanks, kris. so hard for a lot of people right now. thank you. a live look at 4:36. this is sfo where international travel has all been dried up this is in the wake of restrictions both here and abroad. but there are still some

international flights into the bay area and arriving passengers are not always being heavily screened. "the chronicle" reporting only americans arriving from certain red flag countries are subject to thorough screenings. the 30 countries include china, iran as well as anyone in the eu. passengers arriving f countries including some where the virus is now rampant as of now will not receive enhanced screening or even told to self-quarantine. it is 4:37. the board of supervisors will vote to distribute millions of dollars of its own money to help stop the spread of the sivirus. the regional response fund to help homelessness for those who shelter in place and $1 million for financial assistance to nonprofits affected by the outbreak. contra costa county supervisors will also update -- be updated on the homeless in their area. "the chronicle" is reporting

california sp s spending the first $150 million of the funding on the homeless including buying travel trailers and leasing hotels and motels rooms to quarantine homeless who show symptoms. we still don't know how much more time you have to get your real i.d. the president announcing the october 1st deadline is being extended. once the deadline hits a real i.d. will be required to board u.s. flights and enter most u.s. federal courthouses. the president says that the new deadline will be announced soon. coming up for you, our coronavirus coverage continues. the pandemic is now grinding california's legal system to a halt. the major overnight announcement coming up next. plus now hiring. walgreens looking to add to its rank of employees. the growing number it's hoping to hire because of demand from shoppers stocking up. and taking a live look outside at the toll plaza there you can see pretty easy going there.

mike will have a look at the commute coming up in just a bit. you're watching "today in the bay."

good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. we will need that umbrella today. we'll see some scattered showers popping up. let's head over to concord where we will see our temperatures in the upper 40s this morning leading only to the mid-50s today. we'll talk about that and the rest of the micro climate coming up in a few minutes.

we're still looking at the deadly crash on 17. one lane is blocked as a result of this investigation. we'll talk to you about the progress. i am getting confirmation on what the latest status is. and good morning. i'm rahel solomon at cnbc headquarters. wall street is set to open sharply lower this morning. the federal reserve to try to shore up the economy. the fed announcing yesterday morning backstop lending to businesses and essentially buy unlimited amounts of government dead or treasury bonds. the fed says it has to act because it's clear the u.s. will face severe disruptions. markets in europe are higher today. yesterday u.s. stocks dropped with the dow closing at its lowest level since november 2016. this was as congress failed again to pass a rescue package to ease the blow from the virus

outbreak. goodyear will keep its doors open and lasting for two weeks, open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. monday through saturdays and then will be closed on sunday. goodyear says the changes will help ensure stores can provide tires and service to law enforce many. first responders and others and essential health care workers. walgreens is looking to add full, part time and temporary workers as part of its coronavirus response. positions include customer service reps and pharmacy technicians. walgreens will give bonuses starting in late april, $300 for full time and $150 for part-time workers in its stores and distribution saernlts. kari, over to you. thank you, rahel. at 4:43 we will start out with light rain across the bay yar. more rain in the forecast. i'll have a look at that coming up in a few minutes.

and we are still at the scene of a deadly crash. the investigation continues. i have an update from our photographer. we'll tell you what the latest status is for highway 17 heading down to the summit. plus, los angeles trying to slow down the spread. i lost my sight when i was 14 years old. so i really navigate the world by touch. when dove asked me to try out this body wash... ...i was excited that it was foam. it was so light...

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a look at downtown san jose, a beautiful shot. i don't know if you can see the sprinkles but i know coming in there were some on my windshield. wash away all the sadness. >> me, too. oh, my gosh, where is my umbrella? >> i put mine in the back seat. meteorologist kari hall has been tracking that. how will it look for the rest of the day for us? more much-needed rain in the forecast. yes, you do need the umbrella. keep it in the back seat somewhere close by. let's head out to get a live look at what's going on right now. we will see more clouds rolling through and also our temperatures that will start out in the upper 40s and low 50s today going into the rest of the afternoon we will see the rain chances going up. let's look at our micro climates and high temperatures today. in the south bay the high temperature only 57 degrees. we'll see a high of 54 in

milpitas. also expect highs in the mid to upper 50s so it's going to be even cooler than it was yesterday. and then in the rest of the forecast we are going to see highs in the north bay reaching 52 in ukiah and novato up to 57 degrees. let's talk about that rain because we see it mostly light. not a lot going on as we look at the radar and the slightly heavier rain has been in the north bay checking it out in santa rosa and san rafael. looking at the bigger picture you can see heavier rain farther to the north even some snow up there. this is associated with a cold front that will bring in cooler temperatures going into the rest of today. you can see in any part of the bay area we will see the showers coming through and it will continue into the day tomorrow. rainfall totals at this point look like it'll be about a half inch of rain or less for most of

us and we will see still some rain into early thursday. then as we check out friday, highs in the low 60s and then some clearing on friday and saturday. a slight chance of rain early on sunday. i'll be tracking that for you. mike, it's so good to see rain in the forecast. i know for the people heading out the door it can cause some issues. >> that's right because we're able to go at freeway speed everywhere because of light traffic. let's get to the maps. we have a serious incident we're dealing with south of silicon valley heading to the santa cruz side. the maps will show you the silicon valley looks fine. southbound 17. we have one lane open and one lane closed as folks get past this live scene. our foefrp was abphotographer w learn they opened one lane. one lane is open but one is still closed by this crash.

the coroner has arrived on scene which means it will be about a half hour until they can start moving some stuff and we see more improvement. one lane is open. out to the maps no problems, guys, the rest of the bay shows a smooth drive aside from 17 down to the summit. thanks, mike. down in los angeles they're joining other cities like hayward in making coronavirus testing available but l.a. mayor says it's limited to certain at-risk groups. mayor eric garcetti tweeted people eligible for testing first are those who are 65 and older, people with chronic health issues and anyone facing a mandatory two-week quarantine due to exposure to the virus. testing will happen at two locations. people can schedule a test by visiting the website and answering a questionnae. the pandemic grinding california's legal system to a halt. last night the state court's chief justice ordered trials suspended the next 60 days because the courts are to

operate not to mention assembling juries with so many parents attend to go children's schooling. there will be exceptions when there's good cause to continue or when a trial can proceed with remote technology. governor newsom says he's hesitant to release prisoners early amid a pandemic. he says he does not want former inmates to contribute to the state's homelessness crisis or put unnecessary burdens on emergency rooms. one inmate and five employees have tested positive for the coronavirus. for you that morning local congressman eric swalwell is saying thank you. he put out a call on twitter for n95 masks to be donated to first responders. following that request 150 were donated to a hospital in his district. an alarm about the shortage of

protective equipment during this pandemic. 4:51 this morning. coming up for you here on "today in the bay," nbc bay area responds. the kid's school is closed so can you take time off work? i'm investigator chris chmura. we'll have some an but first happening now drive-through blood donations will be taking place in houston today all to help with the nationwide shortage happening in the wake of the pandemic. numerous blood drives were canceled across the country in the wake of the outbreak. closer to home a blood drive at bay shore technology park at 10:00 this morning. you can give, here is your chance.

4:54lce back to you.

a lot of parents out there juggling a lot. we know that since the kids are at home right now for school. i know you can identify with this and a lot of people asking, can they take a breather to sort this out? >> does your boss have to give you the time off? we asked chris chmura to find out if state law might be on your side. >> reporter: good morning. to help you decide whether you're allowed to take time off we turn to the california department of industrial relations and here is what it said. employees at work sites with 25 or more employees may be provided up to 40 hours of leave per year for specific school-related emergencies. that quote goes on to say such as the closure of a child's school or daycare by civil authorities, and that's exactly what so many of us are facing right now. so the other question, will you be paid if you exercise that option? the answer there is a bit trickier. the state says whether your leave is paid or unpaid depends

on the employer's paid leave, vacation, or other paid time off policies. the state then says employers may require employees to use their vacation or paid time off benefits before they are allowed to take unpaid leave, but cannot mandate employees use paid sick leave. bottom line, check with your boss and hr department. you can call your labor commissioner. here are some of the phone numbers for around the bay area. i called these. they do work. we're taking many consumer questions about the virus. send yours to nbcbayarea.com. click responds from the main menu. >> thanks, chris. celebrities are doing what we've been telling you here for a long time. they're really trying to deliver that message to anyone getting -- not really getting the message, stay at home. this includes lieutenant dangle.

>> stay at home and also be a delight and don't go to the store and buy up all the mac n cheese. >> snoop dogg leading the effort posting a video saying the longer you stay outside, the longer we're going to be inside. >> good message there, too. >> i hope people listen. >> i do, too. 4:57. president trump is stressing the need to reopen america even as cases of coronavirus surge across the country. coming up next, a live report from washington on the government's response. plus -- we are being given wrong information though i, a lot of the time, or the wrong equipment. >> a plea for help from health care workers on the frontline. the growing anxiety among bay area nurses and the announcement the governor just made to calm their concerns.

and a good morning. i'm marcus washington. >> and i'm laura garcia along with kari and mike. we'll have a look at weather and traffic in just a moment. first the latest this hour. the number of cases in the bay area still growing. there are nearly 900 cases, 17 deaths. another tsa wtsa officers a

sjc. also new for you more first responders are contracting the virus. three sheriff's deputies and a vallejo police officer all have tested positive. around the globe more than 41,000 people are infected. 460 deaths. first let's check in with kari hall and a look at the forecast. some drizzle out there. we will start out with light rain, laura, and off and on as we go into today. as we take a live look outside in the south bay looking at some cloudy skies overhead and you're talking about the drizzle this morning as we look at what's happening across the rest of the bay area we have some rain in parts of the north bay. i'll be tracking this