i'm original. one of a kind. you feel me? love ya'. oop! you look cute. better than you! wherever drama pops off pop my 100% all-white-meat classic or spicy popcorn chicken combo for just $5.99. a very good wednesday morning to you. thanks for joining us. i'm laura garcia working from home. we also have kari and mike at home as well, and i'm marcus washington here in the studio. now to the latest headlines. the total number of bay area cases of coronavirus is approaching 2,400 with 63 people who have died. santa clara county with 900 confirmed cases, and tightening the reins at midnight even stricter stay at home orders went into effect up and down california and will last through may 3rd. the number of confirmed cases across the country is

approaching 200,000 and more than 4,000 people have died from covid-19. live coverage ahead. first a check of that wednesday forecast with meteorologist kari hall. it's the 1st of april, april fool's day. it is. and it's also an important day for our sierra snowpack. going out and doing those surveys today. as we take a look at what we're doing across the bay area starting out with a few clouds here and there but it's a mostly clear start for san jose as we check out what we're expecting in willow glen and temperatures that will be milder with some low 50s this morning. and then reaching into the upper 60s as we go into this afternoon, another beautiful day ahead. we'll talk more about this and that weekend rain that we're expecting coming up in a few minutes. mike has a look at the commute. how is it early this morning? >> not a whole lot. you look great. i can't believe you're not in studio. folks, that's from her home. working from my home showing traffic very smooth.

traffic is moving nicely on the roadways. look at the number of headlights. we thank you for doing that. keep everybody safe. at the bay bridge across the span the reason for no backup and no problems at the toll plaza because traffic is so light moving smoothly. a steady flow into and out of san francisco across the bay. we'll track any issues. right now you're okay. it's 4:32. our social distancing is really making a difference but health and government leaders say this is certainly not the time to let up. that's the reason the extension. kris sanchez, also social distancing herself, reporting from home this morning. let's talk about the difference with this order, kris. >> reporter: this one is the strictest order yet. we've had the first one which was a shocker, of course, and

then things were added to the subsequent ones. this one is by far the strictest and could mean changes for your family. i want to put it up on a graphic this morning. this is now in effect through may 3rd, playgrounds, dog parks, basketball, hand ball, pickle ball courts, those are all closed for the duration. there are greater social distancing requirements at the essential businesses. this means when you go to the grocery store you might have to wait outside because they're going to be required to maximize that social distance. also, any essential business that has employees has to maximize the number of people they have working from home as we are right now. also residential, commercial construction is mostly prohibited. there are a couple instances in which that is flexible but most of them are prohibited and dr. cody from santa clara county public health says the reason is because we can't let up now.

>> we must continue to do our part to slow the spread of disease to ensure that our essential services remain open, most especially our hospitals and health care facilities. >> reporter: so parents are bracing for distance learning to potentially continue through the end of the school year and the district attorney for santa clara is warning that any nonessential business still in operation will be investigated. this is now in effect for seven bay area counties. so the rule will apply no matter where you go, though you are really supposed to be sheltering at home. in san jose, kris sanchez, "today in the bay." grim numbers are putting into perspective the possible fate of the pandemic in the bay area within the coming months. contra costa county's top health officer telling the mercury news 14,000 people could die this year in contra costa county alone. keep in mind this is the worst case scenario, the social

distancing is followed, the health officer says that could be as low as 2,000. last week an internal report from san jose city hall revealed santa clara county could see up to 8,000 deaths if nothing is done. the health department says it had nothing to do with that estimate. and in new york city we're seeing the number of deaths increase again, soaring above 1,000. new york city alone now has more than 43,000 confirmed cases. and fema is now sending 250 ambulances and 500 emts to help respond to the record number of emergency calls they're having, and e.r. doctors in queens explaining the dire situation right now. >> i just got down my ten-hour shift and it feels like playing dominos. every single minute over ten hours straight feeling every one of your patients is about to fall. >> sadly fema is delivering 85 refrigerated trucks to new york city to serve as temporary

morta mortaries. l.a. is seeing a spike in coronavirus cases not only among all the citizens there but those sworn to serve and protect. it's becoming a big problem. l.a. county's confirmed cases shot higher by 20% yesterday. now numbering more than 3,000. 54 people have died. there's also a new outbreak at a senior facility in yucaipa where two have died and 50 are infected. many work downtown. the police chief says one of those officers is in critical condition. thousands of inmates in california will be set to be free due to the pandemic. california plans to release as many as 3,500 offenders who will be paroled within the next two months anyway, so that plan does not include inmates who are serving time for violent or sex crimes. the decision is aimed at easing the overcrowding.

the possibility of children learning from home is now looking like it's going to be a reality. get used to it, parents. california's superintendent of schools tony thurman put out a statement asking schools to plan for distance learning for the rest of the year. due to safety concerns over the coronavirus it's not likely schools in the state will open before summer. he's expected to make an announcement for the schools today and the teachers and parents, marcus. absolutely. 4:37 this morning and the san jose sharks are playing defense. still ahead for you why the team leaders are now saying that they made a decision to go ahead with games at s.a.p. center despite santa clara county recommending canceling gatherings of more than 1,000. plus, helping those impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. the steps uber is taking when we come back. on april 10th... poppy come quick!

something big... is coming. [ screaming ] ♪ tiny diamond is my name ♪ my whole body's made of glitter ♪ ♪ and i'll throw it in your face ♪ ah, what a troll. tiny and daddy out. right now at 4:40 we're starting out with some cool temperatures in parts of the north bay, but we're also going to warm up going into this afternoon. i'll have a look at that and the full micro climate forecast coming up in a few minutes. good morning. i'm frank holland at cnbc headquarters. here are today's top business headlines. wall street is set to open up lower today after the white house warns the death toll from the coronavirus could soar.

stocks in europe and asia are in the red. u.s. markets fell yesterday. the dow, the 500 all had their worst month since the dow posting its worst quarter since 1987 and worst first quarter ever. it lost more than 23% of its value as the pandemic has left many people unemployed. dropping more than 60% as global demand has evaporated. walgreens is expanding delivery service through partnership with post mates. customers can order over-the-counter medications, household essentials and convenience through the walgreens website. drivers will use contactless delivery. some products in high demand may not be available. and uber is pledging 10 million free rides and food deliveries for health care workers, senior citizens, and others affected by the coronavirus outbreak. any organization, health care provider or government agency is

eligible. uber is also in talks with local food banks. those are your cnbc business headlines. kari hall, back over to you. thank you, frank. we are going to start out here in concord with a look at our temperature trend. we're going to see upper 40s and low 50s to start, but it will be a beautiful day. but because of the pandemic, you may not realize this but it's impacting our weather forecast. we're going to talk about that and the full micro climate forecast up next. all right. it sounds like the cascade effect. we have an issue as well traffic on the transit systems have been impacted by loss of ridership. i have a different twist on some changes you're going to see today coming up.

and a good tuesday -- is it tuesday or wednesday? >> wednesday! come on. >> you know what -- >> don't deny me a day. >> this is a different week because i don't have all my people here in the studio with me. this is the golden gate bridge. not too many people on the bridge as we expect this morning. i miss you so much being here in the studio. i get confused sometimes. >> i know, it is a little funny not being together yet we are together. >> i feel you but i didn't feel you. >> well, enjoy your peace and quiet. you don't have to hear all my crazy stories all morning long. >> no pranks today.

>> you know, i thought of that actually this morning, mike. mike knows that i love april fool's day. you guys are getting off easy this year. well, not so easy. it's a little stressful. >> i will be careful when i open the door. >> you'd better be. kari it could be a good day to open the door and get outside, though. it will be another beautiful day. yesterday was just perfect. and sat out there on the back porch and took in some sunshine. hopefully you'll have a chance to unwind and do the same today. we're going to start out with a live look outside in san francisco, such a beautiful start to the day with a mostly clear sky. we're also enjoying some comfortable temperatures. here is a look at today's highs as we reach into the low 60s in parts of the north bay, we'll see some upper 60s in the s bay, even up to 70 degrees in antioch this afternoon and there will be a few low 70s across the bay area for today. and then as we get a look at what's going on now looking at the wide view because even

though it's nice and dry we will see an approaching storm system coming in for the week. it will bring in our next chance of rain between saturday and sunday and maybe monday as well. we have a mix of a little bit of it all. but we're going to continue to have some very pleasant weather for the next couple of days. until that weather system arrives, it drops our temperatures and we'll see those showers coming in. that will be off and on saturday and sunday. and then it looks like it will also bring in some decent amounts of rain as well as sierra snow. looking at our rainfall totals, we'll see them anywhere from about a quarter to half of an inch. some spots in the north bay may get some higher amounts of rain where we could see over an inch of rain farther to the north. so that's some pretty great news here as we head into april. usually we're starting to see the rainfall trend going down but it looks like we'll get a

pretty good soaker in the week forecast. today we're up to 70 degrees and still pretty nice tomorrow as we continue on with more sunshine and as that cold front and storm system comes in this weekend we'll be in the upper 50s to lower 60s. san francisco reaching into the low 60s over the next few days but cooler for the weekend. now i wanted to talk about how this pandemic is impacting the accuracy of our weather forecast and that's because the flights, those commercial flights, now grounded in the u.s. and europe, they take things like air temperature, wind data, and it's not getting reported by the aircraft. so that information helps go into the computer models and creates the forecast. and so put this in perspective. according to flight radar on sunday, march 1, around 2:00 in the afternoon there were about 6,800 flights. at around 2:00 in the afternoon in the u.s., mexico and canada.

now, at the same time this past weekend, there were only 2,800 flights in the air. and so that's about a 4,000 flight difference and so that goes to prove just how severe this impact is for the coronavirus pandemic and this may go into the next several months because we're approaching severe weather season and hurricane season, and it takes a while for us to correct that data that we're missing. we'll continue to monitor that as we head over to you, mike, tracking the morning commute for essential workers, and we are sure grateful they're going to work this morning. we are, kari, but like you, i depend on those folks out there to get more data for my samplings as well. there's a ripple effect from such a dramatic change for the world. the transit agencies over here that i'm looking at have all reduced service because of a loss of ridership. one note, though, as we look at

the transit agencies, we're talking about the ferry in the north bay, the rio vista, they have a shortage for captains. that will reduce the service temporarily. as we look out to a live look we have more traffic flowing nicely as we look at the camera there on the san mateo bridge. no problems over the water for that span. the bay bridge toll plaza, i showed you the span itself. a steady flow into the city. at the toll plaza itself, it looks like a ghost town. it's fine. no cash takers. 4:50 right now. i don't know if you've done this yet, mike. i need to. if you're staying home it's a good time to take the census, it's required and counts every single person in the united states. so you should have received an invitation in the mail to participate. and just so you know it's

required by law. you can respond by phone, mail, or going online and filling out that information. the census helps with our representation in washington and it determines how much money bay area schools, hospitals, and fire departments receive. >> i filled out mine last week. amid the pandemic you may be seeing a lot of deals from buying cars online to seeing lower prices at the pump, but people aren't buying right now. restaurants are offering discounts with their drive-through and walkup being used. car dealerships are offering online shopping with zero percent shopping. the scare is pushing down gas prices and it's not too hard to find fuel for under $3 a gallon. now here is what "the economist" has to say. >> it has to do with the fact that demand is cratered, people are staying in their homes, not driving as much as they used to. >> experts say the deals will likely last until the pandemic subsides. here's good news for you this morning, the l.a. lakers say that two players that have

tested positive for coronavirus last month in march actually are now symptom free. great news here. another nba player who tested positive at the same time is now giving a big assist to science. the athletic reports the boston celtics' marcus smart is donating his blood plasma to a national covid-19 research project that's backed by the nba. the san jose sharks are defending their decision to go ahead with games at s.a.p. center even with santa clara county recommending canceling gatherings of more than 1,000. the sharks executives tell the mercury news the team consulted with health experts. the nhl, not the team, but have had to pull the trigger to cancel. the sharks and warriors play home games in early march when there were only a handful of cases. no players or full-time staff on either team are believed to have become infected. let's hope it stays that way. 4:52. up next on "today in the bay,"

nbc bay area responds. >> reporter: lots of questions about the stimulus payments. we have some answers. i'm consumer investigator chris chmura. that's next. happening now, four people aboard the cruise ship docked in san diego tested positive for coronavirus. one passenger is now being treated at the hospital. they traveled onboard the celebrity eclipse between march 1st and march 30th. the three crew members are now self-isolating after testing positive. other passengers onboard during that time are advised to take their temperature twice daily and monitor for covid-19 symptoms. the cruise ship was the last one allowed to disembark passengers in san diego following a county health order. ♪

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welcome back. 4:55 this morning. and washington is preparing to issue $1,200 stimulus payments to millions of people, and we've just gotten more information about how this will work. >> nbc bay area's investigative consumer investigator, i should say, chris chmura, found several unanswered questions as well. >> reporter: good morning, a lot of this remains under construction. we still don't know exactly when you're going to get your stimulus payment. here is what we do know about the process. the irs will use info it has on file and the vast majority of people do not need to take any action. the irs will calculate and automatically send the economic impact payment to those eligib checks are possible if you prefer direct deposit, the irs says in the coming weeks treasury plans to develop a web-based portal for unown was aboutocl ide their

security recipients. do they have to take action? the irs now says yes. people who typically do not file a tax return will need to file a simple tax return to sev an economic impact payment. how do you do that? the process is still tba. the irs says it's working on a system where you file a simple but necessary return. please stay tuned for details. in the meantime you can go to our website and estimate your payment amount. go to nbcbayarea.com, click responds from the main menu. our team embedded a calculator inside the stimulus story featured up front. >> thanks, chris. 4:57 this morning. up for debate. next here on "today in the bay," a closer look at the growing debate over wearing facemasks in public. plus, the experimental drug uc davis just revealed used to treat a coronavirus patient. a lot more news ahead. it is 4:57. you're watching "today in the bay."

a very good wednesday morning to you. it's april 1st. thanks so much for joining us. i'm laura garcia. >> and i'm marcus washington. we also have mike and kari working from home as well this morning. now we want to get no the latest headlines for you. the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the country is approaching 200,000, more than 4,000 people have died. take a look at this graphic here. one month ago there were only 89 cases across the u.s. >> that's right. but this morning there's

encouraging news for california. the state's early action on social distancing may have possibly slowed the spread of the virus compared to states like new york that put orders into effect after our state. so far the number of bay area cases is approaching 2,400. 63 people have died and the hot spot, santa clara county, has nearly 900 confirmed cases. our continuing live team coverage is coming up next. but right now let's send it over to meteorologist kari hall. any chances of rain at all? these afternoons have been just glorious, springlike. yes. yesterday was so beautiful and comfortable, too. we're going to do a repeat today and tomorrow as well as friday so it looks pretty good over the next few days, but we'll see the rain coming back for the weekend as we check out what we're expecting today in the south bay heading to los gatos. we'll be in the upper 40s if you're about to go out to work this morning. en