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. then we warm up into the low 60s

by late morning into the afternoon with our high temperatures today reaching into the upper 60s. more on this coming up in a few minutes. mike, you're tracking the commute. any issues for drivers? so far so good. let me show you a couple of live looks out there, show you the contrast in some areas, though. san rafael, the curve coming toward us with those headlights. a smooth, steady flow, good volume. if you continue 101 down across the golden gate bridge you have to wait for the cars to appear. there you go. for more on the reason why traffic is so light, we'll send it right back to you. the white house this morning still falling short of ordering everyone to stay home but they are urging all americans to avoid being out and about for the rest of the month. president trump saying that he probably won't leave the white house for 30 days as the coronavirus begins to peak. "today in the bay's" tracie potts is live for us from her home in washington with the government's latest projections. tracie?

>> reporter: marcus, those latest projections are some grim numbers of how many people could die, how many lives could be lost, because of this virus. but, as you noted, the government is also saying that we could slim down those numbers, reduce them with our own behavior. 240,000 -- that's the new white house prediction of how many americans could die from the coronavirus. >> it's going to be a tough couple of weeks coming up. >> reporter: health experts believe we can literally flatten this curve and cut the death rate in half or less if americans stop crowding places like beaches and bars. >> not only are you putting yourself in danger but you're putting society in danger because, as you get infected, you may be inadvertently and even innocently infecting others particularly those who are vulnerable. >> reporter: the federal government is leaving stay home orders up to each state. so far 32 states have them

covering three out of four americans. >> we know what works. what works is to stay home. >> reporter: social distancing, staying six feet apart, is now recommended for the rest of the month, and the cdc is rethinking whether everyone needs to wear a mask. >> you can use a scarf. that would be very good. >> reporter: lawmakers are preparing for a fourth coronavirus package. democrats want to include money for the postal service for upcoming state primaries. >> we'll probably be moving to vote by mail. >> reporter: across the country hospitals are seeing the worst of it. >> people packed in like sardines, 30 to 40 patients coughing on one another. >> reporter: as america prepares for covid-19 cases to soar. so we have hot spots in some areas. we have other areas where the numbers are starting to flatten out. bottom line, marcus, the government is saying this is going to get worse before it gets better. >> we keep hearing that and hearing new york is still complaining they don't have

enough of those ventilators. also i'm hearing the federal government is holding on to 10,000 of those units. if that's true, why don't they just send them? >> reporter: right, 10,000 from the national stockpile, because they say this is going to get worse in the next couple of weeks. there are going to be a lot of people -- a lot of hospitals and a large demand. they don't want to run out too soon. new york says they need those ventilators now. the white house, the response team, is saying there is no one there who has died because they didn't have a ventilator. >> we certainly know it's hitting new york hard. tracie potts in washington for thus morning. tracie, thank you. talk about supply and demand there. a lot of bay area counties are scrambling to make sure they have enough room for the coronavirus patients. i want to check in with "today in the bay's" sharon katsuda. she is live in san mateo this morning. at the event center there, show us what they're planning on doing there, sharon? >> reporter: well, laura, there

are so many announcements being made this week from the county regarding how they're going to deal with a growing number of coronavirus patients. this facility will become a 250 bed hospital, field hospital, for coronavirus patients who have fewer needs than icu patients. the san mateo county board of supervisors are expressing much concern about the need for more staff and ppes especially at seton hospital recently leased by the state to care for covid-19 patients. county health experts say the county is running low on icu beds. >> we have 309 covid-19 positive cases, also about 70 persons under investigation by our public health communicable disease investigation team. 10 fatalities reported to public health, and of these nine were older adults, six were female and four were male.

we have about five icu beds available at this time out 66 icu beds in the county. >> last week we told you about a high school in martinez that will become a care site for covid-19 patients if needed. contra costa county has announced two other care sites. the contra costa county fairgrounds and the pavilion in richmond. and it's very interesting yesterday the county health experts here also asks for nursing homes to be very compassionate and understanding when it comes to the elderly patients who have recovered from covid-19 in the hospitals. they're asking nursing homes to please take back those patients who have recovered from the hospitals from covid-19. reporting live, i'm sharon katsuda, "today in the bay." >> sharon, thank you. well, santa rosa police mourning the death of one of their own due to complications from the coronavirus. a memorial is growing outside the department headquarters for detective mary lou armer.

she worked for the department for nearly two decades most recently in the domestic violence unit. six have tested positive. experts say uc davis are testing an experimental drug that they say could have been key in one coronavirus patient's survival. a 40-year-old woman they treated last month from solano county had no chronic health problems. she was the hospital's first case. as her condition worsened, they received permission to use the experimental drug which was tried for ebola patients and used previously on animals. >> the drug is still going -- in order for official guidelines to be changed there has to be a very studied evidence provided that the drug indeed works. >> the patient is now fully

recovered. clinical trials are under way but doctors say it could take weeks to confirm if the drug is effective. 5:07. the impact of the coronavirus is reportedly causing a big financial issue for san francisco. according to "the chronicle" mayor london breed now saying the pandemic may create a budget deficit of more than $1 billion. over the next two fiscal years it could reach $1.7 billion. mayor breed is also now working on a plan to curb the city's spending and try to close the gap. a live look at sfo this morning where new changes take effect today in response to the coronavirus the international terminal will only use one of its two concourses due to a huge drop-off in travelers. area "a" is now closed. only area "g" is being used. the change will remain in effect at least through the end of may. 5:08 and now is the time to look at the weather and traffic for you this morning.

meteorologist kari hall is at home giving us that forecast that we all so love especially when it's nice outside, kari. we do have some really nice weather across the bay area but i wanted to show you what it's like for all of our friends and family elsewhere across the country because this also has a big impact on whether or not we can get more people to stay at home and looking at the high temperatures we are going to see it cooling down for parts of the east coast. we are looking at new york city, 54 degrees today while here in the bay area we're looking at some mid-60s, and there's a lot of 70s across the south so that beautiful weather really makes it hard for people to stay in. and so, mike, as we track the commute for essential drivers, they also have some nice weather for getting to work. that's good because folks are traveling at higher speeds and i worry about a crash at higher speed, more damage. not right now, no problems like that. in fact, we have an issue, let's slow it down a bit and we're talking about the j. mack ferry

in the north bay, the rio vista area. i know it's not a major ferry system but for folks it's critical to get over the water. there you go. the j. mack is affected because they have a shortage of captains for the ferries not a shortage of riders. those folks have to get over the water. they're reducing service for the time being. back out to the roadways, the bay bridge getting over the water and not a lot of folks doing that. a steady flow. it looks light. you still have track on the span. back to you. >> thanks, mike. 5:10 for you that morning. and the pandemic intensifying across the globe. still ahead on "today in the bay," the strict action cuba is now taking to stop the outbreak from growing. >> reporter: you've probably heard about zoom bombing, the idea someone could come into your conference call. we'll talk more about it coming up. but first, don't forget another great resource for coronavirus related news is our

nbc bay area newsletter. you'll get all of the top headlines sent in one email straight to your inbox. sign up. if i could do one thing, i'd make sure there were more textbooks in schools. i'm a teacher. i've seen the need, but my girlfriend here likes to say ... "don't just talk about it, be about it."

and we're about the 2020 census. because when everyone gets counted on the census, it helps inform public funding in our neighborhood for the next ten years! don't just talk about it - -be about it! complete the census online, by phone or by mail. shape your future. start here at 2020census.gov. comphas you covered withee, fast, reliable internet.finity with advanced security to help keep you secure online. and with the most tv shows, movies and streaming apps all in one place. with simple digital tools you can get the help you need or even trouble shoot your services on your own. download the xfinity my account app or just say help into your xfinity voice remote. we are working to make things a little easier on everyone. download the xfinity my account app today.

right now at 5:13 let's head over to the east bay and check out our temperature trend for walnut creek. we'll have a nice cool start, mostly clear sky, and a lot of sunshine as we go throughout the day. we will talk about how a lack of flights in the air could impact

our weather forecast. a weird link but it's something we are going to talk about coming up in just a few minutes. you know, with everyone on video chats these days, it's very easy for hackers and pranksters to tap in. >> and scott mcgrew, at least one state agency looking into the problem. >> reporter: that's right. no one is going to hack into our chat over nbc, but when it comes to those consumer level chats there does seem to be a problem. you may have heard about zoom bombing. this is when somebody uninvited comes into your zoom video conversation. there is a way to stop that, but many people don't set up zoom properly. the new york state attorney general is looking into zoom's privacy practice. zoom says it welcomes those questions. now zoom is one of the only stocks to do well over the past few weeks. in fact, its stock has about doubled since the market debut almost exactly a year ago.

the stock is doing so well other companies with the word zoom in their names have seen their prices spike as investors buy the wrongstock. now we're looking fornt to the . yesterday the hardest quarter since 2008 ended. in fact, the hardest first quarter in the whole measurement of the dow 30 industrials. let's talk about a bit of non-coronavirus news, and that is cars. the white house is going ahead with a plan to get rid of obama-era standards for new cars, lowering the bar on emissions and thus gas mileage. new cars will have to be more efficient but the bar is lower. president trump made fun of auto executives who still support the tougher emissions calling their companies politically correct in the and their executives foolish. he doesn't name them by name but

likely ford, bmw, honda and volkswagen. marcus and laura, california set its own high standard and all car companies are alarmed at the idea of having to build basically california cars and then other cars. ford and bmw, honda and others have said we'll just stick to the california standards and that has angered the white house as you have seen in that tweet. >> all right. thanks, scott. 5:16 for you that morning. something good to talk about and a friendly reminder to everyone in the bay area. a vacaville family decided to do some chalk work outside of their home while sheltering in place. the little girl, addison, wrote a message to everyone. it reads, stay at home and stay safe. don't you just love seeing things like that? i love that. >> it's really sweet. and the coronavirus can't stop the fun for one little girl in nashville. she took to the streets to have a very intense dance battle with

a special competitor, her grandfather. ♪ >> that's right, she sees her grandpa every day because they live across the street. with all the social distancing they had to come up with creative ways to see each other besides using face time. if you have something good to show us, just tweet us your videos and images at #somethinggood because we need a lot of something good these days. >> i love that. and grandpa was up for the challenge, too. >> right? exactly. >> i hope he doesn't fall. >> that's not so good, right. all right, let's get a look at the forecast. kari, something to dance about just outside your door with your family maybe. just with your family or on zoom or something like that. we've had some great weather

conditions out there. a live look at san jose as we start out on this wednesday morning. we are going to have mild temperatures and going into the afternoon it warms up nicely. so we have enjoyed beautiful springlike weather as our highs in the north bay reach into the low 60s. we'll see some upper 60s for the south bay, even a few spots reaching up to 70 degrees which i think is the perfect temperature. no need for blasting the heater or the air conditioning. we are able to maybe save some energy that way. then as we look at the next approaching storm system it's still way off the coast and going into the next few days. that will be moving in as we head toward the weekend. so it's just in time to help us with our social distancing. i know on the weekends people want to get outside but right now is the time to stay in. so over the next seven days we are going to see dry weather for the next few days and then by the time we get to the weekend, yes, some scattered showers will be moving in, much-needed rain at this point because we are in a moderate drought.

we are going to get about a quarter to half an inch of rain. and speaking of the drought, i wanted to show you the sierra snowpack because today is a very important day in the weather department, the sierra snowpack right now with some of those manual sensors, we are seeing them at about 53% of the normal snowpack. so the surveyors expected to go out there. i'm not sure how the pandemic is going to affect the survey, but it's something we'll be watching for today as they take those measurements of snow. and then as we go through the forecast we are looking at that weekend storm to bring us some pretty decent amounts of snow. we could see the possibility of a few feet of snow in the sierra going into the weekend and early next week. let's check out our seven-day forecast for the inland areas reaching into the low 70s for today, upper 60s for friday, and then as that rain comes in it will be cooler with upper 50s and lower 60s and san francisco will reach into the low 60s for the next few days.

i wanted to take this time to talk about how the pandemic is impacting the accuracy of our weather forecast. this may be something a lot of people didn't know but us in the weather community know that the commercial flights that are now being grounded in europe and the u.s., they take measurements like air temperature and wind data and it's not getting recorded at this point. and that information is fed into computer models and helps create the forecast. and to put this in perspective we had, according to the website flight radar 24 on sunday, march 1, around 2:00 in the afternoon there were -- they were tracking about 6,800 flights around the world. and at about 2:00 in the afternoon this past weekend there were about 2,800 flights in the air. so that's a 4,000 flight drop. and so that just goes to prove that the impact the coronavirus

is having impacts how we forecast our weather. this may take a long time to recover because it kind of goes on initial forecasts and it goes down the line into the future. this is something we'll be watching as we see the spring storms fire up and enter into hurricane season. now, mike, from the air to the roads and the trains, what's happening out there? well, kari, like you, i need that data as well to do our reports, both of our industries, there's a whole ecosystem around. scott showed video a few minutes ago regarding gas usage and that video clogged roadways, what could have been taken up to a month ago as well. we'll check on gas prices and the effects of what's going on as far as what it looks like on the roadways. a live look at how things are shaping up over in oakland where you still have traffic on the nimitz. going under the nimitz, that webster tube may be closed for another couple minutes. the crews should be cleared by a few minutes ago. again, you can use the bridge at

fruitvale. the richmond bridge, the much bigger bridge over the water flows smoothly. no problems there or on the peninsula. palo alto 101. back to you. thanks, mike. 5:21 this morning. coming up next h the crui dozens are sick. several counties and countries have now turned it away and now it's heading to florida. next, what the governor there is saying. and idaho rocked by its strongest quake in nearly 40 years, new video of the shaking next. you're watching "today in the bay." 5:22.

there are times when our need to connect really matters. to keep customers and employees in the know. to keep business moving.

comcast business is prepared for times like these. powered by the nation's largest gig-speed network. to help give you the speed, reliability, and security you need. tools to manage your business from any device, anywhere. and a team of experts - here for you 24/7. we've always believed in the power of working together. that's why, when every connection counts... you can count on us.

5:25 this morning, and a carnival-owned cruise ship anchored near panama may arrive in florida as early as tomorrow. it's been out at sea more than two weeks and denied entry at several foreign ports. four people onboard have died and it's feared up to 200 more may be infected with coronavirus. florida's governor has said that he does not want passengers to disembark there, but president trump is planning to speak with him before the ship arrives to come up with a solution. the number of coronavirus deaths globally now exceeds 43,000. there are now more than 874,000 confirmed cases worldwide.

in madrid today police stood in the rain as spain held a moment of silence for the 8,400 people who have now died there. spain yesterday recorded its highest one-day amount of deaths so far. in cuba authorities are now requiring everyone to wear facemasks when they go out in public. anyone caught not covering their face, face fines. americans are asking if they need to wear masks when they go out. members of the president's task force say they may make that recommendation. remember to follow social distancing. >> the bottom line is the surgical masks and n95 are built for medical. it might help a little bit, make sure you maintain that six foot of separation. >> a lot of people we spoke with in the bay area say if they are told to start covering up, they will.

people in idaho and beyond felt the shaking within the last 24 hours because a 6.4 earthquake struck about 100 miles northwest of boise. people in six states actually felt it. the quake was the second strongest anywhere in the world over the past 30 days and is the first in idaho since 1983. so far no incidents of injury or damage. good news there. all right. 5:27 this morning. up next, a lot more ahead for you including the bay area's shelter in place order that has been extended to fight the coronavirus. the new restrictions you and your family need to know about. and a grim prediction out of contra costa county. the amount of lives lost if nothing is done. you're watching "today in the bay." what we do now will forever change our tomorrow.

so let's do the right thing, today. let's stay at home. let's wash up. let's always keep our distance - please, six feet apart at least. let's look after ourselves, as well as others. it will all be worth it. we can all do our part. so those on the front line can do their part. and when this is over, we will all, continue, to thrive.

- only invisalign treatment uses smarttrack technology. it moves teeth more comfortably and predictably than ordinary aligners. so i can create custom treatment plans for every smile. a very good morning. it's 5:30. i'm laura garcia working from home as well as mike and kari doing their share of the work from their home as well. >> and i'm marcus washington here in the studio. we want to get you caught up with the latest headlines. the total number of bay area cases is approaching 2,400. 63 people have died. santa clara county still has the

highest number with 900 confirmed cases. and tightening the reins at midnight, even stricter stay at home orders up and down california and will last at least through may 3rd. >> the number of confirmed cases across the country is approaching 200,000 and more than 4,000 have died from covid-19. live team coverage ahead. first a check of your wednesday forecast. kari hall, how are we looking? laura, we're looking like another beautiful day. it's going to be really nice and we're starting out with a mostly clear sky and temperatures cool in the north bay. elsewhere upper 40s and low 50s. you do still need a jacket as you head out the door. as we go into the afternoon expect it to reach into the upper 60s in parts of the south bay, some lower 60s in the north bay with santa rosa r in san francisco, up to 70 today in antioch. so i'll be tracking this as our

dry weather conditions and we'll talk about when the rain returns coming up. mike has a look at the morning commute. how is it looking? any issues? so far no major issues. folks needing to do the essential duties to keep our system running. right now they're able to get there. a live look outside and show you the san mateo bridge westbound across the span, across the screen on the right side. and now as we look over to dublin we see a similar flow of traffic at the limit but a good, steady volume comes through this portion of alameda county. no problems through contra costa. be careful. it's dark but you won't be slowed by any incidents. let's keep it that way. back to you. >> thanks, mike. new grim numbers are putting into perspective how much worse the pandemic in the bay area could be in the coming months. the top health officer tells "the mercury news" that 14,000 people could possibly die this year in contra costa county alone. keep in mind this would be the worst case scenario if social

distancing is followed. the health officer says that number could be as low as 2,000. last week an internal report from san jose city hall revealing that santa clara county could see up to 16,000 deaths by may if nothing is done. santa clara county's health department is not involved in coming up with that estimate. "today in the bay's" bob redell is live from home. bob, how do we here in california compare to other states? >> reporter: marcus, think about it, the bay area was the first community in the country to issue the stay-at-home order. here we are in the third week of this and we're starting to see results. take a look at your tv screen and these results compared to other states. you can see this graphic put together. california is that blue line at the bottom. it's nearly flat. compare that to the top two lines, new york and new jersey, which have seen huge spikes in

cases. one caveat, experts say it is difficult to draw direct comparisons between states because testing differs from state to state but there is evidence that social distancing is working to slow the spread, and this is something we must continue. we can't stop yet because we're still in a critical period according to experts where this virus could spread rapidly. a doctor explains the importance of staying at home. >> we have to act early and we acted before the first death which is different than the other states and different than the european countries. >> they brought together their communities and their health providers and they put in strong mitigation methods and testing. and you can see what the results in washington state and california is. >> reporter: and that was dr. deborah birx with president trump's covid task force

yesterday highlighting california as the shiny example because of our efforts to flatten that curve. reporting live here in livermore, bob redell, "today in the bay." >> all right, thanks for the very latest there. bob just said it, our social distancing big difference but that's why in the bay area they've actually extended now that order. i want to check in with "today in the bay's" kris sanchez, also social distancing, working from home this morning. so talk about some differences that we may see in this new order, kris. >> reporter: this is the strictest order and it was a tough thing to talk to the kids about, that we're doing well and so we have to do even better. it seems we're being punished but the end goal is to make sure we all make it out of this healthy so that's the line i took with my kids. it will require some changes on behalf of your family likely. the new shelter in order is in effect now through may 3rd.

this means playgrounds, dog parks, courts like pickle ball courts, tennis courts, soccer fields, they are all now closed unless you are playing with your own family with the ball, you shouldn't be doing it. central businesses have to come up with and post greater social distancing plans. this means the next time you go to the grocery store or pharmacy you likely will have to wait in a line separated by six-foot markers and will be asked to use hand sanitizer or wipes at that point. essential businesses still in operation have to maximize the number of work from home employees so if you are still working away from home, this is your chance to pressure your boss into getting you to work from home if you're an essential employee and it is possible. most residential and commercial construction is prohibited. if it is market rate construction, however, if you have a construction project below market rate, affordable housing and such that may be allowed to continue. also, any landscaping and other

in home services are now banned. that means you can't get somebody to come into your home and do a massage or housekeeping or such. santa clara public health director sara cody who speaks for the seven bay area counties says this is not the time to ease up on our restrictions. >> must continue to do our part to slow the spread of disease, to ensure our essential services remain open most especially our hospitals and health care facilities. >> reporter: so there are some developments we're expecting today watching for the state superintendent who will hold a briefing today and could ask districts to continue to distance learn through the end of the school year. that means schools would remain closed. governor newsom said he would clarify whether or not we should all be wearing some sort of mask when we leave the house. that could come today or in the days to come. the cdc is reviewing their policy on that as well.

and the district attorney for santa clara county and other counties are warning that if you have a nonessential business and you are still in operation you will be investigated. another thing we are now banned, one single line in that huge order, we are now banned from traveling between counties for nonessential business. that means if you want to get out, get some fresh air, go for a bike ride, go for a hike, you have to do it within your own county and preferably within your own neighborhood. the idea is to get out and get some vitamin d, get some exercise, clear your head, but to do it close to home so that you are observing that order. in san jose, kris sanchez, "today in the bay." >> thank you, kris. in new york city we're seeing the number of deaths increase again, soaring above 1,000. more than 43,000 confirmed cases and fema is sending 500 emts to help respond to the record number of emergency calls they're getting there. one e.r. doctor explained the

dire situation. >> i just got done my ten-hour shift and it feels like playing dominoes every single minute over ten hours straight feeling every one of your patients is about to fall. >> we thank all of those health care workers for what they're doing. sadly fema is delivering 85 refrigerated trucks to new york city to serve as temporary mortuaries. >> that is tragic. the possibility children are learning from home for the rest of the year is looking like it could be a reality. get used to that one. california superintendent of schools tony thurmond put out a statement asking schools to plan for distance learning for the remainder of the year. safety concerns over the coronavirus. it is not likely schools in the state will be open before summer. he's expected to make an announcement with more detailed guidance for schools today. and i don't know about you but when is the last time you subtracted fractions? i'm getting good at that, that

fourth grade math. >> i don't remember. that's how long it's been. >> i'm doing second grade work. >> i can hang with that. >> we can do plus and minus five. let's get a look at our forecast today as we stay at home, open up the windows. let's head over to concord with our temperatures cool to start, in the upper 40s. as we go into the rest of the day recess outside is going to be pretty nice as we continue to warm up. eventually reaching the upper 60s today. we'll talk about what's ahead in the forecast as we track some rain coming in in that weekend forecast in a few minutes. mike with the morning commute, what's going on out there? >> we do still a lot of cars on the road but we have seen supply and demand. we'll talk gas prices.

the gas prices nationwide are below $2 and the cheapest it's been in four years, folks. national average around $1.99 a gallon. locally the bay area at $3. we still pay the price for living here. less demand for those cars. thanks, mike. 5:41 right now. working on the front lines coming up on "today in the bay," we'll talk with a stanford physician about the developments there and how they're treating coronavirus. plus, the san jose sharks are playing defense. why the team leaders say they want to go ahead with games at the shark tank even when it is

recommended all large gatherings should be canceled. >> reporter: president trump facing something no modern day president has ever faced. we will bring you the latest from washington when "today in the bay" continues. what time is it? bed time. my wife never gets home in time to see little man go to sleep. her bus stop is a mile away. i wish i could at least walk home with her. i'm completing the 2020 census for my family. my response can impact how public funding is spent in my community. that could mean education for little man- -and a closer bus stop for her. (relieved, loving) hey. hey. shape your future. start here. complete the census at 2020census.gov.

right now at 5:44 let's check out our temperature trend for willow glen. we'll start out with some upper

40s this morning. you'll need a jacket heading out the door but then going in this afternoon it warms up nicely with sunshine. more weather and then some rain. we'll talk about the time line coming up in a few minutes. thanks so much, kari. when you're not enjoying the sunshine, get inside and do that census. today is the day to actually kind of kick it off. you probably received that invitation in the mail and, to let you know, it's actually required by law. you can respond by phone, mail, or just going online and filling out your information. the census helps with our helpings in washington and determines how much money bay area schools, hospitals, and even fire departments receive. so it's really important to get it done. you said you got yours done. >> it took less than ten minutes. >> you're a party of one. 5:45 this morning. some republicans have said president trump's response to the coronavirus crisis was slow because he was distracted by his

impeachment. >> meantime, the president says that was not true at all. let's check in with scott mcgrew right now. >> reporter: right, not true that he was distracted. not true that he was slow, he said. this was a very rare disagreement with his close ally republican mitch mcconnell who at first float that had idea that the president had been distracted by the impeachment. here is the president saying, no, he was not. >> i think i probably acted -- i don't think i would have done any better had i not been impeached, and i think that's a great contribute to something -- maybe it's a tribute to me. i don't think i would have acted any differently or any faster. >> reporter: now one of the things buried in all of the coronavirus news is a new report from the fbi inspector general that agents appeared to

routinely botch applications that they write to the fisa courts. in fact, the sample the ig took of 25 reports he found errors in all of this. this is important because the president says this supports his argument the initial investigation into russia was botched, specifically the fbi's dealings with the fisa court over campaign aide carter page. it would appear based on the ig's finding the trouble is not political. it's actually pervasive. president trump said the nation will face a painful two weeks as american deaths spike from the coronavirus. over at the "new york times" they point out under the best case scenario president trump will see more americans die from the coronavirus in the weeks to come than presidents harry truman, dwight eisenhower, kennedy, lyndon johnson, richard

nic nixon die combined. the u.s. surgeon general will speak on the "today" show about those predictions of 100,000 to 250,000 deaths if we do the right thing. >> right now there have been just under 4,000 deaths in this country. are we looking at 96,000 people dying in the next few weeks? >> here is what i want you and america to know, those projections are definitely sobering but they don't have to be our reality. if we really do our part, stay at home, social distance, then we can tlaten our curve even below those projections. >> reporter: certainly that's what california is doing, as kris has been reporting to us. we're following everything that's going on. you can watch that interview on the "today" show coming up at 7:00 and follow me on twitter @scottmcgrew. 5:48.

we like to take your questions about the outbreak and then take them to the experts. joining us this morning is dr. wagner, an emergency medicine physician at stanford hospital. good morning, how are you? dr. wagner, are you there? okay, we're going to work -- dr. wagner, are you there? >> good morning. >> good morning. thank you so much for joining us. >> my pleasure. >> dr. wagner, i know we spoke with you last week and even in that short amount of time we've seen so many different developments with this virus. what has been the biggest changes you've seen at the hospital? >> we've been taking the opportunity in the emergency department -- >> okay, dr. wagner, we're having some issues with your audio, so i'm not able to hear you right now. of course we're going to work on that and we'll bring that

information to you later here on "today in the bay." 4:49 right now. laura, what are you working on this morning? >> everybody loves our san jose sharks. we love cheering them on and, you know what, they're defending their decision to go ahead with games at s.a.p. center even when santa clara county recommended canceling gatherings of more than 1,000. sharks executives telling "the america si news" the team consulted with health experts, the nhl, not the team, would have to pull the trigger to actually cancel. the sharks and warriors each played three home games in early march when there were only a handful of south bay cases. no players or full-time staff on either team are believed to have become infected. we want them to stay healthy, everyone, really. >> absolutely. good news to talk about this morning, or in this case something pretty, pretty, pretty good, laura. >> that's pretty good there, my friend. comedian and "curb enthusiasm" everyone to know ho

important it is to stay at home and save lives. >> you're passing up a fantastic opportunity, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, to stay in the house, sit on the couch and watch tv. i mean, i don't know how you're passing that up. well, maybe because you're not that bright. >> so, you know, he co-created "seinfeld." governor gavin newsom has enlisted him to connect and protect california seniors. the governor has created a new initiative for seniors called stay home, save lives, and check in. it includes a toll-free hotline to answer all your questions which hopefully you can see on that graphic on your screen. stay in, stay home, enjoy. >> absolutely. we're seeing so many great things to make us smile here this morning. we want to see what you all are doing out there. meteorologist kari hall, you, a lot of times, share those things

on instagram, twitter and facebook. if you have something nice to share with us, send it to us, right? right, yeah. i'm @karihallweather on instagram, facebook and twitter. i love to see your beautiful weather pictures in your neighborhood, of course. we're not telling you to venture out or show what you're doing in your backyard or even just opening up the windows so it's going to be a beautiful day for that. i wanted to show you what it's looking like for the rest of our friends and family across the country temperature wise today we're looking nationally at some very warm weather across the south in spots like dallas where we reach up to 72 degrees today and still some very warm weather in miami, but we're also seeing a cooldown happening in parts of the northeast where they're looking at highs in the the nice weather continues as we reach into the 60s this afternoon. let's track our next storm system that we'll be coming in for the weekend and it's still we'll off the coast.

that moves in going into saturday and sunday. so the next few days we're dry. temperatures are very warm. and then as we get to the weekend we will see those rain chances going up. it looks like a decent soaker for us. and then we'll see anywhere from about a quarter to half an inch of rain, maybe even up to an inch of rain with the highest amounts in the north bay. we'll be tracking that over the weekend. and then as we look at our forecast we are going to see some warm weather even for this time of year as we go into the weekend. the rest of the week, i should say. then the weekend we will be college off into the upper 50s on sunday and that rain continues into early next week. for san francisco we're in the low 60s but it drops back into the mid-50s for the weekend. i'll be tracking that and we'll talk more about the rain chances coming up. mike has a look at the morning commute. yeah, first i'll show you the promised video of a dramatic imstrags h illustration how light the traffic flow is.

michael has the cool name, there, looking at 101 through mill valley, you can see 101 and the pavement because there are so few cars out there. it almost looks like an animation or you're over a little toy with fake cars. this is real drone video from above. this is great but it's 101 and we don't like the reason folks are isolating, of course. the drive is nice and smooth. no delays around the bay. back to you. four people docked aboard a cruise ship have tested positive for the coronavirus, one is being treated at the hospital. they traveled onboard "the celebrity eclipse." the three crew members are now self-isolating after testing positive. other passengers onboard are advised to take their

temperatures twice daily and monitor for symptoms. the cruise ship was the last to disembark passengers in san diego following a county health order. 5:54 right now. coming 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. because you can't get to the theater,

we're bringing the theater home to you with xfinity movie premiere. such news. i know what this is. this is a real thing. our brand new service that lets you watch movies at home, while they're still in the theater. oh, mister elton. ahh! he has figured out a way to be invisible. they picked the wrong woman. just say "xfinity movie premiere" into your voice remote to bring the theater to you. [mother giving birth]

♪ from the firstloving touch. everything that touches your baby should be this comforting. that's why pampers, the #1 pediatrician recommended brand, wraps your baby in breathable softness to help keep their skin dry & healthy. so every touch is as comforting as the first. pampers. the #1 pediatrician recommended brand. nissan has been with you through thick and thin. and now is no different. we're offering payment options for current owners and our service departments are here to help. and for future owners, we're offering no payments for 90 days on 14 models. this is help when you need it.

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 eligible. it seems paper checks are possible. if you prefer direct deposit, the irs says in the coming weeks treasury plans to develop a web-based portal for individuals to provide their banking information. one initial unknown was about people who don't ordinarily file tax returns like elderly social 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 receive 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. a very good morning to you. thanks for joining us. i'm laura garcia anchoring from home. >> and i'm marcus washington here in the studio. i want to get you caught up with the latest headlines this morning. 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. one month ago there were only 89 cases across the u.s. >> but this morning there is 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. sadly, 63 people have died. the hot spot in the bay area remains to be santa clara county. it has nearly 900 confirmed cases. we have live team coverage just ahead. but first want to get a check of the forecast with meteorologist kari hall. good morning. we have a cool start to the day but it's going to be another really nice one. let's head outside in martinez with a look at our temperature trend that starts out in the mid-40s but you can see how fast it warms up with all of the sunshine. it's going to be a day very much like yesterday where it's going to be very comfortable in the afternoon. we will see some rain coming. i'll have more on that in a few minutes. mike has a look at the commute for our essential drivers we are so grateful are heading to work this morning. >> that's right, kari. we thank the folks and make sure you be carul