amy hollyfield is live in san jose. here we go again.s church has been defying health orders for months now. >> here we go again. cavalry chapel is refusing to close. health officials are appealing to the people asking them not to come here and stay home for christmas. indoor worship services are banned under the state order that says we all must stay at home. this church now faces more than $1 million in fines for defying the order. it's not just the church. the county has also issued fines to the individual people who are making this happen. the pastor said he is not paying the fines and he is willing to go to jail. county officials say they will keep pursuing the case. they have a hearing in january and that the church cannot violate this order. >> there are real consequences to that. and they may not come quite as quickly as all of us in the community would like. especially given the fact that they are then contributing to the risk in our community. the consequences will come. >> an attorney for church leaders argues they have a righ

. >> this morning that is where we find abc7 news reporter amy hollyfield live at the hospital as part of our vaccine watch coverage. good morning, amy. >> hi, good morning, kumasi. doctors are using this day to celebrate this vaccine but also as a day to get across some very key points at they really want to emphasize. zuckerberg general hospital here in san francisco received 2,000 doses of the vaccine and they will give them today to those who volunteer to go first and the mayor and the health director will be here to commemorate the big event. but doctors are really emphasizing that this doesn't get complacent and we're in the middle of a surge of cases pointing out in san francisco there are currently 14 a148 peo hospitalize would covid-19 and 37 of those are in the intensive care. >> it has never been more important to be very careful. but this really is exciting news and i think it's as big a step forward as we have seen in the pandemic, quite honestly. >> the other key point they are trying to make today is that the vaccine is safe. calling the risk of the vaccine lower than th

amy hollyfield is live with more on this holiday meal drive-through. amy? >> good morning. yeah. this is the non-profit hunger at home and they'll start handing out food at 9:00 this morning. here's a look at the need they have been facing and they can probably expect again today. this is a look at 700 cars they did for a grocery giveaway earlier this month, and they say they're seeing a lot of need from the service industry. >> any industry of service has been impacted so greatly. many in the community are fortunate enough to be working from home. shelter in place, working from home. service industry doesn't have that luxury. >> hunger at home has given away more than 2.5 million meals since the pandemic hit. they do need help. they are asking for donations from anyone who can give so they can keep helping those in need. today people will drive up, drive through, pop their trunk, they will never have to get out of the car and volunteers will load them up with produce, bread, and ready to make meals. this is happening from 9:00 to 11:00 this morning on burger drive. reporting liv

amy hollyfield is joining us live from the testing site at mitchell park library. good morning, amy. >> hi, kumasi. this test site opens at 10:00 this morning and open to everyone. officials are encouraging everyone to get tested. officials are worried that we are about to have another surge possibly coming because of all the people who traveled over the holidays. so, the county is urging them to get tested. but saying they should do it during the second half of their mandatory ten-day quarantine to account for the incubation period. so they're saying timing is important here. all this talk of testing and surges as hospital beds are currently filling up. >> the number of people with covid-19 continues to rise. very soon all our hospitals will be out of beds and we will no longer be able to support each other. >> santa clara county says you should get tested by your health care provider if that is possible. before trying a county test site. but the site is here for everyone. for those who need it, it is free. and they think the results could come back within 72 hours

abc7 news reporter amy hollyfield is live along the embarcadero where nothing will be happening. hi, amy. >> that's right. absolutely nothing. do not come down here to the embarcadero, there's nothing to see. they will not be putting on a show. that's the message they want to get across today. san francisco officials canceled the city's show at the embarcadero. don't come out here, there will be nothing to see. over in golden state park, they are going to turn off the holiday lights there. they're going to block parking lots to discourage people from gathering. ocean beach and stern grove parking will be closed. b.a.r.t. also shutting down. they'll shut down their service at 9:00 tonight. they usually expand the hours on new year's eve to make sure everyone has a safe ride home. tonight the trains will stop rub running at 9:00. officials will be reminding people today not to set off their own fireworks. they're illegal in san francisco. you also cannot buy them here. city officials are so concerned about new year's eve they're holding a press conference later this morning to empha

amy hollyfield is live with more on this holiday meal drive-through. amy? >> good morning. yeah. hunger at home here in san jos . will start giving out food at 9:00 this morning but cars can start lining up at 6:00. here's what they can expect. this was a grocery giveaway they did earlier this month. 700 cars lined up. for thanksgiving, hunger at homeworkers say they gave you the 30,796 meals. just one non-profit. for today's event, they say they have the distribution system very planned out. >> when you come in, you come through the courtyard, you will go through a series of signs, masks on, windows up, trinks op trunks open, every family will receive produce, different breads, ready to make meals designed to feed six people. >> it's open to everyone. hunger at home says it's given away more than 2.5 million meals since the pandemic hit. they do need help. they are asking for donations from anyone who can give so they can keep helping those in need. reporting live in san jose, amy hollyfield, abc7 news. >> thank you. >>> many people are in need in the bay area. some for the very

amy hollyfield is live in san jose. this is far from the first time this church has defied the health orders. >> yes. this has been ongoing. the cavalry chapel pastor says he's willing to go to jail. he has no intention to pay all the fines that have been issued to him and his church. so since the church refuses to shut down, the county is now appealing to the people, asking them to please not come here to worship this christmas. services here typically attract about 700 people. the county has issued almost $1 million in fines to the church and also to the people who run the church and are making these services happen. >> these contempt orders, the sanctions that have been issued, they don't go away. they will stay with these individuals and with the church on an ongoing basis. so, it may take time. our number one goal is that they come into compliance with the health orders and that they do so now because they're putting peoples lives at risk. >> indoor services are not allowed under the stay-at-home order. that was ch

reporting live in san francisco, amy hollyfield, abc7 news. >> thank you. >>> you can ring in 2021 from home with the big show on abc7. watch the ball drop on dick clark's new year's rocking eve. it kicks off tonight at 8:00. >> we have developing news in the pandemic. california confirmed its first case of the new covid variant first seen in the uk there are now two cases identified in colorado. kate larsen spoke to an expert about why this variant may be more transmissible. >> reporter: according to officials, the covid variant first seen in the uk was detected in a man in his 30s who lives in san diego county. >> because there's no travel history, we believe this is not an isolated case. >> reporter: colorado health officials say one case and a suspected second case of the variant were from national guard members deployed to a nursing home outside of denver. governor newsom discussed the variant with dr. anthony fauci. >> i don't think the californians should feel this is something odd. this is something expected. there's no indication at all that it increases the virulence. and by v

abc7 news reporter amy hollyfield live outside the hospital on vaccine watch. part of our effort to build a better bay area. and, amy, i know you have more on the timeline. >> hi, kumasi. yeah, they'll start giving the shots today. they've got 2,000 doses and san francisco general will start today. this is one of four locations in california to receive the vaccine. they got it yesterday. people who have volunteered to go first will receive it today. and they will have the mayor and the health director here for the big event. front line providers will start getting it tomorrow. employees will have a choice. they don't have to get the vaccine. but doctors hope they will take it. >> and i do honestly believe and really want to emphasize that the risks of the vaccine are lower than the risk of this virus. all the information we have so far. >> these are doses from pfizer. the moderna vaccine is expected to start arriving next week. so, a lot of shipments expected for the bay area. doctors say it is important to remember this comes as we're seeing a surge in cases. i

live in dublin, amy hollyfield, abc7 news. >> thank you. >>> developing news. after days of opposition, president trump has signed a 0 $900 billion coronavirus relief package. it will bring urgently needed financial relief to millions of americans. mona kosar abdi has how the bill will help many struggling now. >> nearly one week after calling it a disgrace, president trump is backing down, agreeing late sunday to sign a $2.3 trillion coronavirus relief and government funding bill, averting a government shutdown just hours before tonight's deadline. in a statement, the president saying, quote, i am signing this bill to restore unemployment benefits, stop evictions, provide rental assistance, add money for the paycheck protection program, and much more. the president spending the weekend golfing in florida, had faced intense pressure to give in as unemployment benefits for 14 million americans expired. it took congress six months to negotiate the bipartisan relief bill. the president's own team, including treasury secretary steve mnuchin, helped negotiate it. bu

amy hollyfield is live in novato where one group is helping out with that process. amy? >> there's like a freezerererer scavenger hunt going on in the bay area. counties across the bay area are looking around trying to secure freezer space wherever they can find it as they wait for vaccine shipments. counties are doing what they can to find them now that the governor announced the state will be receiving the pfizer vaccine in a couple weeks. alameda county's website said they're still in the protest of purchasing freezers and dry ice for the vaccine. in santa clara county they're still in the gathering of pro social security. >>> in terms of the number of freezers, i don't have an exact number. before coming to the press conference i was on the phone with a group who said freezers arrived on a truck as of yesterday. >>> dominican university says they will offer freezers, and in novato, the buck institute for research on aging is rushing to clear out their freezers to make space for vaccine storage. the private sector is looking for cold storage. sutter health says they i

amy hollyfield live at the library where testing begins in just a few hours. good morning, amy. >> demand for testing appears to be high. when you click on the link to make an appointment to come here today it says that all slots are full. but this is opening today at 10:00 and it is open to everyone. and it is free. and the patient administers the test on themself here at this site. so if you come here, you will swab the inside of your mouth. testing is considered a key component in controlling the spread of this virus, but officials are also asking people to stay home as much as they can. they are worried they will run out of hospital beds which are filling up in santa clara county at an alarming rate. >> this level of hospitalizations has never happened during my career. every day we see the seriousness of this disease. >> santa clara county is worried there will be a surge on top of a surge as people return home from their holiday in encourage get tested to account for the incubation period. but the tests here at the mitchell park library is open today. it

abc7 news reporter amy hollyfield is live at ucsf medical center in san francisco where it's all hands on deck. amy? >> yeah. they are expecting to receive the vaccine today or tomorrow and to start vaccinating some of their front line workers on wednesday. hospital employees say they are so excited about this, calling it the beginning of the end. hospitals have done a lot of work to prepare for the vaccine. they're not just going to open their doors and receive it, they have teams dedicated to the planning of receiving and distributing it. they have run practice drills. so they are ready to administer the shots. >> our preparation is pretty detailed because the pfizer vaccine is quite complicated. it needs to be stored at very cold levels, then you distribute it. and we're even doing simulation exercises to make sure we can vaccinate as many people as quickly and safely as possible. >> hospitals will be asking staff members to declare today whether they want the vaccine. they say they cannot require people to take it. they will start with high-risk employees, then they hope high-risk

amy hollyfield is live at original joe's. it looks like a loophole in this order? are we still trying to figure that out? >> we are. the issue is that some restaurants here say they don't think this is fair. they say they closed up but they don't feel like original joe's has. what's happening is that customers are getting their takeout and sitting down in this area to eat it. the heat lamps are still on. the tables are still set out. the manager of original joe's in north beach says it is not outdoor dining. they do not have servers, that these people chose to sit here with their takeout. whether this is allowed or not, customers say they understand if restaurants are offering outdoor dining because they're trying to survive. >> it's up to the individual. if the government decides to enforce it, let them do their job. other than that, they should be able to open, make their money because again, you know, peoples livelihoods -- people could lose their life, yes, to the virus, but at the same time people could lose their livelihoods by going out of business. >> we re

amy hollyfield is live for us in dib lyn dublin. we just learned she was released moments ago. >> she was released within the last half hour. she's free after serving a nearly two-month long sentence in dublin. actress lori loughlin started serving her time here on october 30th. she is serving time for paying $500,000 to get her daughters into college. she's been in isolation for the past two weeks because of a covid outbreak at the prison infecting at least 180 inmates. people with her team tell abc news that she is okay. loughlin said she is deeply sorry for what she did and she made an awful decision. her daughter also spoke out about the scandal. she did that on jada pinkett-smith's red table talk. >> i'm definitely ready to address some things. it's been hard. i think for anybody, no matter what the situation is, you don't want to see your parents go to prison. >> yeah. >> i think it's necessary for us to move on. >> right. >> move forward. >> loughlin has been in jail since october 30th. her husband was given a stiffer sentenc

amy hollyfield is live in novato where one group is helping out with that process. amy? >> hi. this is the buck institute for research on a.g., this is one place that has freezers. they're trying to clear them out and make space for the vaccine. counties across the bay area are looking around trying to secure freezer space wherever they can find it as they wait for vaccine shipments. the buck institute plans to loan marin county two or three freezers pore vaccine storage. dominican university of california says they will also offer freezer space. santa clara county is still rounding up cold storage equipment even as they assess what they have, more opportunities are coming in. >> before coming to the press conference i was on the phone with a group who said freerszze arrived on a truck as of yesterday. multiple freezers have been installed in parts of the country, buildings that we own and operate and additional freezers are being purchased and installed by other private health care providers as well. >> alameda county's website says they are still in the process of purchasing

abc7 news reporter amy hollyfield is live this morning. how they'll make it. >> that's right. this tattoo parlor here in walnut creek is officially shut down. that will mean 40 people are out of work. this is soozebra tattoo and bod piercing. they had a busy weekend here. customers were lined up down the block before they opened. the owner says december is usually a huge month for them and it makes their year. hair salons were busy. they opened early and closed late as they tried to get everyone in. stylists say they are frustrated and worried about not having an income for the next four weeks. >> i know a lot of hairstylists are out there struggling. i feel bad for them. people are wondering how they'll see their kids for the rest of the month and buy presents now that it's christmas. >>> contra costa county is one of five bay area counties that is enforcing a shutdown even before the state requires one. the contra costa health offer said as cases continue to climb they don't think they can afford to wait. the shutdown will impact restaur

amy hollyfield is live at ucsf in san francisco. that delivery could come as early as today? >> yes. we are watching for the truck as we stand here. ucsf is saying they're one of seven hospitals in the state that will be receiving the vaccine today or tomorrow and they hope to start vaccinating people on wednesday. they are thinking they will receive about 1,000 doses in this first shipment. hospital workers say they are very excited, calling this the beginning of the end. one doctor called this a miracle of modern molecular biology. they worked hard to prepare for the vaccine. they have a team that has even conducted drills to practice receiving it, storing it, and administering the vaccine. just listen to what an operation all of this is. >> our preparation is detailed because the pfizer vaccine is quite complicated. it needs to be stored at very cold levels and then you distribute it. so we're even doing simulation exercises to make sure we can vaccinate as many people as quickly and safely as possible. >>> so this vaccine is from pfizer. doctors are hoping the moderna vac

i'm amy hollyfield, that story coming up. >>> plus single shot at immunity. a new american drugmaker says it's vaccine version is close to market in a single dose. how this might give it the upper hand. >>> and a thanksgiving scandal brewing at the famous awani hotel. what we're learning about this feast that packed in hundreds of diners and what the hotel is saying in response. >>> as we head to break, a live look outside to see what we have to look at at the embarcadero this morning. it's 6:27. we'll be right back. so strong. so... not ripped. what're we talkin about... that's the hefty ultra strong bag hefty! hefty! hefty! (whispers) gimme. (confused) give me the bag? get hefty ultra strong at a low price just how much visibility your car's headlight bulbs can lose before burnout, so we've taken away 50 feet of visibility from this walk home. don't wait until your headlight bulbs burn out. switch to sylvania, the #1 automotive lighting brand, and see better tonight. . >>> i'm afraid we're in for a very bad patch. we have a couple of tough months ahead of u

abc7 news reporter amy hollyfield live for us in san rafael. amy. >> hi, reggie.on't see outdoor dining areas any more here in san rafael. restaurants have been ordered to close but some other businesses are taking a close look at this order and wondering if it applies to them. bay area counties are voluntarily implementing the order and some businesses in marin are pointing out that the order has some gray area. tire shops and pet groomers, for example, are questioning whether they can be considered essential businesses. essential businesses are allowed to stay open. >> my clients say that i'm essential because they say they need anal gland and i think for the doggies i'm essential because they need nails and all that stuff. >> people still have to be able to have a way of transportation and a way of getting around and going to the grocery store or whatever it may be and, you know, if you get a flat tire on your way to the grocery store, you have to have somewhere to bring it to. >> county fl ay officials say too, have an order that it is a bit vague and they're

amy hollyfield has the response from business owners. amy?reporter: you can't help but look at these elaborate outdoor dining areas and think about how sad it is that they will once again sit empty if this order goes into place. they worked so hard on these areas with the plants and the heaters and just the design. but outdoor seating would not be allowed, so it would only be takeout and delivery that restaurants could do. hair and nail salons would also have to close. several business owners say they're not sure they could handle this, with many telling us they're already a few months behind in paying their rent. some of their customers are freaking out, too. >> i'm getting, you know, calls, people are calling saying, hey, you're going to close, you may close. gavin spoke, so i'm just getting the news from people urgently wanting their hair cut sooner. >> reporter: a stay-at-home order has not been put into place for the bay area, but officials say if our hospitalization rates continue at this pace, we will likely see this go into effect by

abc7 news reporter amy hollyfield is live as we hear from michaela's dad. amy? >> police have wondered the same thing, reggie. they say this is one of the largest man hnhunts in the hayw police department's history. a case that gripped the bay area for decades. here's a look at the man who they have arrested. 59-year-old david misch. he is in prison serving a sentence for another murder and he's waiting trial for the murder of two other people. now he is accused of killing 9-year-old michaela garecht. she was kidnapped in november 1988. 32 years ago. her parents say they are relieved to see an arrest but say closure may still take some time. >> for a long time, you know, i kept thinking she was still alive and i never really gave up hope, you know. but that's what can i say? i mean, it will be closure when he's dead.grabbed outside a hayward grocery store and thrown into a car. she was with a friend who witnessed the abduction. they matched a palm print at the scene to mitch. it was fremont police who tipped they might want to look into misch as they investigati

with more on that, we goe to ab7 news reporter amy hollyfield in walnut creek. amy?g we all need to stay home so icu beds don't fill up. here's the numbers governor newsom is tracking. 75% of california's icu beds are now occupied with the state setting records two days in a row. more than 1,800 people are in intensive care. the governor's worried that icus could be overflowing in the next couple of weeks. so, he is considering a stay-at-home order. >> it will require and we are assessing this in realtime over the next day or two to make determinations of deep purple moves in those purple tiered status that is more equivalent, more in line with the stay-at-home order that folks were familiar with in the beginning of this year. >> now, the governor typically mentions that he is thinking about something like issuing a curfew before he does it. so, it does seem likely that he will be issuing this order now that he has mentioned it. he hasn't said when he will decide or what it would look like but the last stay-at-home order back in march stated that we should only leave

amy hollyfield live in walnut creek. >> we're here at john muir medical center and icus like this one that the governor is watching very carefully. he's worried they're going to fill up. take a look at theb numbers he put out. 7,800 people hospitalized and more than 1,800 in intensive care. that means 75% of the state's icu beds are now occupied. it could be overflowing, he says, in a couple of weeks. >> if these trends continue, we're going to have to take much more dramatic dra drastic action. >> the governor is issuing another stay-at-home order, which is what we experienced in march. at that time the orders said people could not leave their homes for essential services or essential workers and for exercise. he did not say when he would be making this decision, but emphasized he's worried about the potential uptick that we could see in the next couple weeks because of everybody getting together for thanksgiving. reporting live in walnut creek, amy hollyfield, abc7 news. >>> we'll get to marin county. everyone working

in san francisco, amy hollyfield, abc 7 news. >>> unionized health care workers are calling for more transparency in the way the covid-19 vaccine is distributed. sciu local 1021 is asking minority communities be prioritized for receiving the vacci vaccine. many are front line workers at san francisco general hospital and shared their stories about why they got vaccinated. >> as a latin person of color i said yes because our community is being affected by alarming rates. >> i hope this is the light at the end of the tunnel because as a community we're tired. we miss each other. we miss human touch. we miss our family and friends. >> the union is urging members to receive the vaccine just as soon as it's available. >> speaking of, pfizer and biointech will supply vaccine. that brings the total to 200 million doses by the end of july. today in california, an advisory committee is holding a public hearing which groups should get vaccinated after front line health care workers. we'll have more on that discussion tonight at 5:00. >>> merck has signed a deal with the u.s. government to deve

here's abc7news reporter amy hollyfield. >> dear santa, merry christmas. >> reporter: the sweetness istill the same. they are noticing something a bit different in this year's letters. concern for santa's health. >> i hope you're health illinois and wearing the mask because you're traveling armed the world. troipt they're promising children they'll get a response. they figured out a way to keep the tradition going, even in a pandemic. >> we would write letters back to the children but this year we had to work out a new way. we're going to give them letters, take home and write them and get them to santa by the 24th. >> a team of volunteers is ready to read the letters and respond. >> this is the time when i feel like i get to be a part of the community and lift up the spirits. >> she says she usually reads about three dozen letters a year. she makes sure to put a lot of love in santa's response. >> i put stickers in, i draw little pictures, i mix it up. i know those little details can make a huge difference. >> there is also a front runner for most requested gift this year. >> a lot of

amy hollyfield has more on their arrival and how they'll help boost production at the port. >> you're looking at a boost to the economy. coming in under the golden gate bridge this morning. these three cranes mean cargo ships coming to the port of oakland can now fit more goods on board. they can stack their shipments even higher and they will need more people to handle the cargo. >> when a ship comes in, you've got to have dock workers and crane operators to pull that cargo off or to load cargo onto the vessel and then you've got to have truck drivers to take the cargo to a warehouse or take it to rails so it can head inland. >> reporter: the port of oakland received ultra large vessels and need to be able to unload them. with the cranes, they will now be able to. the boom will reach to the very edge of the huge ships. >> this is really important because the ships keep getting larger. >> reporter: the cranes were built in china and arrived here a little before 8:00 this morning. the port of oakland says they are the largest cranes on the west coast and cost tens of millions of dollar

reporting live from san francisco, amy hollyfield, abc7 news. >> thank you. >>> nearly every region indropped below the acceptable levels for icu capacity. the bay area is at 12.9%. san joaquin valley at zero percent. the northern california region is the only one in the state not under a stay-at-home order. >>> thousands of california nurses and their union leaders oppose letting hospitals increase their work load to deal with the patient surge driven by covid-19. right now california is granting hospitals exemptions to limits on how many patients a nurse can care for during their shift. the california nurses association organized rallies like this one in san francisco yesterday demanding an end to that policy. labor leaders fear overworking nurses could hurt patients. >> it means we do not have the time to respond to each patient's rapidly changing care condition, to monitor their subtle changes that may mean living to see another day or dying on that day. the california hospital association called the claims false and worse irresponsible. in the middle of the greatest health crisis

amy hollyfield is live from the 24th street b.a.r.t. station this morning. >> good morning. city officials think they'll be testing up to 700 people at this site each day. we are at 24th and mission. this site will be opening today. san francisco's mayor says it is important to make covid testing equitable and says putting a site here will better serve the latinex community and community workers. while the number of cases in the city skyrocketd, they want you to know there are signs of progress. >> our changes in behavior are starting to show an impact. two weeks ago when we started the limited stay-at-home order, our cases were increasing on an average of 8% every day. today our cases are increasing on average at 2% per day. >> city officials are encouraging all of us to think about what we can do to help slow the spread of this virus in the next couple of weeks. this test site will be open today and tomorrow from 7:30 a.m. until 4:00 each afternoon. it is free. no appointment is necessary. you can truly walk up here to 24th and mission and get in line for a test. reporting

reporting live from san francisco, amy hollyfield, abc7 news. >> thank you. >>> a stay-at-home order is also going into effect in napa county. that starts at 11:59 this evening. a lot of local business believe that it's going to deal another damaging blow to an economy already limping from the previous shutdowns. the new order means that napa county restaurants can no longer offer outdoor dining. other businesses like hair salons, breweries and the signature industry, wineries will also have to close. >> i think watching the counties around us, it became a matter of when not if. we have guests booking events up through christmas. >> we care about people. i care about my employees, but i don't see why there's covid-19 spreads because of the restaurants. >> we also spoke with run restaurant owner who says he will have to lay off 30 workers due to the latest round of shutdowns. >>> abc7 was in the north bay as two front line care providers received their first vaccine in the county. it in san rafael. ucf began administering doses yesterday. like kaiser the doses went to front line healt

amy hollyfield live in san rafael this morning. amy. >> as this starts here, they have some questions about who this covers. some businesses are raising questions about who this applies to. we know that essential businesses are allowed to stay open and that is it. but what is essential? the local tire shops are asking are they essential? they say they are. say figure you have a flat tire on the way to the grocery store, you need them. is the dog groomer essential? pet owners say they're essential to them. the dogs need nails trimmed and hair that keeps from getting matted. many are turning to local leaders for answers but they're not finding any clarity. >> and because the order was drafted in pretty simplistic way and such a wide array of businesses in california it provided a lot of grey area for a lot of businesses in our community. we're looking to the state to provide that clarity. >> there are some obvious ones, of course. we know restaurants are closing, no questions there. indoor and outdoor dining is not allowed. just deliv

abc7 news reporter amy hollyfield is live for us in san rafael. amy? >> good morning, reggie.2,000 doses of the pfizer vaccine are set to arrive in marin county today. they will start giving out the shots tomorrow. they were expecting to get the doses on monday, but they were delayed. officials were disappointed but say they understand these things happen during such a huge operation involving such a sensitive vaccine. >> we were slated to be among the first, that was exciting. now we're not at the front of the line, but again, 48 hours over the long-term doesn't make a big difference. it might give the teams a little bit longer to really be even more prepared. >> the vaccine comes as the county runs out of icu beds. marin says all icu beds are full. 12 of the 29 beds are covid patients. they will give half of the vaccines to hospital workers, the other half to skilled nursing facilities. they will get the general public vaccinated between march and june. live in san rafael, amy hollyfield, abc7 news. >> thank you. >>> health care workers in san francisco and contra costa coun

amy hollyfield, abc 7 news. >>> as some businesses are trying to survive, some are opening during the pandemic. >> reporter: it's a rare bird indeed to be here at a restaurant grand opening during a shelter in place during a pandemic in downtown oakland. and look at the crowd. they're wearing masks and distancing as they wait for shake shack favorites. >> this is a golden state double. car ri white cheese and pickles. >> reporter: shake shake has other low area locations and felt they had the perfect recipe for opening in a pandemic, another takeout business to help the community. >> we get to, like, hire a lot of people inspite of there is -- it's a time where a lot of people get laid off so this is like an opportunity to give people a chance to work. >> reporter: but it's not just corporations that see this time and place as a moment to realize their dream. >> this is the emma cake. i'm from daly city. my wife's birthday is today and we heard about the cake from friends. >> reporter: he drove to berkeley to get it. is it scary to open in a pandemic? >> very scary. you don't know wha

amy hollyfield is live in sonoma. >> good morning.ot of these restaurants have built these outdoor areas. today is the last day that sonoma residents or anyone in sonoma county can eat at one of these. they will be shutting down. the order starts at midnight, so 12:01 tomorrow morning. this is the same order other bay area counties already have in place. it shuts down hair and nail salons, indoor and outdoor dining, wineries and bars and family entertainment centers. restaurant owners are worried. one told us that he had already let go of eight workers and this will mean more layoffs. >> i think it's kind of sad because they let us open here on the street, they will close us again. i don't know what we'll do. we lost thousands of dollars already. with the new orders, i don't know what will happen. >> health officials say the number of covid cases have doubled in recent days in sonoma county and they are seeing an alarming rate of hospitalizations. so they say they have to take this action. starting tomorrow, residents of sonoma county

amy hollyfield is live at ucsf this morning. >> good morning.e at ucsf they hope to get about 8,000 dose es s of the moa vaccine in the first shipment. millions of doses of the moderna vaccine are making their way across the country trying to get to hospitals as quickly as they can. doctors say now that we have two vaccines they think we can make serious progress towards getting the vaccine to all health care workers who want it. some are turning their attention to the days when the general public can get it. many hoping it will come with information and outreach to medically underserved communities. >> access is important, however that has to be coupled with a strategic messaging from the state, from the city, local governments to ensure they're answering all the questions that people have in culturally competent ways and understanding how to connect with folks to address any issues or concerns they have around the vaccine. >> u.s. officials say about 500,000 doses of the pfizer vaccine have already been administ administered. the moderna vacci

abc7 news reporter amy hollyfield is live for us in san rafael. amy? >> talk about timing, reggie. with marin saying all their icu beds are full and saying 12 of the 29 beds are covid patients. the vaccine will arrive in marin today. it is late. they were expecting it on monday. they will start giving the shots out tomorrow. county officials were disappointed by the delay, but they understood saying there are a lot of moving parts with the distribution of this sensitive vaccine. they say a couple of extra days won't make a huge difference in the long run. >> the main thing is that we have a vaccine that's safe and effective. seems like it's actually working. >> nearly 2,000 doses of the pfizer vaccine are set to arrive in marin county today. county officials plan to send half of the doses they get to the county's three hospitals. the other half will go to the 13 skilled nursing facilities in marin. they will be administering those shots into the weekend. they are estimating they will give the shots to the general public between march and june. reporting live in san rafael, amy holl

abc7 news reporter amy hollyfield live in hayward as we're hearing from michaela's dad. amy. >> hi, reggie. detectives here in hayward say after 32 years it all came down to a palm print. they found a palm print at the scene and they believe it matches 59-year-old david misch. he is already in prison. he is serving a sentence for another murder and he's waiting trial for the murder of two other people. now he is accused of killing 9-year-old michaela garecht. she was kidnapped in november 1988. for police and her parents, it has been 32 years of chasing and hearing about false leads. thousands of tips. sometimes dealing with false hope as they tried to find her kidnapper. >> all i know the palm print was on the scooter and over the years they've gone back and matter of fact, november of last year they just did an upgrade on my palm print for comparison and stuff like that. >> michaela was grabbed outside a hayward grocery store and thrown into a car. her kidnapper had moved her scooter. when she went to find it, she was snatched. fremont police first tipped the hayward po

reporting live in san francisco, amy hollyfield, abc7 news. >> thank you. >>> a big relief for parents and kids. more playgrounds plan to reopen today. california lifted the statewide ban yesterday. a dozen lawmakers wrote to the governor pushing for that reopening. t the. >>> all right. let's start with the current conditions, down in the south bay, high clouds and stars. 43 in san jose. 45 in milpitas and mountain view. cupertino right now and sunnyvale about 43 and 47. temperatures all over the scale as you would expect in the wittt wint wintertime 37 in clouds and sunshine today. by 11:00 today, we're around 55 to 57. then the dry cold front rolls through. the breezes pick up. we will see a little sunshine this afternoon. temperatures will be a couple degrees cooler than yesterday. 57 to about 64 by 1:00. then by 3:00, we're around 57 to 66. if you're heading out this evening, grab a coat, 351 to 55. things will be quiet, even at our beaches. let's look at the storm impact scale. it's a 1 for this weekend. two parts of this storm. one comes in friday night into saturday. another on

live in san francisco, amy hollyfield, abc7 news. >>> you can follow the same data that we do to seeour county is handling the covid-19 crisis and where it stands with reopening. you can find that at abc7news.com. >>> the cdc is changing its quarantine recommendations for people exposed to covid-19. two white house officials say the change was discussed during a coronavirus task force meeting yesterday. now, you would need to quarantine for 7 to 10 days after exposure under the new rules. currently the rules are 14 days. people can end their quarantine after seven days if they receive a negative test. if you don't get tested, the cdc says you should wait out the entire ten days. >>> building a better bay area includes focusing on education and how schools are trying to best serve their students during this pandemic. with the recent spike in cases, many people wonder if these schools should postpone their plans for in-person learning. the oakland unified school district set a target date of january 25th to resume that in-person learning. it would apply to younger kids up to the fifth

live in san francisco, amy hollyfield, abc7 news. >> that has been a real frustration.hank you. >>> the cdc is changing its quarantine recommendations for people exposed to covid-19. two white house officials say the change was discussed during a coronavirus task force meeting yesterday. now, you would need to quarantine for 7 to 10 days after exposure under the new rules. currently the rules are 14 days. people can end their quarantine after seven days if they receive a negative test. if you don't get tested, the cdc says you should wait out the entire ten days. >>> a break through in the race for a covid-19 vaccine. overnight pfizer's vaccine was approved in the uk. so people with high priority can start being vaccinated next week. the u.s. is expected to approve the vaccine at an fda meeting next thursday. yesterday the cdc released new recommendations on who should be given priority. at the top of the list health care workers and people who live in nursing homes. next, essential workers, followed by people 65 and older and people with a high risk medical condition.

abc7 news reporter amy hollyfield is live in sonoma where business owners will be struggling the next few weeks. >> yes. some restaurant owners are upset. they spent a lot of money on these outdoor dining areas. starting tomorrow these will sit empty. place. some restaurants say this shut down will force them to lay off workers. the shutdown starts tomorrow. health officials say the number of covid cases has doubled in recent days in sonoma county and they're seeing an alarming rate of hospitalizations so they say they have to take action. some residents we talked to say they understand the move. >> we need to stay home, whatever we need do to keep the numbers down and beds available. i'm very saddened for small businesses, 100%, but as long as we can keep those beds available so if anyone needs it, especially over the holidays, i'm 100% on board. >> this is the same order other bay area counties already have in place. it shuts down hair and nail salons, indoor and outdoor dining, wineries, bars, family entertainment centers. starting tomorrow, residents of sonoma county are ordered t

abc7 news reporter amy hollyfield is live this morning.eading a lot of workers to wonder how they'll possibly get by. >> they're very worried but they also had a very busy weekend. it was a rush to get it all in before the shutdown happened. at zebra tattoo parlor said they had a line down the block of people waiting before they opened their doors. everyone trying to get their tattoos before the shutdown went into effect. the owner here says december is a huge month for them. it usually makes their year. now with the shutdown, he'll have to let 40 employees go. he said it will be scary to watch the effects of this second shutdown. hair salons were also busy this weekend. many of them tried to pack in as many customers as possible before they were forced to close as they wondered how they would handle another shutdown. >> we're all pretty devastated. we've been through this twice now. it kind of sucks, you know? i just don't think it's fair when we're being so clean and sanitary and we're doing everything we're supposed to. we spent all thi

amy hollyfield is tracking the lockdown as we work to build a better bay area.usinesses are trying to make money somehow. >> somehow, but they're canceling a lot of business. hotels have been canceling reservations. restaurants have been breaking down their outdoor seating areas as this county starts its stay-at-home order. it went into effect in napa county at midnight. this means hair and nail salons must close. outdoor dining is banned. worship services must take place outside. indoor services are banned. wineries must close their tasting rooms. business owners are hoping they can survive the shutdown. >> it's very tough, but it's tough for everyone right now. we have so many colleagues who own different businesses in the valley that are here for locals but also for the visitors. so it's a hardship for everyone right now. we're just doing our best to adapt to the changes. cross fingers that we'll get through this. >> retail stores can stay open. they just have to limit how many people they're allowed to have inside. schools already open can stay open. this or

amy hollyfield has more. >> good morning. this site is expected to open in about an hour.an francisco's mayor says it is important to make covid testing equitable and says putting a site here will better serve the latinex community and community workers. the mayor wants us to remember our actions the next couple of weeks can also make a huge difference. >> i don't want to look someone in the eye and say to them their mom or dad died because we didn't have space in the hospitals for them. we couldn't give them a fighting chance. as you make your choices this holiday, think about that. think about what you can do to get us through the next few weeks. >> city officials say even though we're going through a huge surge in cases, progress is being made. two weeks ago covid cases were increasing 8% each day. today they're increasing 2% each day. an improvement here in san francisco. this test site will be open today and tomorrow from 7:30 to 4:00. it is free. no appointment is necessary. they are expecting to test about 700 people a day. reporting live in san francisco, amy holly

in san francisco, amy hollyfield, abc 7 news. >> san francisco'fr the kind floating fire station is inthe spot it will be calling home. overnight crews moved the station across the bay from treasure island to pier 22.5 along the embarembarcader it sits along the station that's too small to meet the city's needs. >> i can't believe the fire station floated over to us today. it shows how san francisco is innovative and trend setters. this station is going to bring so many positive services to our community for decades if not centuries to come. >> the fire department decided to put the station on the water because of the effects of climate change. it will also be better able to with stand either quakarthquake. it will be fully operational in the innovative. >> new stay-at-home order, distance learning, the holidays, so much to stress us abundant wind and solar energy, we have the power to take on climate change. use less from 4 to 9 pm to keep california golden. try nature's bounty sleep 3 a unique tri layer supplement, that calms you helps you fall a sleep faster and stay a sleep longer.

i'm amy hollyfield, details of that coming up. >>> and tahoe's winter warn ♪ oh, oh, (announcer)®!ce-weekly ozempic® is helping many people with type 2 diabetes like emily lower their blood sugar. a majority of adults who took ozempic® reached an a1c under 7 and maintained it. here's your a1c. oh! my a1c is under 7! (announcer) and you may lose weight. adults who took ozempic® lost on average up to 12 pounds. i lost almost 12 pounds! oh! (announcer) for those also with known heart disease, ozempic® lowers the risk of major cardiovascular events such as heart attack, stroke, or death. it lowers the risk. oh! and i only have to take it once a week. oh! ♪ oh, oh, oh, ozempic®! ♪ (announcer) ozempic® is not for people with type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis. do not share needles or pens. don't reuse needles. do not take ozempic® if you have a personal or family history of medullary thyroid cancer, multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2, or if you are allergic to ozempic®. stop taking ozempic® and get medical help right away if you get a lump or swelling in your neck, severe

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aiman ezz amy hollyfield is live at ucsf this morning. >> one doctor here said there's a light at the of the tunnel and for once it's not a train coming towards us. they're excited here about this new vaccine headed their way after all they have been through during this pandemic. ucsf is expecting a shipment of moderna any day now. the rollout of the moderna vaccine means the country has two vaccines in its arsenal. doctors here are not taking it for granted. they have so much respect for the work that went into this. >> this is a triumph of modd een molecular biology going back to watson, crick. this is what all of us in science have been studying for the last 80 years. it paid off in extraordinarily ways. this is a historic moment. >> officials are saying the vaccine is 95% effective and getting 80% of the country vaccinated is the way out of this pandemic. they're saying the general public may be able to start getting vaccinated maybe as early as this spring. reporting live inmy >>> a federal advisory panel voted to put people 57 a75 and r and essential workers next in line for vac

live in san francisco, amy hollyfield, abc7 news. >>> well, the number of new cases and hospitalizations is surging in california and across the country. here's abc news reporter alex presha. >> we are worried about a rapid accelerating increase and pressure on our hospitals. >> reporter: health officials in california say the thanksgiving surge is hitting their state. a spike in cases and icu beds filling up. >> we're running out of space, we're running out of supplies. we have a shortage of providers. >> reporter: emergency alerts going out to cell phones urging residents to stay home. we're hearing about new restrictions and roll backs of reopenings across the open. washington state extending its lockdown another three weeks. massachusetts now rolling back reopenings. and north carolina announcing new curfews overnight. >> the stakes are dire. this is truly a matter of life and death. >> reporter: hospitals in new mexico are so full now they're transferring patients to neighboring states. arizona, texas and colorado. the alex presha, abc news, washington. >>> nurses at ucsf hospital w

abc7 news reporter amy hollyfield checked out the crowds. >> reporter: lorenzo's truck is doing doubleuty as santa's sleigh. he delivers and sets up flat screen tvs for best buy and he says procrastinators are keeping him busy. >> it's a mad rush. definitely a mad rush. >> reporter: are you still getting calls? >> totally. we'll get calls until the evening. >> reporter: he says business is good because of covid. >> i would say that the business is probably more. more people being at home. >> reporter: some say covid is to blame for their last-minute shopping. they just haven't had the time to get out. >> i'm still working, so trying to find time in between full schedule and her doing her distance learning. >> reporter: she says she did as much online shopping as she could to stay safe from covid, but covid has also complicated that process. >> a lot of amazon, but there's been a lot of delay because of, like, a lot of the warehouses and stuff like that are at lower capacity, so i just was like, i ordered what i could online, and coming out to get the rest. >> reporter: covid has also d