amy hollyfield joins us live in walnut creek with more on this change. amy: remember, students were going to have to be vaccinated by july to be able to come here to school. all of those who are 12 and older. now, they have been given another year. the earliest the covid vaccine requirement will now go into effect for students is july of 2023. state health officials say they postponed the deadline to give everyone more time to successfully implement the vaccine requirement. governor newsom had announced in october that the state would require all students over the age of 12 to be vaccinated, making california the first state to put a requirement in place for students. state officials hope to see kids get vaccinated. saying the california department of public health strongly encourages all eligible californians, including children, to be vaccinated against covid-19. we continue to ensure our response to the covid-19 pandemic is driven by the best science and data available. that is from dr. thomas aragon. this impacts about 26% of california adolescence. 7

amy hollyfield joining us with more on this. amy: good morning. fire investigators now are wondering if to fires that were spotted nearby, spotted from up above by a sheriff's department team up in a helicopter, now wondering if they are connected to this one. that is one issue they are looking into. they are still trying to find out what started this huge fire that started saturday at 6:00 at night. it was a home depot that burned in san jose. all of the customers and employees safely escape the flames. one employee who was on break when the fire started described the scene. >> i come back and see smoke and that is when i got worried. i started seeing smoke rolling out. amy: it took about six hours for firefighters to get this huge fire under control. they are focusing on the lumbar section of the store as a possible point of origin for the fire. they have lifted the shelter-in-place order for nearby residents. they kept them inside because of air quality concerns. they have lifted that but it is smoky out here this morning. reporting live in san

amy hollyfield joins us live right now. amy? amy: hi there, we had its muni bus -- we had a muni bus with its sign reading masks recommended. the chain is now in place here for muni, but changes could be coming again. you are no longer required to wear a mask on public transportation in the bay area. masks are recommended, or as the muni sign said, masks advised. here is a glimpse into the thinking that went into this decision from transit officials. >> our safety and other executive management discussed this and decided it was the way to go. the state has lifted its requirement as well, so currently there are no formal requirements on the county, state, or federal level. amy: but bart is not done discussing this, with the bart board member rebecca salzman saying she will be introducing a mask mandate for the board to vote on, because she says they must keep riders safe. she did not say how long the mandate would be in place if it is approved. there could be changes again, but for now, masks are recommended on public transit, no

kumasi: amy hollyfield has more on the clues coming in this case. amy? amy: police have not said the motive behind the kidnapping and the mother says she also doesn't know why her baby was kidnapped. here's a look at those three suspects. the mother did say in an interview with univision that she does know two of them. neighbors and family members have said the woman, 48-year-old guadalupe a ramirez, met his grandmother at church and was obsessed with the baby, and then convinced her to go to walmart with her. while she was gone, the baby was kidnapped from the home while they unloaded groceries from the car. the baby was dehydrated when he was found after being away from mom for so long, nothing to eat, nothing to drink, no milk, no formula, but otherwise is in good condition. she describes how she reacted when it turned out her son had been found. >> very emotional. it turns out -- it feels like my soul came back to my body. when he was left, my heart was gone. i feel like i had died. amy: she is now focused on thanking everyone for their support and h

amy hollyfield is live in san jose where police are making a desperate plea to the public for help. amy: we see one officer positioned on elm street to help the family and work on this investigation. they moved operations as they search around-the-clock the baby. here is the surveillance video everyone is talking about, showing the man calmly walking away with the baby at 1:00 yesterday afternoon. he took brandon out of the car where his grandmother left him where she was unloading groceries. fbi agent arrived to help with the investigation after san jose police made a plea for the baby's return. >> today someone is walking around with a three month old baby they did not have appeared please give the baby back to the mother. we can deal with the consequences other could anybody who is a mother or father, you don't love anyone more than their child. this mother is going through a very bad time as where as -- as well as grandma. grandma was in charge of the baby and the baby is now gone. amy: her mother -- his mother was at work at the time. the grandmother was watching the baby. the f

amy hollyfield is live in san mateo. e are not hearing any talk about bringing back mask mandates, evethase argoing up in s meo couy, they ar in the red zone right now f ors say that is not necessarily recent th d'tlsill be overrun. they think people should be vigilant and be aware of the uptick. doctors say covid waves will likely be part of our future. >> the risk of ongoing infections and potentially a surge is high. that may look very different from previous urges in the sense that there's a lot of factors at play. it does not mean increasing hospitalizations. amy: the spike is because of the ba.2 variant, now accounting for 80% of covid cases across the country. local health officers have not said anything about possibly bringing back restrictions slow the spread. doctors tell us the spike will likely be minor but should serve as a warning to be alert and out of your guard down. amy hollyfield, abc 7 news. reggie: thank you. they are concerning developments that could change the course of the war in ukraine. there ar

amy hollyfield is joining us live with what doctors say is behind this and how concerned we should be. amy: no talk at this time of bringing back the indoor mask mandate here. we are seeing an taking cases but doctors we talked to say they do not think they will have a serious impact on hospitals here. the level of transmission mate counts igh. these counti a in the red zodoctors say while we are seeig an uptick in cases, it is not a reason to panic, but a reason to stay vigilant. >> we may see some slowing. we may see a few blips like they are seeing in the east right now. but i do not think we will see a big surge that we saw in the u.k.. amy: this spike is because of the ba.2 variant. this variant accounts for 80% of covid cases across the country. local health officer have not said anything about bringing back restrictions in the bay area. doctors tell us covid waves are likely part of our future and they are predicting that this one will be minor, but they should serve as a warning. reporting live in san mateo, amy hollyfield, abc 7 news. kumasi: in just a few minutes, the labor

amy hollyfield is in contra costa county this morning, hearing from doctors and what is behind the increase, and whether or not there should be concern for this. amy: case numbers our app, but if you look at what is -- case numbers oare up. but the news isn't all bad. lab technicians have been studying the wastewater around the bay area, looking for covid, and the earth seeing the biggest spikes in san mateo and contra costa counties. but the number of people in the hospital is down. take san francisco, 35 people in the city are in the hospital for covid. >> the city of one million, very low levels. definitely seeing an increase in cases but not a surgeon hospitalizations at all. amy: doctors say this is evidence that vaccines are working, and they also point out that so are the covid treatments now available. because of these two factors, doctors say they are not seeing these case rates going up as a reason to go back to mask mandate, but they encourage people to get boosted, especially as we see the case numbers go up. live in the east bay, amy hollyfield, abc 7 news. amanda: happening to

amy hollyfield is joining us live in walnut creek with more on what we can expect. amy: don't be alarmed, commuters , you will probably see more officers on your commute today. it is a precaution but agencies from bart to bta say they have put all of tyve make them visible. this is in response to the shootings in the brooklyn subway. san francisco police also have added officers at high traffic in heavily populated downtown areas. some agencies also have their patrol dogs with them to alert them if anything -- of anything suspicious. police admit it is tough to stop an attack before it happens but are doing all they can. >> it is just increased presence. unfortunately, some situations where someone made their mind up to do something like that it will be difficult to stop or prevent. the way we do it is through education and get people out to our system and let riders know if they see something, say something, and use our app on the phone to report suspicious persons or things they see while traversing through our system. amy: officers also pointed out the system has

amy hollyfield is live in san jose where police are making a desperate plea for help. what is the latest on this? amy: we had seen activity on elms street this morning where the kidnapping happened. a car was just towed from here but first, i want to share an important update from the chp this morning. chp put out a picture of a 2011 nissan quest minivan they want you to be on the lookout for. look out for this license plate 7hwf353 and look for that white, circular sticker on the left side of the window. this could possibly be the car the abductor got away in. here is that video everyone is talking about showing a man calmly walking off with a three-month-old, three-month-old brandon at 1:00 yesterday afternoon. he took brandon out of his apartment. his grandmother was outside unloading groceries from the car when brandon was snatched. fbi agent arrived last night to help with the investigation after police had made a plea for the baby's return. >> someone is walking around with a three-month-old baby they did not have yesterday. if you have this baby, please give that

amy hollyfield joining us live with the change. amy: students now have another year before they will be required to have that covid vaccine to attend classes, to go to school. this is for kids 12-17. the earliest covid vaccine requirement will not go into effect for students in california earlier than july of 2023. originally, the deadline was this july, but state health officials say they postponed the deadline to give everyone more time to successfully implement the vaccine requirement. they say they are waiting for the fda to give final approval for kids. governor newsom had announced back in october that the state would require all students over the age of 12 to be vaccinated from covid, making california the first to put a requirement in place for students. state officials still hope to see kids get vaccinated, saying in a statement that the department of health strongly encourages all eligible californians, including children, to be vaccinated against covid-19. kevin he 4% of californians between the ages of 12 and 17 -- 24% o

. >> let's check in with amy hollyfield, tracking the commute and hearing from health experts on the risks of dropping the masks right now. amy? amy: good morning. how confusing for bay area commuters. they can arrive here on a transit bus and not be hired to where am i -- wear a mask, but then if they catch a muni bus, they have to put one on. not a universal policy right now. here we see an ac transit bus holding and right now. these will be some of the first passengers who have had the option on whether to wear masks. first time in two years. ac transit is out on its own on this policy decision. bart and muni still requiring masks. unfortunately i think we see in empty bus. -- an empty bus. we won't get to see those first few passengers. that will have to happen later today. ac transit for the first time saying masks will be recommended but not required. we reached out to local doctors who told us that they are concerned about the mandate being dropped. >> the reason i'm also disappointed is it sets a really scary precedent for a time when we think about public health emergencies a

amy hollyfield, abc7news. kumasi: in the south bay, today is the deadline for valley transportation employees to report their vaccination status. the agency added a vaccine mandate for workers. boosters are not required. they reported 379 employees, about 20%, hadn't received a single dose and of those, 59 received medical or religious exemptions. they will be tested weekly. >> new developments, one-month progress report out of the vanness rapid transit. the corridor is saving riders 34% in travel time, meaning it takes about nine and a half minutes less than it did before the project. the 49 vanness mission line is the only line operating on the street and has seen a 38% boost in ridership. a full report kobe next week. -- will be next week. kumasi: the man and woman accused of kidnapping a baby will be in court. court documents revealed they plotted for weeks to snatch the three month old infant from his grandmother's care. they are facing three charges of -- charges. a third man was named as a suspect but t

in the east bay, amy hollyfield. reggie: we are hearing exclusively from a man at the center of a dramatic carjacking on the bay bridge. a suspect still a man's truck and took off after a crash midspan on wednesday. our reporter has the story. >> i think that that is my last day. he took the car and left. reporter: elmer. he would die after coming face-to-face with an armed man in the middle of the bridge. could you believe it was happening?? >> i never saw something like that. and i never thought it would happen to me. reporter: the chp says it began when the suspect's ford suv started weaving in traffic on wednesday morning. elmer says the suspect crashed into a car and tried to steal it, fighting with the other driver. >> after that, he fought with me, but i had an impulse. when they say they have a gun, i don't do anything. reporter: the suspect made a move toward him, brandishing his gun. >> he pushed me. reporter: seconds later, the suspect took off in the white truck elmer was driving. >> it is unusual. you do

reporting live in san jose, amy hollyfield, abc 7 news. reggie: now to the fire the port of phoenicia, finally contained sunday. it could still cause some economic challenges for the bay area this week. officials tells it may have an impact on bay area gas prices. this fire started yesterday -- on saturday filled -- near a cello filled with petroleum coke. it took a full day to get that under control. something like oil residue appeared on the water during the fire. the fire department says it is working with the u.s. coast guard and california department of fish and wildlife to address pollution issues. kumasi: the war in ukraine could take another concerning turn this week. we know purses are moving eastward the city of kharkiv. jobina: ukrainian president zelenskyy is expecting a renewed expert by russian forces to control eastern ukraine. new satellite images show and eight mile long convoy of russian military equipment, including tanks and artillery, moving toward kharkiv. some neighborhoods outside the city have already faced shellin

amy hollyfield joins us in san francisco without a day is being remembered. amy: we wanted to show you this live picture at market and kearney, the police chief wrapping up his comments payment we are in front of this ornate fountain, where people would gather outside the 1906 earthquake to reunite with their loved ones. that happened at 5:11 a.m. and that is when this crowd will have a moment of silence to commemorate the earthquake that killed more than 3000 people, destroyed 28,000 buildings. mayor london breed is here along with the police and fire chiefs. they do this every year to remember those who died and those who work hard to rebuild the city. this event used to feature some survivors -- they have all passed on -- but city leaders say it's important to keep up the tradition to never forget that huge earthquake. after this moment of silence, this group will go on to a fire hydrant which received a lot of credit for saving the city. it gets a fresh coat of gold painted every year as part of the festivities. right now we are gathering at lot us fountai

amy hollyfield has more on this. amy: they did not hesitate, this was a unanimous vot with the board to reinforce at mask mandate here on their trains. the board says it is temporary, this will be in place until july 18. the vice president said they were not prepared for the federal judge in florida just write down the mask mandate on public transportation, so they voted to put it back in place. here is a sampling of what we are hearing. >> it is important to have masks. i have worn mind throughout the pandemic. so i think it is essential. it should be brought back. >> i have a feeling this will not be the last time we are having this conversation. amy: bart says it is temporary. officials say they are doing it to keep riders safe. it is the only public transit agency in the area to put the mask mandate back in place, so if we take a bus or uber, you can take your mask off for that ride. but on bart, you have to have your mask on. julian: in the south bay, today's the deadline for the valley transportation authority e

we have seen the test positivity rate up and now amy hollyfield is live in contra costa county hearing from doctors on what is behind the increase in whether or not this is because or concern. amy: the case numbers are going up, but if you look at what is happening at hospitals like the one behind me, all of the news isn't bad. lab technicians have been studying the wastewater around the bay area looking for covid and they are seeing the biggest spikes in san mateo and contra costa counties good the number of people in the hospital is down. >> in a city of one million, those are very low levels. increased cases but not a surge in hospitalizations. amy: doctors say this is evidence the vaccines are working and they also point out, so are the cobit it treatments that are now available. because of those two factors they say they don't see case rates going up as a reason to go back to mask mandates but they do encourage people to get vaccinated especially as we watch case numbers go up. >> 5000 stanford nurses set to strike. expected to hit the line around 9:00. they are seeking pay raises

live in berkeley, amy hollyfield abc7news. >> dr. anthony fauci is now criticizing a federal judge ruling that struck down the federal mask mandate on public transportation. >> dr. fauci called it disturbing, potentially creating a dangerous precedent. the department of justice is appealing the decision. the doj has not asked for the mandate to remain in place while courts decide the case. >> whether that is used now or later or in a future pandemic it is essential that the cdc be able to retain this ability to do things that will keep americans safe. >> there is confusion for people across the country. in boston, officials are urging people to wear masks indoors. los angeles is bringing back their mask mandate but only on public transit. in philadelphia officials are ending the indoor mask mandate that started monday partly because of the backlash. >> california teamed up with metta to get facts about covid-19 to state spanish speakers. the service is available on whatsapp. officials can use -- users can ask questions about the safe

amy hollyfield, abc7news.in the hospital after being shot last week. the shooting happened yesterday. but the suspect and the shooting victim attended the school. students shelter-in-place as police searched for the shooter. after about two hours, police found the suspect with a gun and took him into custody. the shooting follows a violent weekend in san jose, where there were at least four incidents involving gun violence. >> we need to do something. we are going to do something. we need to combat this problem together. it is going to take more than just the police. kumasi: some parents had to wait for hours to find out if their kids were safe. kumasi: the city -- reggie: the city of malibu revealing new details in the death of a boy hit and killed by a construction truck. video of the accident shows that andre had fallen off his bike in front of the truck, and because he was in the driver's line spot, the driver could not have seen the boy between -- before the collision. they are looking for bike safety imp

amy hollyfield joins us live. >> the celebration just wrapped up. they commemorate the moment that quick happened and paused and silently remembered. sirens blared out as they did 116 years ago. 3000 people died in the aftermath of this quake. the ceremony takes place here because this became a meeting spot after the quake. families are united here. so today people gather here. some dressed up in 1906 fashion including the mayor london breed. >> we are seeing our city reopen and come alive again. we are stepping up and putting back the pieces just like we did during 1906. >> this event used to feature survivors. they have all since passed on. those who are here are here to celebrate the resiliency of those who rebuilt from the ashes after the quake. >> we have resources to help you prepare for an earthquake and other natural disasters. >> 8000 registered nurses are going on strike. to protest ongoing contract negotiations. the california nurses association does sutter is not meeting their demands on staffing. sutter calls a 24 hour strike disruptive

amy hollyfield joins us live in san jose with the latest. amy: the atf is now involved. federal investigators along with a local team are asking that any witnesses please come forward and give their account of what happened, to help with their case. the witnesses we have spoken to all say the sprinkler system did not kick on and they did not hear fire alarms until it was obvious there was a fire. flames were coming out of the windows when they finally heard the alarm. people who were shopping at the store saturday tell us it was all very scary. when you see fire, threatening big chunks of burning stuff falling, it feels like it is going to get you. amy: no one was hurt in this fire, everybody got out ok but this storm on blossom hill road -- this store on blossom hill road was a complete loss. the roof collapsed and investigators are trying to figure out what started this fire. we asked about the claims of the sprinkler system and alarms not working. they say it is under investigation and they now have the help of the atf. reggie: we have new details from the ntsb on wha

amy hollyfield joins us in walnut creek with what it's going to look like today. >> commuters don't have to wear a mask on bart anymore although everyone we are seeing this morning pretty much is wearing one. for the first time since 2020 masks will be required according to an announcement from bart police. here's a sample of what we have heard from passengers. >> it's two and a half years or maybe even more, i don't remember that we are not seeing faces of each other. >> it's nice, but for my safety and for the safety of my family i still have to wear them >> bart is out on a limb on this one. we checked with muni in san francisco and vta in the south bay. they will all be requiring masks for now. major airlines have said they are allowing people to drop them on planes. enforcement could very. a, is that people be respectful of other people's decisions. >> moderna says it's new and improved booster shot works better than its original vaccine. the data describes the company's first attempt at a booster specifically designed to tackle the theta variant. the shot generated superior antibod

amy hollyfield is live this morning with the latest. amy: the big question has been motive.d what the motive was behind the kidnapping, babies mother says she also doesn't know why or baby was that. she says baby brandon is doing great. she said that he was dehydrated when he was found, but he is ok. and she's doing much better, too now that he is back in her arms. she was at work when she got the call that her three-month-old son had been abducted. >> i didn't know how to react. there was a moment that i can't explain. it was something i live you and don't even know how to tell you. i hope no other mother goes through this. amy: here is a look at the three people arrested. she says she knows two of them. family and neighbors have said that 43-year-old guadalupe ramirez met baby brandon's grandma at church and was obsessed with the baby. the three suspects are expected to make court appearances today. her husband is in jail and she says people should not assume that he was involved or had any part of this. she says his situation has not connected to this kidnapping. jobina:

amy hollyfield, abc7news. >> we have an article that outlines the mask rules at bay area airports. you can find it any in abc7news.com. >> vice president harris will be in the bay area and plans to visit mission bay to address the health crisis facing new mothers area while there, harris will also speak with expecting families and health-care workers that take care of new moms and babies. former president barack obama is scheduled to visit the bay area today. and it would, he says he is discussing changes in the way that we create and consume information. in the threaded poses to democracy. -- and the threat it poses to democracy. >> what will happen to the city's district six? mayor re is appointg supervisor. and whether that person will be overseeing the tenderloin, that is still in limbo. the city is redistricting and it could become part of district five led by supervisor dean preston. phil explains why it is key from mayor reed to have the right person to replace. >> the tenderloin is at a critical point. the emergency stay is over but she has got to have continued support and

live in san jose, amy hollyfield, abc 7 news.sed of shooting 10 people on a new york subway is due in court today. frank james was arrested in manhattan following a citywide manhunt. this took interesting twists and turns. abc news reporter tim johns has that. tim: new york city breathing a sigh of relief. a suspect under arrest after an attack left 23 injured. >> my fellow new yorkers, we got him. tim: police arrested 62-year-old frank james, believing he is responsible for firing a handgun 33 times. law enforcement believing police may have tipped -- believing james may have tipped police often self,: a crime line to say -- >> there was nowhere left for him to run. tim: people walking through the busy neighborhood snapping photos, some alerting police after recognizing james face. >> this is that guy. tim: a former fbi employee and security consultant telling abc7news he does not think a copycat is likely, that authorities will still be on the lookout. >> police will have to respond by a couple of things. putting more cops on t

amy hollyfield found out the need is still very high right now. people waiting at acts full gospel church in oakland this morning even surprised organizers with alameda county food bank who said this line just shows the tough times people are experiencing right now. they were waiting for groceries and a ham available through a donation from hormel foods. we're in our 33rd year of doing this and this for this event today. we're giving over 2,000 hams for this event. wow. are a ham giveaway? you're right. and that's because the ham is just a bonus today. they set up these drive-thru food giveaways when the pandemic started and they're still doing them, you know the intent when we set up our first drive through distribution two years ago was that it would be temporary what temporary men of the time we didn't know. but if history is any indication we realized that such a severe emergency like this and a recession could take up to a decade to recover from so they have been setting up this drive-thru every monday, wednesday and friday for the past two y