the price of not checking for proof of vaccine in contra. costa county was not cheap in september and october. >> but in november, no businesses received citations from county health services. >> education forward approach. we don't just jump right in there with a fine the get go. we give the businesses an opportunity just because our goal is really to get to compliance people to follow the order. our goal is not to shoot much doctor chris farnitano says that only for businesses have been fined since the vaccine verification order went into effect in september. >> in and out burger in pleasant hill even had their health permits suspended late october after repeat violations. the news of no citations last month did not sit well with karen mitch off. >> i was pretty irritated the county supervisor for district 4 says after several phone calls to county officials. she found out that death threats were being made to health inspectors writing citations our response. our county administrators was we can get you assistance for civil standbys. that is not

of enforcement when it comes to a month old covid safety requirement for indoor dining and now contra costa county supervisors are demanding answers from the health department. good evening. thank you for joining us. i'm dan ashley and i'mma dates you're watching abc 7 news at five live here on abc 7 hulu live and wherever you stream. the official messages are mixed in one east bay county when it comes to enforcement of a vaccine mandate for inside dining. contra costa county has required restaurants to check for vaccine cards or negative covid tests in september, but as abc 7 news reporter laura anthony tells us it's now unclear whether county health officials are actually enforcing those rules. there has been no official change in policy are approaches always started and led with education in early september contra costa county instituted a new requirement on restaurants bars and gyms. the customers must show a negative co or proof of vaccination to dine or work out inside that led to the closure of indoor dining at in and out restaurants in contra costa which refused to carry out the ord

dan thorn has more now from contra, costa county. >> the new covid-19 variant is spreading in the bay area public health officials are worried a surge of omicron cases might follow the holiday gatherings. federal experts have warned about the new variants ability to transmit rapidly. it's really concerning the doubling time of every 2 days means we could see, you know, hundreds of thousands of cases within a few weeks whether that will turn into a surge of hospitalizations. >> is is yet to be seen breakthrough infections for vaccinated. people have also become more common with omicron leading to a continued push for booster shots. >> the strain might not be as severe as other covid variants. but health officials say that does not mean it should be treated lightly. even if it's less severe on then previous strains of covid. if there's a really large number of. that could still have a big impact on hospitals contra costa county health officer chris says county leaders have been meeting with partner hospitals to discuss preparations for a surge. some issues that have already come up for

a partir de maÑana si reside en el condado contra costa no olvide su mascarilla.ta clara emitiÓ una orden para que se vacunen. >> es muy importante mantenernos seguros. la variante se estÁ transmitiendo muy rÁpidamente. >> la vocera aÑadiÓ que si planea reunirse para las celebraciones del nuevo aÑo procure tener menos invitados para evitar mÁs contagios. california reporta mÁs de cinco casos. a nivel local el condado de alameda rep orta casi 130,000 casos. san mateo con 120,000 contagios. los cdc informaron que estiman que la variante omicron es responsable del 58% de los contagios. el dÍa de ayer le comentamos que una nueva guÍa acortÓ el periodo de aislamiento y cuarentena. tamara mino nos es rica este tipo de casos. >> envase ——en base a su consentimiento se realizarÁ. >> si presenta sÍntomas debe aislarse. >> el perÍodo de incubaciÓn es de dos a tres dÍas un todo >> se ha diseminado bastante. es un problema que va a traer mÁs complicaciones. >> la inoculaciÓn podrÍa combatir todas las cepas del virus. >> la rep o estÁ inmunolÓgica es menor que la respuesta inm

contra, costa county supervisor karen mitchoff once businesses. defying local covid-19 both orders. >> held accountable is not a power grab. it is about doing the job that i and my colleagues were elected to do, which be fair and equitable and be concerned about public health and safety as of november. first indoor food establishment and other businesses like gyms are mandated by county health orders to confirm a patron's proof of vaccination or negative test before allowing them inside. >> employers are mandated to require the same of their staff last month. contra costa health services says it received 99 complaints about 80 businesses not in compliance. you know they are. >> and they should have by now been through all the progressive enforcement. so what's keeping us from doing county health officer doctor chris farnitano says internal miscommunication within the health department led to a delay in enforcement. but adds the investigations and follow-ups have since resumed. >> as of now, 14 restaurants are still under investigation. most of the

. >>> happening today, contra costa is bringing back it's strict indoor mask rules because of what else a spike in covid cases. breaking down this new health order. >> contra co sta will be required to weary marks in public indoor places this goes there to effect today. before thissa unless noment fully vaccinated public speakers and preformers and fully vaccinated groups of 100 or more fewer people were allowed to remove their masks under credited conditions that will no longer be the case. this requires all people in the county regardless of vaccination status to mask in public indoor settings. this as omicron surges across the state. california's positive rate guadalupeed in the past two weeks. the first post christmas update shows the seven day rate is now at nearly 10%. that's i 6.2% increase from the week prior. hospitalizations in bay area couldn'ties remain low but they are rising. here is what the deputy health officer said when it comes to tightening the mask requirement. >> it's so important to keep that work force healthy. we are seeing disruptions to many work forces. you a

your contra costa county drive looks mild over the next couple of days.ack to you. >> thank you. >>> it's 6:12. keeping your kids safe online. the new safety features instagram is set to roll out for its app. it will help monitor your teen's access. >>> plus -- ♪♪ >> ladies and gentlemen, h.e.r., the special tribute the north bay superstar is set to perform tonight at the people's choice awards. stay with us. you're watching "today in the bay." ♪give my regards to broadway!♪ ♪remember me to herald square!♪ ♪tell all the gang at forty second street♪ ♪that i will soon be there!♪ ♪whisper of how i'm yearning♪ ♪to mingle with the old-time throng!♪ ♪give my regards to old broadway♪ ♪and say that i'll be there, 'ere long!♪ >>> right now at 6:15, we have early-morning rain but now it's rolling out of here and headed for southern california. we will see more rain in the forecast and also the cool temperatures will settle in. we will talk more about all of that and when we will get a really big storm in the forecast, coming up in a few minutes. >>> metering lights

algunos restaurantes en contra costa no estÁn cumpliendo con hola sis, ¿que paso?s lentas velocidades de carga te hicieran ver como una mala niñera, oh, no. puede que necesites mejor internet. at&t fiber te da velocidades de carga más rápidas para videollamadas más fiables. obtén at&t fiber, planes desde $35 al mes por un año. disponibilidad limitada en ciertas áreas. llama al 855.solo.att paola: un supervisor del condado contra costa solicito un reporte sobre los negocios que se llegan a solicitar pruebas de vacunaciÓn. marÍa: en este restaurante no hay problemas para pedir pruebas de vacunaciÓn. >> nosotros requerimos la vacuna y la identificaciÓn para comer adentro. >> creo que es bueno para cuidarnos todos. >> mÁs de una docena de restaurantes no cumplen con el requerimiento de pedir pruebas de vacunaciÓn. >> el departamento de salud dijo que estÁ trabajando con 13 cargos y habrÁn multas para los que sigan violando la orden de salud. me di a la tarea de caminar para ver quÉ estÁn haciendo los restaurantes. >> un empleado dice que a veces lo mismo clientes son l

contra costa county shut down. lumpy is diner yesterday because staff were spotted working indoors without wearing masks, and they were not checking proof of vaccination or for a negative covid test. the diner is on loan tree way, and it was fine several times. it's one of several restaurants and contra costa county that refused to comply with covid-19 mandates . lumpy is reopened this afternoon after agreeing to follow the rules. arson threats against to marin county businesses targeted because of their covid vaccination rules. one of them is a bar, the other a gym, and it appears they've been singled out by the same person. we get more tonight from ktvu deborah villalon, who joins us live from san rafael deb. allies most recent was a note left on this fitness club threatening to torch the place. but the threat the night before , i was even more startling in person. the note said. if your vaccine passport is not lifted by this time next week, this place will burn in west miranda paper mill creek saloon is as local

we are excited to give 70,000 meals, but was was even more exciting was contra costa coming togetherively give 140,000 meals during this time. >> reporter: it's an amazing contribution. i will allow you to officially make the presentation to the food bank. >> it's our honor to be giving this check of $35,000 to the food banks of contra costa county and solano. >> thank you so much for your continued partnership. we really appreciate it. 140,000 meals is quite a bit when you are serving around 280,000 people every single month. it is a port like this, and partnerships with companies like berries, that makes a difference in the families that are going through hard times right now. >> reporter: we present the donation. is something you can get involved in as well on an individual basis. you can go to our website, kpix.com /give. >>> coming up, the wild encounter in this northern california neighborhood. the siding that has turned into here in california, we believe in what if? after all, if is our middle name. like, what if we could go surfing and skiing in the same day? boom! what if w

contra costa county deadline is february 10th.a and santa clara county are among the first in the state with those booster policies. >>> now you will need to mask up once again in the north bay. everyone will be required to wear a mask in all indoor public settings joining the city of berkeley, san francisco, alameda and contra costa counties in reinstating mask mandates. >>> san mateo county office of education says it's ready for in classroom learning. the superintendent said they're ready for children in school. the agency has followed covid protocols, including masking and testing throughout the pandemic. across the bay area, covid tests are in short supply. not every student was provided with at home tests before winter break and families are scrambling to find a test before heading back to class. in san francisco a similar scenario playing out where test ing is not required but certainly encouraged. >> it's frustrating our district does not have an adequate number of tests. we were hoping they could get them from the state.

doctor its v ellie is the public health director for contra, costa health services. in the past 2 weeks active covid-19 cases have increased nearly 12%. >> adding that in the past month cases are up around 30%. he believes that is tied directly to thanksgiving gatherings combined with the reluctance by the public to receive a booster shot. >> more than 77% of the county's population is fully vaccinated but only about 30% have received the booster. i'm happy to say we've added our capacity. he said even if you look at scheduling your booster. >> today compared to 3 or 4 days ago, our payments available at this point there are no reported cases of the omicron variant in the county. >> the delta variant is the dominant strain causing infections, but doctor its vili adds a booster provides protection against both. and all adults are eligible for the shot in contra, costa county phillipe djegal all kron 4 news. >> cal osha sets policy to protect workers in the workplace in this state. it has already, of course, its standards relating to covid today, though, cal osha made

. >>> in contra costa county, new allegations of some restaurants breaking covid-19 health rules and getting off easy. kpix 5's andria borba has the charges and what the health department is saying about it. >> reporter: the checking of vaccine cards has become a flashpoint for some bay area businesses. one contra costa county supervisor says the law must be enforced equally if it is going to work. 80 complaints were filed against contra costa county businesses last month for not checking vaccination cards at the door. but, no fines were issued. one contra costa county supervisor says the health order must apply to all. >> this is a health crisis, we are all in it together. i know that we have heard that over and over, but, we are not going to get ahead of the curve, if people do not comply. >> supervisor karen mitchell says she was tipped off about the situation on friday, saying it is in direct connection to the in and out situation in october staffers fearing retribution. >> i was told that staff was concerned about death threats. i take that very seriously. i understand it. i hav

contra costa county's deadline is january 10th. otherwise the workers have to submit to weekly tests in order to keep showing up. contra costa and santa clara counties are the first in the state with the booster policies. front line workers were among the first to get vaccinated. it's been about 19 months since they got their first shots. the booster really important in keeping the immunity up. >> with cases on the rise, demand for covid testing is really high. here is new video of long lines in a testing site at the san mateo marriott. it's taking about an hour for people to get tested there right now. >>> just into our news room, the cdc says do not travel on cruise ships no matter your vaccination status. this warning comes as the agency investigates dozens of cruises with covid outbreaks. as you might imagine shares of royal caribbean, nor weejian and carnival are down at this hour. >>> according to a new study t johnson & johnson booster shot appears to protect against omicron and will likely keep you out of the hospital if yo

county and contra, costa health services says most are complying with the covid-19 health order issued in september. requiring indoor food establishment and other businesses like gyms confirm a patron's proof of vaccination were negative test before allowing them inside employers are mandated to require the same of their staff. but for those not following the order county supervisor karen mitchoff once aggressive enforcement. we have businesses. >> that are doing the right thing. and if they see and hear that others are not being held to the same standard. then why should they last month contra costa health services says it received 99 complaints about 80 businesses not in compliance. >> as of now, 14 are still under investigation. most of them small businesses. the board of supervisors has raised concerns with the public health department after learning enforcement may have recently been relaxed. there was some internal missed. >> communication. and so some of the follow-up and some of these cases did get delayed but county health officer doctor chris farnitano says his staff h

kpix5 is in contra costa where the new marking requirement is in effect right now. >> starting today in contra costa and places like gyms you are required to wear a mark regardless of your vaccination status. not all places are putting in this. fitness 19 year has a sign that says they are recommended. before today in contra costa fully vaccinated public speakerns and preformers and fully vaccinated groups of 100 or fewer people were allowed to remove their marks under controlled conditions. >> recently its been you can wear a mark. they have the highly recommend sign. people do what they want,. >> that is no longer the case starting today. as omicoron spreads rapidly this new order requires all people in the county regardless of vaccination status to mask up in public indoor settings. it mirrors health orders in other countyless. >> it became a no brainer as we saw what is happening on the east coast which is about a week ahead of us and this wave so it became clear this was an important step. >> employees here at fitness 19 said they weren't able to speak to us. some not wearing ma

that is where casa of contra costa county stepien. -- steps in.hild deserves a chance, and these foster kids who have been removed from their homes because of abuse and neglect through no fault of their own often are left feeling that they can't really trust an adult, that adults don't have their back. that is not the case with casa. >> that is one of the things our children and young people say, they feel like they can trust this person. foster kids get moved all the time to new homes, but this person is within through everything. dan: the reality is that is hard-working and well-meaning as they are, social workers juggle a lot of cases and come and go from a child's life, but not at casa. the court appointed special advocate is their day in and day out, helping with legal issues, health care, school. it is not an easy job, but what an incredible gift they give to a child. casa timmy represents -- to represents a child or young adult reliability. >> those are things that most people take for granted, but those are the things foster children do no

alameda el 78%, en el condado contra costa llegaron al 76.9% de la poblaciÓn que ha recibido las dospacios interiores. de varios condado de la bahÍa tendrÁn excepciones. tamara: les decimos por quÉ estos condados tienen otras disposiciones. habÍan muchos condados que no tenÍan medidas y esa la razÓn detrÁs del nuevo mandato estatal dado que aumentaron los casos por coronavirus. >> en contra costa no es necesario utilizar mascarilla. >> el condado marÍn habÍa levantado esta restricciÓn en noviembre restableciÓ el uso de mascarilla el espacio pÚblicos y cerrados a partir de hoy hasta nuevo aviso. lo invito a que escanee el cÓdigo que ve en pantalla y coordine una cita. tamara mino, "noticias univisiÓn 14". paola: va a llegar antes de las novedades. va a llegar despuÉs de diciembre 25 . paola: le decimos cÓmo enviar sus regalos de manera econÓmica. ♪ paola:recuperaron mercancÍa robada de distintos negocios del Área de la bahÍa. dos personas fueron arrestadas durante este operativo. tayhana garcÍa tiene consejos para que sus regalos llena tiempo y gaste menos dinero. reportera: si quiere

the price of not checking for proof of vaccine in contra. costa county was not cheap in september and october but in november, no businesses received citations from county health services. >> education forward approach. we don't just jump right in there with a fine the get go. we give the businesses an opportunity just because our goal is really to get to compliance people to follow the or our goal is not to shoot much doctor chris farnitano says that only for businesses have been fined since the vaccine verification order went into effect in september in and out burger in pleasant hill even had their health permits suspended late october after repeat violations. >> the news of no citations last month did not sit well with karen mitch off. >> i was pretty irritated the county supervisor for district 4 says after several phone calls to county officials. she found out that death threats were being made to health inspectors writing citations our response. ouh county administrators was we can get you assistance for civil standbys. that is not an appro

county and contra, costa health services says most are complying with the covid-19 health orderd in september. requiring indoor food establishments and other businesses like gyms confirm a patron's proof of vaccination were negative test before allowing them inside employers are mandated to require the same of their staff. but for those not following the order county supervisor karen mitchoff once aggressive enforcement. we have businesses. >> that are doing the right thing. and if they see and hear that others are not being held to the same standard. then why should they last month contra costa health services says it received 99 complaints about 80 businesses not in compliance. >> as of now, 14 are still under investigation. most of them small businesses. the board of supervisors has raised concerns with the public health department after learning enforcement may have recently been relaxed. there was some internal missed. >> communication. and so some of the follow-up and some of these cases did get delayed but county health officer doctor chris farnitano says his staff has re

. >> in the east bay contra. costanty is also seeing a surge in covid cases health officials expanded mask mandates there today. kron four's charles clifford reports. >> right now. contra, costa county is in the orange tier meaning that there is substantial spread of covid-19 since mid december. the number of coronavirus cases across the county has been rising. according to contra, costa county health services in the past week. infections have gone up by 149%. hospitalizations are up by 31% during a new surge in covid cases fueled by the highly contagious omicron variant mask-wearing will become mandatory for all indoor public places across the county starting december 29th. >> and we're worried about so many people getting this omicron variant of the same time that it would overwhelm our healthcare system. so really this is about protecting the work force protecting the health care system. new infections are being found in both vaccinated and unvaccinated people. but health officials say. >> being vaccinated with a bo

according to contra, costa county health services in the past week. infections have gone up by 149%. hospitalizations are up by 31% during a new surge in covid cases fueled by the highly contagious omicron variant mask-wearing will become mandatory for all indoor public places across the county starting december 29th. >> and we're worried about so many people getting this omicron variant of the same time that it would overwhelm our healthcare system. so really this is about protecting the work force protecting the health care system. new infections are being found in both vaccinated and unvaccinated people. but health officials say. >> being vaccinated with a booster shot is still the best defense against hospitalization and serious illness we're seeing that the beast and people i really ending up in the hospitals in the same numbers that that i'm vaccinated or partially vaccinated are so. >> i'm getting that being big being up to date is certain like adding more fuel in the tank of your immune system. state can fight infection and can be ready when i

the question of checking vexing cards at the door for indoor dining has met with pushback in contra costa county. most notably, the protracted fight through in and out dining rooms. one contra costa county supervisor says he is disappointed that despite 80 complaints in the month of november, that no fines were levied against restaurants not complying, apparently, by junior staffers.'s budget is unacceptable that some staff members made a decision on their own without getting permission, to not continue doing what they are supposed to be doing. >> reporter: supervisor karen mitchell says she was tipped off about the situation on friday saying it is in direct connection to the in-n-out situation on october, and staffers fearing retribution. >> i was told that staff was concerned about death threats. i take that very seriously. i understand it. i have received death threats, but you way that against the public good. >> reporter: contra costa county health off officer says the fines are levied as a last resort and that the goal is education and voluntary compliance. >> no official change in

our top story tonight at 6.30 public health officials in contra, costa county are reporting early signs of a winter covid-19 doctors say thanksgiving gatherings are probably to blame for that. and as kron forcefully juggle explains the public health department expects winter holiday celebrations to actually worsened the problem. >> in the past 2 weeks. active covid-19 cases have increased nearly 12% in contra, costa county and the director of public health doctor lawrence v ellie says the numbers are even worse. dating back a month. our case rate has gone up. >> about 20 to hospitalization rain is starting to go. >> so we're concerned. doctor its be ellie says the omicron variant has not yet made it into the county. but expects that to change at some point right now, all of the new cases are tied to the delta variant. the best thing you can do is to boost. unfortunately contra costa health services says demand for a booster shot is waning despite being widely available this week. the county added more open appointments, but people are not taking advantage at the rate public health offic

-- contra costa counties. out. >> in the last way for hours i have gone from tears of -- in the last 24 hours i've gone from tears of disappointment to tears of joy. reporter: they've saying it will be in effect in counties that do not already have existing indoor masking requirements in place in public settings. san francisco does have indoor masking requirements, also has an exception. when this is those in offices and fitness centers with under 100 people who have shown proves of vaccination can unmask inside. this exception will stay in place come wednesday. >> any disruption coast spell doom -- could spell doom. >> that gym doors would be forced to wear a maths -- a mask in the fitness center. contra costa has rules nearly identical to san francisco. those engines and certain offices will be allowed to unmask. san mateo county currently has indoor masking requirements with no exceptions. we are told by officials that will not change. marin county previously lifted their mask requirement. officials there t

dan thorn has the story from contra, costa county. >> contra, costa county supervisor john joya is trying by giving out free at-home covid-19 tests. the concerns of the omicron variant have been growing by the day. and wh

i think many of our educators chose to stay teaching in contra costa because of the mandate. they felt a lot safer knowing that their colleagues would be vaccinated. >> reporter: the union represents 1600 members. as of december 2nd, 85% of all district staff, including substitutes have been fully vaccinated. the district declined to talk with us on camera today, but issued a statement saying in part, as the pandemic continues, we want our students back for their social and emotional well-being. learning and development. and the wonderful experience of our schools. the vaccination mandates are one layer of protection to help ensure everyone's safety. the district has also issued a mandate for students. under the new policy, students ages 12 and up must be fully vaccinated by january 3rd to continue in-person learning. in richmond, marianne favro, nbc bay area news. >>> we're going to continue our reporting on the omicron variant online. can you head to nbcbayarea.com where you can find the latest travel rules and up to date headlines on omicron of. >>> it wasn't the grinch or

that's covering the east bay in both alameda and contra. costas district water officials say that reservoirs are looking healthier. but is it enough to polk counties out of water. use restrictions. kron four's charles clifford has more from marin county. we went out to the marine municipal water shed just north of mount temple pious on thursday morning. this is the lake logging need a spillway which as recently as early october was dry and quiet. it is now gushing. >> with water. all of this moisture goes down into been tempe lake and alpine lake alpine lake in particular, this summer was bone dry. it is now filled up with water. now here are in at last check. the reservoirs are at 96%. >> for this time of year. east bay mud says that their reservoirs are at 59% of full capacity. the santa clara valley water district in the south bay says that the reservoirs are at 37.3 9% of full that is minus anderson reservoir, which is currently being kept dry as it needs a seismic retrofit on the dam there and hetch hetchy, which is san francisco's main wate

john joya represents contra costa county's district one this week. his office is giving out the test kits for free to those who have struggled to find them. >> lines outside of the building in el serino show the community is taking advantage county test sites are overloaded as well, which is seeing a major increase demand for testing while the supervisor is glad to help the west contra costa county community. he's disappointed that the tests have not been more widely available. president biden announced the plan on tuesday to distribute 500 million at-home tests to americans. but deliveries will not start until january. joy is office has given out thousands of covid tests so far this week and he, too, is hoping the supply from the county's health services can keep up with the demand. we're trying to track down more all depends upon whether we can get more from the health department as state testing sites continue to face pressure state leaders are working to ease the issues by expanding rapid testing availability and hours of operations at sites that

contra costa county starting january 150th it. will require first responders to get boosted or tested weekly. live in its newsroom. >>> looking live at san francisco, this morning, the city's new year's e version fireworks show has been officially canceled. this is due to the ongoing surge of covid19 cases. the event normally draws hundreds of thousands to the city's waterfront. justin andrew is live in san francisco this morning talking about the impact this cancellation has. >> as you know this is the second year in a row that's fireworks show for new year's eve has been called off and it's a big blow to businesses who say its one of their biggest nights of the year. yes the beautiful san francisco waterfront will not be lit up this year like we saw prepandemic. that's because this variant really blanketing the bay area, the flashy and stunning fireworks that lit up the night sky, it won't happen. the mayor said that canceling it reduces everybody's exposure and protects essential frontline workers, businesses and travelers. thi

so we participated in a ham top where we donated 2500 hams with in contra costa. we also donated them and went out and helped donate them as part of this effort with the county. >> that's fantastic. i will let you make the presentation of a $15,000 check to john calendar of the food bank. >> all right. thank you. >> this is really wonderful you guys. calpine has been a partner for quite some time. when the pandemic hit they really stepped up to help those in need in the community who are facing really hard times. they have been a great partner and their continued support means so much to us. >> thank you so calpine for their donation that they made recently. if you want to get involved in feeding bay area families, you can make a donation by going to our website. it is kpix.com/give. >>> still to come a very chilly week across the bay area. another quick check on the weather and how we will be bringing in the new year. >>> and today on the drew barrymore show, heather locklear. watch today mmm. hey jack, how'd you get this spicy cluck sandwich to have the perfect

-- contra costa counties. confused? we sorted out. >> in the last way for hours i have gone from tears of -- in the last 24 hours i've gone from tears of disappointment to tears of joy. reporter: they've saying it will be in effect in counties that do not already have existing indoor masking requirements in place in public settings. san francisco does have indoor masking requirements, also has an exception. when this is those in offices and fitness centers with under 100 people who have shown proves of vaccination can unmask inside. this exception will stay in place come wednesday. >> any disruption coast spell doom -- could spell doom. >> that gym doors would be forced to wear a maths -- a mask in the fitness center. contra costa has rules nearly identical to san francisco. those engines and certain offices will be allowed to unmask. san mateo county currently has indoor masking requirements with no exceptions. we are told by officials that will not change. marin county previously lifted their mask requiremen

today contra costa county reintroduced its indoor mask mandate but we show you not everybody appears to be following the rules. >> reporter: starting today and contra costa county in places like gymnasiums you are required to wear a mask regardless of vaccination status, but not all places are implementing this. fitness 19 here in danville still has a sign that say they are highly recommended. before today, contra costa county fully vaccinated public speakers and performers and fully vaccinated groups of 100 or fewer people were allowed to remove their masks under controlled conditions. recently. >> they have the highly recommend signs of people do what they want. >> reporter: that is no longer the case starting today as omicron spreads rapidly. this new order requires all people in the county, regardless of vaccination status , to mask up in public indoor settings. it mirrors health orders and other bay area counties. >> it became a no-brainer as we saw what was happening on the east coast which is about a week ahead of us and this wave became clear it was an important step. >> repo

anna ross, director of the contra costa health services.sked her to follow-up next week with an update on what is being done and the timeline for doing so. fines for noncompliance, by the way, start at $250 and progress up to 500 and 750. >> thanks for the latest there, bob. >>> a covid outbreak a north bay school, and prosecutors are looking at possible charges against parents. investigators say they knowingly sent their infected child and a sibling to the school in madera, and the school found out november 18th and tested three classes the next day and eight children then tested positive for coronavirus. the parents may be charged with violating public health laws. >>> now to a story you will only see on nbc bay area, a san francisco man ends up in the hospital with a knife wound. mark sacket said from his hospital bed, that he called 911. he and his neighbors started to follow the man after the suspect kicked the door once more, so they could point him out to police. the owner of the deli said the situation quickly escalated. >> so he st

this is what's going on there in west contra costa.that deadline for vaccine mandates is today. students must prove they got their second vaccine by december 15th. the district mandate applies to all students 12 and up. a population that makes up about half of the district. and this district isn't alone. oakland, hayward and piedmont also have similar vaccine mandates. now every teacher must either be fully vaccinated or have a valid exemption. if they don't, they could lose their job. and for those that do receive that xecht exemption, they'll be required to take a pcr covid test weekly. this district struggle with a teacher shortage and some are worried that the mandate would make that worse. but the teachers union says it has had the opposite effect. take a listen. >> we actually think this helps our staffing shortage and we're actually finding people wanting to teach in west contra costa because of the vaccine mandate, making them feel safer being able to teach here. >> and the president of the teachers union, united teachers of ri

covid omicron variant have been confirmed in contra costa county.county. >> the 3 people affected had not had booster shots, although 2 of them are fully vaccinated. so far no one has been hospitalized. not clear yet whether these cases are related. the county is continuing, of course, to urge everybody to get booster shots and vaccines tomorrow. the oakland city council will consider whether to require certain businesses to check for vaccine records that emergency ordinance was introduced last week and it would require businesses like bars and restaurants gyms movie theaters. even libraries to ask for proof of full vaccination. that would be beginning february. 1st. health officials in the u.s. say they are bracing for a hard winter as the omicron variant continues to spread. now the world health organization is recommending that people cancel plans for christmas gatherings. washington, dc correspondent anna wiernicki has that story. >> white house chief medical advisor doctor anthony fauci says americans can expect a new wave of covid this christm

so too you really need to get vaccinated and boosted. >> reporting in contra, costa county. dan thorn kron 4 news. >> and there's some breaking news from overnight because they want to make the tenderloin safer in san francisco. exactly. that's where we find camila barco. she's been in the news room followixg this story with that updated information. good morning. >> good morning. so, yeah. the board of supervisors voted last night and this boat is going to allow the city to open what they call a lincoln center and they are also going to crack down on the people who refused to get help from drug overdoses in the tenderloin area. now this emergency declaration focuses on the people who are dying of drug overdoses in that neighborhood. the city is going to set up a site where people with a drug addiction can go and receive services and treatment. the vote from last night speeds up the process of opening up that site and city officials say the people abusing these drugs. we'll have the option to go to that service center. but if they refuse, they are looking at the possibility

dan thorn has the story from contra, costa county. >> contra, costa county supervisor john joya is trying to help out his community by giving out free at-home covid-19 tests. the concerns of the omicron variant have been growing by the day. and while these tests become hard to find. they can also be hard to afford the spread of the omicron covid-19 variant ahead of the holidays has sent demand skyrocketing for covid testing kits. major stores like cvs and walgreens are now limiting how many at-home tests customers can buy the lack of availability is prompting a county supervisor to step in and help out we're seeing an overwhelming response people wanted to get tested. so we're getting home test kits we've distributed over the last 2 days around 2500 cast. john joya represents contra costa county's district one this week. his office is giving out the test kits for free to those who have struggled to find them. >> lines outside of the building in el serino show the community is taking advantage county test sites are overloaded as well. we're just seeing a major increase demand for testing w

according to contra, costa county health services. >> in the past week. infections have gone up by 149%. hospitalizations are up by 31% during a new surge in covid cases fueled by the highly contagious omicron variant mask-wearing will become mandatory for all indoor public plac s across the county starting december 29th. >> and we're worried about so many people getting this omicron variant of the same time that it would overwhelm our healthcare system. so really this is about protecting the work force protecting the health care system. new infections are being found in both vaccinated and unvaccinated people. but health officials say. >> being vaccinated with a booster shot is still the best defense against hospitalization and serious illness we're seeing that the beast and people. >> i really ending up in the hospitals in the same numbers that that unvaccinated or partially vaccinated are so i'm getting that being be being up to date is serve like adding more fuel in the tank of your immune system stay confined infection and can be ready when it's expo

what about in contra costa county. what are they doing with covid. that's where kron four's dan thorn picks up the story. >> the new covid-19 variant is spreading in the bay area, public health officials are worried a surge of omicron cases might follow the holiday gatherings. federal experts have warned about the new variants ability to transmit rapidly. it's really concerning the doubling time of every 2 days means we could see, you know, hundreds of thousands of cases within a few weeks whether that will turn into a surge of hospitalizations. >> is is yet to be seen breakthrough infections for vaccinated. people have also become more common with omicron leading to a continued push for booster shots. >> the strain might not be as severe as other covid variants. but health officials say that does not mean it should be treated lightly. even if it's less severe on then previous strains of covid. if there's a really large number of. could still have a big impact on hospitals contra costa county health officer chris farnitano says county leaders have be

only one, about one-third of all eligible residents in contra costa have received that booster shot.you have questions, we try to find the answers for you. head to nbcbayarea.com/coronavirus. there we have the latest on vaccines and boosters including a how-to video on how to add your covid vaccine record to your apple wallet. >>> san francisco will see fewer cvs locations. the drug store announced a plan to close several locations in the city. take a look at your screen here. six of those locations slated to close in the next month. now these closures were initially announced back in november. in all, nationwide, 900 of those stores or about 10% of the company's stores, are closing. you may recall walgreens announced they are closing some stores in the city citing retail theft. cvs maintains the local closures are related to plans for 300 stores over three years. customers with prescriptions at these stores will be transferred to nearby locations and employees at those stores set to close are being offered jobs at other locations. >>> a developing story. frightening moments inside a

county supervisors trying to help john represents west contra, costa county. this week. his office in el serino is giving out free test kits. people have been lining up outside the office. but paula supervisor says he is happy to help. he's disappointed. the tests are so hard to find. >> county test sites are overloaded as well. we're just seeing a major increase demand for testing we're seeing an overwhelming response people wanted to get tested. so we're getting home test kits we've distributed over the last 2 days around 2500 cast. >> the supervisor says obviously he's hoping the supply of tests from the county's health services department will keep up with the ongoing demand. because of increased demand appointments are now required to contra costa county covid testing locations in richmond and san ramon. you're looking at the locations on your screen. that new policy will be in place until further notice the struggle to get tested is not unique to the bay area as evan lambert shows us, it's problem being seen all over the country. >> we've seen hours long

so the west contra costa county -- west contra costa unified school district said that all students 12 and up including the students here at hercules middle and high school must be vaxed by january 3rd. but tonight the board will vote on whether to extend that deadline to february 18th. that's to give students more time to get their shots. there are just over 12,000 students who are 12 and up in this district. as of friday, just under 5,000, that's less than half, have uploaded their vax cards. the district tells us another 400 are in the process of getting vaxed. 52 have said no, they won't get the shots. that leaves over 6700 students who are still up in the air. >> would you have gotten the vaccine even if it wasn't a mandate? >> yes. >> why? >> so i can -- keep me safer. >> are all your friends vaccinated at school? >> most of them that can be. i know some who want to get vaccinated but their family won't let them. >> oh, really? >> uh-huh. >> how is that going? >> not sure, but it must be tough. >> everybody has their own opinions. for me, i want my daughter to be vaccinated. othe

unfortunately contra costa health services says demand for a booster shot is waning despite being widely available this week. the county added more open appointments, but people are not taking advantage at the rate public health officials vote within 77% of the county's population is fully vaccinated but only about 30% have received a booster. i'm concerned. i'd like to see that number go up and like to see it come up to. >> 5060, 7080%, it's going to take a lot for doctor. it's the ellie says the sharpest rise in cases has been in the eastern part of the county where vaccination rates are lower than the rest of the population. >> richmond conquered and antioch have reported the highest number of cases the past 2 weeks. >> and overall doctorates vili says the virus appears to be spreading most among school-age children and young adults in contra, costa county police to call from florida. >> cal >> osha standards board has extended its covid workplace rules for another 90 days. that starts on january 14, the agency did make some significant changes up to now exposed employees who were vac

john joya represents west contra, costa county.ek his office in else is getting out covid test for free lines outside the office show that the community is definitely taking advantage. while the supervisors. glad to help out. he is disappointed the tests have not been made more widely available. >> county test sites are overloaded as well, which is seeing a major increase in demand for testing we're seeing an overwhelming response people wanted to get tested. so we're getting home test kits we've distributed over the last 2 days around 2500 cast. >> moving forward. the supervisor's office hopes that the supply from the county's health services can keep up with the demand and because of the demand for testing appointments are now required at the contra costa county covid-19 testing locations in both richmond and san ramon. those addresses are listed right there on your screen. the new policy will be in place until further notice. the struggle to get tested is not unique to the bay area as reporter evan lambert shows us now. it is a

looking at fog, though it looks like around folks of the delta in contra, costa county might be greetedh little bit of fog that extends much thicker off to sacramento. as you can see, it doesn't affect the immediate bay area. we'll go with mid 40's for tonight. mostly cloudy chilly cool. we're going to go for lows tonight in the upper 30's. this tells us the skies are going to open up a little bit in the east bay to allow some last minute cooling. so you're going wake up tomorrow with a few breaks of sun 40's by noon, a north bay sprinkle shower possible and then by 3 o'clock rain engage with temperatures into the 50's. and we're just going to continue to build on to that guys. it looks like this is going to translate a lot of snow up in the mountains as well. that's great to me. that keep coming but he's like in thanks, dave. >> well, now it's official. steve kerr has been named the u.s. men's basketball coach through the 2024 paris olympics. this was reported last week. but the worst coach was formally introduced as the next coach of team usa this afternoon. kerr succeeds current san

the first case of omicron was reported on december san leandro 18th in contra costa county. since then cases have jumped significantly. most businesses we spoke to say they're on board with the change. >> we won't be very affected by it because we already do require masks and proof of vaccination to get services done here. >> we know this is hard. we know this is tiring and frustrating. we all want to see friends and family, but we also are trying to protect hospital capacity at this point. >> in the past few weeks covid infections in the county jumped by 150%. hospitalizations are up 30%. >>> well, a week ago governor newsom vowed every student would get a take-home test kit before returning to school from winter break, but tonight we are learning that is not the case for every school district in the bay area. with many students going back to class on monday, families are scrambling to find a test. nbc bay area's melissa colorado found out who got the sought-out rapid test kits and who did not. >> reporter: at just 8 years old -- >> my friend had her -- her stepdad had covi

plus -- >> a number of restaurants in contra costa county not following the covid rules. to crack the whip on those not in compliance. you're watching "today in the bay." ray loves vacations. but his diabetes never seemed to take one. everything felt like a 'no'. everything. but then ray went from no to know. with freestyle libre 2, now he knows his glucose levels when he needs to. and... when he wants to. so ray... can be ray. take the mystery out of your glucose levels, and lower your a1c. now you know. try it for free. visit freestylelibre.us >>> we're trying to really ensure that we are consistent across the county. >> right now at 5:30, cracking down on covid violations. the new push from east bay leaders to find restaurants refusing to follow health guidelines, and the growing frustration among some of them. >>> plus a covid outbreak at a bay area school. some parents are outraged and now prosecutors getting involved. the accusations claiming health orders were purposely ignored. >>> light rain returns this evening ahead of an atmospheric river set to arrive on sund

the price of not checking for proof of vaccine in contra. costanty was not cheap in september and october. >> but in november, no businesses received citations from county health services. >> education forward approach. we don't just jump right in there with a fine the get go. we give the businesses opportunity just because our goal is really to get to compliance people to follow the or our goal is not to shoot much doctor chris farnitano says that only for businesses have been fined since the vaccine verification order went into effect in september in and out burger in pleasant hill even had their health permits suspended late october after repeat violations. >> the news of no citations last month did not sit well with karen mitch off. >> i was pretty irritated the county supervisor for district 4 says she reached out to the health services director and county administrator to find out that they were unaware of the lack of citations. mitch off feels a sense of security when she's asked to show proof of vaccination another local restaurant sunday

still pretty light around eastern contra costa county. it's going to get heavier there in the next few minutes as well. the rain is meeting with some colder air, enhancing the energy we're seeing with this system. that could bring us thunderstorms by late morning. we could see some breaks as we go into this afternoon. there still will be a chance of rain at any point today. really timing that out, talking about how much more rain to expect. >>> highway 24 right above the pleasant hill road surface street, a big rig fell off, was hit from behind, fell off the freeway literally onto the surface street. there is now a hazmat situation because of spilled fuel. they have completely closed off that surface street so you don't have access to the east bay lanes. thankfully chp has reported no major injuries. i want to give you an idea what you'll be facing. pleasant hill road is completely closed until further notice. deer hill road and the mount diablo boulevard stretch is where they are guiding people. avoid pleasant hill right beneath highway