and mare marianne favro with this. >> do not try to ride out the cold in your tent tonight.please make your way down to the shelter -- >> an urgent plea from homeless advocate, he's using a megaphone to let the homeless in the encampment know the warming center just opened nearby and they can go there to escape near freezing temperatures. they hope this option will save lives during the bitter cold. >> we know two weeks ago seven people died in one week, and five of them were suspected to be from exposure. >> people are braving the chilly weather. here in campbell, people dined outside and wore hoods and relied on fire logs to get through a meal with temperatures in the 30s. >> i wish i was wearing my winter coat, actually. i have one and it doesn't get much use, but that would be nice right now because my arms of bear. >> even though the sun was out, it still felt chilly. this family planned to head home and turn on the heat. with a freeze warning overnight in santa clara, people are scrambling to protect plants and trees. the biggest concern is the unhoused, who are at ris

in san jose, marianne favro. nbc bay area news. >> our chris chmura got his at home covid tests in the mail today. chris is always tweeting out great information about covid tests and masks and much more. make sure to give him a follow. his handle is @chrischmura. >>> it appears we may have hit our omicron peak. 1,800,000 and since then it has been dropping. it is not so much of case counts though. health leaders say keep your eyes on hospitalizations and deaths. on wednesday, 146,000, almost 147 were hospitalized with the virus but it looks like that may have peaked. it is not going up like it was. it is leveling out and beginning to come down. we'll be keeping a close eye on this in the coming days. >>> starting today, more travel ers entering the u.s. must be fully vaccinated. travelers entering the country by land or ferry. the foreign travelers have to show proof of vaccinations, covid testing is not required. we know there is a lot to keep track of. if you have any questions, we have the answers for you. wh

marianne favro first broke the story last night, now she goes behind the scenes in how a local lab is playing a pivotal role in detecting the variant. >> reporter: they were discovered when samples were sent to a lab for sequencing. leaders confirmed two cases of ba.2, the latest sub variant of omicron yesterday. >> it has begun to pop up in places, including in california, and of course in the county. >> reporter: it's news that certainly will put people on edge. the question now is how is it different than the original omicron variant? >> it could be a little more transmissible. >> reporter: but there are several reasons why you should probably not be overly concerned about ba.2. >> we've already seen omicron. the vaccines will work against it, because it's almost the same virus. >> reporter: the cases were detected while using genomic sequencing, while this isn't the lab that found these, it's on alert and looking for more. and that's important, because ba.2 is almost impossible to detect without this deeper dive. they use a global database to look for any new variants. ba.2 has be

marianne favro, "today in the bay." >>> in the east bay, the police department recruit who was killed in a freeway shooting earlier this month will be laid to rest today. the funeral service for david nguyen is set for 10:00 this morning at cornerstone fellowship church in livermore. it will be streamed live on the sheriffs center youtube page. after, a private burial will be held. nguyen was just a month away from becoming a sheriff's deputy when he was shot and killed near the toll plaza. coming up at 5:30, we will hear from the al media county sheriff in an exclusive interview about the service. >>> firefighters are starting to get the upper hand on the wildfire burning between carmel and big sur. it is now 35% contained with 700 acres burned. winds will providing some relief. highway 1 remains closed with evacuation orders still in effect for about 500 people. >> inching up once again, text on "today in the bay," gas prices getting higher and higher and it feels like there is no end in sight. the reason they may continue to increase and the pain at the pump that you can expect as

"today in the bay's" marianne favro shows us where to look. >> reporter: i actually picked up this free n95 mask here at this rite aid in los gatos, but as we found, they're not easy to find. the n95 masks are from the strategic national stockpile, but it appears so far very few have landed at south bay pharmacies. we checked and found none here or here, or at more than a dozen other pharmacies we called. this gentleman is on a quest to find one at this walgreens in san jose. >> i'm going to ask if they have one. >> reporter: the store didn't have one. >> it's a disaster. too bad. they should have it. >> reporter: but at this rite aid in los gatos, the free n95 masks were available. customers could pick up as many as three from a table at the front of the store. kathy says after a friend tipped her off, she rushed to the store, glad to get the added protection of an n95 without the added cost. >> for a lot of people they're expensive, so they may not be able to get them and have them for free. i'm retired, so it's nice to have them. >> reporter: the cdc recently updated mask guidelines,

nbc bay area's marianne favro takes a look at the situation and the late afternoon development that'sually giving pantry organizers hope. >> reporter: you can see the arrows marking the line for a farmer's market-style food pantry, but now it is closed. today people wanting food were turned away. six days a week you will find a long line in front of lighthouse ministries' food pantry in san jose. 1,000 people a day select from fresh and packaged foods on tables and bins at the corner of 17th and julian. rocky mauricio visits the pantry nearly every day. >> it has helped the community and i a great, a lot. any time we need groceries, come here and provide it. >> reporter: but this week he couldn't get those groceries because the pantry is shut down. pastor ralph says he was forced to close the outdoor pantry saturday after the city sent him this letter telling him to immediately stop operating because he didn't have a special use permit. >> families are relying upon this, especially during the pandemic now, and the idea of permits getting in the way of a pandemic where people are not w

marianne favro is at the courthouse standing by. we'll check in with her later on in the newscast or later in the day. the jury has only sent three notes to the judge. one was asking if they could take their notes home over the christmas holiday. the answer was no. they also asked to hear another investor call. if they're stuck on those three charges it's not yet clear whether those are the fraud charges or whether those are the conspiracy charges. >> right. what we're talking about there, 11 counts against her, but the verdict, the jury saying that they actually reached a verdict on at least eight of those this morning. they broke for the new year's holiday and they were not able to take any of those notes home as well. the judge ordered them as well to avoid reading about the case at all or discussing it at any length with anyone. >> all right. so we're going to continue to follow that for you. you can find the latest at nbcbayarea.com. >>> another story now. king tides warning in effect across the bay area. this is mill valley in

nbc bay area's marianne favro takes a look at the controversial measure, and why some say they are ready to sue the moment it's approved. >> more than 200 san joseans every single year suffer death or injury as a result of firearms and we must do whatever we can within our power to prevent another family from experiencing yet another devastating loss. >> reporter: san jose mayor sam la car dough says he is hoping tomorrow, the city council will approve his proposal to require gun owners to carry liability insurance saying it is a common-sense solution to reduce gun violence. >> gun liability insurance available today -- available today on the market -- can adjust premiums to encourage gun owners to purchase and use gun safes, install trigger locks, and take gun safety classes. >> reporter: the first of its kind law in the nation would also require gun owners to pay annual fees of 25 to $35. those funds, an estimated $1.4 million, would go to community groups that help reduce gun violence, including suicide-prevention programs, and next door solutions to domestic violence. >> between 2010

. >> in san josÉ, marianne favro, nbc bay area news. >>> and then first responders are saying peoplee calling 911 for minor concerns and flooding their phone lines. and we continue our coverage from san francisco. >> in a tweet this weekend, san francisco mayor london breed revealed how many city line workers are out, 140 from the department, and 122 muni workers, and those absences come as more people are calling 911 for help. >> having over 400 ems calls a day in the city for the past several days -- >> the san francisco fire chief says that's about 30% more than usual, and with one out of every ten staff members out because of covid infections or protocols, that's stretching resources thin. she's asking the public to only call with serious emergencies. >> please don't call 911 to ask for a covid test because you have a cold or minor flu symptoms. we really want to keep our ambulances available to people having a heart attack or stroke. >> as zuckerberg san francisco general hospital, about 400 staff members are out because of covid-19, and they are asking the public not to go to t

nbc bay area news's marianne favro. >> reporter: with the omicron variant sending people to hospitals across california, state issued new guidelines to make sure there's enough staff to handle increase. health care workers testing positive for covid no longer have to isolate or test negative, can return to work immediately if asymptomatic. new guidelines in effect until february 1st, last resort for hospitals. >> there's stress in the job as it is. >> reporter: head of the california nurses association said it puts patients at risk. >> if you have health care workers covid positive caring for vulnerable patients we can spread the covid virus inside the hospital as well. >> reporter: we reached out to state department of public health. issued statement saying the department is providing temporary flexibility to help hospitals respond to unprecedented surge in staffing services. hospitals have to exhaust all over options before resorting to this tool. facilities and providers should have asymptomatic workers only interact with covid-19 positive patients to the extent possible. and state

but as marianne favro shows us, some have them. >> reporter: i picked up this free mask at rite aid in gatos but they're not easy to find. n-95 from the strategic national stockpile but appears so far very few have landed at south bay pharmacies, none here, here, or more than a dozen others we called. anton on a quest to find one in san jose. >> i'm going to ask if they have them. >> reporter: they didn't. >> disaster. too bad. they should have it. >> reporter: but this rite aid in los gatos, free masks were available. customers could pick up as many as three from a table front of the store. kathy says after friend tipped her off, she rushed to the store, glad to get added protection of n-95 without the added cost. >> lot of people, they're expensive, may not be able to get them. to have them for free, i'm retired, nice to have them. >> reporter: the cdc updated the guidelines saying well-fitting masks like n-95s offer more protection against covid. >> in omicron, we're encouraging everyone to upgrade the mask. n-95 or kn-95 or double mask. anything people can do to upgrade with this h

marianne favro spent the day cleaning up the park. >> dr. martin luther king jr. once said, everybody can be great because everybody can serve and that's what hundreds of volunteers did throughout the bay area today. >> today may be a holiday from jobs or school, but these volunteers are not taking a break from work. they are shoveling dirt at the park in san josÉ, and many we spoke to said it's a way to make a difference and honor dr. king. we are working to make our community a better place. >> and definitely nonviolent approach to finding justice for everybody. >> in oakland, a team from higher ground neighborhood development fanned out across the city to clean up the street. mayor libby schaaf said the annual tradition is a fitting triple to the civil rights leader. >> dr. martin luther king jr. stood for community and justice. today is a day to reignite our commitment to being a community. >> in richmond, volunteers from bays hill church spent hours packaging more than 10,000 meals for people around the world. >> when you can find common ground like that it's

marianne favro, nbc bay area news. >>> west schools railroad were also clouz cloezed friday. ep encouraging students and teachers to please take a covid test, before in-person instruction resumes on tuesday. also, this week, all teachers and staff at school sites will have to wear kn-95 masks. >> we do have some sad news from hollywood tonight. with ties to the bay area. one of america's most beloved tv dads has died. bob sagit was found dead in a florida hotel room. the 65-year-old was in florida as part of his latest comedy tour. last night, he tweeted about how he loved the night show, and was happily addicted to comedy, again. saget was also a longtime host of "america's funniest home videos." a cause of death hasn't been released but police don't suspect foul play or drugs. "full house" was set in san francisco and the victorian feature in the show is still a tourist attraction and some stopped by tonight to leave flowers on the steps. >>> now, to an incredible story of survival. a sinal-engine plane crashed on railroad tracks. the pilot pulled from the wreckage just bef

in san jose, marianne favro, nbc bay area news. >>> our investigative unit has been digging into the story for months. go to our website to get the latest information on this case. >>> today the biden administration rolled out its new website that allows you to order free at-home covid tests. this comes just as the u.s. surpasses the 67 million case mark today. and our death toll is also climbing. nearly 900,000 since the beginning of the pandemic. to combat the rising cases, the biden administration is making good on its promise to send out 500 million tests nationwide. it launched covidtest.gov where you can order your free test. each home is eligible to order four free at-home tests. the website says orders will usually ship in seven to 12 stays. >> the website went live quietly today, a day in advance of its formal launch. chris kamura is here to show us how you can get those four free tests and where to watch out for scammers. and chris, i did it today, and it was pretty easy, actually. >> well, ordering your free at-home test is pretty easy. took me about a minute. you start at

marianne favro broke the news on twitter this morning and joins us from santa clara county departmentpublic health. what is this new ba.2? >> reporter: well, it's considered a child of the initial omicron variant. the two cases here in santa clara county are believed to be the first cases of ba.2 detected in the bay area. now the cases were confirmed in sequencing of virus samples from patients, but the county is not saying if the two patients were hospitalized. the ba.2 covid sub variant has already been detected in 40 countries. and the world health organization has identified it as a virus under investigation. doctors say there's no indication it's more of a threat than original omicron, and it has not increased hospitalizations. ucsf's dr. peter chin hong says vaccines are still a critical weapon against ba.2. >> i'm very confident that the vaccines will still help prevent people with ba.2 from going to the hospital and having severe illness. >> it's the first two cases in the bay area, but is it the first two cases in the state, too? what do we know about that? >> no, it's not. t

once they to, of course you are own scott budman and marianne favro are outside. we will bring that to you mightily. our coverage on elizabeth holmes' trial continues online, including what are the broader implications? what are the broader implications for women in technology? you can read about that on our nbcbayarea.com website. >>> all right, let's talk coronavirus. it may and new year, but it feels oddly familiar. covid cases skyrocketing again. an overwhelming number of people trying to find a covid test. nationwide, the daily average of new cases is now more than 405,000. that's up by 204% from the previous two weeks. in california, our daily case average is now above 15,000. our pos toift rate has soared nearly 16%. in an effort to try and shield people from omicron, the fda is recommending booster shots for 12-15-year-olds, five months after their last vaccination. that decision comes just as kids are getting back to school after the winter break. the fda says data shows there are no safety concerns with kids in that age range getting the booster shot. ge

in san jose, marianne favro, nbc bay area news. >> important information there. >>> the u.s. secretary of state making a very clear warning today, telling nbc news if russia decides to move troops into ukraine, no matter the size of the incursion, that move would be met with swift and severe action by the united states and its allies. the state department is now ordering families at the embassy of kyiv to get out of the country. there's also a warning urging people not to travel to the region because of the rising tensions. >> reporter: tonight, as russia adds even more forces to those already encircling ukraine, the u.s. issuing its strongest warning yet to vladimir putin. secretary of state blinken promising severe economic sanctions if a single russian soldier crosses the border. >> in the event that there is a renewed russian incursion, russian forces going into ukraine, there is going to be a swift, a severe and united response. >> reporter: with russian troops massing along ukraine's northern, southern, and eastern borders, europe now teetering on the brink of war. the

marianne favro, "today in the bay." >>> students in oakland are protesting how the district is handletheir covid safety protocols. more than 300 students signed a petition threatening to walk out if there are not more preventive measures in place. they are asking the district to provide kn95 masks for every student, weekly covid tests for everyone on campus and more covered outdoor spaces for students to eat in the event of bad weather so they don't have to go back inside. students gave the district a deadline of january 17th to meet their demands. ousd responded, saying, we are already meeting or are in the process of meeting most of the demands noted in this petition and will continue to work toward fulfilling the rest in the coming weeks. the district said supply chain issues have slowed the delivery of masks and materials needed to create those outdoor spaces. >>> meantime, west contra costa county schools will close to ease pressure. you might remember as we reported last week, schools were also closed on friday. the district is encouraging students and teachers to take a covid t

in san jose, marianne favro, nbc bay area news. >> up next, landing with a boom. the story behind a scary arrival for people aboard a southwest flight to sacramento. >> with covid cases up in san francisco, the city recommends getting tests. but these days, that's not as easy as it seems. >> and our storm ranger scanning the skies in the north bay where more rain is moving through petaluma, heading down to san rafael and concord here in the next 15 to 30 minutes. how much more rain we can expect and how much more snow on the way for the sierra when we come right back. >>> when we come on the air in the west, we take you inside a lab trying to keep pace with the surge in covid testing. how quickly can they turn results around? also, stranded drivers describe the traffic nightmare heading into another evening in virginia. on nbc nightly news. this is elodia. she's a recording artist. 1 of 10 million people that comcast has connected to affordable internet in the last 10 years. and this is emmanuel, a future recording artist, and one of the millions of students we're

in san jose, marianne favro, nbc bay area news. >> marianne, thank you.bay to the peninsula now, this is what with it looked like in red wood city. any family with a student in one of the 12 schools in the red wood city school districts can pick up an at home test kit. in addition tomorrow between 8 and 4:00 p.m., kids can be tested at hoover elementary and kennedy middle school. students return to class tuesday. and in san francisco, the line for covid testing wrapped around the block. look at that. in the mission district. christie smith has a look at testing in the city, coming up later in our newscast. >> as covid cases spike, some parents in oakland do not want their children to return to in-person learning after the holiday break. a group hosted a virtual news conference today demanding oakland unified shut down face-to-face school for grades k through 12. these parents, students, and educators pointed the lack of vaccination mandates, the sharp increase in child infections, and sometimes unreliable covid testing results. >> there is not adequate pp