sarah cody sets the record straight as covid cases continue to rise. the news at 6:00 starts right now. good evening and thanks for being with us on this tuesday. i'm robert mueller. >> and i'm jessica aguirre. we're track thunderstorms on this tuesday night. let's get right to meteorologist jeff ranieri. what are you seeing? >> we are seeing some lightning strikes, small hail and certainly heavier downpours. this is all contained towards the north bay. you know what i'm talking about. if you live here in santa rosa or near saint helena, you can see how active it is from saint helena towards windsor. now on my map obviously here, this is the lightning. the purple is indicating some of the small hail. and then when you start to get into the orange and the red, that is the heavier rainfall. let's put a track on it. it will continue to stay active in windsor as we head through 6:29 tonight from that thunderstorm cell right there. this activity right here moving off to the south. it will push into bellevue. by 6:18, wilfred by 6:34. could run up to rohnert

sarah cody has been at the forefront of the covid response since the pandemic began today. she sat down with abc 7 news reporter dustin dors. to talk about the ongoing battle. san jose is o o in tryit just over one million residents now imagine if suddenly they were all gone. that's essentially what covid has done to the united states nearly one million deaths nationwide since san jose resident patricia dowd became the first to lose her life on february 6 2020. it is almost impossible to comprehend one million people at dying in just over two from a single disease. santa clara county public health officer, dr. sarah cody has led the charge against covid-19 here in the south bay ever since she the way residents have responded to covid has saved many lives, but the pandemic is far from over. we all want this to be well into the rear view mirror, but the fact is that the pandemic goes on we are seeing we're in another surge. and we don't know what lays ahead this late is very in is causing higher levels of transmission than that of delta in cases and hospitalizations are on th

sarah cody, the health officer for santa clara county. this is the most popular county in the bay area. we don't have a mask mandate now but could we see a return of these math mandates? >> we absolutely could see a concern. dr. cody says right now we are in a search and also seeing a bump in hospitalizations and she's concerned about what we will see with variance in the future. >> i think the greatest challenge of the pandemic is the duration. how long it has gone on. so i worry if there is another variant that is more severe that because people are so tired it will be more challenging to be protected and more challenging to keep people well. >> dr. cody is well-known nationally because she's been so proactive in this pandemic. what did she have to say about this current surge right now? way she is concerned about other variance coming our way. we are already seeing that in other parts of the world and as far as math mandates are concerned she says it's not off the table, she will do it again in order to save lives. >> there is always a

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sarah cody, who says she never thought covid would kill 1 million americans in such a short time. >> that's the same number of people who live in the city of san jose. think about that. the entire city of san jose, gone to a single disease. >> now more than two years later the county is experiencing yet another surge in cases. >> this one, we are not seeing the rapid rise that we did during omicron, it's a bit more gradual but nevertheless, the levels that we are seeing now, are greater than what we saw at the height of delta. >> the doctor says vaccines and therapeutics have helped but admits it's possible mask mandates and other measures may be needed again, at some point. >> there's always a threshold where we would have to consider mandates again, what if we had a variant where young, healthy people, were dying? >> she says she understands that people are experiencing pandemic fatigue and she's worried about how that might impact cases in the future. >> i think the greatest challenge of the pandemic is the duration, how long it has gone on. and so, i worry that if there is anothe

sarah cody says new cases in her county have tripled in just the past month.le she is also monitoring a slight uptick in hospitalizations, she is not bringing back mask minutes yet. instead, she is urging people to take the initiative to protect themselves with the same vaccines and boosters. meanwhile, lift is bringing back carpools to san francisco for the first time since march of 2020. part of a slow expansion that started in the east coast last summer. for now, pool rides will be limited to two passengers. >>> taking a look at your top headlines, a week after the leaked draft opinion indicating the supreme court is poised to overturn roe v wade. 71 elected officials have signed a letter supporting governor newsom's push to make california a sanctuary state for women seeking abortions. treasury secretary janet yellen told federal lawmakers today the economy could take a major hit if the supreme court were to overturn roe v wade. >> roe v. wade. access to healthcare, including abortion. it enabled many women to finish school that increased their earning pot

sarah cody are modifying their own behavior, picking up the masks again, or avoiding crowds. >> personally speaking i'm not disengaging with life and i'm taking part in everything outdoors. but i am always carrying my covid streetsmarts with me because i will not take any chances. >> the silver lining, though they are taking up, hospitalization rates are much lower than previous surges come and there are new tools to blunt communities spread. >> this is a good advancement >> a new kind of testing site open at the college of san mateo thursday it allows some who are tested to get a prescription for an antiviral treatment right on the spot. >> this antiviral is very effective, 90% effective, at preventing authorizations adapts if given within the first five days of developing symptoms. >> the test to treat site is one of 25 than a 50 mile radius of san francisco and they are designed to help manage covid surges come and avoid harsh shutdowns. >> i think this is a game changer for older adults and those with medical conditions. >> many doctors say the key to living without mandates and restri

sarah cody urges people to take their own precautions but held back from reinstating mandates. >> we can't ignore it. but we also have to have balance. >> reporter: in santa rosa, andrea nakano, kpix 5. >> kaiser san jose bells rang for 189 seconds yesterday, one for each life lost to covid-19 there. the hospital also unveiled a new memorial on its campus. it is the site of the bay area's first covid case in february of 2020. >>> demolition work is under way at the vta light rail yard in san jose. crews used heavy equipment to tear down building b where several employees were killed in last year's shooting rampage. a disgruntd ld employee opened fire and killed nine co-workers before turning the gun on himself. the victims ranged in age from 29 to 63 years old. bta decided to demolish the building to help survivors and victims' families heal. >>> a federal appeals court in san francisco overturned california's ban on selling semi-automatic weapons to adults under 21. the judges ruled 2-1 that the law violates the second amendment. the firearms coalition that brought the case says the

sarah cody is expecting not only covid cases to continue to rise but also a rise in hospitalizations. right now, santa clara county does not plan on reissuing any new mask mandates but it strongly is recommending everyone to go back to masking up indoors. >> my message is the pandemic is still here. we are seeing more activity and so, it is time to break out your mask and break out your tests and just see a bit more cautious than maybe you were a month ago. >> here we go again. vaccination and booster rates are relatively high in the bay area, the county reports only 21% of eligible residents have gotten their second booster. if you are eligible in any county you live in to get the second booster now is the time. >>> how long will this surge go and what if you're covid positive now? what's the latest guidance. we're joined by the chair of medicine. nice to have you back on the program. let's start with the personal question if you don't mind me asking, you're experiencing this surge firsthand. your wife tested positive. what's your guidance for her and is she a good patient? >> she's

sarah cody gave to the board of supervisors on tuesday. >> they have remained a fairly level for a few weeks. however, over the last several days, we are just beginning to see an uptick. >> reporter: back on campus, it is the home stretch of the year with ap testing, senior prom, and more. >> we are cautiously optimistic we will be able to get through the rest of the semester without any major outbreak or situations where we might have to cancel events. we are pretty confident that we have a very good handle on it. >> reporter: in los gatos, max darrow. kpix 5. >>> still ahead on kpix 5 and streaming on cbs news bay area, some scary moments for dave chapelle. a man armed with a knife tackled him on stage. dickie added new video showing a corrections officer accused of helping a murder suspect break out of jail. why authorities believe they had a special relationship. >> ♪♪ ♪ let's go out of town for the summer ♪ ♪ i wanna go across the trees ♪ ♪ just take my ha♪ ♪ we will have fun till the sun goes down ♪ ♪ and we'll start over again ♪ ♪♪ under district attorney gascón, i prosecuted ca

sarah cody, santa clara county's public health officer says each new variant has a so-called growth advantage. each one significantly more contagious than the last. >> i look at that and it seems terrifying. >> there is going to be a selection for the virus that can spread more easily and find more hosts. >> reporter: however, hospitalizations in the south they have remained fairly steady and located around the bay area in san francisco county, there is also a surge of cases happening at an uptick the people going to the hospital. alameda county. there is a wave happening there too. hospitalizations are steady and manageable. dr. cody says they are starting to see more cases of immune escape >> immune escape is when you have immunity to something from an actual infection or vaccine induced community, and then you meet a version of the virus again. and the virus can get around the community that your body has built up. >> reporter: dr. cody says it is important to continue to wear a mask when you're going to be indoors with the crowd. what do you want to tell people who are fed up and throwing

sarah cody, the public health officer in santa clara county, who implement of the first lockdown in the country, his back with a dire warning. kpix 5's kevin fehely has the story. >> reporter: there has been an alarming rise in the number of new covid cases. but she is not imposing new restrictions. she says the onus is now on individuals to take the appropriate actions to protect them selves. >> the pandemic is still here. we are seeing more activity. and so, it is time to break out your masks. >> reporter: dr. sharon cody says new cases are skyrocketing in santa clara county. having more than tripled in just the past month. bringing back math mandates and other public health measures. >> it has wreaked havoc. we cannot ignore it. but we also have to have balance. >> reporter: dr. cody says while we are eager to declare the pandemic over, the fact is, it is not. the good news is, we have all of the weapons we need in our arsenal right now to battle the virus. she is urging the public to take advantage of vaccines, boosters with eligible masks and social distancing. >> the whole family

sarah cody is recommending but not requiring that the public consider taking extra steps to protect themselves, like wearing masks indoors, getting tested and getting vaccinated. >> i do recommend that if you're eligible for a booster, either first or second, and you haven't gotten it yet, go ahead an get your booster. >> reporter: while vaccination and booster rates are high in the area, the county reports only 21% of eligible residents have gotten their second booster. which means there is no wait for the few getting shots at the county vaccination site. >> great, no lines. just couldn't believe i could walk right in. compared to the very beginning, this is unbelievable how empty it is. >> reporter: county leaders are hoping more people follow suit. and the county recommends wearing the most protective mask that you're comfortable with wearing. that means you'll need to keep your kn95s handy. >> thank you, alyssa. a surge in covid cases also seen at marin county schools. the county's public health officer says about 20 schools are experiencing outbreaks. an outbreak is defined as three or mo

sarah cody is expected to deliver an update on the recent surge in cases. san jose city employees must now mask up at work, at least through may 20th. from cities to schools, the latest surge is prompting new bay area action. nbc bay area's cierra johnson in marin county where the rise in cases of the covid numbers is really causing a lot of people to become concerned. >> good morning. that uptick in cases being felt not only here in marin county but also in the south bay down in santa clara county, and right now, health officials in both counties asking folks to do what they can can to protect their health. let's start with that uptick in cases here in marin. according to the marin independent journal, about 20 marin schools are experiencing covid-19 outbreaks, from marin county, an outbreak is defined at three or hour cases among students or staff and despite some outbreaks or the surges, county is not issuing any local mask mandates for any settings, schools or otherwise, for right now. however, districts are urging students to reconsider mask use for sp

sarah cody is speaking out after u.s. covid deaths hit one million in less than 2 1/2 years. one telephone first reported deaths was in santa clara county. dr. cody tells us her thoughts on that grim milestone. >> you know, i have a really difficult time wrapping my mind around a number that large. i ask myself is there something else that we could have done that we didn't do? these are people's family members, their parents, their kids, their coworkers. and everyone around them. it's just difficult to imagine how much grief. >> and as cases are rising again, dr. cody says now is the time to be masking up indoor, especially if it is a large event and there is poor ventilation. >>> the fight intensifies. it keeps san francisco's laguna honda hospital open. at the same time the hospital draws up plans to shut down and transfer patients to other facilities. kpix 5 anchor allen martin is here with the effort to save the facility that some say is crucial to the community. allen? >> ryan, let's be clear. all hope is not lost for laguna honda, but that said, it's complicated. the ci

sarah cody sets the record straight as covid cases continue to rise. news at 6:00 starts right now. good evening and thanks for being with us on this tuesday. i'm robert mueller. >> and i'm jessica aguirre. we're track thunderstorms on this tuesday night. let's get right to meteorologist jeff ranieri. what are you seeing? >> we are seeing some lightning strikes, small hail and certainly heavier downpours. this is all contained towards the north bay. you know what i'm talking about. if you live here in santa rosa or near saint helena, you can see how active it is from

sarah cody says covid cases are ticking up what we're seeing now is similar to what we were seeing in mid-february and it's more than what we were seeing at the height of the delta surge on tuesday santa clara county's covid-19 dashboard showed the seven day rolling average at 552 new infections in mid-march. there were nearly 140 these upticks come just days after the city city of san jose implemented a mask mandate. city employees while at work you want to make sure our employees are safe as well as our community and continue to provide vital services to our residents as for weather mask mandates and other restrictions could make a return in santa clara county for now dr. cody says no point. we don't have any plans to do anything apart from being aligned with a state with regards to mass requirement as you remember the state still strongly recommends masking indoors and we still strongly recommend masking indoors still. she's also reminding people to get vaccinated keep up with boosters and practice other safety measures. we are all gathering. there's no question if possible gather

sarah cody says covid cases are taking up.e are seeing in mid february and it is more than what we are seeing at the height of the delta surge. reporter: on tuesday at santa clara county's covid-19 dashboard, showing the average at 552 new infections. in march there were nearly 140. it comes days after the city of san jose implemented a mask mandate for city employees that work. >> we want to make sure our employees are safe as well as the community and continue to provide services to our residences. reporter: as for other

sarah cody urges people to take their own precautions but held back from reinstating mandates. >>> at kaiser in san jose these bells rang for 189 seconds yesterday, one for each life lost to covid-19 there. the hospital also unveiled a new memorial on its campus. it was the site of the bay area's first covid case in february of 2020. >>> new this morning, moderna has taken another step towards protecting young children against covid-19. the company released new evidence its vaccine caused no serious adverse events and only mild side effects in children ages 6-11. earlier it announced it's seeking emergency use authorization of the vaccine for this age group. right now pfizer has the only coronavirus vaccine the fda has authorized for children. >>> demolition work is under way at the vta light rail yard in san jose. crews used heavy equipment to tear down building b where several employees were killed in last year's shooting rampage. a disgruntled employee opened fire and killed nine co-workers before turning the gun on himself. the victims ranged in age from 29 to 63 years old. vta de

sarah cody urges people to take their own precautions but has held back from reinstating any mandates. >>> live to the vta light rail yard in san jose where crews just used heavy equipment to tear down building b where several employees were killed in last year's shooting rampage. vta decided to demolish the building to help survivors and the victims' families to heal. the demolition work is expected to continue over the next couple days. >>> to ukraine where residents of mariupol are literally trying to pick up the pieces of their shattered port city. prior to the invasion it was home to 400,000 people. this morning the local steel plant is the only place in town russia does not control. >>> the fighting has not led up in the south or the east where ukrainian soldiers are pushing russian troops away from kharkiv and back toward the border. with neither side moving toward a decisive victory, it's looking like a stalemate that could las. a contra cosfi recently returned from a trip to ukrainian. >> jocelyn moran joins us in the studio this morning with this incredible story and all the

sarah cody says covid cases are taking up. >>e seeing now is similar to what we are seeing in mid february and it is more than what we are seeing at the height of the delta surge. reporter: on tuesday at santa clara county's covid-19 dashboard, showing the average at 552 new infections. in march there were nearly 140. it comes days after the city of san jose implemented a mask mandate for city employees that work. >> we want to make sure our employees are safe as well as the community and continue to provide services to our residences. reporter: as for other restrictions, they could make a return to santa clara county, the doctor says no. >> at this point we do not have any plans to do anything apart from being aligned with the state with regard to mask requirement. the state still strongly recommends masking indoors. we still recommend masking indoors. reporter: she is also reminding people to get vaccinated, keep up with boosters and practice other safety measures. >> there is no question, if possible, gather outdoors, or if

sarah cody has led the charge in the south bay ever since. she says the way residents have responded to covid has saved many lives, but the pandemic is far from over. >> we all want this to be well into the rearview mirror, but the fact is that the pandemic goes on. we are seeing that we are in another surge and we do not know what lies ahead. dustin: the latest variant is causing higher levels of transmission then that of delta in cases in hospitalizations on the rise in the bay area. she says there are a number of theories as to why we are at the center of a covid hotspot in the state, the reality is that variants are evading vaccinations despite us being a vaccinated region. >> with new variants, there is more immune escape. it is better than not being vaccinated, but as compared to previously, it is great for keeping folks out of the hospital. ed is less effective for reducing the spread in the community. dustin: dr. cody says mandates and regulations could come back, but only if there is a lifesaving need. she does not think we are there

doctor sarah cody says the restrictions she put in place at the beginning of the pandemic, help santa clara county avoid a high mortality rate and she says that is something that others should have learned from. >> this other communities had fared as well as we have relatively speaking, hundreds of thousands of people would still be alive in the united states. hundreds of thousands really this region you know, at every turn really stepped from sheltering in their homes at the beginning of the pandemic. when we had really no other tools available to stepping up and getting vaccinated. >> to wearing their masks. >> doctor cody says the current rise in covid cases is being fueled by a subvariant of omicron that spread even more easily than previous versions of covid. the number of positive cases being reported but quite as high as the january surge. same goes for hospitalizations. but doctor cody. says she continues to stress the importance of being up to date with vaccinations and boosters testing when you feel sick and masking indoors. >> in light of those increased cases here in calif

santa clara county health dr sarah health officer, dr sara cody advising the people that people should's circulating right now spreads extremely easily extremely easily, and that's our challenge. so even though we're highly vaccinated and highly boosted, its still can spread. dr cody says she does not think the latest spike in cases will cause further restrictions because of access and gained in vaccines and therapeutics. the head of the centers for disease control is asking state and local officials around the country to consider bringing mask mandates back for indoor locations. it's after the 70 hospital admission. eri jumped 19% in the past week, death rates will remain low, health officials say they're concerned many americans no longer consider covid a major threat. and have accepted the risk of infection as almost inevitable. doctor say infection and death rates still could quickly take a turn for the worst about the bay area. whether we know there's high fire danger in parts of the bay area, and we are all feeling the heat, roberta absolutely. i just checked in with concord and