but i'm here at ucsf medical center. we still have 50 covid patients in the hospital. we still have 7 or 8 in the intensive care unit. this thing is not gone away. i know everybody's would love to have it go away. but the virus is still around. and so i'm still airing on the careful side. >> it's great that you brought up those numbers because we always say, oh, they're they're dropping dramatically. but without having those numbers are really doesn't put any prospective, 50 people in the hospital with covid at one hospital in san francisco. significant right. and that's multiplied over across the 9 counties of the bay area. >> yeah, tell you that when we were at a low it in the time served before delta, we got down to more like 10 patients in the hospital. 10 or 15 at our peak of omicron. we're up to about 120 to make almost that we had a peak of delta. so we're down, you know, a little more than half almost 2 thirds from their peak. but that's still a lot of people in the hospital. still a lot of people getting sick. and if you're young and healthy and you've had 3 s

. >> lisa variant of omicron is so much more transmissible than past covid variants that ucsf professor of medicine says health measures may not protect you from it. >> to accept it is more transmissible so any strategy used to keep yourself free from omicron may not work. >> it accounts for nearly 4% of new cases in the u.s. health experts are keeping a close eye on this train as it rapidly spreads in other countries. it comes as california lifted its indoor mask mandate last week for those fully vaccinated. >> i would say anywhere from 50%-60% of our customers continue to mask up. >> this was the scene at hillsdale mall in san mateo county where people continue to wear their masks despite a drop in cases. both ucsf professors believe it will have an impact on our decline. >> the most instead of having a steep drop off we will have a little bit of a tale. >> those who are unvaccinated and managed to steer clear of omicron should be concerned and communities with low vaccination rates and natural immunity could very well see a surge. >> tens of millions of people who haven't been vaccin

are doctors at ucsf on board with her? >> i talked to dr. peter chen hong.tells me there's still a lot of virus around to get rid of these masks and we're not there yet. he thinks it's the best thing to do to wait to drop this mask mandate than to have to prematurely reverse it. >> we'll see what the governor says about the adults and the kids in school. >> our question of the day, what covid restrictions would you like to see changed? join the conversation on our nbc bay area twitter, facebook and instagram accounts. >>> let's move on. this is an meenl day for a lot a lot of people. today the oakland city council voted to set february 27th as oscar grant day. that's oscar grant's birthday. along before the black lives matter movement, oscar grant was a symbol of police violence for a lot of people. he was shot and killed at the fruitvale bart station on new year's day back in 2009. his death sparked national conversations. his family has been pushing for change. today's resolutions meant to honor both the legacy of oscar grant and to honor the work oh of hi

monica gandhi of ucsf. it looks like the governor will be a little delayed, probably for about 15 minutes. he was going to start at 3:15, but this gives us the time to talk. do you have the time to be with us? dr. gandhi: yes. kristen: excellent. we have been pre-growing -- we have been preview wing what the governor will say. as we move out out out out out back-and-forth phase of the pandemic of closing things, opening things, it will be shots, masks, awareness, readiness, testing, education, and rx for medicine. let's talk about readiness, the r part of it. how do we stay ready for anything that may come, whether it is another variant, another possible surge, major or minor? what do you think? dr. gandhi: think of it this way. pretend we are in 1919 summer, and that was the end of the influenza pandemic, but it was not the end of influenza. and what happened after the "pandemic phase" ended his there was always vigilant for influenza. in fact, we did not have a vaccine for influenza until 1942, so the vig

and this is the statement from doctor george rutherford also with ucsf. it reads, in part smarter is just that it's a plan to take all that we've learned from the first 2 years of the covid-19 pandemic and use that knowledge to go forward. coming up tonight at 6.30, uc berkeley infectious disease specialist doctor john swartzberg will be joining us live to talk about governor newsom's new pandemic plan. we have a first look now at this year's floats for the lunar new year parade in san francisco. you see some of them here. total, 14 floats will be hitting the streets saturday to welcome in. >> the year of the tiger, the city's last lunar new year parade was back in 2020. the pandemic didn't just cancel last year's parade, but it also caused in increase in the number of violent attacks on asian americans and pacific islanders with the virus originating from wuhan china. it is why there will be more police on the streets for the lunar new year events this year. kron four's rob nesbitt. joining us now live without organizers are feeling going into the year o

and the statement from doctor george rutherford also with ucsf.reads in part smarter is just that it's a plan to take all that we've learned from the first 2 years of the covid-19 pandemic and use that knowledge to go forward. millions of californians were pleased to see california statewide mask mandate lifted that. but one place you're going to need to keep your mask on is at the airport, no matter what your vaccination status is. president biden issuing the mask mandate over the holiday season amid high case rates of covid and it's going to stay in place and tell march 18th, even though mask mandates are easing up around the country. the federal law in this case is superseding local ordinances. we spoke with some travelers at the airport to say. you know, that even if they were given the option, they still wear their mask. >> i definitely still want to wear my mask. i think. >> we are a part of a larger community and there are folks who still. >> don't get back to you can get vaccinated. i think we have a responsibility. >> if you happen to los

coming up at 5.30, we'll talk to the chair of the ucsf department of medicine on whether we should stillwearing masks indoors. coming up tonight on kron, 4 news at 5 o'clock in case of mistaken identity. a los angeles woman spends almost 2 weeks behind bars. >> we're a crime. she says she didn't commit what she plans to do now. >> also no and board. the late horse medina spirit has been stripped of its kentucky derby championship title and the trucker protest in canada is over. but could we see a similar movement here in the u.s.? >> the security preparations under way in washington, dc. >> the trucker protest in ottawa is over. this is following the biggest police operation in canadian history. the sweep began friday after protests were declared unlawful. nearly 200 people were arrested. dozens of trucks hauled away from the downtown area. protesters had used the trucks to create blockades as a demonstration against covid mandates. and authorities also first, the finances of nertain companies and individuals involved in those protests. meantime, there's more security in washington, dc t

ucsf epidemiologist dr george rutherford believes students still need to mask up or vaccination rates are low pre school where children are too young to be vaccinated. absolutely. if you have a high school where 25 or 30% of the students are fully vaccinated. that's not good enough. i think from a public health perspective , kids should really have been allowed to go first with unmasking enough doctor jean noble, director of covid response for ucsf's emergency department feels differently. she and other colleagues created a petition urging the governor to lift mask mandates in schools, leaving the choice up to students and staff. they have the most to lose their masks, you know, six hours a day, five days a week, when they're still trying to, you know, learn how to enunciate their words interpret complex facial emotions. the california federation of teachers sent us this statement. we support developing a plan for transitioning away from asking in schools and off ramp that is based on science and not politics. gregory ktvu, fox two news. san jose took another step towards building mor

ucsf infectious disease expert doctor peter chin. hong weighed in on the lifting of the mask mandate. >> people have a little bit more. not that, you know, freedom to decide whether or not it's an individual risk you know, getting infected getting really ill. and if there's that risk benefit calculus still the site to the way the i for one will probably continue to wear the mask in crowded indoor settings. >> despite the expiring indoor mask mandate, doctor chin-hong does not expect to see cases to spike in the coming weeks. >> san francisco state and san jose state students headed back to campus today for in-person learning classes. there have been virtual after the winter break because of the omicron search college students across the csu system have to be vaccinated and boosted by the end of this month. february 28th. >> happening tomorrow, san francisco voters will decide whether to recall 3 school board members in an election. the board members facing recall our school board, president gabriela lopez commissioner allison collins

jeanne noble is the director of covid response for ucsf emergency department just doesn't make public health or medical sense to help kids to a higher bar before they can unmask. they have more to lose from the masking and they are lower risk. >> go from here. is that on the 28? we're going to have another announcement from doctor galley that will likely be an indication. >> that if things move in this direction, that they will lift the mask mandate, not on the 28th, but they will likely announce a date that they will be lifting the mandate live in san francisco. dan kerman kron. 4 news. and so we'll stay tuned for 2 weeks from now affected today, though, the berlin games district as let students take off their masks outside, if they'd like to the district made the outdoor masking an option for students. now an adult on all campuses while still requiring them indoors. the district also says it will be keeping a close eye on covid cases in the community and across the country and revisit this change if necessary. >> when we think that's a good plan, the rates are dropping lower. they'r

tam: we have ucsf hospital. we have the warriors coming. we have a bunch of new apartment buildings. scholl: you have corporate headquarters of facebook, google, microsoft. christensen: we realize we live in such an amazing place with so much creativity and innovation. i'm excited when i see the young people in the tech industry all over town, all over the bay area commuting back and forth. there's an energy here. renteria: in mission bay, eryone pretty much works in tech, working on the next start-up. woman: i have 3 cappuccinos for here. renteria: i'll do a coffee. ok. thanks. i'm considered a millennial. we kind of are free spirits, and we don't believe so much in just full-time gigs. i work in social media marketing, so it's definitely a new industry. a lot of people don't quite understand it, but i run social for a living. the really cool thing about a job in social media or just tech is that you can work remotely. coffee shops are free. yes, san francisco is really expensive. there is no other place like san francisco where you're goi

the study conducted by researchers at ucsf , stanford and uc santa cruz. looked at data from march 2020 through november. 2021 results show the groups that saw the highest death rates were agriculture workers with 131 deaths per 100,000 people. the other groups that saw high death rates include transportation and manufacturing workers. a medical mystery solved, tells social media helped bring a father and a daughter back together. and how in east bay city wants to honor late alameda county supervisor wilma chan oh, wow, barbara corcoran! good morning. sorry, we don't need any business help now. we're gigillionaires. what? we're gigillionaires now. i don't get it we have at&t business fiber with hyper-gig speeds. but i just... so thanks, but, we're doing great. i'm so happy for you! but i'm just here for my order. oh. entre-pin-eurs? yeah, my bowling team. i like it there's money in puns. do business like a gigillionaire at&t business fiber, now with speeds up to 5-gigs. limited availability is considering a resolution to rename a city street after the late

bob walker the chair of ucsf's department of medicine dr. walker. we have some new data just out that shows just how effective the vaccine and even better the vaccine plus booster have been against hospitalization string omicron reich. can you give us those numbers? yeah, i tend to think of this in multiples of 10 that if you're compare someone if you're unvaccinated versus someone, who's that three shots, you have a hundred times lower probability of getting very sick on the hospital and dying so so someone who's fully boosted 100 times lower. booster versus two shots is about 10 times lower. maybe it's seven or eight but it's an easy number to remember that going from from your second shot to your third about a 10 times lower. of a bad a bad outcome going from nothing to three shots about a hundred times lower of a bad outcome. so people have had three shots really are tremendously safe particularly with omicron since it's a little bit milder, but you know a tremendous a very large advantage if you go from two shots to three as well. i was going t

a new tools being developed at ucsf to identify students who could have dyslexia in early childhood. ktvu semantic in town. it tells us it's a digital platform that will be available for free to kindergarten first graders in public schools in california next year. that he waited for by the time families reach out for reading help from steve hagler. it learn up, he says. they're often already in trouble. the classic family is a family, it was told by the school or teachers that yeah, johnny is going to get it. he's going to figure it out. and about third grade they go. oh, my this child is behind and now they're starting to distract and classrooms. they do what they call the three ds distract, disrupt and then disappears. he says. getting them caught up would be much easier earlier, and that's the goal of a new tool being created at ucsf. by that time, a child is already endured three or four years of challenges that are very, um traumatic. mary lou gorno tampin e. the project's principal investigator, says multitudes is a digital platform. based on neuroscience. it evaluates risk for

a new tool is being developed at ucsf to identify students who could have dyslexia in early childhoodtana tells us it's a digital platform that will be available for free to kindergarten and first graders at public schools in california next year. that he waited for by the time families reach out for reading help from steve hagler at learn up, he says they're often already in trouble. the classic family is a family. it was told by the school or teachers that yeah, johnny is going to get it. he's going to figure it out. and about third grade dig up. oh, my, this child is behind and now they're starting to distract in classrooms. they do what's called the three of these distract. and disrupt and then disappears. he says. getting them caught up would be much easier earlier, and that's the goal of a new tool being created at ucsf by that time child is already endured three or four years of challenges that are very, um traumatic. mary lou gorno tampin e. the project's principal investigator, says multitudes is a digital platforms. based on neuroscience . it evaluates risk for learning chal

the researchers at ucsf say there's still updating multitudes.eating it in other languages, so it can be inclusive for all californians, and they're working on the teacher's side of it to make sure that educators understand the results and what to do to help struggling kids live in the newsroom. amanda quintana ktvu, fox two news a new study has identified potential risk factors that could predict if a person will develop long covid. that's when someone infected with the virus has symptoms for weeks or even months. researchers say some of those risk factors include a pre existing diagnosis of type two diabetes and if a high um and a high amount of the viruses in the blood at the start of the infection. already there's wind advisories have been dropped. the wind warning did verify in the north bay as we had winds this morning as 73 miles an hour up just kind of north and east. of hills berg so the winds got going mainly in the north bay. but we did see some 40 mile an hour gusts and even 50 mile an hour gusts on top of mount diablo, which is more

we speak to a ucsf's doctor about this year's theme, black health and wellness. and biden tells the january jobs report, which shows higher than expected gains. i'm mallory, vera and washington with his vera and washington with his reaction and why the white house if you smell gas, you're too close. leave the structure, call 911, keep people away, and call pg&e right after so we can both respond out and keep the public safe. care coalition, it's so good to see you all! alright! let's brainstorm. any ideas for new members? i'd like to nominate alaska airlines. this neck pillow i'm dating says great things! a caring airline?! wait, those exist?! it says here they were the first airline to switch from plastic bottles to boxed water. they also hire a lot of people from caring professions. i'm seeing former teachers and nurses. it's settled! alaska airlines is officially in the running! round of applause! when you have xfinity, you have entertainment built in. which is kind of nice. ah, what is happening. binge-watching is in the bag, when you find all your apps, all

ucsf is pioneering a research to identify the brain case to learning challenge in kids as young as 5. and here to talk to us more about their findings is co-director ucsf dyslexia center, doctor, marilou gore, no 10 pini, an associate professor michelle porsche, thank you so much for joining us. santa kind of diving into this subject matter so we can learn more. >>so much for having excited to be here. isn't it? it's research for e with the support of the state. we know i struggled to learn how to lead it is use well said is that a condition that occurs in a which is an across the world. it is not related and the earlier we provide supporters that sayings the easier it will be released to into the area to relieve fluently. so we have engage with more than 30 within his first grade children in a variety of costumes. and fact that city of this school district says the state and we are asian cities with animal said and so that we can support sooner. and i was also promising ensuring that we can indeed for just in early with the city appropriate way so that we serve the diverse nation chi

. >> reporter: the predictions, an epidemiologist at ucsf said there is data showing transmission in schools -- the tough part -- they say preschoolers can be vaccinated but 90% of high schoolers are vaccinated. who wouldn't be surprised if school districts at their own rules. >> we have solano county with high rates of transmission in santa clara is moderate and the rest are low. those that are low, it depends on the vaccination rates in the schools. >> reporter: the majority of school districts in california with the 58 counties, under cdc guidelines, would be allowed to remove masks. nearly every bay area county meets that criteria with the reaction in solano county. >>> they say masks are an effective tool to minimize spread of the virus and future virus variants, especially when transmission rates are high and he goes on to say that we can't predict the future of the virus but are better prepared and will take measures rooted in science to keep california moving forward. we got this statement from the teachers association, writing quote, while some students are ready to immediat

and my first job was mount zion emergency hospital which is now ucsf.ear later, that's when i started to lay down the rules because i had studied them and i learned them and it made me a good supervisor and i started to run the ship the way that i wanted to. it was scary. but the more i saw women coming through the shop, i saw change coming. i knew that it was going to come, but i didn't know how long it would take. it was coming. in the beginning when i first came here and i was the first woman here as a finisher, to see the change as it progressed and for me to become a permanent assistant superintendent over the cement shop right now, that's my highlight. i can look down at my staff and see the diversity from the women to the different coaches in here and know that no one has to ever go through what i went through coming up. and i foster and help everyone instead of pushing them away. i'll talk to women and tell them they can make it and if they need any help, come talk to me. and they knock on my door and ask how i move up and how i get training. i'

monica gandhi, an infectious disease doctor at ucsf says after 2 years the state has tools to deal with the pandemic. main tools that we have are actually vaccines and treatments and then what's called and we're going to be doing wastewater surveillance, make sure we don't get out of this good phase of low cases. dude, you know, make sure that we getting very thursday. governor gavin newsome announcing the state's endemic approach to the covid-19 pandemic. the plan focusing on prevention and quick reactions to outbreaks over mandates. >> doctor gandhi, adding businesses and organizations now know the drill when it comes to keeping space is safe. you as a regular kind of person should. >> your life. i feel like here in red that we are still very cautious. but i'm i'm happy that he's going forward with it. i think it's time monique owner of modica and the in mill valley supporting governor newsom's plan. >> in may of 2020 modica had to close her shop. we nonessential businesses had to shutter its doors due to shelter-in-place orders, followed by the flip-flopping of health orders driven b

gandhi ucsf's infectious disease.socialist highlighted that the first two doses of the vaccine continue to be highly effective against the virus those two doses primed the body to respond any time start t cells are b cells are still there. the b cells are the recipe book to make more antibodies. they can make antibodies anytime. they see covid make take a couple days and t cells will help them make antibodies researchers also found the vaccines effectiveness against hospitalizations remained high at any eight percent four months after the third dose dr. maria raven chief of the emergency medicine department at ucsf has noticed a difference in patients people that are getting the booster seem to be getting less sick. they're not necessarily protected from getting infected, you know a hundred percent, but they are getting less sick as we're inching up to month four since many got boosted dr. raven has a new concern high risk people. booster immunity may be waning might be at higher risk of hospitalization now that we're

. >> reporter: our ucsf covid expert dr.hen hong says there are things you can do to keep coronavirus in check this sunday here and at the stadium in so cal. >> there's still a lot of virus around. that means we have to be covid smart. what does that mean? i think in sofi stadium there's a mask requirement. i hope that people wear their masks as much as possible. >> reporter: if you are planning a party at home, party outside or keep the windows open. now, he says, is not the time to let your guard down. cheryl hurd, "today in the bay." >> kickoff is around 3:30 tomorrow afternoon, but we will have an entire day of super bowl coverage. that's, of course, on top of our olympics coverage. be sure to stick with us all day tomorrow. >>> turning now to developing news from overseas, u.s. leaders this morning are giving their most dire warning yet that russia could invade ukraine before the end of the olympics. americans still in ukraine are being told to leave in the next 24 to 48 hours. new this morning, the state department ord

now, one of those doctors pushing for change is a doctor right here at ucsf. doctor jan noble. she's started a change.org petition asking state leaders to consider kids when deciding whether or not to renew the mask mandate on february 15th. >> what we would like to see is if that is not going to be extended for adults, that is also the moment in which we lift the mask mandates for our kids. >> reporter: she's specifically talking about kids in school. but for some health providers, they feel it may still be a bit early for masks to come off. dr. peter chin-hong also with ucsf says we should continue to watch positivity rates and new variants before coming to any decisions. >> we can't predict with omicron with certainty where we're going to be in two weeks. i think that we're going to be fine, but, again, i would like to see the data before feeling perfectly confident. >> reporter: and as we reported before, some communities have already started loosening their mask requirements. some in san francisco will be allowed to go maskless in certain settings if they

i think it's you have to do this some time and ucsf, professor of epidemiology doctor says after the super bowl and valentine's day seems like a logical time to lift indoor masking requirements related to covid-19. >> except for those who are unvaccinated and 2 years of age or older, the regardless of vaccination status masks will still be required on public transportation at hospitals and schools terms of of outbreaks and surges and stuff. it will be seasonal. >> i mean, barring the emergence of some crazy variant. >> which has happened twice in the last year, both delta and omicron. we do hope that many individuals still choose to mask indoors and in crowded spaces regardless of vaccination status. contra costa, health services, deputy health officer doctor stephanie mccurry, us as we will likely have to live with covid-19 in our communities. but adds we have the tools to manage its spread. >> still, the virus has been unpredictable and the time may come when masking requirements could be reinstated. we're in a different place. we have a highly vaccinated population. we have vaccin

but i'm here at ucsf medical center. we still have 50 covid patients in the hospital. we still have 7 or 8 in the intensive care unit. this thing is not gone away. i know everybody's a low would love to have a go away. but the virus is still around. walker says he expects covid cases to drop so low in the next few weeks that it will become safer for folks. >> to not have to wear a mask. >> attacked in a mcdonald's drive through the details tonight on what we're now learning about a road rage incident enrichment. plus, a sizable surplus could be in the budget. state lawmakers say that might mean more money in your pocket. the big decision of what to do with billions of dollars. but first, an invasion now appearing imminent tonight, what russia moving into ukraine could mean for us here in the united states will talk live with the political expert oh, wow, barbara corcoran! good morning. sorry, we don't need any business help now. we're gigillionaires. what? we're gigillionaires now. i don't get it we have at&t business fiber with hyper-gig speeds. but i just... so thank

. >> reporter: joining them to ucsf and san francisco via medical doctors.rkeley findings, by seeing the same evidence in the brain scans of military veterans, some suffering from ptsd. >> that was exciting. >> it matched what they found. >> reporter: the scientists began looking at the white stuff in the brain called myelin. myelin is a layer of fatty substances and proteins that wraps around neurons. it helps to transmit signals. >> it's like an insulator. if you imagine a wire with insulation around it , the more installation, the faster the signal can travel. >> reporter: the scientists discovered that anxiety and posttraumatic stress is linked to increased white stuff or myelin in the brain's gray matter. >> the more myelin in the brain, the more anxiety -like behavior we saw and rats. we also saw this in humans. >> wouldn't think it was the same areas but it was. >> reporter: the increased myelin is in parts of the brain associated with memory. >> you become really proficient in this case responding to a threat stimulus. >> maybe that's too much of a r

plus, a live interview with ucsf doctor monica gandhi about the latest breakthrough in the search foriv. >> the stories and more pam and i will see you in just a few moments for kron. 4 news at before calling the new mcplant a mcdonald's burger, we had to make sure of a few things. first, we needed to be sure it looked like one. then we had to make sure it would make you take a hard right... change your go-to order... inspire creativity... inspire a new jingle... ♪ ♪ and be good enough to steal. but most importantly, we had to make sure it tasted like a mcdonald's burger. the first mcdonald's burger with a plant-based patty. ♪ ba da ba ba bah ♪ the first mcdonald's burger with a plant-based patty. area's local news station. >> you're watching kron. 4 news at known. >> now at 9 polls are closed and results are coming into the side of these 3 san francisco school board members will be recalled and that is not the only thing on the ballot for this special election today, people living in the city's 17th district also cast a vote for their new assembly member. good evening. welcome to kro

probably continue to wear the mask in crowded indoor settings as infectious disease specialist at ucsf doctor peter chin. hong explains. >> all bay area counties except for santa clara will drop its indoor mask mandate on wednesday. for those who are fully vaccinated, however, masks will still be required on public transportation and health care facilities. and in all public schools, public there is that it's you. >> you know, not having not controlled area. but you know, it's it's probably one of equity. meanwhile, for business owners in those 8 bay area counties, it's up to their discretion if they want to continue requiring masks or not. >> however, restaurant owner really muster or who own sushi confidential. we'll have that decision. a santa clara county continues enforcement. i personally feel and understand, you know, going off the numbers metrics for us is a specific is important. >> but at the same time, when you look at the map that surrounding counties and you see every county lifting and then we're the only county not it's a little frustrating. and it, you know, sometimes d

the pandemic did not help with that this morning at 10, the union ucsf parents, teachers, staff, they will all be gathering in front of the district's office here in san francisco. they'll be speaking out against the layoff plan, talking about how this is not the right way to cut funding. the school board meeting is tonight at 5 o'clock. and that's where that vote will take place. so we will fall this every step of the way. so you don't have to. you can just check in with us every hour for new reports. for now, i'm sarah stinson reporting live back to you in the studio. >> thank you very much, carol. one thing's another. and mount diablo schools are looking at stuff. parents, teachers, students fighting now to keep their music programs alive. district leaders are proposing cuts to music for 4th grade students to save money. alumni of the program say the kids need music now more than ever. but the school district says they're dealing with budget issues and they need to cut staff members, including music, teachers. the teachers union argues that the district already has too many vacant

this evening ucsf epidemiologist dr. george rutherford had this to say about the findings. >> reporter: some grisly new variant emerges that is susceptible to this, or not susceptible, we might have to change, but right now it looks like we have enough to get us to the fall. >> reporter: dr. rutherford says if we can keep infection rates low, the chances of coming into contact with an infected person are much lower. at the same time, local small businesses, except in santa clara county, are adjusting to the first full week without indoor mask mandates. >> some of my staff continues to wear masks. that is fine with us if they are comfortable doing that. it is the same way with customers. i would say anywhere from, you know, maybe 50 to 60% of our customers continue to mask up. and that's fine. >>> looking live at san francisco city hall, seven cisco -- placing school board members recalled in last election. the school board is taking applications after leading the charge to recall board president gabriela lopez and commis

now, one of the doctors leading the charge for more mask freedom is ucsf emergency doctor, dr. noble. he's asking the state leaders to consider kids when deciding whether or not to renew the mask mandate on february 15th. >> what we would like to see is if that is not extended for adults, that is also the moment that we lift the mask mandate for kids. >> some feel it may be a bit too early for the masks to come off. dr. hong says we should continue to watch the positivity rates and the new variants before making any decisions. >> we can't predict where we'll be in two weeks. i think we'll be fine but i would like the see the data. >> reporter: as we've reported, some already loosened their mask requirements. some in san francisco will be allowed to go maskless in certain settings but they have to be vaccinated and boost. it is important to note the locations must have fewer than 100 people. so this is definitely a story we will continue to follow. we're less than two weeks away from the expiration date of that mask mandate so a will the of conversation could happen before then.

peter chen hong is an infectious disease specialist at ucsf. he says it's true omicron cases are dropping, but also notes there's a fair amount of virus still circulating. so does that mean it's time to start changing the rules? >> you think about san francisco this week, easing some of the recommendations, which are baby steps towards that goal that most people think is coming. >> san francisco once again loosened mask restrictions, allowing certain stable and fully vaccinated groups to take off their masks in places like gyms and offices. >> there's an in between phase, which is kind of where san francisco is right now where certain groups have more liberties. >> reporter: figuring out how to ease restrictions without triggering new surges and when covid turns from a pandemic to an endemic. >> i don't think anyone can predict when we will become endemic because it's still completely unpredictable what's going to happen in the future. we still have too many deaths per day. >> reporter: some experts are pushing the move to a model where health

ucsf epidemiologist dr george rutherford believes students still need to mask up or vaccination rates are low pre school where children are too young to be vaccinated. absolutely. if you have a high school where 25 or 30% of the students are fully vaccinated. that's not good enough. i think from a public health perspective , kids should really have been allowed to go first with unmasking enough doctor jean noble, director of covid response for ucsf's emergency department feels differently. she and other colleagues created a petition urging the governor to lift mask mandates in schools , leaving the choice up to students and staff. they have the most to lose their masks, you know, six hours a day, five days a week when they're still trying to, you know, learn how to enunciate their words interpret complex facial emotions. the petitions garnered more than 40,000 signatures. one parent writing, they need to see their smiling peers. they need facial expressions and to lose the distraction of the mask in the classroom. the california federation of teachers sent us this statement. we suppor

. >> when ucsf scientist and his team has been studying all the variants of concern to stay ahead of this virus. he agrees with the doctor and says a three dose vaccination plan plus accessible pharmaceuticals will be key. >> i think a year from now, there will be a larger selection of drugs that can be used once one is infected and the hope is that those drugs will be equally effective across any variants that we see. >> some aspects of this plan are vague. >> in treatment, they make the point that there are a number of treatments that we need to be able to get people access to them as quickly as possible. i would like to see a little bit more meat on those bones if it turns out the offramp is a case rate below a certain number, what are the kinds of things that would say we've got to reinstitute masking? >> with this plan, california becomes the first state to formally shift to an endemic phase of the pandemic. regarding schools, california's school mask mandate will continue. governor newsom said they will reassess and make an update february 28. in the newsroom, luz pena. ama: th

the dvla just from ucl a and ucsf way in. plus good. anne marie schubert make history.ecause i believe very strongly. >> we need to balance the system california. key figure in the arrest of the golden state killer discusses her goal to be california's next attorney general. >> broadcasting across the golden state. this is the sign california politics. >> thanks for joining us for inside california po

. >> ucsf epidemiologist george rutherford said it's the right time to let vaccinated people take their face coverings off, but we should be ready to ramp up if needed. >> we are reasonably comfortable with omicron as a less severe, more transmissable virus. but you know, the next variant we see may be something completely different. >> it will be up to the counties to make the final decision about whether the mask mandate will be lifted locally. they tell nbc bay area that they plan to follow the state's recommendations. the other counties are still on the fence. contra costa is planning to make data available later in the week. >> i think we should get rid of them. >> many are ready to say goodbye to the mask, others think the county county should play it safe. these women say they will continue to wear their mask in doors no matter what the county decides. >> i probably will wear my mask because i feel safer that way. >> i feel it's safe to keep a mask on. you know, and i agree with that. it would be a great idea, under the new safe guidelines. >>> deeply 8.8% a week ago, the positiv

let's bring in one of our experts over at ucsf. nice to have you back on the program. let's start with the governor. are you surprised with the reaction so far? >> i'm not surprised at all. i think we've all been up and down this roller coaster with masks, no masks, restrictions, i think people are just tired. and i think it is completely understandable why they might feel frustrated. >> doctor, i don't like the mask rules either for my kids in school but do i listen to what doctors advise, including you. when it will be safe? forget the politics. when do you think it will be safe to drop the mask mandates on campus? >> well, i think we're almost there. i think all. us want the same destination. we're rapidly approaching that. probably not exactly the right time yet. but by the time people agree on it, i would say two weeks might be a good destination point where we might be close to where we were around thanksgiving time. >> two weeks is valentine's day, as we head into february. what other rules can we relax with the endemic from a medical point of view? >> i think i

. >> reporter: ucsf infectious disease specialist dr. peter chin-hong. >> in period of rapid transition from omicron, everyone will align eventually but in the transition, looks messy. >> reporter: some are ready but others worry about mask confusion again. >> it's okay. our county, we want to be safe. and i support that. so i kind of felt like we weren't going to change anything yet. >> i think it's frustrating, fair to say a lot of us are frustrated and ready for things to become normal. >> reporter: south bay, ian cull, nbc bay area news. >>> what about schools? governor newsom said the office plans to release the endemic plan in coming days to deal with schools as well. >> we're getting closer to making public an announcement on mask wearing in public schools. no one looks forward to that more than i do. hopefully in a matter of days we'll put it up. >> says the endemic rather than pandemic plan will address what happens if we see another surge or new variants emerge. despite not approved yet, cdc is preparing to distribute the covid

regards to trying to find a cure. >> moves one step forward, as always, doctor monica gandhi with ucsf. we appreciate the time and the knowledge on for thank you. thanks. >> all right. check in on our 4 zone weather forecast and a live look out over san francisco and it's all well, there's no fog blocking the sparkly lights tonight. >> chief meteorologist lawrence karnow here tonight with a look to get you ready for the start of your hump day. yeah. going to be cool. start to the day tomorrow. temperatures beginning in the 40's for most the bay area. but by the afternoon we're enjoying sunshine all the way to the coastline and 60's and 70's are going to return out. there is nice and clear a little breezy in spots still out there. but as far as the rain is concerned, it's moved all the way into southern california. thank you. see it all the way to the south. now, the areas shaded in purple. that's actually a winter weather advisory expecting maybe another inch or so of snow the saying gabriel mountains, you got to watch out, especially if you're heading along. i-5 and your head over the

ucsf epidemiologist dr george rutherford believes students still need to mask up or vaccination rateso young to be vaccinated. absolutely. if you have a high school where 25 or 30% of the students are fully vaccinated. that's not good enough. i think from a public health perspective , kids should really have been allowed to go first with unmasking and dr jean noble, director of covid response for ucsf's emergency department feels differently. she and other colleagues created a petition urging the governor to lift mask mandates in schools, leaving the choice up to students and staff . they have the most to lose their masks, you know, six hours a day, five days a week when they're still trying to, you know, learn how to enunciate their words interpret complex facial emotions. the california federation of teachers sent us this statement. we support developing a plan for transitioning away from asking in schools and off ramp that is based on science and not politics. greg lee ktvu, fox two news oakland teachers say they're joining together to file a legal challenge to the decision this we

. >> when ucsf scientist and his team has been studying all the variants of concern to stay ahead of this virus. he agrees with the doctor and says a three dose vaccination plan plus accessible pharmaceuticals will be key. >> i think a year from now, there will be a larger selection of drugs that can be used once one is infected and the hope is that those drugs will be equally effective across any variants that we see. >> some aspects of this plan are vague. >> in treatment, they make the point that there are a number of treatments that we need to be able to get people access to them as quickly as possible. i would like to see a little bit more meat on those bones if it turns out the offramp is a case rate below a certain number, what are the kinds of things that would say we've got to reinstitute masking? >> with this plan, california becomes the first state to formally shift to an endemic phase of the pandemic. regarding schools, california's school mask mandate will continue. governor newsom said they will reassess and make an update february 28. in the newsroom, luz pena. ama: th

ucsf epidemiologist dr george rutherford believes students still need to mask up or vaccination rates are low pre school where children are too young to be vaccinated. absolutely. if you have a high school where 25 or 30% of the students are fully vaccinated. that's not good enough. i think from a public health perspective , kids should really have been allowed to go first with unmasking enough doctor jean noble, director of covid response for ucsf's emergency department feels differently. she and other colleagues created a petition urging the governor to lift mask mandates in schools , leaving the choice up to students and staff. they have the most to lose their masks, you know, six hours a day, five days a week when they're still trying to, you know, learn how to enunciate their words interpret complex facial emotions. the petitions garnered more than 40,000 signatures. one parent writing, they need to see their smiling peers. they need facial expressions and to lose the distraction of the mask in the classroom. the california federation of teachers sent us this statement. we suppor

ucsf says some of the educators who are potentially going to lose their job have worked for the district for 30 plus years. that includes peer educators, community school, cordinator ys and social workers. the school board is voting on layoffs as they face a 125 million dollar budget deficit for next school year. >> the district says they have to cut some funding to certain programs and jobs or else. the state will come in and take over the state saying the district has been spending at high rates to spending despite years of declining enrollment teachers, staff parents protesting yesterday saying there are better ways to cut funding than to lay off vital educators and staff. a san francisco parent emotionally explained how cutting these types of staff members would directly hurt children like her own. >> teacher. and the school strongest for lgbtq plus students. every day on support staff. to reject his lawyer to really student center. >> so this layoff plan is an emotionally charged thing that's affecting everyone in the school districts. you can only imagine how people felt when the m

ucsf infectious disease specialist dr. hong says that's why it makes sense to focus on vaccinations for community health. >> we will see the cdc shift emphasis from cases in the community, which always look very dramatic and we get very numb with all these zeroes at the end of statistics to one that is more relevant for 2021 right now. and that is most serious disease, hospitalization, as a metric for wearing masks in the community. >> the cdc director dr. welinski that in the past she believes the decisions on things like masking should happen at the local level. last night, vallejo city council voted 6-0 to drop its indoor mask mandate. santa clara county, now lone standout in the bay area, requiring face coverings. >>> let's take a lye look outside to the palisades tahoe camera. a beautiful sight! >> look at the people out there skiing, too. >> very nice. very cold up there. and here in the bay area as well. we're getting our first. today of winter once again. >> and it has been slow to warm up but we are making some pr

ucsf infectious disease expert says california is ready to treat covid as endemic with a 73% vaccination rate and a truckload of therapeutics arriving in hospitals. >> many countries have dropped the mask mandates and vaccine mandates and passports and others are keeping it. so i don't know when we'll see it, but everywhere we'll get to the same point once we get enough immunity that we'll manage this as we do other respiratory infections. >> as to what could lead to a return to a mask mandate. >> it would only if our hospital capacity gets strained which may mean we have a more virulent variant, and somehow that variant is invading on immunity that we'd probably have more masks but actually the cdc next week says they are only going to link masks to severe diseases. >> masks are no longer required at retail stores, theaters or gyms at all bay area counties except for santa clara. masks little are squared at hospitals, airports, and schools k-12 in all counties. >> reporter: for some people whether or not there's a mask mandate, no matter what the governor says tomorrow, they have their

according to a ucsf survey, 26% of california nurs between ages 55 and 64 said they plan to leave ino years, that is double the years past. >> the surveys we have been doing. >> reporter: the co-author of the report says nurses site stress and shifting priorities. >> i want to serve, i want to help my community through this pandemic. when this is over i am going to spend time with my family and i am done. >> reporter: the report forecasts a shortage of 40,000 nurses, a 13% drop statewide. >> we think this is going to result in persistent shortages for about four to five years. >> reporter: hospitals are hiring more expensive traveling nurses. there are 40,000 traveling nursing jobs open nationwide. 77% increase over last year. 4,000 of the jobs or 11% are in california. the state with the highest demand. as a traveling nurse in intensity care, stephen faces the critical covid-19 cases. >> i never seen that many people die as in this year. >> reporter: unlike staff nurses he can take a break between three month assignments. >> you are getting burnt out but you have a finish line. you

joining us live to delve into the debate on the science is ucsf epidemiologist. thanks for joining us today. >> thanks for having me. happy to be speaking to you. kristen: i'm excited about the opportunity to discuss this. you are in epidemiologist and the parent of a kindergartner. this is interesting because i know you were adamant kids should wear masks and schools. you supported the lengthy closure of san francisco schools. now you think it is time to rethink the mandate. why? >> i think the basic issue is that we as a society are doing risk analysis to decide other to make masks optional. early in the pandemic we didn't know about the risk of disease in kids and no one was vaccinated so the calculations were clear. i and others supported mask mandates and they made sense. now we know kids themselves are at low risk of severe disease especially with the mildness of omicron and many of them vaccinated. families and communities are at low risk of severe disease. immunity is high from people being vaccinated or having prior infection, and masks for adults are ab