right now at 11:00, new restrictions in place. north bay county implements tighter rules amid the omicron surge. the impact it's already having on covid-fatigued businesses and why your plans could be forced to change. good wednesday morning. i'm laura garcia. >> i'm kris sanchez in for marcus washington. boy it feels like we're back in time. omicron variant now the dominant strain of covid-19. take a look at these new numbers from the cdc. according to the cdc, the omicron variant now responsible for more than 98% of all newly reported covid infections.

>> and california may be seeing its highest level of covid cases soon. that's a projection from columbia university. right now we're already seeing some of the highest levels since the start of the pandemic. the new peak may come as soon as next week. then it's forecasted to decline by the end of the month. state health leaders say the state report issing an average 100,000 new covid cases every day. the spike in cases are the reasons behind the new social distancing limits that are now in effect in the north bay. >> nbc bay area's cierra johnson live in sonoma county. and these new rules are really giving us -- a lot of people a sense of deja vu. >> deja vu is exactly right. the mood really feels like something we've experienced this time last year during the pandemic. but here in sonoma county, some big changes coming when it deals with the occupancy rate for both indoor and outdoor gatherings. take a look at your screen. we break it down for you.

the order bans anything more than 50 people indoors and more than 100 people outdoors. now gatherings are not allowed if there's more than 12 people at high risk for severe chance of developing an infection from covid. and it's important to note it does not apply to school classrooms or recess activities. this order went into effect midnight last night. the person we spoke to here in sonoma county is hoping the order will slow the spread while others are concerned at this point in the pandemic many are simply going to behave how they want. >> personally, i would not go to any place where there's large gatherings, even like 20 people. but, you know, whatever is going to help. and i know it's politically charged so it's difficult for them to really draw in the reins and -- so i just hope -- i hope it helps. >> it's tough.

i do think that it's a good guideline. i think people are going to do whatever they're going to do. for me personally, it's like, it makes sense. >> reporter: local physicians are also weighing in. we spoke to a ucsf emergency medicine physician who says the focus should be on hospitalizations explaining two-thirds of reported covid cases in the bay area are people being admitted for something else and it's the same percentage down in l.a. so if you're wondering how long the tighter restrictions will last, they're expected to last for about a month. that brings us out to about february 11th. we're live in sonoma county, cierra johnson for nbc bay area news. >> thank you, cierra. new at 11:00, after two days of shutdowns, several covid testing sites are up and run again in san francisco. health technology company color says that a software outage that kept six of its locations in the city shut down has now been resolved. and as we've been reporting,

appointments on monday and tuesday had to be rescheduled because of that problem. >> taking a live look in san jose, now the first california city to have a booster mandate. council members voted unanimously last night, too prove the mayor's proposal. anyone attending city-owned facilities for events with more than 50 people will need to show proof of a booster shot or a recent negative covid test. that includes the sap and convention centers. all city workers will be required to receive a booster. now those rules take effect immediately. but vendors have until february 4th to comply. there are new national efforts to ramp up covid testing for schools. overnight the white house issued new plans to increase the number of tests available to schools nationwide. it includes 5 million free rapid tests for schools every month in addition to 5 million pcr tests. despite the omicron surge, the white house says all but 4% of u.s. schools remain open for in-person learning.

one year ago, less than half were open. so many of us are wondering what life is going to look like after the omicron surge ends. doctors now detailing what it's going to look like to move forward. experts expect that cases will decline soon as we mentioned earlier because omicron spikes are falling elsewhere as fast as they rise. now three of president biden's advisers are recommending a plan after omicron to return to vaccinations to prevent severe disease and continue hitting that drum beat. also giving antiviral pills to those at most risk, maintaining higher ventilation levels in buildings and giving specific mask recommendations for the vulnerable instead of the blanket policy we have now. local experts say we may soon be living with covid as we do with things like the flu. >> it means that the virus is likely to be -- it's controlled because we got so much immunity from the omicron surge.

boosting immunity in those vaccinated giving unvaccinated people immunity. >> right now the white house is promising to deliver those 500 million at-home testing kits but most of them won't be available until the end of the month. you can find all of our pandoverage on our website. we've got advice on where to get tested, what mask works best for you and any other updates of how the virus could affect you. head to nbcbayarea.com/coronavirus. it's also impacting everything from empty store shelves to a rise in a lot of prices. the 7% increase. >> scott mcgrew is breaking down the surging inflation that we're all experiencing. the latest numbers are kind of hard to believe. >> yes, that 7% is comparing prices from last month to the same items in december of the previous year. so it is a big number, but maybe not unexpected. a year ago, in the middle of the pandemic, prices fell, right?

fast forward to last month and what we hoped was closer to the end of the pandemic. prices went back up and then some. fed chairman jay powell talked to senators yesterday as part of his renomination process, and he said higher interest rates are indeed coming as the fed works to fight inflation. this is really a good reminder that inflation hurts but so, too, does fighting the inflation. in the next few months, the federal open markets committee is going to intentionally make it more expensive to borrow money, possibly slow hiring and slow down spending and growth. that's how you fight inflation. but it hurts. back to you. >> that inflation that we're seeing here in the bay area and across the country is leading to some bare store shelves along with higher prices for so many things like gas. >> that's right. sharon katsuda tracking it all for us. this is really having an impact on everyone's bottom line. >> it really is, laura and kris.

you can see behind me gas over here is going for $4.55 and one driver told me he saw it going for $5.50 in -- at one station in san francisco. now the aaa website says today's national average for a gallon of regular gas is $3.30. but in california, the average is $4.65. last year the average price for a gallon of regular gasoline was $3.30. today in san francisco, the average price for a gallon of regular gas is $4.83. compared to $3.51 last year at the same time. and in san jose, the average today is $4.75 compared to $3.40 same time last year. experts say this is primarily due to a price surge in crude oil. and if you've been to a store lately, you probably noticed many shelves are bare. we found that, too, when we checked out a local target, running low on cold and flu medicine, certain infant

supplies and other staples in the pasta and soup section. economists say it's a situation of people calling in sick, combined with supply chain delays. economists say that supply problems can be blamed on the omicron variant. >> we have millions and millions of people who have got covid and what are they going to do? they stay home, right? if they stay home, they're not moving the food off the pallets. >> reporter: companies are bracing for high cost of labor, transportation and, of course, supplies. and experts tell us, don't panic, though, during this supply shortage. i was in the store and bought a box of tissue because experts are saying -- i needed the tissue -- and experts are saying don't hoard, don't go overboard. just buy what you need and this, too, shall pass. reporting live, i'm sharon

katsuda, "today in the bay." >> you could have gotten the four-pack. >> i did. >> splurge and get the ones with lotion. the fast forward broadcast that goes on roku, talking about this could lead to creative dinner choices. we're digging through the -- >> oh, yeah, digging through the -- i was trying to think, i'm not eating kleenex for dinner. >> no. >> we will be taking a walk with the dog later. a little hazy out there. at least at the moment. >> yeah, moderate air quality. high pressure building in and, you know, it's going to make for some sunshine at some point into the afternoon. but one more thing to remember is our temperatures right now finally in the 50s. about 56 degrees right now. and it is pretty nice, but we still have some fog when it comes to the visibility. we're down to about five miles in concord. a couple of areas in through tracy. still seeing morning fog. some of the fog through the

north bay. satellite radar looks good. it's telling a picture of what's going on. so take a look at the bay area. for the most part it looks nice and clear but i'll tell you about the changes coming up in the full forecast in just a few minutes. >> thanks, vianey. also san jose police on the scene of a deadly crash. the scene on south wright road and almond drive near tully road in lake cunningham regional park. two cars were involved. sadly, one person was killed. the crash happened about 8:00 this morning. police are asking drivers to avoid that area as they continue their investigation. this year. also new at 11:00, the online training platform robinhood says most of its employees will primarily work remotely moving forward. according to reuters, the menlo park-based company will take a hybrid approach but there will be no in-office requirement. this will affect over 3,000 employees. rob onhood joins companies like

twitter, meta and microsoft who all have flexible working policies. president biden is back in washington this midday after a major push to pass a voting rights bill. >> still ahead on nbc bay area, what he says senate democrats have to do in order to achieve a cornerstone in his white house agenda. plus, a daily stage is set. a look at who will hit the stage of bottlerock music festival and how to still get those tickets. we'll be right back.

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or are breastfeeding. for more information about side effects talk to your doctor. ♪♪ be in your moment. ask your doctor about ibrance. new at 11:00, britain's prince andrew is experiencing a legal setback. a judge is allowing a federal sexual lawsuit against him to move forward. this despite prince andrew's efforts to have the case dismissed. the judge said it's premature to consider the prince's efforts to cast doubts on the accusations. virginia giuffre complains jeffrey epstein and his confidante ghislaine maxwell forced her to have sex with the

royal in the 1990s. the prince has denied any wrongdoing and has claimed he has no recollection of ever meeting her. neither prince andrew nor his legal team have commented on that decision. and a live look inside the u.s. capitol rotunda in washington this morning where the body of former democratic senator harry reid is now lying in state. reid was the longest serving u.s. senator in nevada's history. he served as senate majority leader from 2007 to 2015. reid died last month at 82 after a four-year battle with pancreatic cancer. a formal ceremony honoring him was held this morning. now to the effort by democrats to revive the push for voting rights legislation. president biden is back in washington this morning after speaking in atlanta. nbc's senior white house correspondent kelly o'donnell reports on what the president is now calling on senate lawmakers to do. >> let's go get this done.

>> reporter: this morning, president biden is defining a stark choice for senators. as pressure builds to expand voting rights. >> do you want to be the -- on the side of dr. king or george wallace? this is the moment to decide to defend our elections, to defend our democracy. >> reporter: as early as today, senate democrats are expected to again try to pass voting rights protections. but their slim majority is short of the 60 votes needed to overcome a republican senate filibuster. republican mitt romney called the president's message divisive. >> he charged that voting against his bill aligns us with bull connor, george wallace and jefferson davis. so much for unifying the country. >> reporter: the president who for decades backed the longstanding filibuster rule says he supports a limited

change and has been urging lawmakers to act. >> i've been having these quiet conversations with members of congress for the last two months. i'm tired of being quiet! >> reporter: the president focused his argument through the lens of history. visiting the seat of the civil rights movement in atlanta with the vice president. placing a wreath at the burial place of dr. martin luther king jr., while some civil rights advocates have grown impatient with mr. biden. >> the reality is, we still have no plan to get the 60 votes or 50 votes with the filibuster carveout. >> reporter: georgia's stacey abrams did not attend citing scheduling. the naacp's national president reacted, it's time for this administration to match their words with actions. asked if he had the votes when he stopped at dr. king's ebenezer baptist church, the president said -- >> keep the faith.

>> vice president harris will sit down with the "today" show's craig meflin to talk about the push for voting rights tomorrow at 7:00. bottlerock napa valley now announcing when you can catch some of the names. metallica, kygo on friday. twenty one pilots and the black crowes will take to the stage on saturday the 28th. pink and luke combs are some of the biggest names performing on the final day, the 29th. this year marks a return to the normal calendar spot which is over the memorial day weekend. three-day passes are already sold out so you'll have to buy single day tickets which go on sale tomorrow. >> looking live in san francisco now that blue sky really trying to pop through that fog and haze this morning vianey.

but no rain in the forecast. >> no, no rain. we'll keep the dry weather. not just for today but for the next several days. so really get a chance to go outside and enjoy some fresh air. 56 degrees right now in downtown san jose. beautiful shot there. that's nice, right? now we are seeing, of course, a little bit of that fog, lingering clouds and early morning fog. but look how beautiful this shot of lake tahoe looks. look at that. that's a live look, about 36 degrees right now. no wind advisories, no winter weather advisories so beautiful weekend to head up to tahoe. fog and visibility, we're still seeing limited visibility through concord, livermore and tracy. satellite radar, things are quiet but these are active just to the north. right over the bay area that high pressure, but just off in the pacific north you can see a system that's really bringing down some heavy rain through parts of portland. we're going to stay dry, not just for today but for the next several days. i want to show you in comparison

how we're doing to the rest of the nation because the east coast got a cold air blast. san jose right now, 56 degrees. look at new york city, 38 degrees. remember, chill factor. it feels even colder than that. in houston, very similar to us, 57 degrees. overall, san jose, though, we'll talk about your air quality. all the way from the north bay to the south bay. because of the high pressure we are seeing moderate air quality. so according to the scale from 51 to 100 when it comes to the particulate matter in the air. be mindful of that. we'll be seeing temperatures pretty comfortable. upper 60s through morgan hill. $67 gilroy. 68. san jose, 65. los gatos, 64 and look at the east bay you. walnut creek, 62. hayward, 63. really mild 60s throughout the entire bay area. wind is not going to be a factor for today. nice and light at 5 miles per hour around the coastline. 61 for the peninsula. breezier in san francisco. normal, 11 to 15-mile-per-hour

winds. 51 degrees in mission, downtown 60 and up through the north bay, we are in the 50s but we'll bump up into the mid-60s. 65 in santa rosa. novato, 63. an update on the drought monitor. the reason i'm showing this to you today is the newest one comes out tomorrow. and as you know we saw pretty good improvement after a series of storms. however, 15.6% of california still remains under some form of extreme drought. the rest is severe. still a lot of catching up to do. we don't have any rain in our forecast, at least not through the extended outlook of the next seven days. all of the systems stay well off to the north. san francisco, seven-day forecast. 60s to upper 50s. we stay consistent for the next several days. the weather pattern will be really similar. by monday, we stay in the 50s for mlk day, and overnight lows dipping down into the 30s. it's going to be a beautiful week ahead. back to you. >> well, off the market.

next, how much a piece of iconic movie real estate history just sold for. >> looks like a nice house from outside. >> looks like it. >> you might say it was a bit of a nightmare scenario for sellers. happening now, wells fargo and bank of america will no longer charge customers for bouncing checks. that goal is to limit overdraft-related fees. wells fargo will give customers 24 hours to bring their balance above zero before charging them a $35 fee. it also allows people to direct deposit funds up to two days in advance. bank of america is cutting its $35 overdraft fee to $10 starting in may. we'll be back with you right after the break.

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just 22 days from all the excitement in beijing. and for one winter olympian, their role on the world stage is already challenging traditional gender roles in a highly competitive sport. pairs figure skater timothy leduc had to come out of the closet twice. once as gay and then the first ever openly nonbinary winter olympian. they say they hope their participation will help other skaters feel more comfortable being themselves. >> i never want anyone to feel shame for parts of themselves because they've come into figure

skating. i think of skaters like me who maybe want to put on makeup and go out and skate in a costume that maybe is unusual or different. but maybe they wouldn't do those things because they feel the judges aren't going to give them as good of scores. >> his partner is also challenging traditional skating performances. she wore pants during the team's winning 2019 u.s. figure skating championship. we note it because it's rarely done by female athletes in her sport. although, what's the problem? >> yeah, why not, right? the winter olympics begins february 3rd on nbc. listen to the full interview with luduc about -- by downloading our podcast called "my favorite olympian." listen wherever you get your podcasts. listen to this nightmare scenario when it comes to the sale of this southern california home. this is the home seen in the 1984 film "nightmare on elm street."

looks really nice right now. it sold for just under $3 million and the agents say it's a dream home because it's three bedrooms, 4 1/2 bathrooms, pool and guesthouse and just off sunset boulevard. but the home sold for a half million dollars below its original listing price. >> i was talking about how much sage i would need. >> no, thank you. >> so let's talk about your seven-day forecast. it's looking good. sunshine. kris and i were talking about washing the car earlier. yes, you can do it this week. >> my car, mr. blue. >> thursday, friday, saturday, sunday, temperatures in the mid-60s today. temperatures will dip down into the 40s overnight and then colder heading into sunday and monday. overnight lows in the 30s. it's going to be a really good week to take advantage of any sort of outdoor activities, whethe hiking or

doing some backyard cleaning. back to you. >> nice. >> welcome to come over. >> thank you so much for joining us. our next newscast is coming up at 5:00. >> get the latest information all day long at nbcbayarea.com. have a great day.

right now on "california live," -- >> gaining weight? we'll show you thou stop packing on the pounds with a fitness routine fit for you. >> then, we're taking you to a brand-new hot spot that's lighting up downtown l.a. >> and we've got a very different kind of dry january with only the wild ones. >> i'm super excited. i've been doing dry january for a lot of months now. >> plus, the secret to delicious recipes that will fill you up without filling you out. >> and i love this because it's a one-pot