♪ ♪ >>now at 5, 3, bay area counties moving to the less restrictive red tier for reopening. that means the economy is getting a boost as covid cases are trending down across the region, this welcome change. giving indoor restaurants gyms movie theaters just to name a few. a better chance of recovery. thank you for joining us on kron 4 news at 5 everyone i'm grant lotus and i'm vicki liviakis let's go and take a closer look at where things stand in each bay area county. those streak counties advancing to the red tier

today our san francisco napa and santa clara this tear is still considered substantial for covid-19 spread, san mateo and marin counties they have advanced to the red tier they did that last week. sonoma solano contra costa and alameda counties they remain in the purple widespread tier tonight. after that move to the red well county officials in santa clara napa and san francisco say that they will not be putting additional stricter standards than the state allows in place, however they're cautioning folks to choose carefully. in terms of what they think is safe kron four's dan kerman is live tonight to explain dan. you know about a year ago at this time santa clara county had 43. cases of covid-19 one death that's grown to a 111,000 cases, 1800 s but after a. >>terrible winter things are reversing as you indicated cases as well as

hospitalizations getting better and now santa clara is one of those that allows to move to read and reopen a bit. >>as of today. we meet the metrics for the red tier of the state's blueprint almost a year to the day she first announced restrictions on gatherings due to covid-19 santa clara county health officer doctor sara cody announced on wednesday, the county will move to the red tier allowing many businesses to reopen or conduct business indoors at reduced capacity. but the news came with a warning just because the state's framework may allow an activity. >>it does not mean that it is safe. for example, it's especially risky for someone who is older or who has chronic health conditions and who's not yet received a vaccine to be indoors. particularly in an indoor setting where not everyone is wearing a mask among other things moving to the red tier will allow santa clara county restaurants like morgan hill's

ladera grill to reopen indoors at 25% capacity 25 says absolutely going to be you know we're still in late winter early spring time frame so outside whether it's problematic and you're even with the times. >>you know i don't get people sitting outside and mccranie owns ladera grill. he says reopening indoors will allow him to bring back many staffers he said the layoffs we've been shut down indoors the entire year with the exception of a few weeks of chaos. outdoors been on and off. i'm looking forward is to begin in the media. the beginning of the brand new phase in the giving of one year in addition to allowing indoor dining at 25% moving to the red tier will allow retail shops and malls to increase indoor capacity to 50%. >>museums zoos and aquariums can open indoors at 25% capacity. gyms and fitness centers can open indoors a 10% capacity. and movie theaters can reopen indoors at 25%

capacity. santa clara county health officials say they are making great progress with vaccinating people but a lot more still needs to be done until we reach that herd immunity stage. >>that's why they are encouraging people to continue to social distance and wear their masks and be careful about those gatherings. reporting live dan kerman kron 4 news. thank you did francisco many indoor activities are set to resume tomorrow after officials made that announcement that the county. >>is moving into the red tier yet restaurants movie theaters gyms and museums can all reopen with limited capacity. restrictions will also be eased on outdoor activities like amusement parks, an adult and youth sports, indoor retail will remain capped at 25% of capacity. the city will also lift its 10:00pm limit on outdoor dining and gatherings, although the limit will remain for indoor dining. today mayor london breed expressed optimism, but cautions that

the city has been here before. we want to support our businesses we want to enjoy our city, but we also have to remember. >>we're still in the midst of a global pandemic so that means that for example when you're at a restaurant waiting for your table keep your mask on when your waiter walks up to the table put your mask on. >>when you go to the restroom put your mask on because ultimately we're in the red right now, but just a few weeks will probably most likely be in the orange and that means we open our city more. now the temperatures go is in the red tier schools that have not yet reopened for in-person learning can. >>now do so so long as they have an approved safety plan allowing indoor dining at 25% capacity really good news for this industry been struggling since the pandemic kron four's maureen kelly talked to restaurant workers and customers who say they are eager to return to some sense of normalcy by. enjoying a

meal inside. >>i'm inside wipeout bar and grill where they are preparing to allow for patrons to come back inside to ease starting tomorrow, you can see how much wide open space there is here that's because they've taken out a lot of the tables and even some of the like this one here has a sign saying how it closed for social distancing moving to the red tier also means a loosening up of outdoor dining rules now the curfew is lifted for people eating outside tables can be up to 3 households with a maximum of 6 people. >>indoors they will only allow 4 people from one household per table and they will still be a curfew for indoor dining meaning you're done eating paid your check and outside by 10 30 at night, laurie thomas with the golden gate restaurant association says moving to the red tier doesn't save this struggling industry

but it's a start there's hope that we can maybe move forward because i can tell you a lot of the stress is that a mental level. >>are we going to get out of this can we make it through it. you know do we deplete our own family savings are workers some of them do they have to leave the san francisco bay area for the c o o of 6 eateries here on pier 39 the move indoors is a big deal, you know the weather here in san francisco at nights. >>it's pretty tough sometimes to see outdoors 9, 9, 30 at night for a nice dinner when it's windy and cold so having that indoor for the evening's is a big bonus for us. >>the restaurant industry really want to stress that while of course are going to have your mask off what you're eating and drinking. they wanted to put that mask back on as soon as any comes up to the table. know water with your mask on and they don't want you to take your mask off until that restaurant employee walks away. they say it is

really important for everybody to follow the rules so we continue. >>to move forward and not backslide reporting from san francisco and maureen kelly kron 4 >>big story we're following for you tonight, president joe biden announced today that the country will have enough covid-19 vaccines for every adult by the end of 300 million of them the new prediction who is big today comes as his administration announced a new partnership between johnson johnson and merck pharmaceuticals can force noelle bellow has details. >>when we came in office. the prior administration. had contracted for not nearly enough vaccine to cover adults in america. we rectify that. >>in what president biden is calling a wartime effort usual competitors johnson johnson and merck pharmaceutical company are now working together to get more vaccines to americans will have 20 million available by the

end of march. >>and a 100 million by the end of june this year so things are really going to scale up in the next couple of months under the defense production act merck will now have 2 of its facilities equipped to safely manufacture the johnson and johnson one dose vaccine. >>biden saying the new effort will have enough vaccines for every adult by the end of may this the type of collaboration between companies we saw in world war 2. >>with this increased production of 3 safe and effective vaccines we have an opportunity to help address the urgent nationally more quickly the president says in addition johnson and johnson facilities will now operate on a 24 7 schedule to pump out as many of its vaccines as possible. >>biden says the country is now on track to meet his goal of vaccinating 100 million people in his first 100 days in office we've got halfway to that goal in 37 days and i feel confident will make it all the way. >>president biden declines to give a definitive answer on when things will go back to

normal here in america saying the reality of that depends on all of us continuing to listen to health guidelines in the newsroom noelle bellow kron 4 news or twitching to the weather do you believe in miracles. >>i do i mean everyone vaccinated by the end of may he wants to give access your and that's what and lawrence, how about that yeah we could be little march miracle of course. >>this is just been a really difficult season as far as getting the rain running about 40% of normal here in the bay area got the clouds out there right now no rain to speak of at this time, but boy the long range forecast looks very very promising off the coastline you see that swirl out there that center of low pressure cut off low that is spinning off the coastline bringing some clouds back into the bay area that is actually going to miss us it is going to have a way of the southern california so for now we keep things dry temperatures outside in the 50's and the mid 60's out there so not a bad afternoon tonight as we head through the night, partly cloudy skies that low continues to track to

the south that will spin a more clouds in our direction will keep things dry overnight tonight and into tomorrow but watch what happens right here those the storm system began tracking the southern california sea is spinning around there. it goes right near point conception about ready to make some landfall by tomorrow morning at about 8.30 mile the bay area just some passing clouds that will continue to be the case for going miss the rain from that storm system right there. but you can begin to see the clouds on the backside of that maps the woman watching now as that could very well bring a major change in our weather pattern as we head in toward the latter part of this week we get into friday or so we're talking about a chance of rain and i'm opening the door to a series of storms right through maybe the latter part of march temperatures for highs tomorrow going to be the 50's along the coastline of the cool there may be some patchy fog moving along the immediate coast, but how about this long range forecast there you go big changes on the way we're going to see sunshine on thursday clouds maybe a chance of rain on friday into saturday and next week a whole lot more rain to come guys back to you all right, thank

you lawrence coming up on her if that car crash in southern california least 13 people dead. what we know about this accident tonight. and barry a professional sports teams making plans to get fans back in stadiums arenas ballparks what we know about those timelines. >>plus governor newsome touring the state is promoting his plan to reopen schools. his announcements today in palo alto right aft

>>there is on the road is promoting his newly minted plan for reopening schools all across the state today that included a stop at a school that is already open in palo alto and that is where we find kron four's rob fladeboe who's live with more on what the governor had to say rob. >>well that's right grant at barron park elementary school here in palo alto is among the very first schools in the bay area to reopen in fact it's been open since last october what's more other public schools here in palo alto expect to reopen next week. governor gavin newsome says it's time for other schools to follow suit and says he has a plan to help them do it there's more. >>we have the capacity to get these kids safely back person instruction governor gavin newsome on tuesday toured palo alto's barron park elementary to promote legislation calling for an initial outlay of 2 billion dollars for schools that reopen by the end of march. the incentive money included an update of the governor's earlier reopening

plan, we'll help districts pay for ppe ventilation equipment and covid-19 testing i'd like to thank 2 billion dollars. incentive grants to address their anxieties the prioritization of vaccinations. >>what's at stake with driver. more aggressive narrative to give give it a try to do it right do it safely we can do this right do it safely newsom praised barron park which has been open with hybrid learning since october. >>by following 3 guidelines won prioritizing at risk students. 2 differing to public health and number 3. >>that we would open to the degree possible it every step of the way the be back for in person was so important that we weren't going to wait for someone to tell us to do it the governor's plan for reopening schools is based on infection metrics at minimum in person instruction must begin by the end of march for students in kindergarten through second grade. >>in counties with less infection schools will be required to bring back

kindergarten through 6th grade at least one middle or high school grade 2.3% positivity rate today. 2.3%. >>i just think about this one month ago. on february 2nd. we're at 6.4%. 2500 cases today reported. it was over 12,000 cases one month ago. >>the governor's plan calls for 6.6 billion dollars in total school funding which includes funds for reopening helping students catch up academically and expanded learning i really feel strongly. >>that we can get this done and i'll be encouraging districts large spotted doing by the way if they don't they're not going to incentivize with those dollars and those will be redirected to districts that are more committed. >>the legislature expected to vote on the governor's plan on thursday live in palo alto rob fladeboe kron 4 news all right another big story. we're following along the california mexico border, a semi truck

crashed into an suv this morning killing 13 people this happened in imperial county video here. >>from earlier today shows the crash site chp now confirming 13 people have died when an suv. carrying 25 people crashed with a semi truck it was about 6.15 this morning. near the us-mexico border. 12 people were found dead when first responders reached the scene another person later died at the hospital. police do not yet know if the driver of that ford expedition who died in the crash had stopped at a stop sign before crossing into the path of the big break. it is also unclear at this time. how exactly 25 people including children fit into that suv which usually seats a maximum of 8 passengers. >>for your money tonight, the california dmv is issuing a warning about a real id phishing scam. several people

have called in saying that they got a call or a text message about needing to update their information for real id compliance, but the dmv says it will never ask for personal information like driver's license number social security number or financial information in a text message or a random call. and if you're looking for an outdoor getaway visitors no longer. >>need to use a day use reservation to visit yosemite, the national park service. use the reservation system to regulate the number of people entering the park is covid cases spiked across california park officials still are asking visitors to stay socially distanced and to wear masks. all right 4 zone forecast time as we get a check on the forecast hopefully this. there's rain lawrence was talking about equates to snow in the sierra yeah, lawrence yeah, good news all the big great to see that happening certainly we've got a deficit now we're running well behind you see in the sierra nevada, 2% of normal in

the northern sierra 69% of normal as you make your way into the central here and even worse as you head toward the southern they've only got 45% of normal and this is where we get a lot of our water during the summer that's greatly important for us to get the snow going there looks like it may just happen of course we're looking at the drought not only in california along the entire western half of the united states right now in the bay area locally still worth looking at a moderate drought conditions across parts of the south bay, but you get a little further north there you see turn to severe as we make your way into northern slama county were extreme drought conditions right now so certainly we've got a long way to go we need some rain got a storm system off the coastline, she's spinning around here unfortunately, one is going to track all the way in los angeles his long-range computer model you see right here make its way all the way to southern california. they're going to get some much needed rain we are not. >>but off the coastline you've got this this looks pretty juicy out there as we get their approach could be slow moving system moving looks like friday night. and saturday to bring a nice

soaking rain i think for the bay area more importantly opening up the door to a series of storms another one as we get into monday, another one right behind that hot on his heels on tuesday and into wednesday that could be a very significant storm rolling into they lines up like that behind that maybe even a little more rain so all that is said looks like going to see some nice rain amounts keep your fingers crossed that for storm system not a huge rainmaker but again just opening the door you're talking about a 3rd of an inch to maybe a little over half an inch in the north bay but then we start to add these other storms in and these are looking impressive, we could see maybe an inch and a half maybe 2 and a half inches in some of the urban areas, maybe over the mountain tops are talking 3 to 5 inches in the sierra nevada we're talking feet of snow up there so that would be a march miracle. it's not all hold joy, it would be erica and we need thanks thanks for that. still ahead the cdc wants you to be ready for anything even a zombie apocalypse explain that in just a few minutes and could eye drops replaced reading glasses, we're going to tell

>>for help tonight new kind of special eye drops could help people ditch their reading glasses that's intriguing yeah he's a drops meant to treat the symptoms of an age related condition affecting i focus so the dissolution what it does is it shrinks the peoples and it gives users a better depth the focus and can actually made words appear clearer.

experts say that they work in is soon as 15 minutes and then they peak at about an hour. the company allard an eye care says of the drops are expected to be approved by the fda by the end of the year. the pandemic boy it's been tough on so many groups, including people living with alzheimer's and their caretakers and tonight new information is out there reveals there have been 16% more all timers patients who died in 2020 compared to previous years not only that there are also racial disparities. >>discrimination is a barrier to alzheimer's and dementia care so what we found in the survey is that more than one 3rd of black americans and nearly one-fifth hispanic americans. 19% asian americans believe discrimination would be a barrier to receiving all timers care we certainly want to make sure that the knowledge and concern and

statement about alzheimer's is. reduced and get more information but also that in health care systems and across providers who provide this care represent the different communities and the populations that we're serving that cultural competence east is really critical to making sure that everyone gets. t care. >>these new findings come from the alzheimer's association's annual facts and figures report right now there are more than 6 million people in the u.s. living with alzheimer's. but by the year 2050 that number is expected to more than double. if you'd like more info or help with posted the link to the local alzheimer's chapter on our website kron 4 dot com. the centers for disease control and prevention is making sure that people are ready for anything apparently even a zombie apocalypse. >>the 16th century astrologer notre dom us previously predicted 2021 could mark the rise of the living dead. so let's hope it's not true but

just in case it is the cdc released some tips on their website for how you can be zombie ready in case of a sudden outbreak. the department says that it started as a tongue-in-cheek campaign, but the ads well it's always better to be prepared just in case. it happens. >>next it is a big day for voting rights in washington d c we have everything you need to know about the debate over the for the people act as it is known plus the pandemic continues to impact the travel industry with airline executives are asking lawmakers for this time and as covid cases continues to improve what about fans are we going to get people actually watching our proteins here in the bay area in arenas in

>>finally some good news for sports fans the niners have announced they're putting together a team of doctors who will look into when it's safe for the fans to return to the stadium, the committee is going to be led by doctor bob wachter who is the chair of the department of medicine at ucsf now the goal of the committee will be to decide when employees and fans can safely return to the games. levi stadium has been a site for a massive vaccination site where hundreds of people getting their shots. the forty-niners say that the committee will make recommendations for levi stadium and also share their guidelines with stadiums all

across