♪ ♪ >> from the bay area's local news station. you're watching kron. 4 news at all. the signals. >> been encouraging regarding the severity. >> well, omicron variant has led to increased travel restrictions. the nation's top infectious disease expert says early data about the variant shows that may be less dangerous than the delta variant. thanks for watching. kron. 4 news at 5 everybody on vicki liviakis and i'm grant lodes is good news from doctor anthony fauci. however, he says more data is needed to weigh the severity of the omicron variant. >> he says the biden administration is considering

lifting travel restrictions for non citizens entering the u.s. from several african countries where cases initially exploded at least 18 states in our country have confirmed omicron cases, including people here in california and well, doctor fauci says it's encouraging that omicron may not be as severe as delta. what a local doctors have to say for cent. current is live in san francisco tonight with that story. good evening, dan. good evening. you know, doctors here in the bay area just like doctor fauci are saying yes, they are not discouraged by this. possibly a little encourage. >> but they remain really cautious. they say this is so preliminary. this data. they they really don't have the full answer now and that's why they don't want to get ahead of themselves. >> thus far the signals or been encouraging regarding the severity. but again, you've got to hold judgment until we get more experience. white house chief medical advisor, doctor anthony fauci offering

some cautious optimism about early reports on the severity of the omicron variant very infectious disease. doctors have seen those same reports we do know that from the cases for outside that they've been generally mild. >> and the european cdc report on friday. they know that of the 3.70 omicron cases in europe, half of them with asymptomatic. half of them had very mild symptoms certainly know that the cases in the u.s. have also been mild so far in south africa today. and we got some new information about hospitalizations. and it turns out that people coming in with omicron. so far been mild cases as positive as that sounds ucsf infectious disease specialist doctor peter chin-hong. >> also remains cautious saying we still don't have enough information to know if that will play out he said early days of the generally

takes 2 to 3 weeks after you get infected to sun getting ill in the previous versions of. >> covid you know, we're crossing fingers. i think this virus a surprise us again and again and again and again. and i'd be very hesitant to grass, but something just because it makes it nice end to the tail that christmas time ucsf epidemiology, professor doctor george rutherford says. >> the virus mutating to a less contagious form would be an ideal scenario. but until we know for sure people must remain on guard, especially since the indication is omicron is more transmissible. you get vaccinated, you get your boosters, get your kids vaccinated. if you have been vaccinated, please get vaccinated. >> maintain social distance and we keep masks on at least for now. >> now, again, the data we're looking for is both from the lab and from real world that should start coming in over the next several weeks. live

in san francisco. dan kerman kron 4 news. thank you, dan. now a big story in new york city tonight where all private employers will now have to require their workers to be vaccinated against the coronavirus mayor bill de blasio who leaves office at the end of the year made the announcement this morning as cases are climbing again across the u.s. in some parts. he says the move takes place amid holiday gatherings and his cold weather drives gore folks indoors where the virus can spread more easily. vaccinations are already required for hospital and nursing home workers. and for all city employees in new york city, including teachers, police officers and firefighters. the mandate will take effect december 27th. we checked with the san francisco department of public health to find out if leaders here are considering a similar mandate. health officials say at this time they are not. >> as the omicron a variant of coronavirus spreads around the globe. but new travel restrictions for international passengers flying here to the u.s. there now in place. but

prince charles clifford has details. >> well, last week the biden administration announced new restrictions on people flying into the u.s. their goal is to slow down the spread of the omicron variant of coronavirus. and today those restrictions kicked in starting on monday. all international travelers bound for the u.s. must be tested for covid-19 prior to departure. >> this applies to vaccinated and unvaccinated people. passengers must show their negative test results to the airline before boarding the flight at sfo on monday. travelers arriving from japan said they did have to be tested within one day of departure and the people we spoke to were okay with that. yes, monday states. good idea. i think testing is a good idea. wanting to take no chances. this woman actually got tested twice once 72 hours before departure and again, a day before leaving in japan. it's it was ok. >> from tokyo is okay. but i kind of plan for it because i knew that to change was coming

and i wasn't hurt. my three-day test was going to work or not. so that part was okay for me, but i'm sure it's difficult for a lot of folks. there is one exception to the new requirement. any passenger who recently recovered from covid-19 in who can show proof of recovery from the virus, which is a doctor's note does not have to be tested. now here at sfo, the airport has also teamed up with the cdc to offer people arriving from other locations of free covid-19 testing is a voluntary program. you can either get tested. >> here at the airport or have a home kits sent to you wherever you're staying here in the bay area california. but for now at sfo, charles clifford kron. 4 news. >> after issuing thousands of dollars worth of fines to businesses for not checking proof of vaccination leaders that contra costa county health services say they are taking now a more educational fines were issued last month in some county officials actually are not happy about that. kron four's, right. but nesbitt joins us now live with what one county supervisor is saying about the vaccine verification order. bob.

>> grant. vicki, if someone has no proof of full vaccination. there's no going inside. that's the rule at restaurants and gyms in contra, costa county for anyone 12 and older health officials received 80 complaints last businesses not following the rules but not a single violation was issued. $1500. the price of not checking for proof of vaccine in contra. costa county was not cheap in september and october. >> but in november, no businesses received citations from county health services. >> education forward approach. we don't just jump right in there with a fine the get go. we give the businesses opportunity just because our goal is really to get to compliance people to follow the or our goal is not to shoot much doctor chris farnitano says that only for businesses have been fined since the vaccine verification order went into effect in september in and out burger in pleasant hill even had their health permits suspended late october after repeat violations. >> the news of no citations last month did not sit well with karen mitch off.

>> i was pretty irritated the county supervisor for district 4 says she reached out to the health services director and county administrator to find out that they were unaware of the lack of citations. mitch off feels a sense of security when she's asked to show proof of vaccination another local restaurant sunday yesterday for breakfast. it was packed. >> all inside people having a great time knowing that they're safe and that everybody there is vaccinated and it's not just for the patrons, it's also for the employees. the county supervisor was a shirt, but there would no longer be a lack of citations. >> saying the 80 complaints in november about businesses in violation were made for a reason. this is no longer about personal choice. this is about your responsibility to society as a whole. why no citations supervisor mitch off says she was threats made to health inspectors had a part. >> more on that and what she says can be done to keep people safe. coming up on kron 4 news at 6 routes. she's all

right. thank you, rob. meanwhile, the snp center in san jose announce new covid protocols for its younger guests starting thursday, 3 and four-year-old children must show proof of a negative covid test. >> and anyone aged 5 to 11 must be fully vaccinated or show proof of a negative test within 72 hours of an event at the sapd center free testing will be offered on site beginning an hour before a scheduled event. all guests 12 and older are still required to show proof that they are fully vaccinated to enter these requirements will remain in place until state and local health and safety guidance is revised. >> kaiser permanente says its workers need to get vaccinated or face being fired. the oakland health care giant says employees who had a vaccination exemption requests tonight after november, 7th. well, they have until january 7th 2 received their first dose employees have to submit proof of vaccination by that date or face termination by

january 10th. kaiser says more than 98% of its employees have provided proof of vaccination or requested that that exemption. it issued a companywide vaccination requirement 3 days before our state ordered all health care workers to get a shot back in august. >> my weather time now as we take a live look outside twilight on this monday night. >> chief meteorologist lawrence karnow you could barely see this morning. there was so much fog out there. yeah. a lot of haze out there. but how about that? we've got some raindrops showing up around the bay ago right now got a little rain. so yeah, finally the leather padded completely changing. now here we go. a lot of clouds out there right now in kind of a soupy mix out there, not the strongest storm we've seen. so that's generally what you get a lot of moisture near the ground. get some of that ground fog as well. but at the same time trying to pick up a couple raindrops out there as well. how about this? here's your storm system rolling through. can see kind of a ragtag system kind of pushing on by. never expected to be

much, but it's going to kind of open the door. now to a chance of some more rain outside around the bay area of the heavier amounts right now showing up in the north bay but starting to spread into san francisco and all this fairly light rain anyway. so looking at a 400, 7 inch of rain and parts of santa rosa and petaluma right now. just light amounts to the san francisco. but you can see some of it out there tonight. and then looks like we've got a series of storms on the way. in fact, we could get back to some heavy rain and the not too distant future. we'll tell you when coming up in a few minutes. thank you, lawrence. the san mateo. >> board of supervisors. president david canada is now calling on governor newsome to enhance penalties for thieves who target journalists. and this comes after bay area journalists have been attacked in recent weeks. a crime for security guard. kevin, the shooter he was killed while protecting a kron 4 reporter after thieves targeted their equipment on friday, a san francisco chronicle photographer was robbed at gunpoint, but that was not hurt. fortunately in a letter

to the governor campus as freedom of the press will continue to erode that attacks on journalists. meanwhile, police are still searching for kevin to shoot his killer as the reward money in the case has been increased this is a picture of the car police say was involved it's a white 2004 to 2008 acura tl as the sun roof did not have a front license plate at the time. authorities believe there is cell phone video and connection to this crime and they're asking anybody who might have pictures or video linked to the investigation to contact opd homicide division immediately. the reward has been raised. now to $38,500 for information that leads to an arrest. a fund has been set up for the initiative, family of cash or check donation can be made to the kevin nishita trust. >> at any metropolitan bank location in person or by mail at the address on your screen there. the information is also on our website at kron 4 dot com and you can find out more stories about our beloved

security guard. kevin issued it on our website. kron 4 dot com, just use your mobile device to scan this qr code. it will take you to the page. you can follow the latest on the investigation find the information to make a donation to his family and watch the family's entire interview with our up and more. >> national news. now we have new developments tonight in that school shooting that killed 4 people in michigan last week. the prosecutor now saying school officials in michigan. there could also face charges. the prosecutor has already charged 15 year-old ethan crumbley and his parents and now the prosecutor says her office is investigating with school officials could have done differently. crumbley was sent to the office 3 hours before the shooting after a teacher found a drawing on his desk that said, quote, blood everywhere. picture of a gun as well. we met with counselors who contacted his parents asking them to take him home. they refused and returned to work. the counselors said he appeared calm and they let him go back

to class. the school superintendent is now calling for a 3rd party investigation into the school's handling of that situation. still to come on kron, 4 news at 5 the grinch out in one east bay city. what we know. >> but a christmas tree display that was torched over the weekend. >> and devin nunez is retiring from the house of representatives. he plans to lead former president donald trump's social media company. we're forced political analysts will break it all down for us next. also the technology that could be coming to help fight smash-and-grabs in san jose.

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>> by knows about zoom calls. now that 10 make is here. >> hundreds of people who work for a mortgage company. wished they miss this one. their boss told them on the zoom call that if they're on it, they're fired yeah. the ceo for better dot com. the shall garg called 900 employees to a webinar last wednesday and told him that they were being terminated. >> the company's chief financial officer says it's the worst time of year for layoffs. but that the homeownership market is is changing and they need to reduce 10 more focused workforce. some of the workers were offered benefits and a separate. >> les mis mis this merry christmas license plate readers are coming to san

jose. the city council there has approved funding for the technology is part of the overall effort to try to hpcombat the recent rash of smash-and-grab thefts. it retail store. yes. anything that can help kron four's. rob fladeboe has some reflection from police. >> they say the devices are going to help them fight other crimes as well. >> summer is committed $250,000 in american rescue plan funding to expand the city's deployment of automatic license plate, readers, not unlike these traffic cameras mounted on fixed locations near santana row. it's hoped the alp ours as they are known will deter the mobs of thieves targeting retail stores, but they will also help solve other crimes as well. so san jose police officer steven upon days. >> they're used very commonly to track down stolen vehicles. look after vehicles that are wanted for felonies like kidnappings. amber alerts or perhaps other situations where there are violent felonies that have occurred in or so seems to be a cult. police have had some success using

similar devices mounted on vehicles and a reader help them track down burglary suspects at the grand century mall. >> critics of the plan. oversight privacy issues associated with tracking people's movements gathering and storing information these devices. happy news to follow. >> a political activists. they have been used to identify and deport immigrants. the information can be stolen information can be misused by government employees there is simply too much credit to our privacy to put this kind of power in the hands of police officials said jose insistence plan restricts the use of data to investigate felony crimes only and would not be shared outside law enforcement. >> advocates say the readers will be a strong deterrent to retail sell off. but police say not the only deterrent. >> but nothing is going to replace uniformed officer who gets there to be able to make an arrest and nothing replaces a good witness who is out in the field and sees a crime

occurring calls it and give us a great description of what's happening and really as a participant in making sure that they are also helping keep their community safe. the readers likely won't be up and running until the first part of next year at the earliest shopping malls will probably get them first, but eventually other crime hot spots as well. >> in san jose. rob fladeboe kron 4 news. >> after facing backlash. the owners of san francisco restaurant are now apologizing to the san francisco police department on friday. 3 officers came into hilda and jesse, that's located in north beach, an they were asked to leave in a social media post the restaurant said that some people felt uncomfortable because the officers were armed. the owners of the restaurant faced backlash subsequently from the community for denying service to the officers. according to the restaurant's spokesperson, david perry. this incident was a miscommunication that the owners hope will become a teachable moment. >> it was a mistake on the behalf of the restaurant and we look forward to this being

a a learning opportunity to make sure that we build better bridges between our hospitality restaurant community and the members of the san francisco police department. >> kron 4 reached out to the sfpd for comment on the restaurant's apology but have not yet heard back. all right. weather time now as we take a peek outside san francisco's embarcadero. and what was really a dreary way to start the workweek. yeah, but the good news is precipitation is turned into droplets right calling. yeah, here we go. and not just one. we've got a series of storms. >> maybe some heavy rain in the forecast as well. so out there tonight, it's just some light scattered showers and that's what you can expect. the storm. this cold, very cold system dropping in the bay area right now. not much away rain just lighter amounts showing up outside the temperatures. yeah. pretty cool out there 40's and some 50's right now and that's what we're going to be into all that heat is gone now that we have that record breaking the last weekend out of long gone

not to be found for a while. here's your cold front dropping into the town bringing with it. some of those light showers outside right now. see a lot of that moving through just very, very light. so expect a couple raindrops. occasionally hitting the ground time to time, but not leaving much behind overnight tonight. we'll see that system kind of rotate on through the main front. still yet to go that coming through about 4, 04:30am, in the morning or so behind that you start to see the beginnings of an offshore wind. so i think tomorrow you can see more sunshine return to the bay area. temperatures going to pop just a little bit. we've got some more storms lined up out there. we'll have more on that coming up a few minutes. thanks, lauren. still ahead tonight, a warning if you're looking for love this holiday season. the scammers preying. >> well, hope plus romantics and the search is on for the people who set fire to the christmas tree in jack london square. >> we'll show you the damage after the break.

>> the grinch out and about this holiday season. this is this is gross an arson investigation is underway after somebody said a christmas tree on fire at a popular holiday spot in the east bay. our kron four's haaziq madyun gives us a look at the damage done and what you can do to help. >> you're looking at photos of the christmas tree at jack london square in oakland. these pictures were taken after the tree was set on fire overnight monday at around one 20 am.

>> and could very, very dangerous worthy. the tree to be plugged in. i i think about a 60 foot tree. definitely a scary situation oakland fire department spokesperson michael hood crew got there within probably a minute and a half at most turned the corner in jackson square and observed. the tree i about 15% of the lower bottom area of the tree was a is and the fire was crawling its way up to the top. there was a canister found at the scene clearly looks to be intentionally set. >> the christmas tree comes from the cloud california, which is next to mount shasta and was installed here at jack london square over the thanksgiving weekend in oakland holiday tradition that dates back to 1970. there are questions surrounding the condition of the tree potentially impacting upcoming holiday events officials at jack london square sent kron 4 a statement that reads the

condition of the christmas tree at jack london square is being evaluated and we currently expect the christmas tree lighting program will take place as planned this saturday at oakland fire. investigators are checking surveillance cameras in the area for any possible suspects. anyone with information is asked to contact oakland police. has he let you go for news. >> next. we paid about 300 million dollars in the governor newsom recall election. what is being done now to potentially change how people qualify for future recall elections. plus the message the white house is sending to china ahead of the upcoming winter games who can and who cannot now go to beijing and we'll chat live with political analyst michael yaki about the china situation and swear high ranking republican congressman devin nunez says doing what you do with president trump after announcing his retirement from the house of representatives. keep it here. kron 4 news at 5. we'll be right back.

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>> our top story tonight at 5.30, a shake-up in california politics. republican california congressman devin nunez says he is going to be leaving congress too head up a new social media site launched by former president trump that they say would rival twitter and for more on what this means for the state's gop welcome proffers political analyst michael yaki. good evening, michael. >> we want to