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SAN DIEGO (CNS) — The city of San Diego Tuesday released an updated proposal for the redevelopment of De Anza Cove in the northeastern corner of Mission Bay Park, and asked San Diegans to weigh in on the plan.

The revised proposal, "De Anza Natural," would amend the Mission Bay Park Master Plan with "a balance of land uses that serves local and regional recreational needs, while also restoring natural habitats and preparing for the impacts of climate change," the proposal reads.

"Planning for climate resiliency in De Anza Cove provides incredible opportunities for expanded wetlands, as well as treasured recreational experiences," Interim Planning Director Heidi Vonblum said. "De Anza Natural demonstrates how we can thrive in a changing climate by improving the habitat and providing opportunities for carbon sequestration, while also planning safe and enjoyable coastal access for all residents."

The city released its initial design proposal area in 2018. Following recommendations from the public, the 2022 proposal includes more wetlands and strategies intended to address climate change. For example, De Anza Natural focuses on nature-based solutions for sea level rise.

Features of the proposal include a multi-use waterfront trail and a small non-motorized boat lease area for the cove. The area would also offer a variety of active sports and recreation facilities, as well as passive regional parkland for public use. The proposal also includes space for low-cost visitor accommodations such as camping and recreational vehicle facilities.

On Tuesday, to restart the amendment process, the city released a Notice of Preparation for a Draft Program Environmental Impact Report. The notice provides a project description and kicks off the environmental review process by requesting public comment on the scope of the report.

Before drafting the EIR, city staff will hold a meeting on Zoom on Jan. 24, from 4 to 5:30 p.m., to gather public input. More information on that meeting can be found at www.sandiego.gov/planning/programs/parkplanning/deanza.

People can also email their comments to [email protected] with "De Anza Natural" in the subject line or submit written comments to City of San Diego Planning Department, 9485 Aero Drive, MS 413, San Diego, CA 92123.

Residents have until Feb. 10 to submit comments on the scope of the EIR. City staff anticipate the De Anza Natural amendment will be brought to City Council for approval in 2023.

SAN DIEGO, CA — San Diego residents will soon be able to obtain up to three free N95 masks for themselves, thanks to an effort from the Biden administration to distribute 400 million free N95 masks around the country.

White House officials told The New York Times Wednesday that they plan to ship N95 masks to pharmacies and health centers at the end of this week, and are aiming to make them available in pharmacies by the end of next week. Officials say they hope the program is in full swing by early February. Administration officials told The Times that this is the largest deployment of personal protective equipment in U.S. history.

The White House plans to distribute up to three N95 masks per person, following updated CDC guidance that N95 masks can be worn by the general public. Previously, due to supply chain issues, the CDC recommended that N95 masks - which the CDC says filter out 95% of aerosols, and are considered the best protection against the COVID-19 virus - be reserved for healthcare professionals.

The 400 million N95 masks will be released from the Strategic National Stockpile, which has more than 750 million on hand. While a number of pharmacy chains have partnered with the Biden administration to distribute the masks, exact details are still emerging as of Wednesday morning.

Walgreens said that it is partnering with the administration to "make N95 masks in varying sizes available free of charge at select Walgreens locations nationwide while supplies last."

"We know masks are an effective way to stop the spread of COVID-19. We are currently finalizing the operational details of this program and will provide more information once available," a Walgreens spokesperson said in a statement.

CVS told the health website Prevention that it will share additional details as they become available.

"Through our continued participation in the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program, we'll be offering access to free N95 masks at CVS Pharmacy locations in the coming weeks as we receive supply from the federal government," a CVS spokesperson told Prevention. "Our work to distribute high-quality masks as part of this program is an extension of our commitment to providing equitable access to the tools necessary to combat COVID-19, including testing, vaccines, and authorized therapies."

Masks may also be distributed at local community centers and health centers, the Associated Press reported.

The nationwide N95 mask distribution is part of a wider COVID-19 response plan that included this week's rollout of a website where Americans can sign up to receive free coronavirus rapid tests.

The release still leaves the United States with a reserve of 350,000 of the highly protective N95 masks, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said offer better protection against the coronavirus's omicron variant than cloth face coverings. N95 and KN95 masks are more widely available now than they were early in the pandemic, but costlier than the less-protective surgical or cloth masks.

The CDC updated its face covering guidance Friday, clearly stating that properly fitted N95 and KN95 masks offer the most protection against COVID-19, but it stopped short of recommending them over cloth masks.

CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said last week the best mask "is the one that you will wear and the one you keep on all day long, that you can tolerate in public indoor settings."

— The Associated Press contributed to this report.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. —

Last month’s wet winter storms led California officials on Thursday to announce they’ll release more water than initially planned from state storage to local agencies that provide water for 27 million people and vast swaths of farmland.

The Department of Water Resources now plans to give water districts 15% of what they’ve requested for 2022. That’s up from last month, when the state said it would supply 0% of requested water beyond what was needed for necessities such as drinking and bathing. It was the first time ever the state issued an initial water allocation of nothing.

State officials stressed California’s drought is far from over and urged people to keep conserving water. But December storms that dumped heavy snow in the mountains and partially refilled parched reservoirs have provided some relief from what had been an exceptionally dry year.

Still, the state hasn’t seen a major storm yet this month, and most state reservoirs remain below their historic averages. The U.S. Drought Monitor shows much of California remains in severe drought.

“Dry conditions have already returned in January. Californians must continue to conserve as the state plans for a third dry year,” Department of Water Resources Director Karla Nemeth said in a statement.

California stores and conveys water across the state through a vast network of reservoirs, dams and canals known as the State Water Project. It works alongside the federally run Central Valley Project to move water primarily from the state’s wetter northern region to the drier south.

Gov. Gavin Newsom has asked for people to voluntarily use 15% less water than last year. Meanwhile, emergency statewide restrictions on outdoor water use took effect Tuesday, including a ban on watering lawns for 48 hours after rain. Violators can be fined up to $500 per day, though state water officials say enforcement will primarily be left to local water agencies.

Otherwise, what the increased allocation will mean for individual households and farms will largely depend on local water agencies, which have the power to set their own limits on water use.

The winter storms brought significant snowfall to the Sierra Nevada and other California mountains. A strong snowpack is critical for the state’s spring water outlook, because when the snow melts it runs down into streams and boosts the state’s water supply.

At the winter’s first snow measurement in late December, the snow held 160% of the water it normally does at that time of year. But precipitation must keep falling through January, February and March to ensure strong supplies for the spring.

SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – A COVID-19 forecast used by the White House predicts that daily omicron cases in California reached their peak Wednesday and will begin to decline.

An estimated 129,000 Californians will test positive Wednesday alone, the most of any day of the pandemic, according to the latest projection by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington.

The forecast predicts that more than half of all Americans will be infected by omicron between December and mid-February. The stunning figure also means the virus has a rapidly dwindling number of new hosts.

“It’s running out of people to infect, and it will be coming down as fast as it went up,” said Dr. Ali Mokdad, a professor of health metric science at IHME.

The model draws on data from Europe and South Africa, which saw a steep rise in omicron cases for one month before a steep decline.

That one-month cycle has already played out in places like New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Florida, where cases are beginning to recede.

States hit first by omicron have begun to peak first, Dr. Mokdad said.

In San Diego County, wastewater sampling backs up IHME’s prediction, showing fewer viral particles this week than last week. Sampling in parts of the Bay Area has also shown less virus over the last 10 days.

Even though cases may have crested, there are still many more infections ahead. The IHME forecast predicts California will record at least 82,000 cases per day through the end of January.

Hospitalizations will continue to rise for several more days but deaths will peak far below last winter’s delta surge, Dr. Mokdad said.

In fact, the IHME team predicts omicron will cause about the same number of deaths as a bad flu season, similar to the one in 2017-18.

“When you put it all together, omicron is 95 to 99 percent less severe than delta or previous variants. Less severe than the variant that started in Wuhan. And that’s why we’re saying it’s similar to flu,” Dr. Mokdad said. “However, because it’s infecting so many people in a short time period, it’s overwhelming our hospitals.”

The forecast predicts peak hospital use in California on Jan. 28 at record levels, with about 29,500 hospital beds needed.

But by spring, the model predicts the landscape will be entirely different.

“Omicron will end the pandemic of COVID-19. It will not end COVID-19, but it will end the pandemic,” Mokdad said.

A small number of COVID-19 will persist, but once the omicron surge ends, so will the need for masks and isolation, he predicted, citing the level of immunity from vaccines and infections combined with improved antiviral treatments.

The forecast predicts that day will come around March.

SAN DIEGO — San Diego Gas and Electric customers are experiencing sticker shock after receiving their most recent monthly bill for the utility company.

“I don’t know what's going on but that seemed like a mistake,” said Luna Blye.

Blye lives in a one-bedroom apartment in Pacific Beach with her son.

She said they're barely home and don't use a lot of energy, which is why she was shocked when her SDG&E bill more than doubled from the month before.

"Last month it was $85. I was blown away to find out a few days ago when I opened up my bill it was $200," said Blye.

Rudy Lopez has a two-bedroom apartment in Otay Mesa.

He's used to paying between $45 and $60 a month. His SDG&E bill has nearly tripled.

"This month I just paid $149," said Lopez.

On social media, people from all over the county have been sharing similar stories.

On Twitter, Justin Leap posted his bill showing it go from $150 to $320.

So, what's going on?

Back in December, SDG&E notified its customers rates would be going up effective Jan. 1.

Officials cited a number of reasons for the hike including wildfire mitigation, growth of public benefit programs that give bill discounts to low-income families, as well as the higher cost of natural gas, which is a worldwide issue, as demand has outpaced supply.

On average, SDG&E customers are paying 7.8% more for electricity and 24.6% more for gas. Add in a cold December, and people's bills went up even more.

Still, some say that doesn't explain just how high their bills are.

While an SDG&E spokesperson declined CBS 8's requests to go on camera, by phone, he did advise customers to check their statements to see if they're on the right plan, and look at new ways to save energy in your home, noting January is typically the highest month for gas and energy usage.

While that may help, the customers CBS8 spoke to aren't convinced, saying they fear these higher bills will become the new norm.

“I definitely had to re-budget things. Took a look at my bills. What do I really need? What can I get rid of," said Blye.

"It will be a concern if this is gonna be month to month double what I had been paying a few months ago," said Lopez.

In a statement, SDG&E said,"There is no ideal time to increase rates, especially given the inflationary pressures that are raising the costs of other goods and services. At the same time, our customers expect us to deliver clean, safe and reliable energy to them 24/7/365, and to meet that expectation, we must make ongoing safety, reliability and sustainability investments."

The recent rate hike comes just months after the City of San Diego finalized a new franchise agreement with SDG&E good for at least 10 years.

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