rain windchills as low as 40 below zero. states of emergency in the carolinas and virginia we re tracking it all. also tonight the cdc s new mask guidance. which ones provide the most protection and which give the least it comes amid the omicron surge. cvs and walgreens temporarily closing some stores due to staffing shortages and when you could order free tests from the government s new website. tennis star novak djokovic detained in australia after his visa is canceled again. will he be deported? the u.s. accusing russia of a false flag operation with acts of sabotage to justify invading ukraine how the kremlin is responding dramatic new body cam from the worst wild fire in colorado history. authorities evacuating a costco going door to door, even saving horses. the investigation into pop-up testing sites. new warnings and consumer alerts in several states and the windy city s oldest hot dog stand, where they have
that with the unvaccinated, so, it really is just a second surge right on top of the last one. reporter: but tonight, there are signs of hope in some places first hit by omicron. new york city, the first up by center for the variant, now seeing cases dip 17% since january 1st. our stephanie ramos is in nearby new jersey where they are seeing it first-hand. i d like to think that we are just at the crest of this omicron surge. the numbers are starting to look a little bit better. reporter: this, as the cdc is reportedly considering updating its mask guidance, according to the washington post, to recommend n-95 or kn-95 masks over cloth masks. studies conducted before the omicron variant estimated for two people wearing cloth masks, it can take about half an hour to spread the virus from an infected person to an uninfected person in the same room. if they are both wearing surgical masks, it can take about an hour. but if they re both wearing n-95 masks, it can take about 25 hours
lisa: kurt, how sure are you? well, look, there s something for everybody to hate with the cdc s mask guidance since they literally had every position. first we had don t wear a mask, then you have to wear one mask, then you have to wear to masks and then no masks, now you have to wear a mask again, now it s an n95 mass, who knows what is going to be tomorrow, maybe it will be an entire plastic suit. i don t know. the fact is the cdc has no credibility. in that way it s very similar to the media. lisa: harmeet which got you back now. what you make about all the flip-flopping from the cdc, all the different things we ve heard from media figures as well? everyone has been all over the map about pretty much everything. well, the cdc and the media have completely failed here to provide a consistent message to the american public for public health reasons that would actually enable us to protect ourselves against covid and i think the inconsistencies in the
about $1,000 worth of tests for free covered by insurance. that s eight tests per person per month. so there is a long term strategy and there is money going into these two new manufacturers that have just made at home tests and we have to remember the at home tests themselves aren t perfect, one of the reasons why the fda doesn t just greenlight them without any effort. we have to be careful they re not 100%. they re certainly better than nothing, and they have a lot of value but, you know, nothing in this is easy. so i advise everyone to mask up, do your part, and take a test if you can get one and we ll get through this. i was looking down to keep this, i ve gone from a blue cloth to the n95, right, to the black one. there is one that i have that is so thick that i can barely breathe through, a white one, i think it s an n95. look, got to do what you got to do. i m not complaining, just expressing what is happening. the washington post is reporting the cdc is considering updatin
last week s nightmare in virginia on i95 trapping drivers more than 24 hours, the governor together declaring a state of emergency. crews pre-treating the interstate for ice expect travel delays this weekend as airlines face worker shortages in addition to the storms. many are already waiving change fees. lester dasha burns, thank you. there is breaking news tonight on covid. the cdc just out with new guidance on masks. and americans will be able to order free rapid tests from the government website here s gabe gutierrez. reporter: as omicron sweeps across the country, tonight the cdc is updating its mask guidance saying people can wear higher quality n95 or kn95 masks without worrying about supply shortages and that those better fitting masks offer better protection than loose fitting cloth ones the most important thing about mask wearing is wear one you will be comfortable keeping on for a long period of time and that fits well reporter: two huge