staff that has to wear a mask in a restaurant when the rest of us don t. i think this is part of the challenge of the guidance from cdc. it hasn t been articulated in a way that we can make very practical use of it. when we should and shouldn t be wearing max. what the risk factors are to trigger mask mandates and people using discretion to wear masks. we should be consistent first of all. in the high prevalence environment with vulnerable people the use of masks can help protect one of those individuals. if you want to reduce your risk it would be prudent. a cloth mask won t afford an individual nearly as much protection as a level three procedure mask and you get much more protection from an n-95 mask. if you re someone who wants to protect yourself because you feel you are at risk of covid or worried getting an infection and bringing it into a home to a young child look at the
reporter: the surge now forcing worst case scenarios, like covid overflow tents in houston and pediatric units full as stephanie lopez watched crews fly her 11-month-old daughter eva to a hospital nearly 150 miles away. it was a very overwhelming, heartbreaking experience reporter: many states, including new jersey and arizona haven t reissued mask mandates, while in arkansas, the governor, amid a surge in cases, regretting a prior ban. it was an error to sign that law. i admit that. reporter: tonight experts warn the type of mask matters. the virus is being spread through aerosols and not droplets wearing a higher quality mask becomes more important. reporter: dr. gottlieb says n95 masks are safest, warning cloth masks provides just 20% protection a procedure mask offering 40% most people don t wear those masks well, don t fit them well. so they re not getting that measure of protection. reporter: for now the push to vaccinate. the pentagon announcing mandatory inocu