continue to mask for five days to minimize the risk of infecting others. now, that new guidance is sparking relief for some, confusion for others as americans attempt to navigate how to manage the virus at this point and, of course, the new variant. these changes come as new cases are surging across the country right now. the us .s. is averaging more th 237,000 daily cases. for many americans, this holiday season may be remembered for hours spent in long testing lines or desperately searching pharmacy shelves for at-home tests. our team of reporters following all the latest developments this morning, but first, to our senior medical correspondent elizabeth cohen on this big shift in guidance from the cdc. good morning. explain it to all of us because