(19 May 2021) Republican and Democratic lawmakers on a Senate panel with jurisdiction over the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention closely questioned the agency's head over its recent guidance on wearing masks.
The guidance, issued just days ago, has brought relief, but also confusion, as millions of Americans continue to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
"Could you, in one minute, summarize for me what the recommendations are today from your agency about wearing masks," asked Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana.
"Last Thursday, we released guidance that demonstrated for an individual who is fully vaccinated, and not immunocompromised, that they are able to safely unmask," said CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky.
Partially vaccinated or unvaccinated people should continue wearing masks, the agency says. The guidance also still calls for masks in crowded indoor settings, such as airplanes, hospitals, prisons and homeless shelters.
"What is the policy on airplanes?" Kennedy asked a few moments later.
Concerns have been raised from those who say there's no easy way for businesses and others to determine who is fully vaccinated and who is not. Instead, many will have to rely on an honor system as many states and communities have already been lifting mask mandates amid improving virus numbers.  
"One of the things I think that's really key in this is to recognize that we're not a homogeneous country," Walensky said.
"That there are some areas that some counties that still have less than 20 percent of people vaccinated," she said.
"The decisions about whether whether to take off a mask mandate have to be made at the local level," Walensky told the panel.

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