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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky was forced to defend her agency's guidance and even its integrity on Tuesday as Senate Republicans grilled her over CDC messaging on masks and other restrictions, arguing it's frustrating and unreasonable as more Americans get vaccinated. The Senate Health Committee hearing came hours after the Food and Drug Administration authorized coronavirus vaccinations for children ages 12 and up, widening the U.S. population that will be protected against the virus and bolstering chances for a safe return to full-time school in the fall. (Cathey, Haslett and Ebbs, 5/11)

At a Senate hearing with other top federal health officials on the federal government’s pandemic response, Republicans accused the C.D.C.’s director, Dr. Rochelle P. Walensky, of accommodating special interests in the agency’s guidance for schools and of failing to recognize the low risk of outdoor transmission of the coronavirus. They said that the agency had lost the trust of Americans looking to return to normal life. Their complaints echoed mounting exasperation — even among some public health experts — with the federal government’s pace in relaxing its recommendations as states across the country move to reopen their economies. (Weiland, 5/11)

During a Senate hearing on Capitol Hill Tuesday, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Dr. Rochelle Walensky defended her agency’s claim that less than 10 percent of COVID-19 cases are transmitted outdoors amid criticism from scientists who believe the figure is misleading. Senator Susan Collins pressed Walensky on the CDC’s use of the 10 percent stat, citing Tuesday New York Times reporting which suggested the benchmark for outdoor transmission is actually much lower than 10 percent. (Downey, 5/11)

When the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released new guidelines last month for mask wearing, it announced that “less than 10 percent” of Covid-19 transmission was occurring outdoors. Media organizations repeated the statistic, and it quickly became a standard description of the frequency of outdoor transmission. But the number is almost certainly misleading. It appears to be based partly on a misclassification of some Covid transmission that actually took place in enclosed spaces. (David Leonhardt, 5/12)

A stunning New York Times report claims that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's estimate that the risk of coronavirus transmission while outdoors is around 10% is greatly exaggerated. The CDC has cited the estimate to back up its recommendation that vaccinated individuals do away with masks in certain outdoor situations, but should keep wearing masks during others. (Hein, 5/11)

Senators on Tuesday pressed President Joe Biden’s top health officials to address the slowing pace of COVID-19 vaccinations as an administration adviser raised the possibility that booster shots may be needed within the next year. “Everyone must have the opportunity to get vaccinated regardless of race, zip code, disability, primary language, or internet access,” said Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Chair Patty Murray, D-Wash. “We are also seeing the vaccination rate slow — a reminder that making sure people can get vaccines is just half the battle. We need to make sure they do get them.” (Kopp, 5/11)

The U.S. appears to be reaching a turning point in the pandemic, as the country sees sharply declining cases amid an increase in vaccinations providing Americans with a sense of hope. The country reached its lowest seven-day average for deaths on Monday since July 2020, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) figures, and the average of new cases per day fell below 40,000 for the first time since September. (Coleman and Sullivan, 5/11)