Fauci, Walensky expected to weigh in on return of masks and other virus rules amid Delta’s spread

Dr Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and Dr Anthony Fauci, a leading government epidemiologist, will likely face questions during a Senate hearing on Tuesday on whether The United States should reinstate health measures like mask warrants as the COVID delta variant spreads.

Walensky and Fauci – who is President Biden’s chief medical adviser – will appear before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Work and Pensions (HELP).

The hearing aims to take a look at “the way forward” to get out of the pandemic. But concern over the Delta variant has led some in the United States to call for the return of strict health measures since the height of the pandemic. And this speech has led opponents of such measures to strongly reject measures which they believe would be counterproductive.

Los Angeles County on Friday ordered citizens to wear masks indoors, whether or not they were vaccinated, becoming the first major U.S. jurisdiction to backtrack on relaxing virus rules.

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And the very next day, former surgeon general Jerome Adams, who served under former President Trump, said the CDC should adjust its guidelines that vaccinated people do not need masks – which has been deployed in may with great fanfare – to bring back the masking for all.

“Instead of vaxing it OR masking it, emerging data suggests that the CDC should advise vaxing it AND masking it in areas with [increasing] case and positivity – until we see the numbers go back down, ”Adams said in a tweet.

“No. No. No. No. Hell NO,” Senator Ted Cruz, R-Texas, replied to Adams.

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Several governors have also been registered in recent days instead of bringing back mask warrants, although more diplomatically than Cruz.

“For over a year and a half, South Carolinians have known about the virus, they know what to do to protect themselves from it, and the vaccine is available to anyone who wants it,” said a spokesperson for Caroline from the south Governor Henry McMaster, a Republican, said WBTW.

“We use the tool of vaccinations,” said Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, a Democrat, according to MyNorthwest.com. “This is the ultimate response to this pandemic. We don’t want to wear masks for the next 32 years – vaccines stop this dying thing.”

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Cruz may not be on the HELP committee. But Senator Rand Paul, R-Ky., Who has a history of combative exchanges with Fauci, will be at the hearing on Tuesday. Paul introduced a bill last week to repeal federal mandates on masks on public transportation, potentially foreshadowing issues that will push the president’s senior health officials to cancel those mandates themselves.

“The federal government forcing the American people to continue wearing masks despite the fact that we have already achieved collective immunity is ridiculous and must stop immediately,” Paul said in a statement. “In a free county, people will assess their personal risk factors and are smart enough to ultimately make medical decisions like wearing a mask themselves. “

Paul was joined by several senators to introduce the bill, including Senator Roger Wicker, R-Kan., Who is also on the HELP committee.

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Democrats on the committee, meanwhile, are likely to voice concerns about the increased spread of the Delta variant and vaccine reluctance among many in the United States.

“The delta variant of the virus that causes COVID-19 is increasing cases across the country,” committee chair Patty Murray, D-Wash tweeted Monday, “It’s so important that you and your loved ones get vaccinated for protect yourself and help save lives. “

Fox News’ Ronn Blitzer contributed to this report.