Coronavirus CDC Director Wants to Give People a Break From Wearing Masks as Pandemic Improves Published February 16, 2022 • Updated on February 16, 2022 at 1:45 pm Shawn Thew | Reuters Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention testifies during a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee hearing to examine the federal response to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and new emerging variants at Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S. January 11, 2022. Get DFW local news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC DFW newsletters.