Dr. Rochelle Walensky will leave her job as director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in June, the CDC said on Friday. The move comes as the Biden Administration has said it will end the Covid-19 national health emergency declaration in June.
“I took on this role, at your request, with the goal of leaving behind the dark days of the pandemic and moving CDC—and public health—forward into a much better and more trusted place,” Walensky wrote in her resignation letter.
It’s unclear if she has accomplished the trust goal. About one-quarter of Americans say they trust the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s health recommendations “not very much” or “not at all,” according to a survey co-authored by the agency itself. That result is four times worse than trust in doctors and nurses. Other polls show trust is far worse.
“Dr. Walensky has saved lives with her steadfast and unwavering focus on the health of every American. As Director of the CDC, she led a complex organization on the frontlines of a once-in-a-generation pandemic with honesty and integrity. She marshalled our finest scientists and public health experts to turn the tide on the urgent crises we’ve faced,” the White House wrote in a published response. “Dr. Walensky leaves CDC a stronger institution, better positioned to confront health threats and protect Americans. We have all benefited from her service and dedication to public health, and I wish her the best in her next chapter.”
The president’s chief medical adviser on Covid, Dr. Anthony Fauci, resigned in December.
Also on Friday, Covid-19 is no longer a global public health emergency, the World Health Organization said.
