The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention who worked for the position since President Joe Biden took office in January 2021 has officially declared her departure on Friday.
Dr. Rochelle Walensky’s departure was announced and confirmed by the White House in a statement from Biden.
Walensky, who has contributed significantly to the administration’s pandemic response over the past two years, “has saved lives with her steadfast and unwavering focus on the health of every American,” as Biden stated.
“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 marshaled our finest scientists and public health experts to turn the tide on the urgent crisis we’ve faced,” Biden explained.
He also continued, “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 CDC also separately announced that Walensky would formally depart her position at the end of June.
As explained by CDC, Walensky has been leading the CDC during a challenging time for public health due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They have been working to help the country transition back to a more normal state after two years of restrictions and surges in COVID-19 cases, including dealing with new and dangerous variants of the virus.
The World Health Organization (WHO) also announced that COVID-19 is no longer at the global public health emergency level of concern. Similarly, the United States is planning to let its own public health emergency related to COVID-19 expire on May 11, which is a sign that the situation is improving but also highlights the ongoing need for caution and continued efforts to manage the impact of the virus on public health.
Walensky gave the signal that it was time to leave as the country closes the chapter on the pandemic of COVID.
She stated in a letter to Biden that the end of the COVID-19 pandemic marks a significant transformation for the country, public health, and her own tenure as the CDC Director. She expressed her commitment to ensuring that the CDC emerges from the pandemic as a more trustworthy and reliable institution, with the primary goal of improving the health and safety of the American people.
For her, as the pandemic recedes, it also marks both a culmination and a new beginning, and she is committed to ensuring that the CDC continues to remain at the forefront of public health efforts in the coming years.
Her departure was announced a few days after a 39-year-old CDC employee, Amy St. Pierre, was killed Wednesday in a shooting in midtown Atlanta, where the CDC is located.
It was also not immediately clear who would take over as director at the CDC once she leaves next month.
