White House COVID-19 Coordinator Ashish Jha is set to leave his position next week after President Biden ended the public health emergency around the coronavirus as part of a pivot to normalcy.
In a brief statement, Mr. Biden thanked Dr. Jha for his year of service and said, “we now have the tools to manage COVID-19 and the virus no longer controls our daily lives.”
“As one of the leading public health experts in America, [Dr. Jha] has effectively translated and communicated complex scientific challenges into concrete actions that helped save and improve the lives of millions of Americans,” Mr. Biden said. “I extend my deepest thanks to Ashish and his family. We are a stronger and healthier nation because of his contributions to public service.”
Mr. Biden selected Dr. Jha, the dean of the Brown University School of Public Health, as his COVID-19 coordinator early last year.
Dr. Jha was a frequently quoted expert on television at the time and maintained a high-profile social media presence, making him a familiar face to many Americans.
He won praise for clearly outlining the COVID-19 challenge and potential obstacles ahead. But American society has largely pivoted away from worrying about the virus, making his role less vital to the White House.
Mr. Biden ended the public health emergency around COVID-19 last month and his director at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Rochelle Walensky, is set to depart soon.
Mr. Biden is expected to nominate Mandy Cohen, a former Obama administration official and health commissioner for North Carolina, to lead the CDC, according to The Washington Post.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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