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As the U.S. moves into a new phase of pandemic recovery, CDC director Rochelle Walensky announced her resignation.
Walensky told her staff she was stepping down on Friday. This is the same day the World Health Organization ended its global public health emergency for COVID-19. Meanwhile, the U.S. emergency declaration will expire on Thursday.
The director says she has mixed emotions about her decision but did not list any reasons for her resignation. She did say the timing “marks a tremendous transitioning for our country.”
But some employees say the move blindsided them because the director’s plans seemed to indicate she would be leading the CDC for years to come. Now, her final day will be June 30.
President Biden praised the doctor for her work, saying Walensky “led a complex organization on the frontlines of a once-in-a-generation pandemic with honesty and integrity.”
The decision comes at a time when the Biden administration is more willing to admit flawed science and mistakes in their pandemic responses.