Current Events > California Public Health Director abruptly resigns following COVID glitch

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https://www.politico.com/states/california/story/2020/08/10/california-public-health-director-abruptly-resigns-as-state-manages-data-snafu-9423839

California public health director abruptly resigns as state manages data snafu

OAKLAND California Public Health Director Sonia Angell resigned Sunday evening without explanation, an abrupt departure that came amid a major data glitch affecting hundreds of thousands of Covid-19 test records, which has hampered counties' response to the virus.
Angell, who took over as health officer and director of the California Department of Public Health in October, did not give a reason for her departure. Officials from the state Health and Human Services Agency, which oversees the public health department, declined to elaborate.
Her resignation follows a tumultuous week for state health officials. POLITICO reported Friday that the two top state leaders managing the pandemic Health and Human Services Secretary Mark Ghaly and Gov. Gavin Newsom may have been left in the dark about the test problems despite Angell's department knowing about them.
Ghaly on Friday detailed problems with the California Reportable Disease Information Exchange, known as CalREDIE, that have led to a backlog of 250,000 to 300,000 records. He explained that he did not learn of the issue until Monday afternoon after Newsom announced the state's seven-day average daily case count had dropped 21 percent, a figure that was likely overstated given the backlog.
The HHS secretary on Friday said he was looking into the apparent miscommunication both within the state HHS Agency as well as the Department of Public Health, under which the CalREDIE system operates.
In a Sunday note to her staff announcing her resignation, Angell commended her colleagues for their "expertise, commitment, passion and kindness" and said plans are in place for a smooth transition. She noted she was proud to have been the first Latina to serve as the state's health director.
Sandra Shewry, who led the Department of Health Services under former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, on Monday will be appointed acting public health director, state officials said Sunday evening. She served from 2004 to 2008 the state in 2007 split the Health Services entity into the Department of Health Care Services and Department of Public Health.
Erica Pan, the state's epidemiologist, will take of the role of acting state public health officer.

1. A backlog of 300,000 tests. Sure, not all are COVID, but most probably are. That 500,000 COVID number might actually be a million, hmmm...
2. "proud to have been the first Latina to serve as the state's health director." . Diversity in the works...
3. Erica Pan is the same lady who told Elon Musk that he couldn't open his Fremont Tesla plant, and was basically overruled when Musk threatened to move production to Texas.

Musk later announced he's building a factory in Texas anyways. RIP California.

Florida 850k cases rip florida