California’s Orange County's chief health officer Dr. Nichole Quick has resigned after she received harsh criticism for her May 23 order making it mandatory for everyone in the county to wear face masks while in public as businesses started to reopen, CBS News Los Angeles reported.
In issuing the order, Quick said that face coverings "can help prevent the transmission of COVID-19. There is evidence to support that and I feel strongly we need a face-covering order in place as we continue to send people out into more social interactions."
But the order became a main point of contention, with the sheriff even telling the County Board of Supervisors that he would not require his deputies to enforce it, according to ABC7.
After threats were made against Quick at her home and demonstrators brought a poster to a Board of Supervisors meeting with her photo on it that included a Hitler mustache on her face and swastikas, she was given heightened security.
With Quick’s resignation, recently appointed Health Care Agency Director Dr. Clayton Chau is expected to also take on duties as chief health officer.
Since Chau has defended Quick's order requiring face masks in the past, it is unclear what will happen to it now, according to CBS.
Quick's resignation is the second major departure in the county administration during the pandemic after David Souleles quit his post as deputy agency director of public health services in April, ABC7 reported.
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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