New York State Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker has resigned.
Zucker will remain on-board until a successor is identified, according to Governor Kathy Hochul. However, the change signals a move away from controversial Cuomo-era policies that prompted a number of state and federal investigations.
I made it very clear on my first day in office that I’d be looking to build a new team,” Hochul said.
A copy of Zucker’s resignation letter, dated September 23, cited a 75% vaccination rate as a reason for his move onward. “We are at the point of trying to ‘normalize’ living with this now seemingly endemic, infectious disease, we we have done with other illnesses,” he said. “There comes a time when the baton should be passed in this marathon journey that we call public service in New York state. With a fierce dedication to the public’s health, I have carried it through many a crisis in the last seven years and five months and placed the welfare of our residents at the forefront of all things, professional and personal.”
Read the full resignation letter here.
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