TOPEKA, Kan. — Dr. Lee Norman, who led Kansas by means of the coronavirus pandemic till his abrupt departure final month, has stated in an interview that he was “Fauci’d” out by COVID-19 politics.
Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly introduced on Nov. 19 that Norman had stepped down as each high administrator on the state Division of Well being and Setting and state well being officer. He had been the well being division’s high administrator since Kelly took workplace in January 2019. He was changed shortly by Janet Stanek, a longtime hospital administrator from Topeka.
However in an interview with Kansas News Service revealed Tuesday, Norman stated he resigned as a result of he was requested to. He cited fixed friction between the governor and the Republican-led legislature.
“The shameful therapy within the Trump administration of public well being leaders, I believe, set the stage for having the identical factor occur on the state degree,” Norman stated, citing frequent criticism from the right of Dr. Anthony Fauci, the federal government’s high infectious illness professional.
Referring to the fixed criticism, Norman stated, “To be sincere with you, I believe I used to be Fauci’d.”
Kelly, in announcing Norman’s departure, praised him as “essentially the most consequential” chief within the division’s historical past. The departure got here two weeks after Kelly expressed opposition publicly to vaccine mandates from Democratic President Joe Biden that have an effect on greater than 100 million employees.
Norman was maybe essentially the most seen Kelly adviser early within the coronavirus pandemic, typically standing alongside her in a white lab coat. However he was much less seen in current months.
Conflicts with the general public and elected leaders on the municipal and county degree have resulted within the firings and resignations of many public well being leaders throughout the U.S. Norman stated 48 of Kansas’ 105 counties have misplaced their public well being administrator or county well being officer.
“The mind drain out of public well being places us in peril going ahead,” he stated.
Norman reiterated that COVID-19 vaccines are protected and provide the very best protection in opposition to present and future variants of the virus.
“The longer we now have non-immune people roaming the Earth, the extra variants we’re going to see emerge,” he stated.