Pandemic Politics Force Out Hundreds of Public Health Officials

Hundreds of state and local health officials across the country have retired, resigned or been forced out amid partisan rancor over the pandemic, experts say. Lori Tremmel Freeman, CEO of the National Association of County and City Health Officials, told NBC News that more than 500 public health officials have been pushed out or left their jobs since the early days of the pandemic. "For us to see this level of turnover is just really tough — tough for the community and tough for our response," Freeman said. "We don't have a lot of people in line to take the positions because they're difficult.” Beyond partisan attacks, some officials said safety concerns lead to their resignation.