Premier Doug Ford is paying tribute to embattled Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. David Williams on what will be his final day leading Ontario’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Williams has helped guide government policy since the onset of the pandemic in early 2020 but will retire at the end of the day following five years as Ontario’s top public health official.
In a joint statement issued prior to his departure on Friday afternoon, Ford and Health Minister Christine Elliott said that Williams has “worked tirelessly” to guide Ontario through the pandemic and has “shouldered a heavy load with integrity and compassionate.”
They credited Williams with “taking a leading role” in a vaccine rollout that has resulted in more than 76 cent of residents receiving at least one dose to date.
They also noted that Ontario was able to become a “national leader in testing and case and contact management” under Williams’s leadership.
“Dr. Williams postponed his planned retirement at our government’s request in order to continue guiding the province through the pandemic, and we are all incredibly grateful for his experienced leadership at the helm of the province’s response to protect our communities from the devastating impact of COVID-19,” their statement reads. “Our province owes him a great debt of gratitude for his years of dedicated and compassionate service.”
Williams’s final months as chief medical officer of health were often marked by controversy as he faced criticism for a number of decisions, including the partial reopening of Ontario’s economy in March while the Alpha variant was circulating.
Several members of the medical community have also called for Williams’s resignation at various points during the pandemic, including Registered Nurses Association of Ontario CEO Doris Grinspun.
Ford, however, has consistently defended Williams and has said that his advice is one of the primary factors that his government’s decisions have been based on.
"Thanks to our accelerated vaccine rollout and the efforts of all Ontarians in following the public health and workplace safety measures recommended by Dr. Williams, Ontario has seen continued improvements in key public health and health system indicators allowing us to move into Step Two of the Roadmap on June 30, 2021, ahead of schedule," the joint statement notes.
Dr. Kieran Moore, who previously served as Kingston’s medical officer of health, has been appointed as Ontario’s next chief medical officer of health.
