Following a Thanksgiving gathering with her family in Delaware, Dr. Deborah Birx received widespread backlash for apparently violating her own COVID-19 recommendations.
According to the New York Post, Birx has cited that opprobrium in announcing her intention to step down from her position as a White House coronavirus adviser in the near future.
“Helpful through a period of time”
She indicated that she will continue to work for a time in Joe Biden’s prospective administration before resigning. The “overwhelming” stress on her family that she described in a recent statement stemmed from a family gathering including members of three generations.
In light of Birx’s earlier admonitions for Americans to remain “vigilant” in forgoing holiday travel, she received significant public criticism when the Associated Press first reported the story.
Nevertheless, she explained that she was at the property to winterize it ahead of a planned sale and all of the relatives on the trip were members of her immediate household.
Some critics were unsatisfied with her explanation, resulting in a statement indicating her intention to return to private life.
“I will have to say, as a civil servant, I will be helpful through a period of time, and then I will have to say, this experience has been a bit overwhelming. It has been very difficult on my family … I think what was done over the last week to my family,” Birx said.
“Isolated for 10 months”
Of course, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has advocated for a halt to holiday gatherings that include those from other households — even college students returning from campus.
Birx, who currently lives with her husband in D.C., traveled with her daughter, son-in-law, and two grandchildren, who live in a second, multigenerational home in Potomac, Maryland.
Responding to critics, she spoke about her “complicated” home life in describing the Potomac residence as her “immediate household.”
She went on to complain that social isolation has been “very difficult” for her relatives and that her parents have become “deeply depressed” during the pandemic.
“My daughter hasn’t left that house in 10 months, my parents have been isolated for 10 months,” she said. “They’ve become deeply depressed as I’m sure many elderly have as they’ve not been able to see their sons, their granddaughters,” she said.
The post Birx set to step down amid 'overwhelming' criticism of Thanksgiving family gathering first appeared on Conservative Institute.
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