Holden, Ulrich call for Barbot to be replaced
TIMESLEDGER | QNS.COM | APRIL 10-APRIL 16, 2020 5
BY BILL PARRY
Two Queens lawmakers are
urging Mayor Bill de Blasio to
replace the city’s leader of the
Health Department.
Councilmen Robert Holden
and Eric Ulrich accused Dr.
Oxiris Barbot of failing to take
decisive action to contain the
coronavirus early and flatten
the curve, and that her inaction
led to the city becoming
the epicenter of the pandemic.
In a letter to the mayor, the
elected officials point out that
at a Jan. 24 press conference,
when there were two confirmed
cases of COVID-19 in
the United States, Barbot said,
“New Yorkers should know
that the risk to city residents
is low.”
After the World Health Organization
declared a global
health emergency on Jan. 30,
Commissioner Barbot tweeted
“there is no need to avoid public
spaces,” and that “NYC is
prepared to respond.”
Holden and Ulrich added
that when the first person who
was under investigation in the
city tested negative on Feb. 5,
Barbot said, “This is exactly
what we prepared for and is
evidence that the system in
place is working as it should.”
On March 4, after the city’s
second case of COVID-19
was confirmed, Barbot said,
“there’s no indication that being
in a car, being in the subways
with someone who is potentially
sick is a risk factor,”
Holden and Ulrich wrote.
“At this point, it became
clear that the administration’s
rhetoric was not in line with
the facts about how this virus
spreads,” they argued. “Dr.
Barbot’s irresponsible and
reckless public tweets, statements
and comments were
counter-productive and assisted
in the spread of COVID-19.”
The de Blasio administration
dismissed the charges by
the two Queens councilmen.
“This is despicable and
reeks of opportunism,” de
Blasio Press Secretary Freddi
Goldstein said. “Dr. Barbot
has been expertly leading us
through this crisis since Day 1
and there is absolutely no one
more qualified to do so.”
Holden and Ulrich also
came under fire from their
own colleague, Councilman
Mark Levine, chair of the
Council’s Health Committee,
who came out in support of
Barbot’s leadership during the
COVID-19 emergency.
“Barbot has one of the
toughest jobs on earth and
her leadership in the crisis
has been outstanding,” Levine
said. “She has given sober, science
based information to the
public at every stage of this
pandemic, including when
some were still calling it a
hoax. She sounded the alarm.
She sounded the alarm and
fought hard for difficult shutdown
measures when our city
needed it. She continues to be
a strong leader for the Health
Department. New York City is
lucky to have her.”
Reach reporter Bill Parry by
e-mail at bparry@schnepsmedia.
com or by phone at (718)
260–4538.
Two Queens councilmen are calling for the ouster of Health Commissioner Dr. Oxiris Barbot claiming
her comments helped spread COVID-19 in the city. Photo by Todd Maisel
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