White House COVID czar Ashish Jha stepping down

White House COVID-19 response coordinator Ashish Jha is stepping down from his role June 15 to return to his previous job as dean of the Brown University School of Public Health, the White House and university said Thursday.

Jha’s departure comes about a month after the administration allowed the three-year COVID-19 public health emergency to expire May 11.

“For the last year, I have relied on Dr. Ashish Jha to help me do just that as the White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator. As one of the leading public health experts in America, he has effectively translated and communicated complex scientific challenges into concrete actions that helped save and improve the lives of millions of Americans,” President Biden said in a statement.

Jha was brought on 18 months ago to replace Jeffrey Zients, who later became Biden’s chief of staff.

Jha gained a reputation as a level-headed public health communicator in the early stages of COVID-19, and the White House at the time said Jha was brought on to help tackle the post-emergency phase of the pandemic.

At the time, the administration was dealing with new outbreaks of the omicron variant and trying to chart a booster strategy.

Today, hospitalizations have fallen to one of the lowest points since the earliest days of the pandemic. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, hospitalizations have fallen to about 7,600 for the week ending May 27. Deaths have dropped to 208 for the week ending May 27.

The White House COVID response team was formed in 2020 to guide the administration through the early days of the pandemic. Jha’s role will be replaced by the newly created Office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response, which currently has no leader and no staff.

Administration officials are still working through the details, and they have said they will stand up the office as required by law.

In an interview with The Hill in May, Jha insisted the winding down of the emergency did not mean the administration was done with being concerned about COVID-19.

“It’s a transition, and it’s a transition to a period of time where we can manage this virus in a way that’s not disruptive,” Jha said.

He also stressed the administration is “absolutely not” wrapping up its work to address COVID-19, despite the vacancies.

“During periods of transition, it is normal to see people who have been working day and night for months and months [depart]. But we are absolutely committed to continuing the fight against COVID and continuing the fight against future pandemics.”