NYC Health Workers Seek Shield from Public Backlash

New York City's Health Department is looking to hire outside help to shield its employees from harassment. This comes after a lot of criticism about how they handled the COVID-19 pandemic. The department wants to create new safety rules and train up to 75 staff members. These include leaders, researchers, and data analysts who have faced online harassment, doxxing, and reputational attacks. The training will teach them how to stay safe in public meetings and other fieldwork. It will also include de-escalation techniques to handle tense situations. The department claims that public health workers have faced threats and intimidation since the pandemic. They say this has led to burnout, poor mental health, and high turnover rates. Critics question if this is necessary and if the department brought some of the criticism on itself. Diane Pagan, a former social worker who lost her job for not following the city's vaccine mandate, was surprised by the plan. She believes the department should apologize and compensate those harmed by their actions instead of spending money to protect themselves. One example that angered many was former "COVID Czar" Jay Varma. He was caught on hidden camera talking about attending drug-fueled parties during the pandemic. At the same time, the agency was telling the public to wear masks and isolate themselves. Varma also admitted that natural immunity is just as good as the vaccine, while publicly pushing for vaccinations. Mayor Eric Adams lifted the vaccine mandate for city employees in February 2023. Council Minority Leader Joann Ariola and Councilman Frank Morano criticized the department's plan. They suggested that the department should focus on apologizing for its mistakes and reinstating workers who lost their jobs due to the vaccine mandate. The Health Department's nonprofit arm is overseeing the selection process for the outside consultant. The department refused to clarify which officials and staffers will be trained or who has been harassed and why. Instead, they issued a statement emphasizing the importance of digital and physical security training to protect their staff from harassment.