Maryland’s local health officers feel the pressure amid continuing COVID pandemic

When Dr. David Bishai stepped into the role of Harford County health officer, he did so with an eye toward mitigating the coronavirus pandemic in the relatively conservative Baltimore suburb. He hoped to keep more people out of hospitals, prevent sickness from spreading and improve outcomes among residents of color. In Bishai’s view, he did what he could over the next nine months with the powers he had. He navigated a complex COVID-19 vaccine rollout, advocated for sensible mask-wearing guidelines and helped oversee the process of county children returning to schools this fall.