Wyoming official quits after calling COVID-19 communist plot

CHEYENNE, WYO. » A Wyoming Department of Health official who falsely described the coronavirus and development of vaccines against it as a communist plot has resigned, a department spokeswoman said Wednesday.

Igor Shepherd, who was the agency’s readiness and countermeasures manager, submitted his resignation on Tuesday and it was accepted the same day, said department spokeswoman Kim Deti, declining further comment. Speaking at a Nov. 10 event in Loveland, Colorado, hosted by group opposed to public health measures to limit spread of the coronavirus, Shepherd said the “socalled pandemic” and efforts to develop a vaccine are plots by Russia and China to spread communism.