Lamont must say more on leader’s ouster

When the head of a state’s public health department gets asked to resign during a once-in-a-century pandemic, there’s bound to be concern. What was so egregious that Gov. Ned Lamont ousted Public Health Commissioner Renée D. Coleman-Mitchell just a week before Connecticut enters a staggered re-opening? He’s not saying exactly. Lamont diplomatically states he wants to take the department in a different direction and to work more closely with the state Social Services Department.

The governor needs a team that will carry out his vision for the state while at the same time offering differing opinions to avoid a “yes” echo chamber. But with the coronavirus crisis killing more than 3,000 state residents, so far, the public deserves more information. Is the dismissal a sign that the governor thinks the health department’s response was inadequate? If so, what were the consequences?

In the past year of Coleman-Mitchell’s leadership we have written multiple editorials critical of her ultimate handling of information on measles vaccination rates for children. After a promising start of transparency, she later blundered when the issue of vaccinations was becoming controversial and strong leadership was in order.

Initially, in May 2019 she released the alarming rates for the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine — 108 public and private schools were below the 95 percent rate required for what’s called herd immunity. A measles outbreak in nearby New York City heightened concerns. The preventable disease is highly contagious with severe health consequences, even death.

But last fall when the next results by school were available, Coleman-Mitchell reversed her stance and refused to give them to the public; one family had sued to block the release. A Superior Court judge dismissed the suit and the public learned that the number of schools below herd immunity had jumped to 134 in a year.

With the number of religious exemptions rising to as many as 7,800 children in the 2018-19 school year — though no major religion is against the protection — state legislators debated whether to remove all but medical exemptions. A public hearing in February lasted 21 hours; nearly 500 people signed up to testify. Later, thousands came to the Capitol to protest.

When legislators asked the head of the state’s health department for guidance, she resisted saying it was not her responsibility. It was.

Soon after, she appeared with the governor in a press conference in support of lifting the religious exemptions. That was months ago; she remained in her position.

The state health department has a central role in dealing with the pandemic. But the response has been slow to the disturbing number of deaths in nursing homes; only this month is the state stepping in to test every resident for the coronavirus.

Coleman-Mitchell possessed solid credentials for the job — a master’s degree in public health from Yale University and 25 years as a health administrator. Without faulting the person, Lamont has an obligation to let the public know what went wrong to cause the removal of a leader in the state’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.

The state health department has a central role in dealing with the pandemic.