Carroll owes a debt of gratitude to its outgoing health officer

Since March of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has affected us all. During this time, we have seen leaders everywhere step up. Nurses and doctors have put themselves in harm’s way day in and night out. Parents have taught their kids (and themselves) how to navigate their normal day-to-day lives virtually. Teachers were asked to go above and beyond and figure out how to give our community’s children a sense of normalcy. And there are many more. In Carroll County, we had Edwin Singer, the county’s health officer (“After months leading Carroll’s effort against COVID, county health officer stepping down,” Oct. 1).

Public heath very rarely takes center stage, but for the past 19 or so months, that is all we ate and breathed. One of the issues with science and health is its honesty. You need to tell people the news that most do not want to hear or believe. Mr. Singer did this. Whether it was an interview in the paper, in front of the minority of angry parents, a vaccine clinic for children, or the Carroll County Board of Education, Mr. Singer showed where the county was in numbers during the pandemic and gave his opinion. His recommendations that were always based on science and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (and other major health organization’s) guidelines. He explained them in a professional manner but in layman terms. His priority was always our health and safety.

It was reported in the Carroll County Times that Mr. Singer is moving on from the county health department to become the watershed manager of the county. I can only imagine the amount of stress, time and work it took to navigate the county through a pandemic. I just want to take the time and say thank you for trying to keep us all safe and for putting our children’s health at the top of your agenda. Trust me, Mr. Singer, your tireless work was greatly appreciated by a majority of Carroll County’s residents.