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Dr. Deborah Birx, who has been one of the public faces in the fight against the virus, announced on Tuesday, Dec. 22 in an interview with Newsy that she was planning to step down from her position, though no specific timeline was provided for her retirement.
The announcement comes days after it was reported that Birx ignored federal health officials’ guidance to stay in-state and traveled out-of-state for a Thanksgiving holiday celebration.
In a statement released over the weekend, Birx said that her trip from Washington, D.C. to Delaware for Thanksgiving in which she was shown with family beyond her own household was so that she could prepare her property for a potential sale.
Birx was joined in Delaware by her husband, daughter, in-laws, and grandchildren.
“I did not go to Delaware for the purpose of celebrating Thanksgiving,” Birx said in a statement, adding that her family shared a meal together while in Delaware.
"This experience has been a bit overwhelming," Birx told Newsy. "It's been very difficult on my family. I think what was done in the last week to my family, you know, they didn't choose this for me. They've tried to be supportive, but to drag my family into this.
“My daughter hasn’t left that house in 10 months, my parents have been isolated for 10 months,” Birx added. “They’ve become deeply depressed as I’m sure many elderly have as they’ve not been able to see their sons, their granddaughters.”
As for her immediate future, Birx told Newsy: “I will be helpful in any role that people think I can be helpful in, and then I will retire. I want the Biden administration to be successful."
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