Nearly 200 Arizona physicians are calling on the director of Arizona’s Department of Health Services to resign. The doctors sent a petition to the department Wednesday.
The letter says Dr. Cara Christ failed to take meaningful actions to slow the spread of COVID-19. The doctors say medical evidence for the effectiveness of masks and social distancing measures should have been communicated to Arizonans sooner in the pandemic.
“These are things that should have been clearly and strongly conveyed to the public without any gray zone so that the public can know how to act," said Dr. Dionne Mills, who helped organize the petition.
Mills said doctors involved have repeatedly asked Christ to address concerns.
“Most of the people in our group are actually treating COVID patients, which she is not," Mills said.
The group, known as Physicians for Science, Equity and Advocacy, is also calling for enforcement of a statewide mask mandate, closure of dine-in restaurants, and expanded testing and contact tracing.
The Arizona Department of Health Services did not respond to a request for comment.
