Dr. Nichole Quick Resigns From Orange County Health Care Agency

ORANGE COUNTY, CA — Orange County's chief health officer, Dr. Nichole Quick, resigned Monday night amid harsh criticism and threats to her safety from Orange County residents after releasing a required face mask order in May.

Quick, who was appointed county health officer last June, was entitled to three months' severance pay. As part of her settlement agreement, Quick was paid $75,000.

According to reports, Dr. Quick and her family have lived under heightened security due to threats as her harshest critics protested her mask order with a poster comparing Quick to Hitler at a Board of Supervisors meeting.

Protesters parked themselves outside of her residence, and the Orange County Sheriff's Department has monitored her person and property during this time.

A resignation, from the woman who stood up to criticism, suggests that the often ugly and hateful clamoring for reopening without consequence at last hit too close to home for the doctor, according to Supervisor Doug Chaffee.

Chaffee, one of three supervisors regularly in Quick's corner during heated debates on masks and reopenings in the county, spoke out on her behalf, Monday, following her resignation.

"She's done her best to give her medical opinion, and it's not popular, so she has resigned," Chaffee said. "It was too much for her. She has three young children, and she's been severely criticized by people who came out demanding her resignation, demonstrations in front of her home."

On Tuesday, nearly 100 residents lined up to speak out against the mask and stay-at-home orders at the supervisors' meeting on Tuesday morning. Many peppered Chau with questions about the necessity of the face-covering order and how much longer it would need to be in place.

The resignation of Orange County's top doctor was the second significant and abrupt departure in Orange County since the pandemic began. David Souleles, former deputy agency director of public health services for Orange County, announced his rapid retirement in April.

For now, the plan is to have the Health Care Agency Director, Dr. Clayton Chau, serve as the county's chief health officer and his director's responsibilities. Whether that crossover creates conflict concerning checks and balances remains to be seen.

Chau will also be able to issue health orders for the county, as required by the state, to reopen businesses and activities such as bars, day camps, community pools, hotels, and youth sports.

Chaffee was not sure what would happen with Quick's mask order. Chau has defended it, explaining it is required when residents cannot maintain six feet of social distancing. Chaffee noted that for all the residents who show up at the board of supervisors' meetings to complain about the mask order, officials had received many expressions of support for it.

"The email is 10 to one to keep it," Chaffee said. "They're afraid to show up (at board meetings) because of the confrontation it will entail."

Chaffee was not sure what would happen with Quick's mask order. Chau has defended it, explaining it is required when residents cannot maintain six feet of social distancing.

Nearly 100 residents lined up to speak out against the mask and stay-at-home orders at Tuesday morning's supervisors' meeting, where several board members peppered Chau with questions about the necessity of the face-covering order and how much longer it would need to be in place.

Chau said he was concerned about outbreaks stemming from the widespread protests against police brutality throughout the county. He said the mask order should remain in place for another three weeks to see if there is an uptick that exceeds state standards as the county reopens businesses on Friday.

Chau said the reopening of so many new businesses by this weekend would bring the county into a "new ecosystem," and he added, "We have to evaluate how we do in that new ecosystem before we make that decision."

Chau said the rate of new cases and the ability to handle a surge of patients in the county's hospitals are the two key metrics he is tracking. Chau wants to remain below the state standard of 8% of positive cases per 100,000 population. The county's current rate is 4.6%.

Supervisor Andrew Do, who was the first supervisor to advocate for masks in April, criticized county officials for not having a more specific standard for when masks are no longer required.

"At some point, shouldn't we have a standard, a number we can rely on, that the community can rely on?" Do said. "If our number is low and lower than the state average and way below other counties adjacent to us... if this is not sufficient, then what is sufficient? What is the standard you're using then?"

Supervisor Don Wagner and board Chairwoman Michelle Steel questioned the effectiveness of masks. They pointed to recommendations in the past from the World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Chau, however, said the most recent guidance from the public health organizations recommends masks.

Chau reiterated that the masks are not meant to protect the wearer, but to help keep them from spreading the highly contagious virus to others, particularly those most vulnerable such as the elderly and those with underlying health conditions.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, the Health Care Agency reported 93 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the county's cumulative total to 7,614, with the death toll rising by eight to 185. Health officials say 86 of the deaths in the county involved residents of skilled nursing home facilities.

One of the deaths reported Tuesday involved a skilled nursing facility residents, and two were residents of assisted living facilities. The number of hospitalized patients rose from 291 on Monday to 304, with the number in intensive care rising from 135 to 146, according to the HCA.

The number of people tested for the virus in the county stands at 164,981, with 3,372 documented recoveries.

City News Service, Patch Editor Ashley Ludwig contributed to this report.