Ontario’s pandemic efforts will soon be guided by a new top doctor.
Chief medical officer of health Dr. David Williams, whose background includes a stint as medical officer of health in Thunder Bay, will retire earlier than anticipated on June 25, the provincial government confirmed Sunday.
Dr. Kieran Moore, the medical officer of health for the Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington Health Unit, is set to replace Williams, who has been Ontario’s top doctor since 2016. His appointment will go to a vote in Ontario's legislature on Monday, the government said.
Williams has come in for sustained criticism of his handling of the pandemic, including in the final report from the province’s Long-Term Care COVID-19 Commission, which found he was too slow to act.
He was originally set to retire in February of this year, but extended his term through September at Premier Doug Ford’s request.
In a statement issued Sunday, Dr. Williams said the retirement had been planned for some time.
"In the fall of 2020, I was persuaded to postpone a long-planned retirement as we continued to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and I indicated at that time that I would like to end my term before summer 2021," he said. "I advised the Ministry of Health formally of my intention to retire within this time frame on May 18, 2021."
After working as a GP in Sioux Lookout and other locations, Williams was the medical officer of health for the Thunder Bay District Health Unit from 1991 to 2005.
He went on to serve as Ontario’s Associate Chief Medical Officer of Health for infectious disease and environmental health from 2005 to 2011, during which time he also served as the acting CMOH from 2007 to 2009.
Williams returned to serve as medical officer of health in Thunder Bay again from 2011 to 2015.
Note: This article has been updated to include statements from the Ontario government and Dr. Williams.
