San Francisco’s health officer will head the state’s continuing battle with the coronavirus pandemic as its new director of the California Department of Public Health.
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday announced the appointment of Dr. Tomás Aragón to the role. Aragón has been San Francisco's health officer since 2011 and will replace Sandra Shewry, who had been serving as the state Department of Public Health's acting director since Sonia Angell abruptly stepped down in August.
"Dr. Aragón has been a thoughtful leader who has helped shape San Francisco’s response to this pandemic," Mayor London Breed said in a statement to KCBS Radio. "Thanks to the early and sustained action we have taken under the guidance of our public health officials like Dr. Aragon, San Francisco has the lowest death rate of any major city. Our state has a long and difficult road ahead and we know Dr. Aragón will continue to serve us all in his new role with the state."
Aragón's role in the city's response to the pandemic has been largely behind the scenes.
Aragón, 60, has been volunteer faculty for the UC Berkeley’s School of Public Health since 2004. He’s earned degrees from Harvard Medical School, UC Berkeley’s School of Public Health and Harvard’s School of Public Health.
Aragón’s elevation comes as the state facing an unrelenting surge in coronavirus cases, setting a single-day high of over 30,000 new cases last weekend. The state’s new stay-at-home order has brought new restrictions in various parts of California, as public health officials are now weighing regional guidelines based on ICU capacity.
His appointment requires state Senate confirmation.
Related
