A Florida official who oversees the state’s response to the pandemic confirmed on Monday that he is stepping down, saying he wants to spend more time with his family.
However, Jared Moskowitz, the director of Florida’s Division of Emergency Management, told the USA Today network that his “departure is not imminent.”
He declined to provide a timeline until Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis
Ron DeSantisSunday Shows Preview: Lawmakers weigh in on Trump impeachment trial; Biden administration sees timeline for massive White House vaccinations: ‘No decisions’ made on domestic travel restrictions DeSantis defends maskless crowds after Buccaneers win amid concerns over COVID-19 MORE (R) makes a formal announcement, expected Tuesday.
“My kids are 7 and 4. When I started this job, they were 5 and 2,” Moskowitz told USA Today’s Florida Capital Bureau. “I’ve been doing this job 50 percent of my younger life.”
DeSantis confirmed Moskowitz’s planned departure, while praising his work, when asked about it at a press conference.
“He’s worked incredibly hard,” he said. “He’s done a fantastic job.”
The governor said Deputy Director of Emergency Management Kevin Guthrie will replace Moskowitz “when Jared is ready to leave.”
Florida Politics first reported Moskowitz’s resignation in a text message news alert, according to the Tallahassee Democrat.
DeSantis hired Moskowitz to head the Emergency Management Department after serving in the State House of Deputies from 2012 to 2019.
The division is engaged in responding to hurricanes that regularly plague the state, but in the past year, Moskowitz faced another challenge in the COVID-19 pandemic.
He was more outspoken than the Governor in promoting social detachment and wearing masks, including by changing his name on Twitter to “Jared MASKowitz.”
As director, he also organized responses to hurricanes Dorian, Isaias, Laura and Sally.
Florida has documented more than 1.4 million confirmed COVID-19 cases and 29,275 deaths since the pandemic began. According to The COVID Tracking Project, the Sunshine State peaked in the Sunshine State along with the rest of the country last summer and early January.