Dr. Edward Moreno weighs in one year after issuing Monterey County's shelter-in-place order.

Dr. Edward Moreno agreed to answer questions by email, but mostly reiterated points he has made consistently over the past about public health measures. For the print edition, the Weekly instead asked other people to weigh in on Moreno. The full email Q&A with the Monterey County Health Officer follows below.

Weekly: For many of us, the idea of a pandemic seemed more like sci-fi than a real-life possibility. But you are trained for the potential of such things. Going back to this time a year ago, were you surprised?

Moreno: What we know in Public Health is that there have been pandemics in the past and there will likely be pandemics in the future. In anticipation of pandemics, Public Health conducts drills and exercises every year so that our team has ongoing experience with strategies to respond to pandemics, whenever they happen. What we are not sure of is how mild or severe each pandemic will be, so we plan for the worst and hope for the best.

Describe the role of a public health officer. What would surprise members of the public about your job?

County Health Officers are required to enforce certain state regulations and statutes as well as local municipal codes that protect public health. County Health Officers are probably known for their responsibility to prevent the spread of infectious diseases, including pandemic viruses. However, Health Officers also serve as the County Registrar for births and deaths, and must sign each birth certificate for children born in their respective counties.

You suddenly became a very public figure and a household name during the Covid-19 crisis. What surprised you about the public's response? Did you ever receive threats or hateful messages? What do you do to process that?

The public plays an important role in responding to pandemics. The viruses that are responsible for pandemics can spread and cause significant illness and death. Monterey County residents can help to slow the spread of pandemic viruses and save lives by following infection prevention guidelines. Public Health, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the California Department of Public Health and County Public Health Departments use the best available evidence to provide the public with guidance that they can follow to protect themselves and others.

I am grateful to the many people in Monterey County that have reviewed that guidance and have taken steps to slow the spread of this virus in our community.

You have been incredibly consistent in your messaging about measures the public can/should take to help stop the spread of Covid-19. Is there something that still surprises you at this stage as far as public compliance?

Many people in Monterey County want to know what they can do to protect themselves and others. Slowing the spread of Covid-19 requires a community wide effort and I appreciate all those that have followed public health guidance to reduce the spread of Covid-19.

With hindsight, is there anything you wish you'd done differently in the past year? Any moments you are particularly proud of?

Our Public Health team has responded to this pandemic with courage and optimism. They have been guiding people to stay at home when sick and to isolate when infected with Covid-19. I am particularly proud of all our Health Department staff that have contributed to the county’s response to this pandemic.

What's a typical day like for you now? How is that different than in pre-pandemic times?

Before the pandemic I scheduled time to work on each of the many programs I administer. During the pandemic I have spent most of my working time on pandemic response.

What do you do for yourself to relax—i.e. exercise, meditate, talk to a friend—and to stay sane and take care of yourself during the pandemic and keep yourself going?

My staff and I encourage each other to take breaks during the work day and to make time to eat something. We also encourage each other to take walks during our breaks.

Our team is extremely dedicated to protecting public health. The satisfaction of knowing that lives have been and will continue to be saved motivates me and many of our Public Health staff through these very difficult times.

You are always so serious in your public appearances. What do you do for fun? (Do you have fun?)

Dedicating time to do something that brings joy to a person’s life is important. I encourage everyone to spend time developing a hobby, listening to music, or engaging in some other activity that is restorative and promotes mental and physical health.

What is your go-to stress-eating snack? (No judgement if it is not healthy—OK, maybe a little judgement, but I'm sure it's still healthier than whatever we at the Weekly turn to.)

I still think it is important for everyone to try to eat healthy during this pandemic, especially those of us working in Public Health.

What's something you are looking forward to doing again when shelter-in-place is over?

Right now, our Public Health team and I are focused on getting as many eligible people vaccinated as quickly as possible. When enough people have been vaccinated to significantly reduce transmission of the Covid-19 virus I look forward to spending more time on the other very important Public Health programs we provide to Monterey County residents.

Is there anything from the pandemic you will keep doing (in terms of public health) after the pandemic is over, such as wearing a mask on airplanes or in public settings?

It is difficult for anyone to anticipate when the World Health Organization and the CDC will declare the end to this pandemic. Until then, I plan to continue to follow Covid-19 prevention guidance from the California Department of Public Health.

Any practices you will carry into your personal life from this SIP era even after SIP is over (ie, going out for a daily walk)?

There are certain practices that were important before this pandemic, during this pandemic, and that will continue to be important following the pandemic. They include frequent hand washing, staying home when sick, eating healthy, getting regular exercise and getting adequate sleep.

You've been constantly asked to make predictions about what's next, and you are reluctant to give them. But if you look back at March 2020, what did you think March 2021 would look like, and how closely does this time resemble that? What's different than what you expected?

Those of us working in Public Health know that there have been pandemics in the past and expect that there will be pandemics in the future. The influenza pandemic of 1912 lasted three years according to some historians. H1N1 lasted about 1.5 years.

When we began our response to Covid-19 in December of 2019, my colleagues and I new that we would need to prepare for the worst and hope for the best. In March 2020 we could not predict what would happen, but we certainly could plan and prepare for what might happen.