Prairie State Wire

The confirmation hearing of Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike has been delayed from Feb. 23.

"Dr. Ngozi Ezike was scheduled to testify before the Senate Executive Appointments Committee tomorrow morning. I’m told she had a scheduling conflict and won’t be able to attend. Her Senate confirmation will be delayed. Pritzker appointed her to another two-year term," WCIA bureau chief Mark Maxwell said on Twitter.

Ezike has been a controversial figure in advocating for the state’s COVID's mandates.

Now, some Illinois residents are advocating Ezike lose her position.

"Illinois residents - please contact your Senator and request that he/she OPPOSE Dr. Ezike's confirmation," a self-described COVID researcher using the Twitter alias Emma Woodhouse tweeted.

Ezike is infamous for suggesting that residents who want to prevent the household spread of COVID should wear masks in their own homes.

Her agency has been accused of bungling COVID data, leading to the shutdown of the Metro East.

Ezike was also questioned about allegedly erroneous death rate data in which the cause of death was unrelated to COVID but the deceased had the condition.

Six months into the pandemic, 17 state House Republicans signed a letter demanding proof of the data Ezike was using to advocate for COVID mandates.

The Illinois Department of Public Health was accused of disregarding the letter from Republican State House Representatives demanding proof that closing bars and restaurants will limit the spread of COVID-19 in the state.

The restaurant industry, in particular, was impacted by COVID restrictions backed by Ezike, who many have said has rubber stamped Pritzker’s demands.