New York state Department of Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker has submitted his resignation, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Thursday.

Zucker will stay on board until a replacement is made to assist in the transition amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which he has helped lead the state through for the last year and a half, Hochul said.

The Democrat said she agreed with his decision to step down, thanked him for his years of service and said Zucker was moving on to other ventures.

She didn't specify what kind of ventures as she dropped the news at the tail end of her COVID briefing but said, "I made it very clear on my first day in office that I'd be looking to build a new team" as she tries to restore faith in Albany following her predecessor's scandal-plagued resignation earlier this summer.... Read More: NBC New York