(AP) — A former epidemiologist for Hawaiʻi’s health department alleges in a lawsuit that she was fired in retaliation for speaking out about the state’s COVID-19 contact tracing program. Jennifer Smith accused the department of lying about how many contact tracers were on staff, saying the number was much lower than officials claimed. The health department and attorney general’s office declined to comment on the lawsuit. She tells the Honolulu Star-Advertiser she believes she is being punished for speaking out last year about leadership failures to respond appropriately to the virus outbreak.

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