North Dakota health official quits amid quarantine dispute

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Dr. Paul Mariani has resigned as North Dakota’s top state health officer, one day after Gov. Doug Burgum reversed himself and rescinded a new order that would have enforced quarantines for close contacts of coronavirus patients. The announcement Friday from Burgum’s office included a comment from Mariani that the way the new order was dropped made it impossible for him to continue as interim state health officer. He became the third person to resign the position since May. The upheaval comes as North Dakota battles one of the highest per-capita rates of COVID-19 spread in the nation.