Chris Farnitano, the Contra Costa County health officer, said on a podcast that security had been stepped up around his office and home.

“Health officers and local health directors are working 80 hours a week to fight a virus,” said Kat DeBurgh, executive director of the Health Officers Association of California.

In California eight local health officials and two state officials have resigned since the pandemic started, DeBurgh said.

Some people behind the protests targeting health officers said they feel justified for that very reason, pointing to examples such as contact tracing, an initiative to interview newly infected people about others who may have been exposed to the virus.

Public health officers said that contact tracing is voluntary — people can refuse to give information without consequences — and noted that it generally happens by telephone.

“Contact tracing is a vital public health protection,” DeBurgh said.

“Our taking it to the county public health officers’ homes has been very peaceful with chalk drawing and children there,” she said.

Facebook removed three videos the group posted of its protests outside health officers’ homes, including that in Contra Costa County.

“Hey public health officers you’re in our cross hairs,” the group wrote on its Facebook page.

“We need to start making them very uncomfortable,” one member said in a video, speaking of public health officers as well as city council members and county supervisors.

Tomás Aragón, San Francisco health officer!

Grant Colfax, San Francisco public health director, agreed.

All California county health officers are unelected by design to “to insulate them from politics,” DeBurgh said.

“It’s fortunate that in San Francisco there’s been great public support for the efforts put forward,” Colfax said.

Still, “the fact that we’re now in an age when public health officers are being harassed and attacked for doing what’s right for public health is of grave concern and reflects the very challenging dynamics we’re working in right now.”.

“That’s what has led to so many people breaking down or snapping from stress, and lashing out at the most visible target, the public health officers,” Shortell said