He has charmed and soothed Mainers during his COVID-19 briefings—and not only by reciting popular lyrics.

By Sofia Voltin

We all want to know what lies around the corner, and we turn to Dr. Nirav Shah for answers and updates. (So does Jake Tapper on CNN.) The Maine CDC director lies at the center of our coronavirus fight. He’s been praised for his clear communication style and has a knack for riffing music lyrics into catchy reminders and notes of encouragement. In March, he quoted Coldplay. In September, he dropped some Rick Astley. “The bottom line here is that Maine CDC contact tracers are never gonna give you up, they’re never gonna let you down, they’re never gonna run around and desert you. Maine CDC contact tracers are never gonna make you cry, they’re never gonna say goodbye, and they’re never gonna tell a lie and hurt you.”
He came to Maine after working for four years as director of the Illinois Department of Public Health. In late 2018, two Illinois U.S. Senators called for his resignation due to a controversy over his handling of an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease that sickened 74 people and killed a dozen. He joined the Maine CDC in May 2019, taking charge of an agency that was severely understaffed. Now, the Fans of Dr. Nirav Shah Facebook group has 34K members. “In Shah We Trust” lit up an electronic road sign in Topsham on Route 196, and the catchy phrase has been printed on shirts, stickers, mugs, and tote bags to raise funds for the Good Shepherd Food Bank.

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