New York: Dr Jay Varma, the former Covid-19 czar of New York City, has been fired from his position at SIGA Technologies following the revelation of his involvement in drug-fuelled sex parties during the pandemic. Dr Varma's NYC Covid policies drew national attention when Brooklyn Nets' Kyrie Irving was banned from playing for refusing vaccination.
Dr Varma, who previously served as a senior health adviser under former Mayor Bill de Blasio, was reported to have boasted about attending underground raves and hosting parties while the city was under severe lockdowns. These admissions were made public through secretly recorded conversations.
On September 23, SIGA Technologies issued a statement confirming Dr Varma's immediate termination, stating, “Pursuant to the terms of his employment agreement, Dr Varma's service on the Company's Board of Directors also automatically ended effective immediately”.
The scandal erupted last week when podcaster Steven Crowder released clips of Dr Varma's candid discussions, in which he said, “I did all this deviant, like sexual stuff,” and confessed to sneaking around due to his role in managing the city's Covid response.
In one recorded conversation, Dr Varma recounted hosting a party in August 2020 where attendees used MDMA: “So we rented a hotel … we all took, like, you know, molly and like it was like eight or nine or us, eight to 10 of us were in a room and everybody had a blast because everybody was like so pent up.”
Dr Varma also recalled attending a June 2021 rave with hundreds of attendees, and when asked if he regretted his actions, he replied, “No, actually, I'm like, I love being my authentic self.” A source revealed that Dr Varma hosted another gathering in November 2020.
