Gov. Ned Lamont tapped a member of his COVID-19 response team to be the next health commissioner.

On Monday, Lamont nominated Yale infectious disease expert and Fairfield resident Dr. Manisha Juthani.

Juthani was a staple of the governor's briefings at the height of the pandemic. She was among the first to advocate closing Connecticut's bars and restaurants, but she said the decision is ultimately Lamont's.

"At the end of the day, if he makes a choice different than what I was recommending, I respect that. He has to balance a number of different things when making decisions," Juthani said.

Juthnai will replace Dr. Diedre Gifford, who has served as acting commissioner for the past 14 months.

Gifford will continue in her role as the Social Services commissioner, but she will also take on another role as Senior Advisor to Lamont for Health and Human Services.