The COVID-19 pandemic kept him here a little bit longer than planned, but Macomb County Health Department Director William Ridella is retiring after eight years in the post. Ridella said he planned to retire earlier this year but stayed to help the county navigate its way through the biggest-ever public-health crisis. âI wanted to continue as long to help deal with this crisis in public health,â Ridella said Tuesday. âNow that the vaccine is coming out, there is a beacon of light out there and weâre moving in the right direction. - Advertisement - âIâm confident the staff of the Health Department will do, as they have done, a tremendous job. Yes, there is still a lot of work to be done, but Iâm confident the staff will be able to handle it.â