Yelling "Fire!" when there isn't one is bad. It will erode trust and can cause complacency when there really is an emergency.
However, telling people there is no fire and encouraging them to enter a burning building is, in my view, much worse.
Imagine being wrong about every one of these.
* It won't be a pandemic.
* It isn't airborne.
* Herd/hybrid immunity is coming.
* Kids don't get sick or transmit.
* It's getting milder.
* Immune escape can't happen.
* Reinfections are very rare.
* Reinfections get milder.
"COVID is reaching an endemic stage and we all need to learn to live with it" is false, dangerous, and should be disqualifying for positions in academic leadership.