Midwest Governors Partner to Coordinate Reopening
Midwest Governors Form Partnership to Coordinate Reopening Plans
(Bloomberg) -- Seven U.S. governors are forming a Midwest regional partnership to closely coordinate plans to reopen their economies based on data and advice from experts in a way that “prioritizes our workers’ health,” the leaders announced Thursday.
Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Indiana and Kentucky will cooperate, their governors said in a statement Thursday. The coalition plans to work together, but at least two states are taking divergent approaches from day one. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine said Thursday that some companies and businesses that show they can reopen safely can start returning to work May 1, while Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers extended the state’s stay-at-home order until 8 a.m. on May 26.
The governors said reopening decisions may vary from state to state and be phased in. The move follows similar coalitions of governors on the West Coast and in the Northeast who are working together on how to reopen schools and businesses after the coronavirus outbreak eases.
“We are eager to work together to mitigate the economic crisis this virus has caused in our region,” the governors said. “We recognize that our economies are all reliant on each other, and we must work together to safely reopen them so hardworking people can get back to work and businesses can get back on their feet.”
Case counts around the country are signaling that the rate of the pandemic’s spread is slowing amid widespread social-distancing orders. Now, public officials are figuring out when and how to get back to regular activity. The longer that stay-at-home orders are in place, the greater the potential economic losses. Still, officials have said they worry that lifting restrictions too soon might lead to a rebound in infections.
The timing and scope will be based on facts, data and recommendations from various experts in health care, business, labor and education, the governors said. The rate of new infections and hospitalizations, the ability to test and trace, and sufficient health-care capacity in case of a resurgence are all factors that will play into the timing and scale of the economic reopening, the governors said.
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