On Thursday, governors from seven Midwestern states announced that they will coordinate on reopening the Midwest regional economy. The Midwest pact joins the Northeast and West Coast in an effort to coordinate amid the coronavirus pandemic. The Midwest bipartisan effort includes Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Kentucky.
In the governors’ collaboration, they announced their focus is on at least four factors to determine the best time to reopen state economies. These include sustained control of new infection and hospitalization rates, enhanced testing and tracing capabilities, adequate health care capacity to respond to a resurgence, and best workplace social distancing techniques.
Just an hour before the president introduced his phased approach, the governors released a statement stating, “We look forward to working with experts and taking a fact-based, data-driven approach to reopening our economy in a way that protects families from the spread of COVID-19.”
The coordinated efforts by the Midwest, West Coast, and in the Northeast will prove vital to the country’s effectiveness in combatting the virus. In total there are now 17 states involved in pacts to partner their states’ reopening. Although coordinated efforts do not mean all states will take the same exact measures, it does mean that the partnerships will be closely coordinating with bordering states and can plan accordingly. The Midwest states working together host nearly half of the country’s population. The governors stated that “phasing in sectors of our economy will be most effective when we work together as a region.”
Sources: CNN 4/17/20; ABC 4/16/20
