New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced a joint effort with other Northeast governors to reopen the economy as the coronavirus pandemic has sufficiently subsided.
Along with New Jersey Gov. Chris Murphy, Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf, Delaware Gov. John Carney, and Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo, Cuomo said their states will be working together to roll out an economic plan to reopen as a region.
“This is new terrain for all of us,” Cuomo explained in a tweet announcing the council. “As we make life-saving decisions there is strength in unity.”
This is new terrain for all of us.
As we make life-saving decisions there is strength in unity.
Thank you for coordinating with us @GovMurphy, @GovNedLamont, @GovernorTomWolf, @JohnCarneyDE and @GovRaimondo.
— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) April 13, 2020
Each state will appoint three public health officials and business experts to sit on the council that will develop the plan to reopen the economy. All of the governors agreed that health issues will take priority over an economic reopening to avoid a resurgence of the virus that health experts warn could happen if restrictions are lifted too soon.
“As painful as the economic reality is, it’s not as painful as it would be if we get the timing wrong,” Murphy said.
The governors offered few other immediate details. The announcement came hours after President Trump claimed the president has the authority to reopen states’ economies, not governors.
In the early days of the pandemic, Northeastern states feuded about what the best response was for shutting down states. Raimondo triggered threats of a lawsuit after she attempted to quarantine New Yorkers if they tried to enter Rhode Island. She eventually dropped the order.
Following Cuomo’s announcement, Govs. Jay Inslee of Washington, Gavin Newsom of California, and Kate Brown of Oregon announced plans for a similar alliance on the West Coast.
In a statement, the three governors wrote, “COVID-19 has preyed upon our interconnectedness. In the coming weeks, the West Coast will flip the script on COVID-19 – with our states acting in close coordination and collaboration to ensure the virus can never spread wildly in our communities.”
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz also hinted at a joint effort with nearby states, such as Michigan and Wisconsin, during his press conference on Monday. He noted that he is looking to work with other states in the upper Midwest to coordinate a reopening plan for the economy as well as a joint effort to buy personal protective equipment for the region.
