CHICAGO _ Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker will work with governors of six other states on reopening state economies and lifting stay-at-home restrictions in place to curb the spread of the new coronavirus, Pritzker's office said on Thursday.
"Today, we are announcing that Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Indiana, and Kentucky will work in close coordination to reopen our economies in a way that prioritizes our workers' health," the governors of those states said in a statement. "We look forward to working with experts and taking a fact-based, data-driven approach to reopening our economy in a way that protect families from the spread of COVID-19.
"Our number one priority when analyzing when best to reopen our economy is the health and safety of our citizens. We will make decisions based on facts, science, and recommendations from experts in health care, business, labor, and education."
Absent from the list of states are neighboring Iowa and Missouri.
Missouri's stay-home order is currently due to expire April 24. West Coast governors and a group of governors in the Northeast previously announced plans for coordinated reopenings.
The governors will consider health care capacity to handle resurgence of the new coronavirus, enhanced ability to test and trace and "sustained control of the rate of new infections and hospitalizations," as well as best practices for social distancing in work places, in making decisions to reopen state economies and lift restrictions.
"Here in the Midwest, we are bound by our commitment to our people and the community," the statement 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."
Pritzker said earlier this week he was having conversations with fellow governors about a coordinated reopening.
