Midwest Governors Announce Partnership to Reopen Regional Economy

INDIANAPOLIS – Thursday, April 16, 2020

Governors Eric J. Holcomb (IN), Gretchen Whitmer (MI), Mike DeWine (OH),
Tony Evers (WI), Tim Walz (MN), JB Pritzker (IL), and Andy Beshear (KY)
announced that they will work in close coordination to reopen the economy in
the Midwest region.

The governors said, “We are doing everything we can to protect the people of
our states and slow the spread of COVID-19, and we are eager to work
together to mitigate the economic crisis this virus has caused in our
region. Here in the Midwest, we are bound by our commitment to our people
and the community. 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.

“Today, we are announcing that Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, Minnesota,
Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky will work in close coordination to reopen
our economies in a way that prioritizes our workers’ health. 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.

“We will closely examine at least these four factors when determining when
best to reopen our economy:

. Sustained control of the rate of new infections and
hospitalizations.

. Enhanced ability to test and trace.

. Sufficient health care capacity to handle resurgence.

. And best practices for social distancing in the
workplace.

“Phasing in sectors of our economy will be most effective when we work
together as a region. This doesn’t mean our economy will reopen all at once,
or that every state will take the same steps at the same time. But close
coordination will ensure we get this right. Over time, people will go back
to work, restaurants will reopen, and things will go back to normal. We look
forward to working together as one region to tackle this challenge
together.”