Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb is working with a group of regional governors to safely reopen the economy in the Midwest.
Holcomb joined Governors Gretchen Whitmer (MI), Mike DeWine (OH), Tony Evers (WI), Tim Walz (MN), JB Pritzker (IL) and Andy Beshear (KY) in announcing a “closely coordinated” effort to help people get back to work in the area. The governors announced the partnership though Whitmer’s office on April 16.
“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,” the governors said. “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.”
Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky will work to reopen their economies in a way that prioritizes workers’ health. The governors will communicate with experts and take a “data-driven” approach to the economic recovery process.
“Our number one priority when analyzing when best to reopen our economy is the health and safety of our citizens,” the governors said. “We will make decisions based on facts, science, and recommendations from experts in health care, business, labor, and education.”
The Midwestern leaders will focus on four areas in considering how to re-open the 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,” they said. “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.”
