Midwestern states have formed a third coalition to reopen the economy - Business Insider

A third regional coalition emerged Thursday, with the governors of Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Kentucky joining forces to coordinate a plan to reopen the economy.The bipartisan squad will work to “mitigate the economic crisis” caused by the coronavirus.Other multistate coalitions have formed in the northeast and out west, with governors taking actions into their own hands amid a limited federal role in handling the pandemic.The unprecedented coalitions of states aim to coordinate the timing and targeting of what kinds of businesses and public venues get reopened in order to avoid people hopping over state lines to take advantage of disparities, which could inadvertently spread the virus.Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Another multistate coalition is forming to coordinate measures to reopen the economy. After seven northeastern states and three western ones formed their own megalopolises last week, seven Midwestern governors announced they will follow suit in a news release on Thursday.The group will consist of Michiga, Ohio, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois and Kentucky.“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 in the release. “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.

Democrats in the group include Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (technically a member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party), Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear.Republicans include Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb. The governors laid out four main factors to consider in reopening the economy: Controlling the rate of new infections and hospitalizationsIncreasing testing and tracingHealth care capacity to handle a potential resurgenceBest practices for workplace social distancing“Phasing in sectors of our economy will be most effective when we work together as a region,” the release continued. “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.”

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