“Here in the Midwest, we are bound by our commitment to our people and the community,” the statement continued. “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.

The governors announced that Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky will work in close coordination to reopen their economies in a way that prioritizes workers’ health. The Midwest governors look forward to working with experts and taking a fact-based, data-driven approach to reopening their economies 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,” the governors’ statement added. “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,” the governors 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.”