INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (WOWO): The Governors of seven Midwestern states will work in close coordination to re-open the U.S. Economy in the region.

Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, Minnesota Governor Tim Waltz and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer will work in close coordination to re-open the economies of their states, while doing so in a way that prioritizes worker health.

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.

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.”