Six Democratic governors said they want to agree to guidelines on when and how to reopen businesses after coronavirus threat subsides
Ed Mahon
The governors of six northeastern states, including Pennsylvania, say they will work together to outline how businesses and other institutions will reopen once the coronavirus outbreak is under control.
Representatives from the states will comprise a special council that will start meeting Tuesday to draft plans for how to lift restrictions and restart the economy. The governors didn’t announce a timeline for action, but New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) says he wants the group to create guidelines within weeks.
“And we’ll say to the group, ‘We want it ASAP. But we want it smart,’” Cuomo said during a Monday afternoon news conference. “This is about being smart, first. Not political. Smart.”
Officials from Pennsylvania will work with their counterparts from New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware and Rhode Island. All six states are led by Democratic governors.
The announcement by the governors came on the same day that President Donald Trump tweeted that the decision to reopen the economy is up to the president and federal government, not the states.
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf (D) said he disagreed.
“Well, seeing as how we had the responsibility for closing the state down, I think we probably have the primary responsibility for opening it up,” Wolf said when asked about the president’s comments.
Wolf didn’t mention the president by name.
“I don’t think, you know, we’re trying to say anything negative about anybody,” Wolf said. “We’re simply saying it was our responsibility to steer our way through these uncharted waters, and it’s our responsibility to figure out a way back.”
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