States announce that they will coordinate efforts on economic reemergence.

Recognizing that their states have one integrated regional economy, New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf, Delaware Governor John Carney and Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo earlier today announced the creation of a multi-state council to restore the economy and get people back to work. This announcement builds on the states’ ongoing regional approach to combatting the COVID-19 pandemic.

The coordinating group – comprised of one health expert, one economic development expert and the respective Chief of Staff from each state — will work together to develop a fully integrated regional framework to gradually lift the states’ stay at home orders while minimizing the risk of increased spread of the virus.

The council will create this framework using every tool available to accomplish the goal of easing social isolation without triggering renewed spread – including testing, contact tracing, treatment and social distancing – and will rely on the best available scientific, statistical, social and economic information to manage and evaluate those tools, according to Governor Cuomo’s office.

“Everyone is very anxious to get out of the house, get back to work, get the economy moving. Everyone agrees with that. What the art form is going to be here is doing that smartly and doing that productively and doing that in a coordinated way,’’ said Cuomo.  “No other state has done it before, so it is one step forward after research and consultation with experts. I am not a public health expert, but this has to be informed by experts and by data. You take one step forward and you see how it works and then you measure the next step. To the extent we can do that together that is the best course.”

Marsha Gordon, President and CEO of the Business Council of Westchester, applauded the leadership being taken by the governors.

“We all know that our economies are interconnected and we are dependent upon one another in this,’’ said Gordon. “A regional approach to reemergence makes sense, just as Westchester must work together with our neighboring counties to jump start our economy once this is over.’’