(CNN) A bipartisan group of governors from Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky announced Thursday that they will work in close coordination to reopen the Midwest regional economy in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
The announcement came in a press release from Democratic Governor of Michigan Gretchen Whitmer, sent on behalf of all participating administrators.
“Our number one priority when considering when to reopen our economy is the health and safety of our citizens,” the governors said in a joint statement.
“We will make decisions based on facts, science and recommendations from experts in health care, business, labor and education,” the statement added.
The governors said they would focus on at least four factors in determining the ideal time to reopen their states' economies: continued monitoring of new infection and hospitalization rates, enhanced testing and detection capabilities, sufficient health care capacity to respond to a resurgence and better workplace social distancing techniques.
The governors noted that their decision to work together “doesn't mean that 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 that it gets done right.”
Regional governors have also undertaken similar collaborations in recent days on the west and east coasts. In the meantime President Donald Trump — who has claimed “total” power in reopening states — announcing new guidelines for states Thursday to prevent the spread of the virus while reopening the economy.
The White House provided a document to all 50 US governors during an afternoon phone call suggesting milestones for when states should begin relaxing social distancing recommendations.
These include a steady reduction in cases over 14 days, a return to pre-crisis conditions in hospitals and the ability “to rapidly establish safe and effective screening and testing facilities” as well as “rapid and independent provision of adequate personal protective equipment”. in hospitals, according to the document, which was obtained by CNN.
Trump has worked to shift blame to governors for shortcomings in the federal government's response to the coronavirus outbreak and has long clashed with several Democrats.
Two of the governors involved in the new group — Republican Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and Democratic Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers — made announcements Thursday afternoon suggesting their states are looking ahead to how to reopen.
DeWine said at a news briefing that he is developing a plan for a new phase of the state's coronavirus response that will begin May 1. Details on the new phase will come in the coming weeks, DeWine said.
He added that talks should continue with his team of financial advisers and talk with school district superintendents about how to reopen schools and businesses in the state, he said. The plan is to issue new guidance when they determine the best steps to take, DeWine said.
Evers, meanwhile, extended his state's stay-at-home order through May 26 but relaxed some restrictions on businesses, a statement from the governor's office said.
Starting April 24, Wisconsin golf courses will be allowed to reopen, and public libraries and arts and crafts stores may offer curbside pickup, the release said. However, the release also notes that the state's public and private K-12 schools will remain closed for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year.
The order also prompts essential businesses to step up disinfection and retail stores to limit the number of people inside stores.
“The order implements some new measures to ensure safety and support the progress we have made in containing Covid-19, but also allows certain activities to resume,” the statement said.
On Monday, Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said his state, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Rhode Island and Massachusetts plan to name a public health official, a finance official and the chief of the governor's staff to a regional task force. which will immediately begin work on designing a reopening plan.
Later that day, the West Coast states of California, Washington, and Oregon also announced they were joining forces on a plan to begin phasing out stay-at-home orders. The governors of the three states will work together on their approach to getting back to business “in a safe, strategic, responsible way,” California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom announced.
The Midwest group is unique in facing significant resistance to governors' efforts to restrict public mobility to limit the spread of the virus. In Michigan, protesters in cars on Wednesday blocked the streets of the state capital in what organizers called “Operation Gridlock.”
Kentucky Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear announced Wednesday, amid noise from protesters who marched around the Kentucky Capitol to protest business closures, that the state will form a regional partnership with Ohio and Indiana.
In Ohio, protesters staged a rally at the Statehouse on Monday during a news conference with DeWine and other state officials, CNN affiliate WCMH reported.
This story has been updated with additional reporting.
CNN's Konstantin Toropin, Hollie Silverman, Maeve Reston, Cheri Mossburg, Rebekah Riess, Paul LeBlanc and Kevin Liptak contributed to this story.
