SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Governors of Washington, California and Oregon have announced they’ll be working together on a shared approach to re-opening their economies while continuing to control the spread of COVID-19.
In a statement Monday, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee announced the partnership with California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Oregon Gov. Kate Brown.
"COVID-19 has preyed upon our interconnectedness," the statement read. "In the coming weeks, the West Coast will flip the script on COVID-19 — with our states acting in close coordination and collaboration to ensure the virus can never spread wildly in our communities."
The written statement says that while each state is building a state-specific plan, the three states have agreed to a framework that focuses on them working together, putting their residents’ health first, and having health outcomes and science guiding their decisions.
The West Coast governors said they are now focusing on protecting the public and vulnerable populations, ensuring that care is available, and to quell the non-direct health impacts of the coronavirus.
"Through quick and decisive action, each of our states has made significant progress in flattening the curve and slowing the spread of COVID-19 among the broader public," the Monday statement wrote. "Now, our public health leaders will focus on four goals that will be critical for controlling the virus in the future."
The virus has no boundary and will required all levels of government working together, the statement wrote. The governors administrations of the three states are expected to provide more information in the coming days.
In a press conference Monday, Governor Newsom said he doesn't want to overstate this vision or understate the imperative for Californian's to continue practicing physical distancing.
"Tomorrow we will lay out our California based thinking on that effort," Newsom said. "For weeks now, I have been previewing that the state of California is putting together a bottom up plan, a framework for targeted interventions and easing of restrictions in the state."
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