California, Oregon, and Washington Launch Pact to Reopen Economies

A trio of west-coast states — California, Oregon, and Washington — announced Monday that they are working on a plan to reopen their economies once the Chinese coronavirus pandemic subsides.

“COVID-19 has preyed upon our interconnectedness. 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,” reads a statement via California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), Oregon Gov. Kate Brown (D), and Washington Gov. Jay Inslee (D).

“We are announcing that California, Oregon, and Washington have agreed to work together on a shared approach for reopening our economies – one that identifies clear indicators for communities to restart public life and business,” the governors added.

The joint pact will aim to protect “vulnerable populations at risk for severe disease if infected” by the coronavirus and attempt to mitigate its non-direct “health impacts,” with a special focus on aiding “disadvantaged communities.”

“COVID-19 doesn’t follow state or national boundaries,” Newsom, Brown, and Inslee added.  “It will take every level of government, working together, and a full picture of what’s happening on the ground.”

As of Monday, California has 21,794 confirmed coronavirus cases and 651 deaths. Oregon has recorded 1,527 cases and 52 deaths, while Washington has 10,224 cases and 491 fatalities.

The announcement comes hours after the governors of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut confirmed they are working on a similar plan to re-open parts of the northeast.

“It all has to be coordinated regionally,” New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) said Sunday. “We closed everything down in a coordinated fashion, and we did it regionally… That partnership is very important for our individual states and our collective states.”

In a separate statement, Gov. Ned Lamont (D) said he is working with New York and New Jersey on a “back-to-work strategy.”

“Connecticut has worked in harmony with regional governors in New York and New Jersey combating this virus and we are making progress,” said Lamont. “We’re also going to work together to get everyone safely back to work. We’re in this together and we’ll get back to work together.”