RI Joins Regional Partnership To Reopen Economy: Coronavirus

PROVIDENCE, RI — Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo joined the leaders of several neighboring states Monday to announce a joint partnership aimed at reopening the economy shuttered by the coronavirus pandemic. The multi-state effort was spearheaded by the governors of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

"Throughout the crisis, the governors have been the ones who have been showing great leadership and taken action to keep our residents safe," Raimondo said during the call. "So I think it's only appropriate now that we are coming together and showing leadership to reopen the economy. As we take a coordinated approach on a regional level we will be much more successful."

The council was formed by the governors in recognition of the region's interconnected community and economy. The coordinating group will be made up of one health expert, one economic development expert and the respective Chief of Staff from each state, working together to create a framework to slowly lift restrictions on stay-at-home orders and business closures, while minimizing the spread of the virus.

"I am constantly thinking about what it's going to take to safely reopen this economy. Like you, I don't want to keep people out of work one day longer than necessary," Raimondo said to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. "However, I want to do it safely. So we need a smart, targeted approach to slowly reopen the economy in a way that keeps everybody - especially the elderly, the most vulnerable, and those with preexisting conditions - safe."

Cuomo, meanwhile, said that "a smart, consistent strategy" is needed to get things moving again.

"We have been collaborating closely with our neighboring states to combat this pandemic through a uniform approach to social distancing and density reduction and it has been working well," he said. "Now it is time to start opening the valve slowly and carefully while watching the infection rate meter so we don’t trigger a second wave of new infections. This is not a light switch that we can just flick on and everything goes back to normal."

The other governors echoed this sentiment, saying that while it is critically important to get people back to work, saving lives and preventing the spread of the virus is key.

"One thing that’s undeniable is that this virus does not stop at the border of any county, state, or country, but the impact is the same when it comes to our respective economies and healthcare systems," Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont said. "Working as a regional coalition to make the right decisions will lead to the best public health results for all of our residents. We must solve these problems together."

Patch Editor Scott Souza contributed to this report.

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