Massachusetts joins regional multistate pact on restoring economy

BOSTON — New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and other governors released a statement late Monday announcing that Gov. Charlie Baker is joining a multi-state council "to restore the economy and get people back to work."

The council will feature one health expert, one economic development expert and the respective chief of staff from each state - New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Rhode Island. According to Murphy's office, this coordinating group "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," Murphy's office said.

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"The Baker-Polito Administration looks forward to participating in discussions with neighboring states and experts regarding the ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Massachusetts also remains focused on efforts to expand testing, ensure hospital capacity and provide the necessary PPE to those on the front lines to slow the spread of COVID-19 in our communities," Baker said in a statement released by Murphy's office.

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The governors stressed the need to stay focused on public health and defeating the virus, but said looking forward was also important.

“We have had conversations with a variety of folks in our economic and health care communities, and in our public health community, about what it might look like once we get past this, and we will talk about that at some point, but I really don’t want people to start to think today that this is over,” Baker said Monday at his coronavirus update briefing.

Republican President Donald Trump responded to the governors' plans by saying he is the ultimate decision-maker.

Some are “saying that it is the Governors decision to open up the states, not that of the President of the United States & the Federal Government. Let it be fully understood that this is incorrect...it is the decision of the President, and for many good reasons,” Trump tweeted Monday.

Trump and his administration are working closely with governors, he said.

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With Associated Press reports

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