(WXYZ) — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced Thursday she and governors from surrounding states will work in close coordination to reopen the economy in the Midwest region. President Trump also outlined his plan to get the economy going again.
This is some welcoming news for more than a million Michiganders who are currently unemployed, but now the focus turns to opening back up and getting people to work, but it won’t come all at once.
"We’re all navigating something that no ones ever gone through before," Whitmer said.
Whitmer announced she will work closely with governors from surrounding states to mitigate the economic crisis COVID-19 caused.
"This economic shutdown is having a huge impact on people’s home budgets, business budgets as well as the States budget," she said.
The governors will work in coordination to prioritize workers health, when gradually opening the state.
"We don’t want to have to come back into this posture and so we’ve got to be really smart," Whitmer said.
Trump also announcing at his daily press conference, it’s time for the economy to open and it will boom.
"We must have a working economy and we want to get it back very very quickly and that’s what’s going to happen," Trump said.
The president announced three phases for opening the economy. Phase one includes employees to telework if possible, return to work in phases, minimize non-essential travel and when in public everyone should continue to social distance.
In Phase two, non essential travel for employers can resume, schools and organized youth activity can reopen, even bars, gyms and large venues can reopen with proper social distancing.
In Phase three, bars, gyms and large venues can reopen with limited social distancing and proper sanitation.
"As we reopen we know that there will be continued hardships and challenges ahead," the president said..
Gov. Whitmer says close coordination will ensure we get this right and work together as one region to tackle this challenge together
"I think it’s important people know we are doing the work to build the plan to keep people safe," she said.
The president also mentioned the decision to open states will depend on governors and not the White house.
