Reopening Illinois: Pritzker Teams Up With Midwest Governors

ILLINOIS — On the same day the governor of Wisconsin extended his statewide stay-at-home order through May 26, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said he's teaming with six Midwestern governors to reopen the economies in their states after the shutdowns forced by the coronavirus crisis.

Pritzker issued a joint announcement with governors Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, Tony Evers of Wisconsin, Mike DeWine of Ohio, Tim Waltz of Minnesota, Eric Holcomb of Indiana and Andy Beshear of Kentucky.

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The governors of neighboring Missouri and Iowa are not on the list.

Currently, Illinois' stay-at-home order is in place through April 30, as is Michigan's. Indiana's is set to end April 20 but will likely be extended; Ohio's on May 1; Kentucky's on May 1; and Minnesota's on May 3.

"We are doing everything we can to protect the people of our states and slow the spread of COVID-19, and we are eager to work together to mitigate the economic crisis this virus has caused in our region," the governors said in a statement. "We recognize that our economies are all reliant on each other, and we must work together to safely reopen them so hardworking people can get back to work and businesses can get back on their feet."

The governor said they will make decisions based on science, and "will work in close coordination to reopen our economies in a way that prioritizes our workers’ health."

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But the economies will be reopened in phases, according to the statement, and not all at once; and not all states will follow the same trajectory for reopening businesses.

"Over time, people will go back to work, restaurants will reopen, and things will go back to normal," the statement said. "We look forward to working together as one region to tackle this challenge together."