Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Oregon Gov. Kate Brown have formed the “Westerns States Pact,” agreeing on a shared approach for reopening economies and controlling COVID-19 in the future.
“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 said in a joint statement.
Though each will have a state-specific plan, they have agreed to these principles:
Residents’ health comes first. Health outcomes and science – not politics – will guide these decisions. Our states will only be effective by working together
The governors say quick and decisive actions have led to each of their states making significant progress in flattening the curve and slowing the spread of COVID-19. Now they say public health leaders will focus on four goals:
Protecting vulnerable populations at risk for severe disease if infectedEnsuring an ability to care for those who may contract COVID-19Mitigating non-direct COVID-19 health impacts. Protecting general public by ensuring lifting of interventions includes development for testing, tracking and isolating.
“COVID-19 doesn’t follow state or national boundaries,” the statement says. “It will take every level of government, working together, and a full picture of what’s happening on the ground. In the coming days the governors, their staff and health officials will continue conversations about this regional pact to recovery.”
