Keeping in line with that, Western states have also declared that they will be working together to plan for the future. With the death rate and the number of people hospitalized due to the infection falling in New York, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced on Monday that the "worst is over" in the coronavirus crisis.
Cuomo also announced a collaboration with six other Northeastern governors to explore how the restrictions can be eventually lifted.
This move shows strong criticism of Donald Trump's recent tweet which suggested he has the authority to decide when the state will reopen, not the governors. The governors from Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and New Jersey said they would come up with a plan for when businesses and schools will reopen.
Aside from that, the governors will decide when to allow people to return to work without jeopardizing their safety; however, the timeline for this plan is still unclear. About deciding to reopen state, Mr. Cuomo said it is imperative to ensure to do it at the right time because it can backfire if they get it wrong.
Mr. Cuomo pointed out that various places around the globe are facing consequences of the wrong decision. He said doing that smartly and in a coordinated way is nothing short of an art form. The joint effort comprising three western states i.e. Washington, California, and Oregon was announced on Monday.
These states were among those experienced the impact of the coronavirus before it spread in the Northeast, announced a similar pact. All but one of the aforesaid governors on the two coasts is Democrats. Bent on taking the matter in their hands, the governors disregarded President Trump, who seems keen on asserting control over the decision of when and how America will reopen.
It remains to be seen whether or not this move will set up a collision course between Washington and the rest of the states. On Monday, the president assembled a task force to advise him about restoring normal life in the country.
Trump completely rejected the idea that the final decision would be made by the governors, even though they have been the ones to close schools and implement the stay-at-home law, not the federal government, NYTimes reported.
On Monday, Trump wrote on Twitter that some people in the Fake News Media claim the Governors can decide when to open the states, not the President and called it incorrect. It is the decision of the President, and for many good reasons,” he tweeted.