Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon and four other Republican governors, in a column published on Sunday in the Washington Post, claimed success for the way each of their states are handling the coronavirus pandemic.
The column written by Gordon, Gov. Pete Ricketts (Nebraska), Gov. Asa Hutchinson (Arkansas), Gov. Kim Reynolds (Iowa), and Gov. Mike Parson (Missouri) said although strategies employed by each of these states were different, all remained “open for business”.
“Here in the country’s heartland, decisions have been made based on sound medical and social science, positioning our states to thrive individually as our economies reopen,” the column reads.
“While our specific approaches may differ, we have all kept our states ‘open for business’ and delivered food and other goods Americans need during this pandemic,” it said.
A recent study showed a wide diversity in the different restrictions placed on individual states.
Of the states represented in Sunday’s column, Missouri was ranked the 4th least restrictive in its coronavirus policies, followed by Iowa (10), Arkansas (12), Nebraska (14), and Wyoming (18). South Dakota’s rules were ranked least restrictive of all 50 states.
The study measured a number of criteria including: Requirement to wear a face mask, travel restrictions, large gathering restrictions, statewide school restart, restaurant and bar re-openings, and others.
Sunday’s column argued that allowing each state to implement its own policies was the best approach as each state had different situations.
“Our states’ experiences offer collective proof that a one-size-fits-all approach is not the best way to address unique circumstances. When shaping our state plans, each of us has relied on our own public health teams, informed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other national experts,” the column reads.
In Wyoming, restaurants and bars will reopen with restrictions on May 15 although variances have been granted in many counties which have allowed for earlier opening dates.
The column praised individual companies which shifted from their core mission to provide much-needed goods to deal with the pandemic.
Here in Wyoming, Chronicles Distilling and others began producing hand sanitizer soon after the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau waived provisions of federal law to allow them to make hand sanitizer or ethanol for use in hand sanitizer without prior federal approval.
Moving forward, the governors said they were working together in sharing best practices in order to reopen sectors of the economy “while continuing to slow the spread of infection.”
“The core reasons our states are open for business are the tenacity, grit and heart of our residents. Their clear-eyed, common-sense approach helped keep our states on track and have set us up to come out of this pandemic stronger than ever. We look forward to leading the way,” it reads.
