Gov. Phil Murphy and 14 other Democratic governors are forming a new public health alliance to facilitate cross-state collaboration, citing an abdication of leadership at the federal level.
The announcement comes amid an ongoing government shutdown that has stretched on for more than two weeks.
The Governors Public Health Alliance includes California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Guam, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Washington State.
The move also follows another round of massive layoffs affecting hundreds of federal employees working in mental health, disease outbreaks, and disaster preparedness, Associated Press reported.
“New Jersey’s approach to public health will always be grounded in collaboration and science. I am proud to formalize these partnerships as we navigate uncertain times and build trust in evidence-based practices,” said Murphy in a press release. “Through this collaboration, we look forward to working closely with governors across our nation to combat serious public health threats.”
The new alliance has already begun sharing best practices, receiving briefings from public health experts, and coordinating on executive actions governors can take to strengthen public health protections, according to a press release.
Going forward, the group will continue to share information regarding major policy developments, coordinate strategies ahead of high-profile events, and offer opportunities to discuss health security issues.
The alliance will complement other entities like the newly formed Northeast Public Health Collaborative and West Coast Health Alliance.
New Jersey joined six other states in September to form the Northeast Public Health Collaborative. Much like the new public health alliance, it’s focused on emergency preparedness, vaccine recommendations, data collection, infectious disease management, and laboratory services.
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