Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont, D-Connecticut and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, D-New York, at an event in Hartford, Connecticut in September 2019. (File photo).

Seven northeastern states laid the groundwork Monday for coordinating a regional plan to ease coronavirus lockdown measures and reboot their economies. 

A specific timeline for the reopening wasn't immediately spelled out, but governors of the states announced a working group on the issue. That group is expected to include a health expert, an economic development expert from each of the participating states, along with the chief of staff for each governor in those states.

Reopening decisions could have sweeping effects on law firms and court systems for the participating states, which include New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Delaware and Massachusetts. 

In New York specifically, the state court system shut down all nonessential services last month in a pitch to help slow the spread of the coronavirus. Officials have instituted virtual court operations statewide and last week announced it would open up remote access for nonessential cases that are pending. 

The governors are faced with balancing public health concerns with the need to restart an economy crushed by the coronavirus outbreak.

"We have to be smart. You need the best public health plan and you need the best economic reactivation plan. It's not either/or, it has to be both," said New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Regardless of the timeline, he said the effort must be informed by experts and data. Other eastern states with Republican governors, notably Maryland and Vermont, were not among the group of states.

Earlier on Monday, President Donald Trump on Twitter rejected the idea that it was the governors' decision "to open up the states."

On Twitter, Trump reported he is working closely with the governors, but said the decision lies with the president.

"A decision by me, in conjunction with the Governors and input from others, will be made shortly!" he wrote on Twitter.

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf said states were responsible for the close-down measures and likely have the primary responsibility of opening things up. 

"We're simply saying, '[It] was our responsibility to steer our way through these uncharted waters, and it's our responsibility to figure out a way back,'" he said.

In addition to Cuomo and Wolf, who are both Democrats, the group includes Govs. Charlie Baker, R-Massachusetts; John Carney, D-Delaware; Ned Lamont, D-Connecticut; Phil Murphy, D-New Jersey; and Gina Raimondo, D-Rhode Island.

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