Gov. Steve Bullock said on April 17 that he’s planning to roll out a plan next week for a phased reopening statewide.

“We need to do this right,” Bullock said.

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The stay home and school closure directives, among others, are set to expire April 24. After that, Bullock said the state will move forward with a phased reopening informed by experts.

“This will be a gradual process because once we be able to reopen we want to be able to stay open,” Bullock said. “The virus isn’t going away and we’re going to have to continue to adapt to how we live with it for the next while.”

[READ: The White House phased plan for reopening]

By next week, Bullock said the state will have a deliberate plan for reopening, as well as thoughtful planning in case of any setbacks.

He said because Montana took action early with input from public health and emergency response experts, the state has a significantly lower rate of infection than many our neighboring states that didn’t implement stay home directives.

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“We have flattened the curve and we have saved lives,” he said.

Bullock said he and other governors were on a call April 16 with President Trump, who said governors would call the shots on plans to reopen.

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“We all want to get Montanans working again,” he said. “We need to do this right.”

The state is slated to receive $1.25 billion in COVID-19 relief funds and Bullock has convened a task force to review the needs and best use of those funds for immediate needs and longterm economic recovery, he said.

There are several metrics that will factor into reopening, including a sustained reduction of new cases for at least 14 days. Bullock said there was a decline in new positives last week and he expected the same by the end of this week.

Hospitals need to be able to safely treat all patients and the state needs the capacity to test all people with symptoms as well as actively monitor newly confirmed cases and their close contacts, he said, among other criteria.

“I want to open up Montana as much as any Montanan out there,” Bullock said, but it was to be done responsibly. “I know that this crisis is hurting Montana and Montanans, but I also know if we get this wrong, it will hurt us even more.”