Colorado Gov. Jared Polis calls for national coronavirus response

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) said Thursday the U.S. needs a coordinated national response to better deal with the coronavirus pandemic.

The big picture: It’s difficult for any single state to contain the spread of the virus because of free movement between states, Polis said at an Axios virtual event.

• “We’ve had 50 different responses in each state. Each of us governors has been largely on our own to do the best we can,” Polis said.

Quick take: Polis said his state sees a lot of visitors from Arizona, California and Texas, all of which have become COVID hotspots in recent months. The governor estimated his state welcomed between 75,000 to 100,000 visitors over the Fourth of July weekend.

Worth noting: A number of governors, lawmakers and experts have called for a national strategy to combat the virus since at least since April.

Between the lines: Polis said Colorado has maintained a lower infection rate than most of its neighbors because its residents “adopted mask-wearing culture early.” The state announced a mandate for masks in public indoor places last week.

• Polis said most Colorado residents were already living in jurisdictions that required mask-wearing, but a statewide policy provides “clarity of message.”