HARTFORD — Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont and Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee have been appointed to co-chair a national task force designed to coordinate the response of states to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Lamont, a Democrat, and Lee, a Republican, will lead the new National Governor Association's Pandemic and Disaster Response Task Force, which is charged with advocating for the states on issues such as the distribution of vaccines, testing supplies and personal protective equipment.

“Throughout this unprecedented crisis, I have worked with my neighboring governors to ensure our responses were coordinated,” Lamont said in a statement. "We also worked with our federal partners as we responded to multiple severe weather events, and I am eager to exchange ideas and best practices with my fellow governors.”

The task force also will work with federal officials on other natural disasters and issues involving the deployment of the National Guard, cybersecurity and health care.