Good afternoon! It’s Wednesday, and let’s hear it for the coronavirus baby boomers , who will be paying my Social Security checks. Here’s what you need to know today. (PS: You can have this delivered to your inbox by subscribing here.)

1. Lightfoot threatens to shut down parks and lakefront

Mayor Lori Lightfoot said today that she will close down the city’s park and lakefront if people don’t follow Gov. JB Pritzker’s order to “stay at home.”

“I personally have been concerned with what I’ve seen in our parks. People playing basketball,” the mayor said. “And what I’ve seen on the lakefront, way too many people gathering like it’s just another day. It’s not another day.”

Interim Chicago Police Superintendent Charlie Beck said police officers will begin cracking down on people gathering in groups. [WBEZ]

Meanwhile, Pritzker today announced that he’s pushing back the state’s tax filing deadline to July 15, the same day that federal taxes are due.

The news comes as Illinois officials said there were 330 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the state’s total to 1,865. The state also saw three new deaths, pushing the total death toll to 19. [WBEZ]

Here’s a map of where cases have been reported in Illinois. [Chicago Reporter]

Some recently laid off workers tell WBEZ they are facing extra hurdles when applying for unemployment benefits. [WBEZ]

And more Chicago residents are adopting pets as a way to fight cabin fever. [WBEZ]

2. Deal reached on $2 trillion coronavirus relief plan

The Senate is expected to take a vote today after congressional leaders reached an agreement over the largest rescue package in U.S. history.

The package would send stimulus checks to many Americans, extend unemployment insurance to laid-off workers, provide more than $150 billion to health care facilities and set aside $350 billion for loans to small businesses. [NPR]

Wall Street rallied on the news, with the Dow surging 14% in two days. [CNBC]

Meanwhile, here’s a look at why President Donald Trump doesn’t have the final say on whether normal life will be resurrected on Easter. [Washington Post]

3. Spain’s death toll surpasses China’s

The total number of deaths in Spain spiked to 3,434, eclipsing China’s death toll of 3,285.

That means Spain has reported the second most coronavirus deaths in the world, behind Italy’s more than 6,800. Lawmakers in Spain are expected to extend a lockdown until April 11. [BBC]

A large number of health care workers in Spain and Italy, where critical protective gear is in short supply, are falling ill to the virus. [AP]

In China, authorities are trying to prevent a resurgence of COVID-19 from abroad. [NPR]

More than 438,000 cases and 19,600 deaths have been reported worldwide. [Johns Hopkins]

4. FDA fast-tracks COVID-19 treatment for serious infections

Doctors will soon be able to test an experimental treatment that uses plasma from people who had COVID-19 and recovered. The Food and Drug Administration this week said the treatment, which is in clinical trials, can be made available to doctors treating patients with serious or life-threatening infections.

The hope is that the plasma will carry antibodies to the virus, which could help patients recover. But there is currently little evidence that approach will work with the coronavirus. [NPR]

Meanwhile, severe cases of COVID-19 are appearing in people under 50. [Buzzfeed News]

5. New York City will begin closing streets

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said today that traffic will soon be closed on streets and contact sports in parks will be banned in New York City. The measures come as New York has emerged as the U.S. epicenter of the pandemic. [Reuters]

Meanwhile, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear voiced his frustration after a young adult who attended a “coronavirus party” tested positive for the virus. [NPR]

Here’s a look at how states are combating the spread of COVID-19. [NPR]

So far, the U.S. has seen more than 54,000 cases and more than 700 deaths. Click the link to find a map to see where the virus is spreading in the country. [NPR]

Here’s what else is happening

• Here’s a look at how former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders are trying to reach voters during the pandemic. [NPR]

• Some Chicago families with special needs students are struggling as schools remain closed. [WBEZ]

• Is anyone else playing Animal Crossing: New Horizons? [NPR]

• Local comedians share jokes and thoughts about the pandemic. [Chicago Reader]

Oh, and one more thing …

You know what I want, what I really, really want? A Spice Girls reunion tour in the U.S. after the pandemic. And apparently me and Melanie C, aka Sporty Spice, are on the same page. (Also, would The New York Times call her Ms. C on second reference? All my NYT nerds say “haaay!”)

Anyway, Sporty Spice said she wants to get the band together after the end of the pandemic and tour the U.S. Last year, all of the Spice Girls except for Victoria Beckham performed 13 shows in the U.K. and reportedly made $78 million. [Buzzfeed News]

Tell me something good …

What’s the first thing you’re doing to do when things go back to normal?

Nora writes:

“First thing I will do when this is done is go for some traditional Irish music at my local Irish pub, The Galway Arms!”

And Susan Marcus writes:

“When this mess is ever over, I am going to get my haircut. I wish I could do it now to look better on Zoom.”

What will you do? Feel free to email at therundown@wbez.org or tweet to @whuntah.

Have a nice night! If you like what you just read, you can subscribe to the newsletter here and have it delivered to your inbox.