Good afternoon! It’s Tuesday, and my dog does not understand social distancing. Here’s what you need to know today. (PS: You can have this delivered to your inbox by subscribing here.)

1. Pritzker says it’s unclear when life will go back to normal

Illinois officials today announced 250 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the state’s total to 1,535. Officials also said there were four new deaths, pushing the state’s total death toll to 16.

Gov. JB Pritzker, however, said the numbers could be deceiving because the state still needs “tens of thousands” of tests in order to have a more accurate picture of the situation in Illinois.

The governor also said it remains unclear how long the virus will continue to disrupt daily life.

“We are on a wartime footing right now,” Pritzker said of the efforts to stop the spread of the coronavirus. [WBEZ]

The news comes as patients facing other health conditions are asking tough questions about their care. [WBEZ]

Speaking of hospitals, here’s information on how you can donate supplies, like masks and gloves. [Chicago Tribune]

Meanwhile, a Chicago relief fund will give $3.5 million to local nonprofits in an effort to help people impacted financially by the COVID-19 pandemic. And Chicago officials announced financial assistance for commuters who use public transportation.

Click this link to find more news about how the Chicago area is reacting to the pandemic. [WBEZ]

Throughout Illinois, more than 700 complaints of price gouging have been reported. [Chicago Tribune]

The Chicago Board of Education will vote tomorrow on a $75 million coronavirus plan that will go toward remote learning, meal programs and emergency personnel, among other things. [Chicago Tribune]

2. Republicans and Democrats appear close to a deal on COVID-19 relief plan

Congressional leaders sounded optimistic that a deal on a $2 trillion package could be reached today. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said an agreement is “hours” away, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said “we’re on the 5-yard line.” [AP]

The White House has also agreed to oversight measures for a loan program to corporations. Democrats had called the loans a “slush fund.” [Washington Post]

Wall Street rallied on the news, with the Dow surging by more than 2,000 points, or 11 percent. [Washington Post]

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump said he wants the “country opened” by Easter, a move that health experts said could have disastrous consequences. [Washington Post]

And the president is reportedly losing his patience with Dr. Anthony Fauci, the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. [New York Times]

3. New York cases are doubling every 3 days

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said today that the spread of the virus is accelerating, and he said the peak of infections might be reached in two to three weeks, far sooner than previous projections.

“We haven’t flattened the curve. And the curve is actually increasing,” Cuomo said. “The apex is higher than we thought and the apex is sooner than we thought. That is a bad combination of facts.” [New York Times]

Meanwhile, Wisconsin is moving forward with its April 7 primary as more than half a dozen states have pushed back their elections. [NPR]

So far, more than 46,000 cases of COVID-19 have been reported across the U.S., and there have been more than 500 deaths. Here’s a look at where infections have been reported. [NPR]

4. China will begin easing COVID-19 lockdown

As nations around the world try to slow the spread of the coronavirus, the Chinese province of Hubei, where the pandemic started, will begin allowing most people to leave their homes tomorrow. The move comes two months after Chinese authorities issued a lockdown for the area. [New York Times]

Meanwhile in India, the world’s largest lockdown began today. In a televised address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi ordered his country’s 1.3 billion people to stay home for 21 days. [AP]

Worldwide, more than 395,000 cases and more than 17,000 deaths have been reported. You can find a map of worldwide infections here. [Johns Hopkins]

5. The 2020 Summer Olympics are now the 2021 Summer Olympics

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced the Summer Olympics, originally slated to begin on July 24 in Tokyo, will instead be held “by the summer of 2021” due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

As NPR points out, this is the first time the games have been postponed, though three were canceled because of WWI and WWII.

Olympic organizers say that after the pandemic has passed, they hope “the Olympic flame could become the light at the end of the tunnel in which the world finds itself at present.” [NPR]

Here’s what else is happening

• Local news outlets are hurting as they report on the COVID-19 pandemic. [New York Times]
• The Chicago Police Department is struggling to protect officers during the COVID-19 pandemic. [WBEZ]
• With no diners to feed, Country House Restaurant in Alsip has cooked and delivered nearly 3,000 meals to vulnerable families and seniors. [WBEZ]
• Here’s a look at how remote learning paid off for a Chicago Catholic school. [WBEZ]

Oh, and one more thing …

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many movie theaters to close, but drive-in theaters are seeing a revival, reports The New York Times.

“It makes perfect sense,” Jen Philhower, a mother of three in Texas, told the newspaper. “We can all sit in our cars, away from each other, and do something fun.”

The U.S. has 305 drive-in movie theaters, according to the United Drive-In Theatre Owners Association, and Illinois has eight. [New York Times]

Tell me something good …

What’s the first thing you’re doing when the “stay at home” order ends in Illinois?

Suzanne writes:

“I had started making decorations for the rooms of hospice patients the week before everything hit the fan. I now have more time and am making more in the hope I can deliver them sometime in the summer.”

And Ben Vigeant writes:

“Going to the best arcade bar in the city — Logan Arcade. Hugging everyone there and playing pinball until my fingers fall off.”

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

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