Another 74 people have died from the coronavirus in Illinois as health officials announced 1,222 new cases Tuesday, but a slowing down of the exponential viral spread means “we are, in fact, bending the curve,” Gov. J.B. Pritzker said.

COVID-19 cases were doubling every two days as of March 22. As of Sunday, they were doubling roughly every eight days.

Illinois has spent more than $174 million on equipment and other outlays to fight the Covid-19 virus, Comptroller Susana Mendoza’s office said Tuesday.

The spending is detailed in a new section on the comptroller’s website that will list what the state is spending to combat the spread of the virus.

With an eye on what’s happening on the coasts, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has begun talking with his peers in other Midwestern states about adopting a joint policy on reopening the region’s economy as the COVID-19 pandemic curve appears to be flattening.

Pritzker’s office is confirming that he and key staff members have been on the phone as governors in the Northeast and Pacific Coast areas step up regional coordination in advance of an expected national move by President Donald Trump that may or may not fit local priorities.

Hospital occupancy rates have fluctuated in recent weeks, but the trend is giving some a bit of cautious optimism as Illinois works to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Tuesday said the state’s doubling rate of COVID-19 cases, or the number of days it takes for the state’s number of positive cases, hospitalizations and deaths to double has increased, and that’s a good thing.

Colorado has made online sales of recreational marijuana legal during the coronavirus epidemic, fulfilling one of the pot industry’s biggest wishes and fueling its argument for more concessions that could be made permanent when the crisis eases.

It’s one of several signs emerging from the virus outbreak of just how far ingrained marijuana has become in mainstream life in several states. Dispensaries are being designated “critical businesses” and are allowed to operate through statewide stay-at-home orders. Large markets such as California, Illinois, Oregon and Washington state are allowing curbside pickup during the crisis.

The meeting to choose a successor to embattled former Cook County Commissioner Jeff Tobolski could prove a challenge to social distancing requirements.

As many as ten contenders are hoping to present their credentials to the eight-member panel of Democratic Party leaders planning to meet in Berwyn on Wednesday to make the decision.