Days after Gov. J.B. Pritzker voiced optimism about the state “bending the curve,” Illinois health officials on Thursday announced the grim reality that 125 more people had died from the coronavirus, marking the highest number of deaths announced in a single day as the statewide toll eclipsed 1,000.

There were also 1,140 newly confirmed cases, bringing the state’s tally of total positive cases to 25,733, according to the Illinois Dept. of Public Health.

Illinois suffered the first of what could be a series of ratings downgrades today as Fitch Ratings moved its take on Illinois debt down a notch, from BBB to BBB-.

The firm also lowered its outlook to negative, meaning there’s a strong possibility of another downgrade arriving in months to come as the pandemic continues to take an economic toll.

Governor J.B. Pritzker announced that Illinois is joining 6 other Midwestern states to work together on a plan to reopen economies during the coronoavirus pandemic.

Illinois will be joined by Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana, Kentucky, Minnesota and Ohio to work “in a way that prioritizes worker’s health,” Pritzker said.

For the third straight year, Commonwealth Edison has opted not to raise delivery rates.

The Chicago-based utility serving northern Illinois filed today with the Illinois Commerce Commission for an $11.5 million decrease in what it charges households and businesses to keep the lights on. ComEd also announced it was voluntarily extending the existing moratorium on disconnections and late payments by a month, to June 30.

Fewer Illinoisans filed for unemployment last week, but the new numbers give additional insight into how the spread of COVID-19 is affecting the state’s economy.

According to statistics released by the U.S. Department of Labor, 141,000 people filed for unemployment benefits last week in Illinois. That is nearly 60,000 fewer than the week before.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Thursday extended until June 1 her decision to stop ticketing, booting and towing illegally parked vehicles — except for public safety reasons — to ease the burden on Chicagoans whose jobs and paychecks have been impacted by the coronavirus.

The temporary reprieve for motorists was to expire April 30, the same day Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s revised stay-at-home order is due to expire unless, as expected, it is extended once again.