| Greetings, QuickTake readers! In this edition: U.S. may be nearing an April collapse, New Zealand officials take a pay cut, and partygoers are paying real money to get into virtual nightclubs.  Trump to relax stay-at-home rules President Trump said Wednesday the U.S. has "passed the peak" of the COVID-19 epidemic, clearing the way for him to roll out guidelines to relax stay-at-home rules allowing some states to reopen before May 1, he announced. At the same press conference, Dr. Deborah Birx agreed that some places are "improving," but "that still requires everyone to continue to social distance," she said. "To all of you that would like to join together and have that dinner party for 20, don't do it yet," Birx added. The guidelines are expected to allow areas with low virus-transmission rates to ease social distancing but keep measures in place in harder-hit places. The ultimate decision will be up to governors, Trump said: "They know when it's time to open. I'm not going to put any pressure on any governor to open." More: - The coronavirus has infected more than 636,000 people in the U.S., leaving more than 28,000 dead.
$ignificant figures 8.7%. U.S. retail sales suffered the biggest monthly drop since 1992, and factory output fell the most since 1946, as economic activity "contracted sharply and abruptly," the Fed said, with "conditions expected to worsen." 1,438. France's COVID-19 deaths rose by the most yet on Wednesday to a total of 17,167 fatalities, while the number of intensive-care patients dropped for a seventh day. Infections rose by 4,560 to 147,863 cases. $24 billion. Jeff Bezos has added that much to his fortune in 2020, as the world's wealthiest people get wealthier during the pandemic—even as 17 million Americans lost their jobs in the span of three weeks. Highly quotable "We regret the decision." WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the organization "is getting on with the job" of responding to the virus pandemic, despite Trump's decision to halt U.S. funding to the body. "We're going to a different place." Gov. Andrew Cuomo said New York will enter a "new normal" as it gradually reopens and announced antibody testing for essential workers and ordered people to wear masks in public. "This progress is fragile." Angela Merkel extended Germany's lockdown until May 3 when schools and small shops will reopen in "small steps" but said large public events will be forbidden until at least August 31. This is not normal No clouds, no snow. Greenland's ice sheet lost 600 billion tons in 2019—the biggest-ever drop—after 50 billion fewer tons of snow fell, suggesting climate models may be underestimating future glacier melting by half.  The future is now Club Quarantine. People are paying real money to get into virtual Zoom nightclubs to party in private rooms with Insta-famous DJs and dancers, with all the trappings of bottle service—except for buckets of Champagne.  What's good In solidarity. New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern and other top officials will take a 20% pay cut for six months, she said, declaring "if there were ever a time to close the gap between people in different positions, it is now."  Now that you're caught up... Tell your friends to sign up to receive our newsletter five days a week. Follow QuickTake on Twitter , YouTube , Instagram and Facebook . BTW: Despite the pandemic, South Korea voter turnout hit a 28-year high as millions hit the polls for parliamentary elections. See how they did it. Thanks for reading!
-Andrew Mach | 
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