“Yes, the curve has bent, but it has bent to flat,” Pritzker said.

Illinois Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike reported 2,641 new COVID-19 cases Thursday, pushing the state total to 70,873. Some 138 new deaths brought the statewide toll to 3,111. Hospitalization remained fairly level, and indeed both Ezike and Pritzker said the state appeared to have reached an extended plateau in the coronavirus outbreak.

“We’ve been fiat for some time now,” Ezike said, mainly over this first week of May, which has seen both record highs for cases and deaths reported in a day, at 3,137 last Friday and 176 on Tuesday. “So where we go next is critical.”

As the NFL prepared to release its 2020 schedule, including of course for the Chicago Bears, Pritzker expressed support, even as he was doubtful whether the games will be played in front of fans in stadiums or simply aired on TV. “I want to get sports up and going. I think people need this as an outlet,” he said. “I think it’s important to everybody’s psyche.”

But he was also dubious about water parks and theme parks like Great America opening this summer, as well as shopping malls, and he remained adamant about churches holding services.

Yet Pritzker maintained that his Restore Illinois plan — which allows for four regions of the state to make progress on easing stay-at-home restrictions if they maintain the same level of infection over a month — was to be preferred over previous White House requirements calling for areas to see a two-week drop in cases to open up. “I think that’s going to turn out that some areas of the state are going to open up earlier” under his plan, he said.

The governor expressed optimism that a successful treatment for COVID-19 could be discovered relatively soon and enable restrictions to be eased.

“I know everybody sees a vaccine as happening who knows when,” he said. “But an effective treatment is potentially on the horizon, and that will change everything.”

Until then, Ezike called on Illinoisans to resist the urge to get out more as the weather improves. “If it stays the same, that’s great, we will quickly move through the phases” to open up the economy, she said. “But we have to be realistic. The more people are out, the more infections there’ll be. The more infections there’ll be, the more hospitalizations there’ll be. The more hospitalizations, a fraction of those will go on to have complications and potentially die.”

As such she warned residents about making an exception for Mother’s Day this weekend.

“We are still fighting this invisible enemy, and we must continue to take measures to reduce its spread,” Ezike said. “Please let’s honor our elderly mothers and grandmothers this Mother’s Day by keeping them safe. To do that, please stay at home, please wear your face coverings, please wash your hands frequently.”