What you need to know today about the virus pandemic

The global lockdown put in place to stem the spread of the coronavirus is hurting the illegal drug trade.

Pressure continues to grow on governments to loosen restrictions ease the economic pain of lockdowns. In Germany, breweries are threatened with permanent closure. In the U.S., the coronavirus is accelerating the decline in the coal industry.

Still, there were occasional signs of hope: South Korea reported just eight more cases of the coronavirus on Sunday, the first time a daily increase has dropped to single digits in about two months. And in New York, the daily toll of coronavirus deaths has hit its lowest point in more than two weeks.

Here are some of The Associated Press' top stories Sunday on the coronavirus pandemic. Follow APNews.com/VirusOutbreak for updates through the day and APNews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak for stories explaining some of its complexities.

WHAT’S HAPPENING TODAY:

— Orthodox Christian churches, including those in Russia, remain closed to worshipers on their holiest day of the year, Easter.

— The Trump administration and Congress are negotiating an aid package to replenish a loan program for small businesses that ran out of money.

— For-profit colleges are ramping up advertising amid predictions that the coronavirus pandemic will push unemployed workers back to school, helping revive the industry.

— A Broadway star must have his leg amputated following coronavirus complications.

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AP FACT CHECK:

President Donald Trump is wrongly casting blame on governors and the Obama administration for shortages in coronavirus testing. He has also suggested that the U.S. response to the virus is better than many other countries', but it's too soon to tell.

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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

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