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March 23-27 Explained: Federal Coronavirus Relief, Early Releases From Jail And Arts Groups Struggle

It's week two of extreme social distancing in Pittsburgh, in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19. Allegheny County and a number of other Pennsylvania counties are under a "stay-at-home" order from Gov. Tom Wolf. 

"This is not a request I make lightly," Wolf said via livestream. "Pennsylvania is the birthplace of American freedom. Our economy and our way of life were built on this freedom and it is this freedom I seek to preserve in our fight against COVID-19."

The question on everyone's mind is: How long is this going to last?

For now, residents must wait until there's evidence of the "curve" bending, meaning proof that social distancing and other efforts are slowing the upward trajectory of new cases.

Helping explain the headlines this week from the WESA newsroom:

Follow WESA's live blog for frequent updates.

Pittsburgh Explainer is hosted by Liz Reid and produced by Katie Blackley. New episodes come out every Friday. Subscribe on iTunesGoogle PlayStitcher and Spotify.

Katie Blackley is a digital editor/producer for 90.5 WESA and 91.3 WYEP, where she writes, edits and generates both web and on-air content for features and daily broadcast. She's the producer and host of our Good Question! series and podcast. She also covers history and the LGBTQ community. kblackley@wesa.fm