Gov. Kate Brown reiterated Tuesday that Oregonians need to take action now to slow coronavirus transmissions in order to avoid "a higher strain on our medical system and greater loss of life to this disease.”

Brown and other public officials took sweeping actions to address the spread of the disease -- and the economic havoc it has caused.

Here are six key developments to know Wednesday:

SCHOOLS: The governor ordered Oregon schools to remain closed through April 28, extending her previously mandated closure period by four weeks. Students in Oregon will now remain out of school for at least six weeks. Even though schools are closed, day cares remain open. The state expanded child care subsidies for working parents who will rely on day cares to fill the place of schools.

SURGE: State and county health officials announced Oregon’s biggest one-day spike in coronavirus cases Tuesday. Experts have warned that the virus will indeed spread, but the increase was also caused in part by the increased availability of tests. The rise came with tragic news of that a second Oregonian who had the disease had died. Two residents of Clark County, Washington -- a husband and wife in their 80s -- also died.

RESPONSE: There remains uncertainty statewide about who can be tested for coronavirus and how patients can obtain those tests. On Tuesday, Brown’s administration provided mixed messages about when expanded testing will be available. Many rural counties still are sorting out when and how they will gain access to needed medical equipment.

SENIORS: In addition to closing schools, Brown ordered nursing homes closed to visitors amid the coronavirus outbreak. State officials say they are monitoring people in 34 nursing homes and other long-term care centers in Oregon for because they believe the residents may have the new coronavirus, state officials said Tuesday. And the number of senior care homes on the watch list has more than doubled, from 16 Sunday to the current count. So far only residents at one such facility -- a Linn County veterans home -- have tested positive.

STABILITY: Businesses forced to close in the wake of the coronavirus response have laid off thousands of workers in the Pacific Northwest. McMenamins alone has cut nearly 3,000 jobs. In response to such job cuts, Multnomah County and Portland city leaders issued emergency orders that ban eviction of tenants who fall behind on rent due to coronavirus-related challenges.

NEXT STEPS: Some cities and countries are taking more extreme steps than Oregon to fight the exponential spread of the new coronavirus. The San Francisco metro area is covered by a shelter-in-place order. Has the time come in Oregon for a societal lockdown? What does it look like? And how long would it last?

-- The Oregonian/OregonLive