BAY AREA, CA — The six Bay Area counties that ordered residents to "shelter in place" through April 7 to help slow the spread of the new coronavirus will soon extend the order through at least May 1, the Santa Clara County Public Health Department said Monday.

The extension will be finalized on Wednesday in Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Santa Clara, San Francisco and San Mateo counties, as well as the city of Berkeley, city officials said.

It was not immediately clear whether Napa, Solano and Sonoma counties — which issued their own shelter-in-place orders days after the initial six counties issued theirs March 16 — also planned to extend theirs.

Don't miss local and statewide news about coronavirus developments and precautions. Sign up for Patch alerts and daily newsletters. "We have said an extension might be expected as we work together to slow the spread of the COVID-19 disease," the Santa Clara County Public Health Department said in a news release.

San Francisco Mayor London Breed confirmed the extension at a news conference Monday, describing the order as a life-saving measure. "The reason we've taken significant steps has everything to do with saving lives and protecting public health," she said, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

