This content is being provided for free as a public service to our readers during the coronavirus outbreak. Please support local journalism by subscribing to The Salinas Californian here.

Monterey County supervisors have halted evictions for the next month and a half during the coronavirus outbreak at the same time as they delayed issuing a shelter in place order.

Specifically, supervisors authorized sending a letter to Monterey County Superior Court to suspend evictions until May 31. This applies to unincorporated areas not under city jurisdiction and renters will still be required to pay on time.

County Administrative Officer Charles McKee will send the letter to Superior Court, with that May 31 date set to stay consistent with Gov. Gavin Newsom's executive order Monday giving local governments the ability to suspend residential or commercial evictions.

The board did not rule out extending that May 31 date in later recommendations.

"Because the impact is almost immediate and the recovery can take a while, we need to stay tuned and be sensitive to things," Supervisor Jane Parker said. "Even if COVID-19 actions tart to get rolled back in, say, a month or so, the impacts on the most vulnerable people in our communities may take longer than a month or two to recuperate."

Monterey County supervisors also discussed but did not take action Tuesday morning on a proposal to require residents to "shelter in place."

They instead opted to discuss the possibility of declaring a shelter in place requirement during closed session Tuesday evening.

Six Bay area counties adopted those restrictions early Monday, ordering residents to remain home except for necessary travel, in an effort to stop the potential spread of COVID-19.

Supervisors discussed calling for a shelter in place on Monday.

Monterey County Supervisor Luis Alejo, who represents most of Salinas on the board, said via text message no action was taken after an hour-long emergency meeting in closed session.

Alejo said supervisors will announce any discussions made during Tuesday's closed session.

"(We're) still researching options to bring back," he said.

Alejo said he had asked on Sunday that the county counsel examine such an order and bring it to supervisors for consideration.

He believes "we should all stay ahead of this by (taking) all precautionary measures, including a 'shelter in place,' so that we can remain with no cases for as long as possible."

As of Monday, COVID-19 had sickened more than 168,000 and killed more than 6,600 people worldwide.

"It's a stringent measure but a necessary one to prevent the spread of this deadly virus into our county," Alejo said.

Public health experts have warned that, due to lack of testing and the fact that not everyone with the novel coronavirus is symptomatic, it may exist in places where it hasn't yet been detected and is likely more prevalent than public statistics suggest.

It's not yet clear how much any "shelter in place" order for Monterey County would resemble those from the Bay area, Alejo said.

In addition to the six in the Bay area, Santa Cruz County on Monday issued a "shelter in place" order for all residents. The orders apply to almost seven million people, according to USA TODAY.

People are allowed to leave their homes to get food and medicine, help family and friends or leave the area if they aren't residents.

They can also go outdoors, such as taking a dog for a walk or going on a hike.

Taxis, airports and public transit will remain in operation for "essential travel," according to USA Today.

"In my lifetime I have not seen a situation like what we're seeing with COVID-19," Alejo said by phone Tuesday at the meeting. "Now is a time to alleviate fears and alleviate worries."

USA TODAY contributed to this story.

Joe Szydlowski is a multimedia journalist for the Salinas Californian who covers local government, crime and cannabis. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/JoeSzyd_Salinas. He can be reached at 235-2360. Help support The Californian's work: https://bit.ly/2Qo298J