Sonoma County Sheriff won’t evict tenants during coronavirus shelter-in-place order

The Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office announced Tuesday that it would not enforce eviction orders amid the three-week shelter-in-place mandate enacted countywide to curb the spread of coronavirus.

The order goes into effect at 12:01 a.m., urging people to remain in their homes for all but essential work or errands and limits business to a defined set of essential industries and professions. It will remain in place through April 7.

Sheriff Mark Essick’s deputies won’t enforce writs of eviction that would displace people who have been told by the county to stay at home, according to Misti Wood, a spokeswoman for the Sheriff’s Office.

“We will temporarily suspend evictions during that time,” Wood said. “When the shelter in place order is lifted, we’ll re-evaluate how we’ll proceed.”

You can reach Staff Writer Will Schmitt at 707-521-5207 or will.schmitt@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @wsreports.