Gov. Gavin Newsom said Friday he is banning evictions of renters for the next two months as Californians continue to experience hardships from the coronavirus outbreak. The executive order he signed bars landlords, police and courts from enforcing eviction notices until May 31. The order takes effect for rents due on April 1. The order only applies to tenants who are not already behind on their payments.To be eligible, renters must notify their landlords in writing up to seven days after rent is due. Tenants must be able to document why they cannot pay, which include termination notices, payroll checks, medical bills or “signed letters or statements form an employer or supervisor explaining the tenant's changed financial circumstances."The announcement of the executive order comes as a military hospital ship that will provide up to 1,000 beds for non-coronavirus patients arrived in Los Angeles. The US Naval Ship Mercy was brought in to relieve hospitals strained from a surge of COVID-19 cases in California. At a news conference Friday, Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti applauded the ship's arrival. "I want to just thank everybody throughout this region for supporting the remarkable asset that is propositioned to help us with the surge of COVID-19-positive cases that are impacting not only our state, but the rest of the nation," Newsom said.As of Friday afternoon, there have been more than 4,200 confirmed cases in the state of California and 85 deaths related to the virus.| MORE | COVID-19 map of California: Latest coronavirus cases by county-- The Associated Press contributed reporting to this story. W2lmcmFtZSBzcmM9Imh0dHBzOi8vZDJjbXZicTdzeHgzM2ouY2xvdWRmcm9udC5uZXQvZW1haWwvcHJvZF9jb3JvbmF2aXJ1c19pZnJhbWVfYXJ0aWNsZS5odG1sIiBoZWlnaHQ9IjQxNCIgc3R5bGU9IndpZHRoOjEwMCU7Ym9yZGVyOm5vbmU7b3ZlcmZsb3c6aGlkZGVuIiBzY3JvbGxpbmc9Im5vIiBmcmFtZWJvcmRlcj0iMCIgYWxsb3dUcmFuc3BhcmVuY3k9InRydWUiXVsvaWZyYW1lXe+7vwo=

Gov. Gavin Newsom said Friday he is banning evictions of renters for the next two months as Californians continue to experience hardships from the coronavirus outbreak.

The executive order he signed bars landlords, police and courts from enforcing eviction notices until May 31. The order takes effect for rents due on April 1.


The order only applies to tenants who are not already behind on their payments.

To be eligible, renters must notify their landlords in writing up to seven days after rent is due. Tenants must be able to document why they cannot pay, which include termination notices, payroll checks, medical bills or “signed letters or statements form an employer or supervisor explaining the tenant's changed financial circumstances."

The announcement of the executive order comes as a military hospital ship that will provide up to 1,000 beds for non-coronavirus patients arrived in Los Angeles.

The US Naval Ship Mercy was brought in to relieve hospitals strained from a surge of COVID-19 cases in California.

At a news conference Friday, Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti applauded the ship's arrival.

"I want to just thank everybody throughout this region for supporting the remarkable asset that is propositioned to help us with the surge of COVID-19-positive cases that are impacting not only our state, but the rest of the nation," Newsom said.

As of Friday afternoon, there have been more than 4,200 confirmed cases in the state of California and 85 deaths related to the virus.

| MORE | COVID-19 map of California: Latest coronavirus cases by county

-- The Associated Press contributed reporting to this story.



