Travis and Williamson counties will issue dual orders Tuesday for all residents to shelter in place, furthering restrictions on movement and social interaction as local cases of the coronavirus continue to climb.

Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt said both counties and a number of other larger jurisdictions will issue similar orders Tuesday that will take effect at midnight.

"We are trying to strike the right balance between significantly reducing circulation in Travis County with our business community," Eckhardt said during a media briefing Monday evening, adding that officials were targeting activity, not business sectors.

"I would strongly encourage people not to panic," she said, adding people can still call a plumber, or pick something up from an office. "This is not seal up your doors, seal up your windows approach."

Mayor Steve Adler told the American-Statesman on Monday that drafts of the order being finalized resembled an order issued Sunday in Dallas County. The order banned non-essential travel and ordered all non-essential businesses closed, but made several exceptions, including allowing restaurants to continue providing take out and delivery.

"We want to make sure that we are prepared," Adler said. "That is part of our emergency planning that is happening."

Following Dallas County’s lead, McLennan County and Hunt County in northeastern Texas issued shelter-in-place orders Monday.

Locally, limitations on social gatherings have been steadily growing since Travis County and the city of Austin ordered bars and restaurant dining rooms closed last week. On Saturday, Travis County and the city of Austin put in place new restrictions to encourage social distancing at grocery stores, pharmacies and warehouses.

CORONAVIRUS IN TEXAS: What we know, latest updates

The shelter-in-place order comes at the recommendation of Austin Public Health. Dr. Mark Escott, interim Austin-Travis County Health Authority, told the Statesman on Monday he is continuing to study options that include additional restrictions, which could include a lockdown, for Austin and Travis County residents.

Using computer modeling about the spread of the virus is critical to Escott’s recommendations to "ensure that our response is deliberate and measured," he said.

"It's not just a matter of what is happening here and our capacity here locally, but our country is at war, and when our friends and our family and our colleagues are fighting for life, we need to take that into consideration when determining our actions locally," he said. "We are in this together."

Gov. Greg Abbott stopped short of issuing a shelter-at-home mandate on Sunday, leaving those decisions in the hands of local authorities, in part because a large majority of Texas’ counties have yet to report any confirmed cases of the coronavirus. A Statesman analysis of state data, public health authority reports and news reports from across the state showed 658 cases of the coronavirus had been confirmed in 52 of Texas’ 254 counties as of Sunday night.

In Travis County, 86 cases were confirmed as of Monday night, the second-highest total for a county in Texas behind only Dallas County. That number increased from 79 the day prior.

That increase likely fueled the decision to issue an order on Tuesday. Officials involved in the decision did not immediately return messages for comment after Adler confirmed that a shelter-in-place order would be issued.

The Austin City Council also could put additional protections in place Thursday for residents and businesses impacted by restrictions, including the closure of bars last week that essentially laid off all bartenders.

An ordinance from Council Member Greg Casar would place a 60-day moratorium on evictions starting from the first day of non-payment. Casar said small businesses and renters should not be forced out of their homes because of restrictions put in place to protect public health.

Travis County justices of the peace had placed a stoppage on eviction hearings on March 13. However, their order does not stop landlords from filing new eviction notices, which come with 24-hour notices to vacate.

"No one should be kicked out of their home or business during a pandemic," Casar said in a news release Monday. "During the pandemic, a lot of things have been stopped in their tracks: but, for working families, the bills have not stopped. So, we’re stepping in."

Council members Delia Garza, Kathie Tovo and Adler are co-sponsors.

Council Member Jimmy Flannigan also has a resolution on the agenda for Thursday’s meeting, which is being held virtually, that would give City Manager Spencer Cronk more latitude to enact emergency economic relief programs for people and businesses suffering from the pandemic.