The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced an extension of the eviction moratorium for renters, but the continuation will only be impact areas that have a high number of new coronavirus infections, the Washington Post reports.
The two-month continued moratorium is limited to counties that have “substantial and high levels of community transmission” of the coronavirus, which currently covers about 90% of the counties in the United States thanks to the spread of the highly-contagious delta variant.
According to the Post, the 19-page order lists criminal penalties including fines and prison time if someone is found to have violated the eviction moratorium.
The CDC action come less than a week after the Biden Administration let the national eviction moratorium lapse, saying that in light of a recent Supreme Court decision, the CDC could not find legal justification to extend it.
The limitation of keeping the moratorium in place based on geography impacted by the coronavirus may give the order the legal legitimacy if the order is challenged in court.