ST. LOUIS (AP) – A judge has ordered a halt to evictions in St. Louis through the end of August, but a civil rights advocacy group says the moratorium should be extended due to the coronavirus pandemic.Circuit Court Presiding Judge Rex Burlison issued the order Thursday. It does not apply to commercial property or properties where illegal drug activity occurred.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that St. Louis Sheriff Vernon Betts stopped serving eviction notices Tuesday after meeting with housing advocates.
ArchCity Defenders, a St. Louis-based non-profit civil rights law firm, called the moratorium a “good first step” but urged a 120-day moratorium on evictions.
“Evictions jeopardize the safety and stability of vulnerable families, inflict trauma, and are incredibly difficult to recover from,” ArchCity Defenders said in a statement.
A previous moratorium on evictions in St. Louis began in March and continued through early July.
NEARLY 1,000 NEW CASES
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services reported 996 new confirmed cases of the coronavirus on Friday, bringing the total since the pandemic began to 57,379. The state also reported 21 new deaths. Missouri has seen 1,301 people die from COVID-19.
The number of infections is believed to be far higher because many people have not been tested, and experts believe people can have the virus without feeling sick.
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