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Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms says she has ordered Watershed not to turn off residential water over unpaid bills for 60 days due to the Coronavirus outbreak.

Mayor Bottoms is also considering banning large outdoor gatherings for 30 days as irrational fears over the virus spreads.

The mayor issued the order because some people may be out of work due to concerns over the coronavirus epidemic.

“The health and wellbeing of Atlanta residents is at the forefront of everything we do as a city,” she said in a news release on Wednesday. “Access to water is paramount in the prevention of COVID-19 or any infectious health threat and no one should be deprived of this fundamental resource because of an inability to pay.”

According to WSB-TV, the mayor urged all city residents and visitors to follow preventive measures to limit the spread of the virus, including:

  • Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

  • Cover your cough or sneeze into a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash and wash your hands.

  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands.

  • Stay home if you are sick.

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    Read the mayor’s order here.