Three South County cities declare local emergencies Monday

MONTEREY COUNTY, Calif. (KION) The cities of Soledad, King City and Gonzales all declared local emergencies in response to the spread of coronavirus Monday.

There are currently no confirmed cases of coronavirus, or COVID-19, in Monterey County.

Rene Mendez, the Gonzales City Manager, said the declaration will allow for the flexibility the cities need to respond to any situations that may arise.

"The potential spread of the virus does pose a risk to our community, and this proclamation will help the city qualify for reimbursement of costs associated with efforts to prevent the disease in the community, as well as plans and actions that may become necessary to respond to and prevent the spread of an outbreak should one occur in the future," Mendez said in a statement.

Mendez said an emergency response plan has been finalized and some steps have already been implemented to protect residents.

Monterey County officials declared a local emergency earlier this month.