Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Monday that he will extend residential tenant eviction protections by executive order through Jan. 1, 2021.

The state Safe Harbor Act protects tenants from COVID-19-related residential evictions and foreclosures.

Cuomo noted that the state has already extended commercial protections, but says the residential protections will now be extended as well.

"As New York continues to fight the pandemic, we want to make sure New Yorkers who are still struggling financially will not be forced from their homes as a result of COVID," the governor saids in a statement. "We are extending the protections of the Safe Harbor Act through Jan. 1 because we want tenants to have fundamental stability in their lives as we recover from this crisis."

The governor announced the extension on a conference call with members of the media Monday morning. He also discussed what he says are "clusters" of COVID-19 cases in parts of Brooklyn and the Hudson Valley, and said state health officials would be reaching out to perform additional testing and compliance measures in those areas.