The Cook County Circuit Court is two weeks into its pandemic shutdown, and now the chief judge has ordered it extended a month longer to May 18.

The updated order from Chief Circuit Judge Timothy C. Evans instructs judges to conduct hearings by video conference “to the extent it is reasonably possible” to minimize in-person attendance at court facilities.

The order instructs judges and the sheriff’s office to enforce a 10-person maximum in any courtroom and to require six feet of separation between all individuals.

The court will continue to hear emergency matters as determined by the presiding judges of each court district and division.

In the Law Division, the court has delayed matters scheduled between March 31 and April 30 by 56 days — late May at the earliest. Court dates scheduled after April 30 are pushed back 35 days — early June at the earliest.

In the Chancery Division, the court has placed a moratorium on final judgments and executions of judgments in mortgage foreclosure cases.

Traffic and misdemeanors cases in the Municipal Department won’t hold hearings until after May 18. At the suburban courthouses, arresting law enforcement agencies are instructed to let defendants participate in bail hearings by video conference. For agencies that can’t offer the technology, defendants will be brought to the sheriff’s office at the courthouse where deputies can set up a video conference.

Inside Chicago city limits, at the end of business this week the court will temporarily close the branch courts at 3150 W. Flournoy St., 5555 W. Grand Ave. and 727 E. 111th St.

The complete order, included changes to operations in other divisions of the court, is posted at cookcountycourt.org.