LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Mayor Greg Fischer said 380 city employees will be furloughed on May 3 as Louisville continues to combat the COVID-19 outbreak.
The furloughed employees will mostly be those who can't work from home, such as school crossing guards and public library employees.
"... We’re to the point now where we need to shift gears more to reflect a dwindling workload and an increasingly difficult budget situation," Fischer said.
The furloughed employees will still have benefits and can apply for unemployment benefits. Fischer said he hopes the workers can return when the pandemic eases.
There are now 768 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in Jefferson County as of Friday, including four new deaths. That is an increase of 47 new cases from Thursday. A total of 61 people in Louisville have now died from COVID-19 complications, Fischer said during his daily press briefing.
So far, 310 people who were infected have now recovered.
Another Metro Louisville Police officer has been infected, Fischer said, bringing the department to a total of four cases. A total of five officers are in quarantine.
So far, 45 Metro Corrections inmates have been tested, resulting in 42 negative tests and three pending.
Fischer said he expects cases in Louisville to peak around May 1, and the city then hopes to begin a 14-day countdown to reopening, which will begin by limiting restrictions.
"We've done a good job of plateauing," Fischer said, noting that the projected May 1 peak could move up.
The gradual reopening could also be shorter than 14 days, he said, but warned that the pandemic is "not just going to go away. It's going to try to stay as long as it possibly can."
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