The Bond County Board of Health held a telemeeting during which the Health Department administrator detailed a reduction in staff.
According to WGEL in late April, Sean Eifert said the department's cash reserve has decreased to $514,630 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
With many employees working from home due to the state's stay-at-home order, the department has seen less productivity while employees continued to be paid, slowing revenue intake, WGEl reported. Eifert said he has started reducing staff by furloughing nine workers and reducing the hours of nine others.
Eifert said the furloughs were necessary to help the department remain financially stable, WGEL reported, but he also said at the meeting that he hopes they will not last long.
He also told the board that the department has been awarded about $71,000 in coronavirus relief funds from the CARES Act, according to WGEL. The department has also received grants from the Illinois Department of Public Health that total $36,789.
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