St. Luke's Hospital in Duluth, Minn., has laid off seven employees and is temporarily cutting hours for other workers amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Fox 21 reported.
The layoffs affected employees in what are considered nonessential roles during the outbreak, according to the TV station.
St. Luke's President and CEO Kevin Nokels said in a statement to the News Tribune that St. Luke's is also asking employees to volunteer to reduce hours where there are "decreases in demand."
The actions by St. Luke's come after Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on March 19 ordered healthcare providers to postpone elective surgeries.