President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort said it began temporarily furloughing 153 workers in March, according to a notice filed with the state of Florida and reported by the state's Department of Economic Opportunity Friday.
The news comes days after Trump's Doral golf club and resort reported layoffs and furloughs totaling 560.
In a letter dated March 27 and addressed to the DEO, Palm Beach County and the city of Palm Beach, Mar-a-Lago's director of human resources stated that the private membership club had begun halting business to avoid the spread of the coronavirus. The move followed a directive issued by Palm Beach County on March 26 that all nonessential businesses had to close.
According to media reports, at least four March visitors to the club tested positive for COVID-19, including members of a delegation from Brazil. On March 21, CNN reported the resort had closed for business in response to the virus.
According to the letter, Mar-a-Lago management expects the furloughs to be temporary but could not say when the workers would return given the evolving situation.
The furloughs include full- and part-time workers. Among them are 32 servers, 19 valet attendants, and 11 dishwashers.
