The Army is planning to put some new enlistees on the payroll even before they ship out for boot camp, an unusual stopgap to maintain recruiting amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Contagion fears have disrupted the Army’s schedule for shipping recruits to basic training, stranding some volunteers who have already quit civilian jobs and given up apartment leases in anticipation of beginning their military service.

To protect those who face such a predicament, the Army plans to pay those in need of a private’s salary—$1,604 a month—to stay home until health concerns subside and the service is in a position to accept the recruits. The Army is even considering a bonus payment to be awarded when the recruit finally leaves for boot camp.

“It’s the right thing to do—these people quit their jobs,” Maj. Gen. Frank Muth, head of Army Recruiting Command, told The Wall Street Journal.

Gen. Muth said the move is unprecedented for the Army and predicted that hundreds of recruits could qualify for early salaries, depending on the course of the disease.