The Alabama Department of Labor says 6,062 people have applied for unemployment in Alabama this week since sheltering procedures went into place for the coronavirus pandemic.

Update Saturday March 21: 9,347 people filed for unemployment this past week, according to preliminary numbers from the Alabama Department of Labor.

The latest total from Thursday, according to the Alabama Department of Labor, was 2,195.

The three-day total was more than the total claims the state received in the three weeks prior - 4,913. Alabama Secretary of Labor Fitzgerald Washington today during a conference call with employers said that Alabama currently has $700 million in its unemployment trust fund, the highest amount ever.

Earlier this week, the Department of Labor modified existing unemployment compensation rules to allow workers to file claims related to the coronavirus. That includes people who are quarantined; those laid off or sent home without pay for an extended period by their employer due to COVID-19 concerns; those who are diagnosed with COVID-19, or who are caring for an immediate family member who is diagnosed with COVID-19.

The requirement that a laid-off worker be “able and available” to work while receiving unemployment compensation benefits has been modified for claimants affected by COVID-19. Claimants will also not have to search for other work provided they take reasonable steps to preserve their ability to come back to that job when the quarantine is lifted or the illness subsides. The waiting week, which is typically the first week of benefits, will also be waived.

In Alabama, the maximum weekly unemployment benefit is $275. Alabama allows for 14 weeks of regular unemployment benefits, with an option to add more if in qualified training. The amount is set by the Alabama Legislature.

In January, Alabama recorded a 2.7 percent unemployment rate, the best ever and the second straight month at that mark. The highest unemployment rate the state ever recorded was in October, November and December of 2009, when it was 11.8 percent.

This story was modified at 9:57 a.m. March 20 to correct the amount in the state’s unemployment fund.