The Walt Disney company announced they will be putting employees who are not “necessary at this time” into furlough.

The action will come into force on 19 April and will be put in place across their 12 theme parks in the US.

In their statement released on Thursday, the company said that they were forced into the decision by the coronavirus pandemic.

“Disney employees have received full pay and benefits during this time, and we’ve committed to paying them through April 18, for a total of five additional weeks of compensation,” the statement read.

“However, with no clear indication of when we can restart our businesses, we’re forced to make the difficult decision to take the next step and furlough employees whose jobs aren’t necessary at this time.”

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The employees will keep their full health benefits during the period in furlough.

In an internal letter obtained by WFTV, Disney executives said the decision was made in order to protect employees jobs.

“The furlough allows us to preserve the jobs of cast members who are and will continue to be an important part of the Disney family, and provide an easier return to work when our communities recover from the impact of COVID-19.”

Cast members, including park princesses will be affected and executives from Disney Parks, Experiences and Products wrote a letter to their staff on Thursday saying the decision was made to protect the employees.

“This reality has been sobering to all of us,” the letter read. “As difficult as this decision was, we know it was the right one to help protect our cast members, our guests and our communities.”

Disney first made the decision to close some of their parks and resorts in March, with the parks closing on 15 March and the hotels on 20 March.

They were initially scheduled to reopen on 1 April, but the company decided to extend the closure, amid rising positive Covid-19 cases in the US.

“While there is still much uncertainty with respect to the impacts of COVID-19, the safety and well-being of our guests and employees remains The Walt Disney Company’s top priority,” the company said in a statement.

“As a result of this unprecedented pandemic and in line with direction provided by health experts and government officials, Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort will remain closed until further notice.”

According to a tracking project hosted by Johns Hopkins University, upwards of 245,658 people have tested positive for coronavirus in the US. The death toll has reached at least 6,069.