ST. LOUIS –Washington University notified employees Monday morning of impending furloughs as a result of the COVID-19 crisis.

Employees received a letter about cost-cutting measures, explaining the unpaid, 90-day furloughs. Approximately 1,300 employees would be affected.

According to the letter, most of the furloughs would come from the medical school. School-operated clinics have seen a 60 percent drop in patients and the university is expecting to incur a $150 million loss through the end of the fiscal year.

Meanwhile, the University of Missouri announced it would restrict spending and hiring, eliminate raises, and accept voluntary reductions in pay from campus officials. In a letter to faculty and other staff, the university did not rule out the possibility for other measures, including furloughs and layoffs, in the coming weeks and months.

University leadership has asked for plans of Fiscal Year 2020 by the end of the month and first drafts for Fiscal Year 2021 in late May. The university says it will evaluate those plans before making any additional decisions on cost-cutting.

You can read the letter from Washington University below in its entirety.