Carlos Tamarit

Mr. Tamarit, 62, has worked as a driver for EmpireCLS Worldwide Chauffeured Services in New Jersey for more than five years. He was laid off on Sunday.

How has your typical workday changed?

A typical day for me is usually 12 p.m. to midnight. Overnight, all that changed. I’m working — if I’m lucky — five hours. I usually make about $1,500 a week. Now I’m making $600. I’ll wake up tomorrow, I don’t know if I have a job and if I do have a job, I don’t know if I’ll make enough.

My main concern is now that I’m working less than 32 hours, I’m going to lose my health insurance. My 19-year-old daughter has had open-heart surgery. My wife just had a bout with cancer. They had to remove a kidney. I have a precancerous prostate. It’s just a ticking time bomb.

With your family’s health concerns, are you worried about being exposed to the coronavirus?

As drivers we’re putting ourselves at risk. If coronavirus is coming from other countries, it’s coming from the airports, and who’s going to the airports? We do. Everyone who gets into the car is potentially a carrier. But in our position it’s either work and eat, or don’t work and don’t eat.

What does the rest of the week look like for you?

I don’t qualify for food stamps or for most of the programs because they look at your income from the previous year.