Pentagon to pay contractors unable to continue working amid pandemic

The Pentagon will continue paying contractors who are blocked from working due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a statement from DoD spokesman Lt. Col. Mike Andrews.

The move comes because the CARES Act, a massive emergency package recently passed by Congress, allows the government to reimburse contractors who pay employees who cannot continue working amid the health scare.

"This deviation addresses section 3610 of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act which allows agencies to reimburse contractors for payment to workers who are prevented from working due to COVID-19 facility closures or other restrictions," the DoD press release notes.

Much of the U.S. economy has been been crippled by the coronavirus crisis, leaving millions of workers unemployed. 

The Department of Labor on Thursday reported about 6.6 million people filed for unemployment during the week that ended April 4.