After COVID-19 scare, in-person appointments for unemployment claim help resume in Frankfort

Louisville Courier Journal

In-person appointments for unemployment claim assistance have resumed in Frankfort after they were abruptly halted on July 31 due to coronavirus concerns.

Some Kentuckians who drove for hours on Friday morning for their face-to-face appointment were told via email that an "unexpected circumstance" had shifted their conference with a state employee to a phone call.

The Kentucky Labor Cabinet later announced that an employee in the Office of Unemployment Insurance told officials the evening of July 30 that they had symptoms associated with COVID-19, said Marjorie Arnold, Labor Cabinet chief of staff.

Earlier:In-person unemployment appointments in Frankfort abruptly halted over COVID fears

After contact tracing, approximately seven employees needed to isolate and work from home, she said. Most appointments on July 31 were moved to phone calls.

The symptomatic employee as well as other employees who were exposed all tested negative, Arnold said Monday.

Appointments resumed in Frankfort on Monday and will continue as scheduled this week.

In-person assistance is also being offered in Louisville this week for the first time since the start of the pandemic. Spots for the five-day run were fully booked within hours when sign-ups went online last week.

More:'I'm just thankful today': Long-awaited unemployment claim help comes to Louisville

Hundreds of people who had an issue with their jobless claim were seen Monday at the United Auto Workers Local 862 Union Hall, which is hosting state employees this week.

If cancellations occur, open spots can be viewed on the state's unemployment website at kcc.ky.gov.

Gov. Andy Beshear acknowledged last week that demand outpaces supply for appointments and that he's not sure when in-person help may come back to Jefferson County.

Appointments in Frankfort are booked through the end of September.

Various cities in Kentucky, including Owensboro and Ashland, have hosted "pop-up" appointment sites that run for a few days. The Kentucky Labor Cabinet has not yet announced any future locations.

Matthew Glowicki’s Reader's Watchdog column helps readers get answers and holds public officials, businesses and individuals to account. Contact him at watchdog@courierjournal.com, 502-582-4989 or on Twitter @mattglo. Support Reader's Watchdog by subscribing today: courier-journal.com/mattg.