Bookstore Laid Off Hundreds Of People And Just Hired Most Back

Not too many happy stories that involve coronavirus these days but here's one. A popular indie bookstore chain in Portland, Oregon had to let go most of its staff - more than 300 employees - earlier this month because of the coronavirus outbreak. However, now Powell's Bookstore has hired back more than 100 of those workers, thanks to a huge surge in online book sales amid the pandemic. Company CEO Emily Powell said in a statement, "Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, for your incredible and unwavering support. Your kind words, messages of encouragement, ideas for perseverance, and orders for books have taken our breath away." Powell, who conceded "we don't know what the future holds," noted that fulfilling customer orders may take a little longer than usual, "as we take all the necessary precautions to keep everyone healthy." The bookstore's five Portland locations will remain closed for the time being as they feel they couldn't operate the stores and still abide by the social distancing guidelines presented by the CDC.