CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (CBS19 NEWS) -- Some Charlottesville businesses are opening up their parking lots to frontline employees amid the coronavirus pandemic thanks to a local researcher. 

Mara Konar, a clinical lab scientist at the University of Virginia Health System's Microbiology and Molecular Infectious Disease Laboratories, initiated the idea.

She got local businesses, organizations and other individuals to provide parking spaces to her fellow employees who were using various forms of transportation like taking the shuttles to get to and from their parking locations.

Once her idea took off, more parking spaces became available to frontline employees battling COVID-19.

According to Resource Charlottesville, 170 parking spaces have been provided near UVA Health System from businesses like Courtyard by Marriott Charlottesville, Hampton by Hilton hotel and Peloton Station.

"We have been able to eliminate, I mean I don't know how many exposures between the community and our staff that can get our staff sick but then also the same is true in reverse. If anyone on our staff gets sick then we are protecting our community as well by not having healthcare staff on the different shuttles as well," said Konar.

Konar said the parking spaces are not just for health care workers but for other essential staff at UVA Health System.