Panel SA: Banks register Covid advance and close branches for decontamination

Febraban (Brazilian Federation of Banks) has been receiving reports of an increase in the number of people infected with the ômicron variant in the sector.

The number of agencies that have closed their doors because of the contamination of employees in the new phase of Covid fluctuates every day, according to the entity.

Closures vary daily and can last a few hours or even a full day, depending on the size of the branch, and serve to sanitize the place when there is confirmed contamination.

Also according to Febraban, there is no damage to the provision of services, because the face-to-face service accounts for only 3% of transactions.

Santander says that it closed few branches preventively, in compliance with health and safety protocols, and that operations are maintained.

Bradesco says that the process of closing and opening branches is dynamic. According to the bank, the protocols for removing and replacing employees, sanitizing, closing and reopening branches last, on average, one day.

Itaú, on the other hand, started to guide employees in administrative offices to prioritize the home office in view of the explosion of cases in the country.

“When there is a suspicion that a professional from the physical branch network may have Covid-19, the unit is temporarily closed and the team that was in contact with this employee is also removed from activities so that the place goes through the cleaning process” , says the bank in a note.

Neither Febraban nor the banks reveal the exact number of units closed in recent days.

The Bank Workers Union of São Paulo, Osasco and region says that it recorded 500 cases of Covid among bank employees this week alone and, therefore, scheduled a meeting with the banks for next Tuesday (18).

with Andressa Motter e Ana Paula Branco