The State Bank of India (SBI), Hyderabad Circle, has appealed to its customers to minimise physical visit to the branches, in view of increasing number of COVID-19 cases among the staff and public.
Instead, it wants them to use alternative channels to conduct transactions.
Chief General Manager Om Prakash Mishra said that though the SBI Circle was taking all possible protective steps, cases of customers and employees getting infected by the virus were increasing. This was on account of the branches and loan processing cells servicing a large number of customers daily.
This was despite the bank ensuring physical distancing at the branches, providing adequate quantity of hand rub sanitisers as well as masks, the CGM said. Thermal scanners and PPE kits were also provided to staff at branches that received higher number of footfall. Those in charge were instructed to provide safety equipment wherever required and the circle was also following the standard operating procedures (SOP) and guidelines issued by government and bank in this regard.
Sources said about 120 employees of the Hyderabad Circle tested positive for COVID-19. Their contracting virus necesstiated the quarantine of co-workers, thereby in certain cases resulting in the temporary shutting down of the branch itself. While two employees succumbed to the virus, another was suspected to have contracted the virus when he died.
He appealed to customers to visit branches only in extreme exigencies, as they risk contracting the virus. SBI had a bouquet of safe and secure digital products like YONO.
