Around a quarter of bank branches in Hong Kong will close, as of this week, in the midst of a surge in coronavirus cases in the city.
276 bank branches in Hong Kong will be closed due to Covid-related reasons, according to an «SCMP» report that compiled the data, representing around 25 percent of the 1,100 branches in total.
«[The Hong Kong Monetary Authority] has maintained close dialogue with the banking industry since the outbreak of the pandemic,» said a spokesperson from the central bank. «Regular guidance has been provided to banks to assist them in managing the challenges associated with the pandemic.»
Covid Spike
The branch closures are occurring in the midst of a new Covid spike in the city with daily infections totaling the hundreds following months of single-digit or no cases per day.
HSBC, for example, closed two branches on Friday last week after two employees tested positive for Covid.
The British lender has closed a total of 37 branches thus far – around one-third of its network – of which four closures are related to infections while the remaining are for safety reasons.
