Starting Monday, Century Bank will close the lobbies of all 28 greater Boston branch locations as a precautionary measure to protect staff and customers against the COVID-19 pandemic.
“With the rise in cases and deaths from COVID in Massachusetts, we’re now obviously returning to March and April levels of the pandemic,” Century Bank CEO Barry Sloane said shortly after the announcement was made Friday. “Out of caution regarding the health of our branch staff, we are returning to what was our phase one, which is when our lobbies were closed.”
Despite the Medford-based bank’s consistent use of masks, mask guards, plexiglass partitions, daily temperature checks, and other virus safety measures at all its locations, Sloane said the company worried that keeping its lobbies open would still place employees at unnecessary risk for contracting COVID-19.
Instead, Century Bank is now encouraging customers to take advantage of the chain’s drive-thru and walk-up windows should they need in-person assistance.
“It’s much safer,” Sloane said. “There will be some inconvenience for sure, but we’ll do our best to service clients’ needs. If someone has a loan closing or other transaction, they can make an appointment, so business will get done, but the safety of our bankers comes first.”
16 branches currently have drive-thrus, while another eight have walk-up windows, and Sloane said Century Bank is in the process of purchasing walk-up windows for all remaining locations — something he noted that the company hasn’t done since 1995.
“Almost all of our branches will have some degree of service, whether it’s through a drive-up or a walk-up window,” he said, adding: “The manufacturer didn’t really make them anymore and they’re all scrambling to pull the old plans out to make walk-up windows again.”
When asked if employees at any of the bank’s location’s had tested positive for the virus in recent weeks, Sloane replied “sure.”
“It’s very low, but we have (had positive cases),” he said. “It’s nothing like what it was in the spring … but the problem is exposure more than anything. You have to be cautious with someone who has been exposed because one has to presume they could be carrying until proven otherwise.”
