Bank / Credit Union

BBVA to begin reopening bank lobbies

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July 6, 2020

BBVA USA will begin reopening lobby access at bank branches that were closed in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Houston-based unit of BBVA Group said it will use data-driven models that incorporate CDC guidelines and will incorporate individual market-based COVID-19 health data, local ordinances and stay-at-home orders to determine which branch lobbies to reopen.

"Recent weeks have made it clear that the pandemic is not done with us yet," Larry Franco, head of retail banking at BBVA, said in a company release. "The pragmatic model we're using to reopen allows us to understand this external environment and make plans based on emerging data and conditions. All of these decisions are being made with the utmost care for the health and safety of our team and customers."

The model for reopening is based on a variety of factors, including the number of COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people within a county, cases per square mile, forecast cases, as well as internal banking data that incorporates the number of available branch employees, the ability to social distance within a bank lobby and the risk level of certain interactions.

The bank is taking additional steps to enhance safety within the branches, including extra cleaning and sanitizing, requiring employees and customers to wear masks, installing Plexiglass, adding signage to direct foot traffic and updating guidelines for customer interactions.

Late last month, BBVA launched version 9.0 of its mobile banking app, which provides enhanced functionality and expanded transaction detail. The bank has also received approval to open another 15 branches in the state of Texas by early 2021.