Some bank branches close again as COVID spikes. These locations closed in Charlotte
Airlines have canceled flights, some retailers are shutting stores – and your trip to your local bank branch might be the latest in a series of disruptions caused by the rapid spread of the new COVID-19 omicron variant.
Some Charlotte bank branches are temporarily closed as cases spike in the city and across the country. Over 3,500 new COVID cases were reported in North Carolina on Tuesday, according to the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.
“Many of our locations may have reduced hours, alternate days of operations or may have been temporarily closed,” Bank of America tells customers on its website. Some locations may be closed for extended periods of time, the bank said.
Charlotte’s biggest bank had eight branches temporarily closed throughout the city as of Wednesday, according to Bank of America’s online branch locator. That includes branches in South End, Kenilworth Commons and Park Road.
Six other locations are temporarily closed throughout the region in surrounding towns like Monroe, Kannapolis and Gastonia.
Truist, the combination of BB&T and SunTrust, had three local branches marked as “currently closed” on its website: the BB&T branches on Hickory Grove Road, Old Providence Road and W. Arbors Drive. Truist had a few COVID-related closures across N.C. on Wednesday, the bank said, and expects those branches to reopen in the coming days.
Wells Fargo, on the other hand, hasn’t marked any Charlotte branches as shut, although a few locations are only open for drive-up service.
It’s not the first time bank branches across Charlotte have shuttered in handfuls – customers faced a similar problem when the delta variant first emerged in late summer.
Why do bank branches close?
All three banks previously told the Observer that a COVID exposure among branch staff can result in temporary closures so that employees can isolate and facilities can be cleaned.
“Temporary financial center closures occur in areas where we’re seeing fewer visits, or where our staffing is not sufficient for all to remain open,” Bank of America said in a statement Wednesday. Those staffing shortages may not always be directly caused by a COVID exposure.
Wells Fargo customers can check to see if their go-to branch is open using its online branch locator, the bank said. Bank of America and Truist have similar tools that customers can use to check if their go-to branch is open.
Do customers still bank at branches?
Big banks like Bank of America, Wells Fargo and Truist have dozens of locations in the Charlotte area, although they’ve worked to shrink their brick-and-mortar footprints as more customers move their banking online.
In an informal Observer survey from November, 34% of 161 respondents said they don’t visit a bank branch very often. Only 20% said they visit once a week, and 17% said they never go at all.
Bank of America has plans to close three Charlotte-area locations early next year, part of a pre-pandemic plan to shrink its branch network. Truist is closing 10 local branches as part of its merger consolidation strategy.
And Wells Fargo has closed hundreds of branches across the country, most recently filing with regulators this month to close a location at SouthPark Mall.
Bank of America has the biggest market share in the Charlotte metro, holding 62% of all deposits. Truist is next, with 16%, and Wells Fargo ranks third with 14%.
This story was originally published December 30, 2021 at 5:50 AM.
