National Commercial Bank (NCB) Jamaica Limited yesterday advised that it is changing its branch operating hours to 8:30 am to 1:30 pm daily, starting next Monday, to help minimise the spread of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

The measure, the bank said, will last until Friday, March 27. In addition, NCB’s Customer Care Centre will be available between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm during the same period.

“We are closing our locations early as we believe it is important to protect our staff and customers and play our part in minimising the spread of COVID19,” a company release quotes NCB CEO Septimus “Bob” Blake.

“We have ramped up sanitation in our facilities and have been allowing only 20 persons at time and continue to practise social distancing in our banking halls, as guided by the Ministry of Health, ” Blake said, adding, “We recognise that the elderly are categorised as high-risk and as such, we will be serving only senior citizens during the hours of 8:30 am to 9:00 am.”

Additionally, senior citizens will be prioritised for teller transactions and customer care support, regardless of the time they visit the branch, the bank said.

To this end, Blake encouraged customers to use the digital channels to manage their financial affairs in a safe and convenient manner. Transactions such as paying bills, transferring funds, or checking balances can be conducted via NCB’s mobile app.

“Customers may manage their investments using the NCBCM online platform. Additionally, customers may opt to use NCB’s intelligent ABMs that are available 24/7 at branches islandwide to lodge cash and cheques, withdraw cash, and pay their FLOW, JPS, NWC and credit card bills,” the bank said.

Blake emphasised NCB’s commitment to not just keeping customers safe, but also to helping them manage through any resulting financial challenges.

“We continue to reach out to our customers in industries such as tourism and distribution that have been directly impacted by COVID-19, and are working to provide customised solutions to meet their needs,” he noted.

“Our doors may be closing early, but our communication channels remain open,” Blake shared. “We will continue putting in the work behind the scenes to ensure that we do our part in keeping Jamaica safe.”

He invited customers with questions or concerns to e-mail ncbinfo@jncb.com and to visit NCB’s social media pages and www.jncb.com/covid19 for updates.