KINGSTON, Jamaica — National Commercial Bank Jamaica Limited (NCB) has confirmed that three employees at its Kingston-based contact centre who have displaying symptoms that are potentially related to COVID-19, as well as those who may have been exposed to them, are in self-isolation.

The facility has undergone extensive deep-cleaning and sanitisation, the bank said.

In a statement today, NCB acknowlwedged that the move to islotate the employees in question will result in delays and longer than usual wait times for customers, but argued that the constraints are for the health and safety of all involved.

“Although we have contingency plans in place to support our customers and provide them with the assistance they need, our operations will be impacted by the reduction in agent support,” Danielle Cameron Duncan, head of Non-Branch Channels at NCB said, according to the statement. 

“Since the pandemic began, we have had to adjust our physical operations in respect of physical distancing requirements, and curfew restrictions, both of which have resulted in a reduction in the number of agents working at any given time, as well as our operating hours.”

She added: “Customers calling or emailing our Customer Care Centre will experience delays and longer than usual waiting times, which we acknowledge is an inconvenience. While we do our best to support them on all our available channels, we encourage customers to take advantage of our digital solutions including the iABMs in our 24/7 Bank on the Go locations, personal online banking and business online banking platforms, our mobile app, or our mobile money solution, Quisk.”

NCB said it has a total of six employees who have tested positive for COVID-19, all of whom are from its Kingston-based locations – The Atrium, 29 Trafalgar Road, and Duke Street and Knutsford Boulevard branches

However, it said, no customers have been exposed to the affected staffers and the bank continues to practise strict sanitisation and preventative measures.

“These include around-the-clock sanitisation of all its locations, mandatory mask-wearing by all employees and customers, installation of sanitisation stations, and temperature checks. NCB also continues to exercise the work-from-home option, where all teams that can operate remotely continue to do so to date,” the bank said.

NCB appealed to the public for understanding and cooperation in light of the circumstances. 

Said Cameron Duncan: “These are very challenging times, and we are doing everything we can to sustain the availability of services.”