Coronavirus: HSBC, Standard Chartered, Citi among six lenders reopening all branches as Hong Kong’s vaccination rate rises, Covid-19 cases ease

HSBC, Standard Chartered, BOCHK, the city’s three currency-issuing banks, will reopen all branches on April 19 along with Hang Seng, Citi and Shanghai Commercial Bank

These six lenders have a combined 687 branches, or 62 per cent of all 1,100 branches in the city

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HSBC and Standard Chartered, two of the city’s currency-issuing banks, said they will reopen all branches on April 19. Photo: Bloomberg

Published: 4:37pm, 13 Apr 2022Updated: 7:35pm, 13 Apr 2022

Six of Hong Kong’s largest banks will fully restore their branch operations next week, as the city prepares to relax some of its social-distancing rules amid improved vaccination rates and a slowing caseload.

HSBC, Standard Chartered, Bank of China (Hong Kong) (BOCHK), the city’s three currency-issuing banks, said they will reopen all branches on April 19, according to statements issued on Wednesday.

Hang Seng Bank, which is a subsidiary of HSBC, as well as Citi, will also resume all branches from the same day. All five lenders will also resume all branch openings on Saturdays from April 23.

Shanghai Commercial Bank will also resume opening all its 45 branches during weekdays from April 19, but will continue to temporarily suspended Saturday banking services until further notice.

These six lenders have a combined 687 branches, or 62 per cent of all 1,100 branches in the city.

Their decision ends an 11-week period during which as many as over 60 per cent of all, and at some stage one in every four bank branches, had to be shut because of infections among employees. Their reopening comes on the same day, next Tuesday, as students resuming classes. Restaurants are, however, expected to be able to resume dinner services from April 21.

“We had to adjust our branch operations to cope with the rapid spread of the fifth wave, so that we could continue to provide essential banking services to the public,” Standard Chartered said in a statement. It also reminded customers to check its website for individual branches that may need to be temporarily shut for deep cleaning.

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