Against the background of the Israeli government’s decision to adopt various activities to halt the spread of infection, the limitations on movement and gathering in public areas have been made stricter, alongside a contraction in in-person customer service. However, as the banking system provides essential services, bank branches will be allowed to open in the following manner:
To protect the health of the public and of employees, beginning from September 22, 2020, banks may reduce bank branch activity, provided that the share of open branches is not less than 80 percent. In addition, banks may change branches’ hours of operation as circumstances require it.
To enable continuity in providing banking services to the public, banks are to ensure that there is an in-person solution for service that is not provided by direct channels or to people who cannot access it via direct channels, among other things because they don’t know how to use them. On days when allowances are distributed and so long as there is no further increase in the severity of the limitations, branches in which there are tellers shall open.
The banks are to examine, in the framework of carrying out the above provisions, adopting various measures, including notifying customers of the change as soon as possible and of the alternatives available to customers for receiving the banking service.
In general, the services are to be provided subject to arranging an appointment in advance and to the availability of the service in the branch, with banks verifying the allocation of appropriate resources for call-center responses, within a reasonable time, for customers who belong to branches that are not in-person branches.
The Banking Supervision Department urges the public to carry out a wide range of banking activities via direct channels: phone, automated devices, the banking application, and on their bank’s website.