In a response to the current COVID-19 situation and the “Shelter In Place” order given by the Santa Cruz County Health Department, Bay Federal Credit Union has announced it is temporarily closing its Aptos and Scotts Valley branches beginning Wednesday, March 18. The credit union is also temporarily ending its Saturday branch hours for all locations until the shelter order is removed (currently estimated for April 7, 2020).
The decision to temporarily close both locations was made to help with social distancing and manage employee absenteeism due to school closures. Remaining staff from the Aptos and Scotts Valley locations will be relocated to support other branch locations during the temporary closure. The ATMs at both locations will remain open.
Members can do many of their day-to-day banking tasks through online banking and their mobile app. This includes opening accounts, applying for loans, depositing checks, paying bills, transferring money to others, and downloading electronic statements. Bay Federal’s call center will remain open on Saturdays from 9 AM to 3 PM to help the membership.
“During this period of uncertainty, we need to make some temporary changes to our branch network,” said Bay Federal President and CEO Carrie Birkhofer. “The health and safety of our members and employees is our number one priority. We want to emphasize that we are absolutely committed to serving our members as an essential business in our community and will make adjustments to our services and hours as needed. We will reopen these locations and increase hours of service as soon as our officials deem it safe to do so.”
The credit union is also offering many financial assistance programs for members who are burdened by the COVID-19 crisis. Programs include skipping or deferring a loan payment, applying for a special emergency loan, and more. It will continue to evaluate additional ways to support their membership, and members can visit their website at www.bayfed.com for the latest information, news, and resources.