THE long, unmanaged queues at the banks pose a risk for the spread of COVID-19, says Deputy Controller of the National Pandemic Response Dr Daoni Esorom. “I’m concerned at seeing that there’s been long queues at the banks; people standing in queues are not wearing masks, both inside and outside the bank,’’ said Dr Daoni. “You see these happening all over the country in the banks. “Bank buildings are confined areas that can also be a hub for the spread of COVID-19 infections, including the Delta and Omnicron variants.’’ He urged the management of the banks to ensure the queues inside the banks are minimized and everyone must wear a mask. “They must also ensure that all the bank employees are vaccinated to protect themselves, their work colleagues and families,’’ he said. The Deputy Controller has also urged the bank management to make sure the queues are managed at the ATMs, and the ATMs are sanitized as they are used by a lot of people. “The surfaces at the ATMs can be a reservoir for COVID-19 as they are used by a lot of people,’’ he said. “Currently, most ATMS are not sanitized. People frequently touch surfaces of ATMs where they can contract COVID-19.’’ He urged the bank management to liase with the National Control Centre and come up with Standard Operating Procedures for COVID-19 workplace safety and operations to minimise the spread of the virus in the bank workplaces. He also urged people to make sure they are vaccinated as they can get COVID-19 in crowded places like banks or even spread the virus to others.