With mask-wearing a fraught issue in some communities, but strong public health data showing masks help prevent the spread of COVID-19, banks are in a tough position.

Even as Gov. Chris Sununu has been reluctant to order residents to wear masks when out in public to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the American Bankers Association has stepped in to offer banks recommendations to help navigate what, in some communities, is a fraught topic. 

With the rise of coronavirus cases across the U.S. this summer, especially in southern and western states, the American Bankers Association has recommended that banks require anyone entering a branch to wear a face mask. 

 “Requiring the use of masks and face coverings is a step every bank can take to ensure that our industry is doing everything it can to protect our employees, customers and the communities we serve,” Rob Nichols, ABA president and CEO, said in a statement. “We owe it to frontline bank staff to prioritize their safety and to contribute to the wider effort to limit the spread of this infection.” 

The federal Centers for Disease Control, citing significant public health data, recommends individuals wear masks in public in addition to maintaining social distancing practices, for the most effective protections against the coronavirus.  

Nichols sent a letter last month recommending face masks to ABA member after consulting with the trade organization’s executive committee, the statement said. 

Unique among New England states, Sununu has not issued a statewide mask mandate. However, he said, while New Hampshire has been managing its coronavirus cases, “it would just be very naive to think that we would somehow be immune from the surges you’re seeing in the rest of the country.” 

Instead, the governor announced a public awareness campaign on social media aimed at increasing the use of masks among people between the ages of 15-40. Data suggests this group has slightly lower mask usage nationally, he said. 

Sununu, himself, says he wears a mask in public and in the office when social distancing is not possible. 

When entering most bank branches in the state, customers are required to wear a mask or, if they cannot or do not wish to, must use the drive-through lane.  

New Hampshire Mutual Bancorp’s member banks – Meredith Village Savings Bank, Merrimack County Savings Bank and the Savings Bank of Walpole – are also employing “customer ambassadors” to greet customers and “assist you with our new safety procedures,” the banks state on their websites.  

And TD Bank, which has the most branches of any bank statewide, still restricts access to its branches by appointment only, asking visitors to wait in their car until they are summoned via an app. 

Among the state’s major banks, only the Bank of New Hampshire does not require masks in its lobbies 

All of the state’s large banks couch their discussions of masks in terms of a need to protect their employees and other customers. And all require customer-facing employees to wear masks. 

Before the surge in COVID-19 cases, in early June, acting Comptroller of the Currency Brian Brooks had sent letters to the U.S. Conference of Mayors, the National League of Cities and the National Association of Governors noting that face mask requirements could lead to more bank robberies. 

To address this concern, most New Hampshire banks state on their websites that customers may be asked to lower their mask briefly for identification purposes.  

The ABA acknowledged that some customers prefer using branches and, combined with the tensions surrounding the issue in some communities, said mask mandates may be difficult to enforce, but necessary. 

“We have seen a significant increase in online banking across the country, but we realize some customers occasionally need to visit a branch and some prefer it,” said Paul Benda, ABA’s senior vice president for Risk Management. “The data clearly show that wearing a mask or face covering when indoors reduces the threat of infection for everyone, which is why we are urging banks of all sizes to adopt this policy.” 

Registry Review staff writer Diane McLaughlin and the Associated Press contributed to this report.