SEATAC, Wash.–Credit unions and credit union organizations along the West Coast and elsewhere are monitoring the developing situation around coronavirus, especially as it relates to planned meetings and events.
In Washington State there have been six deaths linked to coronavirus to date. Washington Gov. Jay Inslee issued a statement urging people to consider avoding large public events and to prepare for other disruptions in their daily lives. "We are not making a request formally right now for events to be canceled, but people should be prepared for that possibility and need to be thinking abou it," he said.
A spokesperson for the Northwest Credit Union Association, which serves CUs in Washington, Oregon and Idaho, said it is “monitoring the coronavirus situation very closely and is taking precautions as needed for our staff as well as for our members. We are able to shift in-person meetings to virtual formats, and will do so as needed.”
PSCU, which has scheduled its Member Forum 2020 for April 21-23 in San Francisco, sent an alert to attendees noting that city and others have recently declared states of emergency around the threat.
PSCU said it is “taking the coronavirus threat seriously,” and while the meeting remains as scheduled, said the “health and safety of our employees and event partners are top priorities for PSCU. We will continue to monitor the developments and provide any updates as needed.”
In a separate statement unrelated to the meeting, PSCU said it is taking proactive steps in line with its business continuity plan (BCP), including both internal precautionary measures and preparatory steps to assist its credit unions.
"PSCU can carry out critical activities from multiple locations, and we stand ready to support our Owners in the event of a crisis," the company said. "PSCU’s contact centers are prepared and staffed to field additional call volume from Owner credit unions if and/or when necessary, as is our normal practice in similar situations."