InTouch with Southern Kentucky June 2020 | Page 23

The ceremony took place in February
– on Valentine’s Day – when few
people in the U.S. had even heard
the words “COVID” or “coronavirus.”
“We feel very fortunate,” he said
of being able to hold the ceremony
before the shutdown hit.
Other events related to their
milestone anniversary have had to
be put on hold, but he said Citizens
National hopes to hold those soon.
He said their customers have been
appreciative and understanding
during this time, and he is thankful
for that.
Bloomer said that Citizens National
Bank has worked hard to meet
the customers’ needs while keeping
them safe physically.
For Noftsger, the focus was on
keeping staff safe, he said. Forcht
eliminated county-to-county travel
for employees in an effort to
prevent the contamination of two
branches should an employee become
ill.
Each branch had a pandemic kit
in place even before this pandemic,
with Noftsger saying it was a carryover
from what they learned during
the H1N1 (Swine Flu) pandemic in
2009
Federal regulations require that
banks have a pandemic plan, he
said. “The good news is we had a
plan and we’ve been able to execute
that plan.”
Bloomer said Citizens National,
too, had a plan in place and he was
“pleasantly surprised” by how well
it went.
Chaney said that for United Cumberland,
“The staff has handled the
changes well in terms of adjusting
their practices.” For tellers working
in the drive-thru, for example, that
meant having personal protective
equipment on hand, having their
workstations cleaned frequently,
and keeping hand sanitizer close by
to use after touching anything, such
as money, that could transfer the
virus.
Both staff and customers seemed
to adjust to the changes. “I think the
customers understand and want to
protect each other,” Chaney said of
the changes.
“We’re lucky we live in a community
where everyone cares about each
other and wants to protect each
other,” she said.
But after all is said and done, and
the pandemic restrictions lifted,
what will be the economic impact?
Noftsger said he wasn’t sure yet,
and that they would have to look at
both the third and fourth quarters
of the year to determine if the economy
is going to bounce back.
www.UnitedCumberland.com
June 2020 In Touch with Southern Kentucky • 23