“The effects of the pandemic are devastating. Along with the irreparable loss of human life, both the virus and social confinement are contributing to a severe economic dilemma that cuts across society, including such susceptible segments like SMEs and the self-employed. At BBVA, we want to be as close to our customers as possible. Mitigating the socioeconomic impact of the coronavirus pandemic is crucial,” explained Lidia del Pozo, Director of Community Investment Programs at BBVA. During a webinar entitled ‘Responsible Banking during the COVID-19 Crisis,’ organized by the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI), representatives from financial institutions from around the world shared their strategies for addressing the pandemic and its impact on society.

Financial services are key to helping citizen endure the social and economic impact of the COVID-19 crisis. BBVA firmly believes that banks are a powerful tool to guarantee the protection of the most vulnerable, relieve the financial burden of those suffering the most from this crisis, and provide sufficient financing for the subsequent economic recovery. For this reason, it has launched numerous initiatives around the world to protect its employees and society as a whole, and support customers during this period.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, concerned people across the country have been swarming the grocery stores, hoarding toilet paper, hand sanitizer, and basic foods such as eggs and bread. 

According to the publication released from BBVA Research, When will the U.S. economy recover from the infection?, the experience of countries that have transitioned beyond the worst phase of the pandemic suggest that the number of coronavirus cases in the U.S. could peak in the spring or early summer.

BBVA Momentum, BBVA’s program in support of social entrepreneurship, is proud of its participant entrepreneurs who consistently demonstrate their ability to innovate under the most difficult of circumstances. The coronavirus crisis is no exception. A number of the Momentum program’s Spanish startup graduates have put the full weight of their ingenuity and resources into providing workable solutions to improve people’s lives.

In an attempt to capitalize on coronavirus fears, scammers are launching new phishing campaigns with false tips against the virus or links to purchase personal protective equipment to spread their malware among victims or steal their personal information.

As developments with COVID-19 continue to evolve, so does our approach to conducting business safely. At BBVA, we are taking a number of proactive steps to help ensure your access to banking services, while protecting the health and safety of you and our employees.  During this difficult time, we have implemented measures, announced offers and provided resources to minimize the impact on you and your banking needs.

BBVA’s Group executive chairman said that the bank has to “step up and make a difference” to do everything in its power to “save lives, mitigate the economic impact, and help others overcome these difficult times.” Carlos Torres Vila also announced that as an act of responsibility with society, customers and clients, shareholders and employees in the current context, “Those of us running the bank on a global level and in the different countries have decided to give up all variable compensation in the year 2020.” In a video made for employees, he maintained that BBVA is facing the COVID-19 crisis from a position of strength.

BBVA Group is staying ahead of the crisis with a global remote working plan that protects customers and employees alike. It has also ensured continued, uninterrupted operations for both consumer and business customers by strengthening digital access to its full suite of services. To contain the spread of COVID-19, BBVA has significantly reduced the number of employees working in its branch offices.

Garanti BBVA has put 10 million Turkish lira (approximately €1.4 million) into a fund to support public hospitals as they contend with the coronavirus pandemic. The money has been earmarked to address the most urgent needs of health care workers.

Small businesses across the country are having to modify their business operations to stay afloat in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. During trying times when unemployment numbers are at historic highs, digital resources have become increasingly necessary.

Researchers, businesses, and innovators around the world are putting technology to work to alleviate the effects of the global health crisis. From applications that collect data to track the spread of the virus to 3D printed ventilators for hospitals: these are some of the various technology projects rising to the occasion in the fight against coronavirus.

BBVA has launched a campaign for employees to do their part to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic. Employees who wish to do so, can join this cause through the campaign ‘Your contribution is worth double’ in which the bank will contribute an additional euro for every euro donated by employees.

BBVA USA is providing additional assistance across its footprint to those who have been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak, including new offers for consumers and small businesses, and specialized benefits for employees.

The Group is to donate €25 million to combat the coronavirus outbreak across its footprint. This week, BBVA will deliver an initial batch of medical equipment, respirators and surgical masks, worth approximately €3 million to Spanish health officials.

One of the paradoxical consequences of the global crisis triggered by the COVID-19 is its impact on the environment. The quarantine is causing sharp declines in pollutant emissions across the world’s most populated cities.

The Spanish Banking Association (AEB) welcome the implementation of the first €20 billion of a €100-billion government financing guarantee line, which is part of the banking industry’s commitment to guaranteeing the liquidity and credit required so that businesses and the self-employed can weather the challenges caused by the COVID-19 health crisis.

BBVA’s Turkish franchise is launching new measures to protect the health of employees, customers and society, while tackling the possible economic challenges generated in Turkey by coronavirus.

BBVA is lighting its corporate headquarters in Madrid as a symbol of its support for the professionals who are fighting day in and day out against coronavirus.

Given the climate of uncertainty created by the rapid expansion of COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus, it is becoming increasingly relevant to recognize reliable information and avoid spreading online. These are some of the tips provided by UNESCO to achieve this.

Spanish banks are to provide a deferral of up to three months on rent payments for families affected by the coronavirus and living in dwellings belonging to the Spanish Social Housing Fund.  This fund was created in 2013 and includes more than 10,000 dwellings in Spain that are the property of lending institutions.

Garanti BBVA, BBVA’s Turkish unit, has implemented a series of proactive measures to address the coronavirus pandemic, currently affecting 176 countries in the world. Garanti BBVA considers the health of its employees’, their families’, and society at large as its most important priority.

Dr. Antoni Trilla, Head of the Preventive Medicine and Epidemiology Unit at Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, volunteered to hold a videoconference with BBVA’s employees in order to answer some of the most frequently asked questions about coronavirus: Can someone who is asymptomatic transmit the virus? Can it be transmitted through contact with pets? How long will the preventive measures last? Is it dangerous to take ibuprofen if you have coronavirus? When will there be a vaccine? Hospital Clinic of Barcelona has compiled all the information available on COVID-19 and in a project undertaken together with the BBVA Foundation, has made it available in a dedicated portal, PortalCLÍNIC.

The spread of coronavirus to several countries has led to a very charged reaction in the markets. The World Health Organization’s declaration of a global COVID-19 pandemic led to a number of immediate actions from the central banks and, concretely, the European Central Bank (ECB), as well as governments and other authorities in Europe. In a note, BBVA Research indicates that “the adoption of these measures is positive.” However, it feels that the monetary policy measures should be accompanied by a coordinated fiscal response from the European Union, which has already begun to materialize in Europe with similar stimulus plans between different countries.

BBVA USA today announced that it would be closing most of its 637 branch lobbies and instead serving customers through its drive-thrus as a proactive measure to protect the health and well-being of customers, employees and communities, as well as do its part to limit the spread of the coronavirus COVID-19.

As millions of Americans face the prospect of being quarantined — either self-imposed or medically necessary — all of us are looking for creative ways to accomplish our daily chores and activities.

March has traditionally been the month of financial education, with major events like Global Money Week. However, the postponement of this event due to the coronavirus crisis has made online education take the lead in order to keep the spirit of these days dedicated to financial education.

The health crisis caused by the advance of coronavirus in Spain has put businesses and employees to the test. Recommendations and restrictive measures put in place by the government have all but brought commuting to a standstill. BBVA has adopted these measures in record time thanks to the protocols established in its continuity plans and its commitment to flexible work schemes, which has allowed the bank to continue providing the best service while ensuring the health of both its employees and customers and clients.

BBVA considers protecting the health of its customers and employees a priority, following the state of emergency declared in Spain due to coronavirus. For this reason, the bank recommends that customers do their banking on digital channels (the bbva.es website, the mobile app). Specifically, the bank’s app makes it possible to bank remotely easily and with total security, and offers an array of tools to help customers control their expenses and personal finances effectively. It is no surprise that for the third year in a row, Forrester Research named it the world’s best mobile banking app in 2019.

The Spanish Banking Association (AEB) supports the economic measures announced today by the Government amidst the coronavirus outbreak in order to avoid a production drop and to back employment. The AEB also expresses its complete disposition to facilitate their implementation and thus mitigate the impact of this crisis on families and businesses.

BBVA USA is offering special assistance to consumer and small business  customers impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, including penalty-free withdrawals from applicable CDs, ATM fee refunds, and payment deferrals, extensions and waivers on existing loans and lines of credit, among other offers.

BBVA continues taking security measures to stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus in Spain. Starting this Tuesday, the bank is operating its branches with 20 percent of its workforce, guaranteeing service in all municipalities where it has a presence.  This measures aims to protect the health of customers and employees, following the recommendations of healthcare authorities.

BBVA shareholders have backed the Group’s corporate management in 2019 with 99.4 percent of the votes at the Annual General Meeting, held on Friday in Bilbao. Quorum has been the highest in the bank’s history: 66.83 percent.

Carlos Torres Vila, Group executive chairman

• Excellent figures: “In 2019 BBVA posted its highest net attributable profit of the past decade without one-offs”
• New strategic priorities: We want “to improve our clients’ financial health and help them transition toward a sustainable future”
• Dividend: BBVA is proposing at the AGM a complementary gross cash dividend of €0.16 per share. The total dividend for the year stands at €0.26 per share, which reflects a 36 percent of attributable profit, excluding the impact of the goodwill adjustment in the U.S.

Onur Genç, Chief executive officer

• Business model: “Once again, we have demonstrated the strength of our diversified model”
• Profitability: “We are number one in terms of profitability,” among 15 largest European banks

In light of the situation resulting from the coronavirus, BBVA recommends not attending the Annual General Meeting in person whenever possible. The AGM is to be held on March 13th, 2020, at the Euskalduna Conference Center in Bilbao. Additionally, in order to allow shareholders to exercise the remote vote, BBVA has extended the deadline to do so until Thursday, March 12, 2020, at 08:00 pm.

BBVA’s 2020 Annual General Shareholders’ Meeting (AGM) is scheduled to be held next March 13, 2020, on first call, at the Euskalduna Conference Center in Bilbao. BBVA wishes and promotes the participation of its shareholders in such an important event for the company. For that reason, the bank has made available to its shareholders the appropriate channels to enable the exercise of their rights remotely, which are described in the Annual General Meeting section on the corporate website.

BBVA is operating as normal after activating additional measures on Tuesday following the recommendations made by the Ministry of Health and the Madrid and Basque regional governments, and after an employee at the bank’s Madrid headquarters tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19). Following this positive case, the bank has closed the area where the employee worked, as well as some common spaces as a preventive measure. The rest of the bank’s facilities are operating as normal.