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COVID- 19
6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2022
Unusual or Infrequent Items, or Both [Abstract]  
COVID-19

Note 15: COVID-19

 

The World Health Organization (the “WHO”) declared COVID-19 a global pandemic on March 11, 2020. In the United States, by the end of March 2020, the rapid spread of the COVID-19 virus invoked various Federal and New York State authorities to make emergency declarations and issue executive orders to limit the spread of the disease. Measures included severe restrictions on international and domestic travel, limitations on public gatherings, implementation of social distancing and sanitization protocols, school closings, orders to shelter in place and mandates to close all non-essential businesses to the public.

 

As a result of the initial and continuing outbreak, and governmental responses thereto, the spread of the coronavirus caused us to modify our business practices, in some cases substantially. These modifications included restrictions on employee travel, employee work locations, and the cancellation of physical participation in meetings, events and conferences. During the most restrictive periods during the pandemic, the Company had many of its employees working remotely and significantly reduced physical customer contact with employees and other customers until the second quarter of 2021, when New York State relaxed the majority of its safety mandates. At June 30, 2022, the Bank’s offices and branches were fully accessible to the public and substantially all of the Bank's operations have returned to pre-pandemic conditions. Certain previously-relaxed social distancing and safety protocols may have to be reinstated locally or in other regions of the country and it is possible that such protocols will be reinstated broadly in the future. The economic effects of these varying protocol reinstatement actions on the Company’s operations cannot be determined with certainty at this time. In the best interests of

our employees, customers, and business partners, we will take further action, focused on safety, as may be required in the future by government authorities.

 

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”), signed into law on March 27, 2020, provided financial assistance in various forms to both businesses and consumers, including the establishment and funding of the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”). In addition, the CARES Act also created many directives affecting the operations of financial service providers, such as the Company, including a forbearance program for federally-backed mortgage loans and protections for borrowers from negative credit reporting due to loan accommodations related to the national emergency. The banking regulatory agencies issued guidance encouraging financial institutions to work prudently with borrowers who were, or may be, unable to meet their contractual payment obligations because of the effects of COVID-19. The Company worked to assist its business and consumer customers affected by COVID-19.