Keeping Your Members Current on COVID-19

Helping Your Members Keep Current on COVID-19

CDC Communications

The Centers for Disease Control, or CDC, has many excellent resources to help you and your members better understand COVID-19. With the outbreak and spread of the coronavirus, the CDC recommends that you follow the guidelines below for crisis communications:

Be First: Quickly sharing information about a disease outbreak can help stop the spread of disease. People often remember the first information they hear in an emergency, so the first information they receive should come from health experts.
Be Right: Accuracy establishes credibility. Information should include what is known and what is not known.
Be Credible: Honesty, timeliness, and scientific evidence encourages the public to trust your information and guidance.
Express Empathy: Disease outbreaks can cause fear and disrupt daily lives. Acknowledging what people are feeling and their challenges shows that you are considering their perspectives when you give recommendations.
Promote Action: Public understanding of and action on disease prevention is key to stop the spread. Keep action steps simple, short and easy to remember.
Show Respect: Respectful communication promotes cooperation and rapport. Do not dismiss fears or concerns. Give people a chance to talk and ask questions.

Template Letter to Members

You may have seen or received letters from financial institutions to their members about the COVID-19. Click here for a templated letter that can be customized for your credit union's use in reaching out to members. The letter is a reminder of the value of online and mobile banking, the importance of protecting yourself against scammers, and awareness of the location of participating ATMs during the coronavirus crisis.

CDC Resources for Your Use

The CDC has current, accurate information that you can share with you employees and members on the symptoms of COVID-19, what to do if you are sick with COVID-19, and what you can do to stop the spread of COVID-19. Find some of the CDC materials below. Most materials are available in Spanish, Chinese, and English. PDFs can be downloaded, printed and displayed in your branches.