Deutsche Bank staff back in NYC offices as COVID cases decline

Deutsche Bank employees returned to the lender’s U.S. headquarters in New York on Monday after working from home during the recent surge in COVID-19 cases fueled by the omicron variant.

Staff at the Frankfurt-based bank must produce a negative test result to come back to the Columbus Circle offices, according to a person familiar with the matter. The building requires COVID-19 vaccination for entry, and employees will be tested for the virus by on-site medical personnel each week, said the person, who asked not to be identified discussing information that isn’t public. The company’s hybrid model remains in place, with employees able to work from home part of the week.

Jeenah Moon/Bloomberg

A Deutsche Bank spokesperson confirmed the company’s plans.

Employees at other Wall Street firms are also set to return to office buildings vacated as omicron ravaged the Northeast. Goldman Sachs Group asked U.S. staff to resume in-person work Tuesday, Bloomberg previously reported, as did Credit Suisse Group. Meanwhile, Citigroup employees in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut were asked to prepare for a Feb. 7 return.

COVID-19 case numbers, hospitalizations and deaths in New York City are all trending downward after the spread of the highly contagious omicron variant starting late last year set off a record-setting surge.