The worsening economy brought on by the coronavirus pandemic has big banks rethinking who they will lend to.

Amid the coronavirus emergency, the central bank may have to decide at what point the imperatives of an economic crisis outweigh the requirements of its most severe enforcement action in recent memory.

Thousands of bankers are set for a reprieve as Citigroup, Wells Fargo and Morgan Stanley joined European lenders in pledging to preserve jobs amid the widespread impact of the coronavirus.

From helping hospitals purchase new testing kits and ventilators to backing efforts to develop a COVID-19 vaccine, banks large and small are pledging millions of dollars to assist with medical relief efforts.

JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Citigroup and U.S. Bancorp, along with 200 state-chartered banks and credit unions, have agreed to let borrowers skip payments for 90 days if their finances have been upended by the pandemic.

It joins a growing list of banks temporarily shuttering branches as the novel coronavirus continues to spread across the country and more Americans stay home. Meanwhile, Citi and rival Wells Fargo became the latest banks to announce plans to pay bonuses to front-line employees.

BofA, JPMorgan said they are paying bonuses to branch and call center employees; the bank says removing the $1.9 trillion limit on growth will help it lend to more customers in need.

Banks cutting back on branch services — or closing stores outright — to slow spread of coronavirus; Trump administration to halt foreclosures as pandemic worsens; Wells Fargo hires TD's Ellen Patterson as general counsel; and more from this week's most-read stories.

After resigning last year under pressure from federal policymakers, the former executive received no severance benefits or annual incentive award.

The governors want more regulatory power as federal oversight slips; U.S. and European banks dropped sharply Monday as coronavirus-related problems multiply.