Last checked at 
* Barclays, BlackRock, Morgan Stanley confirm one NY case
each
* Citigroup splits North America workforce
* Deutsche and BBVA reorganise operations
* Latest on coronavirus spread
(Adds details on Citigroup)
By Tom Sims and Imani Moise
FRANKFURT/NEW YORK March 10 (Reuters) - Banks and other
large financial companies in major cities across the world
ramped up their emergency measures to combat the spread of the
coronavirus on Tuesday, with Barclays Plc and
BlackRock Inc confirming one case in their New York
offices.
The steps including telling staff who had been exposed to
someone with the virus to self-quarantine for 14 days, splitting
operations so that some staff work from home or back-up
locations and deep cleaning offices.
Barclays told staff on Tuesday that a trading floor employee
in its Midtown Manhattan office tested positive for the virus
and told employees who worked near or met with the individual to
self-quarantine, according to a memo seen by Reuters.
Morgan Stanley also confirmed that an employee at its
Purchase, New York, campus, roughly 45-minutes north of
Manhattan, tested positive for the virus.
A BlackRock employee in its 40 East 52nd Street office in
New York informed the company on Monday evening that they had
been diagnosed with COVID-19, according to a spokesman. The
employee had no symptoms, but the company did a deep clean and
close colleagues were told to work from home for 14 days, the
spokesman said.
The asset manager said business continuity plans were
working, including provisions for teams to alternate working
from the office and from home to limit exposure.
Starting Wednesday, Citigroup Inc will divide its
entire North America workforce into two groups that will
alternate working from the office and other places in one-week
shifts, according to a source familiar with the plans.
Trading staff will largely report to back-up sites and other
teams like communications will work from home during off-weeks,
the sources said.
Similar arrangements could pose risks for markets continuing
to function smoothly, analysts said.
"With several large dealers having announced split staffs
and widespread work from home arrangements, we believe markets
are about to experience arguably the most significant
large-scale operation risk event since 2001," JPMorgan
fixed-income market strategists wrote in a note on Tuesday.
EUROPEAN CASES
In Europe, Deutsche Bank and BBVA
reorganised operations after employees were infected.
Deutsche Bank has split some of its trading operations
across sites in Frankfurt, while Spain's BBVA has shut one
building at its headquarters in Madrid.
The spread of the coronavirus is increasingly disrupting
financial companies' operations and adds to the impact of a
weaker economy on their businesses.
"Banks will see a weakening of their loan book quality as
the effects of the virus will reduce global travel and factory
output, and dampen domestic demand in Europe," Moody's analyst
Bernhard Held said.
Private equity firm KKR & Co Inc said late on Monday
that an employee at its London office had tested positive,
causing it to temporarily close both its sites in the city.
Standard Life Aberdeen said on Tuesday it was
planning to split its British and U.S. investment teams into
groups and have them work separately as part of contingency
planning.
Traders at the world's biggest banks began last week
swapping their plush city centre offices to work from suburban
outposts in New York and London, facing lengthy commutes as
their employers attempt to reduce the disruption caused by
coronavirus.
The measures by Deutsche on Tuesday are expected to affect
dozens of people and last until at least March 27. The bank also
split some operations in London on Monday, following similar
moves in places including Italy and China.
"We expect no impact on our ability to operate our full
range of services for our clients and recognise that this setup
will require extra effort and discipline from all," Deutsche
said in a memo to staff.
(Reporting by Arno Schuetze, Tom Sims, Imani Moise, Jesus
Aguado. Additional reporting by Simon Jessop, Huw Jones, Graham
Fahy, Hakan Ersen, Elizabeth Dilts and David Henry. Editing by
David Clarke, Mark Potter and Cynthia Osterman)
