TD Bank will close 81 of its 1,223 retail branches, almost 7% of all locations, as the Covid-19 pandemic accelerates the switch from brick-and-mortar to digital banking.

Cherry Hill, Pennsylvania-based TD, the U.S. retail banking arm of Toronto’s TD Bank Group (NYSE: TD), said the closings will take place by April 23.

They include locations in 15 states in the bank’s Maine-to-Florida footprint, including 21 in the New York City metro area.

Ernie Diaz, executive vice president and head of consumer distribution at TD, said the bank has a strategy to enhance its branch network and respond to changing customer expectations for digital, mobile and connected channel options.

“Those efforts were underway prior to the pandemic, but were paused in 2020 in an effort to provide colleagues with much needed stability in uncertain times,” Diaz said. “The decision to move forward with these changes at this time reflects our commitment to reinvesting in the business and in our communities in new and different ways. Stores are a vital part of our strategy, and we will continue to invest in them, which can mean identifying new locations, renovating existing locations, and expanding our ATM network.”

When asked about potential layoffs, TD said some employees would be impacted, though the bank is trying to redeploy them in other positions within the company. It did not have a specific number but said TD is "committed to treating our impacted colleagues fairly and with respect and supporting them with resources to assist with the transition.”

TD did not make clear how much money it would save via the branch reduction or what it would do with any money saved.

Most large banks had already been pruning their branch networks over the past decade due to the growing popularity of online and mobile banking. The continuing trend of customers handling transactions online or by phone or ATM has accelerated due to the pandemic as most branch lobbies were closed or restricted from March until June and have measures in place to curtail the spread of Covid-19, such as limiting the number of people who can enter the space. Banks in response have accelerated their branch cutting.

TD, though, has not been nearly as aggressive as its competitors on that score. Between 2010 and 2020, FDIC data shows TD’s local branch footprint declined by just 8.6%, much lower than chief competitors Wells Fargo Bank (-12%), PNC Bank (-12%), Citizens Bank (-18%) and Bank of America (-28%).

Since the start of 2020, data from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency shows that TD only shuttered 13 locations. Conversely, Wells Fargo closed 329 last year and has plans to shutter about 250 more this year. PNC closed 160 branches last year and plans to close at least another 120 this year.