Latest COVID-19 Headlines
All the headlines from our COVID-19 Topic Page, ordered by recency.
U.S. Unlikely to Impose Further Restrictions Due to Omicron COVID Variant, Says Fauci
Nov 29 2021 // The United States is unlikely to impose further restrictions amid the anticipated arrival of the Omicron COVID-19 variant, the nation’s top infectious disease official said on Monday after a travel ban on some...
As COVID Spread, European P/C Insurers Took Hits but Remained Resilient: AM Best
Nov 29 2021 // European property/casualty insurers faced a dip in total average gross written premium and after-tax profit in 2020, but their regulatory solvency ratios remained strong. Pandemic factors generally played a role in both...
Washington Paper Mill Fined $140K for Failing to Protect Workers from COVID
Nov 24 2021 // A Cowlitz County, Washington, papermaking plant is facing nearly $140,000 in fines after one worker died and more than a dozen machine operators got sick with COVID-19. An inspection by the Department of Labor &...
Report: California Workers’ Comp Covid Claim Volume Trending Down After Summer Surge
Nov 23 2021 // The summer surge of COVID-19 claims that hit the California workers’ compensation system in July and August appears to have run its course, according to the California Workers’ Compensation Institute. A CWCI...
U.S. Asks Appeals Court to Lift Stay on COVID Vaccine Mandate or Allow Mask Rule
Nov 23 2021 // The U.S. government asked a federal appeals court to immediately lift a court-ordered stay on a sweeping workplace COVID-19 vaccine rule to avoid “enormous” harm to public health, or alternatively to allow a...
Eight Dead from COVID, 89 Infected at Connecticut Nursing Home
Nov 17 2021 // Eight residents of a nursing home in Connecticut have died during a coronavirus outbreak while 89 residents and employees have tested positive for the disease, nursing home officials say. The outbreak at the Geer Nursing...
Smithfield to Pay $13,494 Over Coronavirus Hazards at South Dakota Facility
Nov 17 2021 // Smithfield Packaged Meats Corp. – the country’s largest pork processor – has agreed to assemble a team of company and third-party experts to develop an infectious disease preparedness plan that the company will...
California Labor Commissioner Cites Grocer $1.1M for COVID Sick Leave Practices
Nov 15 2021 // The California Labor Commissioner’s Office cited Bodega Latina (dba El Super grocery stores) in Southern California $1,164,500 for failing to provide or delaying supplemental paid sick leave or other benefits to 240...
Federal Court Continues Stay on OSHA’s COVID Vaccine/Test Mandate on Businesses
Nov 14 2021 // A federal court declined Friday to lift its stay on the Biden administration’s vaccine mandate for businesses with 100 or more workers. The New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals granted an emergency...
California Preparing for Possible Winter Pandemic Surge
Nov 12 2021 // California has begun positioning equipment and locking in contracts with temporary health care workers in preparation for another possible winter surge of coronavirus cases, Gov. Gavin Newsom said. The most populous state...
Allianz Posts Better-Than-Expected Q3 Net Profit as It Emerges From COVID Pressures
Nov 10 2021 // Allianz nudged its forecast for record profit in 2021 even higher on Wednesday after a bumper third quarter while it tries to work out how much money it may need to set aside for a U.S. investigation into its fund...
Judge Upholds United Airlines’ COVID Vaccine Mandate for Employees
Nov 9 2021 // A U.S. federal judge on Monday ruled United Airlines Holdings Inc. can impose a COVID-19 vaccine mandate on its employees that only provides unpaid leave for workers who are exempted for medical or religious reasons. U.S....
Telehealth Firms See Post-COVID Mental Health Crisis as Priority
Nov 9 2021 // LISBON — Demand for online mental health care will be a priority in the post-COVID world, bosses of telehealth apps say, after lockdowns took a toll on people’s wellbeing and requests for virtual appointments...
Federal Court in Tenn. Dismisses Another COVID Coverage Suit
Nov 9 2021 // Another federal court has dismissed a COVID-19 virus-coverage lawsuit brought by a company that had its business-interruption claim denied by its insurance carrier. In Agilitas USA vs. Hartford Fire Insurance Co., the U.S....
6th Circuit Rejects COVID-19 Business-Interruption Claim by Ohio Private Pre-Schools
Nov 9 2021 // The 6th Circuit Court of Appeals on Nov. 5 affirmed the dismissal of another lawsuit seeking coverage for COVID-19 business-interruption losses, this one filed jointly by 16 private pre-schools in Ohio. It was the third...
Report Says Long-Haul COVID Cases Could Affect Workers For Months
Nov 9 2021 // Just as COVID-19 infections nationwide appear to be on the decline, employers and workers’ compensation insurers need to be prepared for a sobering reality: Studies suggest that 10% to 30% of those who had only mild...
Berkshire Hathaway Insurance Losses Continued in Q3 on Catastrophes, Pandemic
Nov 8 2021 // Overall net income fell at giant Berkshire Hathaway in the third quarter from $30.1 billion a year ago to $10.3 billion this third quarter, reflecting losses on insurance underwriting as well as the continuing effects of...
Court Stays OSHA’s COVID Vaccine Mandate on Business With 100+ Employees
Nov 7 2021 // NEW ORLEANS — A federal appeals court on Saturday temporarily halted the Biden administration’s vaccine requirement for businesses with 100 or more workers. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals granted an...
Why Millions Have Left Workforce During Pandemic
Nov 5 2021 // Approximately five million people in the U.S. are unemployed or have left the workforce since the pandemic began, and it is difficult to predict whether their decision was short term or permanent. According to S&P...
Canada Insurers, Banks Can Resume Dividend Hikes as Regulator Lifts COVID-Era Curbs
Nov 5 2021 // TORONTO – Canadian banks and insurers can resume dividend increases and share buybacks and raise executive compensation, the country’s financial regulator said on Thursday, lifting a moratorium it imposed in March...
