Latest COVID-19 Headlines
All the headlines from our COVID-19 Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Workers Fired, Resign over Houston Hospital’s COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate
Jun 24 2021 // More than 150 employees at a Houston hospital system who refused to get the COVID-19 vaccine have been fired or resigned after a judge dismissed an employee lawsuit over the vaccine requirement. A spokesperson for Houston...
Judge Rejects Spouse’s Wrongful Death Suit Against Airline Over Lax Covid Safety
Jun 24 2021 // Citing a concern over “opening the floodgates” to litigation, a federal judge has dismissed a flight attendant’s negligence lawsuit against her employer, Southwest Airlines, which she blamed for her...
Alaska One of Few States to Allow Cannabis Lounges, but Pandemic Paused Plans
Jun 23 2021 // Regulators amid much fanfare in early 2020 approved two cannabis lounges in Alaska, making it one of the few states where customers would be allowed to use marijuana at retail pot shops. Then the pandemic hit. One of the...
Connecticut Casinos Sue Insurer Over COVID-19 Losses
Jun 21 2021 // The Native American tribe that owns Connecticut’s Mohegan Sun casino is suing its insurance carrier over what it says was the denial of claims for millions of dollars in losses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The...
CEO Views: Successes and Failures in Dealing with Pandemic Challenges
Jun 21 2021 // As insurance professionals prepare for mask-free life and opportunities to exchange ideas in person, industry leaders took the virtual stage again at a midyear conference, recounting industry lessons learned during the 15...
Despite Less Driving During 2020 Pandemic, Traffic Deaths Were Highest In 13 Years
Jun 21 2021 // Even though Americans drove less in 2020 due to the pandemic, early estimates of crash fatalities from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reveal the largest...
How Agents Can Help Construction Clients Prepare for Post-Pandemic Growth
Jun 21 2021 // Nearly a decade of continuous construction industry growth was halted in 2020 as the industry battled direct and collateral effects from COVID-19. According to Nationwide’s recent Agent Authority research,...
What Pandemic Auto Premium Givebacks? Many Customers Unaware, Says J.D. Power
Jun 18 2021 // During the COVID-19 pandemic, auto insurers have returned more than $18 billion in premiums to address the drastic reduction in driving. It turns out all that extra money didn’t make consumers any happier, if they...
French Chef Seeks $1.9M from Allianz for Biz Income Losses During COVID Lockdowns
Jun 17 2021 // A French Michelin three-star chef is asking Allianz SE for 1.6 million euros ($1.9 million) in insurance claims for losses suffered by his restaurants during the country’s lockdowns, a person familiar with the matter...
Utah Traffic Deaths Involving Alcohol Doubled During Pandemic
Jun 16 2021 // Transportation officials have reported nearly twice as many people died in alcohol-involved crashes on Utah roads last year compared to the year before, despite less commuter traffic during the coronavirus pandemic. The...
Royal Caribbean Delays Cruise Launch After 8 Crew Test Positive for COVID-19
Jun 16 2021 // Royal Caribbean Group said on Wednesday it would delay the inaugural sailing of its Odyssey of the Seas cruise liner by nearly a month after eight crew members tested positive for COVID-19. The news comes a week after two...
COVID Crisis Cuts Global Macro Resilience, Raises Insurance Protection Gap: Swiss Re
Jun 16 2021 // The COVID-19 crisis reduced overall global macro resilience – or the ability of societies to absorb shocks – by 18% in 2020 from 2019, according to a sigma report published by Swiss Re Institute. At the same time, the...
New OSHA Covid-19 Standard Covers Healthcare Employees Only
Jun 14 2021 // The Department of Labor has promulgated an emergency temporary standard (ETS) designed to protect healthcare workers but did not extend the rule to other high-risk employment such as manufacturing, grocery or high-volume...
Judge Dismisses Texas Hospital Workers’ Suit Challenging Covid Vaccine Mandate
Jun 13 2021 // A U.S. federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit brought by 117 workers at a Texas hospital over its requirement that they be vaccinated against COVID-19. U.S. District Judge Lynn Hughes upheld Houston Methodist...
Proposed Bill Allowing Rider for Pandemic BI Coverage Moves Forward in New Jersey
Jun 11 2021 // A New Jersey bill that would allow business interruption insurers in the state to add a rider for virus and pandemic coverage is moving forward, with some in the industry saying it could encourage more insurers to provide...
We Can Work It Out: Negotiations Likely on COVID-19 Reinsurance Losses
Jun 11 2021 // Catastrophe excess of loss reinsurance contracts “never anticipated an event like a pandemic,” but cedents can still expect compromises from their reinsurers, an industry executive said Thursday. While cedents...
Following Pandemic, Cyber Vaccines Needed to Protect Digital Economy: Viewpoint
Jun 11 2021 // A surge in cyber attacks and ransomware hacks since the start of pandemic lockdowns is alarming for a world of finance moving headlong into digital money and remote working longer term. The flipside of the digital...
AXA Offers €300M to Settle COVID-19-Related BI Claims for French Restaurant Owners
Jun 10 2021 // AXA has offered a settlement to 15,000 French restaurant owners that purchased non-damage business interruption insurance after previously denying coverage during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdowns. AXA estimates the cost of...
EU Cautions Against Rushing into Public-Private Pandemic Insurance Scheme
Jun 9 2021 // The European Union’s executive body urged caution on Tuesday in the face of calls for a public-private scheme for insuring companies against economic lockdowns in future pandemics. “This is a very complex...
Texas Gov. Signs Bill to Punish Businesses Requiring COVID Vaccination Proof
Jun 8 2021 // Texas businesses that require customers to be vaccinated against COVID-19 will be denied state contracts and could lose their licenses or operating permits under legislation Gov. Greg Abbott has signed into...
