Latest COVID-19 Headlines
All the headlines from our COVID-19 Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Oklahoma Bill Limiting Healthcare Providers’ COVID-19 Liability Heads to Governor
May 7 2020 // The Oklahoma Senate has passed legislation previously approved by the state’s House of Representatives that would limit liability for healthcare providers and facilities responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. Senate...
Progressive Q1 Results Reflect ‘Significant Impact’ from Coronavirus, Restrictions
May 7 2020 // The Progressive Corp. said its results for the first quarter were “significantly impacted” by the spread of the coronavirus and social distancing and shelter-in-place restrictions. Despite a 30% increase in...
Willis Paints COVID-19 Insurance Loss Big Picture: It’s a Wash or Historic Catastrophe
May 7 2020 // If the novel COVID-19 pandemic is brought under control soon, the disease’s impact on the insurance industry as a whole may be pretty much a wash. It not, the industry may be on the verge of an historic...
Forced Payouts of Pandemic Claims Risk Insurers’ Financial Stability: Regulators
May 7 2020 // Forcing retroactive payouts to cover business disruption losses resulting from the coronavirus pandemic could ultimately put financial stability at risk, global insurance regulators said. Disputes over cover for businesses...
Munich Re Expects Coronavirus-Related Claims in Excess of $1 Billion During 2020
May 7 2020 // Munich Re said on Thursday it expected to receive claims for canceled or postponed events because of the coronavirus crisis in excess of 1 billion euros ($1.08 billion) this year after it posted a 65% drop in first-quarter...
FERMA Forms Task Force to Find Solution for Non-Damage BI Cover – Such as Pandemic
May 7 2020 // The Federation of European Risk Management Associations (FERMA) announced the launch of a task force to create proposals to address the issue of business interruption coverage for catastrophic risks. “Our aim is to...
Royal Caribbean Sued in Miami Court Over Crew Member COVID-19 Death
May 7 2020 // The family of a cruise crew member who died after testing positive for COVID-19 filed a lawsuit against Royal Caribbean Cruises on Tuesday saying the company failed to protect its employees as the pandemic ravaged sailings...
Buffett Says Berkshire Would Write Pandemic Insurance. That Is, If the Price Is Right.
May 7 2020 // The chairman of Berkshire Hathaway said that while his insurance units aren’t heavily exposed to underwriting losses from the COVID-19 pandemic, they would be willing to insure pandemics in the future. “The...
Opinion: What If Public Employees Could Sue Government Over Covid-19?
May 7 2020 // Suppose you’re working in an essential industry and your employer hasn’t provided you with adequate personal protective equipment. Maybe you say to yourself, “Okay, there’s a shortage, they’re...
California Governor Announces Workers’ Comp Presumption for COVID-19
May 6 2020 // California Gov. Gavin Newsom today announced that workers who contract COVID-19 while on the job may be eligible to receive workers’ compensation. The governor signed an executive order that creates a time-limited...
At Least 116 Oklahoma Meat Plant Workers, 240 in Texas Test Positive for Virus
May 6 2020 // At least 116 employees at an Oklahoma pork processing plant have tested positive for coronavirus, Seaboard Foods spokesman David Eahart said in a statement on May 4. Meanwhile, a surge of coronavirus cases in the Texas...
Allstate Credits Risk Management During Q1; Eyes Second Coronavirus Driver Refund
May 6 2020 // Allstate Corp. reported that its adjusted net income rose 47% in the first quarter to $1.14 billion, a jump of 47%, thanks to higher underwriting income and lower catastrophe costs, compared with the quarter one year ago....
Business Income, COVID-19, and Plaintiff Attorneys: They Keep Trying
May 6 2020 // “I think there was an attempt to dissuade the public from filing these claims and to shape the public opinion that this was not property damage,” said Steven C. Marks, managing partner at Miami-based Podhurst...
Meat Workers Taking Leave, Quitting as Plants Reopen Amid Coronavirus Scare
May 6 2020 // America’s meat-processing plants are starting to reopen but not all workers are showing up. Some still fear they’ll get sick after coronavirus outbreaks shut more than a dozen facilities last month. Employees...
Goodbye Open Plan Office? Hello 6-Feet Social Distancing Workspace?
May 6 2020 // One-way corridors, buffer zones around desks, and clear plastic screens to guard against colleagues’ coughs and sneezes may become office standards after coronavirus stay-at-home orders are lifted, say occupational...
Louisiana’s Donelon Asks Commercial Auto Insurers to Offer COVID-19 Relief
May 6 2020 // Louisiana’s chief insurance regulator wants insurers to consider offering premium relief to their commercial auto insurance customers due to the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic. Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon...
What to Expect in Workers’ Compensation Costs From COVID-19: NCCI
May 6 2020 // If only 10 percent of health care workers contract COVID-19 and all of their claims are deemed compensable, workers’ compensation loss costs for that sector could double or even triple in some states, according to an...
Transparency Is Key for Insurance Agents Handling Coronavirus Claims
May 6 2020 // Business interruption insurance has been a much-debated topic during the coronavirus crisis, with some businesses already pushing back against virus-related claim denials. In several cities, groups of businesses have filed...
Analysts Tally Workers’ Comp Cost of Exposure to COVID-19
May 5 2020 // While the potential cost of relaxing a tenet of the workers’ compensation system to deal with extraordinary circumstances of COVID-19 could top $50 billion, it’s more likely to be one-fifth of that, an analyst...
Hiscox to Raise Capital in Response to COVID-19 Growth Opportunities and Exposures
May 5 2020 // Lloyd’s insurer Hiscox is planning a capital raise via the placement of new ordinary shares, which will enable the company to respond to expected growth opportunities ahead and prudently prepare for possible...
