Latest COVID-19 Headlines
All the headlines from our COVID-19 Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Washington Extends Emergency Order Waiving Deductibles And Copays for Coronavirus Tests
May 1 2020 // Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler extended his emergency order to Washington health insurers for 30 days, requiring them to waive copays and deductibles for any consumer requiring testing for...
Updated: Insurance Premium Discounts, Other Relief Offered During Coronavirus Crisis
May 1 2020 // The group of property/casualty insurers offering auto insurance premium discounts to recognize that insureds are driving less during the coronavirus crisis continues to grow, and now includes all major auto insurers. Most...
Coronavirus Cases Surge in Reopened Colorado Beef Plant, Worker Dies
May 1 2020 // COVID-19 cases at a JBS meatpacking plant in Colorado have more than doubled “in a number of days” and a sixth employee died of the virus, a union official said on Thursday, underscoring the risks of U.S. meat...
Pinnacol Donates $1.8M to COVID-19 Funds for Colorado Businesses, Workers
May 1 2020 // Pinnacol Assurance donated nearly $2 million to an array of funds that support businesses and workers in Colorado impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Through its philanthropic giving program, Pinnacol donated the following...
Willis Towers Watson Withdraws 2020 Target on COVID-19 Crisis; Q1 Revenues Up 7%
May 1 2020 // Willis Towers Watson is withdrawing its 2020 guidance due to the uncertainties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The broker said it will re-assess the guidance once it has a clearer understanding of the depth, duration, and...
Virtual ‘Woodstock for Capitalists’ May Show How Buffett’s Handling Coronavirus
May 1 2020 // Berkshire Hathaway Inc.’s annual meeting will be nothing like the extravaganzas of years past, but will give Warren Buffett a chance to show how resilient his cash-rich conglomerate may be to the coronavirus...
Non-Life Insurance Claims from Pandemic to Surpass 9/11 Claims: Willis Towers Watson
May 1 2020 // Insurance broker Willis Towers Watson on Friday estimated general insurance losses between $32 billion and $80 billion across key classes in the United States and UK from the novel coronavirus, surpassing claims from the...
Brexit Trade Talks Back on Agenda After COVID-19 Hiatus, Facing Tight Timetable
May 1 2020 // Banks are dusting off their no-deal Brexit plans as concerns deepen that Britain and the European Union won’t agree a trade deal by December as the COVID-19 pandemic compounds fundamental disagreements over future...
Allianz Withdraws 2020 Profit Target on Pandemic Uncertainties
May 1 2020 // Allianz SE withdrew its forecast for the year as Europe’s biggest insurer struggles with the fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic. Given the economic uncertainty, the board “does not assume that Allianz can...
States Under Pressure to Lift Coronavirus Restrictions as Unemployment Grows
May 1 2020 // As White House economic reopening guidance expired on Thursday after two weeks in place, half of all U.S. states forged ahead with easing restrictions on restaurants, retail and other businesses in hopes of reviving...
Trump Administration Defends Workplace Safety Record During Coronavirus Crisis
May 1 2020 // U.S. Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia on Thursday defended his department’s handling of workplace safety during the coronavirus pandemic, saying “the cop is on the beat” in response to union criticism about...
The Perilous Cannabis, Cyber, COVID-19 Connection
Apr 30 2020 // Cannabis, cyber and COVID-19 – the three Cs may have more in common than meets the eye. Cannabis dispensaries, now considered essential businesses in many states, have stepped up deliveries, curbside pickups and online...
New LWCC Foundation Commits $1.1M for COVID-19 Recovery in Louisiana
Apr 30 2020 // Baton Rouge-based Louisiana Workers’ Compensation Corp. (LWCC) has formed a private foundation to focus on the areas of health, wellness, and safety in the workplace. It’s leading initiative, Louisiana Well...
Florida CFO Says China Owes State Financial Restitution from COVID-19 Outbreak
Apr 30 2020 // Florida Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Jimmy Patronis has sent a demand letter to Chinese Ambassador to the United States Cui Tiankai demanding financial restitution from the Communist Party of China (CPC) for...
Markel Estimates COVID-19 Losses of $325 Million
Apr 30 2020 // Diverging from strategies of some competitors, Markel Corp. established a big reserve for a chunk of its potential COVID-19 exposure for the entire year—putting up $325 million for direct potential losses. The holding...
Swiss Re Reports Q1 Loss of $225M as Impact of COVID-19 Crisis Begins to Hit
Apr 30 2020 // Reinsurer Swiss Re swung into a net loss in the first quarter of 2020 as the impact of the coronavirus outbreak began to bite, it said on Thursday. The Zurich-based company booked a hit of $476 million for anticipated and...
UK Regulator Probes Events Firms for Failure to Pay Refunds During COVID-19 Crisis
Apr 30 2020 // Britain’s competition regulator said it has opened investigations into thousands of complaints about companies refusing to pay refunds for canceled weddings and other events during the coronavirus pandemic. Britain...
Georgia Coronavirus Deaths Top 1,000 Amid Reopening Effort
Apr 30 2020 // Georgia officials reported Tuesday the coronavirus has killed more than 1,000 people statewide as some local officials urged people to continue isolating at home in spite of the governor’s aggressive efforts to...
Consumer Groups Oppose Immunity for Businesses From Coronavirus Lawsuits
Apr 30 2020 // U.S. consumer advocates are urging Congress to resist growing demands by companies for protections from coronavirus-related lawsuits as states start to ease pandemic restrictions and businesses begin to reopen. Led by...
Chicago-Area Nursing Home Workers Threaten Strike in Midst of Pandemic
Apr 29 2020 // Workers at 40 Chicago-area nursing homes announced they have set a May 8 strike date over wages as many of the facilities are treating patients suffering from the coronavirus. Members of the Service Employees International...
