Latest COVID-19 Headlines
All the headlines from our COVID-19 Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Oklahoma Lawmaker to Study COVID-19 Impact on Employment, Wages
Aug 12 2020 // A state lawmaker in Oklahoma is launching an interim study on how COVID-19 has affected employment and wages in that state. State Rep. Forrest Bennett, D-OKC, said in a media release that he hopes to focus the study on...
Australia Detains Cargo Ships for Alleged Labor Violations Related to COVID Lockdowns
Aug 12 2020 // Australian authorities detained at least two cargo ships for alleged labor violations related to demands from seafarers to be sent home, some of whom have spent more than a year at sea. The ships, which are or will be...
Ralph Lauren Suit Alleges Fraud by Insurer Refusing to Cover Coronavirus Losses
Aug 11 2020 // Fashion firm Ralph Lauren Corp. is suing its insurer to recoup what it says has been a huge drop of two-thirds of its revenues in the first quarter alone due to the pandemic. Ralph Lauren Corp. (RLC) maintains that Factory...
COVID-19 a Growing Share of Shrinking Work Comp Claims in 2 States
Aug 11 2020 // COVID-19 has become a large chunk of a dwindling number of workers’ compensation claims in Florida and California, limited data shows. The number of COVID-19 workers’ compensation claims reported in California...
California Coronavirus Cases Hit 554K
Aug 11 2020 // The number of COVID-19 cases in California stood at 554,160 cases Sunday, according to state health department officials. The California Department of Public Health said in a release that there have been 8,826,119 tests...
McConnell’s Coronavirus Liability Shield Could Be Bargaining Chip in Relief Negotiations
Aug 11 2020 // Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s insistence that legal liability protections for businesses, schools and colleges be included in any new coronavirus relief bill is approaching a moment of reckoning. Warning...
Lloyd’s Selects 10 Insurtechs for Its Innovation Accelerator, Focusing on COVID-19 Risks
Aug 11 2020 // The Lloyd’s re/insurance market announced the latest cohort of insurtech disruptors that will join its Lloyd’s Lab innovation accelerator program with a focus on COVID-19 products and solutions. The insurtechs...
Directors & Officers’ Insurance Rates Surge on Fears of Coronavirus Litigation
Aug 11 2020 // Premiums for directors’ and officers’ liability insurance surged in the second quarter, broker Marsh said on Monday, as insurance underwriters fear the coronavirus pandemic will lead to hefty litigation...
U.S. Drug Regulator Vows Outside Review of Any COVID-19 Vaccines
Aug 11 2020 // The United States will need to have independent experts review COVID-19 vaccine candidates before approval, the country’s top drug regulator said on Friday, offering reassurance that his agency would not cut corners...
Texas Governor Extends Disaster Declaration for COVID-19
Aug 10 2020 // Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has extended a statewide disaster declaration he first issued in March to allow the state to better respond to the coronavirus pandemic. “Renewing this Disaster Declaration will provide...
Arkansas Health Officials Report 772 New COVID-19 Cases
Aug 10 2020 // There are an additional 772 reported coronavirus cases in Arkansas and 14 additional deaths due to COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, the Arkansas Department of Health reported. The department said there are 48,811...
Berkshire Insurance Units Hold Their Own While Pandemic Slams Other Buffett Firms
Aug 10 2020 // Berkshire Hathaway Inc. had a tough second quarter with the pandemic taking a toll on most of its operating businesses including Precision Castparts aircraft parts, the BNSF railroad, Occidental Petroleum Corp., Kraft...
Global Commercial Insurance Rates Up 19% on COVID-19, Other Large Losses: Marsh
Aug 10 2020 // Global average commercial insurance prices increased 19% in the second quarter of 2020, according to the latest Global Insurance Market Index released by broker and risk adviser Marsh. The increase, the largest since the...
Trust in Insurers/Finance Could Take Long-Term Battering with COVID Crisis: Opinion
Aug 10 2020 // Like the rest of us, the world’s finance industry is still wrestling with the huge uncertainty of a pandemic that doesn’t yet have an end. The sector’s reputation took a battering after the financial...
Allstate Reports Strong Q2 with Profit Up 49% Despite Pandemic
Aug 10 2020 // What pandemic? Allstate’s doing just fine. The giant personal lines insurer reported net income of $1.2 billion for the second quarter, an increase of 49% compared to the prior year quarter. Underwriting income...
COVID Business Interruption Suits Top 700 with More to Come
Aug 10 2020 // When insurance coverage lawsuits brought by businesses seeking coverage for COVID-related interruptions surpassed the 700 mark last month, the natural question to ask was: Is that a lot? That’s exactly the question...
Motivating Employees During the COVID Pandemic
Aug 10 2020 // The coronavirus pandemic has led to various versions of lockdowns and quarantine orders, which are now being revised during the summer due to a resurgence of cases. Many businesses still have workers who are now required...
Is Crisis the New Normal? 5 Steps to Consider When Crisis Planning in the Post-COVID World
Aug 10 2020 // Is crisis the “new normal?” We have always seen our fair share of catastrophic events and crises. But, in recent years those events seem to be increasing in frequency and severity. We are seeing more...
Report Holds Optimistic Virus Recovery View for Cannabis Industry
Aug 10 2020 // A new report out examining how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the U.S. cannabis industry shows consumer purchasing spiked, dropped, then started to stabilize in the time between when things began to unravel for the nation...
S. Africa’s Regulator to Clarify Policyholders’ Rights in Pandemic Insurance Claims
Aug 7 2020 // South Africa’s financial watchdog is consulting with lawyers and the insurance industry on a potential test case to clarify whether insurers should pay rejected claims from firms hit by the impact of the coronavirus,...
