Latest COVID-19 Headlines
All the headlines from our COVID-19 Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Another Specialty Broker Begins Selling Pandemic Insurance Coverage
Jul 28 2020 // A Newport Beach, Calif.-based specialty broker believes that now is the best time to start offering pandemic insurance. Elite Risk Insurance, which specializes in bespoke risk, is offering Pandemic Outbreak with COVID-19...
What to Expect in Pandemic Insurance. Munich Re Expert Looks Back and Ahead.
Jul 28 2020 // Summary: Dr. Gunther Kraut, head of Epidemic Risk Solutions at Munich Re, discusses the current state of the pandemic insurance market and what can be expected for the future. He says one of the challenges of developing...
Removal of Wrecked Cargo Ship in Georgia Port Stalled by Virus, Hurricane Season
Jul 28 2020 // Efforts to cut apart and remove a capsized cargo ship off the Georgia coast are being delayed for more than two months because of hurricane season and challenges posed by the coronavirus, project leaders said Friday. Those...
California Scrutinizing Amazon’s Treatment of Workers During Coronavirus Outbreak
Jul 28 2020 // California’s attorney general and state and local agencies are investigating whether Amazon.com Inc. has taken adequate steps to protect its workers from the coronavirus pandemic, according to a court filing on...
East Tennessee Nursing Home Reports Over Half of Residents Infected by Virus
Jul 27 2020 // Coronavirus cases at an East Tennessee nursing home have nearly doubled in less than a week, officials said. The Christian Care Center in Bristol reported 92 cases on Wednesday, up from 51 cases on Friday, Director...
Concern Over Small Businesses Grows as Coronavirus Resurges, Federal Aid Expires
Jul 27 2020 // The number of outright failures of U.S. small businesses in the first months of the coronavirus pandemic was comparatively modest, but the months ahead look far grimmer as cash balances dwindle, federal help expires, and...
Meat Packing Plant Owners Defend Operations During Pandemic
Jul 27 2020 // As part of an investigation into the spread of coronavirus at U.S. meat plants, Democratic Senators Elizabeth Warren and Cory Booker released responses from major producers that defended their operations during the...
Workers’ Compensation Rates Won’t Be Adjusted for Coronavirus Experience This Year
Jul 27 2020 // The workers’ compensation line is unlikely to generate a profit this year and may not recover in 2021, an insurance industry economist said during a webcast Thursday. Steven N. Weisbart, senior vice president and...
Hanna Pounds South Texas Coast Already Dealing With COVID Surge
Jul 26 2020 // Hurricane Hanna pummeled the south Texas coast on Saturday night with howling winds and a surging sea that threatened a broad area already contending with an intense spike in coronavirus deaths. Hanna is the first...
Geico Sued for Alleged ‘Woefully Inadequate’ Coronavirus Auto Insurance Discount
Jul 24 2020 // Berkshire Hathaway’s Geico, the country’s second largest auto insurer, is being targeted by a potential class action for allegedly overcharging its policyholders during the pandemic. A lawsuit filed in federal...
Anchorage Mayor Imposing New Restrictions Amid COVID-19 Cases
Jul 24 2020 // The mayor of Anchorage is limiting gathering sizes and the number of people allowed in bars, restaurants and entertainment venues in response to rising coronavirus cases. The order, by Mayor Ethan Berkowitz, takes effect...
Louisiana Governor Extends Mask Rule, Virus Restrictions to Aug. 7
Jul 23 2020 // Gov. John Bel Edwards has said that he’ll keep Louisiana’s mask mandate and business restrictions in place for at least two more weeks, as the number of coronavirus patients at hospitals surges in all regions...
Virus Outbreak at Iowa Pork Plant Was Larger than Reported by State
Jul 23 2020 // The first confirmed coronavirus outbreak at an Iowa meatpacking plant was far more severe than previously known, with more than twice as many workers becoming infected than the state Department of Public Health told the...
Specialty Broker Offers Business Insurance Coverage for Pandemic, Epidemic Risks
Jul 23 2020 // A Boston-based national wholesale insurance broker is offering what it says is “among the first and most accessible” insurance policies for commercial risks arising from pandemics and epidemics. The policy,...
Asbestos Trial to Start With Social Distancing in Conference Center, Not Courthouse
Jul 23 2020 // A West Virginia judge urged parties in dozens of asbestos lawsuits to reach a settlement and avoid the “dreadful experience” of a live trial next week while the coronavirus pandemic rages on. Judge Ronald...
Lloyd’s Insurer Beazley Reports 1st Half Loss of $13.8M on Mounting COVID-19 Claims
Jul 23 2020 // British insurer Beazley swung to a loss for the first half on Thursday after setting aside $170 million for coronavirus-related claims, saying the fallout from the crisis would be similar to a major natural...
New Lloyd’s Syndicate-in-a-Box Created to Insure Transport of Future COVID-19 Vaccine
Jul 23 2020 // Lloyd’s, the specialist insurance and reinsurance market, announced the creation and in principle approval of its newest “syndicate-in-a-box,” Syndicate 1796,* set up to insure the storage and...
Travelers Reports Q2 Loss on Catastrophes, Investments; Only Modest COVID Impact
Jul 23 2020 // The Travelers Companies reported a net loss of $40 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2020, compared to net income of $557 million in the prior year quarter. The insurer said the difference was primarily due to higher...
Swiss Re to Report $1.1 Billion Loss During First Half on Hit from COVID-19
Jul 23 2020 // Reinsurance company Swiss Re said on Wednesday that claims and reserves of $2.5 billion related to COVID-19 will lead to a net first half loss of about $1.1 billion. The company, which reported the loss ahead of its...
Nashville Orders Restaurants to Close Earlier to Curb Virus
Jul 23 2020 // Nashville is barring restaurants from staying open late starting Friday in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus, Mayor John Cooper said Tuesday. In a virtual news conference, Cooper said an order will require...
