Latest COVID-19 Headlines

All the headlines from our COVID-19 Topic Page, ordered by recency.

COVID-19 Can Be Occupational Disease, Colorado Court Says in Worker Death Case

May 9 2024 // For the first time, a Colorado appellate court has concluded that COVID-19 can be an occupational disease that is compensable under the state’s Workers’ Compensation Act. The Colorado Court of Appeals ruling...

NC Governor’s Pandemic Rules for Bar Closures Were ‘Illogical’ Court Says

Apr 18 2024 // RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper’s orders during the COVID-19 pandemic that directed standalone bars to remain shuttered for safety while restaurants that serve alcohol got to reopen were...

D.C.’s Pro Sports Teams Owner Scores Partial Win in COVID-19 Insurance Skirmish

Apr 5 2024 // The company that owns several District of Columbia professional sports teams and a major sports arena has settled its lawsuit against its insurance company over losses related to the shutdown caused by COVID-19. It was...

Lack of Immunity Raises Risk of Bird Flu Pandemic: EU Food Safety Agency

Apr 4 2024 // The EU’s Food Safety Agency (EFSA) warned on Wednesday of a large-scale bird flu pandemic if the virus becomes transmissible between people as humans lack immunity against the virus. This comes a day after Texas...

Louisiana Debates Civil Liability Over COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates

Mar 25 2024 // BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Three years after COVID-19 vaccines became widely available in the United States, Louisiana continues to debate policies related to inoculation mandates, including civil labilities if a work place...

How 9 Men Stole 45 Cars Over 6 Months During COVID, Then Got Caught

Mar 13 2024 // New York Attorney General Letitia James has announced the guilty pleas and sentencing of nine members of a Bronx car theft ring for their roles in the theft of 45 vehicles during a six-month period from April to October...

New York’s High Court Backs Insurer’s Denial of COVID-19 Business Interruption Claim

Feb 16 2024 // New York state’s highest court has affirmed that there must be direct physical loss or damage, not just presence of a virus, to trigger coverage under a commercial property policy for COVID-19 business interruption...

COVID Liability Immunity Includes Slips and Falls at Hospital – Alabama High Court

Jan 29 2024 // When the COVID-19 virus spread across the country three years ago, dozens of state legislatures approved statutes that granted health care providers immunity from legal actions brought by people who claimed to have been...

New Jersey Supreme Court Rules Against Casino in COVID Business Interruption Case

Jan 26 2024 // New Jersey’s Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that an Atlantic City casino is not entitled to payouts from business interruption insurance for losses during the COVID-19 outbreak, determining that the presence of the...

Grubhub to Pay $3.5M to Massachusetts Restaurants for Overcharging During COVID

Jan 17 2024 // Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell announced a $3.5 million settlement Friday with the online food delivery service platform Grubhub. The settlement resolves a 2021 lawsuit brought by Campbell alleging Grubhub...

Massachusetts Hospital Wins COVID-19 Claim Under Disease Contamination Endorsement

Jan 12 2024 // A federal appeals court has ruled that a Massachusetts hospital is entitled to coverage for losses due to COVID-19 under a health care endorsement in its policy from Continental Casualty Co. The First Circuit Court of...

Missouri Urgent Care Chain Settles for $9.1M Over False Claims for COVID-19 Testing

Dec 27 2023 // ST. LOUIS (AP) – One of the largest urgent care chains in Missouri will pay $9.1 million to settle allegations that the company submitted false claims for medical services, including COVID-19 testing. The U.S. Attorney`s...

California Workers’ Comp Report Shows Written Premium Nearing Pre-Pandemic Levels

Dec 21 2023 // A new report from the Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau of California shows written premium in 2022 was 14% above the previous year. The WCIRB’s Quarterly Experience Report is an update on...

During Pandemic, Surgeries Delayed, but Care on Track for Injured Workers: WCRI

Dec 5 2023 // Injured workers got timely initial help during the COVID-19 pandemic but faced a longer wait for surgery compared to pre-pandemic years. A new Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) FlashReport examined the time...

New York Court Upholds Nursing Home COVID-19 Immunity

Dec 4 2023 // A New York state appellate court has ruled that an April 2021 state law repealing a March 2020 grant of immunity to nursing homes over their handling of COVID-19 patients is not retroactive. The ruling means a nursing...

Texas Attorney General Sues Pfizer Over COVID-19 Vaccine Efficacy

Dec 1 2023 // Pfizer has been sued by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who on Thursday accused the drugmaker of misrepresenting the efficacy of its widely-used COVID-19 vaccine. In a complaint filed in a Lubbock County state court,...

Australia Court Rules Carnival Negligent Over Cruise’s COVID Risks in Landmark Ruling

Oct 26 2023 // A cruise operator that failed to cancel a voyage from Sydney that led to a major COVID-19 outbreak was ruled negligent in its duty of care to passengers in an Australian class-action case Wednesday. The Ruby Princess ocean...

AIG’s CEO Sees Pandemic, Wars and Climate Change Among Biggest Risks

Oct 20 2023 // American International Group Inc. Chief Executive Officer Peter Zaffino said the biggest challenge to the insurance sector over the last decade has been “unpredictable risks” including the pandemic, wars and...

Labor Commissioner Cites California Hotel $4.7M for Violating COVID-19 Right to Recall Law

Oct 19 2023 // The California Labor Commissioner’s Office cited Hyatt Regency Long Beach $4.79 million for reportedly failing to timely offer job positions to 25 employees laid off during the COVID-19 pandemic once the hotel...

17 Florida Sheriff’s Deputies Charged with Stealing $500,000 in Pandemic Relief Funds

Oct 17 2023 // FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Seventeen Florida sheriff`s deputies appeared in court on charges that they stole about half a million dollars in pandemic relief funds. The Broward County deputies, who are charged...