Latest COVID-19 Headlines
All the headlines from our COVID-19 Topic Page, ordered by recency.
COVID Crisis Cuts Global Macro Resilience, Raises Insurance Protection Gap: Swiss Re
Jun 16 2021 // The COVID-19 crisis reduced overall global macro resilience – or the ability of societies to absorb shocks – by 18% in 2020 from 2019, according to a sigma report published by Swiss Re Institute. At the same time, the...
New OSHA Covid-19 Standard Covers Healthcare Employees Only
Jun 14 2021 // The Department of Labor has promulgated an emergency temporary standard (ETS) designed to protect healthcare workers but did not extend the rule to other high-risk employment such as manufacturing, grocery or high-volume...
Judge Dismisses Texas Hospital Workers’ Suit Challenging Covid Vaccine Mandate
Jun 13 2021 // A U.S. federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit brought by 117 workers at a Texas hospital over its requirement that they be vaccinated against COVID-19. U.S. District Judge Lynn Hughes upheld Houston Methodist...
Proposed Bill Allowing Rider for Pandemic BI Coverage Moves Forward in New Jersey
Jun 11 2021 // A New Jersey bill that would allow business interruption insurers in the state to add a rider for virus and pandemic coverage is moving forward, with some in the industry saying it could encourage more insurers to provide...
We Can Work It Out: Negotiations Likely on COVID-19 Reinsurance Losses
Jun 11 2021 // Catastrophe excess of loss reinsurance contracts “never anticipated an event like a pandemic,” but cedents can still expect compromises from their reinsurers, an industry executive said Thursday. While cedents...
Following Pandemic, Cyber Vaccines Needed to Protect Digital Economy: Viewpoint
Jun 11 2021 // A surge in cyber attacks and ransomware hacks since the start of pandemic lockdowns is alarming for a world of finance moving headlong into digital money and remote working longer term. The flipside of the digital...
AXA Offers €300M to Settle COVID-19-Related BI Claims for French Restaurant Owners
Jun 10 2021 // AXA has offered a settlement to 15,000 French restaurant owners that purchased non-damage business interruption insurance after previously denying coverage during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdowns. AXA estimates the cost of...
EU Cautions Against Rushing into Public-Private Pandemic Insurance Scheme
Jun 9 2021 // The European Union’s executive body urged caution on Tuesday in the face of calls for a public-private scheme for insuring companies against economic lockdowns in future pandemics. “This is a very complex...
Texas Gov. Signs Bill to Punish Businesses Requiring COVID Vaccination Proof
Jun 8 2021 // Texas businesses that require customers to be vaccinated against COVID-19 will be denied state contracts and could lose their licenses or operating permits under legislation Gov. Greg Abbott has signed into...
The Highs, Low of Agency Q1 Profitability and the Post-Pandemic Path Forward: Reagan
Jun 7 2021 // Insurance agencies reported a couple of highs and a low in first quarter profitability results, according to the latest Reagan Consulting Growth & Profitability Survey of the agency consulting firm’s agents and...
California’s Harsh EPLI Landscape Made Worse by COVID
Jun 7 2021 // It’s common knowledge that the employee practices liability insurance arena nationwide has been unfriendly to buyers. Earlier this year, a survey of 20 EPLI carriers showed 15 reported rate increases for the line...
Cal/OSHA Cites Foster Farms, Agencies for COVID-19 Violations
Jun 7 2021 // Cal/OSHA has cited Foster Poultry Farms Inc. in Livingston, Calif., and four staffing agencies for not protecting workers from COVID-19. Cal/OSHA opened its inspection after receiving notification that an employee had died...
Despite Less Driving During 2020 Pandemic, Traffic Deaths Were Highest In 13 Years
Jun 4 2021 // Even though Americans drove less in 2020 due to the pandemic, early estimates of crash fatalities from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released Thursday reveal...
U.S. Updates Guidance on COVID Vaccine Mandates, Incentives, Privacy in Workplace
Jun 1 2021 // Federal employment laws do not prevent an employer from requiring all employees physically entering the workplace to be vaccinated for COVID-19, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has affirmed. Also,...
Pennsylvania Drops Legal Action Against Restaurants Over Pandemic
May 28 2021 // The Pennsylvania Department of Health has dropped its legal action against more than 40 restaurants that were accused of defying state orders to close indoor dining and maintain social-distancing protocols. The Health...
COVID Takes Big Bite from Multiline Insurers’ Earnings, in ‘Manageable’ Event: S&P
May 28 2021 // The COVID-19 crisis cost 16 global multiline insurers about $8 billion in 2020, although they still reported substantial net profit of $36 billion, according to a report published by S&P Global Ratings. This net profit...
Ford Halts Production at Southern India Plant as COVID-19 Cases Surge
May 28 2021 // CHENNAI – Ford Motor Co. said it will halt production at its car plant in India’s southern state of Tamil Nadu after workers staged a lunchtime sit-in protest on Thursday, demanding leave and health benefits, as...
Penn. Court Says Tavern Entitled to Business Income Coverage for COVID-19 Losses
May 27 2021 // An insurer could have to pay for a Pennsylvania tavern’s business interruption losses after it shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic because of a two-letter word in its policy. The Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas...
Pennsylvania Lawmakers Now Hold Fate of Regulations Waived Amid Pandemic
May 27 2021 // With voters shifting major new responsibilities to them, Pennsylvania’s state lawmakers are now tasked with deciding whether hundreds of state government regulations waived during the COVID-19 pandemic should be...
Renault-Nissan Shuts South India Plant Until May 30 on COVID Safety Concerns
May 26 2021 // CHENNAI – Automaker Renault-Nissan will shut its plant in India’s southern Tamil Nadu state until May 30, according to an internal note and two sources familiar with the matter, a day after workers said they would...
