Latest COVID-19 Headlines
All the headlines from our COVID-19 Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Wisconsin Food Plant Worker Sues ConAgra After Contracting COVID-19
Apr 20 2021 // A food plant employee is suing his Walworth County, Wisconsin, employer alleging he contracted the coronavirus at work and infected his wife who died from the disease. Rigoberto Ruiz, of Beloit, says ConAgra Foods...
How Meatpacking Plants’ COVID-19 Cases Hurt Counties
Apr 20 2021 // An estimated 334,000 COVID-19 cases are attributable to meatpacking plants, resulting in $11.2 billion in economic damage, according to a new study led by a researcher at the University of California, Davis. The study was...
Pandemic-Delayed Trials Over Drugmakers’ Marketing of Opioids to Begin
Apr 19 2021 // Four drugmakers, including Johnson & Johnson and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., will go to trial on Monday over claims they helped fuel an opioid crisis that has resulted in nearly 500,000 overdose deaths in the...
P/C Insurers Show 2020 Underwriting Profits Despite COVID-19: Fitch
Apr 19 2021 // Despite considerable operating challenges in 2020 from the global COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. property/casualty (P/C) insurers saw a statutory underwriting profit for the third consecutive year, with an average 99% combined...
Businesses Filing More COVID Lawsuits and the Stakes are Higher
Apr 19 2021 // The anniversary of COVID-19 shutdown orders brought an upturn in both the number of business-interruption lawsuits against insurers and the amount of damages they are claiming. In the past month: A New Jersey hospital...
Report: 44K-Plus Workers’ Comp COVID-19 Claims Filed in Texas by Mid-February
Apr 19 2021 // An updated report on workers’ compensation claims in Texas related to COVID-19 shows that insurance carriers had reported more than 44,000 COVID-19 claims and 200 fatalities to the state’s workers’...
Risk of COVID-19 Exposure on Airlines Drops when Middle Seats Are Empty: Study
Apr 16 2021 // The risk of being exposed to the COVID-19 virus on an airline flight drops by as much as half when airlines keep middle seats open, a new study published by the U.S. government concludes, a safety practice the carriers...
COVID Liability Shield for Businesses Becomes Law in Kentucky
Apr 15 2021 // Kentucky’s governor stood aside and let a bill become law that protects an array of businesses from coronavirus-related lawsuits. But he warned Monday that the measure is likely to draw a court challenge. The...
IBM Uncovers More Cyber Attacks on COVID-19 Vaccine Supply Chain
Apr 15 2021 // International Business Machines Corp. said on Wednesday its cyber-security unit has uncovered more digital attacks targeting the global COVID-19 vaccine supply chain since the issue was originally flagged late last...
Understanding Florida’s Sweeping New Immunity Law for COVID-19 Claims
Apr 15 2021 // Florida became one of the first states in the country last month to pass and sign into law a statute directed toward providing immunity to businesses for COVID-19 related lawsuits. To be clear, the law does not prevent all...
Allstate Sees Surge in Demand for Pay-Per-Mile Insurance During COVID Shutdowns
Apr 14 2021 // The COVID-19 shutdowns that swept the U.S. have been a boon for a newer auto-insurance product: pay-per-mile coverage. During the pandemic, Allstate Corp. has seen interest surge in its Milewise offering, which lets...
Aon Collaborates with Insurer Partners to Protect Global COVID-19 Vaccine Shipments
Apr 13 2021 // Insurance broker Aon plc has introduced a new solution, through broad industry collaboration, that will provide supply chain protection for global COVID-19 vaccine shipments. The solution provides transparent cargo...
U.S. Recommends Pausing Use of J&J COVID Vaccine over Rare Blood Clots
Apr 13 2021 // U.S. federal health agencies on Tuesday recommended pausing use of Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine for at least a few days after six women under age 50 developed rare blood clots after receiving the shot,...
OSHA Prepares to Issue Emergency Regulations to Protect Workers from COVID-19
Apr 13 2021 // Mask mandates are coming down across the country, even as COVID cases are rising in most states. But the Biden administration appears poised to reinstate masking and other social distancing rules for recalcitrant governors...
Kentucky Judge Rules Businesses Harmed by COVID Restrictions
Apr 12 2021 // A Kentucky judge on Friday temporarily blocked applying some of the state’s pandemic-related restrictions to several restaurants and breweries challenging the governor’s actions. Scott County Circuit Judge...
U.S. P/C Insurers Report 2020 Underwriting Profits Despite Costs of COVID-19: Fitch
Apr 12 2021 // Despite considerable operating challenges in 2020 from the global COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. property/casualty (P/C) insurers saw a statutory underwriting profit for the third consecutive year, with an average 99% combined...
Insurance Industry Showcases Philanthropic, COVID Relief Initiatives
Apr 9 2021 // The insurance industry nonprofit Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation (IICF) gave insurance industry leaders an opportunity to talk about their philanthropic initiatives at a recent media event. Leaders from AIG,...
Home Working Likely to Remain – Even After Pandemic Ends: UK Survey
Apr 8 2021 // Home working is likely to remain after the pandemic finishes, according to a survey of 2,000 companies the UK, most of which are planning to allow employees greater flexibility on where and when they do their jobs. CIPD,...
Arizona Governor Signs COVID-19 Liability Shield Bill into Law
Apr 7 2021 // Gov. Doug Ducey has signed legislation giving businesses, nursing homes and others a broad shield from lawsuits related to COVID-19, making Arizona the latest state to limit liability after the pandemic. Republican...
Grant Thornton Staff in UK Want to Stay Home After Pandemic, in New Blow to the Office
Apr 7 2021 // In a fresh blow to the office, staff at one of the UK’s largest accountancy firms have given strong support to working mostly from home after the pandemic subsides. A survey of Grant Thornton UK LLP employees found...
