Latest COVID-19 Headlines
All the headlines from our COVID-19 Topic Page, ordered by recency.
EU Warns of New Wave of Consumer Scams Amid COVID Resurgence
Nov 9 2020 // The European Commission on Friday urged online platforms to gird for a fresh wave of consumer scams linked to the resurgence of COVID-19 infections in Europe and said they need to work harder against the spread of...
Wisconsin Supreme Court Sends Virus Capacity Limits Case to Lower Court
Nov 6 2020 // The Wisconsin Supreme Court on Nov. 4 declined to consider reinstating Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’ coronavirus restrictions limiting the size of public gatherings, deferring to a lower court to decide. Evers’...
Judge: Louisiana Governor Can Renew Virus Restrictions, for Now
Nov 6 2020 // A Louisiana judge has declined to stop Gov. John Bel Edwards from renewing his COVID-19 restrictions amid a legal feud with House Republicans over the rules. Baton Rouge-based state district Judge William Morvant refused...
Charting Covid: Purely Data for Data Sake
Nov 5 2020 // March 21, 2020, I began tracking COVID – specifically the daily numbers. I undertook this task for several reasons: I enjoy data, I wasn’t going anywhere for a while, but more specifically so that I could discuss...
Insurer RSA Says Pandemic Exclusions Will Limit Impact of England’s 2nd Lockdown
Nov 5 2020 // England’s second national lockdown is unlikely to have much impact on insurer RSA as many policies now have pandemic-related exclusions, its CEO said on Thursday as it reported a rise in underwriting profit in the...
Federal Judge Dismisses Amazon N.Y. Warehouse Workers’ COVID-19 Lawsuit
Nov 3 2020 // A federal judge dismissed New York warehouse workers’ lawsuit against Amazon, ruling that their allegations about the company’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic should have been brought to the Occupational...
Royal Caribbean Suspends Most Cruises Through Year End as COVID Cases Rise Globally
Nov 3 2020 // Cruise operator Royal Caribbean Group said on Monday it would stop all its cruises, excluding sailings from Singapore, through the end of the year, extending previous suspensions as coronavirus infections continue to...
UK Supreme Court to Hear Appeal of COVID Business Interruption Test Case on Nov. 16
Nov 3 2020 // The UK Supreme Court will hear an appeal on Nov. 16 of the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) test case over which insurance companies should offer payouts to small businesses battered by the coronavirus...
Japan’s Largest Airport Opens COVID-19 Testing Lab for Departing Travelers
Nov 2 2020 // TOKYO — Japan’s largest airport opened a novel coronavirus testing facility on Monday as it takes steps to reopen international travel that has been largely grounded for months by the pandemic. The Narita...
Agency M&A Activity Continues Despite Pandemic: OPTIS Partners
Nov 2 2020 // There were 170 announced insurance agency mergers and acquisitions during the third quarter of 2020 compared to 173 for the same period in 2019, according to a report from consulting firm OPTIS Partners. The Chicago-based...
N.C. Judge First to Favor Policyholders in COVID-19 Closure Lawsuit
Nov 2 2020 // A judge in Durham County, N.C., has handed down what may be the nation’s first dispositive ruling in favor of policyholders in a COVID-19 business-interruption lawsuit. Superior Court Judge Orlando F. Hudson Jr....
Pennsylvania Judge Allows COVID Business Loss Suit Against Lloyd’s to Advance
Oct 30 2020 // Lloyd’s of London lost its initial bid to squelch a coronavirus business interruption lawsuit brought by a Philadelphia bar and restaurant. Judge Gary S. Glazer of the Court of Common Pleas in Philadelphia turned...
It Would Take P/C Insurers 150 Years to Pay COVID-19 Business Interruption Losses
Oct 30 2020 // The world’s property/casualty insurers would have to collect business interruption insurance premiums for 150 years in order to absorb the estimated US$4.5 trillion global output loss inflicted by COVID-19 and its...
Reinsurers’ Investment Strategies Offer Buffer for Low Interest Rates, Pandemic: S&P
Oct 30 2020 // A decade of low interest rates and tough underwriting conditions has led reinsurers to cautiously invest in riskier and more illiquid assets to generate additional return. The good news is that this strategy also has...
The Coronavirus Pandemic and The Great Workplace Debate: Viewpoint
Oct 30 2020 // Decisions on where and how to work are embodied in trillions of dollars of investment worldwide, including the siting of commercial and residential real estate as well as transportation systems and other...
How Government Plans to Make COVID-19 Vaccine Free for Every American
Oct 30 2020 // Federal health officials Wednesday issued insurance coverage rules designed to deliver on the promise that every American will have access to free COVID-19 vaccines when they are approved. The regulations from the Centers...
Illinois Governor Bans Indoor Dining in Chicago as Virus Cases Surge
Oct 29 2020 // Surging COVID-19 cases in Chicago has prompted Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker to ban indoor dining and bar services and limit the number of people gathering in one place. However, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot says she...
WHO to Form COVID Insurance Scheme for Vaccine Side-Effects in Poor Nations
Oct 29 2020 // BRUSSELS – A vaccine scheme co-led by the World Health Organization is setting up a compensation fund for people in poor nations who might suffer any side-effects from COVID-19 vaccines, aiming to allay fears that could...
Chubb Weathers $1 Billion in Catastrophes, Gains New Business in COVID Economy in 3Q
Oct 29 2020 // Chubb’s net income grew by 9 percent in the 2020 third quarter, which CEO Evan Greenberg credited to rate hikes and improving underwriting conditions despite a tough environment shaped by the COVID-19 pandemic. The...
AI-Based Risk Score Predicts Prognosis of Outpatients with COVID-19
Oct 28 2020 // A new artificial intelligence-based score considers multiple factors to predict the prognosis of individual patients with COVID-19 seen at urgent care clinics or emergency departments. The tool, nicknamed CoVA, was created...
