Latest COVID-19 Headlines
All the headlines from our COVID-19 Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Directors & Officers’ Insurance Rates Surge on Fears of Coronavirus Litigation
Aug 11 2020 // Premiums for directors’ and officers’ liability insurance surged in the second quarter, broker Marsh said on Monday, as insurance underwriters fear the coronavirus pandemic will lead to hefty litigation...
U.S. Drug Regulator Vows Outside Review of Any COVID-19 Vaccines
Aug 11 2020 // The United States will need to have independent experts review COVID-19 vaccine candidates before approval, the country’s top drug regulator said on Friday, offering reassurance that his agency would not cut corners...
Texas Governor Extends Disaster Declaration for COVID-19
Aug 10 2020 // Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has extended a statewide disaster declaration he first issued in March to allow the state to better respond to the coronavirus pandemic. “Renewing this Disaster Declaration will provide...
Arkansas Health Officials Report 772 New COVID-19 Cases
Aug 10 2020 // There are an additional 772 reported coronavirus cases in Arkansas and 14 additional deaths due to COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, the Arkansas Department of Health reported. The department said there are 48,811...
Berkshire Insurance Units Hold Their Own While Pandemic Slams Other Buffett Firms
Aug 10 2020 // Berkshire Hathaway Inc. had a tough second quarter with the pandemic taking a toll on most of its operating businesses including Precision Castparts aircraft parts, the BNSF railroad, Occidental Petroleum Corp., Kraft...
Global Commercial Insurance Rates Up 19% on COVID-19, Other Large Losses: Marsh
Aug 10 2020 // Global average commercial insurance prices increased 19% in the second quarter of 2020, according to the latest Global Insurance Market Index released by broker and risk adviser Marsh. The increase, the largest since the...
Trust in Insurers/Finance Could Take Long-Term Battering with COVID Crisis: Opinion
Aug 10 2020 // Like the rest of us, the world’s finance industry is still wrestling with the huge uncertainty of a pandemic that doesn’t yet have an end. The sector’s reputation took a battering after the financial...
Allstate Reports Strong Q2 with Profit Up 49% Despite Pandemic
Aug 10 2020 // What pandemic? Allstate’s doing just fine. The giant personal lines insurer reported net income of $1.2 billion for the second quarter, an increase of 49% compared to the prior year quarter. Underwriting income...
COVID Business Interruption Suits Top 700 with More to Come
Aug 10 2020 // When insurance coverage lawsuits brought by businesses seeking coverage for COVID-related interruptions surpassed the 700 mark last month, the natural question to ask was: Is that a lot? That’s exactly the question...
Motivating Employees During the COVID Pandemic
Aug 10 2020 // The coronavirus pandemic has led to various versions of lockdowns and quarantine orders, which are now being revised during the summer due to a resurgence of cases. Many businesses still have workers who are now required...
Is Crisis the New Normal? 5 Steps to Consider When Crisis Planning in the Post-COVID World
Aug 10 2020 // Is crisis the “new normal?” We have always seen our fair share of catastrophic events and crises. But, in recent years those events seem to be increasing in frequency and severity. We are seeing more...
Report Holds Optimistic Virus Recovery View for Cannabis Industry
Aug 10 2020 // A new report out examining how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the U.S. cannabis industry shows consumer purchasing spiked, dropped, then started to stabilize in the time between when things began to unravel for the nation...
S. Africa’s Regulator to Clarify Policyholders’ Rights in Pandemic Insurance Claims
Aug 7 2020 // South Africa’s financial watchdog is consulting with lawyers and the insurance industry on a potential test case to clarify whether insurers should pay rejected claims from firms hit by the impact of the coronavirus,...
Indiana Surpasses 68,000 Confirmed Coronavirus Cases
Aug 7 2020 // Indiana has surpassed 68,000 confirmed COVID-19 virus cases. The state’s health department said this week that 582 additional people have been diagnosed with the disease, bringing Indiana’s total to...
Arkansas Reports 18 More Deaths Amid 912 New Coronavirus Cases
Aug 7 2020 // Arkansas this week reported 912 new confirmed cases of the coronavirus and 18 more people in the state have died from the illness caused by the virus. The Department of Health said at least 46,293 people in the state have...
Louisiana Teachers Positive for Virus Days Before School
Aug 7 2020 // Since returning to their classrooms to prepare for the opening of in-person instruction next week, a “handful” of Jefferson Parish teachers have tested positive for the coronavirus, a newspaper reported this...
Nevada Passes COVID-19 Liability and Worker Protection Deal
Aug 7 2020 // Nevada lawmakers voted to shield certain industries from coronavirus-related legal liability and require hotels and casinos to enact worker protection measures after days of complicated negotiations with Gov. Steve...
CNA Reports Q2 Profit Despite COVID-19, Weather, Civil Unrest Losses
Aug 6 2020 // CNA Financial Corp. saw its 2020 second quarter net income sliced almost by half compared to the previous year due to “considerable catastrophe losses” from COVID-19, civil unrest and weather-related...
Health Official: California COVID-19 Cases Underreported
Aug 6 2020 // Figures showing California has slowed the rate of coronavirus infections may be in doubt because a technical problem has delayed reporting of test results, the state’s top health official said. For days, California...
Texas Reports Nearly 9,200 New COVID Cases, 245 Deaths
Aug 6 2020 // Texas health officials reported almost 9,200 confirmed new coronavius cases Tuesday as a convention center in the hard-hit Rio Grande Valley opened as a makeshift hospital for COVID-19 patients. The Department of State...