Latest COVID-19 Headlines
All the headlines from our COVID-19 Topic Page, ordered by recency.
FERMA Forms Task Force to Find Solution for Non-Damage BI Cover – Such as Pandemic
May 7 2020 // The Federation of European Risk Management Associations (FERMA) announced the launch of a task force to create proposals to address the issue of business interruption coverage for catastrophic risks. “Our aim is to...
Royal Caribbean Sued in Miami Court Over Crew Member COVID-19 Death
May 7 2020 // The family of a cruise crew member who died after testing positive for COVID-19 filed a lawsuit against Royal Caribbean Cruises on Tuesday saying the company failed to protect its employees as the pandemic ravaged sailings...
Buffett Says Berkshire Would Write Pandemic Insurance. That Is, If the Price Is Right.
May 7 2020 // The chairman of Berkshire Hathaway said that while his insurance units aren’t heavily exposed to underwriting losses from the COVID-19 pandemic, they would be willing to insure pandemics in the future. “The...
Opinion: What If Public Employees Could Sue Government Over Covid-19?
May 7 2020 // Suppose you’re working in an essential industry and your employer hasn’t provided you with adequate personal protective equipment. Maybe you say to yourself, “Okay, there’s a shortage, they’re...
California Governor Announces Workers’ Comp Presumption for COVID-19
May 6 2020 // California Gov. Gavin Newsom today announced that workers who contract COVID-19 while on the job may be eligible to receive workers’ compensation. The governor signed an executive order that creates a time-limited...
At Least 116 Oklahoma Meat Plant Workers, 240 in Texas Test Positive for Virus
May 6 2020 // At least 116 employees at an Oklahoma pork processing plant have tested positive for coronavirus, Seaboard Foods spokesman David Eahart said in a statement on May 4. Meanwhile, a surge of coronavirus cases in the Texas...
Allstate Credits Risk Management During Q1; Eyes Second Coronavirus Driver Refund
May 6 2020 // Allstate Corp. reported that its adjusted net income rose 47% in the first quarter to $1.14 billion, a jump of 47%, thanks to higher underwriting income and lower catastrophe costs, compared with the quarter one year ago....
Business Income, COVID-19, and Plaintiff Attorneys: They Keep Trying
May 6 2020 // “I think there was an attempt to dissuade the public from filing these claims and to shape the public opinion that this was not property damage,” said Steven C. Marks, managing partner at Miami-based Podhurst...
Meat Workers Taking Leave, Quitting as Plants Reopen Amid Coronavirus Scare
May 6 2020 // America’s meat-processing plants are starting to reopen but not all workers are showing up. Some still fear they’ll get sick after coronavirus outbreaks shut more than a dozen facilities last month. Employees...
Goodbye Open Plan Office? Hello 6-Feet Social Distancing Workspace?
May 6 2020 // One-way corridors, buffer zones around desks, and clear plastic screens to guard against colleagues’ coughs and sneezes may become office standards after coronavirus stay-at-home orders are lifted, say occupational...
Louisiana’s Donelon Asks Commercial Auto Insurers to Offer COVID-19 Relief
May 6 2020 // Louisiana’s chief insurance regulator wants insurers to consider offering premium relief to their commercial auto insurance customers due to the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic. Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon...
What to Expect in Workers’ Compensation Costs From COVID-19: NCCI
May 6 2020 // If only 10 percent of health care workers contract COVID-19 and all of their claims are deemed compensable, workers’ compensation loss costs for that sector could double or even triple in some states, according to an...
Transparency Is Key for Insurance Agents Handling Coronavirus Claims
May 6 2020 // Business interruption insurance has been a much-debated topic during the coronavirus crisis, with some businesses already pushing back against virus-related claim denials. In several cities, groups of businesses have filed...
Analysts Tally Workers’ Comp Cost of Exposure to COVID-19
May 5 2020 // While the potential cost of relaxing a tenet of the workers’ compensation system to deal with extraordinary circumstances of COVID-19 could top $50 billion, it’s more likely to be one-fifth of that, an analyst...
Hiscox to Raise Capital in Response to COVID-19 Growth Opportunities and Exposures
May 5 2020 // Lloyd’s insurer Hiscox is planning a capital raise via the placement of new ordinary shares, which will enable the company to respond to expected growth opportunities ahead and prudently prepare for possible...
Oklahoma House Passes Bill Shielding Healthcare Workers from COVID-19 Liability
May 5 2020 // The Oklahoma House of Representatives has passed legislation aimed at protecting healthcare providers from liability during the COVID-19 pandemic. The House Senate Bill 300, creating the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency...
Midwest Meatpackers Cautiously Reopen Plants After Coronavirus Shutdown
May 5 2020 // A South Dakota pork processing plant took its first steps toward reopening on May 4 after being shuttered for over two weeks because of a coronavirus outbreak that infected more than 800 employees. As two departments...
Many Japan Firms Resist Telecommuting, Raising COVID-19 Risk for Call Center Staff
May 5 2020 // Almost a month after Tokyo declared a state of emergency, dozens of call center employees for telecom KDDI Corp still commute into their crowded office, where the fear of coronavirus infection has taken a back seat to data...
CNA Records Q1 Loss Tied to Market Volatility from Coronavirus
May 5 2020 // CNA Financial Corp. recorded a first quarter 2020 net loss of $61 million, and core income of $108 million. The insurer said results for the quarter reflected financial market volatility amid the events of COVID-19. The...
Drugmaker Questioned for Nearly Tripling Price of Potential COVID-19 Drug
May 5 2020 // The chair of a House of Representatives committee and a fellow Democratic committee member on Monday urged Jaguar Health Inc. to reverse recent price hikes of a drug that could be used to treat side effects in COVID-19...
