Latest COVID-19 Headlines

All the headlines from our COVID-19 Topic Page, ordered by recency.

S. African Regulator Says Business Interruption Virus Claims Don’t Pose Systemic Risk

Jul 16 2020 // South Africa’s Prudential Authority expects that business-interruption claims linked to the Covid-19 pandemic poses little systemic risk to the insurance industry.The regulator is in talks with the country’s...

Viewpoint: Changing How We Recruit – The Future of Insurance Post COVID-19

Jul 16 2020 // Typically each spring, a crop of fresh college graduates enters the workforce, making the critical first steps to determine personal and professional paths. Today, the job landscape differs greatly from what it was even a...

Insurance Agency and Brokerage M&A Trends to Watch Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic

Jul 16 2020 // The COVID-19 pandemic has created challenges for many businesses across the globe, including the insurance industry. But so far, the insurance broker merger and acquisition (M&A) market has remained active even as the...

Warning of ‘Trivial’ Suits, Judge Dismisses Cruise Passengers’ COVID-19 Claims

Jul 16 2020 // A federal judge dismissed lawsuits by Grand Princess cruise ship passengers who sued for emotional distress caused by their fear of exposure to COVID-19, saying that allowing their cases to proceed would “lead to a...

West Virginia Reinstates Restrictions on Bars, Large Gatherings Amid Virus Surge

Jul 15 2020 // West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice moved Monday to close bars in the state’s largest college town and reimpose restrictions on large gatherings as coronavirus cases rise to record levels.Justice, a Republican, ordered...

Arch Estimates Q2 Catastrophe Losses Could Hit $225M, Which Include Pandemic Claims

Jul 15 2020 // Arch Capital Group Ltd. has estimated a range of pre-tax catastrophe losses of $205 million to $225 million in the second quarter of 2020 across its property casualty insurance and reinsurance segments.Included in these...

Mississippi Mandates Masks in Parts of State as it Sees ‘Worst’ of COVID-19 Spread

Jul 15 2020 // A mask mandate and other restrictions took effect Monday in 13 of Mississippi’s 82 counties as the state continues to see a rapid increase in cases of the new coronavirus, including a steady rise in hospital...

How Coronavirus Pandemic Has Disrupted Both Millennials and Boomers

Jul 15 2020 // Millennials, are taking a big hit — again. And boomers are not OK, either.Sometimes at odds, America’s two largest generations now have something to agree on: The coronavirus pandemic has smacked many of them at a...

Report: Sharp Drop in California Workers’ Comp Premiums Expected from COVID-19

Jul 14 2020 // A sharp drop in 2020 workers’ compensation premiums in California is expected with the COVID-19 pandemic-related job losses, a report out today shows.The Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau of...

Houston Leaders Urge Citywide Lockdown Amid Virus Case Surge

Jul 14 2020 // Top officials in Houston are calling for the city to lock back down as area hospitals strain to accommodate the onslaught of patients sick with the new coronavirus.Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and Harris County Judge...

Next Showdown in Congress: Protecting Workers vs. Protecting Employers in Pandemic

Jul 14 2020 // Congressional leaders are squaring off over the next pandemic relief bill in a debate over whom Congress should step up to protect: front-line workers seeking more safeguards from the ravages of COVID-19 or beleaguered...

Alaska Judge Declines to Block COVID-19 Aid to Businesses

Jul 14 2020 // A state court judge denied a Juneau man’s request to block distribution of federal coronavirus relief aid under expanded rules proposed by Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s administration.Superior Court Judge Philip...

Second Wave of Coronavirus Lockdowns Could Weaken Insurers’ Capital Buffers: S&P

Jul 14 2020 // Global insurers have proven resilient during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, as their capital strength has helped stave off widespread downgrades; however, insurers’ capital buffers will erode through the...

W.R. Berkley Estimates $85 Million in Q2 COVID Catastrophe Losses

Jul 14 2020 // W.R. Berkley Corp. cautioned that its 2020 second quarter pretax catastrophe losses will reach $145 million, with more than half of that coming from COVID-19 related costs.Out of that total, $85 million stems from COVID-19...

Travelers Expects Q2 Loss From Storms, Civil Unrest, Investments; Modest COVID Impact

Jul 14 2020 // In a preliminary look, The Travelers Companies said it expects to report a net loss for the second quarter, results that will reflect losses from storms, civil unrest and its non-fixed income investment portfolio.It also...

Crews Removing Capsized Cargo Ship in Georgia Sidelined by COVID Infections

Jul 14 2020 // Coronavirus infections among the salvage crew are delaying plans to cut apart and remove a hulking cargo ship that capsized off the coast of Georgia 10 months ago.Officials had hoped to start slicing the South Korean...

Fed Warns Climate, COVID Worsen Western States’ Economic Risk From Wildfires

Jul 14 2020 // Wildfires threaten the economy of the western United States to a greater extent than the rest of the country, and the coronavirus pandemic and climate change will only make that worse, according to research from the San...

Michigan Suit Says Insurer Owes Commercial Premium Refund Due to Virus

Jul 13 2020 // In a class action lawsuit, a Michigan restaurant and bar has challenged its insurer over commercial policy premium payments that covered the time it was forced to shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic. The lawsuit...

Newsom Rolls Back California’s COVID Openings, Orders Halt to Indoor Operations

Jul 13 2020 // California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday ordered the closure of indoor operations at gyms, hair salons, houses of worship, personal-care services, malls and non-critical office settings amid rising rates of people testing...

Florida Shatters Daily COVID Case Record as Disney Parks Reopen

Jul 13 2020 // Florida shattered the national record Sunday for the largest single-day increase in positive coronavirus cases in any state since the beginning of the pandemic, adding more than 15,000 cases as its daily average death toll...