pandemic News

Lloyd’s of London Could Ditch Pinstripes After Pandemic

LONDON, March 25 — When the pandemic is over, the brokers of Lloyd’s of London could haggle with underwriters from home in their underpants, and ditch their pinstripes at the office. A trade body representing brokers took a swipe at …

Allianz Survey: Business Interruption, Pandemic and Cyber Top Risk Manager Concerns

Business interruption was rated as the most dire risk to global businesses in 2020, according to risk management experts in 92 countries surveyed by Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty. Allianz said in its annual Risk Barometer report that business interruption …

Supply Bottlenecks Leave Ships Stranded, Businesses Stymied

NEW YORK (AP) — A trade bottleneck born of the COVID-19 outbreak has U.S. businesses anxiously awaiting goods from Asia — while off the coast of California, dozens of container ships sit anchored, unable to unload their cargo. The pandemic …

Kansas County Chooses Not to Observe Covid ‘Emergency’

SEDAN, Kan. (AP) — Greetings from Chautauqua, the only county in Kansas where COVID-19 isn’t an emergency. This bucolic and remote county, nestled on the Oklahoma border 100 highway miles southeast of Wichita, is the only place in Kansas that …

COVID-19 Travel Insurance Becoming a Vacation Staple

COVID-19 insurance policies are increasingly joining passports and sunscreen as vacation staples, creating opportunities for insurers as more countries require mandatory coverage in case visitors fall ill from the coronavirus. Airline bookings are on the rise in some regions, driving …

Insurers Rewrite Business Policies After Pandemic Legal Tussles

NEW YORK — U.S. insurers are strengthening language in policies that cover business losses to protect them from future claims related to the coronavirus pandemic or other widespread illnesses that disrupt operations, industry sources say. New policies and renewals now …

Will 1st Anniversary of COVID-19 Shutdowns Spur New Wave of COVID Lawsuits?

The upcoming anniversary of COVID-19 shutdown orders may reveal whether a significant number of policyholders have been waiting on the sidelines before suing their insurers for business-interruption losses. Holding off on legal action may make sense, as insurers are winning …

Insurer Hiscox Counts Cost of Virus Claims, ‘Brand Damage’ After Court Case

British insurer Hiscox reported a big loss for 2020 after a jump in claims from businesses disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic and also faces “brand damage” from a legal dispute over policy wordings for pandemic-linked claims. Hiscox shares plunged 13% …

Staff at Some Major U.S. Firms to Keep Masks on in Texas Even as State Lifts Mandate

Employees at General Motors, Toyota Motor, Target Corp, and Macy’s Inc in Texas will keep face masks on at work, the companies said on Tuesday, even as the U.S. state lifted most of its coronavirus curbs allowing businesses to reopen …

Kentucky Senate Backs COVID Liability Shield for Businesses

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Legislation that would provide broad protections to shield Kentucky businesses from coronavirus-related lawsuits won approval from the state Senate after a long debate Monday evening. Senate President Robert Stivers described the measure as a necessary step …