PA Bill Interprets Property Damage To Include COVID-19

On April 30,  SB. 1127, an act relating to property and business interruption insurance coverage for COVID-19 pandemic related losses, was introduced to the Pennsylvania Senate. Although the bill does not explicitly state that insurers must cover COVID-19 business interruption claims, it would require insurers to pay claims that standard property policies do not typically cover.

Specifically, the bill states that if a covered property is located within a municipality where “the presence of the COVID-19 coronavirus has otherwise been detected,” that property is “deemed to have experienced property damage.” Coronavirus is deemed to be “detected” when at least one or more persons present in that municipality has been positively identified as having been infected by COVID-19.