The UK government announced yesterday that its current measures relating to the use of public spaces such as bars and restaurants would be sufficient to trigger some business interruption policies, with the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak stating, “Let me confirm that, for those businesses which do have a policy that covers pandemics, the government’s action is sufficient and will allow businesses to make an insurance claim against their policy.”

However, policies which provide BI cover in the face of pandemics are, Cooley understands, rare, a point reinforced yesterday by the Association of British Insurers.

There may be other avenues for businesses looking to their insurers in the face of losses caused by the coronavirus pandemic, which we at Cooley have previously identified in our helpful insurance checklist.