On March 17, 2020 Ontario declared a state of emergency, along
with Alberta, British Columbia and Prince Edward Island. Ontario
has also ordered the closure of restaurants and bars and, along
with Alberta, prohibited the gathering of more than 50 people in a
number of venues. Prime Minister Trudeau has advised that the
Federal Government is examining the Emergencies Act.
All this to say, businesses across Ontario and Canada are
bracing for real and substantial economic challenges during these
unprecedented times.
A question we are repeatedly hearing from clients is whether
they have insurance coverage for business interruption and related
losses as a result of COVID-19. We certainly expect, regardless of
coverage, that insurers will see an increase in claims under a
variety of policies as a result of COVID-19 damages. Whether or not
a COVID-19 loss will be covered by insurance will depend on the
terms and conditions of the applicable policy, applied to
