GOOD TO KNOW Coronavirus: Updated information and coverage by AXA

As the product names states, epidemic insurance is intended to protect against the financial risks of an epidemic. According to the overall definition, an epidemic is an event that remains within a certain geographical area within a specific period, but corresponds to a major event. Epidemic insurance can and is designed to protect against such events at operating level. For example, epidemic insurance takes effect if there is an occurrence of norovirus in a retirement home, a salmonella outbreak in a restaurant or an infection on a cattle farm. Under the scope of coverage, these benefits were and are guaranteed at all times.

Unlike an epidemic event, a pandemic is a cross-border and cross-continent event declared by the World Health Organization (WHO). There is no geographical restriction which is why the loss events of a pandemic are excluded from AXA’s epidemic insurance. This is also stipulated accordingly in the General Insurance Conditions. At AXA, the insurance cover of a pandemic is not included in the premium.

Epidemic insurance is based on measures by the relevant authorities in Switzerland (authority at cantonal or federal level, but not municipal level).

Provided the relevant Swiss authorities take measures to prevent the spread of communicable diseases, epidemic insurance offers protection against the financial consequences of:

• Closure or quarantining of businesses or parts of businesses
• Removal or processing of contaminated or potentially contaminated goods
• Individual ban on activities by persons working in a business
• Ban on supplying the policyholder’s customers
• Closure of third-party businesses that supply or accept goods (contingent business interruption)
• Declaration of a particular municipal area as a restricted area
• Ban on festive events

On March 11, 2020, the WHO for the first time declared the current spread of the novel coronavirus to be a pandemic, corresponding to pandemic phase 6. For this reason, the coverage exclusion applies from March 11, 2020, according to which coverage ceases for claims filed after this date.

Coverage for loss events prior to this reference date will be assessed based on individual contractual provisions. Please get in touch with your customer advisor if you have any queries.  

There is no insurance protection if authorities abroad implement measures to prevent the spread of communicable diseases (quarantine measures, travel restrictions, supply restrictions etc.). Canceled bookings due to measures or recommendations by foreign authorities are not covered.

Actual cover is based on individual contractual provisions. Please get in touch with your customer advisor if you have any queries.  

The situation surrounding the coronavirus is constantly changing, and very rapidly in some cases, depending on the number of cases/new infection rates in individual countries. We are keeping a close eye on developments and are on hand to provide our customers with the assistance they need.

Generally, the following applies: Based on the travel recommendations issued by the FDFA, AXA covers the cancellation costs of vacations in and travel to countries that are subject to travel restrictions/travel warnings 30 days prior to the start of your trip at the earliest.  In this way, we want to give you peace of mind.

Cancellation costs are also covered if a second wave should suddenly give rise to the imposition of renewed travel restrictions.

Please refer to the FDFA website and FOPH website to find out more about the situation currently applicable to your destination. 

Anyone who contracts coronavirus and for this reason cannot depart on or continue a trip is in any event covered by Intertours travel insurance (additional costs incurred for the return trip, accommodation and meals in the case of an unexpected stay, up to a maximum of CHF 1,000 per insured person as well as any cancellations in accordance with the GIC).

If a country imposes entry restrictions (closed borders, quarantine) up to a stipulated date, we will cover the cancellation costs of travel departing up to this date.

Quarantine for return travel to Switzerland

The FOPH is imposing several days' quarantine on those entering Switzerland from specific countries with effect from July 6, 2020. Please refer to the FOPH website to find out more about the countries and territories currently affected.

We will assume the cancellation costs of customers who have a valid Intertours travel insurance policy if they would prefer not to travel due to the quarantine rules imposed by the authorities upon their return to Switzerland. This applies to bookings made before the announcement of the quarantine rules imposed by the authorities. Bookings made after the announcement of the quarantine rules imposed by the authorities are not covered, however.

If you would like to report a canceled trip or an incident, you can do so quickly and easily online.

If you have any questions about travel cancellations or travel incidents, please contact the hotline: tel. 0800 809 809. As we are currently receiving a lot of enquiries, you may be subject to longer waiting times than usual if you call us by phone. 

Key points

• Transportation of goods insurance covers the loss and destruction of goods during the insured journey. AXA can only provide indemnity if the insured goods are damaged or get lost in transit (i.e. if they go missing or cannot be found).
• Any penalty payments due to delays or non-deliveries are regarded as commercial or entrepreneurial risks, for which transportation of goods insurance cannot provide any cover.
• If your goods cannot be delivered due to coronavirus restrictions, there is no entitlement to indemnity (except for any additional costs under additional cost insurance - see below).
• Your transportation insurance begins as soon as your goods are loaded onto the means of transport or into the container in which they will make the insured journey. It ends as soon as the goods are unloaded from the means of transport or from the container by the recipient at the end of the insured journey. During any stopovers and/or interim storage caused by delays, the insurance coverage will remain in place premium-free for a maximum of 60 days (or the period shown in the policy) per stopover. For longer stopovers or interim storage, the insurance cover can be extended against payment of an additional premium in consultation with AXA.

Which cases can be indemnified by AXA and which cannot?

• AXA will assume loss prevention or loss mitigation costs, provided an insured loss has taken place or is at imminent risk of occurring. This also applies to additional costs of reloading, interim storage and further shipment.
• However, transportation of goods insurance does not cover the consequences of any delay in forwarding or delivery, regardless of the cause.
• Losses that do not directly affect the goods (such as interest rate, exchange rate or price losses, loss of use or operating losses), activities in connection with a loss event, demurrage or detention losses, any kind of freight surcharge, known as “indirect losses”, are also not insured.
• Depending on whether your policy contains additional cost insurance, additional costs as a result of an unforeseen delay in delivery while in transit may be covered, even if the goods are not damaged. This includes:
  • Additional freight costs, additional costs, air freight forwarding
  • Cost of reloading onto another means of transport and subsequent further shipment to the originally intended destination.

The exact costs that AXA will assume in this instance are listed conclusively in the additional costs clause. Claims are limited to the maximum sum mentioned in the policy.

• Only goods that were despatched before the coronavirus outbreak can be affected by unforeseen delays in delivery. If goods are despatched now to areas that are in lockdown or to destinations with already known handling and shipment problems, a delay in delivery can no longer be described as unforeseen.
• Unlike additional cost insurance, insurance for transportation-related business interruption and contractual penalties does not provide any cover in the event of an unforeseen delay in delivery during transit.

What is the situation with regard to trade fairs and exhibitions?

If your policy contains an applicable special condition, AXA can only provide indemnity if you cannot participate at a regular trade fair or exhibition or can only do so on a limited basis or if you incur additional costs because your goods arrive at the exhibition site damaged or delayed, or do not arrive at all or only in part. The costs assumed by AXA in this instance within the maximum sums mentioned in the policy are listed conclusively in the special condition.  

• There is no cover if the trade fair or exhibition in question cannot take place due to coronavirus restrictions.

Based on individual coverage, AXA considers each case individually. Further information can be obtained during office hours by calling +41 58 215 32 20.

Tips for exporters:

• Stop all deliveries immediately to areas known to be in lockdown or to destinations where there are handling and shipment problems.
• Recall goods that are already on their way to areas in lockdown or to destinations with handling and shipment problems, using the forwarding agent’s help where possible, have them placed in suitable interim storage or re-rerouted to an alternative destination. Check whether the goods can be resold elsewhere (particularly fresh produce).
• We recommend that you contact your carrier or forwarding agent directly for any logistics and transport matters.

The forwarding agent or carrier is not liable for loss or damage as a result of force majeure. AXA supports the policyholder in defending against unjustified claims. 

To be covered against business interruption or contingent business interruption losses, there must have been property damage , i.e. a risk such as fire, water or theft must have materialized.  Business interruption without property damage is not covered without exception. Coronavirus and any incapacities to work or closure of businesses due to that virus are not covered, as there has been no property damage.

If there has been infection with coronavirus and the insured person falls ill and is unable to work, the insured benefits are paid. AXA also classifies the case as inability to work if an infected insured person without any symptoms of illness is placed in quarantine and is unable to work.

But the condition for this is that there must always be an “illness” and that inability to work is certified by a doctor.  

However, if an uninfected insured person is ordered to stay at home in quarantine, e.g. by the employer, and is therefore unable to work (purely preventive measure), AXA does not pay any daily benefits. In this instance, there is no illness conferring entitlement to benefits under the General Insurance Conditions (GIC).

For infections with coronavirus that are related to work in a hospital or laboratory and are therefore regarded as occupational diseases, we provide statutory insurance benefits under accident insurance; we specifically pay for treatment costs and provide daily benefits for inability to work associated with the illness. The same applies if an insured person has to travel to a high-risk area for their job and becomes infected there. 

There are generally no benefit restrictions in the event of death or incapacity for work due to coronavirus infection. However, the foundation will reduce its pension benefits to the same extent if the AHV/IV reduces, withdraws or withholds a benefit because the eligible person has caused the death or disability through gross negligence (section 35.3 of the pension fund regulations).

Entitlement to an exemption from contributions

If a coronavirus infection has occurred and the insured person has fallen ill and is unable to work, they are entitled to an exemption from contributions. The foundation will also classify the case as incapacity for work if an infected insured person who is not showing any symptoms is put into quarantine and cannot go to work.

In all cases, this requires an “illness” and therefore the incapacity for work to be certified by a doctor.

This is not the case if, for instance, a non-infected insured person is self-isolating at home on the instructions of their employer and therefore cannot work (merely a preventive measure). In that case, there is no entitlement to any exemption from contributions. Such a case does not constitute an incapacity for work resulting in benefit entitlement within the meaning of section 20 of the pension fund regulations.

AXA offers private individuals and companies insurance cover for legal disputes concerning coronavirus under the applicable General Insurance Conditions (GIC). 

Legal disputes are insured if the act or event that triggered the dispute only occurred after legal insurance was taken out. For contractual disputes, such as travel cancellations, labor law problems or delayed deliveries, the insurance must already have existed when the contract was first breached. For matters relating to insurance, the insured event is the crucial factor, e.g. the start of unemployment or request for reduced working hours.

If you have legal questions or would like to report a legal case, please contact AXA-ARAG please contact AXA-ARAG by e-mail to info@axa-arag.ch or via online request form.