Why Congress Ducked This Covid Legal Fight (for Now): QuickTake

The leader of the U.S. Senate, Republican Mitch McConnell, has warned that a forthcoming wave of litigation over Covid-19 will amount to a “second pandemic.” That’s the basis for a continuing effort in Congress to shield companies from lawsuits filed by workers and consumers who get sick. Though a liability shield ended up being dropped from the economic stimulus measure passed in the final days of 2020, the issue is not going away, and some states have moved to provide their own versions of legal immunity for businesses.

1. How many Covid-related lawsuits have been filed?

A total ...