9th Cir. Upholds Dismissal of Wedding Venue’s COVID-19 Coverage Action

SAN FRANCISCO — The 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals has upheld dismissal of a California wedding venue’s COVID-19 coverage action, affirming that government closure orders issued in response to the pandemic stem from a “virus,” therefore the policy’s virus exclusion applies.

On May 2, the appellate panel agreed with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California that Palmdale Estates cannot show that the government’s response to COVID-19 was the product of anything other than the virus.

Palmdale Estates has a venue in Sunol, Calif., where it hosts weddings and other events. In mid-March, Alameda County authorities, …