Workers’ Compensation Covers COVID-19 in California
October 13th, 2020
On September 17, 2020, California Governor Newsom signed Senate Bill 1159 into law. The new state law, which has an immediate effect, applies if an employee in California has a COVID-19-related illness during the period beginning March 19, 2020 and ending December 31, 2022. During this period, the employee’s COVID-19-related illness is presumed to arise out of and in the course of employment and will be covered by the state workers’ compensation system if certain additional requirements are met (unless the presumption is controverted by other evidence).