UK insurers stop selling travel policies over virus

British insurer LV= on Thursday said it had suspended sales of travel policies owing to turmoil linked to the coronavirus pandemic.

Many travellers do not ordinarily purchase travel insurance but the virus fallout has seen a spike in demand.

"In light of the significant impact that coronavirus is having globally, LV=... has taken the difficult decision to pause the sale of travel insurance to new customers," the company said in a statement.

"In the last couple of weeks, we've seen the number of policies sold double." LV= stressed that the suspension was a temporary move, adding there would be no change for existing customers. "We will continue to monitor the situation closely and review the decision on an ongoing basis," the company said.

UK insurer Aviva has meanwhile adjusted its travel cover to reflect risks posed by COVID-19.

New customers can still buy insurance but would not be able to select add-on cover for "travel disruption" or "airspace closure", it added.

Aviva has paused also the sale of single-trip insurance for customers travelling to Italy -- the European country hardest hit by the coronavirus.