Because their potential premises liability of an excluded peril far exceeds any profit over a real estate transaction. An exposure that cannot be effectively controlled or eliminated. When the optimal response is simply avoidance.
When this pandemic finally ends, expect to see a barrage of litigation coming. Where businesses may be forced into bankruptcy or even dissolution, short of government somehow bailing them out. Legally speaking, to my knowledge this remains "uncharted territory" for a number of developed nations.
So far America's Republican party has tried, yet failed to incorporate laws into legislation that would alleviate such liability for businesses. And with a new regime coming to Washington, prospects for such relief seem politically remote unless it becomes a bargaining chip for Congressional Republicans. Conversely whether the Tories can effectively introduce such legislation into Britain's Parliament might be a possibility, though I can't comment on the real possibilities.
For now, it would seem potential liability issues arising from the pandemic remain something of a legal nightmare. However because of the pandemic itself, don't expect anyone wanting to attend a crowded civil courtroom.
