Airbnb will not allow one-night reservations during the Halloween weekend for all its listings in the U.S. and Canada. The company issued an announcement October 2 saying that during the COVID-19 pandemic, it has decided to ban parties globally in response to reduce the risk of large gatherings.
"To strengthen our hosts’ protection against parties amid concerns about a second wave of the pandemic, today we’re announcing that we will be prohibiting one-night reservations over the Halloween weekend in entire home listings in the United States or Canada."
The announcement went on to say that Airbnb will bolster its existing protocols "aimed at stopping as many large gatherings as possible that weekend." The company promised to reimburse guests and hosts for already existing bookings that need to be canceled because of the new policy.
In August, Airbnb issued a global ban on all parties and events at any of their listings, including a cap on occupancy of 16 guests.
According to Chron.com, the new move is consistent with guidelines suggested by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention limiting large gatherings to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19.
Health officials warn that private gatherings even with people you know can become highly contagious venues for spreading the coronavirus. They cite cases particularly in Florida, Michigan, Oregon, and New Jersey where private parties caused clusters of COVID-19 cases. Experts said that all too frequently, people are lulled into a "false sense of security" because they know most of the guests in attendance, according to Today.
Lynn C. Allison ✉
Lynn C. Allison, a Newsmax health reporter, is an award-winning medical journalist and author of more than 30 self-help books.
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