Airbnb said Friday that it suspended or eliminated 35 rentals in New Jersey, which comes days after the state governor linked indoor home parties to a recent surge in coronavirus cases.
The gigantic online rental company said it made the move after complaints of house parties violating coronavirus restrictions at meetings.
“We support Governor Murphy and support his call to action to stop the holidays and promote behavior that respects the health of the public,” said Chris Lehane, senior vice president of global policy and communications for Airbnb, in a statement.
“We ban party houses and will not tolerate irresponsible behavior on our platform.”
The affected listings span 11 counties in northern, central and southern New Jersey, the company said in its press release.
Airbnb said callers alerted most parties to their 24-hour hotline.
All 35 rentals “have received complaints or violated our party and event policies,” the company said, adding that a “vast majority” of hosts in the state have been following the guidelines.
Governor Phil Murphy at a press conference on Wednesday noted that indoor parties contributed to an increase in coronavirus cases.
“This is how the coronavirus is transmitted more efficiently,” he said. “They are not safe. Period.”
Murphy said a “series” of recent house parties, including one in Middletown, has been linked to more than 50 new cases. Nearly three dozen Surf City rescuers have also tested positive for the virus after attending meetings on Long Beach Island, the governor said.
And earlier this week, three people were charged after Jackson Township police broke up a party at the home that had more than 700 guests. Murphy said Wednesday that it is not yet known how many cases of coronavirus may arise from that part, but the state health commissioner believes there will be many.
The governor tweeted Thursday that the state had 261 new positive cases. New Jersey has had more than 183,000 coronavirus cases and nearly 15,800 deaths, according to the NBC News count.
