Enhanced Cleaning Protocol not necessary for New Zealand and some states of Australia and South Pacific Islands that have eliminated community transmission of Covid-19

[Carmen1596]

This is a message for catherine powell, the head of host relations - although the platform didn't allow me to reference her, so maybe she's not contactable?

In New Zealand, we do not have community transmission of covid-19.  Our borders are closed, and anyone who is allowed into the country must go into a mandatory government run quarantine facility for 2 weeks and test negative for the virus before being allowed into the community.  We have a government that made good decisions and a population that followed the rules, and we have successfully contained the virus.  We are not required to wear masks anywhere - indeed, the W.H.O states that mask wearing is helpful where there is community transmission, hence it is not necessary in New Zealand.  I understand similar rules and results are in place in some states of Australia, such as Western Australia and others.  I also understand that most south Pacific countries do not have active cases of covid.

Having read the onerous cleaning protocol requirements, I am asking myself why airbnb has imposed these additional costs on kiwis when it is totally over the top and not necessary.  Although some people have already signed up to the protocol, I doubt that any are actually following it to the letter given how out of step it is with what is going on in NZ at the moment - ie no covid!  Cleaning ALL the dishes on every visit?  Moving and cleaning under ALL the furniture every visit, discarding vacuum bags after EACH CLEAN?  For those hosts that do actually follow the guidelines, the costs will be passed on to guests, making the use or airbnb even more expensive than it already is.  Guests will also not abide by a requirement to wear a mask when this is to required in any other situation in New Zealand, anywhere!  For example, on the weekend, our largest city hosted a rugby match with a crowd of 50,000, with no mask-wearing.  Read my lips - we do not have community spread of covid in New Zealand!

I ask airbnb to please get down off its high horse, look outside its US-centric issues with covid,  and apply some common sense for those of us living in the sane part of the world where our countries and states have managed to contain the virus.  I ask that these protocols NOT be mandatory for parts of the world that do not have community transmission of covid.

[Helen427]

@Marg11@Carmen1596 @Marcie-and-Peter0 @Heidi595 @Kirsty119 

So who is Vivek what's his name from CDC getting his information from?

Airbnb should be exercising far greater Due Diligence and verify his sources....

Have put a link to other legal cases in another topic...

@Carmen1596I think ABB do know about our neck of the woods, it's their "Advisor" who they are probably paying a very handsome sum of our Monies that have kept them afloat that doesn't, nor does it appear he's up to speed with Laws...

[Helen427]

Good evening @Brian  CEO of ABB Please address this for us please

@Carmen1596 @Marg11 @Marcie-and-Peter0 @Heidi595 

@Kirsty119 @Lisa723 and  All others in the Airbnb Community 

[Marcie-and-Peter0]

@Helen427I have emailed Mr. Chesky directly, and with our request for the exact part of the terms and conditions that require us to comply with these new mandates.  I will advise of the response. xo

[Helen427]

@Marcie-and-Peter0Any reply from @Brian ?

@Carmen1596 @Chris-and-Denise0 @Heather-And-John1 @Ian-And-Christine1  and others

[Sascha72]

@Carmen1596  – excellent points raised!!
I have three listings with super host status in Western Australia and will exit airbnb if this airbnb-protocol is enforced in WA.
We do what we can to be COVID-safe (AHA Hospitality & Tourism COVID-19 Hygiene Course and using COVID-19 questionnaires upon check in for our guests), but this is certainly over the top for where Australia (WA in particular) currently is from a risk perspective.
Unless the host requirements are adjusted to individual circumstances, regulations and rules per state/country/region we won't comply. Probably doesn't matter for @Catherine-Powell ...😉

[Heather-And-John1]

@Catherine-Powell

Totally over the top for hosts in Australia and New Zealand to be forced to comply with the mask requirements in order to continue hosting.  As a population,we have been extremely compliant with government and our medical experts requirements and have made huge  sacrifices  for many months in order to  control and contain  the spread of COVID 19.  Thanks to our governments working with and accepting the advice of medical experts in epidemiology we have  been very successful in overcoming and controlling community transmission to virtually zero.
Whilst in theory the AirBnb policy of mask wearing may be justified in many locations around the world, the policy needs to be tailored to those locations were community transmission is occurring. 
This is not the case in Australia, New Zealand and many Pacific Islands in this region. 

[Ian-And-Christine1]

Wish we had found this thread several weeks ago before we started trying to communicate with airbnb on this issue. Emphasis on trying. We note that:

1. airbnb has not responded to any of the previous posts; and

2. airbnb will not, or can not justify imposing the new covid-19 policy on countries like New Zealand and Australia. They just repeat the coy spiel and hide behind words like "community" and "caring" as if anyone believes that. We suspect that this whole exercise is insurance/liability based, and little or nothing to do with the "community".

[Carmen1596]

It’s interesting that the 20 November deadline has been and gone, with no consequences for hosts who haven’t yet agreed to the protocols. If they start trying to **bleep** down my bookings, I will just go elsewhere. I agree this seems to be a liability issue related to their proposed stock exchange listing and nothing to do with hosts interests. Without us, they would have no business, it wld be nice if they recognized that!

[Chris-and-Denise0]

The moment you step off a plane from NZ, you run a risk of picking it up, carrying and transmitting it to others. Simple enough? 

[Carmen1596]

@Chris-and-Denise0 Yes, that is simple enough, but I'm not talking about Kiwis travelling overseas and getting the virus, I'm talking about the rules that should apply to homes located in NZ.  

Our border is closed, and no-one gets into NZ without spending two weeks in a government run managed isolation facility and having two negative covid tests before being allowed into the community.  From Saturday, travellers from the US and UK will have to test negative before they are allowed into the country.  With all these precautions, we are lucky that we do not have the virus in the community and life continues almost entirely as normal - except we do not have foreign tourists.

So, I'm talking about people in NZ travelling around NZ and mingling with other people in NZ, all of whom are covid-free.  Our government has done an excellent job managing the situation, and we are following the rules and guidance that they set.  It should not be for a company located in an entirely different part of the world (where an entirely different health situation applies) to insist that their rules be applied in a foreign country where there is no need for it.  I would doubt that any users of ABB in NZ - hosts and guests - are wearing masks when interacting, and I would be very surprised if the cleanly protocols are being followed to the letter - it is simply unnecessary in our community.  Being threatened with de-platforming for not agreeing to arbitrary rules is an abuse of their position - that's what my complaint is about.

[Helen427]

@Chris-and-Denise0 @Carmen1596 @Ian-And-Christine1 @Sascha72 @Heather-And-John1 
As they say, the truth will come out.

Someone will be held to account for the current situation we all find ourselves in, it's simply a matter of connecting the dots.

Personally I wouldn't trust or listen to the 'advice' of a Professor who also has information online to suggest he's had time locked up in jail and has an issue with authority and others.

Please be mindful that yes there is environmental factors out there and people do genuinely get unwell alas there's far more to this whole ugly nightmare than meets the eye that may take a wee while to unravel..

Best we all try and get on harmoniously in life as ABB Hosts and Guests and look after fellow human beings as you yourself would like to be treated, not in the way a very deranged madman is telling us how to live, and I'm not referring to a person in USA

Take Care, keep safe and well & switch off the media and let those who are qualified sort out the nightmare a horrible, horrible family have created across the world

[Carmen1596]

I see that ABB has now decide to swing the axe and block calendars for people who don't agree to the covid protocol.  Just tried to log in, and it has said that my calendar will be blocked in 7 days if I don't agree.

Here in NZ, I would be surprised if anyone at all was following the rules set by ABB - I could just "agree" and then ignore the rules, as everyone else is doing, but I'm a principled person and it just seems wrong to do that.  Our situation is completely different to the rest of the world, and the only cases we have are intercepted at the border where everyone is put in government managed isolation.  Guess I will have to decide if I give in, or move to another platform.  

[Ria16]

@Carmen1596   Yup I’ve been permanently blocked for well over a week now. 
Not giving in to this! 
Had several ‘communications’ with the team at Support and they totally support my decision . But that’s all. ‘shrugs’ 

[Helen427]

None of my guests have been complying with the so called requirement to wear a mask or Social Distancing etc, one of whom is a nurse who had been in MIQ and was extremely grateful to see a friendly face and have a much needed hug.

Whilst I ticked the box for Enhanced cleaning I'm taking a common sense approach.

@Ria16 @Carmen9 

[Ria16]

@Helen427  Yeah/nah I’m not going to lie  and sign a declaration to such .