UK hosts please stop advertising your place for 'co-vid' retreats and putting others at risk

[Helen3]

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2020/apr/06/minister-condemns-airbnb-hosts-offering-covid-19-...

So ashamed to see some UK hosts are taking advantage of the recent pandemic and advertising their place 'as Co-vid retreats' contrary to recent legislation in the UK that bans all STRs except for those housing key workers, those attending a funeral (and other essential visits).

Don't you care that you are helping spread the risk of the virus in your community, or do you live somewhere else and don't care that you are putting others in another community at risk.

Airbnb you put a block on hosts with shared homes from advertising their listing. Why don't you do the same for those with whole listing in the UK, unless they are signed up to host through your key worker scheme.

[Maria2527]

This is dreadful and very dangerous for the health of everyone.

Wish everyone well.

[Ria16]

@Helen3  
Just sharing ..Not UK but I had some guests arrive from overseas who stayed for two nights just before our total lockdown.

I cleaned as per guidelines as if they actually had C-19 and then some.
I laid in bed sweating of a night thinking of anything I had missed. The books on the bookshelves , the DVD.s, CD,s  the board games. All could be vectors? and then I thought about where my guests went in my town and what else they might touch. The gas station nozzle? Shops, restaurant doors, counter tops, efpos machines, hire car.. that list is endless...(I’m still in contact with them 🙂 and they are fine) but after that I snoozed myself because this business right now is not safe. 
Look after yourself ay xx

[Sarah977]

@Helen3  Thanks for this post. I'm absolutely shocked by people doing this, it's unconscionable. The stats I've read are that for any one person infected, whether they are asymptomatic or not, they pass the virus to 2 and a half other people. In a day those 2 and half other people each spread it to 2 and a half others. So a small area with no recorded cases can have a huge outbreak in a matter of days from one infected person coming into the community. Not to mention all the people they came in contact with on their way getting from point A to point B.

I don't know what is so hard for people to understand about this. And if they simply don't care, they should be charged with willful endangerment.

[Huma0]

@Helen3 

I hope you are well. If you don't mind, I'm going to post this in the thread about Airbnb COVID-19 coverage. 

[Helen3]

Thanks @Huma0 

Please do. I posted it here, because this forum is much more popular than the new Covid-19 one.

[Trevor243]

I posted in the COVID-19 forum yesterday - https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/COVID-19-Discussions/AirBnB-quot-Covid-19-Retreats-quot-quot-Dan...

The Government said what AirBnB and hosts are doing is "dangerous and irresponsible", not to mention breaking the law - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-52184497

Obviously better to post it in the more popular parts of the community than in the COVID-19 part ....

[Huma0]

@Helen3 @Trevor243 

Sorry, perhaps I wasn't clear in my post. I wasn't suggesting you post in the COVID-19 forum. I am just adding links to Airbnb COVID-19 media coverage to a thread about that. I thought it might be useful to have as a resource for those interested in those articles.

https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/COVID-19-Discussions/Airbnb-COVID-19-related-media-coverage/m-p/...

[Bryan10]

Just wanted to chip in to say I agree, certainly within the UK. Not really sure why this is still a discussion in some places. Stay home and stay safe everyone. 

[Sally221]

Meanwhile, there's a sad likelihood of a massive wave of infections in the denial states of America. Beaches in Georgia staying open, Florida closing way late (after an incredibly mean spirited response to the cruise ship passengers) What happens in Las Vegas isn't going to stay in Vegas this time, baby. We are going to have a huge economic price to pay, 2 of my kids have lost well paying restaurant jobs & that industry will take a long while to recover, another kid is hoping to not lose his small cafe, another is trying to decide if online university  classes at full tuition is worth adding to her debt. My granddaughter isn't going to have an 8th grade graduation dance, her mama, a high risk and most lovely person, is dealing with the ensuing pain & drama of the heartbroken 14 year old while sheltering in place. We all know we are doing the right thing. We know we are lucky. This isn't the flu, we are watching New York and hoping we acted swiftly enough to not replicate that horrible situation. I'm grateful to live where I live, I'm proud of my state.

[Robin4]

@Sally221 

Yeah Sally it is really getting to the scary part of this pandemic for you guys, and we over here in Oz are heartbroken for the fact that your administration did not take this a bit more seriously when they had the chance. It looks like by the end of today there will be half a million confirmed US infections and your death toll is going to reach 15,000....this is just terrible to see.......

And thank you so much @Helen3  for posting this thread. You also are in a dire situation in the UK and are probably going to hit 1,000 new deaths in the next 24 hour period. 

Why is it that everyone just thought we would dodge a bullet here?  For a couple of months we looked at what was happening in China with some sort of idle curiosity never seriously thinking it would affect us.

I guess we in this country have to be thankful that our Federal Government did jump onto this quickly and set up some really strict social distancing rules, STR activity is banned and anyone not adhering to social distancing rules receives an instant fine from $1,000 up to $1,600 in some states.

But no matter how good the Federal Government have been, the NSW  government have done their best to frustrate our containment of this disease. 

Two weeks ago the New South Wales authorities allow an infected cruise ship (The Ruby Princess) to dock in Sydney Harbour and the crew hurriedly disembarked 2,300 passengers with absolutely no health checks into the Australian community .....they were simply herded off the ship, with ambulances taking some, and this has now resulted in almost half of Australia's total infections. The handling of this by Carnival Cruises, border force and  the NSW health service is now under criminal investigation and charges will be laid.

Fortunately we as a country are now getting on top of this and new infection rates are falling rapidly around the country.

I have been keeping a daily graph of the progress of this disease in South Australia and this is where we stand as of this morning (9th April) ........

We have a total of 420 confirmed cases of which there are currently 300 that are classified as active. We have, as of this morning 3 deaths in total

Hopefully we can get those green and blue lines to meet within the next few weeks. With a state urban population of 1.4 million people the infection rate is so low that the chance of  catching Covid-19 is extremely slight, but we are all practicing strict social distancing standards and it seems to be working. 

Sit tight where ever you are and don't let silly figureheads tell you it's just a storm in a teacup.  We just hope that casualties can be limited and we can get back the world we had.

Thanks again Helen.....all hosts please take note!

Cheers......Rob

@Jessica-and-Henry0 @Pilar1 @Sarah977 @Huma0 

[Sally221]

Actually Robin, I'm more afraid of the current and maybe permanent federal administration than I am of Covid.

Our state Governor was able to arrange to have personal protective gear manufactured overseas, he was tired of the graft & profiteering that has enriched some cronies of trump at the expense of lives and state coffers. We will share these masks, at cost, with other states that need them. We already sent 500 ventilators to New York.  Governor Newsom talked about the nation state of California and that is my true nationality. We are doing , knock wood, a pretty good job here of dealing with Covid- my county, Alameda,  was among the first to initiate shelter in place and our stats are showing a slowing & flattening of the curve. I don't want any one from the denial states crossing our borders unless they have arranged a 2 week quarantine in advance, prepaid! I am so done with the boneheaded people who consider themselves the real Americans!

[Ann72]

@Sally221  As a New Yorker, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

[Katrina79]

@Sally221 There are no reasons for the service industry (restaurants) to stay open. However in the most positive outcome for countries or the world we know that full 70-80% infection rates will cause herd immunity, so I suppose that is a positive. We have been in quite strict business lockdown in Canada and I hope the best for the whole world. I’m torn between what is the best solution, but what I do believe is lives are the most important. Perhaps the virus outbreak is inevitable and the best case scenario is to have a population that has immunity. Tbh, I closed down my Airbnb’s and my husband has just come home from work from a month in Alberta with symptoms. He is using our suite to self quarantine. I’m thankful to have the space and hoping for the best. There is ZERO chance I would offer the space to someone other than family at this point. 

[Sarah977]

@Katrina79  All the best to you and wishing a speedy recovery for your husband. I've also been concerned about my daughter's family, as her husband is a tree planter and does 4 days on and 2 off right now. Of course tree planters aren't in close contact when they're planting, but they do hang out and eat together usually. 

Everyone who is talking about herd immunity- I just don't get that. There has been zero evidence that having the virus and recovering confers any immunity- in fact, I've read the opposite- they are thinking people can be reinfected after recovery.