Covid-19 rules in New Zealand (and other places with no local transmission)

Henry431
Level 1
Christchurch, New Zealand

Covid-19 rules in New Zealand (and other places with no local transmission)

I noticed a new requirement to agree to COVID-19 safety practices. Although I appreciate the need for the rules for a large majority of the world, New Zealand has currently recorded no local transmission of COVID-19 for weeks (and outside of Auckland for around five months). We are currently at our lowest alert level, with no restrictions beyond border controls and contact-tracing. A number of other countries and sub-national entities (e.g. Taiwan, Western Australia) are in similar circumstances. It seems excessive to apply the same rules to the entire world.

 

The cleaning rules don't really bother me, as they're basically what I would have done anyway. Maybe they're a little bit overkill here, but nothing too onerous.

 

The requirement for hosts and guests to wear masks and keep 6 feet apart at all times, however, seems very disproportionate here. Personally, it wouldn't really affect me as I don't tend to interact with guests. But it would be a significant drag for the kind of host who e.g. lets a private room and interacts a lot with their guests. In New Zealand, you can hop on a crowded bus to go on a crowded tour, then off to a crowded restaurant, all surrounded by strangers, almost none of whom will be masked. But you will see the most restrictions of any kind when you interact 1-on-1 with your Airbnb host/guest. 

 

I suspect the most likely scenario is that guests and hosts will want to ignore the masking and distancing requirements. But given the potential punishments for not complying, I suspect some people will begrudgingly comply at the cost of a worse experience, and a few others may shift away from Airbnb altogether. Some malicious actors may see non-compliance as a way to weasel their way into a free cancellation.

 

Please consider altering your rules to be less one-size-fits-all.

54 Replies 54
Marg11
Level 10
Warwick, Australia

Airbnb has united New Zealanders, Australians and Swedes in a protest where they want to follow their government laws regarding face masks and distancing. Now Airbnb it is your turn to take notice or many of us will not be agreeing to the new protocols which will see us eliminated from being Hosts if it is enforced. Others may agree but not conform because they rely on the income. If Airbnb advertises compliance they will be seen by guests as being unaware of local situations and consequently, some guests may ignore our house rules even where they are part of the local government code of practise.

Sandra3910
Level 4
Waihi Beach, New Zealand

@Marg11 I’m not sure the Swedes chiming in are helping our cause much. Sweden hasn’t exactly been the poster child for how to manage COVID-19. 

Hopefully someone at Airbnb will see sense soon. They have exempted China, so I can’t see any reason why they can’t do the same for NZ and COVID-free states in Australia. 🤞 

@Sandra3910we only hear what  some have wanted us to hear about Sweden, they used a commonsense approach & there economy and overall society and wider public health is doing a heck of a lot better than New Zealand's!!

 

There's a video due out soon by some who visited Sweden where they've continue to walk around freely with NO facecoverings and children rightly so continued going to school without fear.

 

Unfortunately there's a huge amount of misleading & conflicting info all over the place which hasn't done anyone any good not helped one bit that Scientists have been telling Politicians what to say & do without factoring into account pre existing Common Laws and acting outside of their scope of practice, knowledge & legal qualifications.

 

Have you read the submissions & decision of the New Zealand Judicial Review?

 It's well worth a read including the references to earlier epidemics & reports, quarantine and Public Health Acts legislations to put the whole situation In Proportion.

 

@Henry431 @Marg11 @Deb3137 @Ellika0 

Helen427
Level 10
Auckland, New Zealand

@Marg11 @Henry431 @Deb3137 @Ellika0 @LaNetta0 and @everyone-else

Queen Elizabeth, who is Commonwealth Countries Head Of State & Prince William both made an appearance today without either of them wearing a Face covering.

 They were visiting Proton where dangerous microbiology cases are investigated, including Covid.

 If they can visit such places without Facecoverings, why can't ABB Hosts & Guests go freely about our lives without signing & agreeing to Terms of Service that are not relevant to our individual lives?

 

@Catherine-Powell @Nick @Lizzie 

@Katie @Liv @Quincy 

Nick
Former Community Manager
Former Community Manager
London, United Kingdom

Hi everyone and thank you for sharing. I know most of you have already posted your comments and concerns on the main Host Update regarding face masks. As my colleague, Katie shared, the mask rule will apply to hosts in all countries except for China.

 

It's worth bearing in mind that there are exceptions for medical issues. You can find more information here.

 

As always we appreciate your feedback here, and please do keep sharing on the main thread.

 

Thank you. 

 

Sandra3910
Level 4
Waihi Beach, New Zealand

@Nick I know you’re in the UK, which is knee-deep in Covid-19 with no end in sight, and if I was a host there, I would understand Airbnb’s edict around face masks.

 

Here in New Zealand, it’s a rare sight to see someone wearing a face mask outside of a hospital. If you were to travel to New Zealand, you would see that for yourself. BUT, you can’t travel to New Zealand, because our borders are closed. Which is why we don’t have any cases of COVID-19 in the community. Which is why we don’t need to wear masks here.

 

Can you see what hosts in NZ and Covid-free states of Australia have been getting at now?

Ria16
Level 10
Northland, New Zealand

@Nick That’s the worrying problem , guests can report us for not wearing a mask and be compensated for it. 
So yeah I’m ready to throw in the towel. 

@Ria16 @Sandra3910 If no one is wearing masks in NZ do you think guests would really report you for not wearing one? If a guest shows up without a mask why would they expect you to wear one?

Ria16
Level 10
Northland, New Zealand

@Emilia42  Now you know there are some strange folk out there 😉 so who knows?  Especially when Air will ask them in their review Was your host wearing a mask? I will be messaging my guests to inform them I won’t be complying with this ruling. 
I could wrap one around my arm maybe. 😉 
All good though. We are pretty happy here in Aotearoa, our elections are finished and we are grateful to see our lovely prime minister is going to be with us for another three years. 🥰

Helen427
Level 10
Auckland, New Zealand

@Ria16  There's always "consequences" when people jump the gun.

 

 Why don't you write to one of your Labour party members & the Director General of Health to tell them to Nip it in the bud as it's them & there "Scientists & Pandemic Advisors" who imposed mask wearing on us.

 They need to address it and ban them as they are worse than single use plastic bags - Do remember they have around 160,000 SINGLE USE made in China PLASTIC DISPOSABLE masks in New Zealand to account expenditure of " Public monies " of- the same has happened in other parts of the world Where the same rubbish telling us how to live our lives is going on.

 

As long as we have "Scientists" dictating to our Politicians what to do we are all bearing the brunt of "consequences" of their actions.

 

Roll on Judicial Reviews including the one in the UK  by British Doctors of Medicine at the coalface who see their patients - when they are permitted to by "Scientists"

Sandra3910
Level 4
Waihi Beach, New Zealand

@Emilia42 It is unlikely guests here would report it to AirBnb (unless someone was trying to scam a free stay), my concern is that as part of AirBnb’s convoluted review process for guests, they’re likely to add in a question such as “Did the host wear a face mask for all face-to-face interactions?”, and then penalize the host accordingly. A bit like the “Did you feel safe during your stay?” question that some have reported seeing recently. 

@Ria16 @Sandra3910 That is true about the review process. I wonder if, as hosts, we will be asked did the guest wear a mask?  Did any interaction with the guest make you feel unsafe? But knowing Airbnb, most likely not. In your case, I think clear communication is best. I always carry a mask in my pocket now so I can be whoever (people in general) want me to be. 

@Nick 

@Catherine-Powell  this issue must be addressed immediately, With the result of our election last night there's no way that anyone will be traveling to New Zealand for any form of travel  in the near future unless outside countries & forces make a stand and help us.

 

Our Tourism and Travel industry is ruined.

Helen427
Level 10
Auckland, New Zealand

 

 

@Emilia42you are correct however with our borders here  in New Zealand are closed thanks to an Ultrasound Dr and someone living in USA starting a Petition to close our borders back in March our market hs changed from local & international travellers to predominately locals only and with that one gets those who will only do as The Government , or others, tell them.

New Zealand has changed over the last 20 years with it's nationalities living here and those people tend not to be so knowledgeable on basic laws and Rights, as some say, they have dumbed down our country.

 

There's NO incoming travellers, not even for Medical conferences and won't be for a very long time as these unelected unqualified in legal matters failed to factor into account our Bill of Rights and consequences of locking borders.

 Don't expect anyone to be permitted to enter New Zealand for another 20 plus years if the Left hold power 

@Helen427 I would be absolutely terrified to be on an island!