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Airbnb books ban on Fourth of July parties in San Antonio and across Texas

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4 years ago

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TX – This weekend, I stood in a friend’s front yard gleefully trading vaccine stories, an activity that counts as socializing during a pandemic. He had received his second dose alongside a famous musician following a volunteer session. I was spending Monday morning driving nearly 90 miles to get my final shot. As we waved goodbye and I climbed back into my car we both agreed: this summer is going to be awesome.

Nearly one-third of Texans have already received their first COVID-19 shot, and as summer hits, experts are predicting travel to ramp up as coronavirus cases go down. But with a population that hasn’t yet reached herd immunity (despite what the governor says), large gatherings remain potentially dangerous.

To combat this, Airbnb is launching its Summer of Responsible Travel program, which includes a ban on all one-night reservations over the Fourth of July holiday. The ban goes into effect in Texas and across the U.S. beginning April 12.

Guests who have a history of positive reviews on Airbnb or who have already booked one-night reservation will not be subject to this restriction, the short-term rental company notes. However, Airbnb wouldn’t elaborate on what qualifies as a “history of positive reviews.”

The new Fourth of July rule is the latest in Airbnb’s global ban on parties and events at its properties, which the company implemented in August 2020 due to the pandemic. Along with nixing one-night reservations, the company is limiting all gatherings to 16 people or less and placing a strict ban on all “disruptive parties.”

Last year, it banned more than 80 Airbnb properties in Texas for violating its new pandemic party rules, according to the Houston Chronicle.

As for Memorial Day and Labor Day, Airbnb says it won’t be limiting one-day reservations, but its no large gatherings policy remains in effect.

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