Coronavirus Prompts Airbnb to Halt Bookings in Beijing

The coronavirus outbreak has now resulted in 64,000 cases around the world.

Many companies have taken measures to stop business in China to protect people from the virus.

The latest company to take such measures is Airbnb, who suspended bookings for Beijing until May due to the virus. The company also issued restrictions in other cities.

The number of documented cases of the virus jumped by more than 15,000 to at least 60,000 this week, with most in China.

Airbnb customers that had reservations in Beijing between Feb. 7 and April 30 will be refunded, a spokesman for the company said.

The travel start-up said it was following local government guidance to short-term rental companies.

″As efforts to control the novel coronavirus outbreak continue, we will comply with additional guidance issued for the industry during this public health emergency,” Airbnb said in a statement. “We will refund and support guests who had cancelled reservations. And we will continue to work diligently to build programs that support our community of hosts.”

Bookings in the city of Wuhan, which i the epicenter of the virus, are suspended until March 31. In the Yongchuan district in Chongqing in central China and Wuxi, near Shanghai, there is a freeze until Feb. 20.

The Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, which is the world’s largest telecommunications conference with about 100,000 attendees last year, had to be canceled due to the virus.