Airbnb Community Supports Local Contact Tracing Efforts

In order to help slow the spread of COVID-19, Airbnb is encouraging its community of employees, hosts and guests to use contact tracing smartphone apps launched by local health authorities that use the Exposure Notification System.*

Last week, the state of California launched CA Notify, a local contact tracing app which allows smartphone users to send and receive alerts if they have been diagnosed with and/or have been in proximity to someone who has reported a positive diagnosis. The contact tracing technology behind this resource is now in use in health authority apps in nearly 20 states and territories, as well as in countries around the world. Airbnb employees in California were informed about this voluntary resource in a company communication today, and Airbnb supports adoption by all staff in other locations where this technology is available.

Additionally, Airbnb has provided information to hosts and guests in its Resource Center, urging its community to learn more about Exposure Notifications Systems and how to get alerted if they’ve been near someone who tested positive. According to the developers and public health authorities, the Exposure Notifications System was built with a focus on privacy and security, and user identity or location are not shared with other users, Google or Apple.

Airbnb encourages all of its stakeholders to check if this resource is available to them where they live or where they travel and collaborate with public health authorities to help slow the spread of COVID-19. The more everyone is aware of potential exposure to COVID-19, the more likely we are to effectively increase individual protection and prevention practices.

If available in your area, apps developed by local health authorities using the Exposure Notification System can be found for download on both the Google Play store and the Apple App store.

For more information about California, visit www.canotify.ca.gov. 

*Developed by Google and Apple. Learn more about how the technology works here.