Prague mayor wants freeze on Airbnb-type services in bid to halt virus

The mayor of Prague, Zdeněk Hřib, says the minister of health, Adam Vojtěch, has assured him that the State Security Council will consider a temporary ban on Airbnb-type accommodation services in the city. The call comes in connection with efforts to combat the spread of the coronavirus.

Mr. Hřib said on Twitter that whereas it was possible to trace visitors staying at hotels, this was far harder with Airbnb. He added that hotels were obliged to maintain certain norms and rules. Earlier, the mayor of the city centre Prague 1 district called for a freeze on short-term accommodation, pointing out that two French people who had stayed in central Prague had been discovered to have Covid-19 on their return home.

Author: Ian Willoughby