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  • Airbnb launches Airbnb for Doctors and Nurses to help medical professionals fighting the coronavirus outbreak access free accommodation, provided by hosts.
  • Airbnb will cover the cost of all fees associated with the stays.

Airbnb is today launching a pilot programme to help medical professionals in Italy access free accommodation provided by hosts, as they fight the unprecedented coronavirus outbreak.

From floods to earthquakes, the Airbnb community has a long history of providing accommodation to those in need when the worst happens. In light of the extraordinary events unfolding in Italy and across the world, Airbnb will continue this effort and work with hosts to support medical professionals as they work on the frontlines to save lives.

"Our hearts and thoughts are with everyone affected by the coronavirus outbreak and we have made it our priority to work with the Airbnb community to provide what support we can. We are encouraging medical professionals in need of a place to stay - and hosts who can offer entire home accommodation for free - to visit airbnb.it/medicieinfermieri as soon as possible, so we can work together to help get medics to where they are most urgently needed". - Giacomo Trovato, General Manager for Airbnb in Italy.

Airbnb will cover the cost of fees associated with the stays for up to 2 months.

Airbnb is also partnering with a local host organisation - OspitaMI - to oversee the bookings process. It will help to match medical professionals to appropriate accommodation provided by hosts, while providing all necessary support to both parties.

"We want to thank medical professionals everywhere who are fighting the outbreak and join with the Airbnb community to help support them in these difficult times," said Trovato. "We will constantly monitor the impact of this initiative and see if learnings can be applied to other markets."

How it works:

Are you a medical professional in need of accommodation?

Any medical professional in need of accommodation as they fight the coronavirus outbreak should visit airbnb.it/medicieinfermieri and provide their details. A member of host the organisation OspitaMI will contact you and help match you to accommodation provided by hosts. The accommodation will be completely free to you for up to 2 months.

Are you a host with accommodation to offer?

Hosts that can offer entire home listings for free to medical professionals in need of a place to stay should also visit airbnb.it/medicieinfermieri and provide their details. A member of the host organisation OspitaMI will contact you when your accommodation is requested by a medical professional and will guide you through the process to get a full reimbursement by Airbnb.

For all the information please visit airbnb.it/medicieinfermieri.

About Airbnb

Airbnb was born in 2007 when two Hosts welcomed three guests to their San Francisco home, and has since grown to over 5 million Hosts who have welcomed over 1.5 billion guest arrivals in almost every country across the globe. Every day, Hosts offer unique stays and experiences that make it possible for guests to connect with communities in a more authentic way.

About Airbnb.org

Airbnb.org is a nonprofit organization dedicated to facilitating temporary stays for people in times of crisis around the world. Airbnb.org operates independently and leverages Airbnb, Inc.'s technology, services, and other resources at no charge to carry out Airbnb.org's charitable purpose. The inspiration for Airbnb.org began in 2012 with a single host named Shell who opened up her home to people impacted by Hurricane Sandy. This sparked a movement and marked the beginning of a program that allows Hosts on Airbnb to provide stays for people in times of need. Since then, the program has evolved to focus on emergency response and to help provide stays to evacuees, relief workers, refugees, asylum seekers, and frontline workers fighting the spread of COVID-19. Since then, Hosts have offered to open up their homes and helped provide accommodations to 100,000 people in times of need. Airbnb.org is a separate and independent entity from Airbnb, Inc. Airbnb, Inc. does not charge service fees for Airbnb.org supported stays on its platform.

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