Airbnb to cancel reservations in D.C. during week of Biden's inauguration

Following the recent deadly attack on the Capitol building, Airbnb is canceling reservations in Washington, D.C., during the week of President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration.

The company announced Wednesday it "will cancel reservations in the Washington, D.C. metro area during the inauguration week," as well as "prevent any new reservations in the Washington, D.C. area from being booked during that time." Full refunds will be provided to guests whose reservations were canceled, and Airbnb will reimburse hosts as well, the company said.

Airbnb cited the fact that officials have asked Americans not to travel to D.C. for the event, also saying "we are aware of reports emerging yesterday afternoon regarding armed militias and known hate groups that are attempting to travel and disrupt the inauguration."

Previously, Airbnb said it would take steps to prevent anyone who participated in the recent storming of the Capitol building from making reservations in D.C. for the inauguration, as CNN reported. On Wednesday, the company said it had "identified numerous individuals" involved with the Capitol riot and banned them from the platform.

The recent pro-Trump attack on the Capitol has raised new security concerns surrounding the inauguration, although prior to the riot, Biden's team already urged Americans not to travel to D.C. for the scaled-back event due to COVID-19 concerns.

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