Airbnb announced that it is cracking down on so-called party houses in New Jersey listed on the site following a Jackson mansion party that was attended by hundreds of people.
"Today, we actually announced action to crack down on party houses throughout the state of New Jersey," said Airbnb Senior Communications Manager Liz Debold Fusco.
She said 35 listings have either been suspended or removed.
"Including in Hoboken, Jersey City, Newark, through Central Jersey, looking sort of at the Asbury Park, Toms River area, certainly Jackson as well, and even down south Jersey into the Atlantic City area," she said.
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Jackson incident made national headlines, in which 700 people went to a mansion party to celebrate Liberian Independence. It took police from seven different departments hours to break it up.
On Friday, Murphy was asked if there have been any positive coronavirus cases traced to that party.
"We're almost certain. We'd be shocked if there weren't, sadly, cases that came out of that," Murphy said. He based that on other parties that resulted in COVID-19 clusters.
In Middletown, 55 positive cases in teenagers came from a series of parties. A graduation party in Cape May County led to 46 cases among New Jersey and Pennsylvania residents. Parties on Long Beach Island resulted in dozens of lifeguards testing positive, and at least 17 cases from a graduation party in Westfield. Six hundred ninety-nine more cases were reported statewide alone on Friday.
"Everyone who walks around refusing to wear a mask, or hosts an indoor house party, or who overstuffs a boat, is directly contributing to these increases. This has to stop and it has to stop now," Murphy emphasized.
Murphy also made it clear that he's not taking action now, but threatened to clamp down if the trend continues.
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