This is a kneejerk reaction from Yelp that will hurt their hiring efforts in the future as they cease to be a reliable option for good candidates. It would not have been difficult for them to ask the interns to work remotely, maybe even reduce stipends if they’re hurting for cash. But canceling internships at this point deeply hurts these candidates’ prospects. Anyone job hunting and in a position to pick and choose…
The businesses that make up Yelp's customer base are crumbling by the day. They're a "help you find restaurants and bars" app in a time when governments are either telling their citizens to not go to restaurants and bars, or just straight up forcibly closing them. I don't see how you can call this a kneejerk reaction, like at all. A virus caused recession is the world thing that could have happened to Yelp economy wise. Withdraw applications and let them know why? Lol. They aren't going to notice. Those applications aren't happening. If people with applications haven't been told that yet it's only because HR is either too busy getting the mass layoffs in order or job hunting themselves.