Some people have looked forward to spring break so much that nothing, not even a pandemic, was going to get in their way.
That’s why the party never stopped in several Florida beaches despite warnings from officials about the coronavirus threat.
The stubborn insistence of the partygoers forced officials to step in and close the beaches for the safety of both the visitors and the residents.
Speaking to Reuter, one spring breaker named Brady Sluder explained that he had been planning his spring break for months.
But just as he was about to go on his trip, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced on Tuesday that all bars and nightclubs were to close for 30 days in order to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
However, Sluder was unfazed.
“If I get corona, I get corona. At the end of the day, I’m not gonna let it stop me from partying,” the Ohio resident told Reuters. “We’ve been waiting for Miami spring break for a while, about two months we’ve had this trip planned.”
“We’re just out here having a good time,” he added. “Whatever happens, happens.”
When CBS News shared the video interview on its Twitter account, more than 23 million people watched it, sparking outraged comments about the “selfish” and “entitled” spring breakers.
Brianna Leeder, another spring breaker, was also bummed out about the closures.
“It’s really messing up with my spring break,” said the 21-year-old Wisconsin resident. “What is there to do here other than go to the bars or the beach? And they’re closing all of it.”
“I think they’re blowing it way out of proportion,” referring to the federal and state government’s reaction to the outbreak. “I think it’s doing way too much,” she added, even in the face of a mounting death toll.
Atlantis Walker, a 21-year-old spring breaker from Indiana, even said, “This virus ain’t that serious.”
Walker added, “There are more serious things out there like hunger and poverty and we need to address that.”
Florida officials had faced mounting calls to officially close the beaches, which saw a flood of visitors despite the ban and to do more to prevent these mass gatherings.
As of March 19, Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez announced on Twitter that they were closing all parks and beaches in the county. Non-essential retail and commercial businesses like casinos, nail salons, spas, and malls would also be closed to help contain the virus.
Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, and Naples have also followed suit in closing their beaches.
After the announcement, DeSantis, who initially refused to close the beaches, appeared on Fox & Friends and said he hopes that visitors will now be convinced not to gather in large groups and follow the CDC’s recommendations on social distancing.
“The message I think for spring breakers is that the party’s over in Florida, you’re not going to be able to congregate on any beach in the state,” DeSantis said. “Many of the hot spots that people like to go to, whether it’s Miami Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Clearwater Beach, are closed entirely for the time being.”
“The bars are closed so you’re not going to have a place to congregate there, so we would just tell those folks maybe come back next year when things are better, but that is not what we’re looking for here in the state of Florida,” he added. “Every single beach will have to abide by the CDC guidelines, no more than 10 people, you have to be socially distant, not every beach is going to remain open, but some will.”
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