Universities may be canceling classes and extending midsemester breaks, but Gov. Ron DeSantis made it clear that spring break was over for those partying in Florida.
Several viral videos of spring breakers flooding crowded beaches as the rest of the nation hunkers down into self-quarantines pushed DeSantis to close the beaches in the state. During a Thursday interview on Fox and Friends, DeSantis said Florida would not tolerate young partiers spreading the illness.
“The message, I think, for spring breakers is that the party is over in Florida. You’re not going to be able to congregate on any beach in the state. Many of the hot spots that people like to go to, whether it’s Miami Beach, Ft. Lauderdale, Clearwater Beach, are closed entirely for the time being,” he explained.
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The governor continued: “The bars are closed, so you’re not going to have a place to congregate there. So we would just tell those folks, you know, maybe come back next year when things are better, but that is not what we are looking for here in the state of Florida.”
DeSantis noted that some beaches had not been closed entirely but would be patrolled by state authorities to ensure that no groups with more than 10 people congregate and that social distancing was enforced in alignment with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.
As of Thursday morning, Florida had 322 confirmed cases of COVID-19. Dr. Deborah Birx, a top health official on the White House’s coronavirus task force, warned that millennials could be driving the spread of the disease because they can carry the virus without presenting symptoms. The coronavirus is most deadly for elderly patients and those with underlying health concerns.
