Florida Coronavirus Threat Not Keeping Spring Breakers Off Some Beaches
CLEARWATER (CBSMiami/CNN) - While most of the major beaches in South Florida are closed, across the state many beaches remain open and filled with spring breakers.
Governor Ron DeSantis chose not to close the state's beaches, despite a growing number of people infected with and dying from the coronavirus.
"Unfortunately this coincided with spring break which made it more complicated. I think the hardest thing we're dealing with here is we're a highly individualistic society," said Senator Marco Rubio.
In an interview with CNN on Thursday morning, Senator. Rick Scott urged people to stay away from his state's beaches and heed social distancing recommendations.
"Get off beach, I mean unless you can figure out how to be completely isolated from anyone else," said Scott.
"Don't take a chance that you're going to be the one to cause your grandparent or your parents or another friend from school to get sick," he added.
On Wednesday, President Trump asked young people to reconsider their routines.
"They were feeling totally invincible or are feeling that way but don't realize they can be carrying lots of bad things home to their grandmother and grandfather and even their parents," he said.
Trump's coronavirus response coordinator issued a warning aimed closer to home.
"There are concerning reports coming out of France and Italy about some young people getting seriously ill and very seriously ill in the ICUs," said Dr. Deborah Birx.
Some got the message.
"I have friends that work at hospitals and they are kinda telling me oof, it's getting bad, I probably should have stayed home," said Jenetta who was on spring break at the beach.
But others insist spring break, is spring break.
"If I get corona, I get corona, at the end of the day, I'm not going to let it stop me from partying," said Brady Sluder, a spring-breaker from Ohio.
A growing number of US colleges are preparing to turn empty dorms into temporary housing for patients with the coronavirus as the nation's hospitals brace for a possible surge of cases.
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