College students on spring break holiday have boasted about their determination to keep enjoying themselves, despite been warned they face prosecution if they gather together in large numbers in Miami.
Thousands of college students gathered in bars and restaurants along the coast despite the restrictions, ignoring the advice from health authorities.
They were insistent they would keep partying, despite their actions risking spreading the infection and putting more vulnerable people in danger.
One young man, Bradley Sluder told CBS: ‘If I get corona, I get corona. At the end of the day I’m not going to let it stop me.’
Videos posted on social media have shown young people sharing Shisha pipes and extravagant cocktails.
University students in Miami beach, Florida, continued to meet despite warnings from authorities that they should not congregate because of the threat posed by coronavirus
Some bars and restaurants have boarded up during the enforced closure in Miami beach
Authorities in Miami Beach and Fort Lauderdale have blocked access to entertainment venues in an effort to ward off the threat posed by coronavirus
Beaches in Florida are finally closing due to coronavirus concerns after local governments took action as spring breakers partied until the last moment
Visitors were still coming to Miami’s South Beach (pictured), despite it being closed
Jay Jones, a 22-year-old student from Drexel University in Philadelphia who traveled from Philadelphia said: ‘It’s so weird, we didn’t think it was going to get this bad. At least I’m still in warm weather though, so whatever, I’ll just hang out in the hotel and flex. I’m staying for the rest of my trip.’
Health officials have also advised everyone to practice social distancing, by staying at least six feet away from other people. However, those enjoying the spring break are ignoring the recommendations despite the threat to public health.
Officials in Miami beach have declared it illegal for more than 10 people to gather together and shutting its bars and restaurants in an effort to stymie the spread of the coronavirus.
The move there and in nearby Fort Lauderdale was the latest sign of U.S. cities struggling to cope with a pandemic sweeping across the nation.
Miami Beach and Fort Lauderdale set up barricades blocking access to public beaches. Police cars were stationed behind the dunes and police officers on ATVs and bicycles were out in force to monitor traffic and crowds.
The mayors of Miami Beach and Fort Lauderdale said they would issue fines for anyone breaking the restrictions and did not rule out the possibility of arrests.
‘Closing our public beaches was without precedent, but necessary,’ Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis said.
Illustrating the threat to the community, he announced that three elderly people at nursing homes had died, with one death confirmed to be coronavirus and two others suspected.
The decision was particularly painful for small businesses that rely on spring break tourists for a windfall.
Restaurants in South Beach were open and somewhat busy earlier Tuesday, ahead of orders to close by 11 p.m. Patios were packed with diners and college students chased away hangovers with cups of coffee while coming to the realization that the vacation they planned is over.
In Fort Lauderdale restaurants, bars and other businesses closed at 5 p.m.
Over at South Padre Island in Texas – a sliver of land connected to the continent by a 2-mile-long bridge and where upward of 50,000 students descend on a town of less than 3,000 residents each year – restrictions were looser.
The beaches were not closed and students did not have much to fear from flaunting any rules.
Spring Breakers and other beach lovers were still congregating in Miami (pictured), where the beach was closed due to the coronavirus outbreak
‘Are we lining people up and pushing them off the beach? No,’ said Nikki Soto, a city spokeswoman. ‘We’re recommending they not start a beach party, but nobody will be ticketed. There is no quarantine, no lockdown here. But it’s been a very slow spring break.’
Local officials in Clearwater Beach, which appeared earlier this week packed with visitors, voted to close by Monday.
Beaches in Naples and in other communities in southwest Florida also were being closed.
Meanwhile, new images show wild spring breakers continuing to party on the sand in Miami, despite South Beach’s closings there as well, in response to the deadly, flu-like virus, also known as COVID-19.
Despite the restrictions, thousands of students appeared willing to risk their health by going to the beaches, pictured here in Destin, Florida
Bars and restaurants in Miami Beach such as the Pink Taco, pictured, are only serving customers who are willing to take away their food and drink orders
The festivities seemed to miss the point that the Trump administration warned millennials to take their health and safety seriously amid the coronavirus, citing a rise in severe cases of coronavirus among young adults in China, Italy and South Korea.
‘They don’t realize that – they’re feeling invincible,’ said President Trump of young people.
‘They don’t realize that – they’re feeling invincible,’ said President Trump of young people.
‘But they don’t realize that they could be carrying lots of bad things home to their grandmother and grandfather and even their parents.
‘So, we want them to heed the advice … and I do believe it’s getting through.’
The president’s remarks did not seem to make much difference to the crowds still hanging on in Miami.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis a day earlier signed an order limiting parties on beaches to 10 people per group, but partiers in Miami appeared to be huddled in larger gatherings and not showing concern.
Many in the images from Miami did not seem to be following the governor’s mandate either.
The coronavirus has infected thousands around the globe.
In the US, the flu-like virus also known as COVID-19, has been confirmed in 9,414 cases and blamed for at least 152 known deaths.
In Florida, there have been 314 confirmed cases, and seven deaths blamed on the infection.
The city of Clearwater held a meeting Wednedsay to declare a state of emergency in response to the coronavirus pandemic and ordered all public beaches will close for two weeks starting on Monday.
The decision only applies to the sand, not to the restaurants or businesses, reports WTSP.
The scene days before in Clearwater were of the beach packed with spring breakers enjoying the snow white sand.
Crowds of sun worshippers could be seen in aerial photos of the sand, despite the social distance warnings and other advisories which have gone out about avoiding large gatherings to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
Naples City also closed its beach on Wednesday, in response to the outbreak.
All Collier County beach access points, outside Naples, will remain open to the public, WINK reports.
Beaches in Lee County, as well as the Lee County Pier, also were to close Thursday until further notice.