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It is reminiscent of spring break pre-pandemic — take 80-degree temperatures, overcrowded beaches, the smell of suntan lotion, and add droves of unruly college students, and sold-out destinations. Unfortunately, this is what Florida spring break looks like in 2021 during what seems like a never-ending global pandemic.
Spring breakers are flocking to state hotspots en masse like Disney World and Miami Beach in droves, even though most of the country remains under restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The two most visited parks in Disney World are completely booked until April 11. Most of the pandemic restrictions have been lifted throughout the state, and cheap flights and low room rates are exacerbating the issue. According to Airbnb, 82 percent of Miami Beach homestays are booked for the next week.
Many of the state’s colleges have canceled spring break this year but that has not stopped the increasing crowds. “Miami Beach can’t handle so many people, and the city has been shutting down streets as gridlock is occurring,” said Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber. Even with the influx of spring breakers, the state does not allow local jurisdictions to fine people for violating mask orders.
The number of known cases of COVID-19 in the state rose by 4,599 Wednesday, March 17. The total number of cases in the state is now 1,989,024. Since the beginning of the month in Miami Dade County, new cases of the coronavirus have hovered between 800 and 1,900. The number of resident deaths has reached 32,504. A total of 616 non-Floridians have died in the state, according to the Florida Department of Health.
COVID Act Now, a nonprofit that analyzes COVID-19 data, reports the county as “very high risk” — the fourth-highest tier on its five-tier scale.
Written by Ebonee Stevenson
Edited by Sheena Robertson
Sources:
USA Today: Florida spring breakers ‘have forgotten that there’s a pandemic,’ Miami Beach mayor says, Morgan Hines
Tampa Bay Times: Florida theme parks, beaches bulge with spring break crowds,
Forbes: Disney World Is Nearly Sold Out For Spring Break, Suzanne Rowan Kelleher
FOX 13 Tampa Bay: 4,599 new Florida coronavirus cases reported Wednesday; 55 new deaths
Featured and Top Image Courtesy of Steven Martin’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License