Coronavirus: 5 Florida Spring Breakers Test Positive

Among the many talking points that have popped up in the last few days amid the coronavirus [...]

By Kyle Phillippi

Among the many talking points that have popped up in the last few days amid the coronavirus pandemic, the spring breakers that overtook Florida beaches created, arguably, the biggest reaction on social media. The scene that unfolded even drew a reaction from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

It seems as though the backlash that occurred after the CBS News video of the spring breakers surfaced may have been warranted. Five college students who had been on vacation in Florida have tested positive for COVID-19, according to the University of Tampa. The school made the announcement on Monday and included that they were with other students, as well. The location of the beach that the students were on was not revealed.

"UT has been notified that five UT students, traveling together and with other UT students during Spring Break, have tested positive for COVID-19," the tweet read. "We sincerely wish our students, and any others who may be affected, a full and rapid recovery."

Among the country, Florida has been on the slower end in terms of enforcing quarantine legislation. During his briefing on Monday, DeSantis said that issuing a shelter a place order "would not be advisable." While the governor did not shut down the beaches, local officals began to take matters into their own hands. Among the beaches that have closed are Fort Lauderdale and Miami Beach.

As for the viral video that hit social media over the weekend, the person who was interviewed in the clip showed complete disregard for the coronavirus.

"If I get corona, I get corona. At the end of the day, I'm not gonna let it stop me from partying," the student said.

Before that, vacationers that packed Clearwater Beach drew the ire of social media amid the coronavirus outbreak.

At his daily press conference on Monday, President Donald Trump explained that "our country was not built to be shut down" as he inferred the quarantine could come to an end sooner than expected. This, though, led to some heated debates on social media as some felt Trump was not taking the threat seriously while others appreciated the optimism.

Photo Credit: Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

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