When hundreds of American youngsters flocked to Florida’s beaches and Mexico to celebrate spring break amid the coronavirus outbreak, people were in shock. Dozens of them have now tested positive for the disease.
The pictures of university students crammed together in places and partying were shared extensively, leaving many questioning why they were not practising social distancing.
Now, across the US, students who attended spring break parties are testing positive for coronavirus.
Testing positive
A group of about 70 students from the University of Texas at Austin celebrated spring break in Mexico, then returned to find that over 40 had tested positive for COVID-19, according to the New York Times.
As per the report, the students were all in their 20s and flew on a chartered plane to Cabo San Lucas, and some returned on separate commercial flights to Texas.
Social media users reacted to the spring breakers putting themselves and others at risk by not following precautions.
Tweep @susethmunoz posted about the US authorities for not taking enough steps to stop youngsters from gathering and travelling: “It is important to hold our leaders accountable, and this was not the response that was needed. Mexico is my home country. Their Spring Break plans means the endangerment of MY community. This is called entitlement and selfishness.”
Similarly, user @_raquel_alaniz_ wrote all those who are not taking social distancing seriously: “Why are so many people still going out for nonessential reasons? This would be over so much quicker if you would just stay home! This is not an extended spring break! This is not extra time to hang out with friends!”
Some netizens are calling the youngsters “selfish”. Twitter user @hailee_ford wrote: “If you were selfish and went on a spring break trip despite all that’s happening, you should have to pay out of pocket for all of the treatment you require after you get corona.”
There are those like user @wragties who is holding the parents of these college students accountable: “For the parents who paid for the kids to go on spring break and are now coming back sick with #COVID-19 what […] were you thinking? They might be too selfish and stupid to see the repercussions but the older people should be a little more savvy.”
Dad stops son from entering home
But it seems like not all parents agreed with these university students’ spring break plans.
Recently, a New York man refused to let his 21-year-old son back into his home after he went on a spring break trip to Texas.
According to US media reports, Peter Levine spoke with his son every day, urging him to come home but his son, Matt Levine did not pay heed.
Once, Matt and his friends were done with their break and decided to return home, Peter refused to pick Matt up from the airport or enter his home.
Matt and his friends were forced to drive two hours to their on-campus apartments.
Currently, more than 210,000 people in the US have been infected by COVID-19, and at least 4,703 have died. The highest number of cases are in New York State.
The US now has the third highest death toll after Italy and Spain.
