Texas and California have urged spring break travelers to reconsider their plans amid fears of increased COVID-19 cases after images and videos of college students packing Florida beaches flooded social media.
Popular spring break destinations in Florida saw college students packing beaches with bikinis, but no face masks were seen. The increase in out-of-state visitors forced a popular Fort Lauderdale destination to ban visitors under the age of 23.
“During the spring break season, #WharfFTL will be over 23 years old for all guests with out-of-state identification,” the announcement said.
Other popular spring break locations, including Los Angeles, California and Galveston Island, Texas, have been gearing up for a possible increase in visitors in the coming weeks.
Concern remains high, as multiple coronavirus variants across the country increase the likelihood of an increase in cases within any state.
LA County officials have highlighted travel notices (still in effect) that require visitors to self-quarantine for 10 days upon arrival, the LA Times reports.
“Please postpone the trips and continue to do your part to curb the spread so that our recovery trip is not left out,” LA County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said in a statement.
LAX has already begun to see a “noticeable increase” in travelers as the spring break begins, CBS LA reported.
Meanwhile, Texas companies are anticipating massive crowds now that Gov. Greg Abbott has declared his return to normalcy after closing all restrictions.
Store owners on Galveston Island believe it will be important to maintain some COVID-19 measures, ABC reports 13.
“It’s pretty common, except for the cleaning, the guidelines, and the mask,” Roberts said. “And if we see the store, especially on the weekend, start looking at capacity, we have those numbers in our head, then we’ll stay at the door and say you have to wait until other people leave.”
Galveston has seen up to 300,000 visitors in previous years, which will be a significant boost for companies after a year of closures.
“We’re surveying all of our industry partners right now to better understand what visitors will ask for. But I think the best course is to wear the mask,” Woody said. “We want you to experience as much of the island as you can and there will still be several places that really encourage them.”
Corpus Christi police have issued warnings that focus on more traditional spring break concerns than COVID safety: drunk driving, traffic jams, beach trash, and fire hazards.
“We want everyone to have fun on the beach during the spring break, but we also want to make sure they are safe,” said Captain Trenade Paddock Roberts.