Texas and California have urged spring break travelers to rethink their plans amid fears of rising COVID-19 cases after photos and videos of college students packing Florida beaches flooded social media.
Popular spring break destinations in Florida saw students pack the beaches in bikinis, but there were no face masks in sight. The increase in out-of-state visitors forced a popular Fort Lauderdale destination to ban visitors under the age of 23.
“During Spring Break, #WharfFTL will be 23+ for all out-of-state ID guests,” the announcement said.
Other popular spring break spots, including Los Angeles, California and Galveston Island, Texas, have braced themselves for a potential surge in visitors in the coming weeks.
Concern remains high as multiple coronavirus variants across the country increase the likelihood of a spike in cases in every state.
LA County officials have highlighted travel advisories – which are still in effect – requiring visitors to be quarantined for 10 days after arriving, the LA Times reported.
“Please delay your trip and continue to do your part to slow the spread so that our recovery journey is not sidelined,” Barbara Ferrer, director of LA County Public Health said in a statement.
LAX has already begun to see a “noticeable resurgence” in travelers as spring break begins, CBS LA reported.
Meanwhile, Texas businesses are anticipating massive crowds as Governor Greg Abbott declared they would be back to normal after he lifted all restrictions.
Galveston Island shop owners believe it will be important to enforce some COVID-19 measures, ABC 13 reported.
“It’s pretty much business as usual, except for the cleaning, the guidelines and wearing a mask,” said Roberts. “And when we see the store starting to look at capacity, especially on weekends, we have those numbers in our heads, then we just stop in front of the door and tell you to wait for other people to leave.”
Galveston has seen as many as 300,000 visitors in previous years, which will be a significant boost for businesses after a year of lockdowns.
“We are currently researching all of our industry partners to get a better idea of what they will be asking from visitors. But I think it’s best to bring your mask, ”Woody said. “We want you to be able to experience the most of the island that you can, and there are still going to be some places that really encourage that.”
Corpus Christi police have issued warnings targeting more traditional spring break concerns than COVID safety: drunk driving, traffic jams, beach litter and fire hazards.
“We want everyone to have a great time at the beach during Spring Break, but we also want to make sure they are safe,” said Captain Trenade Paddock Roberts.