Flooded Beaches And Bars: Spring Break Crowds Could Fuel Covid Spike

ABC News: College Students Celebrating Spring Break Despite Continuation Of COVID-19 Pandemic 
College students are continuing to flock to beaches to celebrate spring break despite the continuation of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although universities around the country either scaled back the traditional holiday week or canceled it altogether, the Sunshine State saw an influx of traveling students over the weekend. (Jacobo, 3/14)

WMFE: Central Florida Counties Plan For Spring Break Amid COVID-19
Spring break could bring an increase in visitors to the Central Florida region, from the Orlando-area tourism corridor to the beaches, which raises the question: Are counties trying to prevent a possible COVID-19 surge? An Orange County spokesperson said the county will continue to enforce its mask mandate throughout spring break, as it has through most of the pandemic. Volusia and Brevard counties will not have additional regulations. (Hernandez Caraballo, 3/15)

USA Today: Spring Break And COVID-19: Experts Worry About Crowded Beaches
Pandemic or not, spring break is here. Florida’s beaches and bars are already seeing the first throngs of college students on break, crowding beaches and bars – and worrying public health experts around the country who see the weeks of partying as a potential for another spike in coronavirus cases. The primary concern, experts say, is that partying is occurring at a crucial moment in the fight against the coronavirus: More vaccines are being administered each day, yet more cases of variants – which are highly transmissible – are being reported. Making matters worse, they say, is that students will be enjoying their break as more states relax restrictions they had in place, such as mask mandates. (Hayes, 3/12)

In related news —

Atlanta Journal Constitution: Atlanta Schools Urge Tests, Quarantine After Spring Break Trips
Atlanta Public Schools is urging employees and students who travel during spring break to get tested for COVID-19 when they return and follow other health guidelines. Superintendent Lisa Herring sent letters to APS families and employees recently announcing the district would switch to online-only learning for April 12-16, the week after spring break. The precautionary step is intended to curb the spread of the coronavirus in schools since many employees indicated in a district survey that they planned to travel over the break. (McCray, 3/15)

NBC News: Duke Students On Covid-19 Lockdown For A Week Because Of 'rapidly Escalating' Outbreak
Administrators at Duke University ordered all undergraduate students to stay in place for one week to contain a growing coronavirus outbreak connected to "recruitment parties for selective living groups," according to an all-campus communication. "Over the past week more than 180 students are in isolation for a positive COVID 19 test, and an additional 200 students are in quarantine as a result of contact tracing," wrote administrators of the school in Durham, North Carolina. "This is by far the largest one-week number of positive tests and quarantines since the start of the pandemic." (Fitzsimons, 3/14)

USA Today: COVID Spread Outside: What To Know About Safety, Masks In Warm Weather
A new tool to fight COVID-19 is on the rise across the United States: warm, fresh air. Spring and summer weather will provide opportunities for people – vaccinated or not – to enjoy low-risk outdoor activities to better their physical and mental health, experts say. It's a development in the fight against COVID-19 because experts are now confident that it's much harder for the virus to spread in outdoor conditions – especially when people wear masks and keep their distance. (Shannon, 3/13)