'The party is over': Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis ends spring break amid the coronavirus pandemic

insider@insider.com (Eliza Relman)
·2 min read
ron desantis donald trump
President Donald Trump stands behind Florida gubernatorial candidate Ron DeSantis at a rally on November 3.

Butch Dill/AP

  • Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is shutting down spring break festivities in his state amid the coronavirus pandemic.

  • "The message I think for spring breakers is the party is over in Florida," DeSantis told "Fox and Friends" on Thursday morning.

  • Footage of thousands of spring breakers packed together on Florida's beaches has sparked widespread condemnation.

  • On Tuesday, DeSantis banned gatherings larger than 10, closed bars and nightclubs for 30 days, and forced restaurants to shift to 50% capacity.

  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is shutting down spring break festivities in his state amid the coronavirus pandemic and as footage goes viral of tourists and Floridians crowding beaches and concert venues.

"The message I think for spring breakers is the party is over in Florida," DeSantis told "Fox and Friends" on Thursday morning.

He went on, "You're not going to be able to congregate on any beach in the state. Many of the hot spots that people like to go to, whether it's Miami beach, Fort Lauderdale and Clearwater Beach are closed entirely for the time being."

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On Tuesday, DeSantis banned gatherings larger than 10, closed bars and nightclubs for 30 days, and forced restaurants to shift to 50% capacity.

The federal government has advised Americans to begin homeschooling their children, avoid gatherings larger than 10 people, and stop patronizing restaurants and bars, except for takeout and delivery. These measures are all part of social distancing, which is designed to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

As much of the nation has adopted social distancing policies, footage of thousands of spring breakers packed together on Florida's beaches has sparked widespread condemnation.

Critics went after a handful of college students who told local media in interviews that they didn't care if they contracted the hyper-infectious virus.

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

DeSantis said his efforts would overrule local decision making in regards to social distancing.

"Regardless of local decisions, you're not going to be able to congregate like those images that you saw," DeSantis said Thursday.

 

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