In the USA it is currently spring break time - and that means that countless young people gather on the beaches of Florida to celebrate, despite Corona.
Will the event become a “super spreader”?
Fort Lauderdale - The corona pandemic does not seem to play a major role on the beaches of the US state of Florida.
Like every year, thousands of people come together to celebrate the spring break.
The fact that the drama, criticized as a “superspreader event”, takes place at all is also due to the leading politics in Donald Trump's new home state.
The ex-president currently lives in Palm Beach again.
Corona in the USA: "Florida is open" - and invites you to spring break
“Florida is open,” announced the Republican Governor Ron De Santis proudly, once again luring young people from all over the country to the southeasternmost state of the USA.
There are no strict corona regulations on site.
In order not to deprive the party people of the illusion of a defeated pandemic, Florida waived the mask requirement and distance rules.
This course is sharply criticized in Washington.
The government around new President Joe Biden had warned urgently against underestimating the current situation of stagnating infection numbers.
The president declared the ongoing easing in states like Texas and Mississippi as a "big mistake" and accused the governors of "Neanderthal thinking".
Corona in the USA: Spring Break as a longing destination - "Tourists flee from the lockdowns"
Since the competence for most pandemic measures lies with the states, Biden can do little against the easing steps.
The fact that Governor De Santis is a strict opponent of the Corona policy and, for example, vehemently speaks out against the mask requirement, is likely to disapprove of the President.
De Santis, on the other hand, seems to want to fully enjoy the current situation and proudly proclaimed: "We won't let others tell us to close the shops."
Although this course has been criticized by some politicians like the Mayor of Miami Beach, Dan Galber, it seems to be well received by the youth.
The
Miami Herald newspaper
headlined on Friday: "More chaos at spring break in South Beach as tourists flee the lockdowns".
In particular, people from states with stricter corona rules would make a pilgrimage to Florida to enjoy the local freedoms.
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As here in Fort Lauderdale, the beaches in Florida are currently well attended.
© Mike Stocker / imago-images
Corona and Spring Break: "Everything here revolves around the tourists, we just need them"
As the Miami Tourism Authority announced, many hotels are already 70 percent and some are booked up to 90 percent.
The spring break boosts tourism, which is economically vital for many people in Florida.
"Everything here revolves around the tourists, we just need them," said a restaurant owner to the
Miami Herald
.
"For the party vacation of your life" is also currently being advertised on German travel portals.
For example, there are tickets for the "Miami Spring Break Mansion Pool Party + After-Party" on March 20th.
Regardless of the fact that the entire United States is currently under a travel warning.
Corona in the USA: Will spring break become a "superspreader event"?
Critics now fear that the celebration will affect the number of infections and that the spring break will become a "superspreader event", meaning that a particularly large number of people will be infected with Covid-19.
Especially since two corona mutations from California and New York are currently spreading.
Incidentally, countless students celebrated their semester break in Florida in March 2020 - at a time when the corona pandemic was really picking up speed.
De Santis only overturned the event after a few days and after the pressure on him had increased.
In Florida, the number of infections had recently declined as in the rest of the country.
In the past seven days, the "Sunshine State" reported 5,149 new infections and 129 corona deaths on a daily average.
On average, 62,924 new cases were registered nationwide during this period.
Florida represents 8.1 percent of the US cases.
Around 6.7 percent of US citizens live in the state of 22 million people.
Critics fear that more cases could soon be on the account of Florida.
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