Sxynix Posted March 14, 2021 Posted March 14, 2021 Spring breakers are flocking to Florida this year amid a prolonged coronavirus pandemic to take advantage of its sunny beaches and rapid reopening guidelines, photos and videos show. It comes as some colleges are cutting back or canceling their spring breaks amid fears that vacation partying could lead to subsequent outbreaks on their campuses. People walk on the beach on March 04, 2021 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. College students have begun to arrive in the South Florida area for the annual spring break ritual. City officials are anticipating a large spring break crowd as the coronavirus pandemic continues. They are advising people to wear masks if they cannot social distance. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) People walk on the beach on March 04, 2021 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. College students have begun to arrive in the South Florida area for the annual spring break ritual. City officials are anticipating a large spring break crowd as the coronavirus pandemic continues. They are advising people to wear masks if they cannot social distance. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) (Getty Images) University of California, Davis is offering students $75 to choose a "staycation" instead of traveling. Texas A&M University scaled down to just a three-day weekend. And the University of Alabama canceled spring break altogether. But many students, eager to get outside after nearly a year of pandemic lockdowns, are packing up and heading to the beach. "Life is normal – with a mask," said a health care worker from Palm Beach, where there is still a county-level mask mandate. People walk near the beach on March 04, 2021 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. College students have begun to arrive in the South Florida area for the annual spring break ritual. City officials are anticipating a large spring break crowd as the coronavirus pandemic continues. They are advising people to wear masks if they cannot social distance. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) People walk near the beach on March 04, 2021 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. College students have begun to arrive in the South Florida area for the annual spring break ritual. City officials are anticipating a large spring break crowd as the coronavirus pandemic continues. They are advising people to wear masks if they cannot social distance. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) (Getty Images) Andrew Cohen, co-owner of a party boat charter service, said he was nearly booked for the rest of the month in both Tampa and Fort Lauderdale. "A lot of them are coming down from the colder states," he told the Associated Press. "And they were just sick of being cooped up for the year." Despite the Sunshine State’s relaxed health guidelines and aggressive reopening plan, Centers for Disease Control of Prevention reports indicate coronavirus cases and deaths have declined between Jan. 1 and March 10. The state has also vaccinated more than 4 million residents, including more than 2.6 million senior citizens, according to state officials. The state’s po[CENSORED]tion is about 21.5 million. Still, the CDC lists the majority of Florida counties as having a "high" risk for community transmission. The rest are either "substantial" or "moderate." None of the state’s counties carry a "low" risk rating. And it remains a hotspot for coronavirus infection, with the fourth-highest death toll of any state, behind California, New York and Texas.
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