“Spring Breaker” Culture Threatens Return to Disaster

Through vaccinations and preventative efforts, America has finally begun a path of recovery after a full year of COVID-induced death and shutdowns. As Easter approaches, though, so does a seemingly innocuous phenomenon that may halt this revival: Spring Break. 

In the late months of 2020, COVID-19 cases reached their absolute worst. With a climax of over one hundred thousand new infections per day, it became evident that the holiday season and its accompanying festivities had reversed much of the progress made in prior months. With that realization and the advent of effective vaccines, cases have since steadily declined through the start of the new year. Now, we descend those catastrophic peaks. 

However, while it’s true that COVID-19 cases have dramatically decreased since the mountainous holiday spikes, the pandemic is far from over. As of late March, less than 15% of Americans are fully vaccinated, according to aggregate data from Google. New variants of the virus have caused worry amongst public health officials, and several states have reduced or entirely eliminated legislation meant to inhibit disease spread. 

Additionally, while vaccinations have eased the negative repercussions of COVID, they have also created uncertainty in the general population. Many have cited a recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) brief suggesting that “fully vaccinated people are less likely to have asymptomatic infection and potentially less likely to transmit SARS-CoV-2 to others,” but some have simultaneously ignored the accompanying recommendations to carry on with wearing masks and social distancing. In that same brief, the CDC noted that “Modeling studies suggest that preventive measures such as mask use and social distancing will continue to be important during vaccine implementation.” 

Similarly, conflicting public health messages have created ambiguity in what is and is not considered “essential travel.” During a White House briefing on Monday, March 22nd, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky stated, “Now is not the time to travel… We can look at the surge that happened in Europe, and we do not want that to happen.” Conversely, infectious disease experts such as Dr. Emily Landon of the University of Chicago have suggested that citizens do what they deem necessary for health and family purposes: “”I would say if you’re fully vaccinated and you want to visit children or grandchildren who are not [vaccinated], it’s reasonable to make the trip,” said Landon during a National Public Radio segment on March 14th. “I think that actually counts as essential travel at this point, from a mental health standpoint.” 

Some have capitalized on this ambiguity to justify travel, and others have ignored scientific guidance altogether. Among this group are the “spring breakers,” those that use their weeks-long hiatuses to visit abroad and party. As we pass the one-year anniversary of national pandemic-related shutdowns and enter spring break season, thousands have flocked to states with less imposing restrictions. 

Miami Beach, in particular, has become a hotspot for spring break after the city revoked many COVID-related preventative measures. This, coinciding with lower airline and hotel prices, allowed thousands to storm the beaches with no regard to their own health or that of the city’s permanent residents. Mayor Dan Gelber stated, “Too many people are coming here right now… too many people are coming here with bad intentions.” 

The city has since commendably issued an immediate response: “Just as tens of thousands of revelers were dreaming of dancing the night away in Miami Beach on Saturday, the city abruptly declared a state of emergency. Local officials shut down traffic on the causeways leading into the beach mecca, ordered outdoor restaurants to suspend outdoor dining starting at 7 p.m. and banned strolling on the city’s iconic Ocean Drive after 8 p.m.,” reported Jason Beaubien of NPR. 

Miami Beach’s acknowledgement of these activities seems to be the exception to the rule, though; rather than tightening restrictions as an answer to spring break festivities, many other local governments have done the opposite. “The concern is that throughout the country, there are a number of state, city, regions that are pulling back on some of the mitigation methods that we’ve been talking about: the withdrawal of mask mandates, the pulling back to essentially non-public health measures being implemented,” explained chief medical advisor and director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Anthony Fauci, on a March 19th briefing. “So it is unfortunate but not surprising to me that you are seeing increases in number of cases per day in areas — cities, states, or regions — even though vaccines are being distributed at a pretty good clip of 2 to 3 million per day… That could be overcome if certain areas pull back prematurely on the mitigation and public health measures that we all talk about.”

Deeper investigation reveals why Miami Beach and many other Floridian cities have suffered rising cases. An executive order signed by Ron DeSantis, Governor of Florida, includes the following regulations: “Removes state restrictions on restaurants and other businesses. Restaurants no longer limited by COVID orders including occupancy, if less than 100% then the local order must quantify the economic impact and explain why limitation is required. No business can be required closed. Suspends all outstanding fines and penalties related to COVID-19 on individuals.” These areas have become victims of their own lacking foresight. Infections continue to trend upwards in alignment with vacationing. “Every time there’s a surge in travel, we have a surge in cases in this country,” said Dr. Walensky. 

As spring break rages on, formal institutions such as schools and workplaces have embraced a similar path of loosening restrictions, albeit in a much more structured way. With this in mind, American officials in all sectors must work to ensure that prioritization remains on national security and that safe reopenings are not put in jeopardy by unfettered ones.