When nearly 70 young adults from Texas went to celebrate spring break in Mexico two weeks ago, many of them did not heed warnings to avoid large gatherings and nonessential air travel to prevent contracting COVID-19. Now, at least 44 of them returned with coronavirus.
According to a university spokesman in a statement to CNN, all patients were students of the University of Texas at Austin.
Mexico was not under a federal travel advisory at the time. Austin Mayor Steve Adler would later issue a stay-at-home order for Austin on March 24.
Austin Public Health Department noted that, while many of the students chartered a plane to and from their destination, some of them took commercial flights home when returning from Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Dozens of other passengers from the chartered flight are being monitored.
The local public health department and UT Health Austin and University Health Services have contacted all of the passengers on the plane using flight manifests from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The students who have tested positive are currently self-quarantined.
"The virus often hides in the healthy and is given to those who are at grave risk of being hospitalized or dying," Austin-Travis County Interim Health Authority Dr. Mark Escott said in a statement. "While younger people have less risk for complications, they are not immune from severe illness and death from COVID-19."
University president Gregory L. Fenves urged students to practice good judgment and think about how their actions can affect others.
"(It) is our responsibility to follow local, state and national public health orders, and use good judgment during this crisis," Fenves said in a statement Wednesday. "Our conduct and the decisions we make have direct ramifications on our own health and the health of everyone in our city and beyond. We must do everything we can to limit the spread of this virus -- the consequences of reckless actions at this time could not be clearer."
Additionally, Texas House Speaker Dennis Bonnen had a few choice words for anyone who continues to disregard COVID-19 warnings in lieu of partying.
"Quit being an a**," said Bonnen. "Get over yourselves. Whether you think this is an issue or not, it is. Whether you think it could affect you or not, it does. The reality of it is, if I'm a college kid who's going to spring break in Mexico, you're affecting a lot of people. Grow up."
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