Just a few weeks ago, the nation was staring in horror at South Florida, where defiant spring breakers were flippantly dismissing coronavirus while mingling and partying as if they hadn’t a care in the world.
Just days later, a glut of these revelers had tested positive for the virus, after possibly sharing the sickness with anyone that they had come into contact with.
Americans shook their head in disapproval, and some were even outright mad at these foolish children.
Now, it’s California’s turn to feel the shame.
Seeking relief from a heat wave, thousands of people crowded beaches in Southern California this weekend amid the coronavirus pandemic, despite a statewide stay-at-home order implemented by the governor last month.
While beaches in Los Angeles and San Diego Counties remained closed, they were open in Ventura and Orange Counties. However, beachgoers still had to adhere to a patchwork of guidelines and restrictions, including keeping parking lots closed to discourage outside visitors and limit crowds.
“It’s a beautiful day,” Frank Feerini, who was at Huntington Beach in Orange County, told CNN affiliate KABC Saturday. “How can you keep anybody in?”
Only a small handful of American locales have begun to relax their social distancing guidelines as of this writing, with California’s beachfront communities certainly not among that group.
