UCSD URGES STUDENTS NOT TO TRAVEL FOR SPRING BREAK

UC San Diego is urging students not to head off to party spots for spring break to help the university maintain what has been a nearly perfect recent effort to stave off COVID-19 infections.

The campus experienced a small COVID-19 surge in early January, after students returned from the Christmas holidays. But the infection rate among students who are living at UCSD or attending inperson classes now stands at 0.01 percent.

Of the 20,434 tests performed during the first 13 days of March, only eight proved to be positive, according to campus data.

“We’re in good shape and have been encouraging students to stay on campus,” said Dr. Robert “Chip” Schooley, who is running the university’s “Return to Learn” program.

“We could have a little outburst (of infections) among students who leave to see friends and family on spring break. But we think it will be smaller than before because a lot of people have been vaccinated and there are many people (in San Diego).”

UCSD will begin a weeklong spring break on March 29 and is hoping to avoid the sort of problems that have been occurring in other parts of the country.

In early March, a large party grew out of control near the University of Colorado and erupted into a street riot. Many of the students were not wearing masks. Media reports said students had been blowing off steam after a long winter of COVID-19 restrictions.

And about 100 people were arrested on Friday and Saturday during huge and rowdy spring break parties in the Miami Beach area.

“We’ve got a problem with too many people coming here to let loose,” Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber told CNN.

San Diego State University canceled this year’s traditional spring break period in hopes that students would stay closer to home. The university experienced a major COVID-19 outbreak last fall, but later brought the problem under control.