Coronavirus Ends 2020 Florida Spring Break: 'Party’s Over', Says Gov. DeSantis

Nothing's ever stopped that annual All-American teen debauchery called Spring Break -- until now.

Florida on Thursday shut its famous beaches -- think Daytona, South Beach, Clearwater, Fort Lauderdale, Cocoa Beach -- to the armies of Spring Breakers after being blasted for condoning partying amid the spread of COVID-19. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis issued an order Thursday morning limiting gatherings on beaches to no more than 10 persons as per federal guidelines.

"So what you've see now is a lot of the sheriff's departments have instituted protocols … Cocoa Beach, major spring break destination went down 70% since my order," said DeSantis. "And so, I think that's a more prudent approach to do social distancing."

DeSantis took a lot of flak for continuing to insist the state's profitable beaches remain open. Before finally shutting down the beaches under immense public pressure, DeSantis ordered all bars and nightclubs to close effective at 5:00 p.m. for 30 days, and asked people to order takeout.

On Thursday, DeSantis had had enough of his critics -- which included his predecessor, now-senator Rick Scott, now in self-quarantine -- and announced the state will more strictly enforce guidelines set by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) about large crowds.

“The message I think for spring breakers is that the party’s over in Florida,” said DeSantis during an interview Thursday on "Fox & Friends."

“You’re not going to be able to congregate on any beach in the state. Many of the hot spots that people like to go to, whether it’s Miami Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Clearwater Beach, are closed entirely for the time being.”

DeSantis previously closed the state’s bars and nightclubs. He said “every single beach” in Florida will have to abide by the CDC guidelines against gatherings of more than 10 people. He said law enforcement officials will enforce the CDC rules.

“So we would tell those folks maybe come back next year when things are better, but that is not what we’re looking for,” he pointed out.

Scott had a blunt message for Spring Breakers: “Get off the beaches.”

“What are you thinking about by being on the beach around all these people that might have coronavirus and you’re going to go home and potentially infect the people you love the most,” said Scott on CNN. “What are you thinking? Stop doing it now!”

Scott said unless these kids can figure out how to completely be isolated from anybody else, "... individuals have to take responsibility and every, every level of government has to be very clear, don’t be on the beach unless you can be somehow completely by yourself."