Should You Cancel Those Spring Break Travel Plans Amid The Coronavirus Outbreak?

With spring break right around the corner, many travelers are considering if they should cancel their vacations as the threat of the coronavirus looms. President Trump has enacted a European travel ban for the next 30 days, but many spring breakers are headed elsewhere.

Some students have been advised by university officials to forego travel during spring break, which in many cases has been extended as a precaution to prevent the spread of COVID-19. But will students heed the advice and not to head out to the sand and surf for some rest and relaxation between studies?

University Wisconsin-Oshkosh student Anthony Balao told WLUK, a Fox affiliate out of Green Bay, Wisconsin that he is “staying at home spring break, I'm not going out. I don't wanna get that!”

Another traveler, Theresa Maksymow, caught at the Orlando International Airport in Florida by WKMG, a CBS affiliate in the city, said, “There’s always a concern when you’re flying that you’re going to get sick. I think if we were flying out of the country, we would have stayed home.”

Schools such as Louisiana State University have reportedly advised students to stay home for spring break, especially if they are planning a trip to a location where the coronavirus is more prevalent. Also, urging students to reconsider travel plans are New York University, Columbia, Syracuse, and Cornell universities, to name a few.

Popular travel destinations in Mexico are also under watch as officials grapple with ways to control the spread of the coronavirus. Mexico has seen only 11 confirmed cases of COVID-19, according to the World Health Organization, and no deaths have been reported.

Airlines such as Delta and American are also expecting reduced passenger volumes throughout the rest of March. Delta told WLUK that it anticipates a third of its seats to be empty.