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44 people in a group of Texas spring breakers have tested positive for COVID-19

Posted at 3:08 PM, Apr 01, 2020
and last updated 2020-04-02 09:25:56-04

The Austin Public Health Department said that its investigating a "cluster" of COVID-19 cases involving a group off people who are in their 20s who traveled to Mexico for spring break.

According to the Health Department, a group of 70 chartered a flight to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, as part of a spring break trip roughly a week and a half ago. The trip took place amid a massive push to conduct social distancing amid the spread of COVID-19. The group consisted of people in their 20s.

As of Thursday, 44 of those who returned from the spring break trip have tested positive for COVID-19. Some of those who tested positive were asymptomatic.

Officials have contacted the travelers who have not tested positive. The 28 who tested positive are under isolation.

On March 17, the CDC issued a Level 3 Travel Alert, meaning that travelers should postpone all non-essential travel.

“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. “While younger people have less risk for complications, they are not immune from severe illness and death from COVID-19.”