Crowds flock to Florida beaches as Spring Break nears

SOUTH FLORIDA - Crowds of beachgoers were seen at Fort Lauderdale in Florida over the weekend, as the area braced for travelers during the Spring Break season amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The city of Miami has canceled any official events, according to local news reports. Tents, tables and live music were restricted from the beach area, Fort Lauderdale Police Department said.

Florida recorded 1,700 new cases of coronavirus on Monday, March 1, according to local news reports.

Scott Edwards owns a local marketing company, Daytona Beach Welcome Center. He said he thinks crowds won’t be anything compared to before.

RELATED: Volusia County Beach Patrol prepares for Spring Break 2021

"About 95% of your traditional universities in the U.S. have canceled spring break," he said.

Still, he expects students to come from nearby states, within driving distance to places like Daytona Beach. 

"You’re not going to see those weeklong stays from Ohio or Michigan or that kind of thing that we normally do," he said.

Beach Patrol said it plans to be fully staffed, and while the agency encourages social distancing, it will not regulate it.